Lazy Days of Summer?!

Well, the Mocha Monday Moms have been enjoying the "lazy days of summer" (if you can even call them that!). We have been super busy with vacations, camps, hanging out by the pool, you name it.  While we have enjoyed this busy time with our families and friends, we are ready to get back to our blog.  We have been brainstorming many ideas and projects and can't wait to share them with you guys! Stay tuned for some exciting posts coming next month! Thanks for staying with us!

Five Minute Playground Magic

Anyone dread leaving the playground? Your little angels are swinging away happily or enjoying themselves in the sandbox but you know that these four little words will turn them into monsters make them very unhappy:

"It's time to go!"

But I have a secret trick. My kids have no idea. I promise you I can only really remember one time when we've had a leaving-the-playground fit in the four and a half years we've been frequenting every playground within 5 miles of our house!

Ready to be in on the secret? Here's what you do:

About 5 minutes before YOU are ready to leave the playground, ask your sweet little darling children the following question: "Do you want to go now or in 5 minutes?"

Of course they will answer "5 minutes." And then, after 5 minutes (or if you're like me, 20 minutes because you got caught up talking to another mama) you can say to those non-temper-tantruming sweethearts, "I'm so glad you chose to stay five more minutes. That was really fun. Now let's go." Because your child made the decision about when to leave, leaving the playground is much easier.

It works. I promise. But let me give you some background. It works because it's something called "Shared Control." I learned this from the AWESOME folks over at Love & Logic (click for free articles!). I was fortunate enough to have to teach a parenting class loooong before I was ever a parent. I taught parents of teenagers who were on probation and we used Love & Logic as our curriculum. Based on the results I saw in those families, I knew I had a winner!

Shared control works best if you do it all the time. The little 5 minute thing will work pretty well on the playground, but I use this technique ALL DAY LONG with my kiddos. I give them two or three options, ALL of them things I approve, and let them choose. They feel like they have a voice, it gives them practice making decisions yet they have no idea that I have limited the field for them so that they can't choose something I'm not okay with. I am in control, but they think they are. Perfect!

The more your child feels like he/she's had a say in what's going on in life, the more likely he/she is to acquiesce when the situations arise when they don't get to make the decision.

Here's another example:

SNACKTIME:
Me: Sweet child of mine, would you like grapes, apples, or banana with peanut butter for snack? (notice no cookies in there)
My child: Apples with peanut butter! (fine by me).
**Now my kiddo is used to choices like this and knows if he chooses outside of what's offered, then I will choose for him. Let me give you another scenario

SNACKTIME:
Me (same question): Dearest one, would you like grapes, apples, or banana with peanut butter for snack?
Child: Cookies!
Me: Oh how sad, that wasn't a choice. Looks like we're having grapes.
**Will he freak out 'cause I chose grapes? Yes. A lot. But guess what? I don't give in. And next time I give options, you can bet he'll choose something I've listed.

Want another example?

GETTING READY:
Your child does NOT want to put on his shoes. If you say "Put on your shoes!" all he has to do is say "NO!" And you're out of luck. That kid just showed you who's boss. Try this instead:
Me: Hey buddy, it's time to get ready to go. Do you want to put your shoes on first or your jacket?
Child who does NOT want to put on shoes: Jacket
Me: Okay. Do you want to do it yourself or should I help?
Child who does NOT want to put on shoes: Do it myself!
Me: Great! Hmmm... should I put my shoes on next or you?
Child who does NOT want to put on shoes: You!
Me: Okay. Should I put them on by myself or do you want to help me?
Child who does NOT want to put on shoes: I'll help you (now he's giggling because it's funny to think of Mommy needing help with shoes)
Me: Thanks for the help! Do you want to start with your left foot or your right?
Child who is now considering putting on shoes: left!
Me: Gotcha. Should I help you or do you want to do it yourself....

... you can imagine how the rest of the conversation goes. It actually takes less time to go through all of that than it does to have a massive power struggle over the shoes. And your child feels empowered to make decisions about how her morning is going.


