The Mother Lode

Crafts and Crochet

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10 Things to do with Sidewalk Chalk

THE WARM WEATHER IS COMING, PEOPLE! I’m just a bit excited for warmer days that end with my children tired enough to only need one drink of water after bedtime instead of 547. There are so many great things to do outside with your kids, but one of my favorites is sidewalk chalk. We always have some because it is so versatile and fairly cheap. Here are my favorite things to do with it:

Obstacle Course

Okay, if you’ve ever seen my Instagram, you know we love this! Draw a start line. Make some blue wiggly shaped puddles. Next try some purple dinosaur footprints. A blue river to jump over. White bunny prints to follow. A long snake to run on. The possibilities are endless and the kids can use imagination and gross motor skills.

People Tracing

It’s a classic for a reason: it’s fun! Have your child lay on the sidewalk and trace around their body. My boys always find this hysterical. Then you can have them draw in the parts and pieces: smiley faces, wild hair, silly shoes.

Name Writing

This is such a fun way to have your little ones practice letters. Toddlers usually write BIG when they first get started and this gives them plenty of room!

Shape Practice

Shape making is also great for sidewalk chalk! You can practice comparisons by doing them big and small. You can make them in a line and encourage them to jump from one to the next.

Race Track

I don’t know about you, but there are approximately 367 different cars or trucks in my house, and none of them fit on the same track. We make masking tape racetracks sometimes, but they take a while to set up and sometimes make a mess. A chalk racetrack is fast and simple! Draw a large oval, then draw a smaller one inside. My kids like to make their own after they watch me do it.

Seasonal Decor

Sometimes, just saying let’s draw pictures is enough for a half hour of fun, but other times, kids need a little guidance to fuel their creativity. This past Halloween, my boys had so much fun drawing ghosts, bats, and pumpkins. I honestly was amazed at some of the independent drawings my oldest made! They can do much more detailed pictures when they have so much space. It’s springtime now, so next week, we will do a spring chalk session. I’ll make some bunny prints, flowers, Easter eggs, etc.

I mean, seriously, how cute is this bat?!

Scavenger Hunt

This will really get them running around the yard. Make a short list of things to find. Draw a simple picture of each item and a check box. Rocks, birds, flowers, sticks, clouds, acorns, leaves. Older kids can draw their own!

Silly Faces

Draw several ovals and then give the chalk to the kids to make the faces. There really isn’t much better than a kid drawn smiley face.

Hopscotch

Of course, this is on the list because it’s a classic and also because I am running out of ideas to make this list have 10 items! It IS fun, though, and you can edit it to be more unique. Use blocks all in a row with your child’s name to help them with spelling it. Put shapes in the boxes. Make the boxes themselves different shapes. The world is your oyster! (well, at least the driveway)

Spray Bottle Chalk

My boys are loving using my soapy spray bottle in the kitchen right now! Once it gets warm enough, we’ll take a water filled spray bottle out with our chalk. Draw a picture, spray with water and see what happens! The colors get brighter, then start to get washed away as they spray more and more. I predict hours of fun in a few weeks with this once the sun is stronger.

Well, there you have it: 10 fun chalk activities! Happy Spring!

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Home Projects with Little Kids

Appliances break, rooms need painting, and new shelve need to be hung. Little home projects pop up on us, and it can be tricky to get them accomplished when your house has been infiltrated by tiny people. Marty and Priscilla discuss how they’ve painted, put in new toilets, and dry-walled all while being parents. 

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Hyperemesis Gravidarum – Not Just Morning Sickness

As promised, we finally began our interviews with other moms! We started with Julie, an awesome mom who battled Hyperemesis Gravidarum for three pregnancies. Listen to learn from her experiences all about “HG.” Here is a sampling of the questions we asked her: How did you find out that you had it? How did you manage it? What helped other than the medications your doctors prescribed? What can someone do for their friend or family member who has it? 

