Kid Edition

There are so many things I don’t understand about my kids.  Here are just a few:

1. Why do my kids ask to listen to their cds in the car and then persist to talk and play loudly while the music is on, leaving me to listen to their yelling AND Veggie Tales for the 35th time that day?
2. Why do they beg to have a playdate with someone only to ignore them or not play nicely with them and then cry because they miss that person the minute we get in the car to leave?
3. Why do they constantly ask, “Can we puh-lease go and do something fun?” and then, when we do go do something “fun”, they continue on with the questions: “Are we done yet?” “Can I play with some toys or color?” “What are we going to do next?“
4. Why is it that 95% of the day my girls have to be told to talk quieter because they feel the need to yell when they are only inches away from each other, but, when they are trying to tell me something or I ask them a question, they decide to talk in the quietest voice possible?
5. Why, on days that I have absolutely nowhere to go, my 2 year old decides to take a super short nap, but on the days that I need to be somewhere, she takes the longest nap known to man?
6. On the other hand…why does she take short naps when I have a TON of work to get done during nap time and super long naps when I have nothing to do?
7. My girls hate being in the car when we are driving.  So why is it that I can park the van in the driveway and they will spend hours in their playing? Did I mention that they have a sandbox, a ton of outdoor toys, and little pool to splash in? And yet they choose to play in the car….

Are their things that you just don’t understand about your kids?  I’m sure there is a whole different set of questions for each age group.  I’d love to hear about the things you don’t understand and what ages your kids are so I know what to prepare for!

It’s really the one of the year when it’s perfectly acceptable to eat your weight in food that has been deep fried and covered in salt, powdered sugar, cinnamon, or whatever else you can get your hands on!  Ahh, good times! Good guilt-free times.  Festival time!

I love festivals. If scheduling works out, I try to make it back for my hometown’s festival.  You’d be amazed at how many people travel back for my hometown’s festival.  And I’m not really sure why.

The best part of festivals is that you can pretty much create a festival around whatever you like — fish, vegetables, fruit, flowers, birds, etc. While every festival seems to offer something different, there always seems to be something for every age group.  And most festivals are now taking advantage of the internet and social media by putting their schedules and brochures online (hello! thank you for joining the rest of the world).

Here is a list of some West Michigan (and a few not-so West Michigan) festivals this summer:

Maranda’s Park Parties – I guess these are technically “festivals” but they are yearly summer events that your kids will love!  Check out their website for locations and dates.

Tulip Time – Holland (May 1 –
Already passed, but put it on your list next year.

Festival of the Arts – Grand Rapids (June 4 – 6)
This one has passed as well, but add it to your list!

Lilac Festival – Mackinac Island (June 11 – 20)
I know this one is quite the drive if you’re in West Michigan, but it’s absolutely worth it! The Island itself is beautiful, but when you cover it in lilacs…breathtaking!

Hudsonville Art In the Park – Hudsonville
(June 12)

Feast of the Strawberry Moon – Grand Haven
(June 12 – 13)
This one looks, umm, interesting…

Spring Lake Heritage Festival – Spring Lake
(June 15 – 20)

South Haven Harborfest – South Haven (June 17 – 20)

West Michigan Chalk Art Festival – Byron Center (June 18 – 19)

City of Walker Festival – Walker (June 19)

Muskegon Summer Celebration – Muskegon (June 24 – July 4)

National Cherry Festival – Travers City (July 3 – 10)
Ok, yet again not in West Michigan necessarily, but worth the drive to go! It’s one of the largest festivals in the state and has a ton of great things going on! And it’s a beautiful area!

National Baby Food Festival – Fremont (July 21 – 24)

Ionia Free Fair – Ionia (July 22 – 31)

Ottawa County Fair – Holland(July 26 – 31)

Muskegon County Fair – Muskegon (July 27 – 31)

Byron Days Festival – Byron Center (July 30 – 31)

Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival – Grand Haven (July 30 – Aug

If you know of a festival that I left out, please let me know so I can add it! Thanks!

Now that you’ve picked which festivals you’re hoping to check out this summer, let’s talk about some tips for surviving those festivals with kids!

