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INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!
Take 10 to see what's been up with us!
Since it has been a little while, I thought I would just list ten random things that have been going on with the Incredibles lately:
1. spring breaking with friends... playdates and fun!
2. we had an awesome Easter at church and with family!
3. the kids all learned how to fly today, doing "airplanes" on mommy's feet!
4. we've been developing our superpowers and making up new ones, like being supercleaners of our house!
5. it's back to the horse for Violet and mom tomorrow!
6. Violet wrote a fabulous story called "The Case of the Missing Horse"
7. Jack Jack can get out of his crib on his own, and takes every opportunity to prove that he can... which is challenging Elastigirl's "flexibility".
8. Dash can write his name! And a lot of other lettters!
9. we have three new webkinz that live at our house in the last couple weeks, one was my birthday present and Violet got two new ones!
10. Our Aunt & Uncle (blog names Edna and Mr. Edna by request!) gave us the coolest Incredibles area rug!
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Friday Show and Tell... Leap Year and my new nephew!
May the Force be with you this Wordless Wednesday!
My secret identity as a crafty kind of gal....
Happy New Year!
We had a great Christmas, New Years, and birthday celebrating holidays! That's right, Dash is 5 and Violet is 9!!!! We were blessed to have our entire extended family on both sides in town for some of the holidays, and it was so nice to see them all!
It is nice to be getting back to a somewhat normal routine in our house! We do not have CoOp this month, which is actually quite a nice break for me. We have been cranking through a lot of curriculum stuff we didn't get done in the fall, and having that extra day has really been great! I am sure the kids will be glad to get back to Co-op, though, at the end of the month. I have to decide if we are going to do it again next year. This year was our first year, and I taught a junior high history class that was really prep intensive. I have not liked losing a whole day every week, nor the prep time it has taken me for my class! But the kids absolutely love the Co-op, and it wouldn' t be nearly as much work for me next year. So, what to do??? I just don't know!
If you have any guidance for me, please let me know! Thanks!
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Wordless Wednesday
Show and Tell... Why I am exhausted today.....
Welcome!
I have been meaning to send the link and an invitation to my blog to our family and friends for a while, but haven't done it... so, I am doing it today!
If you are here for the first time, welcome! I hope you will visit often and see what we are up to! Two rules: 1. You can't judge my grammar or spelling, because I am writing these posts while chasing children, and anyway, I have lost A LOT of brain cells having these three blessings, so I can't be expected to know anything anymore. and 2. Please leave a comment if you come by, so I will know you have been here- I love comments! :) You don't have to have a blog to comment, just sign your name ao I will know who it is!
I am sure those of you who know us can figure out the "blog names"... and who knows, you may even be featured here at some point! (If you would rather not or want a code name or something, let me know, as i am all about pleasing the "readership", LOL!)
I am off to round up boys and go pick up Violet from the school where she is reading to a first-grade class today. Say a prayer for me, as I am CERTAIN to be hounded throughout the trip by a certain someone named Dash to stop at WalMart for a new bow and arrow set.... don't ask, those are details left for a future post.
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Incredible sightings....
I am going to attempt to figure out how to get video on here, but until then, here are some recent sightings of some Incredible people around our house!
 Violet's Dance Portrait (taken by Mommy)
 Violet and Mommy at American Heritage Girls Camporee!
 Violet and friends had a blast doing construction projects and learning all about tools at AHG Camporee!
 Dash holds his treat bag at our Co-Op Bunny Brunch
 Here's Jack-Jack! This reminds me of the Uncle Sam "I want YOU!" poster!
 This sweet baby profile won't last long (boo-hoo!)... Jack-Jack is growing into a big boy so fast!
So, for now, in the words of Bugs Bunny (or was it Porky Pig? Or Daffy? Oh, well, one of those Warner Bros characters!).... "Thththtththats all, folks!"
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Spurred to action...
