Kansas City MomBlogs

Snow Day!

Kristina Light — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have a confession that may not be popular with most KC moms.... I'm thrilled for a snow day today! Were it not for the snow, I would have been going from one commitment to another all day from 5am - 9pm... but thanks to the snow I get to spend the day enjoying my girls!

I had a number of tasks and deadlines to meet today and I spent the last several days tackling those goals, putting myself a bit ahead of some deadlines - the reward? A day of play.

So, what does that mean at our house? We'll make Valentines for Grandparents (we make a dozen different cards for each set of grandparents to go with our Jigsaw Puzzle Tradition). We'll play games (Uno, Old Maid, Jenga, Lucky Ducks, Pig Tails, etc). We'll play pretend... maybe castle (princess dollhouse), maybe dress up, maybe dolls or tea party. We'll make lunch together... I will probably let the girls use food color markers to draw on their sandwiches. We'll exercise in the form of playing in the kids' tunnel and dancing on bubble wrap. And, we will read bunch of books and maybe watch a cartoon while sipping Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows and munching on Popcorn. I'll do some writing while they play a bit... try to get a bit further ahead.

The main thing? We'll be spending time together having fun and I can't wait!

So, how are you spending your Snow Day?

Valentine's Day: More Love, Less Money

Sara Keenan — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:54:22 GMT

Valentine's Day is just a week away! Whether you are buying Valentine's cards for your kids' class or picking out gifts for your sweetie, you could definitely end up spending more than you would like on Valentine's Day treats. Here are some ways to save!

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On Sunday, 2/7, Pottery Barn Kids is hosting a Valentine's Day Card Workshop. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. your kids can make their own Valentines in the store and you will get 10% off your Valentine's Day merchandise for attending! Go here for more details.

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Of course a great way to save on Valentine's for your children's classmates and/or for your loved ones is to make them yourself! You can simply get out some red/pink/white construction paper and let your kids go to town or if you want to get more creative, find some ideas here.

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If you are like me and you did not get the crafty gene, there are ways to save on store-bought Valentines, too! Target and various other stores are selling Willy Wonka Valentine's Exchange Kits for about $3 each. Print off a $1 coupon HERE and get these for just $2! (Click on "Foods" on the left side to sort and then look for the Wonka Exchange coupon). These come with enough cards and candy for 32 kids--such a deal!

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For a limited time, you can buy a dozen donuts at Krispy Kreme and you will get 12 Valentine's Day cards that each have a coupon attached for a free donut. (And how awesome are the heart shaped donuts?!) Call ahead to make sure your store is participating.

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If you are looking for a gift idea for your sweetie, how does dinner and flowers sound? Right now you can get $25 or $10 restaurant gift certificates 60% off at Restaurant.com with code BLOOM. That means that a $25 gift certificate will cost you $4 and a $10 gift certificate will cost $1.60. (Make sure to read the fine print carefully...many restaurants have minimum purchase and date restrictions). As a bonus, you will also get a $15 FTD gift certificate with your purchase! Viola...dinner and flowers for just a few $$!

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Also, check out KCParent.com's 2010 Valentine's Day Planner HERE for a great list of fun activities and workshops around town this week. (Many are free!) Also be sure to check out Kristina's article on Valentine's Day traditions HERE. Most of these ideas are free or very inexpensive and they all are fun and meaningful for your family!

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In the end, Valentine's Day is about the LOVE you share with your family and friends...you really don't need to spend a dime to show them that you love them.