Survival Tips:

1. Check the schedule before you embark! Time is usually of the essence when traveling with kids, so make sure you know where you’re going and when things start!
2. Bring a stroller or wagon! Your little ones may be big enough or determined to walk but eventually they’ll get tired and you’ll be stuck carrying a tired five year old, a half eaten elephant ear, and a giant stuffed dog that cost you $30 to win at the ring toss as you try to find your car amongst the hundreds of others. Plus, if the kids do decide they can walk to the car, you can always use the wagon to tote the giant stuffed dog!
3. Anticipate weather change! If you’ve lived in Michigan for at least one summer, you know how quickly weather can change in a matter of a few hours.  Toss in some sweatshirts or long sleeves, an umbrella, and some sunblock in the backpack or wagon. (Yet another good reason to bring the wagon.)
4. Pack a snack or meal! Of course, indulge in the “culinary arts” of the festival.  Eat a corn dog, followed by a funnel cake, and top it off with ice cream.  But, if you’re planning on spending the day (or night) out you will want to pack something a little more nutritious for snacking or as a meal.  Likely your kid will have a meltdown at some point, so why tempt fate a sugar induced crash or a hungry kid? Some carrot sticks, crackers, or granola can help balance out that blood sugar and curb hunger.  If you’re going to be out for multiple meals, look around for a cafe where you can get sandwiches instead of opting for another corn dog.
5. Bring water! Inevitably you and your kids are going to get thirsty.  Avoid dehydration by packing a few water bottles with you (again, good reason to take the wagon).  Bottles of water are crazy expensive at festivals and you don’t necessarily want to be sucking down soda after soda.  Maybe even pick up a few reusable water bottles that have the built in ice pack/tube to keep your water colder longer.  A thirsty mom kid means a cranky mom kid.
6. Scope it out first! If the festival has a carnival section, take a few minutes to walk around and check it out before you buy a roll of ride tickets.  Make sure there are rides that are age appropriate for your kids and check the height restrictions.  Also, ask the ride attendant if accompanying parents ride for free.  Now you’ll have a better idea of how many ride tickets you actually need.  Most carnivals even offer a “kids day” where the prices are discounted during the day or if you purchase an “all you can ride” wrist band.  Again, make sure it makes sense for your family.  If your kids are pretty little, they might not be riding enough rides to make the wristband worth it.
7. Take a break! While it may make sense for you to just “make a day of it” and forego naps so you can take in all the festivities, consider breaking your day up.  If the festival is local, head home for naps and go back after naptime.  It will give everyone a much needed break.  Or, make it a two day affair and go in the morning/early afternoon one day and again in the late afternoon/evening on another day.

Are you hitting any festivals this summer (or have already hit a festival)?  I’d love to hear about it!

Also, if you want to participate in The 14 Weeks of Summer series, leave me a comment below or link up your post about what you did this week! All comments and links throughout the 14 Weeks will be entered to win a super fun grand prize at the end….

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

We have been pretty fortunate in the fact that my girls actually like drinking water.  They don’t drink milk all that often, have an occasional juice box, and have never had soda.  Juice boxes are probably our biggest nemesses.  They would drink juice boxes all day long if I’d let them.  So, to fight back, I try to keep the sippy cups and water bottles around our house fun and exciting.  It’s my feeble attempt.

Then along came WAT-AAH!

WAT-AAH! is a bottled water designed with kids in mind. Besides the fun name (go ahead, say it, WAT-AAH!) the labels are bright colors and feature a wide-mouthed kid yelling “Drink WAT-AAH!” You would think that this wouldn’t even compete with all of the brightly colored juice boxes out there, but my 4 year old was begging for the “pink water” over the juice box sitting right next to it in the fridge.

The best part is that WAT-AAH! is just that, water.  No added sugar or calories. No artificial flavoring or colors. There are four different bottles of WAT-AAH! –

• Body (pink) – pure spring water
• Brain (blue) – ultra pure water + “kid friendly” electrolytes
• Power (orange) – ultra pure water + magnesium
• Energy (green) – ultra pure water + oxygen

Do those extra little boosts of electrolytes, magnesium, or oxygen really do anything? I have no idea. My daughter tried each type of WAT-AAH! and I didn’t notice much of a difference.  She still had a boundless amount of energy and was asking a bazillion questions.

