Dr. Molly Miller, Earth and Environmental Science Professor at Vanderbilt University, accompanied by Anne Choquette, a Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will lead a two mile walk through Percy Warner’s Mossy Ridge Trail. Participants will be shown major rock formations and learn the history they record. Hear about how Nashville’s landscape was once a Bahamas like paradise and a stagnant ocean bottom thick with dead algae eventually transformed into oil and gas. Don’t miss the chance to chat with the Mayor, learn about nature, meet people and get healthy. Dress for cold weather, bring your camera, and water. Also, wear walking shoes – portions of the trail may be muddy!

Walk will only be cancelled in the case of severe weather, snow or icy conditions.

The concept came from a Family Fun shark t-shirt I made for my son’s birthday party over the summer. It’s cute, easy and inexpensive to make. You can customize the paint colors and design for a boy or girl and this is easy enough that the kids can help.

Supplies:
- Any t-shirt (we used heather gray)
- contact paper
- scissors
- cardboard
- fabric spray paint (any color you like) (we used black)

Instructions:
Put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to keep the paint from soaking through and to create a solid work surface.

Cut strips of contact paper and press them onto your shirt in the shape of desired design. We used a heart with an arrow and intentionally made the edges overlap and the design imperfect to get a casual, rugged look more suitable for boys.

Spray the front of the shirt paying special attention to the edges of the tape. Let the shirt dry then remove the tape. Wash inside out.

Here’s the final product.

To sum up a very long day as quickly as possible let’s just hit the highlights.  Got in the car to drive little man to Mother’s Day Out with a full day of errands planned once I dropped him off – but the car wouldn’t start.  Waited 90 minutes for AAA to come jump it, which was just enough time for some nasty weather to roll in.  Spent the afternoon watching the news and listening for the tornado sirens. The dishwasher officially broke and required a call to the plumber. By the time the weather cleared up, little man had fallen asleep.  So, we didn’t leave the house all day and none of the errands got done – including grocery shopping.  Normally this wouldn’t be a problem except that we literally had nothing in the house to make for dinner.  I mean nothing.  A rare occurrence, but we’ve had a lot of company and I desperately needed groceries.

I knew we had to venture out, but we were all in our jammies and I didn’t feel like getting dressed so it would have to be a drive through.  The problem is we don’t eat fast food, except occasionally Chick-fil-A. (They have some good choices.)  So that’s where we decided to go.  I read about their new healthier kids meals from Faithful Provisions so I thought we could  make some pretty good choices even though we weren’t eating at home.  It didn’t work out exactly as I had hoped – but that was fitting for our day.

I ordered a grilled chicken salad with veggies and no dressing and a cup of chicken noodle soup.  I got the boys the grilled chicken nugget meal with a cinnamon applesauce Fruit Buddy.  They both thought the Fruit Buddy was a cool idea, but neither of them ended up liking it and they refused to try the grilled chicken nuggets.  I seriously can’t understand why, but again, that went with our day.   Both boys were crying and starving, but refused to eat any of the food in front of them. So, against my better judgement – and to the entertainment of the drive through staff - I drove back through and ordered them each a regular chicken nugget meal.  (Should I have insisted that they eat the grilled chicken nuggets?  Probably.  Did I have the energy for that battle tonight?  Definitely not.)

So that was our crazy day.  Reflecting back now that the house is quiet and everyone is in bed, I’m grateful that all the car needed was a jump.  I’m grateful that all we experienced from the severe weather threat was heavy rain and strong winds.  And I’m grateful that both of my boys went to bed with full bellies tonight even it wasn’t my first meal choice.

And now, against my better judgement, I’m going to watch New Girls and drink a cup of tea instead of working out.

Tomorrow is a new day!  Hope you have a great one!

I remembered creating a vision board during a Ladies Who Launch workshop and decided to give it a try with the boys.  It was perfect because it made the exercise visual, which helped hold their attention, plus it gives us a point of reference to look back on all year.  It was fun to watch their little minds work as they came up with their goals.  I gave them a few general examples, but after that, I let them run with it.

