Mila

Playing

Having fun with my kids is something I strive to accomplish. Odd as it sounds I am trying to plan ways to have fun with my children. I am not always able to take my kids places that would be fun so I am trying to do play at home. Some children need entertainment and others can play by themselves. My kids rarely say they are bored and don't have a difficult time entertaining themselves, but they do enjoy me playing along.

I read a book called NurtureShock By Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman it is an excellent and thoroughly researched book about children, parenting and learning. One chapter was on kindergarten class implementing "Tools". Children write out individual play plans and then play for 45 minutes in their chosen role, following their play plan. It teaches children self-control and context. Children learn through symbolic thought at this age (drawing stick figures, pretending, and play).

So we have been trying to play each day for 30 to 60 minutes following their own play plan. So far we have enjoyed "Town" where I have been a bank teller and a waitress at a coffee shop. Quinn likes to write checks, deposit money, buy groceries, earn money and shop at the Toy factory store. Mila likes to work in the Toy Factory and a patron of the coffee shop.

The kids are having fun, I am having fun and we are learning. Some added benefits of using the play plan are that it cuts down on arguments; if someone starts changing the design of the game I ask them if it is part of the play plan, and they usually self correct. Some of my kids can be a little bossy, so this gives them control over themselves, a very challenging lesson to teach because in essence you boss your kids to quit bossing others.

I hope to implement more of this idea with all my kids in other areas of our life, such as giving them more control in scheduling their day. I'm not sure how this will work yet but I'm hopeful to find balance.

I find (it ironic that) the more control I exert on my children the more they resist but when we work together they gain self-control and I keep my sanity.

Official Ski Bums

My kids Love to ski! My husband and uncle took them for the first time and they loved every moment. I am not sure there is anything cuter than a 6 and 4 year old bundled in snow suits, donning helmets, goggles, and gloves with tiny parabolic skis!!!!! My daughter is Princess Pink, the more pink the better in her opinion. They cannot wait to go again.

Real Food for Babies

I recently read Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck. A great book with research and personal experience about giving babies good food from the beginning. I plan to start giving my twins real food this month. They will be 6 months old at the end of June. I have never subscribed to the baby food jar method for many reasons, but mainly because it's expensive and wasteful. I also didn't give my kids juice, they drank water, nursed or whole milk. I occasionally gave my kids diluted juice if they were constipated ( didn't happen often).
My husband is an avid hunter and we get some of the wild game made into sausage and pepperoni. All of our children used frozen pepperoni sticks as teethers, my husband is quite proud of that fact. I did use a hand held food grinder some, but I usually just mashed up food with a fork.

Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplify. Simplify. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Simple does not mean easy. De-cluttering, purging and letting go is one of the hardest things to do. I find when I am stressed it is because I have too much stuff; either possessions, activities or emotional stuff. Getting rid of physical extras can be easier but things often have emotional baggage too. Baggage with baggage, so American. Activities are hard to get rid of because they are fun or "necessary". Emotional stuff is well, emotional. Three things I have learned that help me simplify are:
1) Saying, "No".
Just because it would be enjoyable, or is a great deal or even free does not mean it comes with out obligations.
2) Asking myself, "do I really need this"
The answer is almost always no. We all have wants but almost none of them are needs.
3) Forgiveness
There is so much power in forgiveness. Choosing to love someone and to forgive is so much harder than choosing to be right. True forgiveness brings peace and healing. Being unforgiving only leads to anger, bitterness and sorrow. Forgiveness ASAP also helps. The longer you stew the harder it is to forgive.

Accept the things you cannot change, have courage to change the things you can and have the wisdom to know the difference.

Cures to childhood ailments

My husband told our daughter when she got an owie, that a spoon of peanut butter makes things feel all better. Sometimes when she is inconsolable about a scratch she'll ask for some PB. At first I was rolling my eyes because I thought she should just suck it up. She has hypochondriac tendencies. The PB worked, amazing. Today she was convinced she had gotten into poison oak(she didn't) so daddy suggested that she put some olive oil on the scratches, all better. Often Father Knows best! Daddy Matty saved the day, or mama's nerves, good thing too because we were out of Peanut Butter.