A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

My name is Mister Rodgers.

I'm glad that you are near.

You've made this day a special day

By just your being here.

-Opening song from Mister Rodgers Neighborhood (as well as first page in a great new book!)

Who didn't like Mister Rodgers? I don't know anyone who has answered "I can't stand the guy" or "I didn't like the show". I remember when I was much younger, there was a time my mom had this older woman watch me during the day. I don't have many clear memories of that woman but a few. One of them rare memories is every afternoon after our naps, I could walk downstairs, she'd make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I ate it while watching Mister Rodgers neighborhood.

Today's generation continues enjoying Mister Rodgers neighborhood but in the form of Daniel Tiger's neighborhood which is a sweet cartoon. We here love Daniel but with owning a Roku, we're able to get a PBS channel with the option of watching the original show that started it all as well. Having the option to enjoy both is great because both provide entertainment as well as great everyday life lessons for the kids to understand.

During Maverick's last scholastic school book order, I preordered a book of poetry! Not just any poetry, poetry of Mister Rodgers! It arrived to his school just yesterday and today I was able to share a little bit of it with the Maverick and one of his friends. I am so excited to enter this season of spring relaxing (as much as a mom can ) outside and sharing these fun songs created by Mister Rodgers, with my son and other children. Illustrated as poetry by Luke Flowers makes for a peaceful read with fun pictures for the kiddos!

I love the messages and the love Mister Rodgers clearly had for children. He provided the world fun ways for kids to get through or better understand their (and our) many feelings!
At around noon today, I laid on one of our rocks along our rock steps outside while the boys sat by me and I read 4 of the poems. We had to stop to go in for lunch but my son said as we were closing the book "that was nice reading that out here." I agreed. I recommend this book and wouldn't be surprised if I share a page or two from it in the future! I really don't mean for my blog to become book recommendations but as a fun place for moms or other care takers to just come to either know they're not alone or find fun ways to spend the days with their loved ones! This book just seems to be a super fun way to spend time with my son and the other children I am blessed to watch grow.

Making ME time a priority

Making time for myself is easier said then done! I may be blessed enough to work from home and make my family my first priority but it becomes hard to make myself a priority. I’m sure I’m not alone in that!!

Busy with the kids, the pets, keeping everyone happy and making sure everyone has what they need for the day and the next day. When I get a free moment, I end up feeling guilty about it and start cleaning. The never ending laundry piles. Thank goodness we finally got a new dish washer!!! I’d do dishes all day long. Go to bed with a clean sink and wake up to more dishes that appeared while I slept! The dish washer has very much helped me out!

With the days going by so fast, I try to appreciate what I have and snuggle with my son as much as he’ll allow before he’s done snuggling with his mama. Sad thought but I know for me to be better for him, for his brother, for their dad and everyone who comes in contact with me during the day, I have to force myself to take time for ME!

I’ve signed up for another yoga class which I never regret going to! I love yoga and everything it stands for. Not only for my physical benefits but it really does calm down the mind. Helps me slow down, take a breath and put certain things in a different perspective or just not care much at all about another thing. Also! Journaling. It may sound silly but when I stop doing it, I do notice I feel more sluggish. Why not remind myself of the 5 good things that happen every day?! I wake up sometimes and I hate when a thought comes into my mind reminding me of ONE bad thing that happened the day before, leaving me feel like crap! I have to remind myself of the good things and tell myself feeling bad about something I feel I did wrong or something that didn’t go well the day before, won’t help me have a better day.

Everyday is a new day! A new chance to be better! I am not perfect but I strive for positive progress everyday. So today I am going to try and push out the negative thoughts, forgive myself for the small moments in yesterday I lost my patience and remember the multiple moments where I was calm and smiley.

Little ways to make time for ME today! 
1) keep journaling
2) keep reading my book
3) Don’t rush to stay on time, work on blog
4) put a movie on at quiet time for the boys and take some time for yoga!
5) be thankful for coffee and breath in the fresh air outside!

Kid deals!

If you don't know already, Gymboree is sadly going out of business. They have been 40%-60% OFF!! I put in my order and got it already! At first their system was screwed up and wasn't sending out the tracking number so I got concerned but after a quick reply from them, I learned my order would be here by March 13th. Its here already! Score! So far everything looks great!

I ordered a lunch box for my son. Next school year will be his first year being at school ALL day. This year he can eat at home but his dad makes him a cold lunch here and there so he can be more like big brother 😊. My son loves his new lunchbox! Spent his quiet time last week just admiring it. It was priced $8.97 and I got it for $3.79! Also I ordered some adorable ivory colored onesies for my cousins upcoming baby this spring, shirts for my niece and nephew as well as two fun shirts for our youngest son! (Jonah has grown right out of the kids section 😟 ) They have all seemed to meet my satisfactory so far!

So! If you're interested in some fun kid products or sweet graphic tees, get to Gymboree.com! It is their final week. Deals advertised 60% - 70% OFF! This is not a sponsored ad. Just a fun tip!

