It was Earth Day just a few short weeks ago and I helped organize a project at school to plant a flower garden. It was amazing to watch the kids help to dig up the earth, plant the flowers and add mulch. As I watched I realized the things that the children were learning in addition to the actual process of planting a garden. They were learning how to care for something – the water, the mulch, the fresh soil. They were so excited to watch it grow and flower.

We have had a flower garden at our home since the boys were little. It is filled with things I have gotten from people, purchased and have been given as gifts. Every Mother’s Day I get a special thing for our garden. One year I received a statue of two frogs playing leap frog and another I received a magnolia bush that blooms around this time every year. This year I received a beautiful bird bath to attract birds and butterflies. They picked it out in honor of a family’s favorite song on Kids Place Live – Butterfly Driving a Truck! So cute…….

The boys love to help me  in the garden, whether it be weeding, spreading mulch, or transplanting flowers. The garden is a great place for them to learn about bugs, flowers, birds, and plants. We love to see the butterflies dance around and the worms in the soil. One year I purchased kid size gardening gloves and kneelers for them to use when helping me, which they loved. They look forward to the times I ask them to water and are slowly learning when to expect certain plants to flower; the tulips in the spring, the mums in the fall.

There isn’t a great place for us to plant a vegetable garden in our yard, so this year we are attempting to plant a tomato plant in a container. It has been fun to watch the plant grow from seed. I think the boys will have a great time “harvesting” and maybe will even eat some of our bounty.

There are so many lessons to be learned from gardening.

What are your favorite things to grow with your kids?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Remember back to when you didn’t have kids……. (I know, for some it is a faint memory)

Remember being at the grocery store, in an airplane or at the movies and a child starts throwing a tantrum, talking so loud, or crying. Do you remember thinking-

MY child will NEVER do that

or

I would NEVER bring a child here

or

They need to TAKE CONTROL of that child.

Flashforward to the present time. Boy – karma really bites you in the butt!  We’ve all had our share of embarrassment from our children. Maybe that’s why we embarrass them when they are older  - paybacks!

If you read my personal blog, you’ve probably read about my proud mom moment last year at church. My youngest, Connor, seems to have some personal mission to utterly embarrass me! There was the time he stood in the hallway at school while I was helping serve lunch. He had his pants and undies around his ankles as the lunch line went by and yelled, “Mommy I went POOPY! Come help me wipe!” He is the king of throwing monster fake crying fits and let everyone know that there is a problem, too.  Plus, when he was younger people thought I taught him bad language. When he pronounced the word CHOCOLATE it sounded like the F***ing. He would sit in the cart at the grocery store by the milk aisle and say loudly, “I want F***ing Milk!” Over and over again……lets just say he probably drank more Chocolate Milk than he should have when he was younger.

My oldest had his moments too. I remember leaving a store once and there was a man outside the door with a prosthetic leg. Ian looked right at him and said to me, “Cool Mom, a Pirate!!” Then Ian said to him, “AARGHH.” Thankfully the man said, “AARGHH” back, but I quickly apologized and swept him away.

There are so many moments that don’t appear in parenting handbooks. I know when many of these moments happen I feel immediate pressure to take action. I feel the condescending glares of others and try to figure out what to do.

My youngest son, though, has really made me an expert at these moments. I have truly learned that two children raised in the same environment can be TOTALLY different and need different parenting methods. Connor is a very spirited child who speaks his mind and has very strong feelings. He is also extremely social. When he throws one of his fits – not a threat in the world will work, they just make things worse. So, I have to get to the root of what is really upsetting him or just let him get it out of his system.

It’s about forgetting how “normal” or a “good child” is defined by others and letting your child be his “normal.” Correcting him in the way that works for him (once you figure that out) and remembering that even children sometimes just have bad days. They don’t have the social cues we have – there are definitely days I just want to scream, “LEAVE ME ALONE.” at people, but I know better.

As a parent, you don’t have to feel embarrassed of your child and should realize that all kids are different and bring something very special and unique to this world.  The key is finding those qualities.

I keep telling myself that Connor is going to be the type of person that will always strive to get what he wants. He won’t give up which will lead to amazing things. Someday his determination won’t embarrass me anymore, but make me so proud!

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

As a mom, my day feels like this a lot like this……

So, I really try to take advantage of Mother’s Day as one of the days that is truly about me! In my family, I am usually the one who gets up with the kids. My husband leaves early in the morning during the week to commute to his job, so I tend to let him sleep in on the weekends.