My brother and sister in law just started a blog and sent me the link today! So I decided that, at least for today, I will have to get off the Blog Slacker Train. (so I can send them the link to my blog when I comment on theirs, duh!) So if you read this, Jeff and Beth, you are my inspiration for this post! :)
OK, so what have we been up to? Way too much to update everything since I have not blogged in 105.2 years, so I will just summarize.
Violet is pretty much done with "school" for the year, although she regularly reads the school stuff and everything else she can get her hands on just for fun. We have decided to continue math on a very relaxed basis during the summer, and that way we will not need to review what we forgot over the summer. Also during the summer she wants to learn cursive, so we will do that. I didn't get it done with her this year, and so it will be good to do over the summer. She struggled with handwriting for a while, and I just wasn't sure she was ready for cursive. I've decided that part of the problem was my standard, just demanding too much... so we are going on to cursive while she is interested in it.
Violet earned 14 badges and had 5o hours of service completed for American Heritage Girls this year! She wrapped up her dance and voice class with a recital, and this week she will have her choir spring musical to end the year. We are still taking care of Miracle, "Violet's" horse, and she is a great rider!
Overall, I am just amazed at Violet lately... she is getting to be such a young lady and growing up so much! Right now, she is at a slumber party for her friend's birthday... yes, it is Monday night, but her friend is homeschooled and so are the other party guests, so I suppose that is one benefit of homeschooling that her friend got to have her party on her actual birthday and it wasn't a problem that is was Monday! She is looking forward to our vacation with some of her aunts, uncles and cousins soon, and also to just having lots of fun time to play outside, swim, and play with friends this summer!
Dash is now obsessed with Robin Hood. He has become a master archer (compared to most 4 year olds, I suppose), and has shot every member of our family at least once, as well as himself a number of times. Thankfully, his arrows have suction cup tips, but sometimes Mr. Incredible and I wonder how truly Incredible we really are at the parenting thing if we are letting our 4 year old kid shoot things on a regular basis. In our (albeit pitiful) defense, Dash actually does pretty well most of the time at rememebring not to shoot people, and we do think ti keeps him from worse. At least he hasn't tried to jump rope in his bed in the dark again since his Great Bite Through The Tongue Incident of '07... if you have not heard about that, don't ask.... I even made him a quiver, 2 caps with feathers, and a Robin Hood outfit made out of t-shirts.. he is pretty cute. I will get a pic and put it up here when I get a chance!
More on Dash... his last day of Co-Op nursery school is tomorrow, which is a good thing in his view because he is intent on spending every waking moment playing outside and the Co-Op class is getting in the way of that. He is spending long hours playing with his best buddy who lives next door, (for the blog sake we'll call him Hercules, his fave character at the moment). He is also eagerly awaiting the arrival of his new friend, blog name Nemo, who will be joining the family of our dear friends when they finally bring him home from Guatemala next week after waiting years to adopt him!
On to Jack-Jack. His super powers are definitely starting to show themselves! He is totally cracking us up every day with his funny little ways. He tries so hard to keep up with Dash, and it is hilarious! He goes around making tough-guy faces and poses, and saying things like, "hi-ya!" He also imitates a couple scenes from shows he loves or that the other kids watch. The other day, he kept yelling "Pwize!" and popping up his hand peek-a-boo style. I finally figured out he was doing the scene from Madagascar at the beginning when Alex the lion jumps out at marty the zebra and yells, "Surprise!" Violet could not stop laughing!
Jack-Jack, too, has massive spring fever. he spends every moment he can playing outside in the sand box, in the yard, playing ball, swinging, sliding, and climbing our playset. Oh, on that note, he has discovered the "belt".... yes, the mechanism that locks the seat belts in the high chair and the swing completely FASCINATES him. I am totally convinced he would connect those thingies all day long if someone (read, Mommy) would sit there and open it for him again and again all day. But, alas, I am not that nice, so he ends up bitterly disappointed and in tears about the "belt" at least 5 times a day. We also have discovered he can sing, as he wan;s around singing "La, la, la..." to the tune of "Elmo's World". Oh, and I should report that he is fascinated with the potty and actually goes whenever I put him on it! If I was more on top of it (and if he was my first kid, probably), I would focus on getting him there and potty training! I guess maybe after his big brother, I just don't buy that he could possibly get it potty-wise before age two! Maybe we'll work on it this summer!
