Archive for Family Adventures
Fun and Easy Family Time – Reading Aloud to Your Older Children
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Most parents know it’s important to read aloud to their young children. Listening to stories helps young children learn and understand language, recognize patterns, and is entertaining. Besides, it’s fun to sit down with your toddler or preschooler on your lap and giggle together over the rhymes in Green Eggs and Ham or repeat the lines in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Frequently, though, parents stop reading aloud to their children once they can read well on their own. Parents often don’t recognize the value in continuing to read aloud to their children.
However, it’s important to read aloud to older children and teenagers, even once they can read well on their own. Being read to helps older children and teenagers continue to learn and understand language, recognize patterns, and is entertaining.
Build Your Children’s Vocabulary
First of all, reading aloud to older children and teenagers can help improve their vocabulary and writing skills. Choosing to read more advanced books than students would read on their own not only keeps their attention during story time, but it also introduces new vocabulary.
For example, most elementary school children wouldn’t use words such as “scrupulous” and “paltry” in their own writing, but after hearing them used in Pride and Prejudice, they may be willing to try. They’ll also hear and learn more advanced ways to put words and sentences together in their own writing.
Improve Oral Reading Skills
Reading aloud to older children and teenagers can also help improve their own oral reading skills. When you read aloud to older children, read with expression and give the characters unique voices when they speak.
If you’re a woman, it may feel silly to give The Three Musketeers’ D’Artagnan an arrogant male voice, or if you’re a man, equally foolish to give life to Kitty’s exclamations of devotion, but you will certainly keep your listeners’ attention.
Giving each character a unique voice also helps listeners keep track of who is speaking in complex conversations. Most importantly, you will be teaching your children how to use expression in their own reading.
Reading Together Can Become Quality Family Time
If you make story time a regular part of your regular routine, it can become enjoyable family time. When children are older, it’s hard to find time to enjoy being together as a family. Kids are often too busy with homework or their friends to spend time talking to their parents. Story time can become a favorite part of the day that everyone looks forward to.
To keep story time interesting, choose books your listeners will enjoy. If you have a child who is an animal lover, try 
novels like White Fang, The Call of the Wild, or a book by Farley Mowat. A science fiction lover will enjoy almost anything by Jules Verne.
Story time can also become an opportunity to teach history, discuss issues, and share your values with your children. Children and teenagers can learn about the Civil War in The Red Badge of Courage, racism in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the French Revolution in The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Celebrate completing a difficult novel by watching the movie or attending the play based on the novel. It may not be the giggles you shared over Green Eggs and Ham, but it’s fun just the same.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Denise Willms is a homeschooling mom of two and owner of an article directory just for moms, WAHM Articles. Submit your best articles for women at WAHM Articles and they’ll be read by hundreds of mothers and home business owners, and could be published in their websites, newsletters and blogs.
Backyard Play Structures for Children
Posted by: | CommentsPlaying outside is fun, but many children get bored with traditional outdoor activities. To cut down on the boredom in your family, you are encouraged to think about purchasing your child an outdoor play structure. Outdoor play structures are different than most toys because they are larger in size and often come equipped with more than one activity. If you are interested in purchasing one of these popular play structures, you may want to take the time to familiarize yourself with what is available. 
When familiarizing yourself with popular outdoor play structures, you will find that you have a number of different options. Perhaps, the easiest way to go about seeing what is available is to visit your local retail stores. Many home improvement stores, toy stores, and department stores should have a fairly large selection of play structures available. In addition to seeing what is available locally, most storefront retail locations will have displays setup. These displays may give you an idea as to what your child’s new toy will look like in your backyard.
While it is nice to view the selection of local play structures, you may also want to examine a number of different online retailers. You may not get to see product displays, but you should be provided with detailed information, including pictures. What is nice about online shopping is that most online retailers have a larger product selection, when compared to most traditional retail stores.
Whether you shop online or at one of your local retail stores, it is likely that you will come across a number of different items that are referred to as play structures. As previously mentioned, most play structures are large in size and are often equipped with more than one activity. Popular play structures include, but should not limited to, swing sets, playhouses, sandboxes, and tree forts.
Sandboxes are often referred to as outdoor play structures because they are made of durable materials. Popular sandbox styles include ones that are made with plastic or wood. It is also important to note that sandboxes come in a wide variety of different sizes. This means that if you have a large yard or a small yard, you should be able to find a sandbox that is perfect for your child.