Some of the Differences between Boys and Girls

James Wilcox — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

     I am blessed to be the father of three children; two boys and one girl. My oldest son will be nine in March, the youngest turned seven back in November. My daughter will turn three later this month. Now that I have been a father for almost nine years, I am finally starting to figure out some of the differences between boys and girls (at least with my own children).
     My boys are loud. They like to yell and scream, at each other, at their friends, at their parents, and even just to hear themselves scream. Now my daughter can be loud and she definitely likes to scream, but it is different. My boys are loud because they are exciting, or they are angry, or they want my attention. Most of the time, they don’t even realize they are screaming. My daughter’s screams seem much more purposeful and calculated. She screams for a purpose. She screams when she is excited, angry, or wants attention, just like my boys, but where they don’t even realize what they are doing, my daughter does.
     My boys are messy. It looks like a tornado ripped through their room and left their books, clothes, toys, and everything else they have managed to pack away strewn across the room. It doesn’t matter how many Saturdays we spend cleaning up, the tornado has hit by Sunday night. Now my daughter is messy and her room is a wreck, but there is an order to her chaos. All of her blankets may be on the floor, but they are there because she wants them there so she can play with her baby dolls. Her room may be messy, but she knows where things are. My boys have no clue where anything is.
     My boys could care less how they look on any given day. They could care less whether their cloths match, whether their hair is rumpled, whether their teeth are brushed. Not so with my daughter. She wants her hair done every morning and only mommy can do it because daddy doesn’t do it right. She wants her hair to be pretty, she wants her fingernails painted and she doesn’t mind telling you which outfit she wants to wear.
At 7 and almost 9, my boys are really starting to experiment with their independence, although they still turn to mommy and daddy for help. Although they like doing things for themselves, they are also content to let mom and dad do things for them when we offer or they can get away with it. Not so with my daughter. She was born independent. She wants to do everything herself. She wants to dress herself, put on her own shoes, brush her own teeth, even change her own diapers (thank goodness she is finally potty-trained so we don’t have to worry about this one anymore). She also wants to set the table by herself, get her own snacks, and take her own laundry basket down to be washed. You name it and she wants to do it herself. It really is amazing.
I know that every child is different and that each is unique is personality, but the differences between my boys and my little girl are startling. I think I know why they are so different. Little boys are born little boys. They aren’t men in any sense of the word; they are just these little boys who need to learn everything. Little girls though, well, I think little girls are born women. They are born women and they are just waiting for their bodies to catch up.

You Say Potato...

Margaret Sarver — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:00:00 GMT

Kids mispronounce words. My theory is (and I have lots of theories, but that’s another topic for another day) that you don’t correct them when they mispronounce the word, rather you make sure to use the correct word in a sentence back to them and they will eventually learn how to correctly pronounce the word.

My theory worked beautifully with both my girls. Ally no longer says “sunder” for “thunder” and Tori no longer calls “breakfast” “breaktast”. There is, however, one glaring exception. Neither of them can say the word “magazine”. They both pronounce it “mazagine” with the irony being that I work for a magazine. So it’s not like I don’t use the word around them because they hear it correctly from me all the time and yet they continue to say “mazagine”. It drives me nuts. When they were little, it was cute but now it is just annoying and I don’t know how to correct it. I know, I know, it’s not that big of a deal and one day I’ll be wishing for the days when my biggest annoyances were mispronounced words, but for today, it is bothering me.

Switching topics, to update you on last weeks blog entry, Molly survived her weekend with us (and so did I!). Ally had tears in her eyes as we returned Molly to the classroom but overall it turned out fine.

Ounce Per Ounce...It All Adds Up

Tracie Fobes — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Picture this. You are walking through the cereal aisle of your favorite grocery store. You know you need to pick up a box of Cheerios. So, you stop and notice that there are 3 brands. Not only that, there are at least two different sizes of each brands, making you choose from at least 6 different packages. So, which one do you put into your cart? Chances are, the cheapest sticker price.   Well, it turns out, that the price of your package really doesn't mean it is the best bang for your buck.

There are actually times when the least expensive package is not the best deal. Shocking - but true!! Let's pretend these are the prices/packages that you see when you look over your store shelf:

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 10.4 oz.    $4.03
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 14 oz.       $4.42
General Mills Honey Nut, 18 oz.                      $5.89
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 11 oz         $5.81
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 19 oz         $6.67
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 10.4 oz             $3.39
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 18 oz           $4.49

So -- which package does your instinct tell you to purchase (based upon price only)? Perhaps the 10.4 oz box for only $3.39? Let's look at this a little more closely:

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 10.4 oz.    $4.03       $0.39/ oz
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 14 oz.       $4.38       $0.31/ oz
General Mills Honey Nut, 18 oz.                      $5.89      $0.33/ oz
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 11 oz         $4.45      $0.41/ oz
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 19 oz         $5.70      $0.30/ oz
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 10.4 oz            $3.39      $0.32 /oz
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 18 oz            $4.49      $0.25/ oz

In this case, the value size box of the Store Brand is your best price. Let's say that you have a coupon for $1.00/1 of the General Mills Brand cereal......so let's look at it again:

