Museum Day

One morning during Spring Break we were all still in our pajamas when I found something that advertised a free day at our local art museum.  So we threw on some clothes and ran a brush through some scraggly hair (had to squeeze it in before nap time and make the most of the early hours, which would mean quiet and less crowds to hassle with five kids) and left behind our towering piles of dishes and laundry.  We only lasted an hour, but it was a great hour!  I fell in love with art museums when we lived in Europe and my husband introduced me to the Rijksmuseum-- I've been hooked ever since!  This one was small but good.

One of my favorites.  This one by LeConte Stewart.

 I love watching this big brother explain things.  What a nice kid.

 Amateur camera woman, some of the photo cred in this post belongs to her.

 Big bro in action again.

 Blurry, but I love how this sister-shot photo captures his thoughtfulness.

 Lest you think these sanitized photos are hiding the real truth, it got a bit ugly at the end, with this little boy suddenly tired of being held and not allowed to touch anything.  Oh yeah, and his next biggest sister acting on her lately urge to spit in random places (on this day alone, I wiped up spit from the floor of the museum, watched her lean over in her carseat and spit on the car floor, and looked back at one point to see a frothy arm covered in spit bubbles-- literally from wrist to elbow). Yah.

 She is a little character who makes life interesting!  I would give more than a penny for her thoughts sometimes.

 Big bro keeping little bro from touching.  Very patiently.

Do you like art museums?  I love them-- like a drug to me. :)  Not sure yet if this will be inherited or not. :)

Sorry I'm late posting today!  Today I initiated our sticker chart for limiting TV watching, more to keep me honest than anyone else!  I had to get a bit creative when I was still trying to blog and TV time was over.  We'll see how this goes!  I'm just amazed at how much more peaceful our house is (though messier) when the TV is off.  Though it was super hard to turn it off today, I'm hoping it will get easier and easier.

April Goals

Whoa, dearest readers, by the end of this month I will have been doing my project and blogging about it for one whole year.  Thanks for the wonderful ride.

I almost posted goals last week, as I penciled a rather large list of things I want/need to work on while I was at my parent's house last week for part of Spring Break.  But I didn't feel ready... yet.  I wanted to let the ideas sort themselves and stew and gain some clarity, which happened over the weekend.

First off, I need to thank you for your words of support and encouragement last month.  So kind.  I am feeling much better, thank you.  Getting a diagnosis was both a relief and...not, as I sort of re-experienced all of the pain associated from a whole life's worth of struggle.  I've already devoured several books on the subject (ADD), and gained a bunch of new insight into myself and my kids and even my relationship with my husband.  There is a really fine line between understanding one's limitations and dwelling on them.  I've found some material that depressed me (amazing just how many people with ADD later become addicts, for example, because of poor impulse control and an unwitting desire to self-medicate their symptoms) and other material that was really positive, pointing out all of the strengths of being ADD (I found this site, based on the work of Dr. Daniel Amen-- who thinks ADD belongs in 6 classifications, in which two are considered personality types and not a disorder-- particularly encouraging).  So I'm going to try and focus on the positive, for myself and son, as put forth in books by the likes of Dr. Edward Hallowell (he has ADHD himself) and Thom Hartmann (who sees modern manifestation of ADHD as a "hunter" -like gene in a "farmer"-based world).  It really is a huge blessing, even though it has been hard, that I have learned all of this before any of my kids have hit the really difficult years as far as studying, exposure to illicit substances, etc. :)

Blah, blah.  Some day I'll learn to edit myself!

As I've studied all about ADHD, I've learned that many of the same techniques that help ADD'ers will help anyone.  I've learned about all that medication can do for people with ADD (even though we have been trying something called Biofeedback), but that it is only part of a three-legged stool in the approach to treatment.  Medication can help kids/adults be more focused for example, but cannot teach skills that haven't yet been learned, like organization.  And that the other part of any treatment plan which will help anyone's focus, involves standard health procedures, such as getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well (particularly Omega 3-rich foods).  Oh yeah, and routines are especially important for those with ADD.  That really sounds overwhelming to me, as I stink at routines!  But I am going to try.

So, long story, not ever short, here goes.  My goals for my kids are:

1.  Develop an after-school and evening routine with built-in consequences, starting with one or two incorporations at a time and gradually adding more throughout the month.  Including some mandatory time outside each day.  Because I'm a softie, but my kiddos really need it.
2.  Focus on paying attention to my kids feelings of belonging and significance.

