Mommy Monday

As mothers, we need to take the education of our children to heart.

And that includes tree-climbing.

There weren't any good trees in the immediate vicinity of our house, so we had to do some hunting. Eventually we found the perfect trees for our climbing lesson.

Mommy Monday

Dancing. Music. Kids love it, and so do you.

Every day, have at least thirty minutes of Music Time. Keep changing the genre - classical one day, oldies the next. Mix in a little jazz, raggae, country, R&B, Celtic, hymns and pop. Expose them to the good music to be found across the board. Kids truly love it all. Put it on and DANCE.

Let them feel the music and try to "interpret" how it makes them move. Give them "shakers," pots and pans, or tape butter knives to the bottom of their shoes to make them 'tap.' Swirl scarves or sashes through the air along with the music. Make sure you tell them the name of each song - and make sure you DANCE WITH THEM.

Your children will soon become connoisseurs, guaranteed.

For example. Just a sampling from Little Prince's Playlist:

U2's "Elevation"

"Duelin' Banjos"

Mozart's March in D

"Put a Ring on It"

"I Hope They Call Me on a Mission"

"Bad Day"

The Majestic soundtrack (all suh-WEET jazz music)

"I'm a Child of God"

Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op.23 No. 5

Anything Celtic

Any kind of camp song (that's muh boy)

I seriously love my kid.

And if you'd like to see him jive, just click here. (I posted the video last year - and it remains my favorite music video of all time.)

Mommy Monday

I got this idea from the marvelous Janae. She is an amazing mom, and yet doesn't make me feel stupid about my own efforts. Love that lovely lady.

So here it is: bowling with POP BOTTLES.

(And for the record, it's pop - not soda. Do not sully my blog with misnomers, pleaseandthankyou.)

We're not big pop drinkers in my house, but we have a lot of youth parties. And I save all the bottles - they make excellent storage containers for flour, beans and rice. And bowling. Duh.

Maximum noise with minimum damages. Can it GET any better than this?

No pictures of us doing it. Contrary to popular opinion, a camera is NOT permanently attached to my face. And sometimes the best memories are the ones not documented, don't you think?

Mommy Monday

Today's Mommy Monday tip isn't homemade. Sheesh, people, I'm not 100% crunchy. I use toilet paper, after all. Leaves just aren't my thang.

So lately one of our favorite Things To Do is play the "Cat in the Hat game."

People, this is sooooo much better than playing cars. (YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.)

There are a stack of cards numbered 1, 2 and 3. One has an action, another an object, another a place. So when you pick up all three you could get, "hop three times with the ball between your elbows."

It is impossible to fall asleep while playing.

And your kids will love it.

And that's what matters.

Mommy Monday

Mommy Monday

Today's Mommy Tip is a simple one - good for a rainy day or to occupy a pre-schooler at church.

Sewing.

Just cut out simple shapes from cardboard and punch holes in it. (In and of itself a fun activity.) Wrap tape around a piece of yarn or ribbon to make it easier to thread and ta-da! Toddler sewing.

(We always. Always. Sew cars or trucks.)

Mommy Monday

Go CAMPING!

Mommy Monday

I've kinda been slackin' on the Mommy Mondays lately. In part because I always forget what day it is. Also because I didn't think anyone really cared - besides my own mother, who thinks it's cute.

But last week I got a couple requests for the return of tips on how to be the Coolest Mommy on the Block for preschoolers. So HERE WE GO.

Water.


This is one of those "duh" tips. I distinctly remember when my own mommy (the Coolest Mommy on the Block in her own right) told me to just let Little Prince paint with water for hours of stress-free fun.

Eureka! Why didn't I ever think of that?!

We have now developed all kinds of water-play fun. Any suggestions of your own are welcome, as always.

