Hubby trimmed trees on Monday, and now we have a (taller than me) brush pile on the side of the house. We see it as we pull into the driveway, and for the past two days the kids and I have stopped to watch the birds that have turned this brush pile into a playground. (I know that the picture above only shows two birds, but that's because the … [Read more...]
Re-Motivating the Kids
My kids' daily checklist is designed for my own brain. It's meant to be something that will help them motivate themselves, which makes up for my own ability to say, "OK, get in bed!" without ever thinking about having them pick up their rooms, the living room, etc. We go through times when the checklist is forgotten. By all of us. Thankfully, … [Read more...]
Fun or Responsibility, a Grown-Up’s Dilemma
When I taught at an international school in Thailand for two years, I attended multiple meetings where we were trained in how to deal with the unique challenges of kids who moved a lot. I remember learning about two contrasting reactions to change/leaving. Some people get close to the time of departure, and withdraw. They realize that they … [Read more...]
Re-Cleaning
I’m not talking about the daily cleaning that makes me feel a little dizzy thinking, “Didn’t I just wipe down the table? How is it already covered in syrup?” I’m talking about cleaning things that are clean. Or at least clean . . . in theory. It drives me crazy to wash laundry that I know is probably clean, but somehow got mixed in with … [Read more...]
Practical Tips for Teaching Kids to Cook
I've shared that one of my summer goals is to teach my boys to cook. Nothing fancy. No chef hats or complicated techniques. Just survival cooking. The kind that will keep them alive in their bachelor years. They are seven and nine, and they've helped me in the kitchen in the past, but I want them to gain some independence. I had each … [Read more...]
How I Limit My Kids’ TV/Screen Time
It’s summer. And because it’s summer (and summer is fun), I haven’t written this post that I’ve been meaning to write . . . since summer began. A big part of success in any endeavor, especially one where I’m trying to maintain routine in the midst of a lack of routine, is preparation. A few days before summer began, I realized that I hadn’t … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning/Organizing/De-Disasterizing the Playroom
That's our playroom. It's a room I ignore, often accidentally . . . but mostly on purpose. Besides the fact that I'm sure every playroom in existence tends to get out of control, mine is actually a closed-in porch. It isn't under heat or air, and we leave the window open quite a bit so our dog can get in out of the wind/rain/cold/whatever. … [Read more...]
I’m Glad I Gave In On This One
I've admitted it before. I have toys-with-teeny-tiny-parts-a-phobia. Since our home lacks a mother who can remember to say, "Put that away before you . . . come-to-dinner/get-out-a-new-toy/start-doing-cartwheels-in-the-dining-room/whatever-else-you-can-think-of," I just avoid these kinds of toys. They always seem to end up scattered around … [Read more...]
Involving Kids in Yard Work
It feels a little strange to be talking about working in the yard (in short-sleeves!) today, since it's crazy-cold outside, but two days ago, it was beautiful. Where we live, this is the time of year when the last of the leaves are falling off of the trees, and it's starting to bug me that I can't walk out of my front door without sloshing … [Read more...]