Tip #81 From Mrs. Sunny

"Sometimes you just have to take a leap!"

If you haven't heard, Sunny and I moved into my parents house on Thursday. Sunny ended his position as co-manager of a bank and I stopped my in-home daycare business in the last 2 weeks! Josh is now managing a country club and I will be playing the piano at the church my parents attend.

We just dropped everything and moved, with really no time to take it all. Now all-of-a-sudden my kids are attempting to take a nap at grandma and grandpas house - our new home until our house sells.

Thursday I packed the kids in with boxes so high neither one of them could see me driving! We left the house feeling bare and empty with the things we could live without.

I had a few errands before leaving town. First, Mediacom, to drop off our internet box. After taking boxes out of the van to get the kids out and putting the boxes back in...there was a line! My kids were running in circles in the empty waiting space. We survived, and 3 blocks away Kathryne cries - "Baby!". Of course she left here baby doll there! This is after she decided to poop on the way out the door and there was no room to change her in the van, so she got changed on the parking lot.

I turn around, run in and grabbed her baby and we are off to the bank. I am not used to having to take checks to the bank since Sunny worked at a bank. I haven't gone to the bank in over 2 years - weird.

Then we were off to the countryside at my parents!

Thankfully one of my daycare moms burned me a Disney CD for the kids to keep them entertained while they were boxed in the van and beautiful flowers to smell from another mom. We survived the hour drive with few tears and were greeted by Sunny who we haven't seen much of the last 2 weeks. Big hugs and kisses!

It has only been 2 days and I am exhausted! The kids love having their 7 cousins to play with everyday and they love being out in the country. They can't wait to go fishing with grandpa at the pond and grow a garden with grandma...and I'm excited about having extra hands after having our 3rd baby in May!

So this is the start of our journey...sometimes you just have to take a leap!

Tip #80 From Mrs. Sunny

"Find something for your younger kids to do independently while you

make supper in the evenings"

With the encouragement of a high school friend I have another post to share with you!

Here is my top 10 list of things for your kids to do so you can accomplish supper at the "witching hour" of all kids! Some nights my kids do fine occupying themselves, but on the nights when they're nagging one another I use one of these ideas:

1. Pull up a chair to the sink, fill it with water, keep the water on a drip and fill the sink with measuring cups, funnels, & anything else on hand to keep them busy!

This isn't just "water play" it's pre-math skills! For example, they learn what happens when you fill the cups with too much water and it's great for eye-hand coordination pouring from one container to the next!

2. Get out the play-dough! I don't have any of the "fancy" play-dough utensils...the kids love old cookie cutters, small rolling pins, plastic knives & forks, and small containers! What kid doesn't like play-dough!

I have found that home-made play-dough lasts up to 6 months whereas the store-bought stuff only lasts a few months before it starts crumbling which makes it really hard to clean up! Or if you don't want to make your own, the play-dough at Dollar Tree works really well, because it's a more wet like the homemade stuff.

3. My son loves to cut paper. I just give him a pair of scissors and scrap paper and away he goes! Of course you have to be at the right age for this, but again it's a great skill to be practicing! Beware - you will have to sweep up all the paper, but you will get supper made without fighting! :)

4. Buttons! My mom happened to have a bunch of buttons given to her and I made two games for Kristofer. 1) Matching colors (different sizes and shapes) & 2) Matching pairs of the same button based on color, shape, etc.

5. Old-fashioned crayons and coloring books! I have found that girls will stick to this better than boys. Although, Kristofer's friend that I watch is a girl and she has taught Kristofer much patience when it comes to coloring. The older kids obviously like markers better. Kathryne's getting better with markers...10 minutes is her limit then she starts painting her skin!

6. Stringing beads. Depending on how difficult you want it to be you can use shoe laces or pipe cleaners!

7. Let them help you make supper if you're not in too much of a rush and in a fairly good mood :)! My kids just like pushing chairs up to the counter and watching!

8. Give them a fun chore to do that they are able to do on their own: give them a microfiber cloth to wipe all the wood in the house (I don't use the spray anymore, and I wouldn't trust either of my kids with that bottle!), a wet cloth to wipe all the windows! Be creative and don't be critical of how they get it done...it's just to keep them occupied and to let them accomplish a task on their own! :) Unless they're of age where they should know how to get it done correctly!

