Summer Schedule

We have 8 days left of school! I cannot believe how this year has flown by.  For the last two years, we have followed a summer schedule. You probably have seen a few on Pinterest.  I made a collaboration of the days I liked, and we have been using the following. We follow this schedule unless we are going somewhere with the church or on vacation.  A schedule like this does take some planning, but the kids are eager to help. I do cheat a little by putting in a "Stay-Home Saturday" so I do get to relax some throughout the summer.

Click on the picture to take you to a clickable pdf.

My son has already been asking what we are doing to Make-It Monday, and my older two kids are compiling their friend list for Friend Friday.

What do you do with the kids during summer break?

3. 13 Things I MUST tell my daughter

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I quietly prayed for a boy. They just seemed "easier" (little did I know). The truth of the matter is having a girl scared the mess
out of me. The irony does not escape me- a woman scared of facing the daunting task of raising a girl.  But I am sure that this plagues most mothers. I just know I am not alone in this.

Since the day my daughter was born eight years ago, I have mentally rehearsed all kinds of conversations simply in preparation of "that day" when she asks about this, that, or the other.
There I was holding my newborn baby and all I could think about is how am I going to help her through so many things: crying over a boy, her first kiss, her first period, puberty, and so much more.

As much as I want to keep her locked away like Rapunzel (who ended up very well adjusted considering), I know none of these things can be avoided. She will continue to grow up, and while I cannot stop it, I can instill in her those values and beliefs that will allow her to grow in God. While there are so many things I want to tell my sweet baby girl, I think these are pretty high up there in term of importance.

1. God loves you.  Don't EVER forget this.

2. I love you.  Don't EVER forget this, either.

3. You are beautiful. No, I don't have to say this just because you are my daughter. You truly are a beauty.
4. I am so proud of you.  Little things you do each day just makes my heart beam with joy.
5. You will mistakes. Do not let them define you. Oh, the lessons you will learn. Tomorrow is always new and without mistake.
6. There is nothing you can or cannot do that will change the way I love you.  NOTHING! I may not always "like" what you do, but never will lessen my love for you.
7. You are enough.  Basically, this is about confidence.  You do not need another person do make you a better person.
8. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy your childhood. Miss it now and you will long for it later.
9. Don't ever be ashamed of your intelligence. Nothing is prettier than a girl with a smart mind.  No really.  I promise.
10. Never lose your love of reading. It can take you to worlds unknown.  Besides it is just fun.
11. If it ever comes down to following God's plan or making people happy, follow God. He will not steer you wrong.  You cannot fathom the wonders of God's blessings on your life.
12. Be yourself. Even though it may take you a while to truly understand what that means. Once you do learn, embrace it.  There is only one you; why try to be someone you are not.
13. Taking care of yourself is important. Being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy is vital. Once you know how to take care of yourself, you will be able to take care of others.

What would you add to the list?

Copy-Kids DVD Review and Giveaway

My first review and giveaway.  WooHoo!

I am excited about telling you about a great way to get your kids to eat more fruits and veggies.  I think I have the most finicky kids ever.  I have just about given up trying to get them to eat more veggies.  I have since found Copy-Kids - a DVD with young children modelling good eating habits.  The idea is simple but the concept speaks to kids' natural ability to mimic those around them.  To make it even better, the models looks just like them.

I watched this with my youngest child who is 2.  It is a good idea to have the foods you want to encourage in front of the kids.  We started with carrots and strawberries.  I have to admit that Tuck will occasionally eat a strawberry, but lately he won't touch them.  I was hoping to get him to eat more strawberries. 

The first thing I did was put out the bowls on the floor in front of the TV then I turned on the DVD and picked strawberries. There are 12 fruits and vegetables from which to choose, so the variety is great. Tucker grabbed the strawberries right away and began to munch along as soon as he saw the kids eat. 

The kids were cute, and even I began to be mesmerized at how easily these kids ate those foods. It was easy to tell the kids enjoyed the fruit that they were eating. After the strawberries, we tried the carrots.

I was a little nervous about the carrots, because Tucker does not eat them at all. Here was the true test. 

The first little girl was a little funny, and Tucker just watched the kids, but he didn't grab a carrot. He just laughed at the kids.  He liked watching the kids, but was not interested in the carrots. In fact, he took the bowl of carrots and dumped them onto the carpet. So I picked up the carrots and pointed to the tv screen to show him that it was something that he was supposed to eat. He took one and I thought yes! However, instead of eating them himself, he tried feeding them to me which showed me he at least understood the concept. 

