We are continuing to prepare for the arrival of the Tooth Fairy even though no one has a loose tooth yet. It never hurts to be prepared, I suppose.

At the library I found a great Tooth Fairy book by accident – Tooth Fairy’s First Night (Carolrhoda Picture Books). The girl in the book does not believe that the Tooth Fairy exists so she sets up a hunt complete with clues to make the TF find her tooth. Then the TF sets up a hunt for the girl to find her treasure. I wonder if out Tooth Fairy will do the same for us… It would be fun to write letters to the Tooth Fairy and to read her responses.

Every kid needs a place to put a lost tooth so the TF can find it. While we were shopping at a local arts and crafts store today, the gilrs picked out two heart shaped, wooden boxes. This afternoon they decorated their boxes. They were so funny talking about having loose teeth while they were painting. The excitement is building!

We have researched the Tooth Fairy pretty extensively now. Plus we have a place to put the lost teeth. We are ready for a tooth to fall out a moment’s notice! Who is more excited about the Tooth Fairy – me or the kids? I’m hoping that her much anticipated arrival lives up to their expectations.

Photo courtesy of Robert S. Donovan

My sweet 5 year old has discovered the Tooth Fairy. A good friend of hers recently lost a tooth, and someone at Vacation Bible School told her about her experience with the Tooth Fairy. There has been a lot of excitement about teeth that might be loose. It has also spurred some questions about this mysterious character. Today C5 wanted to know where the Tooth Fairy lives. I avoided the question because I just didn’t have a good answer for her. I don’t remember ever asking my folks about that. Was I really not that curious as a child? Why is it always my kid who needs to know all of the details about something when she gets interested in it?

I did some research for my inquisitive child. Now I am armed with answers! (Oh, I found out that the TF lives in Tooth Fairyland in the sky, of course!)Maybe you haven’t had the pleasure of preparing for the Tooth Fairy to visit your home yet, so hopefully you will benefit from what I found out.

~ A good friend told me that the Tooth Fairy always left a letter with the cash reward for her daughter. You can find all kinds of letters at this Squidoo page.

~ There are many books out there about the Tooth Fairy. Some even include folklore from other cultures about her.

~ Many parents online recommend that you think about how much money the TF will bring because your child will expect the same thing every time the Tooth Fairy comes. It seems that the going rate is $1, but many TF’s bring coins instead of paper bills.

~ I have a friend whose TF brings a little gift such as brightly colored floss along with the cash. What a great way to promote oral hygeine!

~ Many of your Tooth Fairy questions can be answered at Write the Toothfairy.

Just think of the Tooth Fairy as another opportunity to celebrate the magic of childhood and make memories with your children!

I remember when I was a child that my mother rearranged the furniture regularly. Did your mom do that? It was always a big project for us and pretty exciting when the work was done. I  liked the feeling I got after the job was finished.

Yes, folks, I have turned into my mother!

I rearrange the furniture in our home with each season and a few times in between. I try out new configurations in order to accommodate our family’s changing needs. The traffic pattern fluctuates during different seasons. As the children grow, I have to adapt the environment to meet their needs. Besides sometimes I am in this house for 36 hours straight! Why wouldn’t I move things around? I need to at least feel like I have gone someplace new!

It drives E nuts when I move the furniture! I guess his mom didn’t rearrange the house much when he was a kid. His big complaint is that I am tired and sore for a few days after pushing the couches, the piano, and such around. He doesn’t see the benefits at all.

I know that there are benefits from all that furniture shifting and switching. First, I know that the kids and I have a new perspective on life for a while when we finish. Throughout the process, we also find lost toys and clean up messes that we didn’t know existed. The house becomes more user-friendly, too. I like the sense of accomplishment that I get, and I think it is good exercise!

If by simply organizing my working and living space we end up staying in our current home longer and avoid an expensive renovation, I think that E should be thankful and encourage me to do anything I want with the decor!

Photo courtesy of youngthousands

My dad is my hero. Week after week he visits us and brings muffins to share. Then he spends the day helping with laundry, cleaning, and taking care of the kids. Plus he has a contagious laugh and a winning sense of humor! It is such a  joy to have him around. We have a standing date at this local hot dog place that the kids love to go to when he visits. He and the kids joke back and forth about where we are going for lunch. It is all part of the fun of it!

I have to start taking pictures of him with the kids. They are hilarious together, and my dad is a great sport about dressing up and pretending. Today he wore a crown at the tea party the kids set up. He helped the girls with their dress up clothes, too. It was precious to see them all playing together!

I also appreciate how my father tells stories. He talks about times he spent with my mom, times when I was a kid, and times when the girls were younger. My grandmother, his mother, told stories like that, too. I remember asking her to retell those stories over and over even though I knew them by heart. I just loved the experience of spending time with her and hearing about our family history. I’m happy that my children will have that same experience to look back on.

I treasure these days, and I am grateful that my kids will have memories of my dad visiting each week.

