Addiction

My oldest child and I had a discussion about addiction on Sunday. It was not based on alcohol or drugs, but electronic devises. He could not understand why I have such a dislike for them. It was a good talk, I think.

The last couple of days I have continued to think about it and I have come to a heart wrenching realization and decision. I am addicted to reading. It is not something that should be a big deal, but it is becoming one. I read to escape. I have read nearly 75 books this year, each one over 200 pages. I have done a lot of hiding and escaping. I am not good at monitoring my time or putting them down, even if the writing is mediocre. 

My thought is this: It is distracting me from being the person I want to be. I know that reading is a good past time, but for me I need to put some limits on it. Starting in January I will only allow myself to read 2 books a month (over 200 pages). One of those will probably be the book club book and then I get a personal choice. I am hoping it will make me take my time and get my life back on track. I am waiting until January because of my OCD nature. It is the beginning. I can't start at the end. ;)

Beautiful story

I really thought this was beautiful and I wanted to share it. I was not sure where would be the best place, so I chose here. It is so nice to see. I worry every day about the way the world is now and how different it will be in just a few years. I pray for my children and the tough choices they need to make every day. Stories like this give me hope and strength. I know my children are amazing, I just need to teach and trust them.

Neglect

This poor blog it suffering from neglect. To all 3 of you that read this, sorry. I have been trying ot get out of the negative frame of mind I have been in, so instead of indulging it, which I tend to do here, I supressed it. Anyway, I will try to post again soon. Anything you are dying to know about?

I have been enjoying the sequel series to Percy Jackson. The 4th of 5 books comes out the beginning of October. Andy, Marcus and I are all reading it together and it is fun. Marcus wants to be Leo for Halloween. We think we can make an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and get him a tool belt. Then, he should be all set.

Marcus also read the first book in the Spirit Animals series. It is by Brandon Mull. He said it was for younger readers (3rd and 4th graders, I guess), but he still enjoyed it. Brandon Mull has a new book series coming out in March 2014 that Marcus is waiting for.

On the job front, we are still waiting for the job at BYU Idaho to actually post. Andy has all his materials ready and every week we check on it. Today I found a job in Kentucky that wants an English teacher pop culturist that knows how to teach remedial courses. (Andy is teaching 3 right now.) It seems perfect, so we are excited to see how that works out. We would be an hour away from the Louisville temple if we lived in town, plus there is a ward building there.

That's about it. I am trying to enjoy my children and support my husband. I also started indexing which I tend to do instead of facebook now. Andy says it is my new addiction. Our stake president asked us as a stake to index 1 million names by next August. I have done over 1200 since the end of August.

Mallory's Quiet Book

I have been working on updating the Quiet Book for Mallory. She has enjoyed Luke's book, so gathered some ideas to make for her.

"Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match."

The drier

 The sock matches. (The star pair and red and gray pair are my favorites)

 "I scream, You scream, we all scream for ice cream."
I made several different flavors and the chocolate topping. I am working on chocolate with sprinkles and a cherry. The cake cone now looks more cone like, too.

"What's in a name? A rose by any other name..."
The first page, like Luke's, will say my name is

 "Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man?" (I could not figure out a good bakery or cupcake one to add.)
These are cupcakes and their cupcake holders. I just finished the frosting and am working on toppings. Ice cream will be on the adjoining page so they can share toppings.

I am working on a purse page with fake make-up, keys and possibly a wallet; a gumball page to match numbers, a hair do page and another doll dress up page with a girl this time. I also want to do a dress tying page (or ballet slippers, I haven't decided 100% yet), a fruit puzzle page, a mail page for her and a pie weaving page.

Mothers' Prayers

Yesterday a group of boys (and leaders) from our old ward were on a scouting activity. They became lost and the weather was 111 degrees yesterday. A rescue party was sent out including the bishop of both their ward and ours. Last night Andy got a text that the bishop was taking a day off. I thought that it was odd, until we found out he had been in the hospital with heat exhaustion due to the events. A couple of the boys were my Cub Scouts. Their mothers were praying so hard for their safe return. Their prayers were answered. I know that the Hacienda ward is hurting very much right now and I can't imagine all the emotions. Here is a brief recap. Their young men's president is the one that died. I am so grateful for the power of prayer and the love of our church members.

