Being a FUN Mom

While browsing Pinterest earlier, this article on Kids Activity Blog caught my eye. I like to think I'm a "fun" Mom, and Kaylee has voiced it enough times in the past. So, naturally, I read the article to see if I've done or do any of the listed ways. Surprisingly, Kaylee and I do over half of the 20 listed below. I live to hear her laugh and giggle. It's the best. Therefore, I do the craziest things and find ways just to hear that sound. After reading the full list, I've added a handful of new fun things for us to do, and make memories from.

 

The article gives a total of 47 ways you could be a fun mom, but I've only copied and listed the first 20 below; you can refer to the article for the remaining 27. 

20 Ways YOU Can Be A Fun Mom!

1. Do pranks together – your kids will love bringing some surprise to another person’s day.
2. Make your kids laugh with a tickle fight, or one of the other 10 ideas on that page.
3. A great post on how one mom became the fun police.  We don’t always realize how much we hover over our children, trust them and take a tiny step back.
4. Have a silly face contest – see who can have the wackiest face.  Here are some face printables that will make your child giggle.
5. Have a family slumber party.   Everyone (even mom and dad) should bring their sleeping bags and camp out on the living room floor.
6. Take your kids out on a date and celebrate “family day”.
7. Have a playground scavenger hunt.  Use this list of things to find and do and travel around to new playgrounds to find them.  This is a great adventure for the family.
8. Make and share a milkshake, together – here is our peanut butter shake recipe.  You can even blow bubbles in the cup!
9. Read a story, or ten, to your child.  On a favorite book, put yourself or your child into the book, replace the name of one of the characters with your child’s name.
10. You can have a good time learning, too!  Here are five really fun ways to teach science.  Go outside on a hot day with a cup of water and learn about condensation!
11. Make super spy pipe-cleaner disguises together and talk to each other in your “spy voices”.
12. Have a bubble “war” – make bubble shooters and blast each other with bubbles.
13. Find an app and play *together* – my kids love teaching me their favorite games.
14. And… turn off the devices, have a afternoon focused just on your child – here are great hands-free mama tips.
15. Tell your kids a knock-knock joke.
16. Give your kids a big canvas to paint on.  Here are eight different ideas like throwing away the paper and try painting on an old fence, the windows (with window markers, of course) or the bath tub.
17. Give your kids a piggy back ride… and if you are a dad, here are another 25 tips for connecting with your kids
18. Go on a road-trip – for ice-cream.  Go on a meandering ride with your kids and stop for ice-cream on the way home.
19. Take a moment every evening to tell your child how much you love them and talk about the fun things you did together – reflect on family time.
20. Have a song that is just for you and your child… be silly and dance to it.

 

These really are some great ways to enjoy your kid(s) while creating everlasting memories each of you will cherish for the years to come. Kids really do grow up much faster than we ever could imagine. The years have literally flown by since K and I had Kaylee 7 years ago. We make sure to enjoy this time with her as much as possible because it will be gone in the blink of an eye, and we will never get these years back. Don't take the time with your kids for granted. Make them laugh, be adventurous, and create memories for them to look back on. You'll never regret time spent as a family. 

 

  Go and be the fun Mom that I know all of you are. 

 

Add your fun ways to the above list, and share them with all of the other Moms out there.

 

Children and Manners

Over the weekend, Kaylee had her End of the Year Spring Showcase for dance. As usual, her entourage of family and friends made it out to watch her performance Saturday morning. My very best friend came out and brought her daughter, of which is two years old, to watch and cheer Kaylee on. This was a kid friendly event, as there were many younger siblings there to watch the show, including infants, and kid’s tickets were sold with adult tickets in order to see the show.

This year’s showcase lasted a total of two hours in length, including the two intermission breaks. My friend’s daughter done so great through the show; much better than any two year old normally would. There were a couple of times that she got out of her seat to stand, but nothing more than that. For ninety percent of the show she sat with her Mom and watched the girls dance, and when the lights went out for the next group of dancers to walk on stage, she would ask "Where'd the girls go?"

Nearing the end of the show, one of the dancers (only seven years old - she dances with my daughter, so I know the age) walked down the aisle and took a seat in the row directly in front of us beside her Mother. Mind you, the Mother had been sitting there this entire time, since the start of the show. It was almost over; we had made it to the last two songs until the showcase was over. My friend’s daughter decided she wanted to stand, and just so happened to grab the back of the seat that the little girl had just sat in, in front of us. My friend reached to pick her daughter up, and told her not to grab the back of the chair that someone was now occupying the seat. Her daughter said "No, no, no" because she didn't want to sit down, she had wanted to stand up. The little girl sitting in front of us turns around giving her the meanest look, and loudly tells her to "SHHHHH". My friend and I just look each other, and then back at her thinking, are you kidding me? Once again, my friend’s daughter goes to stand up, and the little girl turns around and SWATS, I kid you not, rolls up the program that's about 15 pages thick and swats at her. A two year old! Telling her to "SHHHH" yet a second time. We both turn and look at the Mother of this little girl, and she smiles shaking her head up and down agreeing with her daughter telling a two year old to "Shhhh" and then swatting at her. The so-called Mother encouraged this behavior. I was baffled. We both were. Who the hell do you think you are that it’s okay to act this way, and approve that type of behavior? I'm not one to cause a scene, but most definitely planned on doing so, had this little girl or her Mother made one more rude action and/or comment.