Photo courtesy of rocketjim54

We had an amazing Tinker Bell party today. My birthday girl had a great time making memories with all of  her buddies. What  a fabulous hostess my kiddo has turned out to be! She made sure to introduce all of her friends to each other and greeted kids as they arrived. I was impressed.

We were able to have the party outside because the weather was gorgeous. (Thank you, Lord!) That gave us more flexibility with the games. This is what I ended up doing.

~The fairy wings were a big hit with the kids, but didn’t take as long to decorate as I thought they would. They are really cute, though.

~We had a Fairy Treasure Hunt. I included a list of  hunt items: Pink Pixie Dust (glittery sugar), a Silver Wand, a Silver Fairy Crown, Fairy Gold, & Bubbles. This activity was a favorite. The kids were even helping each other find things.  They were very excited about their treasures.

~I had planned on reading a story to the kids, but at the last minute I decided to use a puppet. I have to say that they LOVED the puppet, especially my own kids. If you ever have the opportunity to use puppets with preschool aged children, I recommend doing it. They are captivated by it and even talk to the puppet.

~I had the kids put on their wings and crowns and get their wands before we played games. They all needed a lot of help getting their things organized, so I’m glad there were moms there to help. We ended up playing:

• Fairy Freeze Tag – The child is “it” tags the other kids with her fairy wand. In order to become “unfrozen” the child had to clap her hands and say, “I believe” ten times.  The kids took turns being “it”.
• Follow the Leader – I started out being the leader and had the kids take turns being the leader. They loved being in the spotlight!
• Fairy, Fairy, Tink – This is Duck, Duck, Goose. The child who was “it” used her wand to tap the other kids on the head.
• Fairy Freeze Dance – We used the sound track from the Tinker Bell movie for our music.

~We took off our fairy things and washed up in order to have cake! I gave the children cupcakes and glittery, colored sugar for decorating. (I also made a cute Tinker Bell cake.)

It was a fun party that I think my birthday girl will remember! This is what being a mom is all about.

Photo courtesy of The 5th Ape

Life is fragile and can change in an instant.

I remember the night that my life changed. That moment will be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life. It started with the phone ringing in the middle of the night. Remembering that sound tears my body up even now. The voice I heard was my sister’s, but there was something odd in her voice that I couldn’t pinpoint. Then she said it, and I wish I could have made her stop. I wish I could have gone back to the moments before.

“Mom died tonight.”

“What?!”

“Dad found mom dead in their bed tonight. You have to come home.”

E and I had just seen my parents the day before. They came to our church for our baptism. My dad actually enjoyed the service and felt comfortable in our church. My parents even heard my testimony for the first time that day. We had a wonderful time celebrating with some cake. But I had no idea that I was hugging my mom for the very last time when I said good-bye to her that day.

When I was on the phone with my sister, I desperately wanted to go back to that day. I wanted everything to go back to the way it was. E and I were married for almost two years. We recently bought our first home and got our first dog. Our life together was just beginning. Everything was going as planned, and we were living our dreams. Our life was blissful. As I listened to my sister, I longed to feel comfortable and happy again.

I didn’t realize how fragile life is as I watched my life change in front of my eyes.

This coming summer it will be six years since my mom died. I cannot believe it has been that long because it still feels like yesterday. Last night I was reminded how fresh those wounds still are. It hit me suddenly. After watching a hospital drama on TV, I completely lost it. It wasn’t one specific thing that happened on the show that started it. It was just the relationships and the events that reminded me of how much I miss being comforted by my mother. This is why I avoid watching my favorite “tear-jerker” movies and only watch comedies, much to E’s chagrin. It isn’t that I am afraid to start crying. I’m simply terrified that I won’t be able to stop crying. Last night I overcame that fear, though. I cried on E’s shoulder and confessed that I wanted my mother, that I had an ache in my heart for her, that I needed to be comforted by her and no one else would do. (Now I understand why my own kids cry for Mommy when they are distraught.) E held me tightly and listened. (He’s a good husband!)

After a bit, I was actually able to stop. I am one step closer to healing.

Remember this…

Life is fragile and can change in an instant.

Mine did.

Photo courtesy of sektordua

Glitterfy.com – Glitter Graphics

I am a crafty and creative gal, so I love planning our kids’ birthday parties! It brings me back to being a child. I LOVE pretend and magic and all things that make a kid’s party fun. I bake the cake and try to make it special for my kiddos. Last year C4 said, “That is the prettiest pony cake ever, Mommy!” It melted my heart!

This year C4 is turning 5, and she wants a Tinker Bell party. I have been thinking lots about this theme. I watched many Peter Pan videos, read the lyrics for songs, and even visited the Disney Tinker Bell web site. I’ve researched Tinker Bell party games and decided which ones we are going to play. I watched a few how to videos on making fairy wings for our craft. You might like the wings craft found on Kids Craft Weekly or the one found on About.Com I even made my own invitation today. Whew! I have been a busy mommy today.

