10 Quick Games for Kids

These days I spend a lot of time feeding the baby and while my middle two kiddos play pretty well with each other, there are just some times when I need to calm them down with a little organized fun.  You can find a game in this list that would work in almost any place!

1.  Can You Be A...

Name that animal.  They love this game and as long as there's a big space and noise is okay, this one works well.  Some of our favorites:  kangaroo, monkey, snake, and horse of course!

2.  Ten In the Bed...

There's a song, "Ten in the Bed," that my kids love.  It goes like this, "There were ten in the bed and the little one said, 'Roll Over, Roll Over' so they all rolled over and one fell out!" Repeat until zero.  Whenever I start singing it, the kiddos drop to the floor and start rolling.  Fun!

3.  Pipe Cleaners in a Colander
Self-explanatory!  Drag out your colander and give the kiddos some pipe cleaners.  

4.  Folder Games
You can print these fun games online, glue them in a manilla folder, cover the folder and game pieces in contact paper, and Velcro.  There are games for all abilities or make your own!

5.  Poms in a Muffin Tin
Let your kiddo make their own "cupcakes."  Let them use tweezers to pick them up and work those little fingers!

6.  Sticker Fun:  On Your Body!
Give your kiddos some stickers.  Play like "Simon Says."  Name a body part and have them put the sticker on it!

7.  Freeze!
Get the little ones dancing!  Turn on some music, get them dancing, and pause it.  If you 
don't have music, give them a gross motor skill (hop, gallop, walk, crawl, etc.), let them burn some energy, and and yell "Freeze!"

8.  Snowball Fight!
But not messy!  Throw some poms on the floor, give the kids a straw, and have them blow "snowballs" at each other.  This also works with pieces of tissue paper if you don't have poms on hand.  My kids like to play hockey with them, too, and shoot them into a goal!

9.  I Spy
A classic game, but give it a twist.  Depending on your child's level, you can spy colored objects, an object that starts with a letter, or an object that rhymes with a word.  Mix it up and you'd be surprised how long this entertains!

10.  Sticker Names
Write your child's name on a piece of paper and let them make it with stickers.  You could also work on numbers, letters, sight words, you name it!

   

The Post-Pregnancy Fun

In a few weeks I'll be able to workout again.  I haven't worked out much since I found out I was pregnant, because I didn't feel great this time around.  I am looking forward to relieving some stress and dropping some of these pounds (hopefully!), but am afraid finding the time to do this will be tough.  I'm going to try to set some goals, though not too high at this point, and work at it each week.  The gym we belonged to doesn't take infants this small, so it may take some creativity on my part and take place either early morning or later at night.  If you have any at home workouts you enjoy, I'd love to hear about them!

Of course dropping these pounds means eating healthier, but making sure I eat enough calories for both of us.  I am not a fan of eating plain vegetables, cooked or raw, but love them in things.  My goal is to make a pot of soup each week and have it on hand for lunch.  I plan to make some of my go-to favorites like Chicken Noodle, Tuscan Chicken and Vegetable Beef , but am also going to try recipes I found for Olive Garden's Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli.  To get my daily fruit, I'll make smoothies in the morning with a base of bananas, strawberries, and apple juice.  I'll then add pineapple or blueberries depending on what I have on hand.  Normally I would also include french vanilla yogurt, but will leave out because of my dairy elimination diet.

Vitamin Packed Fruit Smoothie

Late last week I thought I'd treat myself to an early Mother's Day present and buy some shirts.  I am tired of going to my closet, staring at the clothes, and realizing that none of them fit!  I'm over wearing maternity shirts, especially now that they really don't fit, but cannot wear any of my things from last summer.  After striking out with what I bought at Target and Kohls, I hit up Old Navy.  Luckily after trying a few styles on, I found one "dressier" looking shirt and another style that worked.  I couldn't help but laugh, though, as my mantra when shopping for clothes post-baby is this:  if you find one that works, but it in a bunch of colors.  I don't have time to shop around, so that is what I did!  

So, if you live near me or see me on a regular basis, don't be surprised if you see the same v-neck in a rainbow of colors!  :)

You Are What You Eat: Taking a Closer Look at What We Eat

We've all heard the saying, "You are what you eat."  Admittedly, if that's the case, I would be made of sugar, meat, and chocolate.  I know that I need to improve my diet, especially now that I am omitting dairy, but I also need to push my kiddos out of the box a bit more.  Sounds fun, right?  I am going to try to make it appear that way!

With all of the talk about GMO's lately, I decided to start reading about what we should be trying to avoid.  I soon realized that while I thought we were eating fairly healthy and avoiding "bad things," I was wrong!  While there is a quite a long list of ingredients and foods to avoid, the three that stood out to me most were corn, soy, and canola.  Hmmm...limiting sugar cereal may be the least of my worries.  I did find that there are currently no genetically engineered wheat products.  Too bad whole wheat is not on my favorite list!    

