Mid-Week Laugh: Falling in Love

Submitted by FunMom Melanie, from Pittsburgh

The other day I was taking a walk with my girls through our neighborhood. As I looked down at the two of them sitting in the stroller, I started thinking how fast they are growing up. Thinking outloud, I absently said, "You girls are growing up too quickly...The next thing you know you are going to fall in love and get married!” 

Avery, my three-year-old, perked up right away and confirmed my thoughts by saying, "I am going to fall in love when I get big, Mommy.” Wishing that I hadn't started this train of thought, I quickly prodded, “How do you think you fall in love, Avery?” In a sweet, but very sure, little voice she said, “First I am going to fall down. Then I'm gonna love somebody. That’s how you do it, Mommy!”

 I love the innocence of children! 

Got funny kids?
 Please share: emailfunmom@yahoo.com.

Make: Keepsake Eagle T-Shirt

I got this idea from this month's issue of Family Fun Magazine. 

I love it! Simple. Fun. Clever. Festive!

Here's all that you need: 

A T-Shirt

A paint brush

Pattern (below)

Fabric Paint (yellow, brown, white, black)

A piece of cardboard (to go inside shirt while you're decorating it)

Other ideas:

* We followed the pattern on white cardstock, framed it, and displayed it on the counter to add a sweet, personal touch to our seasonal decor! Long after the T-shirt has been outgrown, we'll still be able to enjoy the memory of when his little hands easily fit within an 8x10 frame! 

Music/Move/Make: Yankee Doodle Fun

Materials:

Glue

Feathers

Macaroni (We used assorted dry pasta pieces.)

Paper hat (Tip: Use large paper. How-to steps here.)

Pony (optional, but very fun!)

Lyrics (found here)

After you've taught your kiddo the song,

 let them decorate their hat with feathers and macaroni.

Next, act out the song! 

Landon had so much fun he wanted...

Mama to join in! 

We even got Daddy to be a Yankee Doodle Boy!

He opted for a more modern day pony...

Why should I be a FunMom?

The Value of Playing With Your Child

by Teresa, The CuteKid™ Staff (www.thecutekid.com)

Playtime is valuable time. Children learn through play. During play children often imitate valuable adult behaviors, stretch their imagination and reinforce creativity, and feel like they have accomplished something. When you play with your child you add to these benefits by making your feel child important and valued...

Playtime is a time for parents to relax and unwind. It distresses their life and helps them focus on what is truly important, their child. Play helps parents better understand their children's desires, abilities, and developmental stage...When your child is a little older you will find that a great time to talk is when you are involved in an activity. I love the commercial featuring a father talking to his son about drugs while playing basketball. Because you are involved in an activity that the child enjoys the conversation is low-key. Your child is more likely to listen to you and you are more likely to really listen to your child.

Schedule some time to play with your child everyday. If you don't plan playtime into your day it is easy to let the day slip away without ever really playing with your child. Consider playtime an investment in your child's future. It is during playtime that you build a bond with your child. Express to them their importance to you. And as your child grows they will continue to want to spend time with you.

When am I going to find time for FUN?

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."

-Stephen Covey

Having FUN with my child is a high priority to me. Therefore, I have to make it happen. But, my days are full. I work. I clean. I cook. I organize. I schedule. I volunteer. I plan. I study. I relate. I learn. And...so do you. Moms are busy. But, I want my little guy to know that he matters more to me than having a well-organized closet, or having a well-known name in the community. He's pretty close to the top of my priority list (only behind God and my husband), and my actions should show it. So, here's what I set out to accomplish each week:

3+ "Special Time" Activities.

20+ minutes each.

This isn't to say that we don't do something fun every day. In his mind, we definitely do. We have lots of simple, spontaneous, silly fun. But, I've set a goal to think of at least three make-his-day kind of things that we can do together. We both win when I'm intentional about planning FUN things for us to share.

He and I both agree...It's a good feeling to have one's priorities in order.

Where is all the FUN stuff gonna go?!?

No need to have a craft room....

A craft closet might work in your house.

Or, maybe you have just a little bit of space available inside a closet.

Or, you might have a dresser that isn't serving much use right now. Bring it to life with chalkboard paint (available at Home Depot/Lowe's), and fill it with FUN!

A toolbox, with it's many compartments, can be a traveling craft container. Very handy!

Or, a bunch of easily organized, kid-friendly bins ($59.99 at Target) could work well.

So, where is all the FUN stuff gonna go in your house?

Share your thoughts in the FunMom guestbook!

And, by request...

What does a FunMom do?

1. Have a Plan!

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

This saying has always resonated with me. I know, from WAY too much experience, that without a plan, my day is very likely to become a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-free-for-all. Not pretty....for me, my house, my husband, or my child. A plan is my best line of defense. Things are just more likely to happen when they've been put in writing. There is power in a plan! The following FunMom Weekly Planner ($5.99) can be found under the "FunMom Store" tab. This 50-sheet notepad was designed to help FUN go from being good-intentioned to good-as-done!

2. Name it!

In our house, we call it "Special Time". If you name it, your kids will claim it! My three-year-old asks me every day what we're going to be doing for Special Time. Talk about an accountability partner! I don't get to slide very often. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything spectacular though; he just loves knowing that I've planned something special for us to do together. By naming it though, simple, sweet pleasures-such as baking cookies, riding bikes, flying a kite, and making pinwheels- are highlighted as special and sacred because we share those moments. I'd love to know what you've named your FunMom Moments. Please post them in the FunMom Guestbook in the sidebar.

