My Dinner Is Cold...

Hello mothers out there, this one is for you! We have been overwhelmed with activities, field trips,classes and so much more all culminating right now. It has been exhausting for everyone involved but kids tend to be able to bounce back so much quicker. My body wants an extra hour in the day to sleep but that extra hour could be spent catching up with everything else that is going on around the house.

Why is it that when we sit down to dinner, I am the last one to sit? Someone needs something and I jump up, as though I were a yo-yo...they know what they need, they all know where to get it, but for some reason it's okay, I can do it. Sometimes I eat standing in the kitchen because I don't get a minute to sit. By the time I finally sit down to enjoy my meal, it's cold and most everyone is done and chatting away. I love those moments after dinner, that I usually push my plate away and laugh and talk with them...my food long forgotten.

There is nothing I wouldn't do for these 3 and my husband. They want to try something, join something or learn something and we are all doing it with them or cheering them on. It means work done in cars, lines, waiting rooms and libraries but they think of it as an adventure. I look at it as living in my car! Sometimes we are gone from early in the morning until dinner time and even though it makes for long days, they are loving every minute and laughing and learning...what more could a mother want? Everything I have to get done for school and around the house will keep my husband up until the wee hours of the night, but it's all worth it.

I broke my glasses the other day and my husband offered to take me to replace them straight away...instead I put on my emergency pair with so many scratches they are a mess and I told him I would go later...I know I won't go, I know I will make excuses and want to spend the money on something else for the kids. Why do we do that? Why do we put aside what we need and sometimes want, for kids that already have more than enough? Because that is our job. I was at my parents house last weekend and my mother made dinner, she served everyone around the table and ate while standing at the stove. I didn't even notice until I was done eating...it was so good. I asked what she used in her dinner and my dad stood up straight away and pulled out all the spices and supplies and packed them in a cooler for us to take, even though it was all brand new! My husband loved a new Disney watch my dad has just ordered and he promptly took it off and gifted it to him and would not take no for an answer...he said he had too many as it was. We surprised my parents by stopping by, because we had been in the area and they were on their way out. My mother to a meeting with friends and my father to see my grandfather, instead we all went to a movie. Why do we do what we do? Because we can, because we WANT to, because we love our children and want them to know that. I do what I do, because it's all I know. I have parents that went to college in the evening hours on opposite days, so that they could be home with their family. I have parents that worked 2 jobs so that we would always have what we wanted and needed. I have parents that sacrificed their own happiness to raise me in a way where I never thought I was different from any one else. They walked a fine line financially and I never knew. They have since done so well for themselves that they only want to give and share but it's amazing how much we don't notice as children and it's because we don't want our children to notice. We want them to be happy...I better go, my lunch has been waiting on the counter and is getting cold.

Enjoy every minute my friends!

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

Two Tips on Tuesday

A beautiful day for a beautiful girl! Yesterday our Princess turned 10 and we had a great day planned for her with a few surprised that even her detective skills couldn't sniff out. The holiday season is always a mess for us with travel and so many different family houses to see and then add in 2 birthday parties and today the Epiphany. Tomorrow I am glad to see the tree come down and the house slowly get back to normal. We are peppering school here and there but won't get officially back at it until mid January when all has calmed down and the house is beginning to look like a home again and not a warehouse!

My daughter wants to be a spy for the US government when she grows up and she studies spies like nothing else. When she isn't studying how to become a spy or creating spy devices she loves to design fashions and watch movies. One of her surprises was to take her to the movie theater when 3-4 different movies were starting within 40 minutes and let her pick anything she wanted to see. She picked Night at the Museum again and it was still just as great the second time around. One tip that we use often because we are frequent movie goers is to bring plastic or paper bags with us to the theater.We buy the largest size popcorn they have and then give each child a paper bag with popcorn. All of our theaters offer free refills on popcorn so we then refill it for us to share and we are all set! No talking in the movie for someone to pass the popcorn and no freaking out when someone has had it too long. We do the same with a large drink and split it between 3 small reusable covered cups. This keeps movie going cost effective and the chatting to a minimum. Now that the older kids are 9 & 10, they wanted to sit on their own, so we outfitted them with goodies and away they went (5 aisles in front of us when we had the entire theater to ourselves!)

As we begin to re-do our classroom, one thing I always put out first and have handy is the paper. We keep a wide assortment of paper on hand, this allows little hands to always have access to art supplies and creativity. There are notebooks for on the go, colored paper, cardstock, textured papers, lined papers...you name it, we've got it! Organize your paper and you will also always have a visual reminder of what needs to be refilled or replaced.

Making books stand out and look inviting is all it takes to bring children to the library. Long lost books always seem to find a way into little hands when they are on display!

Happy Tuesday my friends and remember to enoy every minute!

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

Round Up!

Fall seemed to have arrived while we were on vacation and we came home to a yard full of leaves, the sky turning dark super early, a chill in the air and pumpkin everything...it is an amazing transformation to leave sand, sun, tank tops and shorts to come home to leaves, darkness, long sleeves and jeans! I love Autumn (why we named our daughter that!), don't get me wrong, but it takes some getting used to! We collected leaves in all of these clear cylinders to decorate the house for the season and they looks so cute! We put them on the fireplace and peppered throughout the living room.