When the DVD segment was finished (each one only lasts about five minutes) he wanted to watch it again so  we watched the carrot segment again hoping this time he would eat them. When the segment started,  I could hardly believe it Tucker actually picked up one of the carrots that he had been feeding me and begin to nibble on it!! It worked.  I got so excited! It wasn't because of my prodding, he simply wanted to join in on the fun the kids were having.

I wanted documentation, so I decided that I would take a picture. That was the wrong thing to do because he became more interested in looking at my camera phone at this point and stopped eating a carrot. After that he kinda lost interest and did not care to eat any more carrots. However, when the segment was over again he got really upset that we did not watch another. So I do think it is interesting how he wanted to keep watch the kids. 

I do think that I will continue to encourage these eating habits by watching Copy-Kids.  I may even try it with my older children. It is such a laid-back, stress-free approach to handling a situation that often causes parents much angst.

Copy-Kids is gracious enough to offer one lucky reader her (or his) very own copy of this DVD. If you need more convincing of how great this DVD is, be sure to check out these other reviews or check out the awards  Copy Kids has won.

Be sure to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

*I am required to let you know that I received a copy of Copy-Kids DVD to review.  I was not required to provide a positive review. It just worked out that way. All opinions are my own, and I wrote what I wanted to write.*

The Small Things??

We have had a rough week, I won't lie: busted transmission in one vehicle, busted throttle something in the other, two kids with ear infections, one kid with a nasty cough and a bloody head, the list could go on.

After attempting to get one vehicle fixed, Dan went to pick it up, and it broke down in the dealership parking lot. Since the service department soon closed after returning the car for repairs (again), the dealership arranged for us to have a rental car at no charge to us. The guy from Enterprise asked Dan how he week was going, and Dan proceeded to tell him.

Ok, so where is this going?

Dan mentioned that despite all the troubles, he has been able to spend time with us and that is the good thing.  "Yup," the Enterprise guy said, "it is the small things that matter."

People say this all the time, and maybe I am just interpreting it wrong, but since when did spending time with your family and enjoying each other's company  become "the SMALL things"?  I know there are sayings that it is the little things that matter in a relationship: the sweet notes, the random acts of love and kindness. I am not talking about that. I am not even talking about not sweating the small stuff- the everyday distractions that prevent us from living happily.  I am  concerned for those who think spending quality time together as a family is small.  It is not small.  It is HUGE.

We are so caught up in the small things that we often think it adds up to the big things.  I want my family to know they are important to me. I want them to know I will be there for them.  How is that considered small?  I consider small things to be doing the dishes or washing a load of laundry.  Yes, it is important for my family to live in a nice clean house, but I would rather hang out with them watching tv, playing a board game, going to the museum. I want them to know they are more important than a clean carpet (which is evident, just come on over to the house).

When my kids are older, I want them to remember our time together, our lazy days in our pajamas or baking something in the kitchen. Maybe for others, these are considered small things, but I refuse to believe that the relationships I forge with my family are small.

"Mama & Me" Journal

When I was goofing around on Pinterest one day, I came across a pin for the "Mama & Me" Journal.

I just fell in love with the idea.  In school, I always wrote notes to friends. Heck, I know some people who still HAVE the notes from grade school.  So, I followed the Pinterest link to HERE.

It is a cute little website, but she got the idea from THIS blog who got the idea from THIS blog. Since I like to give credit where credit is due, I wanted to give credit to all three.

So, if you are interested, here is what you do.

1. Buy a composition notebook: I got mine during school supplies sales events, so it wasn't very expensive.

2. Make the cover special.  I followed the template that I found at the first website, but next time, I will probably just make my own.  It is super easy to whip something up on the computer. I used a piece of scrapbook paper for my background, and then used clear contact paper to seal it.



Our First Mama & Me Notebook

3. Start writing.  Even though I talk to my daughter everyday, when I was faced with starting a journal, my mind went blank, so I did kinda use the formula from the other sites:
           
Dear Melody,
        I thought it would be fun if we became penpals. Would you like that?  Instead of writing letters to each other, we would write them in this notebook.  You can write anything you want: it can be serious or fun- just anything you want.  Does that sound like fun?
        When I write to you, I will leave it on your bed.  Then you write in it when  you want and put it back on my bed. Easy peasy.
         Love you, Momma


4.  Leave on bed.  I actually straightened her room for her and put the book on her bed to find.  It was really hard not to tell her to check her room as soon as she came home from school.