And, brace yourself here.  I know I have had goals to increase my own well-being most months, as it helps me be a better mom, but this month I have a whole bunch.

1.  Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
2.  Start getting up early to exercise again (I've found a cheap gym close by, so even though I miss running so dearly, it will do the trick for now).
3.  Use fruits and vegetables as snacks.
4.  Enlist the aid of select others to work on some things that I now see are weaknesses, such as budgeting and organizing.
5.  Make a sticker chart for myself to track limited TV watching (we set this as a goal in a different month, but it has gotten out of control lately).

I have more I'm dying to work on, but I want these goals to be successful in the long-term, which they probably won't if I overdo it.

Happy Monday, everyone!  I have a few fun Spring Break photos to share this week.  

Do any of you have tricks that you have used to motivate yourself to do a difficult task, to avoid procrastinating, or to help you focus?  

Easter Part 2

We had an Easter dinner and Easter egg hunt at my sister-in-law's house.  I took a couple of random photos of her house because I think she is so creative and I enjoy her style-- it is so happy.  She made the frames and the cute thing in the second photo herself.

All of my kids love to play at their house.  My in-laws are kind, fun, and patient; we always enjoy ourselves.

The cousins! 

Sorry I was absent yesterday, we made a last-minute trip to see my mom for the day, just because we could!  We had a great time.  Always so refreshing to go home and see my parents.  I have some fun photos for next week.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! 

Easter Part I

Enjoy some Easter photos.  I have some fun ones for another day, but we are busily enjoying our vacation together.  Took a surprise visit to an art museum today and have some fun photos for another day.

Isn't this such a fun room?  It is my sister-in-law's, complete with DIY hutch that I'm in love with.

 Dear shirt, make up your mind, in our out?  And please remind your owner to look in the mirror before taking photos.

 Those knobs!

Um

I visited a long lost friend today and completely forgot about blogging.  I guess that is a good thing once in a while, right?  One of the reasons I started this blog was to help me connect with others as sometimes connection can be kind of hard in this modern, hurried world (and/or when you have a lot of kids to haul in and out of the car!). 

We are enjoying  lazy couple of Spring Break days.  Lots of TV (ouch), pajamas, uncombed hair, Easter candy, lingering talks with family and friends, and some tempermentally beautiful weather.   After such a long hard winter, it is so nice to see everything come back to life again.

Tonight, we are off to take the oldest two kids to see the Lord of the Dance  (Part of the whole scheduling of cultural activities).  I'm so excited.  I saw Riverdance years ago and it was amazing.

So, until tomorrow dear friends!  I will get these lazy bones around to some Easter photos and goals very soon.

What do you like to do for vacation?  Go and do, or enjoy some time with no where to go?  I enjoy both! 

Here is a funny saying I forgot to include the other day.  My little ones are currently obsessed with My Little Pony.  They've learned how to work Netflix and it is currently my nemesis.  I'm considering making myself a sticker chart to get myself to stick better to my TV time rule!  Lol.  So, with all the frolicking ponies around here, my baby has been referring a lot to "My Little Phony."  And he refers to ponies as "phonies."  I love it.  So cute.  The other night I let him cry it out.  It was traumatic, I tell you!  While I was sitting on the other side of his door I felt like I was going to cry too.  Because I'd been sick, my tummy started to growl.  Poor little guy, in a desperate, high-pitched, crying voice, said "I hear a dinosaur!"  More to come on this later.

Some Favorite Family Movies

Did you have a good Easter weekend, dear readers?  I had the stomach flu all day on Saturday, but that didn't prevent us from attending a beautifully done Easter egg hunt at a neighbors house (then I went home and collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day).  We enjoyed the day yesterday by going to church and then high-tailing it to my in-laws for a family get together that we have really come to look forward to each year.   Photos forthcoming sometime this week!

This is our spring break week!  I'm so excited!

