Jim has been dropping hints all school year that he wants a drum set for Joshua for a Christmas gift, and that he is hoping that the whole extended family will chip in a buy one for him. Most of the people in our family is completely ignoring him; they are tired of him expecting us to furnish his kids with presents every year while he gives our kids nothing! So this year I decided to buy one of the affordable cowbells at Musicians Friend and give that to Jim towards the drum set that he keeps talking about. I’ll smile sweetly and tell him that was all that I could afford, and that I hope it helps in some way to get him closer to the drum set that he wants. And I hope he doesn’t act indignant that I didn’t get him more.
Worried about Trisha
When Trisha told me that she had to stop at the store and pick up some kind of detox in a bottle I was not impressed. If something is illegal, you should not do it. Plain and simple. I read her the riot act – I thought that she had stopped doing all of that bad stuff years ago. I told her that if she does not enroll in a program like 48 hour detox by the end of the month I was going to call in her entire family and all of her friends to perform an intervention. She was not impressed with the riot act at all. I’m worried about her.
Day Trip To Go Hiking As A Family
My husband told me he would like to plan a day trip where we can all go hiking as a family, I think that sounds like a great idea. He has some really nice lowa renegade hiking boots that he got for Christmas that he has been dying to break in. I can’t blame him, if I got something like that as a gift I would want to use it right away.
We like to get outdoors when the weather is not too cool and not too hot which is exactly what the weather has been lately. Well, it has been kind of crazy some days but that’s besides the point. Maybe we can go next weekend or weather permitting maybe even tomorrow. We don’t’ have anything else planned really and it could be a lot of fun.
Happy Birthday, Aunt Tina
I guess every family has a renegade, of sorts. My family has Aunt Tina. She is very colorful and always has exciting stories to share at the holiday dinners when she comes. She moved to Maine and has a little house there, but she travels all over the country and we never know where she is. LOL
But I do know that today is her birthday, so I hope she stops by my blog and sees this post:
Happy Birthday, Aunt Tina!
Supplies for Adventures in Potty Training
Potty training is big milestone in every child’s life. It can be harder than people think and take pounds of patience. It’s important to make sure you start potty training when your child shows you signs that he/she is ready. If you force it on him/her it probably won’t turn out like you expect. There are a a few things that you will need in order to be successful in your potty training adventure.
Potty training supplies:
1. Pull Up training pants – feel free to get your favorite brand or even the local store brand. I’ve tried a few different brands and found that it really depends on the child. Some brands have characters that children prefer over others.
2. Child size potty – I like the kind that is convertible. We have one that turns into a step stool when the lid is closed. It also plays music as a reward when anything is out into the potty. Another great feature about the potty we have it that the seat that the child sits on can be used on a adult sized toilet as well so you don’t have to buy any additional inserts.
3. Child size potty seat insert – this is important if your child is really little. A big adult toilet can be scary. Kids can often be afraid of falling in when there is a lot of open space around them. A child sized seat will eliminate all of the extra room and prevent and accidents of falling.
4. Stickers – we have always used stickers in our home. Our kids love to have stickers. We tried temporary tattoos once too because they don’t peal off when you put them on a hand.
5. Incentive chart – When children can see their progress they get excited. My girls like to count the stars or stickers they earn on their charts when they use the potty. We always give 1 sticker for pee and 2 for poop.
6. Lots of dry clothes – accidents are inevitable. It’s always a great idea to travel with a few extra sets of dry clothes with your kids during potty training time.
7. Patience – Remember your child will learn to use the potty. It probably won’t happen over night. Just keep encouraging your children and before you know it you will have your own potty training success story.
Family Game Night – What Game Are You the Champion Of?
The Game of Life, Risk, Sorry, Monopoly. It’s family game night and time to break out the board games. I am our family champion for Monopoly. I can’t get enough of that game. I always have to be the banker, I think it has something to do with controlling all of the money.
My husband loves to play Risk. He seems to be great at all of the calculated risks and determining when to sacrifice something in order to come out on top. I am not the biggest fan of this game to be honest. It seems long, drawn out, and boring. However, we take turns choosing what games we are going to play and I am always a good sport when someone selects a game I don’t really like.
What games do you play for your family game nights for entertainment? Do you play board games, have tournaments with game systems, or maybe just play with a deck of cards? All of the above can be lots of fun. The important part is spending quality time with your family and having fun.
The Wizard of Oz, An Old Favorite
The Wizard Of Oz is a classic in my book. I remember watching it on television as a child with my parents in our living room. I thought it was completely amazing when I saw Dorothy walk out of her house into Oz when it was all in color. It seemed like magic to me.
I loved the Lollipop Kids too! I thought they were adorable and I asked my mom if I could visit them and play at their house. I saw their giant lollipops and fell in love.
The movie had its scary parts too. The flying monkeys creeped me out. I hid my face in my daddy’s chest and asked when they disappeared. I wasn’t only afraid of the monkeys; the talking trees also gave me the heebie jeebies. I could handle talking scarecrows but when the trees started talking I thought they were nuts.
Every time I see this movie on television now, I always stop changing the channel and enjoy the rest of the movie. It’s a wonderful movie to share with your family.
A Day Filled with Hearts
Because Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, my husband and I decided that we would celebrate it together this weekend. Tonight we will have fun and do something special with the kids.
I decided to a bit overboard and decorated the entire house last night before I went to bed. When the girls got up this morning they were surprised by all if the heart balloons in the living room and play room. I also scattered hearts in a variety of sizes throughout the rest of the house. There were window clings on the bathroom mirrors and the sliding glass door that leads to the back yard. I had laid out a few heart shaped pages for the girls to paint later in the playroom too.
To make the day even more memorable for the girls, I made them heart shaped pancakes with little heart shaped banana slices. I used a teeny tiny cookie cutter I got from the craft store to cut out the bananas. And even though it’s not really healthy I sprinkled a few heart sprinkles on top of their pancakes to make them extra special. We enjoyed watching the girls light up this morning. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see what we have planned for them tonight.
Cutest Puppy Ever Stole My Heart
While walking through the mall today, I stopped by the pet store. I normally go in just to look at all of the animals. Today I saw the cutest puppy ever. It was a baby golden retriever with the prettiest little brown eyes you could ever see. This little guy smiled at me and I just had to hold him. Puppy dog eyes get me every time.
I played with him for about 20 minutes before I realized I was getting really attached… almost too attached. I had the store clerk put him back even though I could have played with him for hours. He looked soo sad when he left my arms and headed back to the little cage he was in. It broke my heart to see him stare back at me as though he was saying, “Why don’t you want me?”
I really wanted to take him home, but I couldn’t bring myself to make a purchase like that without the entire family with me. Well, that and I don’t really want to have to deal with dog fur on everything we own.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
What a wonderful time we had over the holiday weekend. It was nice to see all of the family. We drove out to my grandma’s house and spent the weekend there. I got to see all of my siblings and catch upon all of the exciting family gossip.
I was looking forward to grandma’s famous cinnamon buns. Every year she makes these delicious cinnamon buns from scratch. I love the ooey gooey caramel that melts out of them when they cook. She tops them off with a delectable, homemade cream cheese frosting. My mouth is watering jut thinking about them. I’ve tried to make them myself but they are never the same.
In addition to the tasty treats we enjoyed some quality family time. After we ate the huge meal together we all gathered in grandma’s famliy room to play a few board games. We played Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. The kids had a great time kicking our butts.
I’m excited to do something with everyone again next year. We might get to see everyone again for Christmas and do it all over again. I can’t wait!