Mr. Incredible and I have been up to.... well, I guess you read it above! Keeping up with the Incredikids is about all we can do most days!
Shoo-wee, that was long! I am not so good at the summary thing. Sorry! That's all that's fit to print for now. If you made it through, conragtulations and next time I will just do fun pictures or something! Good night!
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"Spring has sprung...
the grass is ris',
I wonder where
The birdies is?"
My grandpa used to always say that little poem to us around this time of year, so I thought I would share!
So, I am out of hibernation and back to my blog :) Actually, for anyone who wonders where I have been, I will sum it up:
Changing lots of diapers, chasing lots of kids (ok, so only 3 but feels like a lot), and bemoaning the fact that I felt that winter was never going to end... ok, so that is not really why I have been away from my blog so long, the real reason is...
Bet you can't guess!
... it is because....
my laptop was dying a slow death! Yes, first the screen hinges broke, so I had to hold it while I was trying to type, not an easy task, and that was the reason for my slowing down on blogging a while back. Then my screen died all together, so I had to attach an external monitor and lost the ability to work in the midst of life happening here all around me. Finally, the final blow: my space bar died.
For those of you, and I imagine
there are not many (though I could be mistaken), who have attempted to write blog entries on a screen you can't see held to the base of your laptop by duct tape which only stays open at a certain angle, and if that angle is disrupted, will slam the "laptop" (I am using that term loosely here, please understand) crashing down forcefully on your hand, causing great weeping and gnashing of teeth and testing your resolve not to swear like a sailor, and furthermore type them all with a space bar which does not work unless you go back into thelineyoujusttriedtotypewithoutanyspaces and click with your mouse to insert them, you will understand the dilemma I faced. To those who have not experienced this, please let me say that 1. I sincerely hope that you never do, and 2. it certainly sucks the joy and creativity out or writing, to say the least. At worst, it is like behaviorist theory being used to train you NOT to blog.. the minute you start, great pain is involved. It doesn't take long before you just want to avoid the pain.
Well, providentially and blessedly for me, my birthday was this week, and I can now say that I am 34 and the owner of a fine new notebook computer!!!!!! YIPPEE!!!! Let the blogging begin!
I would especially like to thank Kim Wolf who emailed me this week to sweetly inform me that she missed me (and perhaps in a subtle way inquire as to whether I was still alive :) )
Oh, I just have so much to fill y'all in on! I will have to leave that for many future posts, but I am just glad to be back for now!
Grandma and Grandpa moved to Washington DC this weekend! We are really going to miss them. I was proud of the kids, they have really been struggling with the idea of grandma and grandpa moving, but they have been putting on brave faces and choosing to be happy for the cousins in DC who will be getting them. They waited until after Grandma and Grandpa left to cry. We are blessed to have had time with them in the same city, and we'll miss them. We hope to be able to visit them and also get to see more of our nation's capitol!
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HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Despite the fact that everyone probably thinks I dropped off the face of the earth, I am here!
Hi!
Needless to say, things around here have been busy!! I will attempt to "catch up" my blog on our happenings, coming and goings as I can. I have missed blogging, and would like to get back to it... and hopefully things will settle down a bit as we move into the new year. At least that is the goal here!
I just wanted to pop in (now that I can log in again... I had a little issue with that) and say that I am here and wish any lone soul who may still actually check here once in a while a very Merry Christmas!
With much much love and many blessings,
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So, did you guess this was coming?
Overheard at our house...
"Mom, all this writing is frustrating me! Can I just do it in cuneiform or heiroglyphics instead?"- Violet, as applied to writing her Language Arts assignment for the day.