Summer Boredom Part 2

The promised 2nd half of my post. Here is the parental supervision list. I also have a list of needed supplies and I am going to put them all in a basket and present it to the kids on the last day of school. Our Summer Supply basket.

*on the left mean I have a pinterest plan * on the right mean it can be indoor or outdoor. Brown is food, purple is crafts, pink is after dinner (because it is cooler then or they are night games) and orange are outings.

Food

Make homemade ice cream

Bake a double batch of cookies and deliver one to another family

Make popcorn or caramel corn

Make a summer snack (Pinterest)

Make a milkshake or smoothie

Have a tea party

Make a salad and eat it

Bake a cake and decorate it (then sing, “Happy Unbirthday to us”

Make popsicles

Make mini bread loaves

Make and decorate sugar cookies

Choose different cookie recipes

Make ice cream in a bag

Eat dinner by candlelight

Make homemade lemonade

Make butter
Make a fruit salad

*Bugs for lunch

Cereal bracelet/necklace

Make pretzels

Make edible play dough

Make fake sushi

Frozen hot chocolate

*Make and try new drinks

Dessert before dinner

Dip a banana in chocolate and freeze

Make Muddy Buddies or other Chex treat

Make No Bake cookies/Haystacks

Make shamburgers

Make candy using molds

Crafts

Make hair accessories

Make a necklace

Make balloon balls

Make friendship bracelets

Make pencil pinwheels

Make a pompom ice cream cone

Make paint aprons for everyone

*Decorate and bake white plate

*make notepads using scrapbook paper

Sewing project with Mom (your choice)

*Make fabric flower pens

*Bottle cap crafts

*T-shirt rag rug

*Marvel Avengers paper craft

Make a twirling ribbon

Marble magnets

Print and make paper dolls

Make fabric scrap flip flops

*Make a water bottle holder

*Make fabric bookmarks

*Make heating pads

Melt crayons and remold them

*Make kool aid lip gloss

*Grass head monster

*Kaleidoscopes

*Angry bird puppet

*Monster corner bookmarks

*Super Hero popsicle stick bookmark

After Dinner

Family game night

Stay up late and look at the stars

Have a family talent show

Watch a movie outside

*Play “paintman”

Watch the sunset

Backyard scrabble

Flashlight tag

*Play Sleeping Pirate

Outing

Go bowling

Go swimming

Hike

Go camping – or stay home and camp out in the play room

Go to the library

Visit a friend

Volunteer to help a neighbor for free

Go out for ice cream

Go to the movies

Try letterboxing

Drive in movie

Go to the Water Preserve

Go to a playground

Go to Pinball Hall of Fame

Play at Sunset park splash pad

Get Sno Cones/Slurpees

Go to Toys R’ Us and dream

Summer Boredom Part 1

Summer is upon us. It is over 100 degrees here, so I can tell it is getting close. In the summer heat it is hard for me to come up with things quickly, especially with whining and feeling sweaty. So, I came up with 2 separate containers. One is a boredom bucket with activities that take little to no supervision by me. (I plan on participating as much as I can, but sometimes that is not possible.) The other is a bucket with activities that require help from a parent like crafts or outings. I looked at over 20 summer activity lists to come up with the best for my children. Now just to get buckets...

Anyway, I am doing 2 posts. This one is the very long list of over 150 boredom buster ideas. *on the left mean I have a pinterest plan * on the right mean it can be indoor or outdoor. Green is outside, red is inside, yellow is art, blue is educational/learning. (There is a lot inside because here summer is our inside time like winter is for others.)

Outside

Go for a bike ride

Have a picnic*

Blow Bubbles*

Have a paper airplane races*

Take turns making obstacle courses*

Walk around the block and pick up litter (wear gloves)