Tree forts are another popular backyard play structure. Unlike many other play structures, tree forts may be hard to find for sale. This is because a large number of them aren’t just big, but enormous. If you are able to find tree forts for sale, it is likely that only the supplies are for sale. It is rare to find a fully assembled tree fort in most, on and offline, retail stores. If your child would like to have a tree fort, but you are unable to find the supplies for sale or make one yourself, you may want to seek the assistance of a professional contractor.
Tree forts are many children’s dream toy; however, not every child can have one. If you are unable to afford the cost of a tree house or if you do not have any trees in your backyard, you may want to think about purchasing a playhouse. In a way, playhouses are similar to tree forts. The only difference is that playhouses are ground structures. Playhouses, like most other outdoor structures, come in a wide variety of different styles. Many of these styles are great for boy, girls, or even both.
The above mentioned play structures are ideal for small children; however, if you are looking for a structure that can be used for a long period of time, even as your child grows, you may want to look into swing sets. Swing sets often come equipped with swings, slides, teeter totters, and monkey bars. Metal swing sets are available for a reasonable price. For a more expensive and dependable structure, wood swing sets are also available.
In addition to tree forts, playhouses, swing sets, and sandboxes, there are also a number of other outside play structures that are available for sale. Whether you purchase one of the ones mentioned above, another, or make your own, your child will likely be pleased with the purchase. So pleased, that they may never want to play inside again.
Planning a Backyard Campout: What You Need to Know
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are planning a backyard campout, you are not alone. Each year, millions of campers head out to their local state parks or other public campgrounds. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to enjoy this type of camping. Instead, many individuals and families make the decision to have a backyard campout.
One of the many benefits to backyard camping is being close to home. Despite this closeness, you may want to avoid your home. This will help to make your backyard camping experience seem more lifelike. To prevent your backyard campout from being interrupted, due to multiple trips inside the house, you are advised to devise a plan. That plan should not only include camping equipment, but toys, snacks, food, and drinks. The best way to develop this plan is to pretend that you aren’t camping in your own backyard. By imagining that you will not have access to your home, you can better develop a camping plan. 
When it comes to camping, whether it be backyard camping or not, one of the first things that you need to consider is your sleeping materials. Many campers use tents, while others use nothing, but a blanket. If you are planning on sleeping in a tent, you will want to make sure that your tent has all of the needed pieces and equipment. It may also be a good idea to setup your tent in advance. This may help to ensure that you can repair your tent or purchase a replacement, if needed.
If you are interested in sleeping under the stars, instead of using a tent, you will want to keep a close eye on the weather. Despite the fact that you will be camping in your own backyard, you will still want to make sure the weather is appropriate for sleeping without a tent. Regardless of whether or not you are sleeping with a tent, you will need a sleeping bag or blanket. Additional sleeping equipment may include pillows or an air mattress. In the event that you do not have these supplies, you can purchase them from most sports stores or department stores.
After you have decided how and where you will sleep, you will then want to prepare for other aspects of your backyard campout. What many campers enjoy about camping is eating outdoors. If you wish, you may also want to incorporate a backyard barbeque into your camping adventure. Simply by moving your cooking grill near your other camping supplies, you should be able to create the illusion of a campground. The type of food you cook should all depend on your preference and the preference of the other campers. If a backyard cookout is not possible, a pre-made picnic can be used as an alternative.
In addition to a full dinner meal, you may also want to think about having snacks on hand. There are a large number of snacks that are ideal for campers. These snacks may include, dry fruit, chips, pretzels, cookies, and other dry foods. If you are able to start a small fire, don’t forget the most important camping snack, smores.
Although it may be easier to keep your food, drinks, and snacks inside your home, you may want to store them in outside ice coolers. This will not only help to keep your food fresh, but it may also reduce the number of camping interruptions.
Finally, depending on the length of your backyard campout, you may want to consider bringing along outdoor toys. These toys may include water guns, water balloons, a kickball, a Frisbee, baseball equipment, or other similar items. Even if these items do not get used, they are still nice to have on hand. At times, even in your own backyard, camping can be a little boring. Having a fairly large selection of outdoor activities to choose from will help to ensure that boredom is a thing of camping past.
Recruit Your Kids for Spring ORGANIZING… and Make It Fun!
Posted by: | CommentsHow is your Spring Cleaning coming along? Let me know how you handle the renewal of your home each spring by leaving a comment below.