"Let's sell it on ebay so I can get it for Christmas!" - Dash, trying to get his head around why mommy has been buying toys he wants for Christmas, taking their pictures, and then shipping them out of the house... he is NOT happy about it, and just doesn't get that this is all in an attempt to save up for his Christmas gifts!
"Day-Day!"- Jack-Jack, who now thinks that everything on TV is Jay Jay the Jet Plane.
I tell you, the level of discourse around here is mind-boggling.
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We're trippin'!
Field Trippin', that is! From the simple backyard, to an authentic castle, to a county Fair, to the world of Thomas the Tank Engine, the Incredibles have been on the go the last few days! Here's what we did:
Our "field trip" to the back yard... we became archaologists and dug up clues to figure out the mystery person. Who was it? See if you can figure it out: The clues were a sippy cup, size 3 diaper, rattle, ducky toy, and a container of Cheerios. Yep, it's....... JACK-JACK!
Here are the four of us in an alcove of the outside of the castle.
Next, one of us got a little more exotic and took a trip four hours away!
It was Violet! She went with Nana to visit Uncle Jeff, Aunt Beth, and their little Jenna!
There are the aforementioned Aunt and Uncle. Aunt Beth is ready to have a baby in the next few weeks! (if you talk to her, she'd tell you she is ready today, I think!)
And here is Violet with little Jenna, who is about ready to be a big sister, but too little to know it yet!
While she was gone, we did something fun with the boys: A Day Out with Thomas! If you look closely, you will see Thomas's face in the background. We did not ride the train (because it is PRICEY), but you can do everything else there for free! So we spent the morning watching Thomas go and playing with all the fun activities they had there.
Now, we have our girl back, and we are TIRED! But, it sure was fun to do all that!
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Unmasked!
15 years ago, I didn't know the internet existed. A year ago, I had no idea what a blog was. But last week, I met a fellow blogger in real life... someone I "met" online! Mr. Incredible teased me mercilessly about my "Internet date", but she turned out to be really nice!
I became a fan of Pomaleedon the minute I hit on her blog... just go look and you will see why... she is an amazing writer, and I think the way she ties Bible verses to her posts is just beyond clever. I also envy her sewing skills and her cool notebooks (you would have to look in her archives to see those cool things, but it is well worth it.) When I found out she lived in Chicago, I emailed her for some insider info for my visit. She emailed me back with great info and was so nice that I decided to ask her if she and her kids would like to meet us when we were in Chicago... and she said yes!
So, here we all are at the Museum of Science and Industry! Left to Right: Elliott, Pamela, Aelsa, Robin, Dash, Mr. Incredible, Violet, me, and Jack-Jack.
You can read all about our trip in her account here.
Here are some lessons I learned from our adventure:
1. If you want to get the best inside scoop on what to do with your kids and how to do it in a strange city, ask a homeschooling mom- they will NOT steer you wrong!
2. Homeschool moms will also never steer you wrong when it comes to helping you do things on the cheap! How she managed to steer us to free parking right there on the grounds when the garage was $12 is still beyond me!
3. Bring a small cooler with you to museums. It makes a great step for the little ones to be able to see better! My HSB buddy is SO SMART!
4. (but you already know this) Homeschoolbloggers are the BEST! I cannot say enough how nice Pamela and her three children, Aelsa, Robin, and Elliott were! Her children were SO well behaved, too... I have had a sneaking suspicion that next to you all my kids would look like wild animals... well, now I know I was right! Aelsa, wearing a gorgeous mom-created skirt featured on Pamela's blog, was a true pro with Jack-Jack... and Violet will NOT stop talking about her! Dash loved his "two Chicago big boy fends Elliott and Robin" as he refers to them! And I loved Pamela... we really clicked.... it is amazing to me how the Lord gives us sisters in Christ and knits our hearts together so quickly when we are like minded.... Pamela is truly a Kindred Spirit!
5. So, if the opportunity should come your way, do not hesitate to reach out and connect with your fellow HSBers in real life... it was GREAT!
