Strengthening Family Ties: The Creative Family

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE BOOKSHELF

This year it has been my quest to simplify our lives and home. I used to subscribe to the more playgroups the better school of thought; rationalizing my children needed to be among their peers. That has since changed as I feel we are each others peers.

Back when our oldest was born we were sucked into the toy mania bandwagon that proclaimed “Your child is this many months old, these toys are essential for his milestone development.” The instant Mason was bored we were off to the toy store for something new. Our obsession with buying toys was nothing compared to the hordes of toys given to him from relatives with good intentions. I like playing with the toys as much as any kid, but I am not running a toy store here. I am trying to raise a family and in the process I hope to instill in them good core values while having fun in the process. I confess I am a little relieved the majority of the toys were lost in the move. However, it did not take long for our collection to grow and our home to become overrun once again.

Before moving to a more rural area several years ago, we were used to the fast paced life offered by the city. After the birth of our first son, Stephen and I realized the city life was of no importance. We longed to raise our children in a more simplistic environment. We wanted trails to hike, woods to explore and streams to forge all in our own backyard. I had visions of our little family spending our days outdoors playing and working a garden surrounded by a variety of fruit trees. Mostly I wanted a simpler life with a close knit family. Thus the hunt for a more basic creative and simpler life began.

I have wonderful memories (I am sure at the time it was agony) of all my desires and passion set on a particular toy that my mom refused to buy no matter how enormous a tantrum I threw. Moreover, I remember the abundant joy that raced through my blood as the coveted toy was unveiled Christmas Morning. As a parent I relish giving the kids prizes. I also anguish over Mason’s lack of an attachment to even just one toy. The non birthday or holiday toy buying ceased in hopes that my children would come to discover gratitude for the things they already have. Periodically throughout the year when I am in the mood to purge I sort through the stash tossing anything broken or never played with and boxing up the rest to rotate in and out. Still the clutter was unmanageable. Something had to be done. The toys that managed to survive were in great condition but the question remained, did we really need them all?

As my search into simplistic and creative living ensued I stumbled upon the book “The Power of Play” by David Elkind. The book touches on the importance of letting kids play and the types of environments that inhibit and cultivate true unadulterated child’s play. The boxes of toys were chucked; the TV became obsolete as we spent the majority of our day outside exploring. Excited by the find, as the book was right on course in the direction I was headed, I relayed my delight to a friend of mine. At the mention of the words Montessori and Waldorf education, free play, and the subject of toys, my friend was ecstatic. She proceeded to explain her most recent discovery in the realm of creativity and simplicity.

Patty had just begun reading “The Creative Family” written by Amanda Blake Soule, a mother of three, with one on the way. Patty immediately thought of me when she came across an idea called the “Sound Wall”. (Which by the way was immediately instituted and deemed successful) I could not wait until Patty finished her copy of “The Creative Family.” So I went out and bought my own.

In the book The Creative Family, Amanda shares her discoveries as she taps into her own inner creative self. Thought to have zero creative talent, Amanda comes to realize creativity is not limited to the philosophies of art class 101. Inspired by her children’s innate ability to create, Amanda explores ways to connect with her family and foster gratitude for each other and for the wonderful bounties surrounding them. If you are looking for suggestions on how to make the most out of the time you spend with your family I highly recommend this book to steer you in the right direction. I was reminded of several traditions of our own. One such tradition was our holiday tree (in the book it is called a season tree) and game nights.

I came to the realization I need to delve into my creative psyche as much as the children do. Arts and crafts used to be something rare because I thought I had to have a project and I was never prepared. I have learned to use their art time as my preparation time. If there is a project I want to do with the kids, I work on it getting it all together while they are creating their own master pieces. We are all happy and filled. To find out more about Amanda visit her website site at soulemama.com.

Technorati Tags: amanda blake soule, arts and crafts for kids, CREATING MEMORIES, family, fun family, simplifiying, The Creative Family

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Memories, Family and Food

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

TODAY:

I felt the warmth of Christmas:

I was on my way over to a friends house this evening to help them with a project. As I was driving I noticed the sparkles of Christmas lights and felt cozy. It was a nice end to a hectic day.

Mason created and wrote down his concoction, I mean recipe:

Mason wanted to know if he could help me cook dinner. His recipe was not part of the menu but he was so determined to cook his own “dish” that I gave up all reservations about money. He started out  right with sugar, baking powder and flour. Then he went awry with black pepper, vinegar- sesame and apple cider, vegetable oil, vital wheat gluten, vanilla, wheat flour, onions, a boiled egg, asparagus and a few more items I lost track of. Proud of his accomplishment, even after the taste test, he proceeded to write it all down.