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 10.4 oz.    $3.03       $0.29/ oz
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, 14 oz. $3.38       $0.24/ oz
General Mills Honey Nut, 18 oz.                     $4.89      $0.27/ oz
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 11 oz         $4.45      $0.41/ oz
Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters, 19 oz         $5.70      $0.30/ oz
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 10.4 oz            $2.39      $0.30 /oz
Best Choice Honey Nut Rings, 18 oz               $4.49      $0.25/ oz

So now, you can see that purchasing your name brand cereal will cost the less than the store brand -- and a medium sized box is a better value than it's larger counterpart. This disproves the theory that the store brand is always cheaper. Sometimes, it may appear that it is, but it actually costs the same amount as the name brand item.

Taking a little bit of time to do some comparison shopping can really help you stretch your food dollars. I always keep a calculator in my coupon binder, just for times like this. But don't worry, if you forget yours at home -- I find that a pen and the back of a McDonald's receipt works quite nicely to work up a little long division.

(All prices and sizes are fictitious and used for illustration purposes only).

Interrupted

Lizz Welter — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I had the best of intentions of sitting down and writing a post about date nights. Specifically, I was going to write about having date nights “in” or at home. Of course, the key word is “was.” It didn’t happen and here’s why…

All day I looked forward to the season premiere of LOST. My husband was volunteering at church, so I got to put the kids to bed solo. Though I desperately wanted to watch my show as soon as it started, I took my time putting my little ones to bed. I gave them baths complete with colored water and bubbles. We read stories and I kissed and hugged them multiple times. I then rushed downstairs to finish the dishes and that is when the fun began.

“Mommy, I have to tell you something," my preschooler yelled from his room. Four different times I went upstairs and then back downstairs. I only had half a dozen dishes left to wash, but it must have taken me half an hour by the time I dealt with my preschooler's bedtime stalling techniques. By then, though I’d been brainstorming all day, I had no energy left to write anything remotely creative about fun date nights at home.

Instead, I wondered if you can relate to this bedtime dance. So, can you relate? Are they really scared or do they truly need to use the bathroom, again or is it time to put your foot down and turn to discipline methods? Either way, the night drags on and by the time the munchkins are sound asleep, it’s time for you to turn in as well. Of course, you don’t. Instead you stay up too late enjoying the quiet time or the time with your spouse. You might wake up tired the next day and begin the same adventure once more. And yet, despite it all you wouldn’t trade you little ones for anything, except of course for a few hours of sleep. Oh, I kid. (I’m a bit sleep deprived so you’ll have to excuse me.)

Things aren’t really that bad around here. Every night isn’t a battle to get the little ones to bed, but on those nights it sure feels like every night. So, I’m wondering, what do you do to keep your sweet ones in bed?

The Hardest Monday

Marisa Frymire — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Last week began a 14-week journey to completing my Master's Degree in Elementary Education. I am a semester away from graduating from Rockhurst University with my Master's. All that stands in the way is a semester of student teaching.

That semester of student teaching began last Monday, which meant I would be dropping my daughter off at "daycare" for the first time. By God's grace, a close friend from our church (who had done an in-home daycare for 12 years) offered to watch Ava for us during these 14 weeks. She shares our same values, she has taken care of young children before, Ava would be the only child she's watching (she homeschool's her tween daughter and let the daycare go last year), etc. It's a great fit.

Last Monday came, and it will probably go down in history as the start of the worst week for Ava. To start, she was sick with a 102 temp and I STILL had to drop her off, drop-offs were TERRIBLE in the morning with hysterical crying, she was extremely clingy once we got home at night (to the point of not even wanting my husband to hold her), and since she was sick, she was up 5-6 times each night Monday thru Friday. We were exhausted and a bit discouraged, to say the least.

We are praying earnestly that our daughter begins to adapt to this very new change. I've been a full-time stay at home Mom since she was born, so this is a major change for all of us. Learning to balance Mommy time with full-time teaching is going to be a challenge, but thankfully there is an end in sight.

One week down, 13 left to go!