Spring is a time of renewal, and for many of us, a time for cleaning and organizing our homes. The melting of winter into spring is a great time to bring order to your abode after the inevitable chaos the hibernation season brings. But spring cleaning can be a daunting task, particularly if you tackle it alone. Simplify and speed your organizing day by enlisting your family to help. Don’t think your kids will participate? Make it a fun event and you’ll have volunteers you will enjoy spending the day with.
Like many organizing activities the key to success is to plan ahead. Pick a date you can dedicate the whole day to both the work and fun. Make certain you have the supplies you need, including handy snacks and drinks. Work in teams of 2 or 3 and then switch halfway through the day. Don’t forget to choose some up-tempo music to keep the energy levels up, and make certain each member of the family enjoys listening to their favourite CD during the day.
Most kids have four basic possessions – clothing, toys, books and school related papers. These items are forever changing and accumulating. The change of season is a great opportunity to sort through the excess taking up valuable space in your home. To keep your kids interest in check during your spring organizing day, give one or two of the following ideas a try.
Let’s begin with making room in the closets. Tell the kids you’re having a fashion show and let them try on all of their clothes (no, not all at once!). What doesn’t fit gets handed down to a sibling or packed into a box for donation. Sort what does fit into outfits and stack in drawers. Have your child make a list of new clothing needs for the next shopping excursion.
Create a treasure hunt for younger children by hiding chocolate coins or an appropriate incentive among their toys. Send your child to find the treasures while collecting any toy found on their search. When their basket is full, have them pile the toys in the centre of the family room. Afterwards, sort the mess into “keep” and “part” piles, and find permanent homes for the toys that are staying. Separate the remaining toys into separate bins for garbage, donations and garage sale items. Take the time to deliver these bins to their destination. The last thing you want is for these items to clutter up your garage, or find their way back into the house!
Next, locate all books and spread them on the floor – parents too. Donate as many books as possible to a local daycare or charity. Toss ripped and damaged books. For the keepers, make certain there is adequate storage in your home, without creating unwanted clutter.
Kids collect a tremendous amount of school memorabilia throughout the school year. Keep arts and crafts and miscellaneous papers from school in one large under bed storage bin or bankers box. Near the end of June have your child sort through the bin, keeping only 25% of the pile. Put a few special items out on display, either in frames or on a peg board. Store the rest in a pocket folder decorated by your child. Help them create a wonderful keepsake by including favourite moments, friends, teachers and photographs.
Finally, at the end of a productive day, reward your team with dinner out at a favourite restaurant. Allow them to choose the sweetest dessert they can find on the menu. They deserve it! If you are too exhausted to leave the house, order in pizza and enjoy a good movie. Tell your kids how much you enjoyed spending time with them, and congratulate your family on “Spring Success”.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
If you would like to use this article for your website or newsletter, please forward it in its entirety, and include the information below. Sylvia Daoust, Professional Organizer, is the owner of Sort it Out, a company focused on creating streamlined homes and businesses. We provide organizing solutions to fit your needs and your budget…with support every step of the way. Visit www.sort-it-out-today.com and receive 2 gifts that will help you stay on top of everything!
My How Time Flies ~ Bubba turns 9
Posted by: | CommentsOh my gracious! My little Bubba, okay not so little, turned 9 today! I have to admit that I am feeling a bit old…not too old, mind you, but definately older!
Happy Birthday to my wonderful, strong, smart and lively young man….stay little for as long as you can, please? I love you and I pray that God will continue to bless you and be an important part of who you are.
Here are a few snap shots of the small birthday celebration we had to ring in one more year.
Nine candles…does he have enough breath?
It appears that he does! 
Tradition in my house, birthday person gets the first bite, no matter who you are!
It is hard to believe that I have been blessed with such a wonderful boy such as Bubba. God sure knew that I needed a strong, yet sensitive young man in my life. A young man that will continue to grow in the Lord and become a better man because of it.
I blinked and the years flew by. I try not to dwell on the “what ifs” or “what should haves”, because for me there are never enough memories that could have been created along the way.
I strive to remember that each day is a blessing, regardless if it was a birth day or not. So many times we get caught up in “how we should be” instead of relishing “how sweet it has been”…
A brief reminder that you must make the most of the days we are given, because we are not even guaranteed tomorrow.
Talk soon…
If You Know A Little Boy ~ Squeeze Him
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever watched the boys at the park run and jump without worry?
Have you envisioned all of the not so good things that could happen in a moment?