Sadly WAT-AAH! isn’t quite in every area right now.  They are hoping to have nationwide distribution this fall.  However, if you have a WholeFoods Market near you, check there!  All else fails, if you can’t wait to get your hands on some WAT-AAH!, you can always buy a case or 6 on Amazon. I’m very excited to see they are also trying to get WAT-AAH! right into the hands of kids by being available at after school activities and in-school vending machines.  WAT-AAH! is committed to helping combat childhood obesity by reversing children’s dependency on sodas and other sugary drinks!

I’m hoping to stock up on some “pink” WAT-AAH! this Summer for some of our long car rides, picnics, and trips!  Oh, and I should mention that my husband was just as excited about the “fun new (WAT-AAH!) bottles” as the kids were!  Looks like I’ll be doubling that stock!!!

If you are looking for more WAT-AAH! fun, check out their Facebook page and the Wat-You-Got! Challenge.  If you’re in the New York City area, then you definitely need to check out the “Don’t Drink _____, Drink WAT-AAH!” Campaign! And their website itself is pretty freaking sweet, too!

* Thanks to the great people at WAT-AAH!, my family and I had the opportunity to try out WAT-AAH! for ourselves.

This is Miss Angela. Everyone say “hi”!

I met Angela four and a half years ago when she was a freshmen in college and I was a new mom.  I was looking for someone to watch Abbi, then 9 months old, for a few hours each week while I ran errands or went to appointments or just drank a quiet cup of coffee.  It was a big of a leap for me since Abbi’s interaction with babysitters was pretty limited and had been completely limited to family.  But I took the leap. I had a good feeling about this one.

Four and a half years later, Angela has become like family.  My girls love her. She has been there for so many milestones in their lives — when Abbi started walking, welcoming home Zoe, Zoe crawling and walking, Abbi starting school, Jasper.  They don’t remember a part of their lives that Angela was not a part of.

I remember thinking once, Wow! I’m leaving my toddler and newborn with this twenty year old girl and I feel totally fine about it! That’s how it always was.  Angela was just a natural with my girls.  She had fun with them, brought art projects to do with Abbi, and disciplined them when needed.  I never once heard “Oh mom, do we have to have Angela babysit us?” If anything I was being begged to let Angela come babysit.  Angela has spent more time with our girls than any other person, outside of Tim and myself, ever.  She is family.

Of course all good things eventually come to an end, right?  Sadly, our time with Miss Angela has come to an end.  She graduated a semester early (smarty pants!) and (thankfully) found a nursing job a few hours away.  Happy for her.  Sad for us.  Really, we are super happy for her.  And, being the amazing person that she is, Angela asked her best friend and roommate, Camille, if she could take over babysitting until Camille graduated in the Spring (our girls love Camille, too!).

This weekend we were honored to share in a milestone in Angela’s life this time — her wedding!  During her time at college, Angela met a wonderful guy, Jay.  I think he loves my girls almost as much as Angela does! Shortly after her engagement, Angela asked if the girls would like to be in her wedding. Abbi as the flower girl and Zoe as the miniature bride.  Oh dear! Are you sure? I mean…Zoe will only be 2 years old.  Are you sure? She was, so I told her we would make it work!

The day finally arrived and the girls were super excited.  Well, Abbi was.  Zoe just kind of went with the flow.  Abbi was excited about “rehearsaling” and “marrying”.  They got their hair done and their special party dresses on.  And, despite being hot and tired, Abbi not wanting to wear her shoes, and Zoe not wanting to ride in the wagon down the aisle, everything went pretty well with the girls. They looked cute, they posed in pictures, and made it through the day/evening with very little whining or crying.

Here a few snapshots from our very special day with Miss Angela:

Zoe before having to go in the wagon! Did I mention that she totally bailed out of the wagon half way down the aisle? Umm, yeah.

Abbi’s only request was to dance at the reception.  And she did. All by herself.  To her own music. She couldn’t let such a fabulous ‘spinning’ dress go to waste!

The happy couple.

That is Miss Angela.  She is a beautiful and wonderful person.  She is going to be an amazing mom some day.  We are happy that if we had to give her away to anyone, that we got to give her away to Jay!  But she will always hold a special place in our lives and the hearts of Abbi and Zoe.