Valentine Traditions

Kristina Light — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I love holidays and I especially enjoy fun traditions with my family. Here are few of our favorites:

COUNT DOWN: I wrapped 14 books about love last night (i.e. "Guess How Much I Love You," "I Love You with All My Heart", etc) and Valentine's Day (i.e. The Peanuts' Valentine book, "Emily's Valentine Party" and others). Love is such a common theme in children's literature... you'd be surprised how many you have in your collecton. Target's Dollar Spot sells Valentine paper that is perfect for this tradition. Every day, from Feb. 1-14, we'll unwrap and read one story. (We do this for Christmas and Easter also. I use the same books every year - preschoolers think they're new every time.)
HEART HUNT: A few years ago, I purchased hollow hearts (like Easter Eggs) at Target's Dollar Spot (I have seen them again this year, and Michaels and party stores sell them too). After a breakfast of Heart Pancakes with strawberries, the girls have a heart hunt.
MAKE AND MAIL VALENTINES: Every year, I buy blank jigsaw puzzles at US Toy and stamp each of the girls' handprints on them with a message to the grandparents. We then mail one piece every day leading up to Valentine's Day inside homemade Valentines! (I get a lot of ideas from www.FamilyFun.Go.com and www.Crayola.com).
MAIL VALENTINES WITH LOVE POSTMARK: My husband and I send Valentines to the girls and have them specially postmarked from a "Valentine City." Here are simple instructions to do this.

We have even more Valentine Ideas on KCParent.com !

What are your favorite Valentine Traditions?

The Top 5 Reasons I Heart Target

Sara Keenan — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I have a deep and abiding love for Target. If I had to pick only one store to shop at for the rest of my life, it would be Target, hands down. There are so many reasons to love that place...here are my top five!

5. ONE STOP SHOPPING: Where else can you pick up some toilet paper, a big screen TV, a pair of Converse sneakers, a set of non-stick pots and pans, and a ballet leotard all in the same shopping trip? There is nothing you can't find at Target. And I really feel like they are stepping up their game lately...lots of big designers are putting out clothing lines at Target, there are new lines from chefs like Giada DeLaurentis & Paula Deen in the kitchen section, and they even have some bigger designers right now in their "Great Save Event"section. There really is something for everyone from super cheap up to...well, less cheap, but still affordable.

4. THE PRICES: I don't have a Super Target nearby, but my Target has a pretty good grocery section. I have found that the regular prices in the grocery section at Target are almost always better than my grocery store. I had always assumed that the opposite was true...that grocery stores would naturally have cheaper prices than a store like Target. But I have to say that I have compared prices on a lot of items and in many cases Target wins. Of course it's not ALWAYS the case, but next time you head to Target, take note of what you pay for a few staples and see if Target can beat those prices.

3. TARGET COUPONS: Target accepts manufacturer coupons like most stores, but they also put out their own Target Store Coupons that you can use in addition to the manufacturer coupons. So, you can use BOTH a manufacturer coupon AND a Target store coupon for the same item, which really increases your savings. You can find Target coupons online HERE and they also occasionally mail them out to customers (though no one knows the rhyme or reason behind why some people get coupons in the mail and some people don't).

2. DOLLAR SECTION: That little dollar section just when you walk in the door is the best for many reasons. I get a lot of party favors for birthday parties, stocking stuffers, travel toys, and seasonal decor in this section each year. It's also a great place to take your children for a reward...they can pick out anything they want and it's only going to set you back a dollar!

1. CLEARANCE: If you are a bargain shopper, you know the thrill of the little red sticker. I could go on and on about Target Clearance, but I'll try to sum it up in a couple of sentences. Target clearances items all over the store all year long. Just check their "end caps" in each section for the current selection. Once Target puts something on clearance (usually starting at 15-30% off), it will keep getting cheaper and cheaper until it's 75% off (or 90% off in the case of holiday sections) unless someone buys it first. I love to see something at 30% off and come back a few weeks later to snag it at 75% off. This sometimes requires a large amount of stalking and visiting Target everyday until the markdown team visits that area and marks your item down (I scored a grill last fall for 75% off this way...the Target employees knew me by name in that section!). But when you finally get your hands on that coveted item at a fraction of its retail price...victory!

So there you go...the reasons behind my love affair with Target. And I didn't even mention the fact that in the Kansas City area you can get a Target credit card and save 5% on EVERYTHING, every time you shop. I'm sure that most of you feel the same way about Target as I do, but if you aren't a Target lover like me....try it....you'll like it!

