Slow Down, Gym Shoe!

Lets Get Reading!

Diana and I both really love to read. We've always been a little saddened by the fact that Monkeyboy doesn't particularly like reading. I mean, he'll do it if he has to, but you'll very rarely see him reading a book for enjoyment!
Throughout my life books have gotten me through hard times... especially before the Internet was created! I'm trying to pass that love of books onto Little Bear and Pufferfish. I bring them lots of books from the library, and we spend at least 20 minutes a day (sometimes longer) reading together. We also visit libraries and bookstores a lot. And this summer, I've signed the girls up for several different summer reading programs that offer prizes for reading certain amounts of books.

For instance, at one of the local libraries, the girls have to each read 20 books in order to earn a prize.
Barnes & Noble is having its own summer reading program. Kids have to read eight books by the end of the summer, in order to get a free book! (We sometimes read eight books in one day, so to be fair to that contest, I've been having Little Bear choose her one favorite book each day, so it will at least take us a week or so to finish!)
And Cici's Pizza, in cooperation with Half Price Books, is hosting the Feed Your Brain reading program for kids ten and under. If kids read for fifteen minutes a day, at least five days in the course of one week, they can earn either a free meal at Cici's Buffet, or a $3.00 gift card at Half Price Books. The coolest thing is, kids can do this every single week, earning many free pizzas and gift cards throughout the summer!

You can also create your own reading incentive program for your kids, with whatever requirements you want to use. If you have older kids, or kids who really love to read, you might want to make up a more challenging reading program for them, by having them create a newsletter or blog about the books they read, or having them read a variety of genres. Or, if your child has trouble reading or doesn't enjoy it, you could try having them read just one book over the course of the summer,  perhaps a page a day!  The idea is to  encourage them to read as much as possible, and to help them form a habit of reading for enjoyment and relaxation as well as for the purpose of learning!
I love watching Little Bear and Pufferfish read. Seeing Pufferfish, who is only one year old, get into books is very cool! I tend to get really simple books for her, with few words and lots of big pictures. I also like the books that have different textures on each page. You know, like the old "Pat the Bunny" book! Pufferfish likes to look at the pictures and touch them, and will sometimes even kiss the pages! She likes to turn the pages, and when you've read the whole book to her, she'll holler until you start reading it again!
Another cool thing? Sometimes, when I'm reading to Little Bear and Pufferfish, Monkeyboy will wander in and sit down, and I'll catch him listening to the stories just as closely as Little Bear does!
I LOVE books, and I hope the kids will always love books, too!

And the Winner Is...

My contest for the Kid's Treasure Jar has come to an end, and the winner is Courtney from A Mom Speaks! Courtney, please email me your snail mail address so I can send your Treasure Jar out to you!
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! I'll be hosting more giveaways in the near future, so keep coming back! It works! ;)

By the way, you still have a chance to win some more things this week! I love entering contests, and here are some I've entered already today...

Jump over to Livin' With Me to win a $70 prize package from Stubby Pencil Art Studio! (They have some very awesome, extremely earth-friendly, art supplies at that site!)

You can find more over at 5 MInutes For Mom! They list a bunch of new contests every Sunday!

Groovy, Lets Go See A Movie!

Hi everyone! Yesterday I got brave and took Little Bear and Pufferfish to see a movie. (If you've ever taken a one-year-old to a movie theater, you know why I say "brave!") There are a lot of theaters around here that have discounted movie days for kids. It seems like they all are showing the same bunch of movies though and they just rotate them through!
Anyway since it was raining I figured we'd go see a movie, and the Classic Cinema in Downers Grove was showing The Waterhorse. I thought Little Bear would like that one. It turned out she had actually seen it once already with her dad, but that was okay because she did like it, and wanted to see it again, and could in fact describe the entire plot to me! That kid really pays attention to stuff!
The cool thing is that, if you show up to the theater early, you get to play games. Little Bear won some candy and a Waterhorse movie poster!
Pufferfish didn't do so good with the movie viewing though. At first she was fine, sitting in her booster chair thing and eating a sucker. Then she wanted to be on my lap, which was fine. Then she started hollering to get down and walk, which was not so fine in a darkened, crowded theater! She couldn't even be bribed with a bottle or popcorn or anything! She started screaming and banging her head, so I had to bring her out to the lobby, which was where we spent most of our time. I tried to go back adn forth so Little Bear wouldn't have to watch the whole movie alone. Finally Pufferfish fell asleep in my arm and Little Bear and I were able to watch the second half of the movie in peace.