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Breastfeeding Baby #2 When Baby #1 Wants Mama

Okay, you’ve brought home your newest sweet little one. You’re thinking that breastfeeding will be SO much easier this time, because you nursed your first baby. While I sincerely hope this is the case for you, it definitely wasn’t for me. My two oldest boys are only 19 months apart, so my oldest son still needed attention when I was nursing my second little boy. It made it more stressful because I felt a need to rush through each feeding so that my older boy could have interaction, too! It was certainly a struggle at first, but we got through it and I nursed him for around 10 months. I hope some of my suggestions work for you! 

1.) My very first tip is to pick a nursing spot in your home. I always nursed in the same chair, and I think that helped the boys get used to what was happening, because it was a clear sign that I would be occupied.

2.) Once you are feeling ready for visitors, invite them over! For us, baby #1 was a breeze but #2 rocked our world. We needed help and there is no shame in asking your family and friends to help you out! Simply having another person to play with your older baby while you nurse can be a Godsend.

3.) My oldest son loved and still loves to read. I had some of his books memorized. When I needed to nurse the baby, I would sit in our red rocking chair and my son would hop onto the couch next to us. I would lean over and rest my hand holding the board book on the arm of the couch. I would “read” (recite from memory) the books to him that way. Weird, but it worked for us!

4.) Hey, I’m honest: we watched Sesame Street. Obviously you can’t watch a show EVERY time the baby needs to nurse, but once every couple of days or even every day was our norm!

5.) Since I used to teach preschool, I know give or take a bajillion songs. I sang so many of them over and over. I also love to sing old Disney songs, or even just pop songs that are sweet and fun. That being said, my singing talents are not anything to write home about, but it IS engaging with my kids, so I do it anyway!

6.) Mamas get hungry when they are nursing and kids love snacks, so handing your child a snack is a win-win. My favorite snack to give was probably pretzels, because they weren’t too messy so he could eat them on the couch or floor and I didn’t worry about getting out the vacuum. (Ain’t nobody got time for that!)

7.) Open-ended toys are great developmentally for kids, but are also wonderful because they can basically play with them indefinitely as they keep finding new things to do. Gather some of your best open-ended toys and let them play, talking with them to help them stay engaged. (I’m thinking blocks, generic cars, generic dolls, instruments, kitchen tools)

8.) I was blessed that both of my younger sons were born right after big gift holidays and my older kids had literally just gotten a bundle of new toys. Obviously you can’t just go out and buy new toys, you have a new baby to spend money on! Maybe look for one or two new things that are highly engaging, or even borrow some things from a friend. (Moms are pros at getting rid of toys, trust me, any mom will be happy to remove toys from her house!)

Lastly, this issue of trying to balance both little one’s needs seemed to even out over time. Your older one will slowly understand that you aren’t available (in some ways) while you are nursing. It is good for them to learn how to occupy themselves. No one can be distracted or entertained 24/7. Good luck, mama, you got this! If you already experienced this and have advice to share, please leave a comment!

This is literally the only photo I could find with me nursing! This is baby #2 eating while his big brother is distracted by Grandma.

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Taking Little Kids to Church

It is important to us to raise our children to be faithful people who enjoy community with others via a parish church. Taking little kids to church is not easy, though! They squirm, make noise, and sometimes disrupt your worship. Marty and Priscilla share a little about how they handle it: you can, too! 

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10 Signs You Might Be a Young-ish Mom

1.) You own an excessive number of yoga pants/leggings.

2.) You have a favorite brand of dry shampoo.

3.) You have MANY articles of clothing from Target. I mean, where else do you shop?

4.) Your brain is crowded with every word from The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, but you aren’t sure when the last time you washed your kitchen floor was.

5.) You have many Pinterest boards about various birthday party themes.

6.) You know the schedule on PBS, Nickelodeon, or Disney Channel by memory.

7.) Holidays are a giant mixture of fun and stress over the amount of fun everyone is having.

8.) Yes, you have eaten a meal consisting of chicken nuggets, Froot Loops, and a graham cracker, thank you very much.

9.) You wish there was a drive through for LITERALLY EVERYTHING.

