Conversation(s) With My Kids

It's no secret that I like to blog about the funny things that my kids say and do.  I don't capture these funnies to embarrass them later in life or even to embarrass them now; these are the sweet things that I want to remember many years from now when they are grown and gone.  These are the moments that make all the hard stuff worthwhile.  I'm not being dramatic; I'm serious.  In this house, we are either laughing or crying. And, as you can imagine, the laughing is much better.

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A couple of weeks ago during bathtime, I had both twins in the tub.  Girl Twin was just singing her little heart out, as she has been doing a lot lately.  Sometimes, I can identify a song from her daycare or from the radio.  But either way, she has really started to sing to us a lot.  It's sweet.

So, as they were bathing--

Me:  Sissy, you are my good singer!  

Boy Twin:  Yeah, and I'm your good pooper! 

Boys will be boys.  (And, he's right.)

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We had another funny going to school last week.  When we are captive in the car, I often feel like I'm in front of a firing squad, with each kid peppering me with "Hey, Mom!" or "Mom, Mom, Mom?", each fighting for my attention.  I've gotten to where I actually call on them when it's their turn to talk.  Otherwise, they are talking on top of the other and I can't field any questions.  And, of course, they always have such important things to say.

Boy Twin:  Is that Katy Perry on the radio?

Girl Twin:  Hey mom!  I saw a red ball in the grass!

Big Sis:  Mom!  Justin Bieber's IN JAIL!!!

Twin Tuesday

Cheers to Twin Tuesday!

New Year's toast

Guest Post: Monitoring Your Kids' Tech Time

I'm starting something new on my blog today.  My plan is to introduce you to one of my favorite blogs (and blogger friends) once a month. I'm going to ask my buddies to contribute a post here and provide a link to direct you to their blogs.  First up is my friend Fawn, who shares a very practical and easy way that she monitors her children's tech time.  I hope you'll also check out her blog and add her to your blog list, if she's not there already. --Rhonda 

DIY Technology Tickets
 

Tablets, hand held games, TV, smart phones, xbox, and so on.  Kids love technology. Sometimes a little too much.  Inspired by this Pinterest pin, I decided to start using technology tickets at our house to make sure that we weren’t overdoing it with our screen time. 

 

 

Our system works like this:

•  Each technology ticket is worth 30 minutes of any kind of technology use.
•  Each child gets a total of 8 tickets to use each week (4 hours worth).
•  It is their choice of when to use them, but if they run out they’re done for the week.
•  If two children are playing a video game together or watching the same TV show, they both pay.
•  Parental discretion gives us the right to deny access to the technology when  needed.
• We generally don’t make them pay for things like family movie night or if they are up and moving around with an active Kinect video game. 

You can set your own rules and guidelines – this is just what works for us.

 

Now, our technology tickets are not as pretty as the example I saw on Pinterest, but getting my kids involved in creating the tickets helped them understand how the system would work, and also (surprisingly) got them excited about it.

Here’s how we made our technology tickets:
 

Materials:

·         Index cards (or other cardstock paper)

·         Paint pens (markers or crayons would work fine too)

·         Scrapbooking Scissors – the kind that cut different patterns

·         A hole punch – we used a large circle punch so the tickets would fit on our coat hooks, but you can use whatever size you like.

Steps:

 

1.       Trim the short sides of each index card with the scrapbooking scissors to make it look like a ticket.

 

 

2.  Punch a hole in the top of each ticket.

3.       Have your child write their name on the bottom of each ticket.

4.       Label each ticket with “Technology Ticket”

 

5.       Find a “home” for them where the kids can easily see how many tickets they have available to them.  Our technology tickets hang in our backpack command center .

6.       You may want to have the kids make a few extra tickets in case their tickets get lost or torn.

7.       I also made REWARD tickets. The kids know they can earn these for doing something extra nice or for outstanding behavior.

The Finished Product:

 

This system not only keeps the kids in check, it keeps me in check too. It also taught some interesting lessons in budgeting and kindness.  I was amazed when my preschooler started keeping track of how many tickets he had left, would ask me how many days were left in the week, and often opted for a non-screen activity based on his tickets to days remaining ratio. One day when he was out of tickets, his sister used her tickets to pay his way to a TV show so that they could both watch together.  I hope this little tool will pave the way to more peaceful technology use at your house too.

 

Fawn Rechkemmer writes about motherhood, being green, health and fitness, travel, and other things that make her go, “hmm…” on her blog, Instead of the Dishes.

 

 

 

Hello 2014!

I’m not into New Year’s resolutions, and never have been.  It’s hard for me to set challenges for myself because I don’t like the possibility of failing.   In this season of my life, things are so hectic and always changing.  That is why there are no goals, expectations or plans for the new year; I just try to do the best I can with what I have.

Many of my blogger buddies have chosen special “words” to focus on for the coming year.  I’ve seen things like focus, simplify, and intention floating around out there.  While I’m all for the concept of having a deliberate theme or plan, I just couldn’t settle on anything for myself.  Maybe I am not giving it a fair chance, or maybe I cannot concentrate on the task long enough to even think of a word. 

