April Fools

Every year my children expect me to "fool" them in some way.  Here is a list of a few of past pranks:

1.  after school snack--Oreos with toothpaste for the filling--This one was funny!! :)

2.  plastic bugs in cereal box

3.  red jello in clear plastic cup with straws. (this one they like me to do every year for dinner even though they know it is not juice)

4.  super glued quarters on the sidewalk.  We live next to the elementary school and the kids liked watching kids try to pick up the money when they walk by. :)

5.   We once woke up the kids at 11:00 pm and turned the clocks forward and said it was time for school.  After "breakfast" we told them to open the blinds and there was a sign "April Fools" on the window. 

6.  tape forks/spoons to table with clear tape.

7.  meatloaf cupcake with mash potato frosting.

8.  paper in sandwich that says April Fools.

9.  sewed the bottom of my husbands pj pants close.

Today I will freeze some milk in bowls and then add a little cereal to it in the morning with an additional milk.  I also may seran wrap some of my children's doors tonight.  The only problem now is that my kids are all getting old enough to trick me back.  My one daughter called from school last year and told me she was in the nurses office and they found lice.  I was horrified and sort of freaked out until she said April Fools!!!  I guess I have it coming to me!

More wordfull Wednesday here.

Wordfull Wednesdays

In our family we have a secret code for saying "I love You" when we are not able to do it verbally or physically with a hug or kiss.  When I squeeze a child's hand 3 times that child will know I'm saying "I love you".  I remember one Sunday morning a particular teenage son was not in the best of moods at church.  During the meeting I grabbed his hand and gave it three little squeezes.  Instantly, a smile emerged on his face and I felt my hand squeezed 3 times back.  Everyone needs to feel and know they are loved and this is just one of the many ways we express it in our family.  There can never be too many ways to say "I love you".  The children think it is fun to have a secret code that only we know.

More Wordfull Wednesdays here.

Wordfull Wednesday--My Favorite Christmas Songs

I enjoy listening to all types of Christmas music.  I love the spirit the songs brings into my home.  My two favorites are "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night".  Both of these songs, whether song by a choir or by a small child makes my soul soar and my skin tingle.  I wish I could sings these as beautifully I feel them in my heart.  I have fond memories of the song "Silent Night".  As a child in Michigan my parents would load the family up on Christmas Eve with bottles of honey from our bees to deliver to our friends and neighbors.  No matter the weather or chill factor,  we sang carols at the door of each recipient.  My father who served his mission in Switzerland always sang "Silent Night" in German as we sang together.  I loved hearing his deep voice singing this song in it's original form.  

Like my sister Alison, I also love the songs in the movie The Muppet Christmas Carol, especially "It feels like Christmas" and "Bless us All".  This movie is both a touching and fun version of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol.

More wordfull Wednesday--here

Wordfull Wednesdays--I am grateful

I am grateful that I am so busy today with my children, cooking, cleaning, and the holidays around the corner that I do not have much time to write this post.  This demonstrates to me how full my life is and the love that surrounds it. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father from which these blessings flow. As I reflect on my blessing a peaceful feeling of quiet joy permeates in my soul.  I like what Thorton Wilder said, 

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

I feel very "alive" with all the commotion and activity that surrounds me and is caused by my "treasures" and I am grateful for this.

Wordfull Wednesdays

It is hard for me to decide on one season that I love the most because as one is ending I look forward and anticipate the next one.  So my favorite is always the one I am currently in.  Each season brings opportunities to celebrate and draw my family closer together.  So for my post I thought I would list a couple of the things we like to do in our family that helps us make memories and enjoy the season we are in.  This is not an all inclusive list--I'm just mentioning a few.  You can never have too many traditions.

Winter

*Camping indoors

Valentine's Day

*I set and decorate the table for an extra nice breakfast of waffles, strawberries, and whip cream.

*Each person has a candle in front of their place.  We light my husband who tells about our courtship and falling in love--he then lights my candle.  We both then continue to tell about the birth of each child and light each child's candle.  We talk about how as each candle is lit their is more light or "love" in the family.  The children love hearing these stories every year.

*Everyone writes homemade valentines for each other that are in a special basket in the middle of the table.

St Patrick's day:

*While the children are sleeping a Leprechaun sticks shamrock stickers on the children's faces. *He usually leaves chocolate gold coins in the children's shoes and often the toilet water is green(the kids always want to be the first ones to the bathroom because of this)

*Shamrock green pancakes and green milk is for breakfast and of course we all wear green from head to toe even if it doesn't match.

Easter:

*Each persons basket is attached to a string that is wrapped all over the house.  The children must follow their own string through the web to find their basket.

April Fools:

* I usually trick the children somehow and now they anticipate it and I have to be tricky.

Favorite tricks in the past:

*after school snack Oreos (I replaced the cream with toothpaste)

*putting red jello in clear plastic cups with straws--the kids love this one and always want me to do it even though they now know it is not juice.

*taping their forks to table with clear tape

*putting plastic bugs in their cereal

*writing "April fools" on a paper and putting between their sandwich bread of their lunch.

*waking up the the children at midnight and setting clocks forward and then when they have eaten breakfast and dressed for school telling them to open the blinds. :)

Summer:

*Camping

*"Drive Inn night"

*Bear Lake

*Fall picnic:  We take a fall picnic up the canyon to enjoy the beautiful leaves.  I make a a large meal (stew,fresh rolls, salad, peach cobbler, and apple cider).  We find a picnic table at an empty campground and eat with the beautiful fall colors around us.  We take a hike and the children collect leaves to bring home.

Christmas:

*I wrap up the Christmas books and let the children choose one to unwrap and read each night.

*One night we sleep under the Christmas tree telling stories and reminiscing other Christmases.

*Santa leaves the children's stockings on their beds.  The children may wake up anytime to open the little presents in the stockings (I wrap everything, even the new toothbrush), but must wait for Mom and Dad to wake before opening the presents under the tree.

*Our children choose a name of a sibling and have to make a gift for that person.  It takes a lot more thought and time than just buying something.  (some of last year gifts: scrapbook, treasure box, Cd music mix, organizing a brother's comic collection, etc)

New Year's Eve

During the children color and decorate a Happy New Year's sign.  Each of them trace their hands on the poster and write a goal on it for the new year.  We sometimes cut these out and put them in their scrapbook or in their rooms to remember their goal.

   My favorite times in each season are the moments spent with my family.  Making these times specials and memorable is what makes the different seasons so wonderful.

**This is my first attempt at Wordfull Wednesday.  Alison convinced me to give it a try--plus someone gets a cool prize each month.  Check it out.***