I think Pufferfish would have done a lot better if we'd gone to see an animated movie, or at least a movie with more colors. The Waterhorse is a kids movie, but its more in muted colors and with muted voices, like the old Disney movies (think "Old Yeller") used to be. Good for Little Bear, but not so much good for Pufferfish! Little Bear would like to see a movie again. In fact, she told me she'd like to see one every Wednesday! We probably won't do all that, but I'll try it once or twice more. Next time I'll pick an animated movie. I know on the tenth of July one theater is showing Alvin and the Chipmunks, one is showing Horton Hears a Who, and one is showing Bee Movie. Maybe we'll have better luck with those!
After the movie, we had lunch at this train-themed restaurant where the food is delivered on a small model train. The food was great, and the kids loved the train! Finally we went home, and made fingerpaints out of shaving cream and glue. Unforunately, while I was getting Pufferfish a snack, Little Bear grasped the opportunity to paint her entire body with the sticky mixture! Ugh! She really loves to get everything all over her. Maybe we'll have to make bathtub paints or body paint again! Painting her body with shaving cream would hjave been okay, but the glue in it made it a real pain!
So thats what we've been up to. How about you?

Strange Kids Ya Got There!

Yesterday was a pretty weird day, partially because our schedule for the day got all messed up! Diana's mom and I were thinking of becoming CASA volunteers, so yesterday we went to the courthouse for an orientation. We left Sarah to watch all the kids for a few hours. By the time we got back, Pufferfish had gone down for an early nap (she had gotten up at five in the morning for some reason, and was exhausted!) so we couldn't really go anywhere until she woke up. I figured, once she got up, we would just go hang out in the near by town of Wheaton, which is a cool town to hang out in. Its a rich town, and the home of Wheaton College, so they have a lot of cool spots other towns don't have!
We went to the DuPage Historical Museum first. I have never been in there before in my life, not even when I lived in Wheaton! I kind of like historical museums, but I always figured it wouldn't be a very good idea to bring Little Bear and Pufferfish into one. I was pleasantly surprised, though! It was a small museum but they had a lot of interactive exhibits, including two playrooms where kids could just hang out and play with toys.
There was also a place where you could try to ride on one of the first bicycles ever created...

<--------Poor Little Bear couldn't even reach the pedals!

Strangely, the kids' favorite exhibit was this room where you could do laundry using a wash bucket, a washboard, a wringer, and a plunger. They had real water and towels out so the kids could actually experience it. I think we spent about forty minutes there, with Sarah, Monkeyboy and Little Bear working diligently on the laundry! They were actually talking about it and mapping out a plan so each one of them had a job in order to get all of the towels cleaned! Hmmm, maybe if we just buy a wash bucket, washboard, plunger, and wringer, the kids can take over the household laundry!

Next, we got ice cream cones, and then we visited the Popcorn Shop. I don't know if thats what its really called, but thats what its referred to in Wheaton. Its a very small shop... in fact, it doesn't even have a real address. Its like 111 1/4 Front Street, or something like that. Its so small, you have to walk in sideways! I'm not even joking with you! However, wdging yourself into the little claustrophobic shop is well worth it! They have the best popcorn in the world. I don't know how it tastes so good! You don't even need butter on it, because its delicious plain, too! And they have a wide selection of dime-store candy that still costs bout a dime! Once you get into the shop, you take a small white bag, and you can fill it up with pieces of candy. A full bag of candies like those little paper dots, Slow Pokes, candy cigarettes, etc, can add up to just about two bucks!
After consuming ice cream cones, popcorn and candy, we hung out by the fountains.

 

<-----------Aw, how sweet! We love throwing coins
                                                                                                into fountains and making wishes!

<----------Oh no, Little Bear! What happened???

<--------Oh well, what can ya do....

Life is so much fun, huh!

I'm Getting Paid To Write This!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I found a new spot where I can make money just by  writing in my blog! Obviously my blog isn't going to turn into one long advertisement, but you may find commercial breaks in here from time to time! The extra money I can make by blogging helps me a lot! Bloggerwave is a great opportunity for anyone with a blog, so if you feel like making some quick money, be sure to check it out!
Thats all for now...

Featured on "Five Minutes For Mom!"

