Day 3: Tissue Paper Craft

I had other plans for the day, but they got postponed for tomorrow since Julianne is still pretty sick. Instead we decided to do a craft. I remember this wonderful craft project we used to do in elementary school using tissue paper to make different shapes and things. All you need is glue, different colored tissue paper (mine came straight from my gift wrap box), paint brushes, and a shape cut from cardstock. We decided to make rainbows, so I used plates to trace them out. We put a little glue on some paper plates and the girls went at it. Gabriela was all about it. Sophia liked the glue and the paintbrush and insisted on more glue after every piece of tissue paper. It actually ended in a big fit, but on a brighter note, they turned out quite cute.

Our finished product.

We are going to punch a whole in the top and hang them in the window.

Day 2: Playdough, Park, and Movie Night w/ Mom

Today wasn't near as exciting as yesterday, however we did get to spend time with our good friends Amy, Blake, Allison, and Tyler. The girls really enjoy their playdough. Gabriela pretends she is making cookies out of it by using the shapes that to her seem like cookie cutters.

Once our friends arrived we were outside for a while. The kids even found a snake...Yikes! We thought they were lying until we later flipped the brick over and lo and behold he was coiled up under there. Thank goodness I'm not as freakishly scared as I used to be. We took lunch and ate at the park and then the kids took off to play on the playground. These Mommy dates are nice, because I feel like I get a pick me up from other moms. Thanks Amy.

Tonight I attempted "Movie Night with Mom," and we rented Hotel for Dogs. We didn't get started until 9:00 at night after Julianne had gone to bed and it was much to late. At 10:30 we called it quits and decided to finish it in the morning. They were a nightmare trying to get their teeth brushed and into bed, so in the future I would advise to get an earlier start.

I realize that everyday can't be so fantastic, but I believe it's the small stuff and the effort that makes all the difference. Here's till tomorrow! I've got something up my sleeves.

Day 1: Nature Scavenger Hunt, Bean Museum, Ice Cream, & Waterfall!

What a way to kick off this experiment. This morning I was really trying to think hard of what I could do today. I planned to go to the museum in the morning, however poor Julianne needed her nap desperately, so it got postponed till after lunch. So there I was with my two little munckins and at least two hours on my hands before lunch. What to do, what to do? Hey, I've got it...Nature Scavenger Hunt. I armed my little ones with plastic bowls and we headed outside to see how many different types of leaves we could find. You could see their eyes light up and off they went. I tryed to explain that I wasn't counting grass and they immediately went for the flowers. They seemed to enjoy themselves but it got a little chilly for us so we headed for the front yard where it's sunnier. We examined our spoils, but I could tell it was the act of picking something that was the most enjoyable part for them. Older children might like to identify them or do a craft with them.

After lunch (which took a lot of patience and persuassion) we went to the Bean Museum at BYU. I think they were a little nervous at first especially once they realized that the animals weren't alive. They actually behaved well and liked identifying the different animals. In case you haven't been there before, it's a taxidermy(?) museum with all different types of stuffed animals (not teddy bears folks...think elephants, lions, hippos). The cost is free and it makes for a nice outing.

We then headed for the BYU Creamery for some yummy ice cream. I think their cones were as big as their faces. They loved this part and so did Julianne. I'm trying to push the stroller with a cup of ice cream in one hand and Julianne kept looking back and yelling to give her another bite. We walked over to the waterfall near the Marriot Center and to our delite we ran into a mommy duck and her eleven little ducklings. Gabriela's my adventurous one and she took off for the waterfall, but I did find true joy in sitting on the grass with Sophia and Julianne watching the ducks and enjoying our ice cream. That was the moment I was looking for. Gabreila ended up wadding in the pond up to her bumm trying to catch ducklings, crazy kid. We made it back home and into the bed for a nap they went. I'm pretty proud of myself today.

My first official post!

So here I am today, two days post Mrs. Utah pageant, wondering what to do next. I've focussed on myself for a year with a goal at the end and here I am goal-less (a short term goal that is). I'm kind of wandering around the house with this uneasy feeling and the girls and I aren't really doing anything. I was sitting on the back porch when I realized that I need to be actively and conciously thinking of FUN things to do with the girls. To provide them with fun memories and give them joy through new experiences and to help them be creative and active. Not only will this help them, but as parents don't we experience joy by watching our children having fun. So I think this will be my new goal, plus make me into the kind of mother that I have always dreamed of being. It's going to take work and definately patience, but I believe it will be worth the effort and we will create wonderful memories together.

I will post something every day, hopefully, that I have done to create a fun experience for the kids. Hopefully by sharing my experiences,I will give you ideas of ways to have fun with your kids and we can all find Joy In The Journey by having FUN!