The Day The Crayons Quit has to be the most AMAZING book we have read in quite awhile! It is hilarious and sooo cute that we bring it everywhere and have people read it. Have not read it yet? Get to your library or even just head to Barnes & Noble, you will love it!!

With Autumn sneaking up on us, I knew I had to start preparing for Winter. One of the kid favorites is painting in the snow. These squeeze bottles are the perfect size for little hands. My kids absolutely love doing this, even making the paint with food coloring and water is a fun project in itself! You can even use squeeze bottles with food, check this out HERE!

One thing my kids loved in Disney World was the Pirate Map treasure hunt. They had so much fun following these maps that it has inspired our next birthday party coming up in December! We plan on having a treasure hunt themed party, with maps and hunts and prizes in trunks. The kids are so excited and I can honestly say that I am too! Follow my Pinterest Board for this Party HERE!

When we take on new studies, I love to use things that I can find around the house, are inexpensive and can be taken on the go! Learning the 50 states and capitals is made fun with this double sided-popsicle stick game. One side has the state and the other the capital. It can be played like a game of pick up sticks, can be used alone as flash cards. My kids also love making up their own games to play, the have added in a timer and give a time limit, added in a note pad and had each person pick 10 and lay them flat, then write down what would be on the opposite side of the stick, they sometimes grab them and use them to quickly decide who goes first, second and third in other games! I keep them accessible at all times and the kids gravitate towards them every now and them outside of class.

Our car ride was electronic-free and the kids didn't notice one bit! We had card games, travel games, homework and plenty of chatter. We all had a blast and in all honesty 20 hours went by in no time at all! One thing that we always keep on hand are chip clips, they are perfect for holding cards for little hands when playing games!

Remember to enjoy every minute my friends!

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

School Days...

Happy Monday my friends! What a weekend it has been! As we are on our travels this month, I wanted to let you all know that school does not stop! We school year round and educate 24 hours a day. Long car trips are just as good as a classroom and new adventures are just as good lessons. A simple Science lesson is even taught riding the spinning tea cups!

I have mentioned before that we use Seton School as a curriculum and some of the books are a bit on the pricey side. One way we extend the life of our books to last through 3 children OR just workbooks that have certain pages that need more work than what the workbook offers, like tracing pages and similar is a tip that that will have you excited to finally put to use those long ago shelved office supplies. Our simple way of solving this problem is to use transparency sheets! Place one on top of the page you want to preserve and it works as a dry erase page that can easily be written on with dry erase marker and then wiped clean. Also great for Tic Tac Toe and Hangman in the car without crumpling up loads of paper!

Ahhh..the binder ring, this simple invention has me so happy on a daily basis, I use them for EVERYTHING! A great way to keep track of spelling words each and every week along with studying along the way is so simple!

1. Have the student write out each word on an index card using the Say It - Spell It - Say It method of learning. (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)
2. Have the student go back the next day and trace each word using a colored pencil or something else colorful using the same method as the day before. (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

3. Have the student return on day 3 to highlight each letter with a highlighter, once again using the same method as before.  (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

4. Have the student return on day 4 to punch a hole in the corner of each index card as he says the word and spells the word.  (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

5. It's test day! Your student should be ready for their test!

Use a colored index card to separate the different lessons, so the student knows where each new lesson begins. At the end of the school year, your student can then see exactly how many words they now know how to spell! Binder rings come in many different sizes and you can keep going bigger as the stack gets larger.

Of all the things I teach my children, I only hope they come away with the desire to travel. On the go is the best education anyone can be given. Enjoy every minute my friends!

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

Creativity Rules!

If there is anything I love to do on a daily basis, it's get creative! Even if it's just using a board game in a new way or turning trash into something useful! I posted about our mini greenhouses before, but wanted to show you one in action! This one holds peas! I cannot stress enough, that if children are involved in the growing process they are learning so many things and in the end will ALWAYS taste what they create! A yogurt bottle with holes at the bottom and the bottom of a 2 liter bottle make the perfect house for little sprouts!

The hardware store is better than any toy store when it comes to getting creative for kids.
PVC makes the greatest play tool for water tables. They can piece them together however they wish and use funnels to create water tunnels.

Weekly Inspiration!  MCW strives to inspire everyone out there and when I inspire awesome things, I want to share it with you! Check out this awesome batmobile that was created using an old cozy coupe and some spray paint!! Keep your eyes peeled on garage sales, because these could be had for a steal! I just sold one for 15.00 last month, so they are everywhere!

My kids inspire me, what inspires you my friends? Enjoy every single minute! <3 p="">

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

Menu Plan Monday!

It's Menu Plan Monday! What is on your Menu for tonight? The rest of the week?
Monday:
Grilled Pork Chops & Baked Potato Bar with Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Tuesday:
Hot Dogs over the fire pit & Garden Salad

Wednesday:
Bean Burritos & Potato Wedges

Thursday:
Chicken Stir Fry over Rice

Friday:
Italian Sub Sandwiches & Chips with Pasta Salad

   Follow Me On Facebook!
   Follow Me On Pinterest!

