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Patience: November 2008 Archives
What makes a great thanksgiving?
Being with great friends
Stand in grandparents when you can't be with your own
Turkey rubber duckies
Oscar the Cat
The edible pilgrim hat cookie craft
Blessing boxes
Rockband
Playing highly competitive board games late into the night, boys vs. girls a must
Feeling full
Blessings overflowing
Let's relish in the holiday a moment longer before the next holiday rolls over us. What made your Thanksgiving great? or not so great?
I always feel like Thanksgiving somehow gets lost in the shuffle between Halloween and Christmas. It's the less glamorous holiday but it continues to be my most favorite.
My sisters and I have to call each other a minimum of 684 times preparing for the day and that's if we are spending it together. Lord only knows the number if we are not.
It is a tradition to talk excessively about what time to put the turkey in and how it is never ready on time anyway. Who cares about the turkey, it's all about the side dishes. The recipes no longer exist on a 3x5 card, you must track down my mother or a younger sister with a better memory. These are the things that make a holiday.
As the years go by, I find myself marking experiences that bring us together in my own little family. Sometimes they are carefully crafted and others just spontaneously happen, some make their way into memory boxes and other just live in our thoughts.
I saw the idea of making a Thankfulness tree around the web the last few days and
thought it might be fun to make with the kids.
Of course, any project with hopes of success should start with a snack.
And then there is the token be-careful-with-the-scissors warning.
The boys cut out the leaves while I cut out the tree.
Here are the leaves, we wrote what we are thankful for on them.
This is my very nobby tree.
A few things we are thankful for: Legos, little sisters, the blackberry (papa's choice), pizza, facebook...
Our not finished tree, we thought we might take it with us on Thanksgiving day so everybody can add to it.
Who knows, it might be the next treasured tradition?
What are your Thanksgiving family traditions? Any new ones you are working on cultivating or do you prefer the kind that unfold on their own? do share...
"Mom, I am pretty powerful today." Jack said as he put on his socks.
"Oh yeah? You are Jack, but tell me what is making feel powerful." I replied.
"Well, I have my new comfy pants on (sweat pants), Josiah and I have a super brother match (they were wearing matching shirts), it's only 2 days until video game day and I have Christmas cake in my lunch."
He nodded his head with the confidence anything can be conquered today. It was the kid equivalent of a power tie. I love those days when you feel like everything is going your way. Your clothes, your connections, your future, your experiences. I can only imagine what Jackie-boy will do with all that power. After all, a super brother match is a pretty amazing thing.
Tell me friends, what makes you feel powerful?
Is it a great pair of shoes, a good work out, a promotion at work?
Tell us in the comments.
We've all been there, you're stressed out and everything your kids do make you crazy. Your frustration somehow spills out onto kids who are just being kids. You don't want to do it, but it's hard to stop. Here are 5 tried and true ways to break the funk.
1. Do the annoying behavior. When Lucy has tried to climb on my head for the 473rd time instead of yelling I simply try to climb on hers. Jack likes to walk circles around me in the kitchen (and it's a tiny kitchen), I just start walking circles around him. Usually the kids start laughing and I feel slightly relieved of the annoying act for just a minute.
2. Get a frustration howl. I call it the "Marge Simpson" groan. It's okay to emote frustration. Sometimes giving a large yell, groan, sigh, howl usually followed by a "You-guys-are-making-me-CRAAAAZZZZYYY!" (while shaking my head in a comical way). This helps me release my inner frustration in a crazy moment. The kids look at me like I'm nuts but I feel better.
3. Eat something junky. When everyone is on my nerves I head straight for fast food. I know, I know, such an unhealthy idea but grabbing a burger and fries feels like a huge treat for my kids and everyone seems a little perkier after. It gives me a break from cooking and a chance for us to talk without complaining about vegetable eating. If the idea repulses you, just make a special dessert to eat after dinner. It almost always has the same effect.
4. Put yourself in timeout. Extreme exasperation usually means YOU need a break. Tell your partner (or a friend) you need to plan a time for a break, then immediately plan a second one a few days after. Chances are you are way overdue and will need both times to really recover. The first break might be just to unwind and by the second one you might be ready to be with those tiny people again.