• "Painting" with water. Paintbrush. Water. That's it. (Although it's even MORE fun when chalk is involved.)
• Ice cube painting - sprinkle a piece of paper with Kool-aid or some other kind of powdered drink mix and spread it around with an ice cube. Very cool designs - and edible, too!
• For those of you buried in snow, fill a spray bottle with colored water and "decorate" your yard or snowman.
• "Wash" the walls. Don't laugh. My kids LOVE doing this. Just give 'em a wet sponge and have at it.
• Make "soap crayons." Take about 1 1/2 cups of soap powder (like Ivory Snow), add food coloring and 1/2 cup of water. Let harden in small containers or an ice cube tray. You can "color" the walls during bathtime or outside (in the summer, obviously.)
• Water balloons. Nuff said.
• Play the "waterfall game." This is for young kids. Fill a container with water and take turns dropping pennies in. The game ends when one player drops in the penny that makes the water overflow. (Very. Very fun.)
• You can also "drown the penny." Using a rubber band, secure a tissue or napkin over a water-filled glass. Place a penny on top, and take turns poking the tissue with a pencil until the penny finally falls.
• Make a "sprinkler" out of an old milk jug. Just poke holes in the bottom, fill with water, and tell your toddler to make sure EVERYTHING gets a drink.

I recognize that most of these are for summertime play. File them away for later use!

Mommy Monday

This is a great activity to do with pre-schoolers. Simply get a large piece of paper (butcher paper works best), tape to the ground, and trace your child. Then let him color it in! This kept Little Prince occupied the whole time Ouro Branco was napping - in and of itself a blessing.

We hung the finished product on his bedroom door, and he now shows every house guest his masterpiece.

Mommy Monday

(Psssst. If I'm gone for long periods of time, just assume I'm hating these guys:)

Internet - ya can't live without it. At least, you can LIVE; it's just no fun.


So back to Mommy Monday! Today is a very simple trick, essential for rainy days when the park is not an option. Mattresses. Simply pile up mattresses all over the room and HAVE FUN. Added bonus: they're always ready for nap time when you put them away.

"I want to jump on the mattresses, too, Mom!"

"Sorry, kid, you're not old enough. Can I bite your neck instead?"

Mommy Monday

I threw in this picture just cuz I wanted to.

OMIGOSH THOSE CHEEKS!!!

Anyway - so Mommy Tip Monday - PUPPETS!

Those are all handmade sock puppets - a zebra, an alligator, and a snake. (Only the alligator has eyeballs left. The other two are blind.)

They are obviously very easy to make. Just use all those lonely socks that have lost their mates to the Dryer Monster. Draw or glue on details - yarn for hair, googly eyes, etc. - and presto! Instant fun.

I got a puppet theater for Christmas last year (thanks Stephanie! We seriously use it all the time), but you can make your own using a pillowcase and string - which is what we did before we got all FANCY. Just tape the string across a doorway and drape two pillowcases over it. Ta-da! Curtains.

Ouro Branco likes playing peek-a-boo with our chic-y theater.

The curtain rod broke a while ago and we returned to our roots with a piece of yarn. Such is life.

Little Prince demonstrates how a pig attacks a princess.

In addition to the puppet theater, we also got a ton of REAL puppets and a whole slew of accessories.

Nothing gets a kid's imagination going quite like puppets. They're also great for church. Now get creative!

Mommy Monday

Declare washing-the-sheets-day an informal holiday by making THIS:


Their same-ole same-ole toys become exponentially more interesting when played with in a fort.

You probably won't be allowed in!

But you WILL be The Coolest Mommy on the Block.

Mommy Monday

An activity that my children never tire of: PLAY DOUGH.

Play dough around here is a staple pasttime. We play with it almost every day, sometimes for hours. They are playing with it right this very minute - graciously allowing me to blog about. Sweethearts.

We make a new batch every month or so, mostly because it ends up getting stuffed inside toy trucks, bicycle treads and shoes. Not to mention the bits of rocks, dirt, grass and feathers that routinely decorate their creations. However, this recipe should last about six months if kept clean, dry and well packaged between uses.

Heat:

1 cup of water

1/2 cup salt

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. cream of tartar (this is what acts as the preservative)

food coloring or dry Tempera paint

You don't have to boil it - just heat it through so the salt dissolves a bit.

Then add one cup of flour and STIR. It should look like this:

Then you

Tip:

Don't forget

Finally -

Enjoy -

Mommy Monday

I decided to do a "Coolest Mommy on the Block" gig every Monday - mostly to force myself to take pictures and document my good days. ;o) And if anyone wants to copy and make a kid's day, feel free!

Need something to do with all that cardboard laying around? Make airplanes. Minimal preparation, maximum enjoyment.

You're good for at least forty-five minutes of insane happiness. Feel free to add "tails" for a bird variation.