Category: summertime

Tug-o-War

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As a parent we sometimes feel just a little bit uncertain on how to approach certain situations regarding how your kids are going to react to it. That is perfectly spot on for most of us, to be honest for me I really try to do my best at preparing my kiddos but usually fail miserably. This is because I overthink the situation or I overstep. Allowing our kids to grow and learn is important. Hovering over them and constantly dictating how they should react or just act in a situation can be more harmful than helpful. I say this because I am definitely learning this with my ten year old, he is so ambitious, and very particular about many things. I have had to really take a step back and talk more with him about situations so he can make the better choice instead of me making it for him. For instance, like when he upset with his brother, how should he handle it… should he fight back by hitting or coming and talking to mommy and daddy about it so we can help him? This topic has just been really heavy on my heart because I see so many parents trying to overwhelm their children and themselves because they are holding on and fighting for so much control. Just like tug o war you fight for to much control they are going to resist and fight back. Go with the flow, allow your kids to experience, live, have fun…with boundaries of course, just understand you have to be able to let them be kids.

Publishing a Book

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Today I am really working hard to publish one of my ebooks that I have been working on. I’ve got a lot to do but I am feeling confident that I will finish by the end of the day. Publishing a book is not as simple as I thought. To be honest I love writing, hate editing, and well yeah I am sure you get it. Billy, my husband, thinks it’s funny because it has taken me this long to even get a book out.

Right now I am just spending time with the kids while an AT&T technician works on our internet. It has not been user friendly at all for over a month which has also caused me a lot of time as well. Hoping it will be back up soon!

To be honest it has been nice to take a break from the digital world. I can’t say my kids agree but it definitely has encouraged them to be more adventurous! It has forced them to use their imagination and has pushed me to get tons done around the house. There is a lesson to come from this too! It is so easy to get caught up with our digital devices that we forget what’s truly important in life. Hope everyone is having an amazing Wednesday! Feel free to comment below as well 🙂

A Divided Family

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Truly I find it amazing the impact of a superhero’s leadership has on a small child.  Kids these days really love their superheros.  In a way I think adults are having the same child-like mindset as our children when it comes to the Superhero persona.

*Spoilers** AHEAD* YOU ARE WARNED, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MARVEL MOVIE: INFINITY STONES, THEN STOP READING NOW!

So if you have made it this far then you are about to be blown away by a sad reality that kids were heartbroken over the deaths of so many beloved superheros like Black Panther, Spider-man, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, the Winter Soldier, and so many more.  My kids watched in horror as they faded away as Thanos snapped his fingers.  Yep, such a tragedy.  Luckily there a major rumors that this is not the end for most of our beloved Marvel characters.  Just like with Superman when he was killed in Batman Vs. Superman, he was brought back to life.

In our family apparently there has been a lot of heartbreak.  We are a divided family here.  Half of us are DC fans and well the others…are of course Marvel fanatics.  Watching these characters go through their ups and downs in their own universe has been a touching especially with how we have grown attached to our favorites.  I am personally excited to watch how far they will go with both the DC and Marvel Universes.

If you haven’t watched any of the superhero movies I completely recommend all of them.  Give them a try.  They make great family night movies especially when you got kids!  They really get into it and it truly brings out your inner superhero.

 

Sensory Play

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Sensory play is important to a child’s development.  When I was teaching preschool a few years back I really enjoyed doing sensory play with my kids.  It helped them engage more with their senses and children that have sensory disorders really do well when doing projects that involve lots of sensory play.  Sensory therapy is something I do with Joseph my third child, A LOT!

Ever since he was itty bitty he struggled with water, the sensation of water.  Baths were a disaster, he would literally scream at the top of his lungs and panic when it came to bath time.  It was very sad actually.  Me and Billy really hated to see him so distressed when it came to taking a bath.  It took us until he was four to actually get him comfortable to sit in a bathtub.

Sensory play with water was his best bet, we had a lot of help through the Pre-K program at our local Elementary School also.  Showers are still an issue sadly but at least baths are okay now.  Right now I add color tablets into the bath water and bubbles and he absolutely loves it, especially when the water changes color. I strongly encourage other moms to try water play with their little ones, most kids find it awesome and really get into it.  Sensory play can also include play dough, moon sand, or anything with texture.  Feel free to message me below and I would be happy to send you some fun recipes to try with your little ones.

Having Fun in the Sun

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The last two weeks have been quite funny, especially because it seems like everywhere you look kids are so caught up with their electronics.  The first week of July our internet went out and I have got to say hands down my kids’ reaction was priceless.  They didn’t know how to react.  It was a shock, it’s like they couldn’t figure out what to do next.  Every minute they would ask “when will it be back on?” or “is it fixed yet?”, it was quite funny.  We sent them outside to play while the At&t worker did his magic.

It really had me thinking of when I was as a child and how I was always outside running around getting into mischief.  My kids need time to use their imagination which had me thinking I really need to cut back their time with their electronics including the television.  Recently they have been thriving from the time away from all the media and have bonded more with each other.  They interacted more with each other which is great overall for their social development.

In the long run I will be setting up a schedule that will allow so much time for them to choose if they want to watch television or play a video game.  Choices are good but should be limited when giving options.  You don’t want to overwhelm your children which will end up in disaster.  That is also why I posted about movie night with the kids, that is a great way to encourage the kids to enjoy family time while watching one of their favorite movies or shows.

For instance, when I was a child we would go out and play hide and go seek, tag, freeze tag, football, and jump rope.  There are endless games that can be played it is just that our children have been born in an era where it has been overshadowed by media and electronic devices.  When I went to the store the other day I made sure to buy them a soccer ball.  In my younger years I loved kicking around a soccer ball so my first thought was ‘I am going to get my kids one’.  They absolutely love it.

