it's time for blue skies and sunshine

It is that time of year! I can see clear blue skies and beautiful blue waters in my immediate future! After the world's weirdest winter and a lot of fake spring time, I think we have finally hit the real deal. And let me say, it is about time! There are so many options for all the fun we are about to have.

Before fun, though, we have to play it practically. Two kinds of sunscreen have been purchased. Two kinds of bug spray have been purchased. We have already been sunburned, wind burned, and there has been ONE tick found and it's still only April. It can't all be fun and games, but I spent enough money on safety precautions so we can make summer as fun as possible. 

Life jackets will be required this summer on all activity lakes, activity ponds, and kayaks. Even though are kids are old enough now, you just never know and we want to play it safe and not sorry. There was some grumbling, but if you can't legally vote, then you don't get a family vote. Safety first! No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Fingers crossed that we make it safely to summer break without incident. We are so close! And then it's fun time! Here's to a summer full of fun, minimal sunburns, maximum water safety, NO ticks and loads of memories. This summer is simply about maxing, relaxing and making those memories before these kids get too old to want to have fun with their mamas 😀

you're never too young to cook and bake!

I love to bake and my husband loves to cook. Between the two of us, we are setting a pretty good example in our house for independence, hobbies, good eating, creativity... The rules are simple

 You have to try a food before you say you don't like it. You have to clear your spot at the table. Sometimes you help with dinner. 

My daughter has started preparing little meals for us. Last Thursday we had homemade pizza with macaroni and cheese. Have you ever looked into homemade pizza crust? So simple- flour, yeast, oil, water, sugar. Cheap and easy. 

Last night we had macaroni and cheese with breakfast cookies for dessert. She has aprons, measuring equipment, kid cookbooks, and interest, so why not?! Breakfast cookies are high protein, egg-free cookies that are actually really good. We split up meal cooking so we aren't stuck with only Kraft based choices ;)

Giving her a little freedom and trust has gone a long way. She wants to help. She is learning fractions and math skills through measuring. She has to help clean up, so every which way I win! And she gets to try new things, so we all win. I truly hope the art of cooking and baking is always her passion! We have so much fun with it!

the angel window

This is the angel window. I made the mistake of trying to rearrange some stuff and I was told no. Okay. No problem. And what is the window for? "It's for all my God stuff to keep me safe." 

Well those are loaded words for a now 10 year old! I love it. Whatever she needs to keep herself happy, loved and feeling safe is fine by me. She can even tell me where all the items came from and what they mean to her. I love the sentimentality of it from such a small human.

We discussed purpose and gratitude a LOT over break. What are you grateful for? Why? If we insist on keeping this stuff/these toys/these items, fine. But do they have purpose? Sure, it was a big conversation to have but helping her understand that we live with purpose and make sure our stuff has purpose had an impact. 

We cleaned up the bedrooms and closets to make room for all the new stuff and the things that never changed were the beanie boos, all the art/drawing stuff, and the angel window. We now have more stuff in the donation box. We gave some stuff away. Now we have new stuff or a new arrangement for the old stuff and we can go into the new year with gratitude and purpose and less clutter.

And the angel window will remain unchanged. Apparently 2021 started out with a bang. The angels will help her feel safe. We will be okay holed up in our house just a little bit longer to quarantine, stay safe, and enjoy being a family. Today we thank all the real life angels who keep us safe (nurses, doctors, police etc) and the ones up above watching over us.

back to the bus!

A lot of people did a lot of things to get our kids back to school safely. Some kids are staying home and some are heading to school. Those who are heading back may be taking the bus. This is the first thing I think of when I think of my kid on a bus! Why are people in such a rush when they could just leave earlier or be more patient?

We are so lucky that we got the same bus driver as last year. He is a wonderful man that is kind and patient with the kids. He addresses them by name and always makes us laugh. My daughter's best friend is e-learning so she doesn't have a bus bestie any more. Our bus driver switched her seat so she can sit near another girl her age.

Make sure you thank a bus driver this year!

snowpocalypse time

Welcome to the midwest! Weather is random and unpredictable. It is mild and severe. It is touchy and odd. My area is just starting to get slick, while the Rockford area (not far from us) is supposed to be dangerous, brutal driving conditions. Snow was supposed to start overnight and there's not one drop of snow to be found. YET. Stay safe and stay warm, no matter what weather you get today :)

music and kids

Listening to music is easy when your kid is small. You pop in some cutesy CD you got and sing along. Fast forward 5 years later when the music is on your last nerve and your kid actually understands the lyrics on the radio. You have to get a bit more selective. We use google play and they have a whole section to choose from on moods. We chose family time for our game night and I must say, they kept the hits coming! Ultimate family party was the best, but I didn't listen to them all. Trying to keep them young while they're young isn't always easy but picking safe music is :)