Here are their boards and a few of our family goals for 2012.  I haven’t finished my vision board yet, but I’m working on one too

Jake needed help with the drawings, but he came up with all of his own goals and helped color the pictures.  In 2012 he would like to learn to read,  learn to write all of his letters, get all of his belts in Cubs TaeKwanDo (this may be a 2 year goal), go camping, save $15, and learn to hit a baseball coach pitch style.

Kade put his board together all on his own.  In 2012 he would like to learn to ride his bike without training wheels, save $200 to buy toys for kids who don’t have any, save $270 of his own money, go camping,  get his green belt in juniors TaeKwanDo, learn more about animals and learn to chop down a small tree.  I’m not sure where that last one came from, but maybe we’ll get a real Christmas tree this year so he can check that off his list.

Here are a few of our family goals for 2012:

1.  Watch less TV in the evening and spend more time reading or playing games together.

2.  Volunteer our time as a family once a month.

3.  Try a new food once a week.

4.  Share what we’re thankful for at breakfast every morning.  We almost always eat breakfast together (which is something I’m thankful for) so it’s the perfect time.

At the end of the year, we plan to look back and reflect on what we’ve accomplished, add any extra accomplishments we’re really proud of and have a big celebration.

Have you made a vision board yourself or with your family?  We’d love to see it!

My part in raising explorers is to let them go.  Ugh!  I hate that phrase.  Let’ them go.  That is something that’s really hard for me.  I’m extremely protective.  Mainly because I’m a kind of a fearful person and that makes me a control freak.  I worry less when I’m in control.  I realize it’s a false sense of security, but that’s still where I tend to sit.

As I continued reading it became clear that my fear and control can and will stifle the spirit of adventure in my boys.  It will inhibit their ability to find themselves if I’m not willing to let go and let them become the men God created them to be.  My fearful, protective tendencies will actually produce the exact opposite of what I want for my boys.

I know the answer.  I know my role in raising explorers.  I have to trust God and learn to let go.  I have to lay my fear aside and trust my boys in God’s hands (and my husband’s) as they explore and grow together.  They have to learn to become men without me.  That seems strange to say about a six year old and a 4 year old, but it starts now.  It starts small.  Whether it’s an adventure in the true wild or just in our neighborhood; giving them permission to go on a weekend camping trip or giving them permission to walk to a friends house.  I have to learn to trust and let them go if I wan’t them to learn to trust God and themselves.

That won’t be an easy task for me, but it’s my role in letting them become the wild explorers and adventures God created them to be.

John Eldredge writes, “Is it fear that keeps a man at home where things are neat and orderly and under his control?”  Maybe, or maybe it’s just his fearful mama.

PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

According to child development experts, kids need anywhere from an hour to several hours of physical activity every day.  Exercise is good for the mind and body and children aren’t nearly as active as they could be.  Physical inactivity, combined with processed foods has made obesity skyrocket in US kids over the past 20 years.  The following statistics show exactly how grim the situation is:

• According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, up to 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese in the United States. 
• The trust for America’s Health states that in 60% of US states, the percentage of obese kids are at or above 30%.

Primrose Schools has found that children who are able to spend time learning and practicing their basic motor skills, like catching and throwing, kicking and jumping and even skipping have better balance and are more likely to grow into adults with healthy active lifestyles.  Daily physical activity is also good for brain chemicals, helping kids develop academically as well.  Basic physical development is an essential part of child development.  Primrose is a family of preschools that builds active minds, healthy bodies and happy hearts amongst its youngsters. 

