All posts by Kirsetin

Rainy Day Activities for Kids

September 30, 2011activities for kidsKirsetin

So it’s gray and rainy today. It was gray and rainy yesterday. And it’s supposed to be gray and rainy tomorrow.

Needless to say, we’re going a bit stir crazy here in the house-of-boys. You can only last so long outside in the rain. At least 2 of my 3 boys can read chapter books in a cozy chair on days like this. I love that. My youngest? Not so much. And I remember the days, very recently, when all three of them were standing there, looking up at me with those big expectations, asking, “What’s next, Mom?”

My opinion? The best way to survive these days with a smile in your face is to throw in the towel. Yes, that’s right. My great parenting nugget for the day is….drumroll please…throw in the towel. Fine words of wisdom, don’t you think? What I mean by this is that a rainy day is a day for us to forget our Very Important List of Things to Do, get down on the floor with our kids, and remember what it’s like to simply play.

Rainy Day Activities:

Make a Fort. The old stand-by is as good as ever. Kids in every state and every town love nothing better than building an Awesome Fort out of couch pillows, blankets, and sheets. But the real giddiness kicks in when they see that mom is actually going to join them in the Fort. The smiles you’ll receive are worth every single thing you didn’t get done today that you will absolutely pay for tomorrow.

Break out the Perler Beads. As I’ve mentioned before, Perler Beads are a fantastic activity for kids to do on their own. But they’re fun to work on together, too. Your kids can create beautiful designs to give to Grandma and Grandpa for the upcoming Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations. After you’ve ironed their masterpiece, simply stick a magnet strip on the back & your gift is ready to go.

Break the Rules. No running in the house? No hiding in the pantry? Take a half an hour today, ditch the rules, and play indoor hide-and-seek. That thing that breaks? It’s just part of the deal. Plan on it, and it won’t seem so tragic.

Break Bread Together. Eat your snack the floor! Another ageless old-timer, the picnic-on-the-living-room-floor is a sure crowd pleaser. Feed the baby first and have your picnic with the older kids during naptime. (Babies tend to be a little messy for the living room.) I have a huge piece of canvas fabric that we put down to spare the carpet. The kids shriek with joy when I pull it out. The mayhem that ensues, in anticipation of peanut butter and jelly that they don’t have to eat at the table, is a bit unbelievable.

Rediscover Rubber Ducky. On a rainy day (no, not one with lightening), the bathtub can serve as a small pool. Don’t worry about the clean-factor. This bathtime is just for fun. Bubbles, toys, bath paints, splashing: it’s all included. The bonus? You don’t have to get in…you’re just the lifeguard for this one.

Special Box of Toys. What? You don’t have one? Oh, you gotta get one! All the cool kids have ’em. Okay, here’s the deal: our children have too many toys. Can we agree on this one? We buy, our parents buy, our friends buy. Too much buying. When I realized our windows were on the verge of popping out because of all the excess, I just wanted to chuck it. Goodwill, here we come. But my friend intervened. “Buy a large plastic bin,” she suggested. “Fill it with lots of these toys, then put it away for a rainy day. When the rainy day comes, pull out the bin. The kids will be so excited to play with these “special” toys.” Hmmm… And she was right. Thank you, friend! Goodwill still received a donation, but we save some for the Special Box that creates Special Fun on rainy days.

Make a Movie. These are some of my most treasured keepsakes, and I didn’t have a thing to do with them. My husband, bless his heart, spends hours with the boys creating movies. They’ve “gone” to Africa, flown into outer space, and even fought aliens. I watch these movies and I can’t believe how little they once were! Those voices! I promise you, moms, their voices will change, their annunciation will improve, and to be able to hear them, to see them in action at those tiny little ages, is a precious gift. The movies are a bit of a pain to make, with props and all, and they’re definitely time consuming. In other words, it’s the perfect activity for an otherwise boring, rainy day.

Make Play-Doh. Play-Doh is such a kid-pleaser, but no one likes it when they peel off the lid and instead of easy to mold clay-like material, they find the hard, gross substance formerly known as Play Doh. My neighbor, Pam, gave me a recipe about years ago (see below) and this stuff lasts forever. It’s kind of weird how long it lasts, actually. Sometimes it gets a little sticky – just add a touch more flour, and you’re ready to shape and mold.

Or, Make Dough Figures. During the holidays, my kids make something for their teacher’s, grandparents, and other lucky souls. One of the things they’ve created is dough ornaments. (Yep, I like the oldies. What gave it away?) This dough is easy to work with – just don’t over bake it! If you’re feeling extra crafty, the kids can paint their designs once they’re dry.

Keep a Few Tricks Up Your Sleeve. Under no circumstances, no matter how gray and rainy it is, are you, the parent, to use all of these tricks in the same day. Pace yourself, people. Pick a few, and maybe a back-up, and go for it. Trying to make play-doh, build a fort, and have a living-room picnic on the same day is just asking for trouble. There’s always tomorrow.

Homemade Play-Doh Recipe:

2 c flour 2 c water

1 c salt 2 T oil

4 t cream of tartar food coloring

(This makes a ton. Sometimes I just make half.)

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in food coloring. Remove from heat. Put mixture onto waxed paper and knead. Add extra flour, if sticky.