Best Part of Mothers Day #1 -I always sleep in

When I do decide to wake up, I always have my favorite breakfast waiting, since breakfast is my favorite.

Best Part of Mothers Day #2 – A Warm Breakfast that I didn’t prepare.

If I get those two things, I’m a happy mom. Of course, Children that don’t cry, fight, or mess for the day would be awesome too, but lets be realistic!

So, I started thinking about what I wanted as a gift for Mothers Day, plus to give some ideas for you to share or even to make for your moms. So, I went to my favorite place - Pinterest.

Wouldn’t this Hand Flower be precious for either yourself or Grandma. Imagine a field of different  colored flowers if you have several children. Frame it and have a treasure for years to come.

Are your children older? Print out this great newspaper and have them fill in all the things that make you the World’s Best Mom!

Don’t miss the fabulous Mother’s Day Craft page at garanimals.com. There are greeting cards, coloring pages, and easy-to-make picture frame and magnets. My favorite items are the Mother’s Day Coupons. Who wouldn’t want a coupon for a giant kiss, a personal helper or a special day together? These are great gifts for both you and your child. And you thought they just made great clothes!

This is a completely doable craft for a dad. It’s a notepad that has 30 reasons you are loved with money slipped inside. This would be cute even with a simple binder clip to make it super easy for dad!

For a purchased item, I love these rings. How fun to have several rings that are engraved with your children’s names. I think these would even be adorable as a necklace. Another place I love to look is Etsy.

For really young children a simple fingerprint creation, homemade stepping stone, or a bush or tree you can plant is a great idea!

These are just a few of the great things I have found – Check out my other items on Pinterest for Mothers Day! Make your own Pinterest Board and send the link out. Great way to share a hint, but get something you want!

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

I am so excited to share this great project for you, just in time for Mothers Day. This post will take you step by step through making a great necklace that can showcase a favorite photograph.

The materials:

Small photo to use part of or a cropped and printed photo
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Mod Podge or another sort of adhesive
Jewelry bezel that allows for photo to be set in (I used a square one, but there are all sorts of shapes available)

All of these materials I either had on hand or purchased at our local craft store. The bottle of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic lasts for several projects and the jewelry can run anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on the item.

The step that requires the most work is the photograph. First, you need to choose one. Once that is done you can either crop the whole photo to fit in the bezel or you can take the existing photo and use a part of it that may fit in the piece.

I used regular Mod Podge to glue my photo to the metal. You could use any type of glue, since you are just holding it in place while the coating dries.

Now take your Dimensional Magic and fill the piece in. Be sure to squeeze gently and not move the bottle up and down too much – you don’t want air bubbles. It will look cloudy, but don’t worry, it will clear as it dries. I was a little careless and got bubbles, but they really aren’t that noticeable.

Now let it dry. When I took this picture, it had only dried for about 7 hours, but I then left it alone overnight to be sure. Wasn’t that easy? And so professional. In addition to photographs you could do quotes, scrapbook paper, or other items.

Plus, you don’t have to only do necklaces, you could do  charms for a bracelet, key chains, or other items. I am itching to purchase some bottle caps so I can make magnets with it!

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Spring means a big thing where I live – garage sales. I’m don’t frequent them very much to shop, but I do hold one every few years. I love to clear out all my stuff and get some money back in return. I am currently preparing for a sale to get rid of all my boys clothes since birth (about 20 totes worth), along with baby things, numerous toys for inside and outside and household goods that have been kicking around.

I usually make around $1000 when I hold one of my sales, so I wanted to share some of my tips.

Cleaning makes a difference: Dusting off old items or even giving a good cleaning to really dirty items makes a difference in value. Items covered in dirt and dust are likely to be overlooked, but if you clean them they not only catch the buyers eye, but also increase the value you can sell it for.

Price Everything: People are usually put off by having to ask how much a certain item costs. The way I usually price is by using masking tape. I write the price on the tag and stock it in a prominent place on the item. I have heard that yellow electrical tape works well also, so I may try that because it will catch people’s eyes better. Be careful when you stick it to the item, especially with book for things with other stickers. It may remove what is under it.

It’s all in the display:  When you lay out your tables make sure to put your items that you want to sell the most (dependent on value or interest) in a place of importance. Put it in front or make it a little higher. These key places can be replaced as items start to be purchased. I am constantly moving items around if I don’t notice people looking at them. Also, be careful of what you place on the floor. People perceive things on the floor as not being very important and in turn not worth much.