THANK YOU, PAMELA, for your wonderful hospitality, kindness, and spirit of adventure and fun that led you to drop everything and come out with us for the day! And thank you, Lord, for some Incredible new friends!
P.S. Read more about our trip in the post below!
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Wanna see my vacation pics?
Well, it's my blog, so I am putting them up here anyway!  We are back from Chicago, safe and sound and getting the house slowly put back together! We had a GREAT time! I never think we really need a vacation until we go on vacation... and then I look back and think, "Wow! We needed that!"
I am saving my big Homeschoolblogger moment for my next post, but first I want to tell you about the rest of our trip!
We got into Chicago Thursday afternoon, and went straight to Mandi and Justin's (my sister and her husband, the newlyweds from my June wedding pictures!). They live right in the city, so we were able to walk to the train from there. Riding the train was Dash's favorite activity of the whole trip... he loved it!
Our first destination was American Girl Place. Violet saved all of her money earned doing extra jobs and all her gift money for the last 8 months to buy a doll, so she was just itching to go. When we got there, we had a BIG surprise... Violet's best friend, whose family had been visiting Chicago but was supposed to leave the day before we got there, was in the store! So, Violet and her best friend got to visit American Girl Place together... what fun! Here they are with the dolls they brought from home: (not the one she bought) (that's Violet on the left holding Kit)
So then we went back to Justin and Mandi's house and they were home from work by then. We were all so excited to see them! They have a really nice place, and they have put it together really well. It was so much fun to see my little sister married and keeping a home, and doing a great job of it, too! She and Justin were just wonderfully hospitable, not to mention patient, because it was a radical departure from their normal routine to have a family with loud and crazy ones (and I don't just mean the kids, LOL!) descend upon them and overtake their home for the better part of three days! That night, they got us Chicago pizza (YUM!) and we just enjoyed spending time with them.
Friday they had to work, so we were on our own. That is when we got into our Grand HSB Adventure, which I shall expound upon later. Then that evening we hung out at their house again and my cousin came to visit.
Saturday morning, we went to the Garfield Park Conservatory. What can I say but...hmm... it was full of plants. But it was pretty cool... here is a picture of Violet with our most graciously newly married hosts:
After a short trip there, we went back, ate lunch, and returned to the Museum of Science and Industry for a second visit because the Icredikids loved it so much the day before.
After that, we were SO tired! And then we packed up and went home, amidst meltdowns from all 3 kids. (and near-meltdowns from all four adults LOL!)
We got home at 2 am. WHEW!
So now you know why I have been absent from my blog for a while... I was TIRED! But it was a great trip!
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Good Friends and Good Times...
First, I have been meaning to post pictures from our playdate with Angela and her kids the other day... and I don't know who had the better time, the kids or the moms! Angela is just the BEST, and we always have such a great time talking and sharing together! And, fortunately, the kids get along really well! Here are some of the pics:
We had a picnic in the shady yard for lunch! Left to Right- Jack-Jack, Angela's middle ds, Dash, Violet, Angela's youngest dd, Angela (isn't she beautiful?!!), Angela's oldest ds
Angela holds her two youngest
... while Dash turns into the Hulk,
I call this one "Jack-Jack is sacked" :)
Thank you, Angela, for your hospitality... you are one Incredible Friend!
Today, we are in Chicago, and Violet realized a dream of hers this afternoon! These pics are already long, so I am going to post that story tomorrow... along with something I am so excited about... I am meeting a fellow Homeschoolblogger In Real Life tomorrow! (Friday) What an exciting and Incredible adventure... I can't wait! We will DEFINITELY be taking a photo for the blog, so check back!
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Things to do on Stir-Crazy Days (frugal version for the broke)...
A few of my friends here are stir crazy. Or frustrated with a not-so-great beginning of school. Or stir crazy and frustrated with a not-so-great beginning of school. To which I say: I know. I have been there... recently and frequently LOL!
