Playtime Hearts

I recently had our 4th child, and we also recently moved.

I've been busy and tired and we are trying to find our new rhythm.....

and I'm trying not to lose my marbles. :)

The kids seem to be acting up a little bit more lately, and I've been praying & asking for help and guidance as a Mother.

The answer that keeps coming back to me is to spend more time with my kids.

Because when all is said and done, I know that is what really matters to me.

So I came up with an idea to help make that happen:

PLAYTIME HEARTS.

Here's what I did:

1. I traced heart shapes onto yellow paper and cut them out. They are roughly 2 1/2 inches big. I cut out about 26 hearts.

2. I wrote on each heart a fun activity that I know the kids like to play. 

A lot of these are things they've asked me to play with them in the past......the ones where I have given the all-too-often response of "not now."

I came up with these myself, but it would be fun to sit down with your kids and think of fun things to do together. 

Here's a list of what we've got:

Cars

Airplanes

Legos

Color

Dance

Trains

Super Heroes

Paper Airplanes

Play Library

Wii

Game (3 of these. We have a lot of games)

Soccer Outside

Catch Outside

Ninja Turtles

Mazes

Make no-bake cookies

Little People

*Your Choice (2 of these)

(I also left a few hearts blank so I could add things later that we think of to play).

3. I taped them onto the little chalkboard we have hanging up in our kitchen (You could tape them up anywhere).

4. And from here it's easy! I let the kids take turns picking a heart and we do whatever is on the heart, together. Sometimes there is a time limit (20-30 minutes depending on what's going on that day) and sometimes we just play and I try to just forget the time and focus on my kids. It's been refreshing to remember what it's like to play as a kid. It's good for all of us. :)

Some days are busy and we don't pick any hearts.

Some days are wide open and each of the kids get a chance to pick a heart.

Sometimes it's when my oldest is at school and it's just me and the little ones.

Sometimes it's all of us together as a family, including Daddy.

This week we used one of the hearts as our activity for Family Home Evening.

And sometimes we play without picking a heart at all. :)

When all the hearts have been picked, I'll tape them back up and start again.

This idea was a direct answer to my prayers.

We've done it for the past week, and it has been so much FUN!

It's helped us all in so many ways. The kids seem to not be acting up quite as much. I've noticed so many wonderful qualities in my children when we sit and play together---because I'm actually paying attention to them! Something I needed to be reminded to do.

But most of all it's helped me make the time for what truly matters to me--matters more than anything and everything.

My family.

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960 Saturdays

I recently read this little fact from THIS book:

With everyone's busy schedules, sometimes Saturdays are the only days where we get to do fun things all together as a family. Seeing that finite number attached to these days makes me want to cherish them even more!

Touching the Hearts of Our Youth

Mother's Lullaby

My talented friend, Cassidy Clark, wrote a lullaby for her daughter, and it is so touching and beautiful that I just had to share it! 

(Not only did she write the song, she is the one singing it, and these sweet pictures are of her and her daughter!)

There's just something about the lyrics, music, 

and pictures of her smiling and cherishing her baby girl that really resonated with me 

about the joy of raising children ---- the honor of being a mother. 

 

What Matters Most

Faith in Times of Weakness

I have had a bit of a rough day today. I have been impatient and stressed with my children and have felt the enormity of my weaknesses as a mother. I prayed fervently to my Father in Heaven to help me and tonight I came across this video -- a message which filled my heart with joy and hope. I have faith in eternal things. I know God lives and is aware of my personal struggles and weaknesses. I know He can and will give me strength in the face of all of life's challenges.

Happy Mother's Day!

I was trying to find the perfect quote about Motherhood to share this Mother's Day, but after a horribly imperfect day as a mother, everything I read just made me feel like a big fat failure. 

Then I saw this video, and I cried. 

I cried tears of sorrow for my endless weaknesses, mistakes and imperfections as a mother.

But mostly I cried tears of joy and hope in remembering that I am not alone--that with the Lord's help, I can do this. 

Bad days (like today) remind me that I cannot do this on my own --- I'm too impatient, too selfish, too exhuasted, too clueless. But my loving Father in Heaven already knows that and can strengthen me where I'm weak. I will rely on Him forever.

Happy Mother's Day!

No one perfect way...

(Quote from THIS talk.)

Dear Fellow Mommy,

(Originally posted 10-1-2010)

So, here is the deal.
You are looking at my blog and one of 2 things is going through your mind:

1. "Wow! I can't wait to try a few of these activities with my own kids. I feel Awesome!"

or

2. "Wow. I'm not doing activities like these with my own kids. I feel Lame."

How do I know this?
Because I, too, have experienced both inspiration and discouragement in looking at other moms' blogs.


Therefore, I would like to make a request of you, dear fellow mommy, if I may.....

#1. If you find yourself feeling Awesome, great! Of course it's impossible to try and do every single fun idea that you come across on the internet. But I hope you find something here that might be fun for you and your family!

