The reigning champ of getting my two year old daughter to stay down for her nap, I was savoring the taste of sweet victory as I plunked myself down on my comfy leather couch. I inhaled a deep sigh of relief, ready to enjoy a much anticipated respite. My sigh of relief; however, was quickly interrupted by an eerie silence that seemed to suddenly settle into our home. Careful to not wake up my daughter, I quietly called out to my boys. Jordan? Jake? There was no answer. I made my way through the house, checking every room and their known …
Gratefulness and Teaching Character
“YUMMM OOOOO EEEEEE UMMMM!” my three kids intoned while rocking side-de-to-side. “YUUUUMMMMM OOOOOOO EEEEEEE UMMMMMM…” It is the song of the porcupine. A song of gratefulness and I smiled… We have been using Character First as part of our homeschooling. It is a fun and easy way to discuss character traits with your kids. This curriculum is not Biblically based, but you can easily add Biblical principles in as you read fun stories, discuss a historical person with the trait, play games, and do fun crafts that help your children understand and develop important character traits. My kids remember the porcupine periodically …
The Danger of Not Seeing the Cucumber for the Leaves
Gently lifting the green leaves, I searched among the vines for a cucumber. Again I was disappointed. My gardening attempts had begun in the spring after enjoying a salad from my sister-in-law’s garden. I had known Loes gardened, but the idea of weeding and watering weren’t my thing. That is, until I ate from her garden and my attitude changed. The Secret Gardener The following day, I decided to try gardening. I didn’t tell Keith. I didn’t tell Loes. I quietly went to the nursery and checked out the plants. Who knew there were so many varieties of tomatoes …
5 Proactive Ways to Prepare Your Child for a Driver’s License
When our children were young, Daniel and I instilled in them a fear of driving. We lived in southern California, so this was an easy task. We simply pointed out the drivers who ran through red lights and those who cut in front of us without using turn signals. We discussed fender-benders at the side of the road, analyzing the physics of high speed impact. We told horror stories of our own tickets and accidents. Although initially thrilled when 16 came and went with neither child showing any interest in driving, we became increasingly concerned as 18 and then 20 …
Kids & Chores – No Reason to Be Tired
Is your house a mess? Would you be mortified if a friend stopped by without calling first? Are your children at an age where they can go to the potty by themselves? Have they figured out how to use the TV remote DVD player, or your home computer? Then, there’s no reason your little darlings can’t help you around the house. Martha Stewart would not be impressed with my shower, nor would she praise me for my windows –still, my home is in good enough shape for company. I learned early on as a mom of four children, I had four …
Borrowing, Taking, & Stealing + Monday M.O.M. Link-Up!
I found my missing eye shadow in the guest bathroom yesterday. My college-aged daughter had “borrowed” it. Without asking. As she had her dad’s teeth whitening gel two days prior. The pasta pot earlier in the week. And our camera last month. All without permission. And all of this “borrowing” was at least partly my fault. Four years ago, whenever Annemarie came home to visit during her freshman year, I didn’t just overlook “little things” like my missing hair straightener and new boots. I was so glad to see her, I was downright thrilled by all my missing items. They …
How to get kids to help with Spring Cleaning
There was a day when I imagined that when our children could drive, apply for college, and deposit a pay check, they would help with Spring Cleaning without even being asked. I was deluded. There will never come a time when the woman of the house doesn’t have to get her hands dirty in guiding her family in the care and cooperation of her home. If you want to get your kids to help with Spring Cleaning, you have to throw out your rotten habits and bring in some fresh ones. Kids of every age need moms to encourage, equip, …
Mentor”ish”ing on the Trail + Monday M.O.M. Link-Up!
by Erin MacPherson I’m part of a run”ish”ing group with six of my girlfriends. We call it run”ish”ing because if you’ve ever seen me run, you’d know that I certainly could not be labeled a runner. Run”ish”er is a stretch. But regardless, every Saturday morning we get up bright and early and meet at a local park to go run”ish”ing. We even have shirts to remind us of our athletic prowess (or lack thereof). Now, I know it sounds crazy (who gets up at 6 am to do something sporty?) but it’s become the part of my week that I …
QbyUand4U: Movies and Videos + TMI Monday Link-Up!
Hey sweet moms…many of you have been asking questions and we want you to know WE HEAR YOU and WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. Here’s a recent question that was sent to us at The M.O.M. Initiative ~ “When my son goes over to his friend’s house, they let him watch movies I don’t approve of and play video games I don’t like either. I love the parents but I’m how do I tell them that he is not allowed to watch certain shows or play certain games when he’s over there?” Two weeks ago, we looked at some foundational questions …
What Peter Rabbit’s Momma Can Teach Us About Parenting
My twin two year old girls love The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I’m sure they can relate to mischievous Peter, who doesn’t listen to his mother and goes to Mr. McGregor’s garden anyway to eat carrots. Our version has the pull tabs and it is almost torn to pieces we’ve read it so much. They love finding Peter’s lost shoes and pulling the gooseberry net up and down trying to release him. They explore the tool shed looking for Peter but only finding a ladybug, butterfly and bubble bee instead. Finally, Peter makes it out of Mr. McGregor’s garden and …