MamaManagement

So my 9 year old daughter is a voracious reader, like her mama. But, unlike her mama, she has, at any given time, about 5-10 novels in active reading mode. (I tend to have one fiction and one non-fiction book going; or one hardcopy and one audio book.) She switches from book to book depending on her mood. She carries at least three novels in her backpack at all times (that sucker is heavy!). And always has one in her hand when she climbs into a car. She takes them with her when we go out to dinner or, really, anywhere where there is even the slightest chance of a few minutes of downtime when she could slip in a few pages. She moans at bedtime when I tell her it's lights out and she has to put away the books. This, not so secretly, gives me unending pleasure. I LOVE that she is so into books. Love, love, love! And I encourage it. I support it...like a dealer supports a junkie. I'm constantly picking up another book from the library (or Amazon) that looks good. And now that she...

Geocaching somewhere in the forests of PA I'm notorious for NOT being on the cutting edge of, like, anything...ever. I am not a fashionista. I am not an early adopter. I don't have the newest technology. I am not "in the know" or the first to know about anything...except possibly a new book release. But even then...no, not really. Still not. And even I, the last adult besides my father to finally succumb to the smart phone movement, have known about geocaching for a couple of years. So, I know this post isn't really new news. BUT, when I first read about it, I remember thinking, that might be fun to try...and then never doing anything about it. (And maybe that's what you did, too.) I filed it away in the back of my brain, and moved on. That is, until this summer. Before I go on with my story, I should first answer this question (for those who don't know): What is geocaching? A cache hidden in plain sight Geocaching is a real world, out...

Some of the best parenting advice I've absorbed recently can be summed up in four little words: Listen * Support * Encourage * Believe I think I've shared this belief before: I believe that if you're paying attention, the universe is constantly sending you messages. And when they're really important, the universe will present these messages to you in a variety of ways, often in rapid succession. The universe will put articles and books and people and experiences (and blog posts) in your path that direct you to lessons and information you need right now . And that's how I feel about this particular lesson. I read at least three different articles/books/posts within a very short period of time that all said essentially the same thing about helping your child deal with tough stuff. And all at a time when I was feeling less sure about how best to help my 7 year old cope with increasing complex emotional and relational issues. And the lesson can be boiled d...

On the to-do list: Change ink cartridges in printer So. I just came back, let's see, 4 days ago, from a culture-sanctioned life-break commonly referred to as: Spring Break. At some point in our culture, everyone got together and agreed that we would celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring with a little time off. The schools let my kids off of the hook. Nobody questions it when my husband takes time off work. We load everything into the car and head out on a family vacation. Which means that I just had a "break." So can someone explain to me why I so badly want another one? Is it Spring Fever? Is it longing for summer? Is it rebellion against the routine? Boredom with the monotony? Overwhelm with all of the activities? I don't know what it is, but I just want a break in the middle of it all. Not a regularly scheduled holiday. Not a culturally-sanctioned vacation. A Break. In the middle. Of it all. In the middle of the school commute. In th...

A short post today, but I felt the need to share after reading this lovely little picture book with Portia the other night: Fred by Kaila Eunhye Seo It is the sweetest story with a wonderful message for both kids and parents: Imaginary friends are wonderful and we shouldn't let them go as we grow. In fact, they might be even more important to keep with us as we get older. Because sometimes, no matter what your age, you need friend when no one else is around. Plus the art is just lovely. It makes me smile. images pulled from Amazon Until next time, go spend some time with an old friend, imaginary or otherwise...and happy reading! :-)

Is it bad that I like the KidzBop versions of a lot of today's popular songs better than the originals? Not so much the vocals, but the lyrics. I realized this yesterday when driving around with my kids listening to the Kidzbop station on SiriusXM. I caught that moment in a song where they've noticeably changed the words. And I felt...relieved to not hear whatever degrading line had been altered...and not just because my kids were in the car. I realized that I didn't want to hear that junk either. And that realization got me thinking, and then asking: Does liking KidzBop versions of some songs better than the originals mean that I've lost my edge? Or does it mean that I've wizened to the impact of the words we spout freely to the rhythm of fun dance music. As I see it, the beauty of KidzBop is that they remove the misogyny without removing the fun dance beat. As I get older I find myself offended and disappointed on a regular basis by the lyrics in popular...

I want to remember Portia's long, skinny legs...how they go on for days and turn the color of perfectly golden pancakes in the summer the sun. I want to remember Holden's tiny butt...white as cream, rounded and small, and shaking when he dances naked while getting dressed in the morning. I want to remember their strong, slender, milky feet and tiny, delicate toenails that curl under at the tip.  I want to remember their wide eyes looking deep into mine as they squish my cheeks between their little hands and tell me that they love me.  I want to remember Portia's subtle lisp and how the words tumble out of her mouth surrounded by gasps of breath when she's excited, and the way she says "mazagine" instead of "magazine." I want to remember Holden's wild hand gestures, expressive faces, and full body explanations--his general inability to contain his excitement within his tiny body when he has something to say.  I want to remember their cr...

We have toy clutter. A LOT of toy clutter. This is because we have a lot of toys. Do we have too many toys? Probably. Do we need to "cull the herd," as my husband is fond of saying? Yep. But even once we cull the herd...and do a major-league organizing overhaul, as I manage to do once or twice a year...we will still have toy clutter. Why? Because we have a 4 and a 6 year old. And while I am not a fan of clutter of any kind. And I am not a fan of looking at piles of toys all the time...which aren't appealing to the eye even when they're cleaned up. I've come to a conclusion: These are The Toy Years. You begin life as a parent in the Baby Contraption Years. That's when your house is taken over by swings and bouncy seats and pack-n-plays and high chairs. Then you breathe this giant sigh of relief as you pack up those monstrosities. And you think to yourself, "Finally, no more baby clutter." And then the toys move in. Firs...