{sniffle. sniffle. sniffle.}

Abbi is crying in the back seat.

Me:  Abbi, what’s wrong?

Her:  I {sniffle} can’t {sniffle} be {sniffle} a explorer!

Me:  What? What are you talking about?

Her:  I can’t be a explorer!

Me:  Why can’t you be AN explorer?

Her:  I can’t.

Oh, this is going to be a productive conversation.

Me:  Who told you that you can’t be an explorer?

Her:  You.

Me:  WHAT? When did I ever tell you that you can’t be an explorer?

Her:  Well, you won’t let me drive the car.  How can I be a explorer if you if you won’t every let me drive the car?

And welcome to my world!  I don’t know if it is her age (she’s my oldest, so I have nothing to compare to) but she comes up with the most irrational things lately!  As in, crying out of the blue because she can’t marry Handy Manny.  Yes, the Disney cartoon handyman.  I haven’t told her that she couldn’t marry this fictitious cartoon character, it is something that she just pulls out of thin air!

So, I try to talk her off the emotional ledge (switching to the Handy Manny conversation).

Me:  You can marry whomever you like.

Here is where rationality completely goes out the window.

Her:  Can I marry you, mom?

Me:  Well, no.  I’m already married to daddy.

Her:  But I want to marry you.

Me:  It doesn’t work that way.

Her:  Can I marry God?

Me:  Not really.

Her:  Awe, I can’t marry anybody!

And this is where I decide to bail out!

Me:  How about we go get a snack!

How in the world do you even begin to rationalize with that?  I want to acknowledge her concerns and questions but it gets to a point, every time, that we hit a point where nothing I say is going to help.  She’s beyond rationalizing with.

So, I’m wondering, is this something you’ve had to deal with with your kids? Is it specific to this age (she’s 4 years old) or maybe it’s a girl thing?  If your child did go through this, how did you deal with it and keep your sanity intact?

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse with the I’m bored‘s, then it starts raining.  And raining.  And raining.

My girls don’t typically mind playing in the house (they have plenty of toys to keep them busy) but it becomes especially tough when they’ve had days of glorious outdoor play and are suddenly cooped up inside.  So, this is a great time to know what is available for indoor play centers and what special Summer activities or events they offer.

One of my girls’ favorite indoor play places is DeAnna’s Playhouse — an old office building/warehouse turned play area on steroids.  While my girls are happy to go there any day of the week, it was especially nice for us to go this week for my girls to run off their energy while it was raining!

The Playhouse has everything from sit and scoot cars to building supplies to submarine type boat.  Although the inside is a large open space, they have separate “stations” set-up for different types of play.  A little grocery store, complete with the Meijer name. A bank with a drive thru window.  Playhouse with dolls.  Construction area.  Dress-up area with every costume imaginable and a stage for performing. An arts and crafts area, where they offer play-doh and seasonal art projects. And a music station.  Everything you can imagine.

DeAnna’s is great for us because it really caters to toddlers and preschoolers (pretty much from age 0-6yrs).  They do charge an admission price ($5 per person) but you can stay as long as you like!  We like to pack our lunch so we can eat right there in their kitchenette area and get even more fun for our buck!  Oh, and they provide snacks and coffee!!!

While you might not have a indoor play area like DeAnna’s Playhouse in your area, there are plenty of other great places that we like to visit on our rainy Summer days (or even when it’s just too hot to be outside).