Exercise is so important for children, getting them outside to play, it’s crucial for their physical development and also their mental status.  On another note I have decided to work out with my kids, for instance, like taking daily walks or playing games outside with them.  This helps me and the kids bond and get our blood pumping.  When outside though, especially in the summer, it is good to make sure you have access to water, so you can stay hydrated.  The heat index can be a lot hotter than usually predicted and that can be a problem for you and your children.  During the summer months I always make sure my kids have access to a Little Tikes kiddy pool so that they can also have water play even with water guns when we are outside.  This helps them stay cool and have fun at the same time.

My Summer 2018

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This summer is going by so quickly!!! It is blowing my mind. I was able to actually find time to finish my website today. I still need to produce more content on it but I was able to get it fully up and running! http://www.embracingtheimpossible.com

Also this week I have truly fallen in love with Pinterest! It is the ultimate guide to anything….literally lol! Here are tons of pictures for you to enjoy of our summer so far!

Building a Foundation

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Building a foundation in a relationship can be a process, one that needs to be taken with care and patience. Love prevails always especially when two people are devoted to each other unconditionally. I have been married for nine years and through those years I have had many ups and a lot of downs but every moment was and is worth it. Divorce has become rampant among our generation and it is heartbreaking to see, too many young people are not experiencing the true joy of love and marriage like they should because of Divorce.

Marriage should never be just an experience or a new fad to try out. It is a gift between two individuals that want to face the good and the bad together. When I met my husband I did not realize he was the one…no… but I knew he was special and boy God threw me a curve ball when he placed Billy, my husband in my life. Billy gave me unconditional love, he was, is, and will always be my soul-mate. No person is perfect and there will always be flaws in every relationship even if you are not married. You should never set unattainable goals that you two can not meet, try to balance out each others differences and work together as a unit to solve solutions that arise.

Love is a choice. You hear that many say ‘oh well I fell out of love with that person…blah blah blah’. Well that is not how it works, love is taken for granted most of the time and forgotten. There are days I struggle but no matter how bad it gets it still doesn’t warrant me to escape the bond me and my husband share. My marriage is tested daily but everyday me and my husband grow stronger together through the good and the bad. We lean on each other and build each other up to fight our battles together.

One ingredient that makes a marriage successful is usually thrown to the side though and that is GOD. If you do not have God in your marriage then you are in for a rough road but not an impossible one. It is important to build a strong foundation and a good way to do that is through prayer and Christ. God will give you the strength to overcome the hurdles you both will face in your relationship during your marriage. Even if you aren’t married and just engaged or together having God in your relationship will help you two grow closer and stronger together. Always remember never just throw in the towel, try to fight through the rough times, build on each other, and embrace life to the fullest.

What’s Your Name?

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I am reminded everyday how special it was when my little ones first started to say and I quote ‘Ma Ma’ or ‘Da Da’! Yep such adorable times, a milestone every mom and dad want their sweet bundle of joy to reach! It melts our hearts when we hear them babble our names at such young ages.

Fast forward just a bit, maybe just a few years on it seems like my name has become legendary lol! The constant ‘Mom, Mommy, Mother’ or ‘Dad, Daddy, and even Father’ from your child can be one a little too bearing at times. But even through the nagging, tattling, whiny muttering, yelling, and screaming there is a purpose behind your name. As a parent the title Mother and Father should be sacred. It is one that should give you a sense of satisfaction. Those sweet children also say your name because they love you, trust you, and look up to you. You are their beacon that will guide and lead them to the person they will grow up to be.

Enjoy the crazy moments, the embarrassing ones, and the silly moments because you only get one shot to be the person they call Mom and Dad! Be joyous and enjoy h memories you make with you little ones because as I noted in my previous post ‘Time Flies’, it really does.

Time Flies

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It’s funny, it seems like time is definitely something we feel we have so much of and yet we don’t.  Time flies by so fast, just look at your kids.  They grow fast and sadly they just keep on growing.  Today I was reminded of how quickly  time passes and how many great adventures I miss out on with them because I get so busy in my adult life.  Sometimes just taking a step back brings out perspective that is needed in our (parents) daily lives.

Today I decided to put aside all the adult stuff (Busy work, housework, work in general- I think you get the point!) and went outside with my kids and played in the water with them.  Lots of laughter and memories were made because I made a choice to put them first.  I admit that can be a hard thing because we get so caught up on our daily responsibilities.  Being an adult can be very overwhelming and can come with a lot of stressors that children don’t have.  Sometimes just taking the time to play or spend time with your children can be the best medicine for stress relief.  After we played outside we decided to sit down and play Monopoly, which I used for educational purposes.  They loved it and it brought joy to me.  Sometimes as I said we just need to take a step back and enjoy the blessings in front of us that God has given us.

Parenting isn’t easy, there is always going to be the crazy days, the easy days, the I don’t know kind of days, but overall the only way to enjoy parenting is to realize there is no perfect way to parent.  Remember you are enough, don’t overthink parenting, embrace it and take it all in.  You miss all the fun and joyful moments when you don’t give parenting your all.

Time

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Parenting can be a live comedy!  Daily I find humor in the little things that arise during our day!  Kids have a way about bringing laughter and joy when everything else seems complicated and overwhelming.  It is true, when you become a parent you really don’t have a dull moment in your life no more. Always expect the unexpected, especially if you have a toddler at home.  They will definitely bring the best out of us parents when they decide to get into mischief.   It is a priveledge and joy to watch my kids grow, try things, experience life, and embrace the difficult trials because memories are being made.  Enjoy your little ones, take time to notice and compliment the good.  Time is not a luxury it is a gift that should be taken with care!