Tugging the Heartstrings of Parenthood

Just as I thought I had overcome the trauma of watching my heart walk around in another human being's body, one of my boys managed to get slighted in recreational league sports and I was the one who cried.  I’ve coached at the high school level, all the way down to these little leaguers and I do my best to be objective.  I can look around and see that my little 45 pound Mini-Me simply can’t hit with those 80 and 90 pound kids that are the same age.

So, what sets him apart in my mind? 

It’s his attitude.  I watch other kids go up to bat and even after a good hit that resulted in an out, they retreat to the dug out in tears.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know some kids are just wired differently but the thing is, those kids don’t take the game any more seriously than my son.  What he sets him apart is just that; his attitude.  I joke about this, but it’s true.  He goes to games and win or lose, hits, homeruns or errors, he has a good time and on our way home, his first question is, “who’s going to throw with me when we get home”.  

And as a former coach, even with my parent blinders on, I want players that can take the bumps and bruises and move on.  Moreover, the life lessons learned from that are enormous. The main reason our kids participate in sports is directly related to their ability to take the good and the bad in stride and move on.  We don’t encourage them to participate so they can be major leaguers one day, we encourage them to participate to learn life skills.

Tips for Traveling with Kids

Since my family seems to always be “on the road,” Amanda suggested my first guest blog be about traveling with small children and I agree. We are constantly traveling. With my husband working swing shift and getting week-long furloughs each month, we are able to take impromptu trips that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do with the standard Monday through Friday job. Our travels include going to visit my husband’s family that lives about 2.5 hours away from us. Our kids LOVE spending time with their grandparents, so we make this trip quite often. Brody has a few health problems that require us to see specialists at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital about once a month. This is a two hour drive for us, as well. Also, we recently returned home from our annual family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. We had a fantastic time!

I wish I had a plethora of proven facts on traveling with young children, but I don’t. I wish I could chalk our smooth trips up to my super-mad parenting skills, but I can’t. First things first, though, I have to give credit where credit is due… My kids are awesome and very laid back which makes traveling with them a breeze.

 I remember the first trip we ever made after our daughter was born… she screamed the entire car ride. By the time we arrived at our destination, we were all miserable. I convinced myself that it was because she was a colicky baby and would eventually grow out of it. After about a year of miserable car rides, it hit me like a ton of bricks… It wasn’t her, it was me! If I changed my expectations and became more flexible, we would have better experiences. And… we did! 

Here are a few things that I always try to keep in mind when traveling… I hope these help!

1.   Don’t rush!  Always allow extra time for trips. If they need to stop every hour to stretch their legs, let them. Being rushed is stressful and confusing for toddlers and preschoolers.

2.   Put their comfort before your own. By this I mean, if they want to sing “The Wheels on the Bus” over and over and over until your throat hurts… Do it. Before you know it, they will be teenagers in the backseat listening to headphones and ignoring you. Embrace the time you have to entertain them, because in the near future, you will be replaced by Justin Beiber and your best impression of the Fresh Beat Band will be less than fresh. 

3.   Pack healthy snacks.

Exciting New Products are on their way!

I am excited for summer! Aren't we all?!

Summer is a time for fun in the sun and feeling renewed! At Kidzies, we are re-newing with some amazing new products! I can't tell you what they are quite yet, but I just know you are going to love them!

One thing that is changing with Kidzies is we now have a Social Media Manager! Welcome Christine aboard the Kidzies train! (toot toot!)

(Ok, so that was a little corny, but we like corny. Kids like corny!)

From now on, she will be a Kidzies blogging, tweeting, pinning, linking, status posting machine and she has some amazing ideas and fun ways to share all the amazing products Kidzies has to offer.

Create a Family Painting!

 I find that I get so caught up in "working" that I forget to have fun.  Been there?  And then I look at Pinterest and I think, "Sure, if I had time I could do that, too!"  So this fine Sunday afternoon, I took my family up to the studio and forced them to hang out with me while I made a Christmas present.  A month late?  Yes, but we were blessed with Plum District Deals a few days before Christmas, so family had to understand that, and thank goods they did. 