I believe I lived that moment yesterday.
Here is my take on it…
As I was making dinner last night, Bubba and Tootsie were outside playing. This is not so unusual, they like being outside, even if the temperature was close to freezing….
All of a sudden my Tootsie comes running up the front stairs and throws open the front door and hollers through her tears, “Mama!! Hurry, Bubba’s bleeding!!” The look of fear on her face said it all. I ran down the stairs and out the front door in an instant. In my stocking feet I ran across the wet, squishy grass to my boy, that was sitting on the ground, holding his right knee and crying.
As I reached him, he looked at me with the biggest eyes and said, “I hurt my knee!” He moved his hands and I knew that a butterfly bandage would simply not work this time. I turned around and hollered to my husband, “We gotta go!” and he knew immediately what I meant….ER….again.
I will not go into detail, but this is not Bubba’s first time to the ER, twice before he was even 2 he had 7 stitches…again, that will be for another time.
In a moment of record breaking strength, I scooped up my 70 pound, 8.5 year old boy and ran back to the house, up the front stairs, into the house, up the stairs and into my bathroom, without even breaking a sweat! You have so got to love adrenaline….
As I set him down on the side of the bathtub, I knew then that the 20 minute drive to the ER was not going to be a good time. After the briefest of moments, it was finally decided that I would go with Bubba and my hubby would stay home with Tootsie and Bubbaloo. Dinner was almost ready, and everyone knows how long it can take in the ER.
As we drove to the ER, I tried to keep up the small talk. I prayed over him and asked the Lord for peace for Bubba and that this all goes smoothly once we arrive. I even bet Bubba a dollar that I would be the closest guess on how many stitches he was going to have to get.
We finally go to the ER and luckily, there wasn’t single person waiting at the time…the Lord surely knows my heart. I would not have been a very patient mama if I would have had to wait long….
Within a few short minutes we were ushered in to see the triage nurse and then quickly settled into a room. The nurse came in, set up some stuff and within 5 minutes the PA (physician’s assistant) was in the room with us. He took a look at Bubba’s knee and declared, “I am going to need to put staples in your leg.” I didn’t know what to say…staples, as in the ones you use to keep papers together? In my sons leg?!?!?
The PA went on to explain that since we like to bend our knees (for shame on us!) that it would be a better bet to use the staples because they are stronger and are less likely to get ripped out (OUCH!!!).
It was little rough for Bubba, he was really unsure about how all of the local anesthesia worked, even though the PA explained it, worry and stress took over. After Bubba took a deep breath of two, the PA started giving him the local anesthesia…the first few pin pricks were not so good, but once it started to take effect, Bubba was fine. I’m glad, because the PA ended up using 2 bottles of Lidocaine (between 25-30 shots worth!!).
It was nasty work having to be strong for Bubba and watch the PA take care of cleaning this wound….yeah, not a scratch, a real laceration…After the cleaning was done the stapling began. I will not go into detail, but…whoa, it was interesting, I do have to say.
Remember that dollar I bet Bubba in the truck on the way to the ER? Well, it now comes back into play. I bet he would have to get at least 15 stitches, he said, no, 13….well he was about to get a dollar. Because my boy was now sporting 13 staples in his leg right under his knee. Okay, so it wasn’t stitches, but I have to tell ya, that kiddo was a trooper and a half. Not once did he cry at the ER…he thought about it, but not one tear was actually shed…a real trooper…well worth a dollar in my book!!!
Once we were released with paperwork, how to’s and a prescription we walked (he hobbled) in the house almost exactly 3 hours from the time of the incident.
So here is the low down, remember that Spring baseball just started, Bubba has to wear an immobilizer for 24-48 hours, his staples can come out in 7-10 days. Once that is done, we will have to see if baseball is even an option for now. I feel horrible that his first year of kid pitch baseball is turning out a whole lot less fun than expected.
But for reasons unknown to me, the Lord has decided to give my Bubba a treat, okay, not the best treat you could ask for, but a treat as in, more attention that he is getting. A well deserved break for his chores, at least for a short time!
He is resting well, daddy even moved his mattress to the floor form the top bunk. I guess it would be kinda hard to access the top bunk with an immobilizer on your leg. 
Tootsie, bless her heart, she was so worried about her brother. The tears poured before I left for the ER…the Lord has truly blessed her with a loving and pure heart. Never mind the fact she can scuffle with her brothers in a heart beat, she loves them more than anything.