It’s Time to Step Up Dads

James Wilcox — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this week, I learned that an acquaintance of mine (the husband of a lady I used to teach with) had dies of a massive heart-attack. Although I didn’t know him all that well, the news really hit me hard because I see myself in him. He was 40, I’m an only 38. He was a father of four children (his youngest was born back in September), while I only have three. He was a teacher, as am I. He was a little overweight, while I am more than a little overweight. Most of all, he loved his wife and kids, probably as much as I love mine. I know he never imagined anything like this would ever happen, or that he would leave his family so early. It happened though and if it can happen to him, it can happen to me, or to anyone of us.

Now I have been overweight and out-of-shape for years. I know that this isn’t healthy and that I should do something about it, but I never do. I always make excuses or make a half-hearted effort to lose my extra pounds, but I never follow through. I haven’t made the lifestyle changes I need to make because, honestly, I don’t think they are that important. It is only know that I realize how selfish I am being. If I was the only affected by my decision, that would be one thin, but I am a father and a husband and I am putting my family at risk. I don’t want my children to have to go through what his children are going through. I don’t want my wife to go through it either. I only way I can prevent this from happening is if I get off my lazy butt and start doing something about it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I realize bad things happen to people all the time and there is nothing they can do about it. I realize that it is easy to say I need to do something while this is fresh in my mind. I also realize that if I ever needed a wake up call, this is it. There are so many things I no control over, I owe it to my family to take care of those that I can control.

So, all you dads out there who are overweight or out-of-shape, it’s time to step up. It is time to do something about it. Whether it is dropping a couple of pounds or taking the kids on a walk everyday, you owe it to your family to get healthy. You owe it to your kids to be around for their high school gradation, their college graduation, their wedding, for their children, whatever it may be. Seriously dads, it’s time to step up to make sure you are their for your family when they need you.

Our Weekend House Guest

Margaret Sarver — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:00:00 GMT

Molly is spending the weekend with us. Molly is a hamster and she is the class pet in Ally’s Pre-K. As star student of the week, Ally gets to bring home the hamster for the weekend (and she is SO excited and has been counting the days until Molly arrives).

I am not a pet person. We didn’t grow up with pets in the home (except for birds). I have allergies to both dogs and cats and so we will never have those in the home. We do have some fish, but they are pretty easy to take care of. So that brings me to Molly, our weekend visitor. I can’t say that I am thrilled at having her here, but I will mask my feelings for Ally’s sake. I am proud of myself that I have already picked her up once to put her in her ball (wearing gloves, of course!).

Okay, so I was going to say that I am going to make the best of it and maybe it won’t be so bad after all, but I was just interrupted when writing this post because Molly peed in her ball that she roams around it. EWW! It’s going to be a long weekend! My biggest fear is that Molly will die while in our care, so keep your fingers crossed that she makes it through the weekend alive. My dad joked that if Molly survives this year, she should be studied as she is one strong hamster.

Stockpiling Can Be Healthy For Your Budget

Tracie Fobes — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:00:00 GMT

You have probably seen the television shows about hoarders. When they get done, they find that they have 87 tubes of toothpaste, 120 rolls of toilet paper and 24 toothbrushes. I will admit that in my house you will fine 8 tubes of toothpaste, 30 rolls of toilet paper and 5 toothbrushes (other than those we are using). I have even more than that......but won't bore you with those details.

Stockpiling isn't a bad thing. It is so good to plan for the unexpected -- a job loss, natural disasters, fluctuating gas and food prices. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to create your own stockpile.

1. What is considered a good deal? If I can get my item for at least 75% off or more, then it is a good deal for me. I actually found toothbrushes on clearance at Walgreens last January for only $1.09. I happened to have several $1.00/1 coupons. So, I picked up 9 toothbrushes for only $0.81 or $0.09 each! I didn't sacrifice the brand I wanted to use -- these were Reach toothbrushes, which is what we use regularly.

I actually stockpile when I can get household items and toiletries for $1.00 or less each. When I find toothpaste marked down and through coupons and deals I can get it for free - or close to it - I'll pick up several at a time.

2. Where is the best place to shop for a stockpile? Many times you can find toothpaste and other toiletries for free, or nearly free, when you shop at CVS or Walgreens. Yes - your local drug store can be less expensive than even Walmart when all is said and done! How? Through the Extra Bucks and Register Rewards programs they offer -- which is basically a coupon to save you $x.xx off of your next purchase. You can of course find great deals at your local grocery store or retail chain stores, just always keep your eyes peeled.

