2 Rules

As a semi-New Year's resolution--my goal for this year was to be a more relaxed, fun, easy going mom. The kind who doesn't stress or get mad as often. So I've tried to be more lenient about the mess-making/playing/getting everything out.

I've tried to teach Ethan and Grant that I'm okay with them playing/having fun, etc. I only have 2 rules!

#1: We only have out one type of thing at a time (cars, trains, a game, etc)--so we put it away before getting another out

#2: We don't make a bigger mess than we can pick up on our own (or they can pick up on their own--without needing mom or dad to do all the pick up)

These aren't really that hard of rules, right? Just trying to teach them responsibility and caring for our home and the things in it (toys, couches, etc). And for Ethan these rules are very similar to ones at preschool--they can only have one job out at a time (in Montessori schools kids choose what they will work on--the job--and work individually or with a partner...getting it off the shelf, doing it, then putting it away, before doing another) AND they have to have had a lesson on the work before hand so they know how to do it and how to put it away (I equated that to you've never had a lesson/don't know how to, for example, put sheets on your bed--so that shouldn't be something you "play" with).

However, if you know my boys (or read my blog) you know my boys are mess-maker extraordinaires. And despite my "rules" this was one of their latest endeavors-

And to accomplish it meant they had to empty out Ethan's closet! Yeah, not the kind of mess a 5 and 2 year old know how to pick up on their own--although they did bring me the hangers from Grant's room and hand me the clothes off the floor.

We're still working on that following the rules and easy going mom goal!

Gotta write that one down!

Don't you just love the way kids say the most interesting things. And then of course as a parent you think--I've got to remember that when I need a pick-me-up (I just enjoyed laughing at all the previous kid funnies I've posted about in the past) or at least to share with your child later when they will appreciate the humor.

For example, my parents always tell us about my cousin Nate being over one morning at breakfast time and asking for a yellow bowl with the pink inside (a grapefruit).

Or my sister Joanna has a couple infamous sayings--She thought the reason there are no more dinosaurs is because they were "stinked" (extinct) from "pooping in their water." And you know the little saying about girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice and boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails? When one of our younger brothers was taking a bath, she said--"I see his puppy dog tail."

Here's a few recent ones at our house:

Ethan was being crabby and crying about something and Grant tells him "It's ok. Be happy."

The other night we were talking about the miracles performed by Jesus is the Bible and then started talking about miracles we have today, and Ethan tells us "like me picking up all the toys that were in the family room before dinner!"

Grant has a rocking horse in his room--the other night he fell off when riding on it and Jon being funny asks what do you do when you fall off the horse? To which Grant replies "Bonk your head."

Snow Days

A month or so ago, school (that I was supposed to sub for--and preschool) was cancelled due to snow storms (or actually more due to extremely cold weather--we didn't really have that much snow). So in an attempt to keep the boys entertained, I borrowed a couple ideas from my friends. One friend had blogged all about a sort of kid's choice kind of day. She wrote all kinds of fun activities on slips of paper and put them in a bowl and then her kids took turns picking out activities all day long. So we tried this...and my boys loved it! What kid wouldn't like to read books, do puzzles, play games, color, play trains, play cars, make cookies, eat popcorn while watching a show, play in the bathtub and paint?! Ethan enjoyed drawing out which activity to do next so much that he asked to do it again for days!



One of the other fun things we did during our snow days was to "play school." Another friend of mine does preschool at home with her girls and always blogs about the various activities they do--so I borrowed a few of her ideas for some fun learning! We matched shapes and numbers, cut paper, found the right letter sounds on blocks, thought of words that start with various letters, made rhyming words, wrote a letter to my grandma, and Ethan did some pages in a preschool/Kindergarten workbook.

One of the days we also had be a pajama party type day--where we didn't get dressed for most of the day! Another huge hit with my boys!

Valentine's Ideas

I realize this post is a bit late to be sharing Valentine's ideas! But we had some fun with little Valentine's gifts this year.

We found this cute little (actually this one wasn't so "little") box at Target, tucked in a few goodies and taped the paper hearts to straws

And we gave these to Ethan's preschool teachers (this of course you could do any time--not specifically V-day). They say "It's a (Joy) to have you as a teacher because you are a (sweetheart)." I love candy grams!

And then Ethan has it in his mind that anytime a gift is given to me--it should be flowers (yes, I'm training him to be a great husband someday!). So around V-day, he had been playing games on the computer one morning (while I was still sleeping in) and came in to wake me up and give me this paper print out of a flower!