Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

Do the letters "DIY" make you break out in a cold sweat? Me too. But I decided it was time to try it out when our church's preschool classroom desperately needed some storage space.  All our supplies were clumped in piles around the room.  It drove me crazy!! I like to have a place for everything, and everything in its' place (not that that usually happens because I have 3 little pixies that undo any neatness that may exist in the house or at church). I was shown a gigantic, heavy cabinet in the basement that needed cleaned out. Although thankful for the offer, I really needed a piece of furniture I could move around when it was time to rearrange the classroom.  I also didn't want a cupboard that would overwhelm the room and the preschoolers.   So I thought I'd try my hand at revamping some furniture to spiff up our preschool classroom at church. (Yes, "spiff up."  Does anyone say that anymore?  Did anyone ever say that?  Well, I think ...

These past few weeks have been glorious!  Coming from a June that seemed like summer had died, with rain, rain and more rain.  Gray and cold and bleh for weeks on end - I thought summer would never get here! My kids felt the same way.  Hence all the posts on the Facebook page about great indoor activities for the kiddos.  What are we doing today, mom?  Well, since it's raining a-gain, let's... and we'd go bowling or paint pictures or play Wii games, but we can do these things all year round. Nothing can compare to endless hours of sunshine and free playtime outside. We Pennsylvanians depend on summer for our yearly dose of vitamin D, a mood boost, and a little bit of color.  We don't ask much.  Just 3 months of the year with decent weather.  And then - it came!   Sunshine all day long, crickets cricking every night.  Sending the children outside to play as often as possible, cold water and popsicles at the ready f...

Does your family enjoy fishing?  We do!!  I don't know what it is about fishing - I don't like touching the slimy bait, nor do I relish taking the fish off the line.  It's all about the catching, I think.  The thrill of pulling in "the big one," and the bragging rights that follow.  And the camaraderie.  There's something just right about standing on the shore in the serenity of a perfect day. This year, just before Father's Day, we went fishing with my dad at a local pond. Can you see the fish she caught?  It's so cuuuuute! We all had fun catching fish, and for some reason, I caught a whopper!  There it is - I didn't really want to hold it or be too close to it, though.  My dad always made us kiss the "weenie fish" or hold the big ones for a picture.  Still does.  As you can tell, he's actually holding the fish and I'm gingerly putting my thumb inside its' mouth.  I like catching fish - I just don't like to...

  Going to the family reunion tomorrow.  It's 8:00 p.m. and I haven't made anything yet. Rats.   So I decided to go with a personal favorite and get the kids involved - we all have more fun when we do things together (even if it takes longer to get things done).  It requires very little cooking, so the chances of me burning it are pretty small.  This is probably why it's my favorite take-to-a-picnic dessert.  That, and it's REALLY yummy ! STRAWBERRY JELL-O PRETZEL SALAD    Here's the Recipe Step 1:  Whack the Pretzels!! This recipe calls for crushed pretzels, so I put a handful in a baggie for each kid and seal it.  Next, I give them a big spoon and show them how to whack the bag of pretzels with the back of the spoon.  Cheerful whacking sounds fill the air and in a minute or two, I have the crushed pretzels I needed. Step 2:  Dump the Stuff!! Let the kids take turns dumping in the stuff in a LARGE...

"This is the rainiest summer EVER!!!" Direct quote from my 8-year-old. Yes, I think she is right. Yesterday, we took advantage of a gloomy day to make a chalk village.  As long as the pavement is dry, this is a wonderful activity! One of my kids' favorite outdoor activities is: The Chalk Village Break out the sidewalk chalk!  A bucket of chalk costs between $1 - $3.00.  The play lasts for hours.  We draw an entire town with roads they can drive through on their tricycles, bikes, and scooters.  I loved when they would drive a Cozy Coupe through town, but I think all my children are too big to ride in them now. So here's the basic idea: 1.  Draw roads wide enough for the vehicles to drive through. 2.  Give the kids the rest of the chalk to draw whatever they want - rivers, bridges, stores...yesterday we made a vampire jail at the request of my 3-year-old boy. 3.  Bring out the vehicles! Our favorite addit...

I have seen this idea on Pinterest before, and I finally decided to try it.  It was a rainy day, I wasn't feeling well, we couldn't go anywhere, so why not?  We had some extra painter's tape leftover from our home improvement project and it turned out to be just the right amount!! I eyeballed the design and ended up with this: We have field tested it for a week and the kids still love it!  The tape has started to come up in a few places, but that is to be expected. Added bonus:   You can vacuum over the design without destroying it.  Score one for mom!! They use their Hot Wheels cars, Beanie babies, doll house and Star Wars characters.  They've made it into a train station and train track. They use the big divided shapes for personal space to sit when we are watching a show. My preschoolers pretend it is a tight rope and try to stay on the lines. My elementary-schooler creates challenges - hopping over so many lines, etc. I have s...

This is one of my family's favorite recipes.  The kids can help, it's fast and easy, and everyone will eat these. (the above picture shows the pizzas just before baking) Three ingredients: 1.  Canned biscuits (we use 3 cans so there are leftovers) 2.  Sauce (pizza or spaghetti sauce work fine) 3.  Shredded cheese (mozzarella or whatever you want) Make sure the kids wash their hands first!!  My kids usually have dirty hands from playing outside. Heat the oven according to the directions on the package of biscuits. Step one:  Have kids flatten each biscuit on a cookie sheet.  They spread out, so you will need more than one sheet.  I tried  pizza pans this time - don't use them.  The pizzas in the middle don't cook through. Step two: Slather on some sauce.  I discovered it is less messy if you put the sauce in a measuring cup with a spout.  At our house, we have one kid pour, and the other spreads the s...

Are you hosting the 4th of July party at your house?  Have you planned on unpredictable weather?  If there's anything I know about Pennsylvania weather, especially of late, it's totally unpredictable!!    Here are a few ideas to keep kids occupied if the weather should turn ugly as we celebrate Independence Day: (...or if you need some time to prepare food or set up tables and chairs or maybe you discover you need to run to the store for that really important thing you forgot...) 1.   Independence Day Quiz !! How well do your kids know Independence Day trivia?  How about you?  Might be fun to challenge your kids and show them mom (or dad) still knows their stuff. (I took the quiz and scored 10/10.  Woot woot! This mama's still got it!!) 2.  Pop Rockets We've made these using film canisters, which you can get for free anywhere film is developed.  I think ours came from the Rite Aid photo department....