Teaching Life Skills

As a mom, I look for any and every chance to teach what I call "Life Skills."  My hope is that my kid will gain some street smarts from these little lessons that I employ each day while we're playing, or in this case, washing dishes.  Oh, yes, my 4 year old loves to wash dishes.  Probably because he gets open range of the water faucet and uses half a bottle of soap because of the fascination of bubbles coming out of the other side of the sink.  But I'm okay with that, as long as some of what we talk about sticks.  Here's a few lessons I gave while he was washing his Huggerz out in the sink (one of many ways it can be cleaned).

Lesson #1:  Get dirty.  Play in the dirt.  Don't be afraid to dive after that ball.  But then use soap.  If you pet the dog, use soap.  If you say dirty words, the soap will go in your mouth.  Don't go through life afraid of getting dirty, you can clean up the things that matter most as long you are sincere and honest.

Lesson #2:

7 Days, 700 Miles, 1 Adoption- Rider Tells All!

A few years ago, KiKi and I were in college together. She always inspired me with her faith, her bubbly personality and her dedication to whatever it was she was doing at the time.  This time, she has blown my mind! As she says in the interview below, we all know someone who has involvement with adoption - so we should have some idea of how difficult it can be, right?  I admit I didn't have the full perspective until I began to follow www.RideForAdoption.com, a group of cyclists who rode 7 Days, 100 Miles a Day, for 1 Adoption.  KiKi isn't the one adopting but she rode like she was.  I don't know the adopting parents, but I hope to one day because when you surround yourself with people who inspire you, the sky is your limit, too!  Here is KiKi's story.

 

In just a few sentences, explain what you did:

I rode my bike from Centennial Park in Nashville, TN to Daytona Beach, FL, 700 miles in

Like New Shoes? So Do These Kids!

There are times when I think, "I am not getting anywhere (with Kidzies).  Maybe I should do something else today."  And then in a somber moment of quietness, I remember that if I am not trying, that I am letting down so many people.  And, no, I don't mean my husband or child (although, I guess them, also).  But I mean a lot of kids in Romania, whom I've never meet, but I've promised to help put shoes on their bare feet.  Kidzies gives 3% of each and every sell we make to Sole by Soul and though that may not seem like a lot, it is enough to pick me up on those low days.  I hope that one day I get to go with Reita to Romania, but until then, here is how she so vividly describes her last trip, taken just a few months ago.

In just a few sentences, explain to me your charity:

Sole by Soul Charity reaches out to children

Baby Safety

DISCLAIMER: There may be things in this post that could make you say, “You’ve got to be kidding me?! That’s not safe!” But they’re fact.   I believe in promoting Baby Safety, and I think that dedicating an entire month to it is a phenomenal idea…but I’m somewhat skeptical of about half of the things that I hear and read.  For example, who decided all of a sudden that bumpers are a bad thing for cribs? Wouldn’t your child’s arm getting stuck between the crib slats be bad, too? 




Let me give you a little background of where I’m coming from and you can decide for yourself.  It reminds me of that country song, “A Different World” by Bucky Covington. 

I grew up on a farm.  I watched baby pigs be born and rode in the back of a truck on the highway.  I ate blackberries without washing them that grew wild.  And, yes, there were probably snakes in the bushes like my mom said.  I ate crayons and glue and still think there is nothing better than a deep inhale of fresh Play-Dough and markers.   I’m sure my sister and I licked things made with lead paint and I certainly remember eating mud pies and dog food with her (maybe she didn’t really, but I did).  And we both turned out just fine.  Can't ya tell?

Is the lead worse now?   Maybe so, but I’m not one of those extremist who

Top 10 Reasons to Be Your Own Boss!

Here are my own personal Top 10 Reasons To Be Your Own Boss:
{These are NOT specific to the kid industry. Refer to #6.}

1. You can work where ever you want!

2. You're finally following your dream!

More Than Breakfast in Bed

Is Mother’s Day about presents?  Is it a day to pamper yourself, eat breakfast in bed, get jewelry from your husband, a handmade craft from your little one?  Well, yea.  But it’s so much more.  It’s a day to thank your child for giving you the opportunity to celebrate the day.  Here are a few things I want to thank my child, Jett, age 5, for on Sunday.  And at the bottom, you can print out a Thank You card for your kiddo(s)!