In my house of dysfunctional bathroom use including poorly placed farts I get little boys’ hilarious burps, foam darts whizzing past my computer screen to the tune of heckling laughter, and all sorts of other things I dare not mention, but just wait and I will. I barely flinch. It’s no doubt I’m living the boys’ life with four males in the house: my husband and three sons aged 12 and under. I like to think of us as 4 Alans and an Ann as these are our middle names. Sorry boys, I ... Continue Reading...
My Worst Fear as a Mother
My kids always ask me what I’m scared of the most and I’m never really sure how to answer them because I don’t want to scare them by my real fear. I usually say I’m scared of something bad happening to them. I can’t tell them the real truth that what I’m really scared of is dying and leaving them to navigate growing up without me. It’s not that I don’t think my husband would do a good job, I know he would, but I saw how hard it was for my dad to be a widowed, grieving single parent and I know ... Continue Reading...
100 Things to do with Kids this Summer in the Twin Cities and at home
100 things to do this with kids this summer in and near the Twin Cities & at home: Happy Summer! I've made a list of fun family things to do with kids in the summer. Some activites in this list you will need pay for to do but some are free, because we all need some free options! I hope you find my list useful. Kids need some boredom buster ideas at times in the summer and sometimes the whole family is looking for something fun to do together for family time. This list includes activities ... Continue Reading...
Kid Brains versus the Parent Brains
Parents: Kids' Brains are Wired Differently than Ours Kid brains versus parent brains show vast differences. Anyone who has spent time around kids can recognize this difference. Kids have their own agendas not always rooted in reality, but their viewpoint is beautiful in many ways.That viewpoint is what helps them live in the moment more than we do as adults. Adults are often forced into living in reality, but we can learn a lot from kids to live in the moment more. But with busy schedules, ... Continue Reading...
Crafts are for Boys too
This was originally published on Her View From Home . “Watch out Mom!” I hear my son say as a cut up foam bullet whizzes into the kitchen and lands near my cutting board. It’s my middle son and he’s created another invention. He smiles and shows me his new shooter. Crafts are for boys too. Yes, Gun Crafts Yes, my boys make gun crafts as much as I tried to keep guns out of the picture, the boys have their own ideas about that. The inventiveness of it is what allows me to accept it as they ... Continue Reading...
My Most Brutal Wonderful Mother’s Day
My kids signed three Mother’s Day cards to mail to their Grandma’s, and one of them said, “But we have four Grandma’s” and bless his heart, I knew I was keeping my Mother’s memory alive for him even though she passed away years before he was born. My Mom is not forgotten even by him who never met her; this brought tears to my eyes. My worst Mother’s Day was the first one without my Mom. Watching others buy Mother’s Day cards and seeing ads selling silver heart necklaces and perfume cuts you ... Continue Reading...
Broken Wrist and Surgery Fear
It’s the beginning scene, just picture it: tall bar stool, mini trampoline, air mattress, and a six-year old boy. Enter action sequence: boy crawls to top of tall bar stool, stands on bar stool ready to jump, and leans just a little bit too far to one side and loses his balance. Ending scene: first ominous silence, six-year-old boy on floor, a shattering cry rips through the air, and his crooked arm on the carpet. That was the movie we saw. We were supposed to be finishing “The Empire ... Continue Reading...
Meal Time Rush in the The Parenting Life; Should Have Made Spaghetti
Most evenings we have a full schedule of activities and sports, so sometimes I opt for quick individual meals for dinner. However, oftentimes this opting for easy quick individual meals backfires on me and I wish I had just made a pot of something they all like, such as spaghetti. Join me on my journey of a humorous recount of a crazy evening I should have just made spaghetti. A Parent's Life… There is a short lull in between when the kids come home from school and the evening schedule crunch ... Continue Reading...
Paying Homage to the Kindergarten Teacher
This was originally published on Her View From Home. http://herviewfromhome.com/paying-homage-to-the-kindergarten-teacher/ My youngest is now in kindergarten and I am finally able to volunteer in the classroom. I am amazed how the teacher commands the room. Here is what I heard, and learned, while volunteering in my son’s kindergarten classroom: “But pink is my favorite!” The kids have opinions about everything they want. They want a certain color paper. They want to sit on a ... Continue Reading...
Community Building at our Backyard Pool
Owning a pool in our backyard is a community blessing. It brings the neighborhood, friends, and family together to make memories and have fun. Having fun together is the ultimate bonding tool, especially when repeated. When it’s summertime, we have pool parties. The kids do flips into the water together.They dare each other to see who can swim underwater the furthest. They make up fun games.They play water football toss where they try to jump and catch it mid-air. It's good times. Of ... Continue Reading...