After I finished, I put it on the bed for Mel to find.

Kids Eat Free: Macon Edition

 I don't know about you, but we often try to plan our eating out adventures (believe me, it is definitely an adventure) on where kids can eat for free.  I can google it all day and still have to wade and sift through numerous sites to find this information. Even after all of that, most of my info is word of mouth.  This list is for the restaurants in Macon, GA.  

Sunday:  

• Firehouse Subs (Forsyth Rd,. Presidential Prkwy, & Riverside Dr.)- Two free kid's meals for every one adult purchase- all day- dine in only
• Teriyaki House (Riverside Dr)- Kids Chicken Teriyaki Meal with adult purchase

Monday:

• McAlister's Deli (Zebulon Rd. & Presidential Prkwy) One free kid's meal with adult meal purchase from 5pm-9pm for ages 12 and under
• Buffalo's (Zebulon Rd.) One free kid's meal with adult meal purchase- all day
• Barberitos (Riverside Dr.) One free kid's meal with every adult entree after 3pm - 12 and under
• Mellow Mushroom (Bowman Rd) One free one topping pizza for every $7.50 spent. Kids will make own pizza a table before cooking. Drink included. All Day.
• Marco Ristorante Italiano (Forsyth Rd.) One free Homemade Pasta meal Per adult adult entree. Ages 8 and under

Tuesday:

• Moe's Southwest Grill (Vineville Ave)  One free kid's meal with one adult purchase from 4pm-9pm for ages 10 and under
• Locos Grill (Riverside Dr.) One free kid's meal with every adult meal purchase
• Polly's Corner Cafe (Zebulon Rd.)- One free kid's meal with adult entree.

Wednesday:

• Georgia Bob's Barbecue (Riverside Dr.) One free kid's meal with adult meal purchase for ages 10 and under.
• Guitarras Mexican Grill (Off Northside Drive) One free kid's meal with adult meal purchase.

Thursday:

• Captain D's  (Thomaston Rd) 2 free kid's meals for every adult purchase- dine in only
• Barberitos (Riverside Dr.) One free kid's meal with every adult entree after 3pm - 12 and under
• Moe's Southwestern Grill (Zebulon Rd) One free kids meal with each adult entree purchase from 4pm-9pm for ages 10 and under. 

Saturday:

• Georgia Bob's Barbecue (Riverside Dr.) One free kid's meal with adult purchase - 10 and under AFTER 5pm

Everyday: 

• Doughboy Pizza (Cherry Street)- Free slice of cheese and drink for kids under five.  Must ask for free slice upon ordering.

 Not free, but still really cheap:

• S & S Cafeteria (Riverside Dr.)  EVERY DAY: Kids eat for only 99 cents.
• Texas Roadhouse (Shoppes @ River Crossing) SUNDAY: Kids eat for $1.99. 12pm-5pm
• Applebee's Neighborhood Grill (Riverside Dr.) WEDNESDAY: Kids eat for 99 cents.
• Miss Hattie's Kitchen & Bakery (Bolingbroke) WEDNESDAY: Kids eat for 99 cents.
• Bearfoot Tavern (Cherry St.) MONDAY-FRIDAY. Kids Meals half-price 4pm-7pm.

During Ball Season for VineIngle Participants (a little specific, but hey, free is free, right)

• Twang Southern Tastes & Sounds (Payne City): MONDAY & TUESDAY: a free hot dog or chicken and waffle dinner to VineIngle players under 12 if wearing uniform (only during ball season)

If you know of some other places that offer free kids meals OR if you know that a listed offer no longer exists, please let me know so I can update my list.

C

Updated as of September 2015

Things I Never Thought I Would Have to Say to My Children

As a mother of three, I have learned that there are some things that I just have to say- "Be nice to your sister" or "Don't forget to say thank you." However, there have been some things that I never thought I would have to say.  There are usually in situations surrounded in mischievousness. These are some of my favorites.

"Don't wipe boogers on my neck, please."  Thought my then three-year old daughter was giving me a neck rub.

"Don't lick your brother's feet." Older brother was trying to make younger brother laugh in car.

"Sweetie, ham does not belong in your belly-button." Youngest just discovered his navel. He checks to see if belly-button is there every day.

"Don"t color on the dog." Middle child was using a green marker to color the dog. Poor Max was terrified

"My shirt is not a napkin" This goes for all three.  They don't wipe on their own shirts, just mine.  I haven't made it through the day with a clean shirt in seven years. However, I say this so much, it has almost become a joke.



Feel free to add your own.