3. How much is a good amount to have on hand? Obviously you can't stockpile items that will expire soon.However, you can stockpile canned and boxed goods, toiletries, laundry needs, paper supplies, cleaning supplies and anything else that won't "go bad." You can even stockpile meat products -- as long as you have the freezer space. The quantity of items to keep on hand varies from person to person, but for me anything that is non-food related I like to have at least 2 year and food items anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.

4. Doesn't this take up a lot of space? Sure, it can -- if you try to buy everything under the sun. You have to determine what space you have to give up to your stockpile. Obviously if you live in an apartment, what you stockpile will probably be less than someone in a large home.

5. Does this include travel size items? It sure does! Many times, you can get travel size items free after coupon (unless the coupon specifically excludes that size). So, you can pick up several and have paid absolutely nothing for them. They may be smaller sizes, but they are still free. And, in my book - free is free!

One of the most wonderful aspects of a stock pile (besides saving money, of course), is not having to run right to the store when you are out of something. For us, it seems that my daughter eats toilet paper as I am forever changing the roll. So, it is great to just run to the basement and grab a new roll and be on my way. Otherwise, my husband has to make a pit-stop on the way home from work for me.

Another great thing is meal planning. I almost always have something to throw together for a great meal as I have a completely stocked pantry. Then, when I plan my weekly shopping list (based upon menus created from my stash), I rarely need many items to actually cook my meals. My list is made up of incidentals and items to add to the pantry.

While my friends and family may chuckle when the see those 30 rolls of toilet paper on the shelf, I actually feel like I get the last laugh. After all -- I am not the one flushing my money down the toilet ---- literally!

"Mommy, Watch Me!"

Lizz Welter — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Countless times each day, my children ask me to watch them do something. Sometimes it’s something they’ve never done and I share in their excitement, but oftentimes it’s not.

Recently, my son insisted that I watch him while he jumped around kicking his legs. He then put his hands on the floor and did some sort of donkey kick. I did my best to look really impressed and hope he didn’t realize I was more concerned about him getting hurt or knocking something over than excited about his crazy moves. It must of worked because he just stood there beaming while trying to come up with something else to show me.

Even more recently, I was keeping an eye on my older two children as they played outside. Before long, my son came charging in the house to say, “Mommy, I’ve got to show you something.” I admit that I tried to pacify him by reminding him that I was already watching him out the window. He was adamant that I come to the door to watch him. As I walked to the back door, I imagined the silly thing he planned on showing me.

I was a bit surprised as he just ran to the swing and sat down on it. Slowly, he began swinging and it took me a second to understand what he wanted me to see. Then, I realized I was watching my little boy gain independence right before my eyes. He had figured out how to pump and was swinging all by himself! As he turned around to make sure I was watching, I saw the proud look on his face and I wondered if it was even half as proud as the look that was most certainly on my face.

As he went back to playing, I couldn’t help but be grateful that he wanted to share his achievement with me. This whole parenting thing is such a privilege. Sharing in my children’s successes, no matter how small, is an honor. Moments like that make all those requests to watch some crazy new trick worth it.

Dad Takes Risks

Marisa Frymire — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The other week, my husband and I met for lunch at Chick-fil-A with 2 other friends/co-workers, their wives, and their kids. All of our kids are in the 18-24month range.

After eating, the dads couldn't wait to take the kids into the play gym area. Of course, I see that as a place for breeding germs and all things NASTY, but my husband's quick reply was, "You've got hand sanitizer, right?" As if saying "yes" made it okay to touch the icky, nasty germs.

A kid needs to be a kid, right? So I sent our daughter on into the play area with my husband and the other dads/kids. I was worried about our daughter falling down the stairs, getting stuck somewhere and not being able to find her way out, or accidentally finding the hole for the slide only to topple down, staticky hair and all.

Well, all of these things (except her falling down the stairs) happened....and it was OKAY!! If she got stuck and couldn't figure her way out, my husband just pounded on the glass and told her to come a certain way. When she did find the slide, I happened to be standing at the bottom of it, unaware that it was getting ready to shoot her right out! She had that look of surprise on her face, but once she reached the bottom, she laughed and smiled.

In some ways, men can be more carefree than women. At least that's true for us. I plan things out and usually play it safe. I'm not a risk taker, and I'm okay with that. On the other side, sometimes men are not always smart about the risks that they take...but a little gym time in Chick-fil-A isn't that bad.

