Beginnings and Endings in Motherhood

Our little girl is two months old!  Holy cow how in the world did we get here?!?  Seems like just yesterday we brought her home, exhausted and completely unprepared for how our life was changing.  As she is starting to get into a routine I have been trying to implement small consistencies throughout the day.  For example I love to sing my own version of "Good Morning" from Singing in the Rain.  (That's right.  My parents raised me on a healthy diet of classic movies growing up.)  To be honest I don't remember many of the words so I kind of made some up.  But I like to think Abby loves listening as we prepare for the day after she wakes up.

One of my favorite routines has become our morning story time.  After she wakes up and eats we usually have about an hour or so to play and explore before she starts rubbing her eyes.  That's my cue to change her diaper, wrap her up, and cuddle in the glider with a story!  We read other stories throughout the day, but this time is reserved for a chapter book.  I started with Charlotte's Web about a month after she was born and we just finished.

Confession time:  I teared up a bit as I read the last line of that book yesterday.  I know that there will be many more books that I read to my little girl, but coming to the end of this one was bittersweet.  It was our first chapter book together.  We had come to the end of one "chapter" in our adventures through the pages of stories.  But isn't that how motherhood goes?  Every beginning comes to an end, and that end leads to a new beginning.    I'm reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1.  There is a season for everything, but that doesn't make the end of the season any easier.

When that beautiful baby leaves your body and is now in your arms.

When they stop sleeping beside you in a bassinet and move into their crib.

When they stop wanting to sleep in your arms all day and become more alert and interactive.

Every day I am reminded that there will be too many endings in this season of motherhood.  So I hold on to the sweet moments that I cherish and joyfully embrace what the new beginnings will bring, because some seasons don't last nearly long enough.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Is anyone else excited for the Super Bowl tomorrow?  I am!  But not because of football.  To be honest the only reason I know the Patriots are playing is because my father in law is a Jags fan and I therefore semi-watched the playoff game.  (And by semi-watched I mean browsed Pinterest and ate yummy food while occasionally glancing at the TV if yelling occurred.)  Off the top of my head I can't tell you who they're up against.

For me, any sporting event is all about the food.  Our get-togethers generally involve copious amounts of chips and my husband's guacamole.  I know for a lot of other families hot wings tend to be a big hit, which led me to think back on this yummy meal we had a week or two ago.  I meant to post it earlier but am just now getting around to it.  Say hello to our Easy Buffalo Chicken Wraps!

I made these one night when Sean's mom and grandparents were coming over before a Lobo basketball game.  It took very little prep and everyone got to customize their own wrap with as much filling as they wanted!  This would be great for having a large group over since the ingredients are cheap.  I used boiled chicken because our grocery store had whole chickens for 77 cents a pound that week, but you could use a rotisserie chicken.  We also used the leftover ingredients the next day to make it in salad form.  Just toss it all together minus the wrap!

Are there other fillings you think we should add in our wraps?  Let us know!  And for those of you actually watching the game for football tomorrow - may the odds be ever in your favor!

Valentine's Day Fun: Stories and Activities for Your Class or Kids

I remember being so excited for Valentine's Day as a kid.  The excitement of choosing the perfect set of valentines, then carefully choosing which one to give each friend or classmate.  And of course the silly, girly anticipation of whether that cute boy two rows back would give me a valentine that let me know they felt the same way. (Didn't happen, folks!)

I think one reason I loved Valentine's Day was because my dad made it special.  He would always get my sister and me flowers or a card or something special to let us know how much he loved us.  Sometimes he would even take us out of school for a special lunch date!  Those were sweet times I still cherish when I look back on my childhood.

Now that I'm older Valentine's Day has taken a bit of a backseat.  I know, I know.  I'm married and have someone and should be celebrating.  But alas it always tends to be a holiday that doesn't get a lot of attention in our house.  Plus Sean's birthday is four days later so there are other things to celebrate at that time.

Whether I celebrate it or not a holiday is always a reason to find new books!  So here are a few books and activities to go along with them that you can do at home with your children or in the classroom.  Wishing you a love-filled day, every day!

This is NOT a Valentine by Carter Higgins, Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Summary:  An adorable story where a little boy makes sure to let his friend know all the gifts he gives her are NOT valentines.  Those are too mushy.  The thoughtfulness shown in each gift is a sweet reminder that cards and flowers aren't the only way to show our love!

Activity:  Brainstorm a list of ways we can show people that we care other than giving them the traditional valentines.  Choose one or two things to do for a family member or loved one.

Love Monster by Rachel Bright

Summary:  This monster isn't cute or fluffy.  But he wants someone to love him for who he is and goes on a journey to find that special someone.  A great reminder that sometimes love finds us when we don't expect it and we are each unique.

Activity:  Write a letter to someone you care about telling them all the unique things you love about them.

Classroom Activity: This would be an awesome classroom activity to build each other up and create an end of the year gift at the same time!  Have a student sit on a stool in front of a whiteboard and write those unique characteristics around their head as classmates brainstorm.  Then take a picture of that student and all the attributes.  At the end of the year you could frame the picture to give to the student.

Valensteins by Ethan Long

Summary:  A hilarious read perfect for those kids that want to cry "Eeeewww!" when Valentine's Day comes around.  Fran is in love and all the other ghoulish creatures just can't understand it.  A unique mixture of Valentine's Day with Halloween, this book reminds us that love is about what we feel in our hearts and not the gifts we give.

Activity:  Have students finish the sentence "Love is when..." with a description of things they do when they love someone.  You can brainstorm together as a class.  For example, I might start my kids off by saying, "Love is when Mrs. Sacoman gives someone her last bite of a cookie."  (Really, truly, if I give you ANY part of a dessert it means I love you.)  They could also branch out to things other people do for them.  For example, "Love is when my mom makes me dinner."  Then students illustrate their sentence.  This would be great to put together and make a class book!  You can get a paper I created for their writing here.

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

Summary:  Cornelia Augusta knows it must be close to Valentine's Day when it starts to rain hearts.  So she collects them and chooses each one carefully to give to her friends.  A sweet story of knowing your friends and doing something to let them know they are special.

Activity:  Pass out one heart to each student (template here).  Have them choose someone special to receive the heart and write that person's name on the line.  Then give them supplies such as markers, crayons, glitter, glue, etc. to decorate that heart for the recipient.  This would make a great display in the school hallway!

Sorting Activity:  This activity is great for younger students and children.  In the story Cornelia Augusta notices all the hearts are different.  Cut out hearts that are different sizes, shapes, and colors.  Then have the students sort the hearts by color, size, or shape.  You can even have the kids choose how they sort their hearts and see what everyone chooses to do.  You can use this template on different colored paper or find your own hearts to use.  Other great heart sorting supplies would be the candy valentine hearts with sayings or stickers for little ones.