Dough Figures/Ornaments Recipe

1 c salt 1 c water

2 c flour food coloring (optional)

Mix salt and flour, then add water a little at a time. If you’re using food coloring, separate dough into different bowls, add color, and mix. Knead for 7-10 minutes until dough is putty-like.

Create people, animals, or other figures with dough. For ornaments, roll dough to ¼” thick (I go a little thicker). Use cookie cutters for basic shapes, like snowflakes, Christmas balls, or snowmen.

Bake on cookies sheet at 325 until very light brown.

Enjoy the rain!

This updated re-post is here today courtesy of the weather!

Bewildered

September 23, 2011UncategorizedKirsetin

Last week I was writing a list of my strengths, the life experiences and traits I possess that are assets to me as a writer. (People, please. This wasn’t just for fun and hubris, it was an assignment for a class I’m taking.)

No problem. It took some time to think this through, but I have a fairly solid grasp of my strengths and weaknesses so it wasn’t a stressful assignment. Public speaking: strength. Getting clothes into the hamper: weakness. (Ooh, essay idea, right there!)

When I checked in with my classmates, an absolutely fantastic bunch by the way, here’s what I found: their strengths were really strong. Life as an expat with baby-in-tow, and illegal home births (Hello, Kentucky, really? Illegal?) are just a couple of things this talented group brings to the table. As I read through their ideas I was excited to get to know these women.

Fast forward one day: Time to get busy. I whipped through a query letter and felt good about it. Solid idea, probable market, all good. Then I tried to pitch the same idea from a different angle. Tremendous thud.

And suddenly, out of left field, the insults came flying. You’re ideas aren’t good, you’re not good at spinning stories, Listen up, Little Miss I’ve Had a Happy Life: you have a lot less to work with and write about than your friends who’ve been through the ringer.

This astonishing lack of confidence came from within, of course. I was taken aback; lack of confidence is not my modus operandi. I don’t have time to wallow in that kind of nonsense and so I don’t. But this time? This time it snuck in the backdoor, tiptoed around, and smacked me with such a stunning display of uncertainty that I was unnerved. So brazen!

I was tired the day of the assault, having played Let’s Pretend We’re Still In College the night before with one of my closest friends. To be fair, we solved most of the world’s problems after midnight so you can rest assured we’ll play again. But peeling my body out of bed the next morning wasn’t easy. And after three hours of work and at least as many Diet Pepsis, I was still a little groggy. When another friend showed up for lunch, I lamented my newfound uncertainty. With a sage smile my friend replied, “But you’re tired today. I always doubt myself when I’m tired.”

I’m quite sure I’ve never heard a better argument for getting a good night’s sleep!

Suggestions from a Seasoned Science Fair Mom

September 15, 2011academicsKirsetin

With two boys who’ve finished elementary school, and a third who appears to be on his way, I’ve attended my fair share of Science Fairs. If you’re at the front end of this grand adventure, allow me to offer a few tips:

1. Add some levity. When your precious pumpkin is designing his first science project, likely some sort of clay-and-Lego creation let him design away. Resist the urge to cut, paste, and suggest. Mmm, hmmm. I am proposing that you keep your mouth shut and stay out of it. Yes, the project will look like he made it out of clay and Legos. And, yes, he will be competing against the kids whose parents spent 3 weeks crafting something to demonstrate the Laws of Thermodynamics. No one likes these parents, especially the teachers. So go ahead and add a little levity—and reality—to the event by letting your child’s design look like what it’s meant to be: a child’s design. Trust me on this one. Your child will be much better off in the long run, and so very proud of himself, for doing this on his own.

2. Independent means independent already! A few years ago one of our boys entered a fancy Statistics Poster contests. There are all sorts of requirements and rules the kids have to follow to ensure that the thing is statistically accurate. Our son wanted to test whether a football would go farther when he threw it and punted it depending on its weight. “Too many variables,” we said. “You can’t make sure you kick it with the same strength every time. It’s not statistically accurate,” we moaned. The persistent bugger insisted, however, and away he went. He recorded the regular weight throw & kick distance. He let some air out and recorded the lighter weight throw & kick distance. Then, using an obviously kid-devised method, he duct taped a bag of rice to the football to see how adding weight would affect the kick and throw distance. (He also covered our entire cul-de-sac with rice, thanks to the broken bags, but hey, he got his data.) “Good luck,” we said, knowing how this would end. But we were wrong. Instead of getting tossed out for bad data, he was one of three winners of cold, hard cash. As for us, his statistically savvy parents? We learned an incredibly valuable lesson that day. It seems those professors know just what kids are capable of, and my guess is that they were thrilled to see duct tape put to such a fine, scientific use.

3. Let them have fun. Face it, moms. Science can be interesting and engaging, but how often do kids see it that way? For that matter, how often do we see it that way? To encourage your blossoming scientist, let her choose a project that has an element of fun and messiness. Miscible liquids and exploding volcanoes are two perennial favorites, volcanoes leading the pack by a mile. As you clean up the trial run, keep in mind that there are at least two goals with a Science Fair. One, of course, is for the kids to learn something about science. But the more important piece, at least for younger kids, is for them to enjoy the process. So let them get down and dirty, and foster the thought, if ever so brief, that science can be fun.