This, my friends, is a prime example of what is wrong with our youth these days. They have no manners, most of them probably don't even know what the word "manner" means. They don't get disciplined. Parents are encouraging this type of behavior. Teaching and rewarding their children to act this way. This is not okay!

I would absolutely not tolerate that type of behavior from my daughter. Had she acted that way, I would have apologized to the parent sitting behind me for her actions, excused ourselves from the show, taken a walk to the restroom and spanked her little booty. That was completely unacceptable, and for the parent to have condoned that type of behavior... I'm still shocked by it. Although, I shouldn't be. There aren't a lot of respectful people out there these days.

Please, do yourself and the world a favor; teach your kids some manners, what's right from wrong, how to handle situations with some respect, and discipline them! That way, they will go out into this world as a humble human being, and everyone doesn't have to deal with some inconsiderate little shit.

Rant over.

Aside from the rudeness that took place towards the end of the show, the Dance Company put on a spectacular performance. Kaylee rocked the stage for all three dance numbers she was in, and took home the "Star Performer Award" for the second year in a row in her age division. Proud parents, her Dad and I are. We love watching her on stage, witnessing the love she has for dance, and all the hard work she put in all year long paying off. She is so passionate about dance, and it has given her such great confidence. We truly believe she has found what she's meant to do in life; she was born to be on stage, born to perform.

 

Way to go Sweets! Dad and I wrote a little something for you:
 

Kaylee Bug,

You have blossomed into such a vibrant, confident, and witty little girl. Dad and I thank God daily for choosing us to be your parents, and blessing us with your life; our true meaning of happiness. We are so proud of you, and the accomplishments you’ve made this year. You can do anything you set your mind to; always follow your dreams and truly believe in yourself. We love you to the moon and back!
Love Always,

Mom and Dad

 

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world.” –Harriet Tubman

 

 

 

Baby Babble

Let's rewind to seven and a half years ago... young love resulting in us finding out we were expecting. You remember the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song you sung as a child; first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage. We're taught about tradition as young kids. Well, K and I didn't take the traditional route. We were young, and as much as I hate admitting this, Kaylee wasn't planned. Do we love her any different? Absolutely NOT. She's our world, and the most important thing in each of our lives. 

 

With that said, I've always wanted more than one child, four to be exact. After having Kaylee, I thought to myself, I don't know if I can do this three more times. What was I thinking wanting four children? One is a lot of work, and kids definitely aren't cheap. How could I give four the attention needed? If we're being honest, Kaylee is now six years old... Do I really want to start this whole baby process over again? Needless to say, K and I have been pretty set on Kaylee being an only child.

 

Kaylee has asked plenty of times for a little brother or sister, and then it turned in to a brother and sister. This talk begun around four years old when she started school... so we bought her a puppy. This ceased the baby talk for a good 8 months, then she slowly eased back in to asking again. This time she only wanted a brother. Explaining to a five year old that you don't get to choose what you have was quite the experience; very entertaining that conversation was. Around that fifth year, she somehow managed to get her Dad on board with this whole baby situation. I just wasn't ready; financially, mentally, and emotionally. I couldn't take away from Kaylee, and not give all of my attention to her, solely. She's my baby.

 

Last summer while driving home from the grocery store, Kaylee and I were talking about Jesus, and she said, "Momma you know what I'm going to do tonight?" "What's that?', I say. "I'm going to pray to Jesus and ask him to please, please give me a brother or sister." What do you even say back to that? I can't tell her not to pray, or go against what she's asking of Jesus. I can't deny that request. That's when I really started thinking about the possibility of another baby. I don't want her to be alone in this world. When K and I grow old and gray, she won't have any brother or sisters to lean on, it will just be her, alone. I don't want that.

 

With the possibility of planning for another child, I had to share the plans with my family. All were excited, and thought it was a great idea. Everyone but my Daddy. He told me that Kaylee is too old for a sibling, that they wouldn't be close, it was too late for us to have another baby. So, I then, started thinking we waited too long, and she was in deed too old. I spoke with a few co-workers about this, along with friends, and they completely disagreed. It's all about how you raise your children to be close to one another. A friend of mine is very close to her siblings, and there's an eight year gap between them. Hope. After these conversations, hope had been restored.

 

We were back on the baby subject, weighing our options, the point we were in our lives, and if we should try or not. Then, K proposed. FINALLY. Now our time and money is going to planning our wedding, on top of Kaylee, and her extracurricular activities. So, another year is being pushed back on the baby talk. A year longer. This is where I'm remembering my Daddy's words; Kaylee being too old for a sibling. It keeps playing in my mind.

 

K and I talked over the weekend, and the topic of another baby made its way into the conversation. We brought Kaylee in to talk it over with us, and as a family of three, we decided that we ARE going to try for baby number two after the wedding! Kaylee will be seven when K and I get married, so there will be about an eight year difference between the two. She will be old enough to help out with the baby, and able to understand that the baby will need attention the same as her.

 

 I asked her why she wanted a little brother or sister so badly, and her response was, "So that I can help feed him, change his diaper, and have someone to play with." Melt. My. Heart! How could I ever say no to that?