#2. If you find yourself feeling Lame, I beg you to cut yourself some slack! A friend of mine said something I love in her blog post: Super Mom Disclaimer:

"Doing projects with your kids is NOT what makes someone a good mom! I just happen to find doing crafts with my kids one of my favorite things to do! But many moms don't. That's OKAY. Some of the best moms I know don't enjoy it either. Big deal! They are still amazing moms." 

I've come to realize that no matter how creative, how fun, how organized, how crafty, etc....
I may be, there is always going to be a mom somewhere in the world who is more anything & everything --- than little ol' me.

And ya know what?
It's OK! Motherhood is not a competition. Good for those moms for doing what they enjoy and doing it well!

And good for ME! -- because I don't have to be like other moms! (I'm not really sure why I ever thought I did. ?) I know I'm a good mom because of one fact only: I love my children.

I hope you will benefit from the ideas I share and have fun with your kids in whatever way you enjoy! And if all else fails, make cookies. :)

Sincerely,

Linda

Attitude

I don't know about you, but there are just some moments of motherhood that bring out the grumpy in me. And in these moments (or days, or weeks, or months) I want to crawl into the nearest garbage can where no one can bother me. I often grow green hair, an unsightly uni-brow, and go by the name: 'Mama the Grouch.'

I don't like those moments (days, weeks, months). Honestly, I hate being a grouch.
So, what's a poor weary mama to do?

I recently read an awesome article by President Thomas S. Monson called "Living the Abundant Life." In it he quoted 

William James, a psychologist and philosopher: 

"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."

President Monson goes on to say:

"We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

I can't change all that's unpleasant about being a mother to small children. There are just always going to be messes, whines, spills, tantrums, etc., etc., etc.!!! I can't change that. But I can change my perspective & reaction to these things. I can change my attitude to one that is more positive and encouraging.
Because while there are always going to be unpleasant things in our lives, I suppose they are only as unpleasant as we choose them to be.
:)

Prayer

It's funny how all through my 3rd pregnancy I felt fairly confident about bringing another child into our home. But the first night in the hospital after I had baby #3, I began to feel a small amount of panic and fear about if and how I was going to be able to be a good mother to 3 kids. I turned to the scriptures for comfort and came across a simple yet profound statement by the prophet Moses, 

"I will not cease to call upon God . . ." (Moses 1:18) 

In that moment I felt so strongly that this was my answer, and determined that this would become my mission statement as a mother. I am grateful for the feelings of inadequacy that I often have as a mother. It's these feelings that remind me to turn to the Lord for help, strength, patience, and guidance, which I inevitably receive in abundance. 

And knowing how inadequate I am, 

"I will not cease to call upon God."

He Lives!

I cut these pictures of the Savior's last week and resurrection out an old issue of the Church's children's magazine, The Friend. I glued them onto card-stock and cut a little extra on the bottom to help the pictures stand up. 

For Easter, we are going to have our Family Home Evening be about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and use these pictures to teach.

 I love teaching my children about Jesus Christ. I have a strong testimony of the life, atonement, and resurrection of my Savior. It has brought me so much hope and a clearer perspective of my life here on earth. I know that because Christ rose from the dead, we will all live again. And we can be with our families forever. As a wife and mother, future grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt......I consider this the greatest knowledge that I possess.

Video: He lives!

"Go up to the Mountain"

I recently read something amazing and want to share it with you.

In the Bible, the book of Haggai chapter 1 verse 6, the Lord is pointing out how the children of Israel were not prospering. I don't know if you ever feel like this as a Mother, but sometimes I do:

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink . . . 

(I love this next one:) and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put into a bag with holes.

But the Lord had an answer for the children of Israel, and He has an answer for us too. His answer is in Haggai 1:8, and 2:18-19

Go up to the mountain . . . even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid . . . from this day will I bless you.

As I read this, I understood profoundly how essential it is that we receive the blessings of the Temple.

But, are there Temples on the earth today? Actually, yes! Over 160 all over the world. 
Look here.

Life is not always easy. Sometimes it seems we give all we can and it's still not enough. Our loving Heavenly Father has provided a place where we can go to be reminded of the things of eternity—the things that really matter. In the Temple we understand who we really are and that we have great worth. We understand why we are here on earth and gain strength to face the challenges of life. The Lord shows us that He can make so much more of our lives than we can. 


We understand our Heavenly Father's plan for us as individuals and especially as families. .


It is in the Temple that families can be sealed together for eternity. We can be with our families forever. Our Heavenly Father has given us Temples because He wants us to receive all these blessings and so much more. So, "Go up to the mountain."

(Temple in Guayaquil, Ecuador)

Get Enough Sleep

I've recently discovered something remarkable:

I need sleep.

And far too often, I don't get enough.

Are you like me?

I stay up late doing things that I want to do and can't do with the kids awake (crafting, reading, tv, movies, blogs, internet, hobbies, etc.) I want to squeeze in all the "free" time I can, which inevitably leads to me staying up extremely late.