9. Put on the Beetles and let them dance! (Or any other music you prefer...the oldies always get me in a good mood, though! :)

10. Now that spring is arriving just let them run outside! As long as it's not lightening or cold, I let them go outside even when it's raining. How else to you learn about weather than to actually be in it and experience the water coming out of the drain spouts, puddles in the yard and sand box full of water! :) It's messy but fun - that's what being a kid is all about!

My kids spend more time outside than inside during the day once spring and summer arrive for good - kids are cooped up too much these days!

****I use these throughout the day if the kids are having a hard time getting along because usually it's just because they need something to do. I give them the option of picking a game (or activity above) or reading a book when they can't find anything constructive to do other than pick on their sibling! Many times Kristofer will pick a book because he knows he needs to just sit and relax.

Hope this helps your evenings run a little smoother!

Tip #79 From Mrs. Sunny

"Use 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' to teach your preschooler the concept of

Large, Medium, and Small"

I thought I would share with you one of the many things I'm trying to put together for Kristofer's homeschool materials before the new baby arrives because I know I won't have any time in just three months!

We all know the story. I just changed the wording to LARGE Father Bear, MEDIUM Mother Bear, and SMALL Baby Bear. Along with the LARGE cereal, MEDIUM cereal, and SMALL cereal...LARGE chair, MEDIUM chair, SMALL chair...and the LARGE bed, MEDIUM bed, and SMALL bed!

I just made pictures by hand portraying the different sizes of bears, cereal, chairs and beds to use along with the story and Kristofer loved it! Before telling the story I had him match up the sizes and then he helped tell the story.

Here's a picture of our settup. We started the story and I realized I didn't have a house for them to live in so we built one out of Jenga blocks which worked really well! Sorry I still don't know how to rotate pictures...if anyone knows let me know!

"

Tip #78 From Mrs. Sunny

"Shop thrift stores for things you need but can wait to find

rather than buying new!"

When I say I'm going shopping, it usually means I'm shopping at Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul's, Little Folks Trading Post (which is a children's consignment shop) or garage sales in the summer (my absolute favorite).

Not only is this more cost effective, but it's better for the environment to buy used rather than buy new.

I have to say I've got enough toys for a lifetime even after just having 2 children from birthdays, Christmas, and everything inbetween! So I don't go out looking for toys, unless it's for a birthday, but some things I look for regulary at thrift stores are:

1. Books (.25-.50) I will always encourage the library, but at this price anyone can afford to put together a home library! I currently just found over 24 Zoobooks Magazines about different animals for just a few dollars!

2. Games (.75) I have found Operation, Boggle Jr., Monopoly, LIFE, preschool games, etc.

3. Records (.50) This may seem a little old fashioned, but after finding a Fischer Price record player for $2 at a garage sale, records are the cheepest way to get new music in the house! The kids love setting the record on, putting the needle on just right and turning the music up! Of course I have a CD player as well..which the library is a good place to check out CD's I've found! My CD player is also a cassette combo for books on tape that I have and those we check out from the library.

4. Classic VHS movies: Like records, I know, old fashioned. But we have a perfectly good VHS/TV combo and I have found about every classic Disney movie from Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmations, Pinnochio, Robin Hood, Lion King and on and on...for .50 to $1. Much more affordable than $15 brand new or maybe they're more than that - I don't know!

5. Children's clothes: Every summer I get the next size up for my kids at garage sales for the following year. I don't get clothes at Goodwill or consignment stores...they're often more expensive then what I can get at garage sales (.50-.75 per item of clothing)

Things I need around the house that I am currently looking for:

1. Kitchen chairs - I'm also looking on Craigslist, with no luck, yet. I currently have the table I grew up with, but my chairs are stained and broken. But they are still usable, so I'm just taking my time looking until I find the right chair at the right price.

2. Coat hooks - I bought new ones about a year ago thinking they were metal, but apparentlly they were actually a really hard plastic and one-by-one they have broken. I'm just going to wait for good heavy-duty ones now!

3. Tea Pot - I've just always wanted one for on top of the stove. Obviously not a necessity when I can just heat water in the microwave...it can wait.

4. Electric Skillet - The one we have still runs but is pretty beat up.

I couldn't believe the other week I ran into my midwife at Aldi's doing her grocery shopping and when leaving mentioned she was on her way to Goodwill to buy a cookie sheet! Now I know she makes enough to buy a new cookie sheet if she wanted, but that's not the point...it's not necessary to buy "new" all the time. Of course some things like socks and underware are best to buy new, but in general used is just fine.