There is this wonderful little children's picture book that you may have heard of, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A guide to Daily Happiness for Kids , by Carol McCloud. I think this is a wonderful book for kids (of any age) and adults alike. (Check it out here, if you haven't already: Have You Filled a Bucket Today? ) The basic idea in the book is this: We all carry with us an invisible bucket in which we tote our happy thoughts and feelings. Our bucket is filled when others say and do nice things for us, as well as when we do and say nice things for others. When we are hurtful to others we dip into their bucket (and ours) and take away some of those good feelings. When our bucket is full, we feel happy. When our bucket is empty, we feel sad. So, when you do and say nice things to other people you fill both their bucket and your own. Lesson: Make filling people's buckets a daily goal and everyone will be happier. I love this concept, and think it's so true, bu...

Nobody is listening. Nothing is going as planned. Nobody is doing what they're told. Nothing is going right. Nobody is cooperating. It sounds like a recipe for yelling. Nothing gets my blood boiling faster than things not going the way I want/need/planned them to. Not all the time. But when conditions are right (i.e. Mommy's tired, stressed, etc.), look out. It happened just today. It was actually what prompted a change in this week's Top Ten Tuesday post. Another battle of wills between mom and child. I had a plan. In order to leave for the pool in time to get a reasonable amount of time there before coming home for dinner, we needed to get my son's nap in a little early. Everything was going according to plan...until it wasn't. Apparently my son did not get the memo...that I sent out...in triplicate. As we sat in the chair in his room, me encouraging sleep, him fighting it (despite being tired), I could feel my blood start to boil. I could feel my ...

Construction paper shape art is so easy to pull together. You can plan ahead and cut the shapes out ahead of time, or, you can be like me most of the time and stand next to the kids cutting as you go. Either way, this is so easy and my kids absolutely love it. Here's the idea: Create pictures of whatever you want (We obviously did a lot of Christmas themed pictures last month!) using basic shapes: squares, rectangles, circles, triangles, etc. Depending on the ages of your kids you can either cut out the shapes for them and allow them to assemble things into a picture, or you can draw the shapes on the paper and let them cut them out themselves before creating their picture. Either way, this is all you'll need: - Construction paper in various colors - Scissors (safety scissors if the kids are doing the cutting) - Glue sticks - Crayons and markers for adding details and background drawings - Any other materials you'd like to add, like glitter, google eyes, et...

PUDDING REINDEER! Hello super adorable chocolate pudding reindeer! I mean seriously, these are too cute! I made them for my daughter's party at preschool and served them with powdered sugar donut hole "snowballs". So fun! They are really easy to make, though they do take a little time, but it's mindless enough work that it can be done while watching HGTV or Food Network…though I don't recommend wielding a hot glue gun with any shows you get too involved in--I don't want anyone getting hurt! Here's what you need to make your own Pudding Reindeer: - pudding cups - pipe cleaners - google eyes (peel and stick, if you have them) - something for red noses; I cut circles from red foam sheets, but you could use felt, constructions paper, fake berries, fuzzy balls, whatever. - scissors - hot glue gun Stick two google eyes to each pudding cup. Cut out your red noses from whatever material you're using. Hot glue noses to the cups with just a ...

aka: The last-minute punt to occupy the kids so I could get dinner ready. aka: I love masking tape. Last week my husband was out of town on business for four days, leaving me the sole referee for the the crazy 4 and 2 year old that rule my world. Which, most of the time, is fine. But as the dinner hour approaches, things can get a bit harried (understatement). On this particular night I was trying to cook a real meal and the kids were having trouble getting along. Out of sheer frustration and determination to get dinner made, I had a creative burst. I left them squabbling in the family room and walked out into the kitchen, grabbed a role of masking tape, walked back into the family room and began pulling strips of tape out and sticking it to the carpet. The kids stopped what they were doing and watched intently. My four year old asking repeatedly, "What are you doing, Mommy?" To which I replied, "You'll see." In about two minutes time, I created this: ...

I love this book so much, I just had to share it with you all. This was a recent library find...I was genuinely sad when we had to return it this week. It's S tand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. I absolutely adore the illustrations, and the story is lovely and sends an important message...it is both anti-bully and pro-love-yourself-just-as-you-are. I love it...and Portia did too! Kudos to both Patty Lovell and the illustrator, David Catrow (who is from my dad's hometown, Springfield, Ohio)! Check it out! And until next time, happy reading.

So, it is ridiculously cold outside right now. Like single-digits-to-teens cold, plus a windchill. And it's snowing. Which is kind of a slap in the face for my daughter, because it's actually too cold to go out and play in the snow. She can just watch longingly from the window as it falls to the ground. And it's been like this all week. So I have a couple of stir-crazy kids who need a little physical activity. A while back I remember seeing something on Pinterest about "masking tape games." I'm not even sure if I looked at the actual link, or if I just saw a picture on the pin and that was enough to plant the seed in my brain, but when I was a Target earlier in the week I picked up a fresh roll of masking tape and then got to work on some games. As you can see, I wasn't going for perfection here. Kids usually don't care so much about how straight your lines are or how neatly you tear the tape...they just want to get jumping. So here we go! Port...