10.) You feel joy from small things: a new dish sponge, a meal someone else cooked, and the biggest small thing of all: your little one’s affectionate hug, kiss, or even smile!

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Episode 32: Traveling WITHOUT your Kids

Traveling without your kids is one of those good/bad things. It’s so bittersweet! Bitter: no little kisses, snuggles, or giggles. Sweet: no tantrums, bedtime arguments, or diapers. Marty and Priscilla share their experiences and advice for traveling without the kids. (ALSO I ADDED AN OUTRO WE ARE SO PROFESH YOU GUYS!)

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7 Things to do Inside to Burn Your Kids’ Energy

 

If you read one of my latest posts about playing outside in the cold weather and thought, “But what do I do when it is legit too cold/snowy/rainy to go out?” here are some ideas! A handy list of indoor activities that will get your kids moving!

 

 

  1. Build a fort! It’s something I often forget about as an option, yet it always provides at least 30 minutes of active play while building it and then crawling through it.
  2. Dance party! If your kids are creative in that way and love to dance and innovate new moves, all you need are some great songs to dance to! I’m thinking “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by JT and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. My kids sometimes want a little more direction, though. We had a great time doing the “Macarena”, the “Electric Slide”, the “Cha Cha Slide,” and the “Cupid Shuffle” this past New Year’s Eve. We also did the “Elmo Slide.” Yay.
  3. Big toys. We have a tent and tunnel that the kids love to chase each other through. My sister used to have a slide in her living room, and my one sister-in-law still has a slide in her kids’ playroom. You can even hunt down a seesaw or balance beams that can be inside toys.
  4. Yoga! This is one of my favorites. Look up some simple animal poses online, or try Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. It’s nice exercise for you, too!
  5. Balloon Tennis. Blow up some balloons and let the kids try to keep them off the floor with a fly swatter!
  6. Giant race track. We’ve done this a few different ways. For our floors the best has been painter’s tape on the carpet. Take your tape and map out a giant racetrack for the zillions of play cars.
  7. Obstacle course! We do this outside also, but you can easily do one inside. Use some tape on the floor for lines to jump over, then books to use as stepping stones, then something they have to wiggle under.
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Outside Activities for the Cold Weather

Outside activities for the cold weather

Seriously, I used to LOVE the cold weather. First of all, I absolutely HATE being hot. Secondly, I love raking leaves. I love the snow. My birthday is in February. I love turtlenecks. Alas, after a few winters stuck inside with the kids, my love affair with winter has been ruined forever. 

Well, enough of that whining. I have 3 little boys and we have to keep our sanity somehow. Here are some things we do to get some outside time during the winter:

  1. 20 minute walk. Sure, it’s cold, but you can totally bundle up enough to handle 20 minutes outside. It will be so worth it when the kids go to sleep at night!
  2. Scavenger Hunt. I love this idea! Here is the link to one I found on Pinterest.
  3. Bear hunt. “We’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going to catch a big one….” Pretend to go through the grass, river, mud, etc. My guys love this. It’s fun and keeps them focused on something when we take a walk.
  4. Chalk obstacle course! This is one of my favorite things. Draw arrows and shapes to make it simple or elaborate with puddles, bunny footprints, rivers, etc. Have a start and finish and they’ll be having fun!
  5. Embrace the weather. Build a snowman, find a good sledding hill, heck, my kids just like making tracks in the snow. Bundle up and go. I know it’s a real PAIN to get all the hats/gloves/snowpants/etc together but it’s worth it!
  6. I keep seeing cool things like giant frozen marbles, frozen bubbles, or families using inside toys in the snow like Mr. Potato Head. 
  7. Just a thought of mine: we are so accustomed as adults to only venturing outdoors in the nice weather. Children truly need more outdoor time. I like to go to the park in the chilly weather because it’s not crowded, but it also makes me sad to see it so empty. The kids will be fine for 20 minutes, or even 30 minutes depending. Many of your usual outdoor activities can be done with the kids outside in 45 degree weather, you simply spend more time preparing to be outside and less time actually being outside. 
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