Give it some thought next time you're shopping at Wal-Mart or Target: "Is this something I need right now, or could I wait to find it used somewhere?"

Tip #77 From Mrs. Sunny

"Never be afraid to ask for help"

Okay...so I'm asking for advice. Kathryne has consistently felt the need to get up at 5 am and I have to put her back to sleep. No biggy, she goes right back to sleep...as long as her brother doesn't wake up!

Kristofer who is over 3 has started doing this again like when he was first potty training. He comes into my room honestly thinking it's time to get up at 5 am and I have to be the mean mom who yells to get him to stay in his room. He's totally out of it and can't settle down.

When he was potty training I would put the potty in the living room and let him watch cartoons, otherwise he would get too upset and wet himself. I don't want to put him in front of cartoons now because then it will become habit and he will never sleep in!

I feel like my kids haven't turned their sleeping habits since the time change! But my idea so far is to put a digital clock in Kristofer's room because he's starting to learn his numbers. I'm okay with 6:30 as his wake up time. My kids are "usually" in bed sleeping between 8:30 & 9:00 other than Sunday nights Sunny and I have bowling league and every other odd night life brings us. For some of you that may seem early, but 6:30 is not unreasonable considering that would be over 9 hours of sleep for my kids.

I just don't know if he would actually look at the clock and stay in his room until 6:30 since he's soo out of it.

I'm at a loss. Suggestions welcome!

Mrs. Sunny

Tip # 76 From Mrs. Sunny

"Make homemade dishwasher detergent"

So I just finished my store bought dishwasher detergent and decided to look up recipes on making it homemade.

Here it is and I happened to have Borax and Washing Soda from the homemade laundry detergent I make:

1/2 Cup Borax

1/2 Cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)

1/4 Cup Kosher salt

2 packets lemonade mix (no sugar added)...some recipes call for 4 packets, but 2 packets worked just fine for me.

Just mix them all together in a lidded container and use 1 T. per dishwasher load! My dishes came out spotless! Enjoy!

Also, if you use a rinse aid, just put a little vinegar in the rinse aid section instead!

Tip #75 From Mrs. Sunny

"Seize the moment"

A few months ago Sunny won 5 free courses at our local Community Art Center from work and I was hoping to take art classes with Kristofer.

And actually, anyone from around here, each citizen gets one free course per year at the Art Center, so essentially Josh and I have 7 courses (which each run about 1 day a week for 6 weeks) to use by the end of the year!

I soon found out you have to be at least 5 years old and then I realized that Josh and I could just do something for ourselves for once!

I called last Tuesday thinking there were going to be basically art classes which would be fun, but then she said there was a guitar class that Friday. I was really excited. Just after we were married I bought Josh and I both a guitar. I can tune a guitar and play songs within the 15 chords that I know after taking a class in college for my education degree, but Josh hasn't had the time to learn so I thought this would be great for him and he actually gets off earlier on Friday.

But then the lady called back and said, "Mam, I'm sorry but I wasn't looking at the revised schedule. The class starts tonight." May I add that she called me less than 2 hours before the class started at 6:00 pm!

Well, I seized the moment and called everyone I knew to babysit for me, because Josh had to work late, and I was going to take this class! She said the classes would start over in the spring, so we'll call back for a guitar class for Josh.

So finally an old roommate happily said she could babysit. (Thank you!) I got the kids fed, changed, and I took off down the road. I got 2 blocks and realized I didn't have my guitar! (Kind of important for a guitar class, don't you think?!)

I was already running late for this 6:00 course. I went back for my guitar, and on my way back to the van realized my van was running with the keys locked inside...I rushed to the house and it was a miracle my spare key was on the counter and not in my purse sitting on the floor of the van!

Wow! You can tell I don't get out by myself much, I was soo excited I was forgetting everything! But I kept seizing the moment and pressed on...pressed on to the wrong building! I went to the Museum of Art and no one was there - I didn't realize this was a different building because apparently the Art Center just opened 2 years ago (that's how often I go downtown)! So I called the Art Center and they directed me thankfully only a few blocks further downtown and I made it...15 mintues late...but I made it!

As crazy as everyone's life gets, always seize the moment. Press on with a positive attitude and life will be much more enjoyable!

I can't wait for the next class on Tuesday! This time I will remember my guitar, and get to the right building, though!