Introductions

I've been thinking that it's about time I introduce myself.

So, hello! Welcome to FunMomOnline.

And, thank you so, so much for visiting!!

Enjoying motherhood...together,

(Click my name for more about me.)

Your turn! I'd love to get to know you too! 

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.

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.

More typical than you might think...

Who needs a shirt when you have:

Fireman boots

Knee pads

Batting glove

Police belt

Superhero cape

Eye mask

Magic wand

Knight helmet

**Next Week's Relish:

Flying Coffee Filter Butterflies

Picky-Eater-Party

Egg Carton Caterpillars

Surprise Yard Games: 1

Kid Tested, Mother Approved...Paint!!

Let's face it. Paint and preschoolers don't always mix. Or maybe that's the problem...they mix TOO much! I have plenty of friends with paint-phobia, and it's a legitimate, real issue. But, your preschooler probably thinks that paint is even better than play-doh. What to do?!?!

Enter these!!! Landon's Aunt Poppy gave him these for his birthday last year, and we LOVE them. I know. I said WE....on purpose! These paint bottles "are little hand friendly and the applicators won't leak or drip (from website)." So, unlike some other bingo-type paints that we've tried, these really don't dispense any color until you're little one's paper is ready to be turned into a masterpiece. They are also...you may want to sit down for this one..."non-toxic, washable, and won't stain clothes."

So, paint-phoic mamas, you can cross one fear off your list.

We'll tackle paper-mache some other day (like as soon as I'm brave enough to try it...).

Preschool Chores

Fun pictures

Colorful clothespins

Allowance ($1/week)

+____________

A very willing little helper!!

Hope this works for you too! :)

Filthy puddle boots.

Skinned knees.

All boy.

falling star

One of my favorite scripture passages is Philippians 2:14-16.

"Do everything without grumbling or complaining, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."

It is for this reason that I'm NOT going to tell you about the last month that I've had. Let's just say that if I wasn't interested in being "blameless and pure," I'd tell you all about the rollercoaster of infertility, hard-hitting stomach bugs, moving my parents 1200 miles away, indefinite holding patterns, power outages, the eight conversations going on in my head regarding bi-racial adoption, the most stubborn sinus infection ever, unexpectedly getting yelled at/lectured (several times, actually), theological struggles, and endless to-do lists. IF I told you about my last month, you'd probably understand why I took a bit a of a hiatus from my blog. But, since I'm clearly trying to "shine like a star in the universe," I'll just leave it at...

Thanks for sticking with me. I'm back.

Egg-actly What I Was Looking For!

If my St. Patrick's Day activities didn't give it away...I love holidays! I love celebrating, and living up the mystery and wonder of special days with little ones around. It is most important to me though, of course, that my family knows the reasons for those seasons. If you are like me, and believe that egg hunts and an empty tomb can coexist on the same Sunday, this is a great book for your family! Michelle Medlock Adams does a wonderful job of engaging little ones, while she thoroughly covers that our Easter traditions (eggs, bunnies, pretty dresses) are all due to the resurrection of Jesus.

It's egg-actly what I was looking for!

(click to order)

My Proudest Mama Moment So Far

Recommended Reading

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"The best effect of any book, is that

it excites the reader to self-activity."

Thomas Carlyle

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I've added a few of my favorite books to my sidebar.

You can click on the images to bring up purchasing information.

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Any great reads that you'd like to share?

Discipline Decisions and Relieving Revelations

Entry from my Journal: 9/2/09

"Lord, I want to genuinely enjoy my little boy! And, I want for him to enjoy every day that we spend together...because they are a gift, and they just go by way too fast to spend them any other way!

Discipline is necessary. And biblical. But, I am determined that it not become my life. Because, if it does, not only am I living a very sad day-t0-day existence, but so is my little man!

So, I will balance my discipline, of course with love, but also with silliness and fun, spontaneity and laughter. Rather than correcting for 100 different things in a day, I will remind my sweet little boy, 100 times if necessary, of our 3 simple rules. Then, I will discipline him fairly, consistently, and quickly when they are not followed. So much easier...for he and I both!

Help me train him up in the way he should go, Father. He is yours, and I know that you have amazing plans for him."

Report: Almost 6 months later, this is still working so well for us! Landon's rule sheet hangs on our fridge, and we often hear him singing the little song that I wrote to help him remember what is expected of him. Conclusion: At three-years-old, three broad can-apply-to-almost-anything-he-tries-to-pull rules seem to work well!

Attack of the Winterwear

I generally think of myself as a fairly organized person. The areas that can be seen in my house are always neat and tidy (though not necessarily clean). However, in my efforts to clean the seen, I tend to have to shove the stuff into hidden areas...such as closets.

February is my annual closet cleaning month. I give myself 28 days to sort, organize, and toss out what has been shoved in over the past 11 months. So far so good! I have to be honest though; the closet space is this house is seriously lacking, and for once, I'm actually kind-of happy about that!

Throughout the month I've tackled each of our bedroom closets, and have relished the long, proud 'ahhhhh' afterwards. One closet stayed closed and avoided though....until yesterday. Our hall closet seemed to be spewing winterwear. Gloves, hats, scarves, and earmuffs had formed a small, damp mountain on the shelf above the coats. Chances of finding a matching pair of gloves were slim...especially if you happened to care that they match each other, your coat, and were not half frozen. I was dreading the task...but, it is February.

So, I bought an over-the-door shoe organizer. And, viola! Why didn't I think of this before?

Winterwear, you've met your match.

Hall closet, Happy February.