So, lets face it.  We try to minimize the amount of TV our kids watch.  Sometimes we succeed and sometimes, its, well....harder.  These are all movies that I have watched with my kids on our family movie nights, and some of my favorites, for reasons I'll list below.  Enjoy!  (and please follow your own instincts when it comes to anything that might be inappropriate for your own unique child, since some of these would scare younger children or more sensitive children, I always look up movies on this site before I let my kids watch, I've learned this the hard way.  It gives guidance as to an appropriate age range, too, which helps a lot!)  :)



1.  Ratatouille

For any foodies out there who enjoy cooking and eating as much as I do, this movie is a real treat.  It is a beautifully animated story about a rat who dreams of doing more than eating garbage all day.   He learns all about cooking from a famous chef on TV whose claim is that "anyone can cook."  He meets up with a young man named Remy who is also socially isolated and they create a partnership that allows both of them to thrive and learn more about themselves as they are thrown into the center of a kitchen in a busy Paris restaurant.  I love this movie because it shows the power of following your dreams in spite of social pressure and about friendship and being your best.

2.  How to Train Your Dragon

Another story about a young man who doesn't quite fit in (there is a pattern here, hm), in his Viking village of dragon fighters.  He captures a dragon and surprises himself by refusing to kill the dragon (which would have finally brought him honor and respect at home) and instead befriending it.  Together he and his dragon forge a friendship that helps them overcome their individual handicaps, learn the courage to stand up to forces that kept them down, and bring understanding and change to the village.  A touching story about a parent-child relationship and finding the gifts in our children or ourselves that may be different than our own.

3.  In Search of the Castaways

Ok, this is an old movie (1962) with pretty rudimentary special effects.  But I LOVE it.  A story about two children whose father was lost at sea and their attempt to find him after a French professor found a message in a bottle, it is a fun and upbeat adventure story.  My favorite is the Frenchman and his optimism-- his song "Let's Climb"-- love it.




4.  Meet the Robinsons

A movie about the value of family and following your dreams in spite of setbacks, this is a great movie for all ages.  A young orphan named Lewis is a budding inventor who can't seem to find the right adoptive parents. When he receives a couple of mysterious visitors from the future, he discovers what family is all about (this one is so quirky and hilarious!) and is challenged to keep moving forward in spite of failure and find peace with his past as he races to save the future.

5.  Rise of the Guardians

This is one of our new favorites, though there are some parts that could scare young children.  Jack Frost is uncertain as to how he became who he is, and wonders why human beings cannot see him.  When the Boogeyman threatens to destroy children's belief in the "Guardians" of childhood-- Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman-- by instilling fear, Jack must discover who he is inside and why he has suddenly been chosen to help protect children.  The animation is amazing and imaginative, providing a fantastical and fresh glimpse into the characters and worlds of what could have been stale over-told stories (LOVE the Santa with his naughty and nice tattoos and the Australian accented Easter Bunny).  Instead it is fresh and inspiring story about the power of belief and childhood.

6.  Wreck-it Ralph

This is yet another story about someone on the fringes who goes in search of meaning and inclusion.  Ralph is the "bad guy" in an old-time video game.  Always taught that being bad was important and not to be questioned, Ralph gets tired of being marginalized and ignored for his contributions.  And yes, the poor guy has to sleep in the dump.  One day, in his frustration, he enters a different video game, and then another, in order to earn a medal to bring home.  The chaos that ensues is both cathartic, funny, and painful, as you watch Ralph learn about himself and others finally learn to appreciate him.  He meets a young girl who has also been socially rejected (a "glitch" in her game), and helps her discover her inner talents.  I really enjoyed the animation in this movie too-- the creative and humorous old, nostalgic games (remember Pac Man and games of us 80's brats?), as well as the incorporation of newer themes.



7.  Cars

This has been on my mind a lot because I've got a Cars addict on my hands that I have to fight off a lot around here.  But this truly is a great kids movie, one of my favorites as far as messages go.  Lightning McQueen is a young, arrogant racecar who only thinks of himself.  Until he gets lost on his way to a big race and has to do service in a little lonely run down town off of Route 66, for some damage he did to the road while evading a police car.  He finally learns to see outside himself as he becomes endeared to the various cute and quirky personalities in the small town.  What was once a one-man show turns into probably one of my favorite movie endings of all time, as McQueen finally learns that winning isn't everything.  This movie is chock full of funny automobile references and details that will delight people of all ages (little tiny car bugs?  Click and Clack?  Bring it on!).

I have some more I'm saving for another day!  Are any of these movies a favorite of yours too?

Fave Kids Movies Part II