Who is a FunMom?

"If I had my child to raise over again,

I'd fingerpaint more and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd teach less about the love of power, and more about the power of love."

-Diane Loomans

I've always loved this poem. I don't live up to it everyday, but I think about it often. There are days that motherhood seems anything but fleeting. I know. I've had those days too. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever go anywhere without baby wipes in my purse. I've decided they're the equivalent of a mother's duct tape. They're just too multi-purposeful to go anywhere without. But that's another platform...

The truth is though, the days when our little ones are in the safety of our own homes, and our own arms, are short. I believe in teaching manners, discipline, and responsibility. Don't get me wrong. My little guy knows what I expect, and what happens when those expectations aren't met. BUT, I refuse for my child and I to not enjoy the day-to-day moments of this stage. There's nothing special about me that makes me a FunMom. It's not a creative gene. It's not a great craft room. It's not a knack for planning or organization.

It's just a choice that I've made.

Who is a FunMom? Any mother that wants to be.

If you're ready to commit to being a FunMom, click the FOLLOW button in the sidebar.

Munch: Love you Berry Much, Dad Pie

This is what we'll be having to celebrate Daddy today. He's gonna LOVE it!

You can find the recipe here.

Munch: Kid-Friendly Strawberry Jam

After having lots of fun berry picking we had to decide what to do with all our strawberries. We all agreed on JAM. We had a great time making it, and it was much easier than I thought. This recipe was very kid-friendly because you don't even have to cook it.

Ingredients:

4 cups crushed strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 jelly jars or other freezer proof containers

Instant Fruit Pectin (found at grocery store)

Directions:

1. Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl

2. Add crushed fruit and stir 3 minutes (we used a potato masher)

3. Ladle jam into clean containers and let stand 30 minutes

4. Enjoy!

*It keeps in the fridge for three weeks and in the freezer for up to a year.

Submitted by fellow FunMom, Reba.

Thanks for sharing! :)

Make: Scented Stickers

These are easy, cheap, and FUN!

MATERIALS:

Labels

Glue

Scissors

Kool-Aid (and water)

Container (egg crate)

Fruit images (link below)

Step 1: Click here to pull up the fruit coloring page pictured above. Print.

Step 2: Round up an assortment of fruity-flavored Kool-Aids (off brand is fine).

Step 3: Mix each packet of Kool-Aid flavor with a tiny bit of HOT water (maybe a tsp, or so). We mixed these in an egg carton. Helpful hint...label the sides of the egg carton so that you can distinguish each flavor (we did a "G" for grape, "S" for strawberry, etc.).

Step 4: Cut out your images, and glue them onto a sticky-backed label. I used large, leftover packing ones from our last move, but printer labels (like the Avery brand ones) would work well too. Allow time for the glue to dry, which will also stiffen the "sticker," giving it a more authentic texture and thickness.

Step 5: Let your little one paint their stickers with the corresponding fruity flavor. Once they are dry, you can simply peel the label backing off. Your kiddo can then proudly wear their homemade creations (and probably skip a bath too...they're gonna smell like a peach, anyway!). ;)

Munch/Make: Fruit Faces

Sometimes it's FUN to play with your food!

We thought so, anyway...

Munch: Fruit Salad on a Stick

Put a new twist on an old favorite!

My boys are fruit eaters, so they loved this vertical version of a fruit salad. Even more FUN, is that once the fruit has been cut, most of it is soft enough for little hands to assemble the kabobs (this is a great opportunity to play with patterns).

A yummy, and easy, summertime snack!

Ingredient Ideas:

Apples (good for bottom piece)

watermelon

kiwi

grapes

raspberries

blueberries

strawberries

oranges

pineapple (good for top piece)

Misc: Berry Good Reads

Jamberry*

Written by Bruce Degen. A childhood classic!

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear*

This book, by Don and Audrey Wood, is wonderful! Great illustrations and a very sweet little story. LOVE it!

*Click on title for ordering information.

Move: Berry Picking Near You!

A

Sweet,

Juicy,

Yummy,

Special

Kind of

Fun

For All!

To find a place to pick berries near you, visit http://www.pickyourown.org.

Have fun!

Music: Musical Glasses

A little water.

A little food coloring.

A little practice.

A BIG smile!

Make: Rainbow Fish and Sharing

Sharing. If that word suddenly induced a somewhat sick feeling in your stomach, you're not alone. Teaching our children to share is not a fun lesson...for mom or child! The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Phister is a great way to introduce (or reiterate, for the 435th time) the value of this virtue. After reading the book, and working through some of the content with your kiddo, you can lighten things up with this fun craft...

Step 1. Draw something resembling the shapes above on the back of a paper plate.

Step 2. Cut out the shapes that you drew, and lay them out around another paper plate to make sure that all fins are going the right way, and are the desired size. Notice that the tail is actually face up (which is why I put a star on it in the Step 1 picture).

Step 3: Designate the left side of the plate as the face, and let your little one color that area blue...my buddy got a little carried away when I wasn't looking! :)

Step 4: Cut out small pieces of tissue paper and aluminum foil.

Step 5: When working with glue, I like to use a paintbrush to spread the stickiness. This keeps tiny fingers nice and clean, and makes a more even workspace. Apply paper and foil pieces to all areas of the fish, except the head and lips.

Step 6: Staple the pieces together, add an eye (we used a googley one), and trace the lips and head with a black marker.

Step 7. TA DA! Your kid will now willingly share with a smile! Okay, maybe not. BUT, at least you now have a visual reminder to hang in her room, of why she might want to!! :)