All of that being said….I only wish I could say that my 70 pound carry could be done more often, just next time, not with the emergency attached….
Talk soon….
It’s Spring, It May be Snowing, But It’s Spring!
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I say Spring around my house the first thing everyone thinks is….Baseball. Yep, that is what spring means around here, baseball.
Bubba started his baseball practices about 2 weeks ago. I know! The second week of February, geez….
I just recently got home from baseball practice with Bubba and it took most of the way home for me to thaw out! Seriously, it was like 40 degrees outside with a biting windchill of 32 degrees! Yikes!! That doesn’t say Spring to me, does it say Spring to you?
So now that we are all warm and toasty back at home, I just realized that there is a chance of snow tonight. Are you kidding me? Freezing cold with a biting wind is bad enough, but snow too? Come on….
Anyway, enough of my rambling….
This is the first year Bubba is going to play pitch baseball. For those of you that might not know what I mean by that, let me explain.
When you are small your coordination isn’t the best (as moms we already know this!), so instead of having the boys pitch to each other, they use a batting tee up until about 4-5 years. After the batting tee, the boys get to play “coach pitch” baseball, until they are about 8 years old. It’s great to watch, the coach stands on the mound and throws the pitch, then moves so the play can happen like normal! This is a lot closer to a real game if I ever saw one.
Once they have mastered the basic rules and techniques of the game, at 9-10 years old they finally get to pitch from the pitchers mound to the batters. Whew boy! I’m telling ya, now we are going to play some real baseball this year! Pitching, stealing bases (YeeHaw!), and scoring, that is what the game is ALL ABOUT!!
This was Bubba’s reply to me after I asked how he felt the first time he stood on the receiving end of a pitch from his teammate, “Ummmm, a little anxious and a little scared.” Bravo for being honest!
I don’t know if I could stand in the batters box and wait on a pitch from a 9 or 10 year old either!
So, as the season progresses, I will share as much about this season as I can. I love baseball, especially when my boy is on the team, hopefully the winning team this year.
Talk soon……
Snow Day! We finally got to build a Snowman!
Posted by: | CommentsWe have waited and waited, every time the rest of the country is getting pounded with snow, we sit with our fingers crossed. The last time it snowed was about a month ago, but it wasn’t the “good” snow that you can build anything with….snowballs wouldn’t stick so they could be thrown, and there was no hope for a snowman.
Well, today was Finally the Day!
The truck with the top of Cujo.
Bubba, Tootsie and Bubbaloo with Cujo trying to sneak in to play!
"See the snow, Mama?"
"Wow! Look at all the snow!"
"I am soooo throwing this snowball at you Mama!"
We Finally Got Our Snowman!"
Saying "cheese" with the snowman
He Is Perfect!!!
I had a blast outside in the snow with the kiddos today. It was really cold and it never stopped snowing, but it was all so worth it! I haven’t played in the snow for a really long time. Even though it was freezing, it was a refueling and energizing experience!
I helped the kiddos build the snowman, I had a great snowball fight and was frozen to the bone, but I feel much better than when I went out. Nothing like a good play time to make you fell young again.
Remember to take time to enjoy the little things in life! The kiddos grow too fast, the time goes too quickly and before we know it, it is all over. I just wanted to share the great time we had today, enjoying each other and making those oh so precious memories.
Talk soon….
Bubbaloo’s 2nd Birthday
Posted by: | CommentsMy littlest one, Bubbaloo, turned 2 at the end of December and he was so excited to get his birthday cake and presents!
I wanted to share a few photos with you.
Singing "Happy Birthday"
Trying to blow out the candles with daddy
"Cake, please, Daddy!"
"CARS!!!!"
I cannot believe that so much time has passed, it seems like just yesterday that I was sooooo ready to deliver this precious gift. Now I am in awe of all he has accomplished in his young life. He talks with the best of them, argues like a pro and is in the process of mastering the potty!
I believe that you must stop and take the time to notice all of the smallest of accomplishments as well.
The fact that he recently learned the art of story telling. “I got up, and then, I went to the potty, and then, I got a lollipop, and then, I talk to daddy, and then, and then, and then…..”
Or that he is finally able to eat a cup of yogurt without most of it being all of him!
And lastly, that he loves to say his prayers every night before sleep. That is a great thing!
I thank God everyday for blessing me with a wonderful little boy that is just one of the highlights of my day!
Talk soon….
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