Expired Box Tops?

I've been trying to make up a small index card size note to tuck into the Summer Box Top bag (Post and photo coming soon) that would show the official box top label and also assist parents in differentiating the campbells soup label from the Box Top. I wanted to be sure they checked the expiration date (we have A LOT expiring June 1st) too! Hope this works! I plan on putting a Box Top magnet on the other side of the index card as well!

Thankful Times

Lolita Glam Cake Slice Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 20.00

WARNING ahead of time, this is a looong one!

November is usually thought of a time to give thanks, and celebrate with family for all we are thankful for. Unfortunately for me it's become a time to think about stuff that I should always be thankful for and not just in a certain month of the year! I wish it wasn't so hard remembering to give thanks. There are so many people in real life that I would love to give thanks to daily. How about you? Don't let time pass you buy and then you will be filled with regrets! Let's let Thanksgiving be a year round thing, not something just reserved for a date on a calendar.

Mainly my dad, my hero. He is the kind of parent that I hope I can be when my kids are grown and married. He's the guy that's always there with his hand out to help you out when you are down, the guy that you can chat with no matter what is on your mind and the guy that can make you laugh no matter how heavy the drama in your life is. I always remember to be thankful that I have an awesome husband at home that doesn't believe in women doing all the housework or cooking or what not and if not for the business he would be a stay at home dad in a heartbeat (or so he claims! heehee). He's the kind of husband that rubs your back at night and snuggles with you in the morning. Yes, I'm thankful for him; but sometimes I forget about the basics. The people that raised me into who I am today (pretty darn fabulous). I take those people for granted so much, because they will always be there. I never forget to tell my dad I love him, because I do, but sometimes I just want to say: Hey dad, thanks for all you do, you don't know how much it really helps! He really is my hero.

As far back as I could remember November would bring it's chilly air to the Chicagoland area and my grandmother and grandfather would be there to take us to the store and get us our yearly winter coats (my sister and I, not my whole family haha!). It was so fun and glamorous picking out a great coat to spend the winter in! So many colors and choices and it was all up to us! I miss my grandma and wish that before she passed, I had told her how much I was thankful for little moments like that. She made me feel like I was the center of her world and I'm sure it gave me the confidence that I have today. She was a great pillar in keeping my self esteem high. I wish she truly knew how much I loved her and was grateful for all she did. Now my grandfather is getting on in years and quite a busy man, so I use that as an excuse to not pick up the phone as often or not make plans for a visit. I don't want to regret all he did for me as I was growing up. He picked me up on days the bus abandoned me at school, drove me home when I didn't have it in me to wait for a late pick up. He was a grandfather that my dad has become to my kids, amazing and wonderful. I only hope that they will be thankful to him every day.

Cheer Bear Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld

We all have a silent cheerleader that doesn't make themselves too well known, maybe they don't want the credit, maybe they just know all along that you can do it and feel they don't need to tell you. For me, it's my mother. She's an amazing woman who has come head to head with me all these years. We don't mesh well personality wise in our views and standpoints, but no matter what I choose to do, I know I make her proud. She doesn't tell me, but I can see it in her eyes, her smile, her voice. When I made captain of the cheer squad, there was no party, no excitement, just a smile that seemed to say 'Well, Duh of course you did'. When I wanted to go study in Europe for college, there was never a No, it costs too much or I will miss you. She let me go and she worked hard to send me, never complaining just doing. She wasn't the type to lavish gifts on me while growing up. In fact the one time she bought me a gorgeous red coat out of the blue that I had my eye on, is a memory I carry still to this day with me. (She doesn't know it, but I still have that coat that doesn't fit and is a bit faded, it's part of a memory that I will always forget). Big ticket things are things we sometimes forget to be thankful for. (home down payments, college, trips to Europe, Disney World). She had an amazing impact on my life and I too hope upon hope that I will one day become that mother that she is to me. (Gasp! Did I just say that?! heehee). Mothers are not made to be your best friend, they are made to nurture you and make you ready for the world and she did that, she made me ready for a world that was so big I never knew it. They were strict parents and at almost 30 years old, if I still lived at home, I bet I would still have a curfew too! That discipline is what I needed and what I know I will carry on as a parent as much as I hated it!

Then there is the online world of people we don't really know, yet helped us out! I want to thank those people!

Mod Business Card Holder by MissKnits 5.00

MissKnits she was a customer on Ebay that pointed me in the direction of Etsy, without her, there would be no online world for me! She had a hand in the success I carry right now! It's been awhile since i've spoken to her, so I will take this moment to drop her a message.
MelissasMagicSpot Missy has been a friend since I met her over on the Dis Boards , she helped me when I need to sound about online problems and I hope that I have been the virtual friend to her that she has been to me!

Gumdrops Kilt Pin by MelissasMagicSpot 3.00

Lists like these can go on and on, so I better stop now before I get carried away more than I already have. I'm thankful for so much this time of year, I wish I could remember to be this thankful year round.