Dr. Stephen Sanders, author, professor, and director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida is a member of the Primrose Schools Education Advisory Board.  He says that children do not necessarily learn physical skills on their own.  He has found they need guidance and assistance from adults, challenging activities, and opportunities to practice and refine physical skills.  Parents have the power to increase the quality and the quantity of physical time in order to reverse the trend of obesity in children.  here are some ideas for teaching children the value of physical activity and creating a fun environment where physical fitness is part of life and comes as naturally as breathing:

Tips for Keeping Kids Physically Active:

• Make sure there are places for physical activity.  In a home, that may mean that the lawn is mowed regularly, but in an apartment that may mean that a pull-up bar is in the kitchen doorway.  Look for places in and around your home where kids can be active and safeguard your children’s ability to enjoy being active when they visit.
• Keep sports and fitness equipment readily available and in good working order.  Make sure you have an air pump or compressor available for refilling balls.
• Provide plenty of balls, hockey sticks, hoops, bats, rackets, paddles, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, hula hoops and other outdoor toys.  Give fitness equipment as birthday and holiday gifts, and make sure everything is easily visible when stored, so it doesn’t get forgotten.
• Play with children, instead of just sending them outside to play.  When you value fitness and exercise, your kids will see that it’s important and are more likely to value it as well.
• Get a bucket of sidewalk chalk to create impromptu games of four-square or hopscotch.
• For smaller children, keep a bottle of bubble solution in your purse and blow bubbles when you’re stuck waiting somewhere.  Kids love chasing them around to pop them.
• Seize every opportunity to dance, when it’s time to clean the house or make dinner or even just to get ready for school, crank up the music and dance around the house.  Dancing can be one of the most fun ways to be active, without even knowing it!
• Stress the importance of enjoyment rather than competition.  It doesn’t matter who can throw the ball farther or who can run faster, it matters that kids are enjoying the way it feels to be in command of their bodies.  Skills increase incrementally and kids who are hounded to compete often end up having more stress than fun.

About Primrose Schools:   For over 25 years Primrose Schools have helped individuals achieve higher levels of success by providing them with an AdvancED® accredited, early child care services and education.  Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Dan has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.

I walked away with two favorite moments that really inspired me.  The first was a video montage of some of our groups special moments.  I loved how imperfectly perfect they all were and how every one made us smile with that sense of knowing that some of the best moments are those that are unplanned and that give us the opportunity to laugh at ourselves.  Here’s the video. 

This video got me thinking about our scrapbooks for the kids, which are full of photos of specific milestones.  First bath, first birthday, first Christmas, etc.  But we don’t have any books dedicated to those great “Moments Between The Milestones“.  My husband and I decided to go through our photos and videos and create our own video montage of those unexpected moments that turned into great memories.  We’re asking the boys to help by picking out some of their favorite photos and videos and retelling what they remember.  I can’t wait to share the finished product.  I think the activity itself will be a great memory for our family!

I mentioned that I had a second favorite moment on the tour.  It was a great little writing exercise the creative team from Hallmark organized called “I come from…”  Check out my version and directions for creating your own.

Photo by Kevin Cozad, Hallmark cards.

 event was part of their Moments Between the Milestones tour and it was fabulous. 

One of my favorite moments of the day was sitting down with the Hallmark writers to participate in a creative writing exercise.  I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with you along with directions to try it yourself or with your family. 

The exercise was called “I Come From” and the idea was to write a series of sentences that start with the phrase “I come from…” and describe the places, people, smells, foods, and experiences that define who you are and where you came from.  I got about 8 sentences in before we ran out of time, but enjoyed it so much I decided to keep going and share it here. 

I come from Cleveland and snowstorms in April

I come from Sunday dinners at Grandmas for twenty

I come from curse words disguised in Italian

I come from an apartment above a pizza restaurant, banging pans and the smell of garlic and basil

I come from tomato stained aprons and flour hand prints and making pizzas dough at five

I come from separate homes for Mom and Dad

I come from nuns and plaid catholic school uniforms

I come from leaving the house when the sun came up and riding bikes until the sun went down

I come from cordless phones with giant antennas and passing handwritten notes in class

I come from Jem, Madonna and Girls Just Want To Have Fun movie marathons

I come from shaving cream and egg fights on Halloween and caroling around the neighborhood at Christmas

I come from crew on a river that burned

I come from weekend regattas and carb loading on pasta and bagels

I come from lactic acid workouts and learning the meaning of synergy

I come from a campus of red brick buildings and bright green quads littered with khakis, baseball caps and flip flops

I come from a love of the written word to a love of writing words

If you decide to write your own I’d love to read it.  The best part about this exercise was listening to what everyone came up with.  It was like hours worth of conversation in just a few minutes.  I hope you give it a try and share it with someone.