Hi everyone! If you haven't entered my contest yet, to win a kid's Treasure Jar, make sure you do so before the end of this week! And by the way, my contest, and this blog, are featured on the blog "Five Minutes For Mom" this week! Five Minutes For Mom is one of my favorite blogs. The women who run it are two wahm's who run their own businesses, including a toy store with the most adorable Rocking Horses I've ever seen! (Among other things!)

Plus, they do a lot to support other work at home moms, by keeping a list of mom-owned businesses on their site. Make sure you check that out!

So please, check out that blog, and enter my contest too!

I love entering the contests I find on the blogs at Five Minutes For Mom. Here are a few highlights I found this week!

At Jackie's Thoughts, you can win a T-shirt with a funny saying or cool picture on it from Trendy Tadpole!

Visit Sassy Frazz to win a toy from Littlest Pet Shop!

Check out An Island Life to win a Fourth of July Prize Package from Olive Kids!

Have a great week!

Pics From Pufferfish's Birthday!

I told you I'd post some pictures this week if Diana sent them to me, and she did! Check these out...

     

<-----This was the cake from Pufferfish's party! It was a little spooky to eat the baby's face!

<----And Pufferfish got her own little cake just for her! So at least she didn't have to eat her OWN face!

<----All the kids gather around to watch Pufferfish dig into her cake!

<---------The actual Tol party was at a banquet hall and was professionally decorated. We got to keep all the balloon decorations!

<-------Pufferfish in a happy moment being held by her Grandma!

<----------Pufferfish trying to eat her hanbok while Jimmy holds her!

<-------Me and Sarah

<-------Me, Diana, Pufferfish, Jimmy, Little Bear, Dravian and Monkeyboy!

<----------All of the same people from the last picture, plus Pufferfish's cousin Emily!

What a wild weekend! I think this was probably Pufferfish's best birthday ever, so far!

I'm Having A Contest!

One of my favorite things to do on Sundays is check out all the contests being held by bloggers on 5 Minutes For Mom and sites like that. So I've decided to have my own!
A while back I started my own eCrater store, with the concept of Treasure Jars. A Treasure Jar is just what it sounds like... a jar of treasures! My idea is to sell treasure jars with different themes, which people can then give as gifts or keep for themselves or whatever.
So far I only have one product... the Kids Treasure Jar! And you can win one for the kid in your life, by entering my contest!
All you have to do is check out my eCrater store. Then, comment on this entry, with an idea for a new theme, and what you might like to find inside a jar with that theme!
You have until June 27 to enter the contest!
I also have a limited number of Kids Treasure Jars to give away to review bloggers, so if you have a review blog and you're interested in reviewing this, please contact me!

What Have We Been Up To?

Hi everyone! I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately... Its harder to find spare time, with Monkeyboy out of school, and Pufferfish not napping the way she used to anymore! We've been really busy!
First of all, we've redone the house a little! We got new couches in the living room. The old ones were nasty and messy.  
<---- Monkeyboy on the old couch. See how the cushions and pillows were all dilapidated, and you practically had to rebuild the entire thing every morning?

<-------Me on the old love seat, which also served as my bed most of the time! (Little Bear took this picture, so I could demonstrate to you how I slept on my "bed". I don't think I usually look quite so uncomfortable though!)

<-------Monkeyboy, Little Bear and Pufferfish with their 12-year-old auntie Sarah on the brand new couch! Doesn't it look clean and shiny?

 

<-----------And there's even a rocking chair/ LaZBoy-type thing! Little Bear enjoys sitting in it. So does everyone else for that matter!

<-------Little Bear took this picture of me sleeping on my NEW bed!

We also redid the girls' room. It used to be that Pufferfish slept in a Pack-n-Play crib in Diana and Jimmy's room, Little Bear's bed had been haphazardly scooted into Monkeyboy's room (because she was scared to sleep alone in her room) and Little Bear's bedroom was more like a playroom just for her, stacked to the ceiling with toys and random things she stole from other people in the house!
Now, the room is much nicer. We moved most of Little Bear's older toys out to the garage, or tossed them out, and made it so that all of the toys she had left had places on the toy shelf or in bins in the closet. Pufferfish's crib-type-thing is also in there now, and both girls have dressers to keep their clothes in! Jimmy and Diana put a flowered wallpaper border up, and I found some stick-on letters at the Dollar Store so Diana made the wall say, "Girls Rule! Sisters Rock!" And Jimmy put in new carpeting. It looks much nicer now! And it is much easier for Little Bear to keep it clean, now that every toy has a specific place.