I shared a smile with my Gran-daddy:

Every time I look at these glasses I am reminded of my Grandmother and Gran-daddy Jepson, who have since passed on. As far back as I can remember they had a set of polka dot glasses. They were completely from the seventies with the brown and orange but they represented Sunday dinner at my grandparents house. The smell of a pot roast in the oven, paper mache dolls on the shelf, the candy dish, the coolest beaded knick-knack trees and Grand-daddy’s iced tea in a brown and orange polka dot glass cup.

Technorati Tags: Christmas lights, cooking with kids, CREATING MEMORIES, family fun, family reunions, the spirit of Christmas

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Happy Thanksgiving Kid Style

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

Thanksgiving is over and I feel like a stuffed turkey. I fasted all day so I could enjoy a few extra calories at dinner time and not feel too guilty. My guilty pleasure was my Grandmother’s blue cheese ball. I nearly devoured half of it single-handedly.

This Thanksgiving was my first. In the past we always went to Stephen’s parents or sister’s houses. This year, with everyone out of state, we wanted a nice relaxing kid friendly Thanksgiving. The meal was simple. I know it is Thanksgiving dinner we are talking about here but I could not bring myself to whip up numerous carb loaded dishes. Besides with four adults and three little children we did not need that much. We stuck to the basics of turkey, stuffing, corn on the cob roasted vegetables and salad.

Here are a few things Mason and Adelin did to help with the decorations.

Fall Harvest Necklaces: Use string or plain dental floss,  popcorn, a variety of dried fruits.

Thanksgiving placemats: A fun way to teach patterns and weaving.

Thanksgiving hats. The instructions for the Pilgrim Bonnet can be found here.

The centerpiece: The Mayflower

Technorati Tags: fall harvest necklace, fun family food, fun snacks for kids, how to make a boat, how to make a pilgrim bonnet, kids thanksgiving, paper crafts, paper placemats, pilgrim hats, popcorn necklace, Thanksgiving crafts, thanksgiving hats, the mayflower, things to do with dried fruit

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Making Colored Paper with Food Coloring

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

The kids were playing with the salad spinner while I was making dinner. Adelin asked what it was so we washed some lettuce and put it in the spinner. Then I remembered a project in Gadgetology. Place a sheet of paper in the spinner, add food coloring and spin. I do not think ours turned out right. Bummed we put the bowl in the sink and cleaned up for dinner. After dinner when I went to wash the bowl we made a lovely discovery. The paper we used had turned yellow from the food coloring and water.

Excited we pulled out baking sheets, paper, food coloring, a spray bottle with water and a squirt bottle with water. We placed our sheets of paper in the baking sheet. Dropped several drops of food coloring and added water. The kids had a blast mixing colors.

We had to carefully remove the paper from the pan to avoid tearing it. We layed them on a sheet of foil to dry overnight.

Technorati Tags: colored paper, crafts for kids, family fun

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Gratitude Thank You Cards

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

It was the beginning of October and I felt I was going to make Halloween without a rush this year. Then all of a sudden it was two days before Halloween and I was in a crunch. If feels like when I fall behind on tasks I am perpetually trying to catch up. Here I am the week before Thanksgiving (I had to catch myself from saying Christmas) and I have yet to sit down and write my yearly gratitude cards.

I have felt a little out of sorts as of late. Falling back into old habits instead of progressing forward. It took our latest trip to the Bay Area to snap out of it. Sometimes I need to step away from the day to day to see what a mess I am making and where changes need to be made. I discovered the kids and I have not created much since Halloween. We have been busy, but; with what I don’t have an answer.

Three years ago I received a card from a friend expressing her feelings of gratitude and a few life lessons learned from…me. Every year she thinks back through the year for people who have been a positive influence on her. I loved the idea so much the following year I started my own tradition. I had a ton of catching up to do. There are so many wonderful people who I have had the opportunity of knowing.

Sitting down and putting my thoughts about why I loved these amazing individuals was a thrilling experience. By the time I finished the last card I was sobbing from sheer joy. Gratitude is a powerful emotion. The key to happiness. When we can step out of the day to day to reflect on our blessings and where they come from we find joy. We want to exhibit kindness. We want to serve and uplift those around us because we care. Our lives become meaningful.