I closed my eyes, took a breath and tried to collect myself before entering the room to assess the mess, which is an understatement. There was no time to salvage his Lightening McQueen underwear so in the trash they went to his distress.  I cleaned him up, put fresh clothes on and we headed out the door to school. 

On the way I thought about the GE Profile stainless steel capacity front load washer with Steam that I had the opportunity to ogle over at the GE Monogram Experience Center this week.  I imagined how that shiny, red appliance would sit in my laundry room ready and able to help me tackle my inadequacy in the laundry department (my least favorite household task).  Would I despise laundry less if it looked like this?   

• Three year-old poops his pants.  I’d simply toss his clothes in the wash (instead of the trash) and select “feces” from the Stain Inspector stain removal system letting the washer choose the best cycle, water temperature, detergent and pre-treat to tackle that stain or one of 40 others listed in the system.
• I forgot to wash Nature Boy’s karate uniform (again).  Overnight Ready would rescue me (and him).  I could toss it in the washing machine before bed and wake up to a clean, dry uniform ready to wear.  No need to get up at 5 a.m. to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer. 
• Left a load in the washer too long and now it smells.  I would actually avoid a total rewash with Steam Refresh.  It refreshes fabrics and removes wrinkles and odors using steam and saving water and detergent.
• Piled three clean loads on the couch and the shirt my husband needs is a wrinkled mess.  Hurray for Steam DeWrinkle!  It would quickly removes stubborn wrinkles using steam and tumble action. 

While this dreamy washer and dryer system worked it’s magic rescuing me from my numerous laundry fails it would also save energy because it’s EnergyStar qualified and CEE Tier III rated, which means it uses less energy and can lead to lower bills.  Plus, I could choose eWash and eDry cycles for cold water and lower drying temperatures that reduce energy use by 10% each. 

Would I love this washer and dryer?  Absolutely!  Would I love doing laundry?  Probably not.  But maybe I’d actually do it!   

* GE Appliances paid for my trip to Louisville to attend the GE Momsperience where I learned about a variety of products.  I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own.

 What’s your biggest laundry woe?  How do you keep up with laundry in your house?

A fun laundry related side note…How cool is this art featured at 21c Hotel during our opening night party?  The sculptures represent the four seasons and are completely constructed of seasonal clothing.  Love!

My husband’s humorous take on my frustration was to suggest I start a series on my blog that highlights what I cooked and what they actually ate. So here it is.

I cooked:

Baked Parmesean Crusted Tilapia – simply coated fresh tilapia with panko breadcrumbs mixed with organic parmesean cheese, sea salt, and black pepper. 

Bacon Cauliflower – I’m sharing the recipe for this becuase I thought it was amazing! 

Cook 4 slices of bacon (I use nitrate free, grass-fed, organic).  Set aside on paper towel and cook about 2 cups of cauliflower in bacon pan until heated through.  Throw in a handful of cherry tomatoes, the juice of 1/2 a lemon (fresh squeezed), about a tablespoon of capers and some parsley.  Let it cook for a few minutes while flavors mingle then crumble bacon slices over the top and serve hot. 

Salad - romaine, spinach, diced onion, diced carrots, cucumbers with a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Dessert – fresh organic strawberries sprinkled with a little bit of stevia. 

What They Ate:

Some of the salad and grilled cheese my husband made after everyone tried at least one bite of their tilapia and/or cauliflower.  Bam-Bam and my husband at the strawberries, but Nature Boy wouldn’t touch them for some reason.  None of them liked the tilapia or the cauliflower and Nature Boy even refused to eat the strawberries.  Sigh!

What are your go to meals that you know everyone will eat?  What do you do when your family doesn’t like dinner?

Sorry I don’t have a photo to go with this post, but it wasn’t planned