However, while I was pondering this concept over my blogging vacation, I did have an interesting thought.  There is something I want to not focus on this year, or take out of my vocabulary.  Kind of the opposite idea of the exercise, but still worthwhile.   My problem is with saying “I can’t.”  I’ve come to realize that it’s really a crutch for me because sometimes it’s just easier to say “I can’t” than to put in the real effort to accomplish the task.

Ironically, I’ve also noticed that I’m rather annoyed with my kids when they rely on can’t.  For example, when he is searching for something, Boy Twin is quick to whine, “I can’t find it” and ask for my help.  In reality, he hasn’t even tried to find the book/toy/shoe in question.  I want my kids to be independent and at least make an effort to do something on their own the first time, without requesting help.

Big Sis taught me a little something about can’t recently.  She said this is a theme they focus on at her school.  Apparently, there is a sign that hangs in the hallway that encourages the students to instead say, “I can’t…yet.”  I love this!  Since she shared this with me, I’ve been more mindful to encourage her at home by adding the yet on the end of that statement.

So, in this new year, I’m not going to say that I can lose 30 pounds and set myself up for disappointment, but I’m not going to say that I can’t either.  And I won’t say that I can run a whole 5K by my birthday, but I won’t say that I can’t either.  I’m going to help remind my kids that maybe if we think we can’t, it only means that we just can’t do it yet. 

 

Holiday Recap

 

 

Hello! I guess this means that I'm back from my blogging break.  As you can see, there have been absolutely zero changes to the blog...not what I had planned for this break.  With the bad weather, working holidays in retail, traveling and other general craziness, I just didn't get my list of blog chores done.  But I will work on it.

 

Now that we are well into the new year, I thought I should do a quick recap of Christmas.  We stayed home and celebrated with just the five of us.  We started the day with checking out the kids' loot from Santa and opening our gifts.  Then we had a big breakfast while the kids played.  We later enjoyed a big feast at home and finished the day by watching some of our new movies.

 

 

The kids' Christmas jammies were a big hit this year!  We had fun being silly and taking some pictures.

Here are the kids with their favorite gifts.  In fact, in a strange turn of events, each kid specifically asked Santa for one thing only. Lucky for them, Santa delivered!

More than anything, Boy Twin wanted a "Bob the Builder truck."  Doesn't he look so happy?  Big Sis requested, begged, pleaded and longed for an American Girl doll.  Um, Santa did what he could on that one.  Meet Sadie; Big Sis is in LOVE! 

Girl Twin simply requested "a new Sissy," which means "a new doll" and NOT a new sister. We are thankful that Santa understood that loud and clear.

 



 

We ended our holiday festivities with a weekend trip to Wynne to see the family.  In all, my kids had four Christmases and thought they'd hit the Christmas Jackpot.  I told them many times that they are so lucky to have so many people that love them and want to spoil them rotten.  We had a great time visiting, laughing and eating with everyone this holiday season.  Thanks to you all for loving my kids.

Merry Christmas to All--I'm Outta Here!

I've decided to take my first blog vacation.  Basically, it boils down to this:  I'm cold, tired and have three kids and a job that need my undivided attention right now.  That leaves little to no time for blogging and little to no time for sleeping, unfortunately.  I'm going to take a break for the rest of December and maybe until mid-January.  During this break, I'm gonna do some shopping, wrap some gifts and eat way too much junk food.

I'm also hoping to do a little blog makeover and learn how to do some "tech" things that I've been neglecting to do with the blog.   Check back in January and make sure I've survived.

Until then, Happy Holidays from our nut house to yours! XOXO.

--Mama Bramell



So Very Thankful

I am thankful.

1.  We spent a very relaxing, non-traditional Thanksgiving in Branson with family.  We ate our Thanksgiving meal at the Dixie Stampede and everyone enjoyed the show.  I am thankful for my children behaving well.

2.  We enjoyed spending time with my mom and my sister and her little family.  We especially enjoyed our time loving on baby Piper.  I am thankful that mom, Tracy and Jonathan were able (and willing) to watch my kiddos when Lee and I headed back home so I could work.

3.  I am thankful for that Petit Jean ham we took to Branson and cooked on Friday. That delicious smoked ham provided us with enough food for three meals and counting.  But, wouldn't you know, I didn't take any photos of our meal?  Even when I was planning to blog about the ham.  So is the life of trying to cook a meal in a condo kitchen when everyone is starving! 

4.  Lee drove me back home on Thursday afternoon so I could work overnight on Thursday and Black Friday.  I stayed up all night and worked about 15 hours before heading back to Branson.  I am thankful for my hubby who chauffeured me and thankful for having a job.

5.  We left Fergie with a friend the first night and boarded her two other nights.  I am thankful for friends who volunteer to help us out in a bind and never think twice about doing so.  We appreciate you, Jean Ann!

That just about sums up our holiday week. I am thankful for these and so many more things.  But this, this just makes me happy.