Technorati Tags: charity, gratitude, kindness, service, Thanksgiving

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The Bay Area Discovery Museum

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

This past weekend I was so excited to see my brother that I threw out all reasoning. (Which by the way is completely unlike me.) I went forward and made plans to stay in San Francisco the night before his arrival to break up the six hour drive. Saturday came and we loaded up the car. I decided to pack a cooler with snacks and meals for lunch and breakfast. I figured my mom packed a cooler with the stuff to make sandwiches and cereal and milk for breakfast when we traveled, we will too. We love picnics.

Once we were in San Francisco we had forgotten what it was like to find a parking place. The hotel was nice. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown. (Note: you get much better prices going directly through the website rather than discount travel sites.) We had a spectacular view of the city which I wish I could have captured with the camera. But, that would have involved opening the window and with three little kids I was not going to chance one of them slipping past.

The next morning we headed out for a nice walk in Golden Gate park. Then we took a side trip to the Headlands Beach as the Museum was not yet open. The kids were excited to see the water. They have been asking us to take a trip to the beach for months. Needless to say, Mason went splashing into the water and was knocked over by a wave. Since he was wet and would have to change clothes he felt he might as well finish his beach visit off by making sand angels. So much for keeping them clean and dry.

This was our first visit to the Discovery Museum. We do not get to the city as often since we moved to the Valley. There was so much to do for ages eight months to six years. I liked it mostly because it was quaint and not as wild as the Exploratorium in San Francisco can get.

Inside the Tot Spot house are several frog ponds and logs to teach the children about animal habitats.

Water play in the tot spot river. Equipped with aprons, fish and frogs.

Inside the Discovery Hall the kids hung from bars, climbed rock walls, danced, learned Karate and pretended to balance on a surf board/snow board. (Kids can put on a Hawaiian shirt for surfing or a puffy ski jacket for skiing.) Outside in the play area they set to sea on a small vessel. Donned hard hats and shovels in the rock pit and scalled the broken pieces of a pirate ship.

This is only half of what was available to explore. We ended our fun with a nice picnic on the grass with the Golden Gate Bridge over looking us.

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, Discovery Museum, fun family, Golden Gate Bridge, things for kids to do in San Francisco

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Thanksgiving Gratitude Turkey

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

This Thanksgiving we started a Advent Gratitude Turkey. Every night after dinner we each take a paper feather and draw or write something we are grateful for. The kids enjoy looking at the pictures and talking about what they mean.

I heard someone say once that we need to fill our homes with happy and uplifting memories. So when the time comes that they are faced with a difficult choice they will think of home and the love that is felt there. I think the first place to start is gratitude. Learning to appreciate life’s gifts, big and small is a crucial lesson I strive to teach my children on a daily basis.

Be an example: Children learn by watching our actions. When we say please and thank you or are affectionate and loving in our words and actions we are teaching our children to become sensitive to the feelings of others and develop empathy. Showing disregard towards others and rules, complaining and negativity teaches our children life is unpleasant.

Set Limits: When Mason was a toddler we got into a horrible habit of buying him something every time we went to the store. After the birth of our second child I realized what a disservice Stephen, I and the relatives were being by allowing him to have so many toys. Far too often the toys our kids scream over end up abandoned or broken. Ultimately children develop a sense of entitlement that can lead to a lifetime of disappointment. Many touching life experiences are a result of a lesson learned in “less is more”.

Express Gratitude: I always try to express my gratitude to my children if they help me with a chore, when they treat each other nicely, or give me a hug. When Stephen goes to work I thank him and tell him know how proud I am that he works so hard for us. At the end of the day we gather as a family and share what we are most grateful for.

Say Thank You: Writing thank-you notes is a habit that never goes out of style but is slowly becoming a lost art. After a birthday or holiday I try to make myself stop, sit down with my children and teach them the art of expressing gratitude. I usually give them stamps and let them stamp away. Sometimes they will draw a picture or our four year old will dictate while I write.

Service: When we are serving others we tend to forget our own troubles and often feel more gratitude for what we have.

When I think of gratitude naturally Thanksgiving traditions come to mind. Every Thanksgiving I am reminded of two outstanding individuals, Ingrid and Dave Frey. When I was living in Texas far from family they welcomed me into their home for Thanksgiving dinner. Before we filled our plates, we passed a bowl filled with candy corn around the table. I am not a candy corn fan but I took a couple to be polite. Once everyone had their candy Ingrid asked us to count how many pieces of candy corn we had and name that many things we are thankful for.