What's the point? Well, not having to have everyone at the playground watch you as you drag your screaming kicking child to the car is always nice. But more importantly, by giving choices like these, we are teaching and empowering our children to make decisions. They only get about 18 years to practice before the consequences of their decisions get infinitely bigger.

I want to give my kiddos the most practice they can get!

Whatever Wednesday!

Today is all about whatever! There is no telling what we will write about on Wednesdays!! So here it goes! With the start of this blog, I have actually decided to carry Whatever Wednesday into my personal weekly routine. I find myself overwhelmed with the everyday chores of cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. If I don't factor in some time for myself, I lose all motivation for these things. Now I'm not trying to sound selfish, I just know that having time for myself brings me back to center and helps me then focus on everyone and everything else that needs to be done. Time to myself can be as simple as taking a long bubble bath, organizing a closet, something crafty, or just sitting and watching TV. I don't necessarily need uninterrupted time (because we moms know that isn't going to happen!). I just want some time to do whatever I want and put the cleaning, laundry and everything else on the back burner - without feeling guilty. And so my Whatever Wednesday is that day! It gives me something to look forward to each week and it re-engerizes me for the rest of the week to come.

What re-energizes you? Do you have a time of the week where you can just say whatever goes?

FINALLY FRIDAY!!!

Hello there! Hope you have had a good week! We have enjoyed the beginnings of blogging and hope you are sharing us with your friends! The weather is looking beautiful for us here in NC and I can't wait to get outdoors this weekend. We are going to have a lazy weekend and just do stuff around the house and start working on preparations for my Little One's 2nd Birthday in a few weeks! Very exciting and can't wait to blog about all the things I'm making for it! What are you guys doing this weekend?? Any exciting projects planned? We would love to hear from you!

Reading: It's What We Do!

Time can get away from all of us when we are wiping noses, changing diapers and clothes, cooking, and (if you're like me) driving day in and day out! As hectic and stressed as our days can get, we try really hard not to neglect reading time with each of our three children on a daily basis.

We started reading with our first child when he was just a couple of months old. At first I really didn't know what effect it would have on him. We would read a couple of board books before both naps and just before bed at night. After a while we realized how much each of us looked forward to it. It was our routine, it's just what we did! This routine carried on with our next two children and they have always looked forward to it!

Reading has become a habit in our house, almost like a tradition. We give our children new books during holidays, birthdays, vacations or sometimes just because! Now when I say give, it's not always a brand new book for them to keep. We borrow from our local library all the time so that keeps the stories fresh and new! Our children love the variety, not to mention, using their own library cards! We keep books in our car rather than DVDs.

Our children's rooms all contain books. There's always room on a shelf or a basket for a few books! As our children have grown their interests have changed. Three children mean three different kinds of reading material at any given time. We have board books, chapter books, information books, biographies, and age appropriate magazines, to name a few! Right now our oldest is into Boys Life, National Geographic for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids and Harry Potter! Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse books were a favorite for a while too.

Our daughter is just starting to make those early reading connections so we have lots of beginner books for her. Currently she loves Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor and Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant. She also loves for us to read the descriptions in the latest American Girl doll catalog.

Of course our youngest is just starting out in board books. Some of his favorite authors include Sandra Boynton, Margaret Wise Brown and James Marshall. He really likes Goodnight Moon and Hey Diddle Diddle but his all time favorite is Peek a Who? by Nina Laden! He loves to open the books, look at the pictures and ok I'll admit, even chew on a corner or too!

Also, for quick bursts of reading we use Brain Quest! Brain Quest are fun question & answer flashcards on general knowledge, math, etc. all based on age/grade level. We have a basket in our living room that the kids enjoy being challenged with. It can be a quick confident booster and hey, it fosters that together time again, even if it's only for a few minutes!

I'd love to hear about how you incorporate reading in your families. What are some of your children's favorite topics, stories and authors?

Sweet Spring Snakes Tutorial

 Before we even get started, let me confess - I don't like snakes. Not real ones. They freak me out. But for the sake of my children, I've gotten a lot braver and now can even touch them if my kids are watching.