Advertise: A key to a good garage sale is a good turnout. The best way is by advertising. Make sure to include your address, the date and times of the sale and also the groups of some of the items you are selling. As far as forms of advertising some of the things I do are:

• Signs taped to street signs and staked in yards. Make sure the print is very large and bold so people can read it.
• Local Newspaper
• Craigslist Ads
• Facebook
• Email to friends and family
• Garage Sale Finder

Stock up on change: I usually like to have about $75 in change. Typically I have about 30-one dollar bills, a roll of quarters ($10), and 7-five dollar bills. I also make a rule that I don’t typically except checks.

Make money in other ways to supplement the sale: Last year I did a combined sale with a friend. The kids sold lemonade and cupcakes. They actually made a good deal of money that way. At my rummage I think the boys will be selling water and drink sticks along with some sort of treat.

Most of all – Have Fun! Don’t get discouraged by people wanting to make deals either. They are out for the best deal they can find.

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Reading is such an important thing to do with your children. It not only is so wonderful intellectually but can connect people in special ways. It can be completely free (with the help of a library card) and is a great way to develop the imagination. Have you ever read a book and then found yourself disappointed when the story didn’t match the one you had imagined?

I remember when I was pregnant with my oldest, my husband would read the book What Daddies Do Best to my belly a couple evenings every week. As babies we always read to our boys. The book I read to them the most was an A-B-C  and other teether books. Garanimals sells ones just like these. I read these several times a day from infancy up. I also enjoyed reading the book, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. As babies, I got to pick the book to read so I liked the mushy ones, but as the boys got older they wanted to pick other ones.

Reading every evening became a part of our  bedtime ritual. After getting on our sons’ pajamas and brushing their teeth, my husband always reads a story to them. They read That’s Not My Monster, which is part of the Usborne line, endless times. You can tell it was well loved as we have taped it together more than once. This was a great book when they were toddlers. As they grew into preschoolers their favorites were Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner and Mo Willems books especially Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

It is also great to see the differences in the books that each child picks out each night. After we finishing reading our book and saying good night, we encourage the boys to look at books until they fall asleep. Connor, my youngest, very much enjoys the brightly illustrated picture books, while Ian always picks out books that are more comic book in nature.

Ian is now reading on his own and loves to take an early reader chapter book to enjoy himself. He loves to explore the different series of books there are. In Kindergarten his teacher would read the Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osbourne and he loved to tell me about all the different adventures.  He just started reading that series again on his own. This year his teacher is reading the Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This has opened up a great conversation between him and his Nana as she would read that series as a child. They love to sit and talk about the different characters. He has already started a book bucket list that will keep him very busy this summer.

I can’t wait for him to start reading some of my favorites by Judy Blume, Little House on the Prairie, and other favorites of mine. I have been reading some of the books he really likes myself. They are very quick easy reads and give me some insight when he explains them. I think I may have to check into a “book club” for young readers for him to join this summer.

What are some of your children’s favorite books?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Here’s comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping down the Bunny Trail,
Hippity, Hoppity, Easter’s on its way!

I actually just realized this week that the Easter Bunny will be making his (or her?) annual stop at our house hiding eggs and baskets throughout our house. This year is flying by and I’m not sure where the time is going. So, this week will be all about shopping for special treasures for the Easter Basket and Easter Eggs.

My first step was visiting my secret stash of gifts that I keep hidden to see what will work from there. I found several things there:

• Deck of Cards - the boys love to play war with their Grandma so I thought this might be a great thing to do at home
• Books – I bought a bunch of books at Christmas time for the boys. My oldest is starting to fly through Early Reader Chapter Books so he definitely needs his stash refreshed. Plus I have some great books for my younger one also.
• Socks- My boys love specialty socks that look like cartoon characters or super heroes. I saw some earlier in the year and picked them up in case I ever needed something little as a reward.

I was glad to have a good start to my baskets and eggs. Then I started to brainstorm some other ideas for my boys baskets and a basket for my goddaughter, too.

Some of my most treasured memories are captured in photos. Although, some of my photos leave a lot to be desired. I wanted to share with you some tips that I have learned from friends that are professional photographers for taking better photos of children. Some of the hardest subjects next to animals.

Chose Natural Light when available
The best place to take photos is in the outdoors, but if you are stuck inside try to choose a spot that is next to a window with sunlight shining in on the subject.

Choose the right angle to take the photos from
The photo below shows how I got down to my child’s level instead of standing and looking down on them. Whether you have to kneel, lay or sit on the floor.

Try your best to get a natural smile

One of the worst things I ever did was to teach my oldest to say “CHEESE.” It makes for one ugly smile when you are a child. Instead, try to act silly and make them laugh.