For the past few years, I have tried to cut back on processed foods.  Generally, the only items we buy out of the frozen food section anymore are vegetables, pie crusts, fruit, ice cream, potatoes, and fish sticks.  I try to avoid chicken nuggets as much as I can, but occasionally they'll make it into the cart.  I'd like to limit that to just fruit, vegetables, and potatoes with the occasional splurge on ice cream since we like to make our own.  I have made homemade chicken nuggets for the kiddos in the past, but they have not liked them (even though they are delicious).  Too bad kids, Mom's making her own again!  I have never tried homemade fish sticks, but I think I will add them to the list of things to try.

As for snacks, I had all but removed the filler foods from our pantry for some time and encouraged the kids to choose fresh fruit, raw veggies, yogurt, or cheese.  Many of the muffin recipes I make are quite healthy, too, so I may throw that in as an option here and there.  When I was preparing my food supply for "after baby," I picked up a few of their favorite treats and can't wait for them to be gone!  We will be going back to those choices and for some treats I plan to try out some recipes I found for the snacks they love like Goldfish and graham crackers.  

This summer we're going to check out some local farmer's markets for produce and attempt to grow some of our own vegetables.  I would love to be able to buy organic all of the time, but the price and availability in our area makes it a little tough.  I may take another stab at it, though, for those foods on the dirty dozen.  We do purchase organic milk and yogurt, but I'd like to add more foods to that list again like chicken and apples.  

My kids may rebel a bit in the beginning now that they've been spoiled for a month, but I'm hoping with some fun presentation and activities I can get them to eat more fresh fruits and veggies this summer.  I am guilty of not eating nearly enough of those foods, so I will have to be on board, too.  We'll begin to make smoothies to pack in as much as we can and I am going to sneak some extras in there, too.  I'm going to be on the lookout for more fun and tasty ways to add more fresh fruit and veggies to our diet as well!

In reality, it shouldn't be this difficult to feed ourselves and our children.  I'm interested to see where all of the "movements" you see on the interent go.  I am going to take baby steps and hopefully over the course of a year make some positive changes in the food we eat.  I plan to document our journey monthly and share some practical tips with you.  If any of our recipes turn out for our homemade treats, I'll share those with you as well!

 

Summer Bucket List

Today was the last day of preschool for the Princess, which means that summer vacation is right around the corner!  At first it seems like we'll have all of the time in the world during the summer months, but before we know it the summer is over!  Last year we had just moved, so our summer months were full of getting our house organized and hanging out at home.  Now that we're settled, it's time to have some more fun!

A few years ago we created a summer bucket list with the kiddos.  We put realistic wishes on a piece of paper, placed it on the refrigerator, and stuck a smiley face sticker next to an activity once it was completed.  This year I would like to do it again.  I have a feeling this summer's bucket list will be twice as long as the one we created two years ago, as we have more people sharing their wants and opinions!  I can't wait to hear what the kiddos have to say and I'm thinking of my own activities to add to the list.  This is such a fun activity and helps us plan out our summer a bit.  When the ideas are in front of you, it's much easier to find the time to do the activities.

We'll share our list once it's complete!  What will be on your summer bucket list?

A New Recipe for a Nursing-Friendly Diet: Chicken Fried Rice

Now that my eating has entered into the "nursing-friendly" phase, I've been on the hunt for some dairy-free recipes and pinning to Pinterest like crazy.  I also have to omit some other things, like garlic, onion, and peppers, but that is easy enough to do.

Today I thought I'd try out a Chicken Fried Rice recipe I had come across.  It was fairly simple (bonus!) and turned out pretty well.  We aren't able to order Chinese food anymore, because it is not safe for our oldest son with his peanut and tree nut allergy, so it's nice to have something similar to a restaurant.  

Here is the recipe.  I will include all of the ingredients that the recipe called for, but note the items I omitted or changed.

Chicken Fried Rice

2 cups prepared rice
1 chicken breast, cut up (I used two cups of chicken that I had cooked and cut up ahead of time; season with salt and pepper if desired)
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (I used peas and carrots)
2 green onions, chopped (I omitted)
1 clove garlic, minced ( I omitted)
1 egg
3 teaspoons sesame or wok oil, divided (I used olive oil and used two tablespoons because I initially read the recipe wrong!)
2 T. soy sauce (I used low sodium)

Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon (or tablespoon!)  oil in a bowl.  Set aside.  Heat one teaspoon (or tablespoon!) oil in a wok over medium high heat.  Add chicken and stir fry until cooked.  Set aside.  Add another teaspoon of oil to the wok, and add frozen vegetables (and green onions if desired).  Stir fry until tender, about two minutes (though it took me about 5!).  If using garlic, add and cook for another 30 seconds.  Push vegetables to the side in the wok and pour in egg mixture into the center and scramble.  Add cooked chicken, rice, and soy sauce to wok and then toss well to combine.

