Family

Hersheypark Happy

Hersheypark Review

I would have posted these photos anyway, but this is a sponsored post for Hershey, PA. Last summer, Joe’s brother gave Grace Hersheypark tickets for her birthday. We spent eleven hours at the park, staying from before the park opened until almost closing time. We all left exhausted but excited for our next Hersheypark adventure. Shortly [...]

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My Mom’s Opinion of My Ingenious Parenting Tip

parenting-tip

Joe gets up and goes to church early every Sunday morning. He’s part of our church’s worship team, and they practice before the service. This leaves me to get the girls fed, ready, and out the door by myself. I don’t mind getting the girls fed, ready, and out the door by myself. I do [...]

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Reader Question – Can You Identify This Book?

unkown book

Melissa commented on my 101 Chapter Books to Read or Hear Before You Grow Up post with a request. She described a book she read and loved as a child, and she asked for help with the title and author. I thought it was worth reposting because the story sounds interesting. I want to know [...]

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12 iPad Apps You’ll Be Happy to See Your Kids Playing

The best kids iPad apps

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how enamored my kids are with the iPad. They are veritable technophiles, those two. I’ve started hiding the iPad most of the time because I want them to do something besides sit and play with it. The apps they use are awesome and educational, but too [...]

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101 Chapter Books to Read (or Hear) Before You Grow Up

best books for elementary kids

It is worth noting that Grace loves a particular series of fairy books, but I hate them. Hate them. The text is dull and not well written. It’s the book form of candy, empty words without any redeeming intellectual value. There are probably books in your children’s lives that are the same way. Why not feed [...]

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Jesus, the Easter Bunny, and the Last Minute

Jesus, The Easter Bunny, and the Last Minute

So far this Easter season, Grace has attended an Easter party and an Easter egg hunt, counted a myriad of jelly beans, made an Easter egg out of buttons, played with an Easter egg sensory bin, made Rice Krispies nests, conducted taste tests with jelly beans, grown crystals in Easter eggs, read Easter stories (favorites [...]

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Sisterly Mothering

Sisterly Mothering

Last Sunday, at dinner, I mentioned that free Rita’s day was coming up. Grace was so excited about it that she stood up from the table and danced a little gig. The gig dancing continued for at least ten minutes, accompanied by chanting and squealing. Every time Grace threw up her arms and squealed, “Free [...]

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Living Fully – Why I’m Not Bringing Our Holidays Down a Notch

Bring the Holidays Down a Notch

Yesterday, I refused to take Grace to Girl Scouts because it was snowing and the roads weren’t plowed or treated. She was disappointed. Last week, I broke the news to Grace that we are not going to participate in the homeschool co-op next year. She was disappointed. Last month, Grace’s friends at church went to [...]

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bin

St. Patrick

When Grace was little, I was really an ambitious mom. I learned how to make sensory bins for her, and she loved them. I always thought they were fun at first, but then a huge pain in the arse after that. I always left them out too long, and I picked up little pieces of [...]

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Magic Milk for St. Patrick’s Day

Magic Milk

One of Grace’s favorite St. Patrick’s Day traditions is to drink green beverages. I am not much a fan of artificial food coloring, though, and I have to really concentrate to choke down a bunch of green milk or green water. This is so weird because I used to enjoy all foods artificially colored. Fruity Pebbles? If [...]

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