Family Theme Night Blog

I love making memories with my kids!  In fact, I've been away from my computer doing just that—making memories; simple memories, ordinary memories and crazy memories.  Here are five of my favorite ways to make memories with kids:

1. Make the ordinary extraordinary.

Life gets very busy, and sometimes it can seem a challenge to fit fun into the day.  Yet sometimes the simplest thing can make an ordinary task memorable.  That's where "underwear balloons" come in!

It is spring cleaning time!  My kids just finished their spring break.  At first glance, our major spring break activity might not seem like the definition of fun.  In between play-dates and mini-trips visiting friends, we completed a family project (or perhaps I should say we started a series of family projects).  We enjoyed some "spring cleaning family fun!"

Yes, I did use the words "spring cleaning" and "fun" in the same sentence!  Here are three ways our family makes chores more enjoyable:

1.  Do Chores Together!

I have a confession to make. I have a new addiction. A Pinterest addiction.

Have you discovered this newest web sensation? This online pinboard is just filled with wonderful and exciting ideas, and I have fallen victim to its appeal. Yes, I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest—time that I should be spending cleaning my house or folding that over-flowing laundry basket. My blog has been neglected, and my husband just shakes his head as I show him my newest find.

Yet, like most love affairs, the honeymoon stage lasts only a short time. The last few weeks, Pinterest and I just couldn't get enough of each other. My new love consumed way too many of my thoughts, and I was constantly checking back for new pins. But I think I'm finally exiting that new-love excitement phase. I'm returning to reality. I'm ready to rescue my house and my blog from their states of neglect.

Back to reality. Yes, Pinterest, I have work to do. But perhaps we can still meet sometime for a secret rendezvous . . .

I had a nice early Christmas present.  When I opened the newspaper this morning (and when I logged onto Facebook), I discovered that our main local newspaper had published a column about a recent interview.  A few weeks ago, Marketta Gregory ("Simply Faithful" columnist for the Rochester, NY Democrat and Chronicle) sat down with me as we talked about making memories with kids.  Check out her article!

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20111219/LIVING0110/112190301/Marketta-Gregory-meaningful-memories

I'm so excited to be making memories for my kids during the Christmas season.  I hope you are too!

My new cookbook (a companion book to my family fun book) is now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions!

Memory Making Meals: Fun & Easy Family Dinners (Created by an Ordinary Mom)

"Memory-Making Meals Monday" is a regular blog post feature that includes meal ideas for fun-filled family dinners and/or kid-friendly snacks.

My Monday post is usually some fabulously fun meal or snack idea (or at least something I think is fabulous and fun).  I usually have an idea that is worth a picture, but not this week.  Our family fun night this past week was different.  It was a boys and Dad night (actually, a fun boys-only weekend!).

I thought of skipping today's post with a disclaimer (no post today because ___________).  Yet, I think the meals our boys enjoyed this weekend were definitely the memory-making kind—just not "mom-style!"  Time spent together can mean a lot more than the food itself.  I know my boys had a wonderful time because my six year old asked:  "next time you go away, can you leave for a month?"

So, what did Dad serve up?

• meatball subs (okay, mom left those in the slow-cooker before leaving for the women's retreat, but it was still a hit)
• "treat" cereal (sugar laden cereal that mom never buys); this special treat was such a big deal that my 3rd grader told his teacher about it!
• no leftovers on leftover night—Dad cooked up some fish sticks when the kids said they didn't really like leftovers (mom usually says "eat what's on the table")
• ice cream at the museum—when I returned home, this treat was one of the first things I heard about!

Are these the kind of meal ideas you would like to replicate?  Probably not.  Although considering the memories that went with the meals, perhaps they should be copied . . .

In lieu of the anniversary of 9/11, I'm straying from my usual "Friday Faith-Filled Family Fun Blog" post.  Still faith-filled, but no "fun" activity this week.

I'm just a regular mom, but I've had a lot of practice talking about September 11th with my kids. Why?  My youngest has a September 11th birthday.  Not THE September 11th, however he entered the world on a day commemorating the unthinkable.

With the 10th anniversary this weekend, all of the "experts" are talking about how to speak to your kids about this event.  Somehow as I listen to this advice, I get the feeling that they don't actually speak to many kids about the subject.  At least they don't speak to kids that were not directly affected.  They talk about being sure that kids don't blame an entire group of people for a single act.  That seems to me to be a very adult way of thinking.  My kids have never thought to blame anyone besides the actual perpetrators.  In general, there is a lot of advice (and fear and worry) about the whole subject of 9/11.  Here are a few basic things I have talked to my kids about the events surrounding my sweet little boy's birthday, September 11th:

Good Versus Evil

Kids are very black and white.  Think of fairy tales and the characters in children's literature, and you can catch a glimpse of the way kids think.  Kids naturally think of people as "all good" or "all bad," so it is not much of a stretch for their little minds to think that one person could be purely evil.  Evil enough to deliberately kill thousands.  As a person of faith, I do believe that evil exists.  Although I do not choose to dwell on it, I do acknowledge and talk with my kids about the fact that yes, there are some dark and evil things in this world.