Are you more of the risk taker in your family, or do you play it safe? Has your parenting style changed this about you?

The Most Fun you can have for FREE

Kristina Light — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This winter we've enjoyed several fun family field-trips that don't cost a dime. We adore Kaleidoscope and KidScape at the Johnson County Museum, but these are fairly popular outings so today I wanted to share five FREE outings that are also some of Kansas City's Best Kept Secrets!

Lowe's Build and Grow Workshops (www.lowesbuildandgrow.com): On the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, Lowe's Hardware Stores across the metro offer the BEST woodworking classes for kids and they're FREE! The workshops are held in a classroom at the store and each child is given a canvas apron with their name on it (to keep), safety goggles and a small hammer (just to use for the project), and a small kit to build their own wooden project. In the past few months, we've enjoyed several of these classes making small picture frames, Christmas ornaments, a wooden snowman, a toy house, and a tic tac toe game. My girls are really looking forward to the February 27 workshop when they get to make a wooden car! Parents assist their children a they assemble their projects - each child is given a kit with all the pieces and simple illustrated instructions. After completing the project, they receive an embroidered patch and a certificate. It takes about an hour (sometimes less) to complete a project and we've found this to be a terrific winter outing. The kids love making something "real" and have a terrific sense of accomplishment, and Daddy loves making projects with his girls... I love that the woodworking happens THERE! It's a win-win!
Burr Oak Woods Nature Center's "Little Acorns" Programs(www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/cnc/burroak/): On the third Wednesday of each month, Burr Oak Woods Nature Center offers program for preschoolers (they also offer other programs for all ages throughout the month). We've been attending FREE "Little Acorns" classes since summer, learning about crayfish, butterflies, bats, trees, frogs and squirrels. At each class, the children learn how animals grow, their special traits, what they eat, and what they do. They read a story (often with puppets), play a game related to the animal (i.e. racing while walking like crayfish), and make a craft (a poseable squirrel puppet being the favorite so far). After learning about the animal or plant, the kids are taken out in "nature" to catch and release butterflies in nets, hunt for squirrel's nests, or catch and release crayfish in the river. We can't wait to find out what we do and learn with the upcoming bird class in February and turtles in March. Last summer we took the crayfish class when my daughter was three... she's STILL talking about it! The staff at the Nature Center uses creative simple lessons to teach children and we LOVE them! "Little Acorns" is designed for children 3-6, and the nature center also offers wonderful classes and programs for children of all ages.
Storytime: We love storytime at our library and thankfully, they offer different programs to suit our needs and mood! We enjoy Teddy Time on Tuesday evenings when we've been home for a week with snow and need to get out... children bring their teddy bears for a nighttime reading at the library. Thursday mornings (10am) at the Red Bridge Library feature stories, crafts, songs, and a short film. Thursday mornings (10am) at the Plaza Library offers stories, songs, and art - and what I like best about this one is that it is offered in a special storytime room with closed doors and the absence of distractions from other library patrons, toys, puppets, or books. We also love to visit the fabulous children's section at the Central Library and read, creating our own storytime. Border's, Barnes and Noble, and the Learning Tree bookstores also offer great storytimes for kids - we especially love it when characters like The Cat in the Hat or Curious George make a visit at Barnes & Noble (all listed on the KCParent.com calendar!). Storytime Schedules for 0-3 year olds in the Kansas City Area
Price Chopper Kids Club: If your children join Price Chopper's Kids' Club, they are given a free treat in almost every department every time you shop! My girls love to choose their own slice of cheese at the deli, cookie at the bakery, and juicebox and snack pack... it's definitely a fun treat to accompany the chore of grocery shopping. As members of the club, they are also mailed coupons each month for freebies as well!
Moon Marble (Read our Review of Moon Marble): Moon Marble is a charming toy store with many "forgotten toys" of years gone by... marbles, classic jack-in-the-boxes, tops, collectibles, as well as new toys crowd this eclectic and novel toy store. Several toys are out for playing / demo, and one room is set aside just to play with marble tracks (including a magnetic set). They also do marble making demonstrations which are captivating for children young and old... this is an experience the "chain toy stores" just can't match!

What are your favorite FREE outings? Any other great "Best Kept Secrets in KC" to share??? Do tell!

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