It was just about 4 weeks ago when I told y’all that I didn’t have as much time as I would like to read to my kiddos. Do you remember? Well, a whole lot changed since then, including being told I needed to stay off my feet. Boy, did that little order from my OB create a fabulous opportunity to spend some quality time with my kiddos. What do we do? You guessed it – a whole lot of reading!
That is going to change a bit, of course, when Baby arrives. But, for now, Noah loves to sit with me while he thumbs through the Hallmark Recordable Storybooks, listening to my recorded voice. We laugh and talk about the story together. Sometimes, though, Noah sits by himself and listens to me “read” the stories to him. Most always with a great big grin on his face.
I know that Noah will truly treasure these books, as he gets a little piece of his Mama while she’s busy with his baby brother!
Hallmark is all about sharing their Recordable Storybooks with my friends – Two of YOU will win your very own copy of Thank You, God, For Everything just by leaving a comment here on this post before October 20th!
Also, just as I was able to do last month, I am able to donate another 10 books to a local charitable organization. This month I have chosen to donate the books to our local pregnancy center. (Thanks to Krista for the fab idea!) I know that these books would certainly bless several families welcoming a new baby.
But, what’s more is that one of YOU will win 10 Hallmark Recordable Storybooks to donate to one of YOUR local charities! Leave me a comment telling me about the charity of your choice and why it would be important to you to donate these books to them.
Three winners will be chosen – two to receive a book for their own family and one who will donate the books to a local charity of their choice. Each will be notified by email on or around October 20th.
For us life can be hectic, as I’m sure it is in your home as well. It seems like there’s always something to do; whether it be appointments, 50 phone calls, the dishes, the laundry, the kids’ activities. We’ve all been there and to be honest it seems like this is a regular day for us and the To-Do list is never-ending.
Life itself often gets in the way of the life that we WANT and sometimes for the sake of our family (mainly the children) we need to set our To-Do list aside, even if it’s just for a little while. It’s good for our children AND good for us to spend that special quality time with them. Quality time with your children will often give you the opportunity to talk with your children about things you may not always have the time to talk about, or maybe even open up the line of communication with them for later conversations. It’s important for your kids to know that they can come to you, that they’re important to you, and spending quality time with them is your first step.
Here’s a list of 10 of the activities that I often do with my own children to ensure that they get plenty of time with me:
Rent a family-friendly movie. Make popcorn and snuggle up on the couch together.
Let the kids help in the kitchen. If you’re baking something let them help. My kids love to help put the ingredients in the bowl and mix everything together.
Read to your child. Even if it’s just a bed-time story your children will remember those quiet little moments.
Have a picnic in your house. My kids think this is awesome and it’s a great way to make meal time fun.
Play a game... or two or three!
Make a craft together.
Let your kids help you with the household chores. Oddly enough my youngest LOVES to help with chores around the house. He thinks helping me with laundry is great fun.
Play with toys together. Whether this means playing with dolls, pretend food, or building with blocks, your kids will be thrilled to have your attention and will love playing with you. Just enjoy your time with them and be a kid again. Just be silly and ditch all logic.
Go for a walk together.
“Sleepover!” My daughter and I recently had a “sleepover” with just her and I. We baked cookies, watched a million episodes of a cute television show on Netflix, and made a fun craft. We had so much fun together we stayed up until 1 a.m. This is going to be a monthly tradition in our home now.
For us life can be hectic, as I’m sure it is in your home as well. It seems like there’s always something to do; whether it be appointments, 50 phone calls, the dishes, the laundry, the kids’ activities. We’ve all been there and to be honest it seems like this is a regular day for us and the To-Do list is never-ending.