    

Almost Three Weeks In: A Real Look Into Life with 4

(While I try to keep my posts as positive as I can, this one  may not quite fit into that category-but it's real-life!).

It's been nearly three weeks since Baby #4 has arrived.  We are still working on settling in and getting to know our Little Queen Bee.  Some days I think we're making progress, as she'll take long naps and stretch out her feedings a bit, but then that comes to a halt and I'm back to being up most of the night and trying to keep her content during the day.  She's following in the steps of her older siblings and showing signs of reflux that make her uncomfortable and this week I've figured out that she is unable to tolerate dairy like our youngest son.  This can make life a bit challenging, as her temperament is not always so pleasant and she seems to eat more than she doesn't in an attempt to keep herself comfortable.

Since she requires so much time and attention, the kids have started to "rebel."  My youngest son has begun to act out and be incredibly uncooperative and aggressive.  I know he's fighting for attention, but it's getting very tiring.  I've implemented the listening chart to try to positively motivate him, but he's really struggling.  I do my best to spend as much time with him as I can, but it's just really hard to do when I'm feeding the baby all of the time!  My oldest son is also having some behavior issues that I'm sure stem from the new baby as well.  The Princess has her moments, but for the most part, she's doing great.  We have our moments where multiple people are crying, screaming, or throwing a temper tantrum, time-outs and being sent to rooms are an everyday occurrence, and my finest parenting skills (insert sarcasm) have reared their ugly heads.  We are far from perfect, but we'll get through it.  

Other than driving the kiddos to school, I can count on one hand how many times I've left the house in three weeks and two of those were for doctor's appointments.  I haven't been anywhere without a child since before Baby #4 arrived nor have I had much alone time at home.  I know that this, too, shall pass and I fully expected this, it just doesn't make things any easier.  There are times throughout the day where I just want to scream, "I need a break!"  The reality, however, is that when you have small children, especially a newborn, there just really aren't a lot of breaks to be found.  

My mom has been my saving grace throughout the past few weeks.  Her and my dad stayed with our kids while we were at the hospital and made all of our older kids feel very special during that time.  She has come to our house to help with the kids, cook, clean, and school pick-up on the days she's here.  She is going to save me again soon when my husband leaves on a business trip for four days!  This is one of the great benefits of moving back near family and her willingness to help out.

You know how the saying goes, "The days are long, but the years are short."  Right now, the days are long, but I hope in the next month, I'll be able to have a little more downtime and maybe get out of the house without the kids.  I am looking forward to being able to exercise again, as it's a great stress-reliever and puts me in a much better mood!  It would be nice to be able to get some sleep, but I am not about to get my hopes set too high about that yet.  Those goals seem pretty lame, but they're really important to this mama!  I'm going a little stir-crazy here if you couldn't tell....

At the end of the day, though, I have four cute, smart, funny, and healthy kids.  Soon they'll be grown and these days will be long behind us.  I'll probably even miss the chaos and unpredictability that each day brings.  Parenting is a wild ride and we're definitely on one of the thrilling, adrenaline-pumping rides right now.  I better buckle up and hold on tight!












  

What?! May Already?! Time to Prep for Summer (Part 1)!

Since I've had Baby #4, the days of the week run together and for the most part I have no idea what the date is!  So, I was a little surprised to wake up this morning and realize that today is May.  What?!  That means we have entered into our last month of the school year.  My kindergartener will soon be a first grader, preschool year one for the Princess wraps up next week, and soon I will have all four of my kiddos at home...everyday...hmm.  We need a plan!

We don't live close to "town" where most of the activities are and I don't want to spend a lot of time driving each day, so I am going to have to get creative and come up with some activities to do at home or in our little town.  While I am all for free play and unstructured time, letting each day be a free-for-all will be a disaster.  I think if I spend some time in May devising a plan, I may actually be able to pull it off!

My goal is to create projects in the following areas:  arts and crafts, cooking, science, literacy, and motor skills.  Since my kids are all young, but at very different levels, I hope to be able to come up with one activity and adapt it so each kiddo can be successful.  In addition to these activities, I want to plan some fun outings to support what we're learning or just to get out and explore.

Once I get organized, I'll share some of my activities with you all.  One activity we will do every day is reading.  I want to create a weekly reading challenge for each kid and if they meet their minute or books read goal, we will celebrate on Friday evenings with a special activity or treat.  I plan to use a weekly chart to keep track of our progress.  We'll track the books my oldest son reads in addition to his minutes, as it will be fun for him to see how many books he actually read over the summer. 

We will utilize many different ways of reading:  independent book look, Tag readers, books on CD and DVD, and being read to of course.  We plan to participate in our local library's reading program as well.  While we have a ton of books at home, I have saved some from my Scholastic order to pull out this summer and we'll take a weekly trip to the library to check out books, too.  I hope to get some reading in myself this summer!  I think I'll participate in the challenge as well.

How will you encourage your kiddos to read during the summer?  If you're looking for some good books, check out our post from last summer!