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The Tricks and treats of Halloween Family Style

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

First the costumes were picked. Originally I wanted to make Adelin a cat. Then she told me she wanted to be a witch. The witch laugh convinced me. Everett wore the monkey costume I bought for Mason when he was a baby. Mason was supposed to be a Policeman but he decided he would rather like to be a soldier. About a month ago he got this silly notion that he was going to be Hon Solo from Star Wars but that soon changed to a clone trooper. After much debating Mason declared he wanted most definitely to be a Clone Trooper. That was on Monday. His reasoning? He says he is a Policeman and a soldier everyday.

Halloween Day is so packed I find myself scrambling to get dinner on the table, costumes donned and out the door.  This year I decided to move our Mystery Dinner to all Hallows Eve. It gave us time to really enjoy the holiday festivities without the rush. Our menu consisted of Apple Orchard Punch, Hearty Chili, Salad and finger shaped bread sticks.

After dinner we enjoyed Candy Corn Sugar Cookies we made from one of our favorite sugar cookie recipes, while we carved our pumpkins and listened to our favorite Halloween CD Halloween Howls .

Halloween morning we dinned on pancake pumkins, ghosts and witch hats. For dinner we ate Chicken and broccoli stuffed bread pumpkins.

Technorati Tags: apple orchard punch, candy corn cookies, Chili, Clone trooper costumes, Family Fun Food, Halloween, halloween costumes, halloween howls, kids costumes, kids witch costumes, make your own halloween costumes, monkey costumes

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Card Board Princess Castle

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

Adelin is passionate about princesses right now. I am thrilled to see her actually playing and interested in something other than Caillou. She saw a Princess playhouse in a toy magazine and wanted me to take her to the store right away. I smiled, then tried to distract her with something else.

While we were in the backyard playing, I noticed a large cardboard box the kids had not yet managed to destroy. The dusty gears in my head started to grind and smoke. Ten minutes later, Adelin had her very own Princess Castle. I think I was more astonished that she actually loved it. The next step is paint.

Technorati Tags: crafts for kids, creative play, frugal crafts, fun family, princess playhouse

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Makeing Time for the Family: Family Fun Table Talk At The Dinner Table

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

Sitting down at the table together is still one of the best ways for families to grow and stay connected.

When we gather around the dinner table, I envision happy children with hands washed, eager to devour the meal prepared for them. Once seated, there is a hush as we take hands and offer thanks for our bounties. The conversations are light and fun. There is a feeling of warmth as we enjoy one another’s company while we discuss the highlights of our day.

There is a book that has been nestled among my cookbooks since Christmas. It is called “Dinner? It’s in the Bag!” Bringing your family back to the table one meal at a time. I have only ever leafed through the recipe section. Tonight, however, I had a few spare moments while I was making dinner to peruse the book a little further. The last section is titled “Table Talk and Family Fun.” There were a few ideas I thought worth noting.

“Meal time is a time to relax, connect and learn. Discipline, unpleasant subjects, tragic stories and stern lectures have no seat at the dining table. Those subjects can be discussed later in a private setting. Laying the cares of the day aside, turning off the television, video games, internet, telephone and turning on soft background music, will greatly enhance your efforts. As families gather around the table, the door is opened to learning about what we are all thinking, feeling and dreaming.

The author goes on to say, when her children were young every morning during breakfast her husband would pose a question. The children were encouraged to think about it during the day and collect research on the topic in preparation for discussing the answers that night at dinner. I was reminded of stories I have heard Stephen’s father tell about growing up around the dinner table. It was a question and answer feast each night as his father would ask a trivia question based on the current events of the day, past history or uncanny bits of information.

Another suggestion that was made in the book was about the importance of gratitude. Meal time is the “perfect time to express love and gratitude for each other and for our blessings.” She and her husband encouraged their children to take turns sharing their positive feelings about what they like about each other. She then talks about a friend whose family keeps a gratitude journal. When their children were younger, they would tell someone what to write in the journal or they would draw pictures. Today, the grandchildren have the opportunity to add their thoughts to the gratitude book.

I feel our lives are so busy during the day and especially more so leading up to dinner time. There have been times when the kids have dug in and left before Stephen and I ever got to the table. When we gather around the dinner table, for me, it is a time to sit together as a family. The only time during the day that we can toss our to do list aside and focus on each other. We give a sigh and let the rush of the day go. Sometimes, in the silence I can hear the children wondering “what is that strange sound?”

We can make dinner time more exciting by playing games such as trivia or making up stories. Take the time to really communicate. Ask questions. Be interested. Be positive. Really Listen.

Technorati Tags: creative family, dinner time, family, fun

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