The goal is to throw a really fun party with an extremely small budget. I am being quite savvy here. The craft uses recycled materials: wire hangers & old nylons. The games require some edible glitter, music, bubbles and imagination. One of the activities involves the children putting together their own goody bags with items they search for on a fairy scavenger hunt. I decided to have the party from 2-5 in order to avoid feeding a crowd a meal. I will simply serve snacks, cake, and juice.

Now I have to get the guest list down to a reasonable number. C4 has 19 children on the list including her sister and herself. We’re having this shindig in our backyard (and inside if it pours) so I want a reasonable number. It may take some negotiation, but I think I can be persuasive!

I am excited about the party! I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Today Daddy had class all day, so I was on my own with the kids. It was a sweet day! I truly enjoyed being a mommy. We made some precious memories together.

We spent much of our day snuggled together reading our library books – a huge bag full. I think we read for at least an hour! C4 even read a couple of books to me and A2. I’m struck by the fact that the girls love reading much more than I ever remember reading when I was young. I suppose Mom’s doing something right!

We used up some scrapbooking paper that I have had forever. Someone gave me paper for a baby album, and I never got around to using it. There were great pictures in the kit that you punch out, and the girls were able to create collages.  I even made a simple book for C4 to read with the pictures. We chatted away while we created our works of art. (Those pictures are being sent to an auntie.) It was a great opportunity for me and the girls to simply connect and have fun together.

We went for a bike ride with Auntie P and her boyfriend J. They live in NY, so we get to see them from time to time. It was funny to watch all of them together. J and Auntie P took turns pushing the back of A2’s bike. Then they took turns chasing C4 on her bike. They even played a chase game together. It was priceless to watch them play!

Grammie brought a couple of baby birds over today, too. (She breeds birds of all kinds.) The girls love to pet her birds. I love how they have a unique opportunity to learn about birds. They see first hand what baby birds look and feel like. They are learning to be gentle and care for an animal. And it is a special hobby that they share with their grandmother.

A memory making day indeed!

Photo courtesy of djakartafotografi.com

Photo by Mess of Pottage

We had a great time with our first big Advent calendar activity! I think that I am more excited about doing each of the activities than the kids are. Getting started definitely has built the excitement for me, and today things went so well! Go to my sister blog, Homeschooling Coach, for the complete lesson plan if you are interested.

Today I tried to convey the message that God is always with us and will always be with us. I tied the idea into the Christmas tree by saying that the tree is an evergreen and stays green all year long. We use that kind of tree at Christmas to remind us that God is always with us. We also sang “O Christmas Tree”, and I made the song into a finger play. We made our own Christmas trees, too. When E got home, we picked out our Christmas tree together. Of course, I took tons of photos to commemorate the event. This will make a great scrapbook page; I can’t wait!

This Advent season is going to be a lot of fun for our family.  I am hoping that the kids will treasure these memories for years to come. I know I will.

After days like today, I have to say that living as a mom is such a blessing!

This article originally appeared in my sister blog, Homeschooling Coach. Please visit that blog for more information about home education.

Tonight is a monumental event in our house. We have taken down the crib, and everyone is now in a “big kid” bed for the first time. They have been eager to make this move, and my nearly two year old sped up the process by climbing out of the crib. This is an exciting moment for the children, but a sad one for Mommy. Besides the fact that switching sleeping arrangements tends to undo all of our hard work to make bed time go smoothly, now I don’t have a baby in my house. No more swaddling, rocking, and soothing. No one completely adores me just for being me. This is a particularly difficult change for me.

I am watching my babies grow up so fast. Someone told me that motherhood is full of long days and short years. This statement didn’t make sense to me when I was on the cusp of motherhood with a baby growing inside of me, but now that I am on the front lines of motherhood, I find that it is so very true. Things change at lightning speed with children, yet they need constant repetition to learn those important lessons. The mundane things that are so much a part of mothering seem to overwhelm us and prevent us from taking a step back to see the whole picture. We often keep our noses to the grind stone and forget to look up to see what is happening right now.

Then there are moments that make us take notice, like tonight. My little one was nervous about sleeping in a toddler bed, so my four year old said, “Just remember that I am always here. (They share a room.) Mommy is always here. Daddy is always here. And remember this…God is always with you. All you have to do is pray. You are safe and sound.” My heart just melted! Yes, all of that repetition, all of the hard work, all of that prayer is paying off! Someone – my dear God – is listening to me. “Thank you, God, for the encouragement! Tonight I desperately needed it.”

My kids have finally settled down to sleep after much fuss about the new sleeping situation. (It took both of us to settle them down and figure out that the little one only needed a new diaper and not comfort. Go figure!) Now I am going to take a deep breath, take a sip of my cup of memories, and enjoy the fact that my babies are growing up in amazing ways. I will always have the memories of my babies, but now they are blossoming into people who love each other and, most of all, who love God. How incredible is that!