I've noticed that when I don't get enough sleep,  I am sluggish and moody. I am less patient and easily frustrated. I am less nurturing toward my children because I failed to nurture myself and my need for rest.

So, I decided that I needed to make a sacrifice for the sake of my and my family's health & happiness.
Since my boys never (unfortunately ever) wake up later than 6:00-7:00am, I am trying to go to bed no later than 10:30pm.

I've actually been trying to do this for a few months now. So far I've found that when I do get enough sleep, I have more energy to meet the demands of motherhood & homemaking with happiness rather than resentment. I am more productive. I am more patient and loving to my children. I also feel closer to my Heavenly Father as I seek His guidance in my life. Basically, I've discovered that it's worth it.

It is really hard sometimes to stop what I'm doing around 10:00 and get ready for bed. But a good solid 8 hours later when  LM comes in the room and awakens me from my deep slumber, I'm grateful that I did. The day is so much better for everyone when Mommy wakes up on the right side of the bed.

Simple Thoughts on Motherhood

I've been thinking a lot about Motherhood lately. 

I recently learned of this mother's life and have been inspired and uplifted by her perspective. I believe Motherhood is a beautiful gift. I believe Motherhood is divine.

Thoughts on Childhood

We are slacking a bit in the craft and activity department lately! So, today I just wanted to share that I love being a mother.

I recently heard another mother share this amazing thought (I’m paraphrasing):

My children will grow up and in a few short years they will be adults. From then on, and for the rest of their life, everyone who meets them and knows them will know them as an adult. But as their mother, I get the privilege of knowing them as babies and children. I get to see them experience childhood. What an honor it is.

Every child is precious. Every child is divine. What an honor it is to know the children in our lives.

Enjoying Early Childhood

LM is turning 4 soon. He still has a while until he starts kindergarten, but lately I've been curious as to what a 4 year old should be able to do and know in preparation for starting school. 

So, in the Google search bar, I quickly typed in the words, "what should a 4 year old know" 

The very first thing to pop up was this article from magicalchildhood.com, titled the exact same words as my query: What should a 4 year old know? written by Alicia Bayer. She also reposted it here on her website. (It's a really good article. Check it out!)

After I read what she wrote, I had a completely fresh perspective on my role as a mother / teacher for my children. For a Pre-school aged child (3-5) it's NOT about how high they can count, how many words they can write, or if they know how to say hello in every language. As stated in the article above, a young child should know first and foremost that they are loved unconditionally, are safe, that childhood is magical, and that they are wonderful. Everything else will come in due time. 

So, what can / should I be doing with my Preschooler? Here are some practical ideas, and ones that I plan on implementing into our days, weeks, and months as LM prepares to enter school. (A few of these ideas come from these links: What Else Should I be Doing? and School Readiness)

• READ!!!
• Nothing compares to reading with your child. It's easy, it's affordable, it's fun and the benefits are plentiful.
• Character Building
• One of those articles suggested that the preschool years are the most influential for character building. So be sure to take those moments to teach your child how to be kind, polite, honest, respectful, etc.
• Experience New Things
• I love this list from this article above: "Sing and dance together. Hold kittens. Plant radishes (they sprout fast). Make goop from cornstarch and water. Play in the sprinkler. Go to a duck pond. Dress up. Roll down a hill. Watch an anthill. Touch things, feel things, experience new things."
• Play!!
• Don't get caught in the trap (like I have) of thinking that our children have to be entertained and scheduled all day long. If you feel guilty for not entertaining them all day, or if you use other means to entertain them all day (tv, video games, busy schedule etc.) take a breath and remember what if felt like to be a child and just PLAY all day long. Children can entertain themselves. And that is an important skill to have.
• Encourage Independence
• Since children are so eager to help, and since in the long run we want them to be independent and happy adults,......now is a perfect time to teach them how to do age-appropriate chores and tasks themselves. Things might not get done as quickly, but you will teach your child that they are responsible and capable.
• Make learning FUN!
• Whenever and whatever activities or crafts you do, follow your child’s curiosity and find ways to make learning & developing FUN and not forced.
• Promote Physical Activity
• It's no doubt that pre-schoolers are blessed with a never ending amount of energy. Providing them with opportunities to be physically active during the day not only allows them a perfect outlet for all this energy, it also keeps them healthy!

Many moms think that in order to be ready for school their child should know ABCs and 123s. But teachers say that what they really need is (from School Readiness):

• ·        listening skills
• ·        a good attention span
• ·        fine motor skills

All of which can be achieved through a good combination of the things listed above. Even if all you did was read regularly to your child, you'd help them develop the first 2 naturally and with very little effort. But preparing them for school is not the only reason for doing the things you do. 

For me, gaining these insights has changed my perspective on teaching my children. I will continue to do learning activities and crafts, but my hope is to focus more on the process of growth and discovery, more on reading and exploring, more on play and having fun, and definitely more on physical activity. And if you needed this reminder too, I hope that this post will help you and your child to enjoy the wonders of childhood to its fullest.

Linda