Pictures Snapped while the child isn’t Looking

I like to take pictures when my child doesn’t realize. They may be looking at something or thinking. These photos really capture a “truth” about them.

Use Items as Props

Every year I use letters to spell out the word DAD in a photo display for my husband. These props make some fun times for capturing my kids, plus I think it distracts them from the actual photo taking.

Think of Close-Ups 

Some of the greatest photos are of things other than your child’s face. Focus on hands or tiny feet to showcase some of the favorite parts of your child. Also focus in on other favorite parts of your child – maybe their face during a tantrum, or holding a special item.

Last but not least – Sometimes you need to put the Camera down and just enjoy the moment. There are times when I realize that I am just all about taking pictures and not enjoying the moment. Events are times that I am very good at this, whether it be a family vacation, activity or even one of my sons sporting event. You just need to enjoy and capture those pictures in your mind.

What are your tips to take good pictures of your kids?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

My kids always look forward to St. Patrick’s day because we have quite a tricky little leprechaun that comes and visits our house. When my youngest son was almost two, I started a tradition of dyeing our milk and toilet water green. Just a little green food coloring does the trick! The leprechaun also left a little treat at the breakfast table like a pair of St. Patty’s Day socks, a shamrock straw or a book about leprechauns. Just last year, when my oldest had just turned six and my youngest almost four they decided that they needed to catch this leprechaun so they built a trap.

They put some gold coins under the box that we had leftover from a pirate birthday party we had just held. The next morning the trap was down and they insisted we must have caught him. When I lifted the top it was empty and that tricky leprechaun had left again. They are already talking about the trap they want to make this year so he can’t do anything silly to our stuff.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have all kinds of things planned for this year. It is a Saturday so it makes it a little easier to do things due to more time in the morning for the kids. Here’s some of the ideas I am working on:

• A box of Lucky Charms cereal left for Breakfast
• Turning even MORE things green!
• Draw a Leprechaun Coloring Page
• Leprechaun Floats for Dinner
• Plus I have several different hunts I’m trying to decide between

As a parent I don’t know how my parents survived doctor visits, car rides, or waiting in the car pool lane without much of the technology that exists today. When I am unavailable to my children my iPod and iPad are great ways to entertain, teach and distract my children. They also work great as “rewards” for completing chores or behaving correctly.

Many of the apps we have for the children are free or just a few dollars. If my boys want an app that costs money they usually use their own ITunes gift card to buy it. This makes a great gift idea when you don’t need any more toys.  We all know that my family doesn’t need any more of them.  

Now many of these apps are available for all kinds of tablets, smartphones, and other devices. My boys and I wanted to share some of our favorite apps with you.

One of my boys favorite apps as toddler/preschoolers was Peekaboo Barn. Animals hide behind the barn doors and wait to play peekaboo with their little friends. I remember my youngest son giggling all the time when the animal would pop out! Great for animal sound and name recognition.

When I was younger I had The Monster at the end of the this Book  as a Little Golden Book. I would look at it and my mom would read it to me all the time. The pages were torn and the binding was repaired several times. I was so excited to find an app that brings the book to life! It not only contains the same story, but you can interactively try to turn the pages to get to the end of the book, but Grover interacts by pleading and asking you to please not turn another page. This app is a little more pricey but definitely worth every dollar!

This app carries on the enjoyment that my kids love in the app above. Another Monster at the End of this Book adds even more interactivity and adds a favorite character Elmo to the story. Check out what other of your favorite books have apps. Another one we enjoy is Don’t let the Pigeon Run this App!  or Skippyjon Jones.

The Teach Me app series is not only educational, but fun! There is one for toddlers, kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade. For toddlers, it covers many different educational areas, including numbers, letters, colors and letters. A very well rounded educational experience that builds on concepts and provides “rewards” for answering sections correctly. It warms my heart when my boys choose to play educational apps like this!

A free app, music is the key to the fun here. Create your own Seussical instrument by selecting different horns and then playing Rockband style. The easy levels are good for small children while the middle levels work for lower elementary aged children. My boys also have a lot of fun creating their own freestyle tunes.

These are just a few of my favorite apps. Have you ever thought of just searching the App Store? Once we searched with the word – MAKER. Now our iPod holds games to make ICEE’s, donuts, pizza, and every other food you could imagine. These entertain my kids much of the time and save me the mess! Have you ever searched under your favorite company or toy?. There is an app for Easy Bake Oven, Play-doh, and Battleship, to name just a few. There truly is an app for almost everything your child loves!

What are some of your favorite apps?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.