• Giant Inflatable Play Areas (aka Crazy Bounce or Bounce Party) — Again, these places typically charge an admission fee (generally between $5-$10 per person for an hour or two).  This might be a good idea to save as a special treat for keeping up with their chores or if they are driving you particularly crazy that day.  Our’s has a special toddler hour twice a week where I can take my girls and not have to worry about them getting trampled by the older kids!
• Arcades and Fun Centers — This is a fabulous option for kids who are a bit older (elementary to middle school), however they can be pricey, depending on how much you’re doing and how many kids you have.  Many of these centers offer an array of activities, including indoor putt-putt golf, indoor go-karts, laser tag, climbing walls, and arcades.  Some also offer dining.  Call ahead to see if they run any specials if you buy a combo pack, come in during certain hours or days, or if they are going to offer any special events throughout the summer.  Mark it down on your calendar!  A few in our area are Craig’s Cruisers and The Lost City.
• Bowling, Roller Skating, and Ice Skating — If you have younger kids, head to the bowling alley.  If your kids are a little older, check out your local skating rinks.  Tip: Call ahead to make sure they aren’t having league bowling or skating/hockey classes during the time you want to come.  Also, inquire about using the bumpers for your little ones at the bowling alley or skate assisting equipment for your little roller/ice skater.
• Mall Play Area — We often visit the mall play areas around us even when we don’t need to do any shopping.  We like to spice it up a little and check out the different malls around us, which is great if you have more than one mall within driving distance of you.  We’ve also found that the earlier in the day you go, the less crowded it will be!  Oh, and it’s FREE!
• Churches and Schools — Some local churches and schools open up their nurseries, kid areas, and gymnasiums during the summer for parents to bring their kids for some play time.  All it takes is a call to some of the churches or schools in your area to see if they offer this.  They might not but they might know of another church/school that does.  Another free option.

Yes, there is always the option of going to a Museum or Art Gallery, but I’m going to cover those in another week!

It’s amazing the different options available for indoor play if you really look around.  You might have to drive out of your immediate area to get to a few but, hey, it’s worth it!  I’d rather spend a half hour in the car driving somewhere where my girls can expend some energy, than sitting at home answering WHEN IS IT GOING TO STOP RAINING? for the fiftieth time!

What are some fun Indoor Play places in your area? Do your kids have a favorite?

Oh, and another great idea is to suggest to the grandparents to purchase passes or gift cards to some of your favorite indoor play places as birthday and Christmas gifts!

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Yesterday we celebrated the Unofficial Start to Summer (aka. Memorial Day) and the weather around here has definitely made it feel like summer, with temps well into the high 80s.  Time to start planning out the summer!

My oldest has actually been out of school since the second week of May so we have already been dealing with the “What are we going to do today, mom?”….”I’m bored!”…..”Can we please do something fun?” While I don’t want to be “doing” and “going” every day of the summer, I do want to find something fun or special that we can do each week.  That is why I came up with the 14 Weeks of Summer.

There are 14 weeks between Memorial Day (the unofficial start of Summer) and Labor Day (the unofficial end of Summer).  Each week I am going to share with you something fun that we are doing.  The goal is to find fun things right in our area that we can do, that are good for kids of various ages, and that are free or really cheap.  While I’ll be sharing things specific in our area, the thought is that it will help you brainstorm or search out similar events or opportunities in your area.

I’d love to hear about what you’re doing to keep your kids from getting bored this summer. And I would really love it if you’d join me in the 14 Weeks of Summer adventure! Just write your own post each week sharing what you’re doing special that week.  Then come back to StaceySays.com on Thursday and leave me a comment on my 14 Weeks of Summer post telling me what you did or leave me a link to your post. I’m hoping to do a fun giveaway with everyone who takes part in the 14 Weeks of Summer (more to come on that later).

Here are the lucky winners of the Friday Films: Amelia and Flicka 2 giveaway and the Hallmark Webcam Greetings giveaway:

Amelia

An amazing depiction of Amelia Earhart — her life, her loves, and her journey into America’s heart and history books.  Rated PG, Amelia is available on Blu-ray and DVD.

WINNERS: Annalene and Ashley

Flicka 2

An amazing story of family, love, and finding yourself.  Amazing cast with Patrick Warburton, breakout actress Tammin Sursock, and the lovable Clint Black.  Great family film!  Flicka 2 is rated PG and available on DVD.

WINNERS: Shannon Follett and Jenn

Hallmark Webcam Greetings

These interactive cards are an amazing way to spread a little love and encouragement to the ones in your life!  However, I’ll warn you….your kids are not going to want to put them down!

WINNERS: Ashley and Migdalia

Winners, you should have an email waiting in your inbox from me about claiming your prize.  Please be sure to respond to that email within 72 hours.

And don’t forget to check out my current Friday Films giveaway where two lucky winners will receive a copy of Tooth Fairy on dvd!