With rollicking rhymes and fanciful images, this adorable picture book celebrates the special relationship between mothers and their children. Filled with stories of all kinds of mommies–like pilots and artists and scientists–this book shows how modern mothers still treasure that precious time spent together at home. A perfect book for moms and kids to enjoy this Mother’s Day or any time of the year!
This book has been a very long process of about 10 years! Here’s the story…inspired by some great ladies!
I’ve known many great women in my life who have all influenced the moms I chose in “When Mommy’s Home with Me.” A decade ago I lived in Florida, far away from my family. Playgroup became a lifeline. I always looked forward to socializing with other moms who had become my friends and mentors. One day, as we handed out cheerios, scooped rocks out of our babies mouths, and rescued children who freaked out halfway across the monkey bars, the conversation turned to our PK lives–who we were Pre-Kids. These outstanding moms were also outstanding individuals, excelling in very diverse careers and possessing very impressive talents. They ran businesses, they taught, they created, they managed. One friend even was recruited by the CIA as a spy! I began to notice their unique talents as it translated to their mothering. I realized more than ever that a women’s education, experience, and talents are never “wasted” at home. Indeed, there is nowhere those talents can thrive more than in raising little people. Some moms had taken a break to mother full time, and others saved their best for their kids after a long work day away from home. But all of them were totally committed to their families. They were an inspiring group of ladies! Read more
I have finally figured out why I don’t like you. Really. I’ve also realized why you don’t like me. I’ve even figured out why stay-at-home moms can’t abide moms with jobs, why hippie moms don’t dig organized moms, why tofu moms can’t stomach Cheetos moms, and why mommy wars exist at all when we should all be cheering, “You made a little person, too!? You’re trying to help it grow up to be a nice big person, too!? Wow! I am so proud of you. Can I get a hug, Sista?”
I don’t like you because I HAVE to get this right…and that means I can’t be wrong. I am investing everything I can scrounge together into mothering these little people. It is the most important thing in the world to me. I am usually worn out, frequently guilt-prone, and abnormally anxious as I do this mother gig. I can’t handle the idea that I might be doing it wrong because I love my littles so much. So when you mother differently than me, a dark worm crawls through my brain saying, “What if she is right? If you are wrong, your children will become thugs.” Because I can’t do it wrong and still hang on to the few marbles I have, it is far easier for me to stick out a mental tongue at you and call you a bad mom. Then I am still the good mom and my kids will stay out of the penitentiary. Whew. That. Was. Close. Read more
I see you from the window
As I do dishes
Again-
Sunshine soaking your hair
Mud soaking your dress-
As you pet the cat and eat garden peas.
Crack
Peel
Chew
Pet
Again and again
For an hour or more.
You know your letters
And how to write your name.
You know what to do if someone tries
To take your lunch
Or pull you from a swing.
We’ve practiced all this.
But bells will soon ring
And lines will form.
You will try to find your place
When kids laugh and cut
In front
Before the teacher sees.
So stay outside, love.
Soak up another hour of light
And garden
And mud.
Cross-contaminate your little hands
With peas and cat hair.
The sanitizer dispenser
Will be posted
By your classroom door
Next week.
One week before Kindergarten.
So soon.
Too soon.
Some simple hand action can go a long way to help your kids feel loved!
I struggle sometimes with lumping my kids all together in our experiences. It can be hard to maintain those important individual relationships with lots of kids! When I saw this video of Barry White, Jr. welcoming his students to class with an individualized handshake, I knew I had to try it!
So. Much. Fun. Be amazing today and create a secret handshake with each of your kiddos. You could start by showing them these handshakes to get their ideas going!
The cool Baymax fist bump from Big Hero 6 here.
The cloud guy handshakes from Trolls here.
Then, let THEM develop a fun handshake you can use together in greeting, goodbyes, or when your kid needs a smile.
*Hint* Most kids will want this handshake to be home use only, so don’t pull out your moves at the school carnival or as you drop your child off at a birthday party unless they initiate it. (It may just come up with their therapist 10 years later.)
Have fun!
All you need are your hands and a little memory!
Most of us have used Patty Cake with babies, but much older kids can also enjoy the more complicated songs. Some of these songs have been around for hundreds of years, and others are recent nonsense fun.
Teach your kids a clapping game, and be amazing today!
This site has videos of some favorites.
This site has some great new clapping songs. We are so totally learning Four White Horses from her list. It’s an old Caribbean song with lyrics that make no sense, but I love the clapping pattern.
Four white horses on the river,
aye, aye, aye, up tomorrow,
up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come and join our shadow play.
Shadow play is a ripe banana,
aye, aye, aye, up tomorrow,
up tomorrow is a rainy day.
While you are clapping away, try making up individual handshakes with each child. See the post here.
Have fun!
Mother’s Day Book Event at The Book Table in Logan Utah on Thursday, May 11, 2017
Live near Logan Utah? Join me for a Mother’s Day Book event and book signing!
Thursday, May 11, 2017
6:30 – 7:30 pm
The Book Table
29 S Main St. Logan, Utah
I’ve said it before, but some of these ideas seem too simple to even post. But aren’t those simple things usually your kid’s favorites? I totally loved making dandelion curls when I was little, and my kids love it still.
Many of us have dandelions this time of year. My sister once had a door-to-door lawn guy ask if they needed some help with their yard, which happened to have more than its fair share of dandelions. She told him with a straight face that she was growing them on purpose for her kids and they didn’t need weed control. Most of us can find more than we need, but if you happen to have great weed control, you may have to pick a neighbor’s dandelions when it’s dark.
Let your kids pick dandelions, then peel the stem into several strips, stopping at the flower. Put them in cold water and wait for a few minutes. The dandelion strips magically curl up like little ribbons!
Good, cheap, fun…and great weed removal!
Bossy or a pushover? It seems like kids fall into one camp or the other. One of the most important skills of childhood is learning to express thoughts and feelings openly and appropriately. Enter the Music Critic’s Club! Kids will just think they are having fun, but they are also learning a great skill: to have an opinion and to accept other’s opinions.
Put together a varied collection of songs on CD’s, old records, or playlists. Don’t forget some tunes from when you were young! Give kids paper and write down numbers 1-10. Play a bit of each song and let them rate it, expressing reasons for their rating. Pre-teach kids to accept each other’s opinions, even if their brother gives their favorite song a 1! This is good training for opinionated parents, too! Practice validating your kiddo’s response instead of trying to convince him that Milli Vanilli deserves a solid 10, controversy notwithstanding.
If you are being amazing on the go, turn to different radio stations and rate from whatever is playing.
Have fun with your little music critics!
Have fun with
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