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Showing posts from November, 2010

2010 Advent Calendar

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I've been looking forward to Charlotte being old enough to go through an Advent calendar since her first Christmas. And now, we've reached the age where she is! Yay! I put this calendar together by using scraps of Christmas paper, poster board, my own ideas, and the scripture readings from My Insanity . I cut out stockings using the Ellison machine at my local library. On the back of each stocking is an activity for the day that is Christmas themed as well as one of the scripture readings I linked above. Each stocking is just taped up and can be pulled off each day to read. This is a simple calendar. That is what suits us best during this stage in our lives. I think the real important part is taking time each day to impart the real meaning of Christmas to my children. Do you use an Advent Calendar? What do you include in yours?

In Which I Confess That I'm A Good Mom

Last week, I shared with you how I have been struggling with my mothering and my own expectations for myself. And to say I was overwhelmed by the response of my friends and family would be an understatement. First of all, I truly was feeling alone. Knowing that other moms also do the same things or lose their patience the way I do was liberating! Especially since some of the moms who responded online or in person are woman I consider "super moms." I never would have guessed they yelled at their kids. As a result, I am going to try to write a post (at the suggestion of my friend Babs) where I list the ways I think I am a good mom. And you should know, I fought really hard to not type the title as ways that I *MIGHT* be a good mom. :) I give my girls lots of hugs and kisses. They hear me say "I love you," several times a day. The TV they do watch is usually educational. They both love to eat fruit. And are used to whole grain bread and pasta. I have alw

Charlotte's Surprise

This afternoon, after her nap, Charlotte got a surprise announcement from Daddy. They are gone now for 1 night of camping about 45 minutes from home. So it's just Mary and I until 11 am tomorrow!

Guest Post: 7 Secrets to Shopping with Children

With the craziest shopping days just around the corner, I asked Candi Wingate, of Nannies4Hire to share her best tips for surviving holiday shopping with your children. I can't promise these will work though if you drag your 2 year old out a 4 am for Black Friday shopping! All bets are off at 4 am! ************************** You are at the grocery store with your two spoiled, rotten wonderfully behaved children, Johnny and Janie. Johnny sees a snack that he feels that he just has to have. You disagree. He wails for all the store to hear. Later, at the mall, Janie repeats the scenario over a brightly colored necklace. What could be done to minimize the likelihood of circumstances such as these? Try to plan shopping trips to occur when you and your children are well rested, have recently eaten, and are not experiencing distress. Also, the shopping trip will ideally occur when the stores will not be overcrowded, which can create impatience and distractions. Make plans to

In Which I Confess That I'm A Bad Mom

It's true. I am a bad mom. I let my daughters watch way too much television. (That's what they are doing while I type this post actually.) I have stopped doing fun activities with them at home. Neither of them have a very diverse diet. Vegetables are like a 4-letter word to both of them. My three-year old can't recognize all the letters in the alphabet. Either that or her attention span is too short to finish the task. (Thanks to all that TV of course.) My 14-month old has only spoken a single word. It's "ma-ma" so I should be happy, but she is behind her peers. I can easily blame it on her hypotonia, but I am always asking myself, is it actually because she doesn't get enough attention? The three-year old hides whenever I go to pick her up some place. It's as if she knows that being with someone else is more fun than going home with mom. Plus, I yell a lot. Way more than I ever thought I would. I actually hate yelling. I even make myse

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Leaf Craft

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