So here is Mrs. Incredible's Guide on Things to Do for the Penniless yet Stir Crazy: (warm weather version)
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Put swimsuits on your kids (and yourself), then go outside. Get the hose, turn it on, and run around the yard squirting them... sounds crazy, but trust me, it gets a LOT of angst out and is fun, too!
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Give everybody a bag. Go out in your neighborhood, or to a park, or just in your yard and have everybody collect cool things they find, then come home and have show and tell.
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Take you normal everyday lunch out to a park and have a picnic.
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Go to the pool for a last hurrah before it closes.
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Go to the zoo, museum, or wherever you have a pass... just take and impromptu trip there. Take lunch and snacks along so it can stay cheap.
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Go to the library.
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Find a local farm where you can go and see animals for free or cheap.
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Find the cool play places around in stores/restaurants. For instance, we have a toy sore around the corner that has a huge playroom in the back with lots of little tykes houses and thomas train tables... we go there with the understanding that if ANYONE whines for toys, we are leaving IMMEDIATELY.
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Look in the paper and see if there are any free programs going on- storytimes, park programs, etc. and go there.
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If you have such a thing in your area, sign up and do a market research study. I have done focus groups on lots of neat products, and usually it involves me sitting in a room for 1 hour talking to grownups (yay), snacks (yay), and my children get to go in a fun playroom with child care and play while I do it, which they LOVE (check it out ahead of time, of course), and the best part is it pays! usually $25-$50 for the hour of my time that I got to talk to grownups! Every once in a while, that is a nice thing.
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Go feed the ducks somewhere.
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Go to grandma's, cousins, or whoever else is around.
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Playdate!
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Offer to swap kids with a friend... you take hers one day, and then she takes yours and you get a day to yourself... well worth it.
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Go for a bike ride.
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Go out to a field and play soccer together or fly a kite.
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Mom's mental health day: Dad takes a day off work, does something fun with the kids, and mom gets the whole day to herself.
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Go visit a nursing home.. take games and/or books and let the kids have fun with the residents there... it will minister to everyone involved.
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Grab a Family Fun magazine and see if anything in there grabs you. Do it.
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Don't laugh... if I am really in need of sanity, I have been know to put everyone in the car with toys, snacks or whatever will keep them happy, put a book on tape on for them or whatever music they like, then put on my ipod and drive around listening to something I want to hear for an hour. Of course, this is not free because of high gas prices, but when you are desperate.. well...
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do something crazy..... fingerpainting with shaving cream on cookie trays, having backwards/crazy/uposide down day, putting on loud music with a beat and having a dance, whatever. If you are laughing, you are doing it right.
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Have a pizza party where you all make pizza dough and everyone rolls out and tops their own pizza. Then you spread a blanket out on the floor in front of the tv, put on a good movie, get in pjs or sweats and have a pizza party!
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If your kids are little enough, put them all in the tub with loads of toys and bubbles. Let them play in there as long as they want.. if it gets cold, just scoot them all to the very back and add straight hot to the tub, then mix it in.
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If you have a minivan like I do, open up the doors in the driveway and let the kids play "Airplane" or rocket ship or clubhouse or whatever in there. I stay right by in a lawn chair and have been known to get an hour or more of peace reading a good book while they did something they thought was SO cool.
I think that's it for my ideas right now, but you can see that if you just do stuff in a new way, it can be pretty fun. ESPECIALLY if they think that it is something you would never let them do... they look at you like you have cracked, which in and of itself is pretty funny.
***My disclaimer: Not all of these ideas will work for everyone. I don't want to hear you don't have a zoo nearby or have shaving cream allergies or whatever... these are just some suggestions to get you started. ;)
I would love to hear more ideas from you ladies out there...especially you, Eyecorn, if you are reading this, you wild and crazy gal! And JenIg, too, who has won my UTMOST respect in this regard due to her invention of the awesome Jungle Bomb game! (Click picture link in Coie's blog to see it for yourself!)
And if you try and of these things, it goes without saying that I will need to see pictures and read a post about it on your blog :)
So, instead of going nuts, I say.. GO NUTS!
Have fun!
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