Take a walk together

Jump rope

Play stick ball

Have different races (wheelbarrow, crab walk, crawling, etc.)*

Water balloon fight

Car wash

Play hopscotch*

Trace each other’s shadows

Play tic-tac-toe with sidewalk chalk

*Make a hula hoop fort*

Play baseball

Play soccer

Play volleyball

Make a water pistol target range

Play Kick the can

Play Capture the Flag

*Make and use “Foamerator

Draw with sidewalk chalk

Frisbee

Play Run across

Inside

Learn a few magic tricks and produce your own magic show

Plan a Scavenger Hunt using every letter in the alphabet*

Look through photo albums or view family movies/videos

Listen to your favorite music and dance around

Open a day spa

Build with Legos

Find jokes and take turns telling them

Play store, library or school

Play hide and seek*

Rearrange the furniture in your bedroom

Memorize something meaningful

Read favorite poems aloud

Play a card game

Build a fort*

Paint your toenails and fingernails

Balloon fights

Play board games

Music mix CD

Create a puppet play with stuffed animals

Turn off all the lights and use a flash light to make shadows on the wall

Make a mini puppet theater and put on a show

Play the Minister’s Cart game

Do something nice for someone in secret

Play charades

Plan an imaginary trip to the moon

Play marbles

Make a blanket tent

Make ice cars

Don’t Eat Pete

Pick some books to read with Mom

Form a band

Do Wii Fit

Play freeze dance with the family

Have a silly jumps contest*

Take pictures doing fun activities while holding the Friend magazine

Play Red Light, Green Light*

Walk on balance beam/tape*

Read books somewhere new/odd*

build boats and race them in the tub

*Make and play Lego board game

Help make a family Guess Who game

*Lego Quest challenges

*Balloon powered Lego car

Make and use “Get up and Move” dice*

Plastic bottle/cup bowling

Put glo sticks in balloons and play

Stuffed animal run/obstacle course and take turns coming up with rules

Have a photo shoot

Watch an old movie

Nerf Gun war*

Toy car races

Wrestle with Dad

Just Dance with Mom

Pillow Fight

*Make sponge balls and play with them*

Have a Splunk Day

Make and play BINGO

Take turns leading exercises

Make a pillow pile and jump in it

Make a bean bag toss game*

Make a road for cars using masking tape

Hallway races complete with streamer finish line

Play Simon Says*

Play Mother May I?

*Spy training with streamer lasers

Watch old TV shows

Play with little people

Play dress up

Sink play

Blog

Hula-Hoop*

Indoor tumbling and gymnastics

Art

Make play dough

Make a collage from magazines

Paint a picture

Try origami

Make a collage using seeds, rice, cereal, old buttons and sewing scraps

Make puppets and then put on a puppet show

Sketch a picture of your house from the outside

Make a picture for your grandparents

Draw a family tree and complete it together

Put together a scrapbook of a special event

Draw pictures to send to the friend

Write and illustrate a story

Paint with watercolors

Make potato stamps and use them

Make “stained glass windows”

Make dream catchers

Color in coloring books or coloring pages

Make slime

Make your own stationary and write a letter on it

Finger paint with shaving cream

Design a poster for a summer holiday

Make a pet rock

Fingerprint art

Splatter paint

Paint with your mouth

Bubble prints

Make a self portrait

*Make homemade finger paint

*Paper towel butterflies

Play dough with pipe cleaners, beads, googly eyes, etc.

Oil pastel drawings

Colored chalk art

Cotton Ball Painting

Painting with toy cars

Mosaics

Toilet paper roll heart stamping

Egg carton flowers

Marshmallow and toothpick art

Make different things out of handprints

Make homemade piñatas

Q-tip/pencil eraser painting

*Make a treasure map

Crayon art

Make an Art Gallery

Make trading cards

Window Markers

Learning

Draw a map

Read a good book aloud

Write a letter

Make a list of all the things in your house that use electricity

Make your own list of things to do when you’re bored

Write secret messages

Learn a new primary song

Make a list of what you want to learn about in school this year

Learn about different types of poetry and write your own

Take a week to learn about a country, cook food from there, color/draw the flag, listen to their music, etc.

Sing all the verses of the Star Spangled Banner

Write down everything you are thankful for

Read pioneer and ancestor stories. Act out your favorite ones.

Try writing your own song

Write a letter to a cousin.

Make your Christmas wish list

List 5 nice things about each family member

Think of a good service project to do. Plan and carry it out.

Make your own audio books

Write your own skits

Make up a board game

Make up a game

Prepare an FHE lesson for future use

Read your scriptures

Create a family chant

List the sounds you hear for the next 10 minutes

Give each letter a cent value and figure out the cost of words (for example a = $.10, b = $.01, etc.)

Memorize an Article of Faith

Choose a favorite story and act it our for the family

Pick some science experiments to try

Make a Summer Read Bucket list (at least 10 books long)

Mentos geyser

Use the story cubes

Make your own secret code and write messages using it