Sometimes kids can teach us good lessons, we don't expect. My kids often teach me things, simply in the way they live. Today was one of those days -- and it was full of silliness (VIDEO proof below). After a busy, somewhat stressful day, Rich and I decided to take the younger two to the playground for some fun. That's when I realized we hadn't taken enough pictures recently with all the running around. We snapped the selfie above, which is my current Facebook profile pic, of course. Now, you know that was NOT the only shot. There were goofy faces and pretend mad faces etc until we got the right one. After that, we had fun watching the kids goof off on the playground. That rest was much needed. We then got some more work done when they took off to the pool with one of their older sisters and played at their friend's house afterward. Once I went to go get them, with an extra trailing along (one of those friends, of course), Aja (the 11 year old) proceeded to be funny with her swimming goggles. You can see a video of part of that below. Have you ever noticed how much kids laugh in a single day? When was the last time you did that?
Today's Momtrepreneur Lesson: Put a little bit (or a lot) of silly in every day. You need it. We sure did. Often, when rainy-day activities come to mind, people think of arts and crafts or board games. We do those things as well, but sometimes we like to be a little bit more creative. Whoever said you had stay inside the house on a rainy-day? Provided there's no thunder and lightning, you can bet it wasn't me. That's for sure.
As long as there is no sign of thunder and lightning, my kids and I will gladly go right in the yard, just like any other time. Of course we wear jackets and whatever other rain gear might be necessary, but running in the rain is a rainy-day activity that the kids and I enjoy as often as possible. Just seeing their cheerful faces enjoying the fun is always a great motherhood moment. A while back, my kids and I had one of those fun, rainy-day adventures. It was my job to crank up the music and act as DJ, while the kids danced on the patio in the rain. They requested songs and danced away until the rain stopped. At the time,. my kids ranged in age from preschool to middle school age and they all enjoyed this fun activity. When you add creativity and think outside the box, it's often a big hit with kids. One of the best things about kids is that they are always open to having fun, even on a rainy day. For me, parenting is all about living in the moment and taking things as they come. These tiny little moments of fun in motherhood mean everything. My mom always taught me to treasure the small stuff. Before you know it, the kids will no longer be kids and motherhood will have taken on a whole new meaning and role. The back-to-school supplies were ready. They were even inside the backpack arranged perfectly. Outfits were picked out and arranged for the first week back. But that week never happened. My then unborn had other plans for us on what should have been my oldest daughter's venture back inside school doors for another year. But instead that day was a nightmare for her because she didn't get to go.
Rewind to about a week prior. I had explained to my OB doctor that I was very uncomfortable lately. It's no wonder. I was already dilated. But not by much - not enough to consider it labor. But I walked around like that for a week. My due date was fast approaching. But due to my condition, my OB ordered an induction right on the day my oldest was supposed to go back to school. In all honesty, I was hoping the baby would come before that day. But of course, she was a stubborn one. In our family, we believe that birthing is an event for all to share. So, no way was a sibling going to miss the birth of the baby. Off to the hospital we went. My daughter was quite disappointed that she needed to save the backpack for school. But her eyes lit up as she heard me call her school and tell them she had the best excuse ever for not being there the first day. The school actually gave her a week for leeway. Because the labor sped up, but then slowed down again, it was a nightmare wait for us all. Even the doctor did not expect it would take so long, especially since I am notorious for speedy deliveries. Once all the waiting was over and the baby was finally there, my daughter's back-to-school nightmare was soon forgotten by her, as well as the rest of us. The so-called nightmare had turned into an almost nine pound pleasant dream. My daughter returned back to school the following week and never missed a beat. She may have been the new girl after that point. But the new girl was pretty cool because boy did she have a story to tell. In the back to school rush, sometimes things don't go as planned. If this happens to you, use our story to remind you that some nightmares may not really be nightmares at all. They may just be a gigantic dream come true. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network As my family and I sit here planning our next camping trip, all I can do is laugh, remembering our first camping experience years ago. We were so unprepared. What happened is pretty hilarious now, but at the time it wasn't all that funny. You see, we really had no clue what we would need, but we sure thought we did. It's a good thing our accompanying friends had a few things we were lacking. Unfortunately, we did have to leave the campsite for the rest of the items, which would not have been as simple if we hadn't had friends with us or if we had chosen a more remote location.
It's obvious that a tent is needed for camping, unless a cabin or camper is being used. However, what wasn't so obvious to us during our first camping trip was to bring extra stakes and tie downs. Sometimes what comes with the tent just won't cut it, as we found out when one section of our tent sagged no matter what we did. Borrowing a friend's extra stake and tie down solved the problem. Another item we mistakenly left out was sunscreen. At the time, we were not very good at wearing sunscreen to begin with, so it's no surprise we forgot that, but on a camping trip sunscreen is essential. Being outdoors all day without protection from the sun is not good for the skin at all. I've even heard that putting it in the hair can help prevent sun streaks and split ends. Luckily, our friends had some extra sunscreen we could use. Thicker, longer socks was something we hadn't considered at all for our camping trip list. This was one of the items we had to leave the camp site for. Since we were camping in an area that could have contained ticks, we really should have had better socks on, as well as packed additional ones. Thankfully we were not too far outside of town, so it was fairly easy to pick up some appropriate socks. In addition to the items above, there were several more items we forgot during that trip. Because of that experience, we now know exactly what to bring, so I guess it was good for a lesson. Some of the items on our main camping trip supply list are: tent and extra stakes and tie downs, tarp, hammer, pillow/sleeping bag/extra blanket/air mattress/sheets for each person, air pump, air mattress repair kit, compass and map for each person, folding chair for each person, folding table, fishing poles/bait/line/bucket, lots of water (some for drinking, some for cleaning), cooking source, cookware, utensils, knives, food, fire source, trash bags, plastic tablecloth, dish soap, foil, tissue, paper towels, dishes and silverware, plastic bin for dish-washing, personal care items, clothing for all weather types, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and various other items, depending on the camping trip. *I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network |
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