If none of this is possible in your world, Kris has a good suggestion here.
5. Ask your kids. Ask your kids what you should do to relax. The answers might surprise you, at a minimum they will be good for a laugh. After one of these Q&A times with my kids, Jack (age 5) told Jorge, "Mom really needs a break Papa, you should take care of her." And he did.
Okay, so what do you do to get out of the parenting funks? Don't hold out on us!
1. Oh, don't cry my precious baby. Josiah's here... (Josiah, age 8)
2. MOM!!!! Lyra's crying, Lyra's crying, Lyra's crying, it's okay mamacita.
She then puts her face about 2 cm from Lyra's while Lyra tries to spit Lucy's hair from her mouth. (Lucy, age 3)
3. It's okay Lyra...and then he runs away. (Jack, age 5)
4. Ohhhh, what's wrong mama? (Jorge) while it now takes an average of 5 minutes longer to even hear a cry than it did when Josiah was a baby.
5. It's gonna be okay Lyra, you're okay. (Me)
I yell from the bathroom as it's the only time we aren't attached.
At least no one is yelling, "For the love of God child, please shut up!". Yet.
Come on, give us your best soothing tricks for crying babies in the comments.
The lovely Lauren
World Kindness day is coming! Did you know it's on Thursday, November 13th? You can read more about it here. Practicing kindness is a great way to bring families together. Here are some ideas for your celebration.
1. Leave something special on the neighbor's doorstep. Flowers, a baked good, an invitation to share a meal.
2. Make your kid's bed. Do the one chore your kid hates the most for him/her.
3. Make a contribution toward this very important fund. Change and one dollar bills from piggy banks count too.
4. Write a thank you or draw a picture for someone you love. Tell them what you love about them and thank them for being themselves.
5. Pay the toll for the car behind you, let your child give the money from the back window.
6. Pick up some trash. Spend an hour cleaning up a park, school, or even your neighborhood.
7. Make Hope Notes together as a family and spread them all over your city or town.
8. Try to smile at 10 people today.
9. Visit a grandparent or elderly friend.
10. Start an Acts of Kindness list.
Add to our list Supersisters or tell us how your World Kindness Day celebration went in the comments.
Yes, Twisted Sister, it's one of Jack's all time favorites. He sings it in the car, in the bath tub, in the grocery store. Sometimes it comes up at random times, like today for instance.
So for 8 years I have been desperately trying to get a baby to take a pacifier. Well, maybe not the entire time but definitely with all four of my children when they were infants. Every last one refused. I gave up sooner each time, resigning myself as the human pacifier. It wasn't all bad really, the need kept me close to tiny babes.
Jack found my last pacifier, the last ditch effort (for-ev-er) under the bed and decided he would give it a try. He popped it in Lyra's mouth right as I was telling him to wash it first, such is life as the last of four. The germaphobe in me died a slow death around kid number two.
All eyes were on Lyra, waiting to see if she would accept the holy grail of sucking.
He started singing for some encouragement.
"We ARE gonna take it, yeah, we're gonna take it, we are gonna take it this time."
"Look, she's taking it. " She looks mildly disturbed by the plastic in her mouth.
"Wait, I think she needs the music too." He ran to turn it on, full blast of course.
She cries and spits it out. He shrugs his shoulders and sings, "Were not gonna take it..."
Ahhh, sibling bonding over Twisted Sister, it's perfect.
Lyra says "Vote!" with her eyes.
Doesn't she look very serious about it?
It's 4:55am. The question of the hour, day, year:
Do I take the one month old out in the rain at 5am to wait for the polls to open at 6am?
or
Do I take 4 kids at 10am hoping it will be slower then?
I don't know but either way I'm goin'! You should too. It's worth it for our kids, for ourselves. Feel free to share your horror stories of waiting in 2 hour lines with small children in the comments. These Supersisters will listen and then remind you how awesome you are for enduring. Good or bad, be sure to leave a comment telling us you voted.
Find your polling station here.
Get your free starbucks after.
Happy voting!
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