FAMILY FUN FRIDAY! Balloon Shave Pop

You know when you are young and you have those silly thoughts about what would be cool when you are married? Well, I always thought it would be fun to shave my future husband's face. You know, very romantic movie-esque. Well I am now married to that "future husband" and he has never thought my fantasy was such a good idea. This game is as close as I am ever going to get. 

You will need

Shaving Cream

Plastic Knives

Balloons

                                                  

Blow up the balloons and cover each one with shaving cream. Give each player a coated balloon and a plastic knife. 

The Object

Shave your balloon without popping it. The player to give a clean shave first, wins. 

Side Notes

This game is great for all ages. For smaller children, don't blow up the balloons very big. It will make it harder to pop if it is small. For adults and slightly older children, blow those balloons up big and round. The bigger the easier it is to pop, and the more fun the challenge. Also, small children can use the flat and dull side of the knife to shave, but bigger kids, 3 or so and up, as well as adults can be instructed to use the cerated side of the knife. 

Lastly, you will want to play this one on floors that can be cleaned up easily, not carpet. Outside is good also. It doesn't make a huge mess, just a fun mess. 

DO YOU HAVE SHAVING CREAM IN YOUR HOUSE, OR HAS EVERYONE GONE ELECTRIC

Happy Weekend!

Like Mother-Like Daughter...And a Challenge (If you choose to accept)

It feels like our children have grown exponentially over the last 8 months. As a result, I have felt the need to evaluate and modify my parenting practices. 

That, and the fact that what WAS working, STOPPED working.  

One of the first things I do when I see unwelcome behavior in our children, is LOOK AT MYSELF. Our children's behavior can be a powerful indicator of our parenting. Am I being impatient, short tempered, critical? 

Remember, "Children act like the parents who raised them." 

In class, I tell my students about a story a professor told us in graduate school. The story was about a mother who is listening to the things her young daughter is saying to her dolls while she plays. As she is watching the young child, her husband asks, "What are you doing?"

The mother replies, "I'M LISTENING TO MYSELF."

There is no way around it. For the most part, children act like and talk like their parents. 

This happened in our house yesterday. Our daughter was trying to put all her favorite things in her backpack. When they didn't fit I heard her say, "Gosh Darn It." I told her we shouldn't really say that. She said, "Why, you say it all the time."

Yikes. Time to pay more attention to what I say and what I do. They are always watching and always listening. 

One of the tools I share with parents who are struggling with their children's behavior is to have them write down what their kids are saying and the conditions under which they say them. I encourage them to do the same with their children's actions. 

After about 48 hours, the parents realize that their children are acting just like them. They are simply mimicking what their parents do and say. 

This can be a harsh realization.

Whether you are looking for changes in your child's behavior or not, this exercise is one of the most enlightening things we can do to improve as parents. 

Is anyone up for the challenge?

If you choose to accept...

TAKE THE NEXT WEEK AND WRITE DOWN WHAT YOUR CHILDREN SAY AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THEY SAY THEM. 

You will start to see trends. 

You will notice that when your children are tired, they act certain ways.

You will notice that they say things like you say them. 

You will notice that certain times of day are better for them than others.

You might come to realize that you are quick to point out what they are doing wrong, and not quick enough to point out what they do right. 

You will see positive trends also. 

You might notice that your kids are nicer to each other than you thought. 

You will quickly come to realize that when you are positive, patient and happy, so are they. 

You will see that the more love you show, the more love they show. 

And... the more you show respect to others, the more they respect you. 

So... DO YOU DO THINGS LIKE YOUR MOTHER DID?

HAVE YOU EVER CAUGHT YOUR KIDS "IMITATING" YOU?

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TAKING THE WEEK CHALLENGE?

A Personal Reminder...For Me

As parents we naturally want the best for our children. We hope to keep them from heartache and pain. We want them to be successful and happy.

Society sends very mixed messages to parents about how to make their kids happy. 

We need to remember that what our children need, more than anything, is US. They need listening ears and loving arms. 

You will love this video. It is a wonderful reminder to start off the week. 

I want to do better.

DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT INTERNAL "CALL" TO DO BETTER?

If you would like to read the entire talk by Elder Hales on parenting, find it here.

Happy Monday!

FAMILY FUN FRIDAY! Flying Carpet

For todays game you will only need two things.

A tarp or blanket.

It should be a blanket that you don't mind standing and pulling on.

Your Imagination

Spread your blanket or tarp out on the floor. Have everyone stand on the tarp. You want it to be small enough that everyone has to stand really close and tight with one another in order to fit. Really tight. 

Now, pull out your imaginations. 

This is your magic carpet. 

You are flying in the sky.

Unfortunately you can't go anywhere because your carpet is upside down. 

The object is to flip the carpet back upright without anyone stepping off the magic carpet. 

Because you are up in the sky, if someone were to step off they would fall into the never ending abyss. Right ? Then you would have to re-board your magic carpet and start all over again. 

So, somehow you have to flip the tarp/blanket over while everyone is still standing on top of it. You can use your hands, just make sure no one steps off the blanket.

Good luck, and happy flying. 

This game is great for problem solving. You kids will love to imagine, and reason. It is also a really good game for any age. Young adults and Singles alike. 

If you find that your blanket or tarp is too big, fold it in half. 

OKAY, WHO WISHES THEY COULD LOCK THEMSELVES IN THEIR BEDROOM AND READ MOCKING JAY ALL WEEKEND? Me!!!

HAPPY WEEKEND! WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR YOUR FAMILY?

One Year Older and Wiser Too - Including an ice cream cone tutorial

Today was our daughters 2nd Birthday.

It was bitter sweet. One hour I was happy. The next I was sad. Must she grow up so fast?

I feel like we just had her. 

She was born at exactly 37 weeks and was a small little thing. 4 pounds 13 ounces, and perfect in every way. No problems or complications, just little. We brought her home two days after she was born and she hasn't stop growing since. 

She is always happy and is a perfect mix between her brother and sister. We are a better family because of her. 

We had a simple celebration.

And then it was time for cake disguised as ice cream.

These are really easy to make and lots of fun. 

You will need...

Box Cake Mix

Cake Cones

Frosting

Sprinkles

1. Heat your oven to 350. Place 18 paper baking cups in a regular size muffin tin. Place mini paper baking cups in each of 18 mini muffin cups. I didn't have any mini muffin papers so I just sprayed my pan with non stick spray. It worked great.

2. Make the cake mix as directed on the box. Spoon batter evenly into the regular and mini muffin cups. About 2/3 full.

3. Bake your regular cupcakes for about 17 minutes. Bake your mini cupcakes for about 11, or until they are done. Remove them from the pans and let them cool completely.

4. Once they are cool it is time to assemble. Take one regular cupcake, mini cupcake, and an ice cream cone. 

5. Unwrap the regular cupcake and frost the top, just like a normal cupcake. You can use homemade frosting (my favorite) or store bought.

6. Turn the frosted cupcake UPSIDE DOWN and place it on top of the ice cream cone. 

7. Then frost the top of the regular cupcake, which is really the bottom.

8. Now put the mini cupcake, right way up, on top of the upside down regular cupcake. 

9. Next, frost the whole thing. Don't forget the little swirl on top so it looks like it came out of a soft serve ice cream machine. 

10. Lastly, sprinkles. 

And there you have it. Ice cream cones that don't melt. The best part, the cake has it's own built in bowl and you don't need forks.

Happy Birthday to our sweet little girl.

IS IT HARD TO WATCH YOUR KIDS GROW UP?

DO YOU HAVE ANY BIRTHDAYS COMING UP IN YOUR HOUSE?