family life

at-home vacation
April 7, 2009 2 comments

at-home vacation

Woo-hoo! Woo-hooo!! Wooooo-hoooo!! (And boo-hoo!!) Posting this means that my amazing husband is finally home from his golf trip, and I couldn’t be happier to have him back. But it ...

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, 1 2 3
April 4, 2009 2 comments

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, 1 2 3

I found this Quick Trick via one of my “awesome–always-knows-what-she’s-doing-and-is-a-fantastic-parent” pals who threw it at me a few months a go after I was complaining and moaning that my kids ...

road trip full o' fun
March 20, 2009 3 comments

road trip full o’ fun

I traveled yesterday, so I needed some big-time engaging activities for Maddy, Owen, and Cora while I drove. We (gulp!) don’t have a DVD player in our van, so I ...

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, rest time
March 5, 2009 5 comments

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, rest time

This is one Quick Trick that now is worth about a million bucks to me: I remember the day I actually learned it–way back when Maddy was an infant–I just ...

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, giving go's
February 17, 2009 No Comment

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, giving go’s

Stop pulling on the door handle! Don’t jump on the bed!Get your fingers out of your mouth!Don’t you dare kick your brother! Do NOT run on the kitchen floor with ...

port discovery, here we come!
February 16, 2009 No Comment

port discovery, here we come!

This morning, we relaxed after our busy Valentine’s Day weekend. Yesterday, we ventured to the Inner Harbor and Port Discovery , and, as fun as it was, we needed a ...

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, days
February 5, 2009 2 comments

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, days

Here’s another idea I totally snagged and adapted from someone else, but this simple trick has saved me quite possibly the equivalent of years of unnecessary refereeing in my house. ...

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, choices
January 25, 2009 2 comments

trying to keep smiling: quick trick, choices

Once an awhile, instead of sharing what secret little lesson I’ve stuck into our day, I’m going to share a Quick Trick that works (more often than not) for me ...

crayon color list? check!
January 20, 2009 2 comments

crayon color list? check!

Another snowy winter day had us stuck indoors once again, but our morning was made a bit brighter by the tin of Crayola crayons that my mom pulled out for ...

on the road abc hunt
January 17, 2009 7 comments

on the road abc hunt

Today was a hectic travel day for us, but I was determined to use our travel window more wisely than I usually do in order to ensure a little bit ...