In other news, Pufferfish had her Tol Celebration. Unfortunately it didn't go as well as we thought it would. Pufferfish was in a foul mood and basically cried the entire time! She really doesn't see her dad's side of the family much, so to Pufferfish it felt like a whole bunch of strangers in a strange place, plus she's going through an annoying stage where she wants to be held by a familiar grown-up at all times. At the Tol Celebration she cried whenever another relative tried to hold her, she cried whenever one of us wasn't holding her, and she especially cried when she had to put on her hanbok! Still, it was a nice party. The food was actually pretty good. If you never tried Korean food before, you should definitely give it a try sometime in your life! And the event was decorated by professionals, so it was really beautiful! I didn't take any pictures, but if I come across any (Diana might have taken some) I'll upload them here in a few days!
Pufferfish did manage to do her Tol Table. She chose the yarn, which represents a long life. I knew she would! Diana stole the yarn so she could keep it forever.

What else, lets see? The kids and I have been spending a lot of time outdoors, as much as possible when its nice out. Monkeyboy and Sarah have been off of school, and have been with us on a lot of outings.

We went to the adventure park.

<------------This thing was like a merry-go-round thing underneath, with ropes on top. So you could
                                                                                 climb onto the ropes and then spin around! Gave me a heart attack to watch, but Little Bear loved it! (Although she looks sort of grouchy in these pictures!)

 

 

 

<----Monkeyboy and Sarah climbing!

 

We went to a spray park...                                                                

 

We've also been to the playground...                             

and we've been hiking!

We've also been to the pool a few times, but its sort of hard for me to take pictures there without electricuting myself! 
So far we're having a really great summer... and I hope its just gonna get better!
I hope you're all having a great summer, too!

Pufferfish's Tol Celebration

I've mentioned before that Pufferfish's dad is Korean. For her first birthday party, we're going to be celebrating in a traditional Korean way. I am just copying off a page of info that Diana gave me, but I thought I'd post it for you because its so interesting!

What Is Tol? Tol has two meanings in Korean. The most common meaning is a child's first birthday. It can also be used as a generic description for birthdays: Chut-tol (first birthday), Dut-tol (second birthday), Seo-tol (third birthday), and so on.

Why Is It Significant? In the past, due to a lack of medical information, Korea's seasonal temperature differences, and many childhood related diseases, the death rate for children was extremely high. Many children died before their first birthday. After the age of one year, the survival rate steeply increased, making this milestone a very happy one for the child's parents!

Traditions: The traditional celebration has four major components... Praying and giving thanks, Making and wearing the birthday clothes, Preparing the table and performing the Toljabee, and Sharing the food with guests and neighbors.

Clothing: Traditional Korean clothing has its roots extending back at least as far as the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC- 668 AD) The clothes worn for the tol (tol-bok) are colorful, dressy clothes. They differ depending on the child's sex. Both boys and girls wear a long tol-ddi (a belt that wraps around the body twice) for longetivity, and a tol-jumuni (pouch) for luck. Silk cloth is used to make the tol-jumuni, folded at the top with a colorful thread pull-string to open and close.

Event: At the birthday celebration, certain items will be set out on a table. (This is the Toljabee.) Pufferfish will go around the table and pick up items that attract her. Her future will be predicted according to what she grabs. After placing Pufferfish in front of the table, Jimmy will become the guide for her to go around the table and grab whatever she wants. The first and second items she grabs are considered the most important. Usually Korean parents place items that they want the child to choose near the edge of the table.
If she chooses the needle and thread, Pufferfish will live a long life.
Choosing jujube or apples means the child will have many descendants.
A book, pencil, etc, will mean she'll become a successful scholar.
Rice or rice cakes means she'll be rich!
A ruler, needle or scissors mean she'll be talented with her hands!
A knife means she'll be a good cook.
In modern times, some Korean families put different things out on the table. For instance, golf balls, a computer game, or a stethescope.
There will also be a birthday cake, and a formal picture of Pufferfish will probably be taken at the party!

Pufferfish is actually having a two-day-long birthday party this year. On Saturday we'll have a regular backyard party at the house, and then on Sunday evening is the Tol. I'll post more about these parties after they happened!

Wish little Pufferfish a happy birthday!