Taking the pressure off him and off mom

Alright its Thursday morning. Maverick and I have had a nice morning getting ready, finishing up his breakfast, and brush his teeth. As Maverick brushes his teeth, our friends start arriving. During this drop off, one of the boys mothers tell him he needs to use his words to ask me if he can bring something to the couch with him. Backing the mother up, I wait  for the boy to use his words and ask me. Has nothing to do with me and my son who is getting himself prepared for the bus which will be coming soon. The other boy doesn't use his words and starts crying. My son then starts feeling sorry for his friend and starts crying and yelling at me saying its all my fault. Oh joy, what a great start for not only my morning but my son's as well. I try to simply explain to my son to mind his own business and its not my fault his friend is crying. His friend is suppose to use his words and is choosing not to. As we go outside, I'm moving on but my son is still upset for his friend. After my son makes a hurtful comment to me I say well I love you and send him on the bus.

As his mother, I'm sad for this. Not only were we having a good morning and now I sent him off upset but I'm torn. Of course I love that my son wants to defend his friends but I want him to understand theres a time and a place. You need to mind your own business as well. Feeling defeated because how do you help a soon to be 5 year old understand when to step in for friends and when to mind your own bees wax!

Later, after consulting with the school counselor, she was amazed by my son's empathy at such a young  age. She said most kids at 8 years old don't even have that feeling of true empathy for others. I tried expressing how I'm worried for his future, his anger and yes I want him to be sympathetic to others but dang it, mind your business and be on your moms side. Don't attack me for another moms situation with her child. The counselor told me my son isn't seeing it as that. He is seeing that after I spoke to his friend, his friend started crying. He doesn't see it as a battle with his mom, he wants his friend to be happy.

I had planned to talk to my son after he got off the bus but the counselor advised me not to. A bad morning doesn't make for a bad day. Just because he got upset this morning, doesn't mean he can't still earn stickers the rest of the day. He wasn't trying to make a fight with me. He just shows so much empathy and I should take the pressure off him as well as me. She knows I want my son to be a good boy and the fact that he is showing empathy for others already, I should feel proud and not stress so much about him being good all the time. She said its rare for his age to feel so sympathetic for another person. She also added at school and with her in her class, he is awesome which of course is music to any moms ears.

I had let it go. When he got off the bus, he greeted everyone nicely and seemed to have forgotten what went on earlier before getting on the morning bus. We had a good rest of the day!

So, if anyone has any good tips on teaching my son the appropriate times to step in and protect a friend and the appropriate times to mind  his own business, awesome! Otherwise I'm going to try to calm down, not stress what other moms maybe judging me by (because lets be real, half the stress is the pressure with all the mom shaming ) and do  what the counselor said. Be happy my son is showing so much empathy at a young age. I can teach and tell right from wrong but emotions are something that are always changing. It may suck he  got upset with me (and to be honest, when he talks back to me I want to give the mouth a little smack) but I'm happy my son just wants his friends to be happy. We just need to try to navigate through these tricky emotions. Breathe.

Dr. Seuss Schlopp

Think! Think and wonder.

Wonder and think.

"Oh, the thinks you can think!"

I love this book. It's so fun! (Not to mention came in handy for some quick preteen advice in a daily lunch note. Reminding our oldest the thinks you can think up if only you TRY)

This was our Friday treat with their lunch. We made Schlopp. Beauitful Schlopp!

They got to "THINK" up what color they wanted their Schlopp to be. Two picked green and one picked yellow! It was a hit. I let them crush some of the m&ms, add the drops of their food coloring and help stir it up! Some nibbled but others inhaled it! 

We also enjoyed reading "If I ran the ZOO" which is perfect to go with "Oh, the things you can Think" because its about the boy thinking about the places he'd go and the creatures he'd find to create his perfect zoo. I encouraged the boys to tell me what they would have at their zoo at the end. I got answers such as elephants and even Raptor dinosaurs!!! 

Maverick's teachers sent out a fun Dr. Seuss dress up schedule for NEXT week so I shared it with the families that come here and said we'll be joining in on the fun with Maverick! We're excited to continue celebrating the writer to so many beloved books.

Easy Dr. Seuss Fun

We continued this week with our Dr.Seuss theme we started Monday. In a previous post I shared with you our "Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb" project, but I'd like to use this post to share with you some
More of our fun from this week!

 "Dr. Seuss's One fish two fish red fish blue fish"

was read at story time this week so for their craft that day, they remade the book cover on yellow construction paper. Every kid loved getting their hands painted and having them turned into FISH! 

"THE CAT IN THE HAT"

This was another book that was read at story time this week! We also enjoyed the PBS show "The cat in the Hat Knows A lot about That" as well as the Mike Myers movie! I love reading this one to my group because at the end the Cat in the Hat comes back to help Sally and her brother clean up the mess. 

"Who was back in the house?

Why, the cat!

"Have no fear of this mess,"

Said the Cat in the Hat.

"I always pick up all my playthings

And so...

I will show you another 

Good trick that I know!"

Great lesson to the kids that even though he gets crazy and can create a big mess, he will help clean up! 

For this Craft, I had the kids use their hands to make Thing 1 and Thing 2