These snakes, however, I adore. They're sweet and cuddly and have been sharing the bed with my kiddos lately. One may or may not have accidentally shared my bed with me one night!

And here's how to make one of your own!





 You'll need:
Patterned fabric for the top of the snake, ironed!
Buttons or snap-on eyes.
Red felt scrap for the tongue
Coordinating felt for the bottom of the snake
Pinto Beans, stuffing, or Green lentils (I like lentils best)


First, make yourself a pattern. You just need 1/2 a snake head.

I drew a whole snake head, then folded it in half the long way. That way you can be sure your snake's head is symmetrical (unlike my drawing!)





Next, cut yourself a snake! Fold your fabric in half and line the edge of your pattern up with the edge of your fabric.  The quick way to do this is to trace the head and neck, then just cut a straight line for the rest of the snake's body (ps. I think a rotary cutter is a MUST for any sewing project).  Decide how thick you want your snake, then cut him straight. I wanted my snake to be 3 inches wide, so I cut a straight line at 1 1/2 inches  away from the fold. About 6 inches before where you want your snake to end, angle your cutting back towards the fold so it ends in a point.  Do the same with your felt.

 

Make yourself a tiny snake tongue with the red felt. Mine look different every time!

Now add the eyes to your snake. If you're sewing on buttons or adding snap-on eyes, this is the time to do it! (PS. This picture is weird because I did forget! I was sewing around the head when I remembered just in time!)

Next, sandwich your top and bottom snake pieces - RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. And don't forget to sandwich your little tongue in there. You want the tip of the tongue inside, pointing towards the snake's tail.

I always like to pin all the way around the snake so that nothing gets out of place. I leave a larger opening between two pins towards the snake's tail. That's the spot I'll leave open so I can turn him inside out:

Starting at one side of the opening, sew all the way around the snake, leaving a 1/4 inch seam.  You should be just fine stopping there, but this particular snake was going to a preschool, so I wanted him to be extra sturdy. I sewed an additional seam all the way around:

Trim him if necessary... I usually trim at least the tail (all that extra fabric gets in the way when you turn him right-side-out)

Now turn him right-side-out! Use a dowel rod, or the tips of scissors to make sure every seam is right.

Here he is, but he's not quite ready to go... that's one wrinkly snake! Head back to your ironing board and straighten that snake out before you stuff him!

 

 Fill him up with whatever you choose. This snake needed to be 3 pounds for therapeutic reasons so I used pinto beans, but for my kids' snakes, we just stuffed them with regular stuffing. I like to use green lentils too!

Last, but not least... you need to sew up that opening! When I want to be fancy, I do it by hand so that the stitches don't show as much, but I decided just to pop him back under my machine:

And there you have it, a sweet spring snake... the kind that won't make you scream!

There are lots of variations you can take on this little guy... check out the "girly" one I made for my daughter using leftover chenille and some brown corduroy:

Cheers!

Welcome to our blog and our first post! Hope you have grabbed your favorite cup of mocha and are ready to join us on this journey called Motherhood!  We just wanted to introduce ourselves to you, tell you about our blog and thank you for stopping by.

We are Heather, Jenn and Kirstin.  Three very busy stay at home moms.  We met at our children's preschool and became fast friends.  After standing around chit chatting in the parking lot for hours on end, we decided we needed a more comfortable place to meet!  So Mocha Monday was born.  Each Monday, we meet at whoever's house is clean enough to walk through (HaHa!) and talk and talk and drink our coffee while our children play.  

We share many different things with each other - parenting tips, recipes, financial advice, dreams and failures - all things we have learned from other parents, things we have read, our own experiences, etc.  But mainly we talk about our love for blogs.  We find so many inspiring ideas in blog world and love to put our own twists on them.  We hope that this blog not only inspires us to create and learn more and push us to do the things we keep "talking" about but also inspire you too.  We have lots to share, so we hope you follow along.....
Make It Mondays
Tutus and Touchdowns Tuesday
Whatever Wednesday
Thrifty Thursday
Finally Friday!