Thursday, December 19, 2013

How to edit TV and DVD content

Does anyone have a good TV and DVD editing service? I am trying to remove the swearwords but I think Clearplay only does DVD's, right?

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Toddler Playtime in Church Gym

Last week, we had a fun toddler playgroup in the church gym. If you're interested in getting together at 10:30 or 11:00, let me know by Sunday night...

Diapers Deal


Friday, September 27, 2013

Playtime Mondays and Wednesdays (10:30-12:30)

We now have the church gym reserved for Toddler Time from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.With the weather getting cold, it could be a good option to stay active and social. If anyone is interested in meeting for this, let me know!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Rain Party

Cielo wants to have a rain party. We don't have anything to do tomorrow. Anyone want to come over around 10 am tomorrow (Tuesday) for a rain party?

I'm thinking some simple rain-themed games, "painting" shaving cream clouds, blue jello and sprinklers. If you wanted to bring an umbrella that would be fun.

I'm not planning on putting a lot of effort in, just a glorified play group. If this is too short notice maybe we'll try next week (we're busy the rest of this week).

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Who's up for Playgroup?!?

Let's get together for a playgroup!

Where: Alpine Splash Pad!
When: Friday, June 21st 11 am to 1 pm

You're welcome to bring a picnic lunch, and you might want some sort of shade-maker.  Please respond if you plan on coming!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

baby girls clothes

Melissa Clark's baby is due at the end of July. If anyone has any baby girl clothes bigger than 3 months to give away or lend out, let her know. She has almost everything except a changing pad to put on top of a dresser, too.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Playgroup next week

If anyone can make it around noon on Monday, come to the Creekside Park and hang out with us! The splashpad is open and the weather looks great!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

From a parent's perspective

I thought this article from Steve Wiens (pastor, writer, runner, dad) was brilliant so I wanted to share!
 

To Parents of Small Children: Let Me Be the One Who Says It Out Loud    


I am in a season of my life right now where I feel bone-tired almost all of the time. Ragged, how-am-I-going-to-make-it-to-the-end-of-the-day, eyes burning exhausted.
I have three boys ages 5 and under. I'm not complaining about that. Well, maybe I am a little bit. But I know that there are people who would give anything for a house full of laughter and chaos. I was that person for years and years; the pain of infertility is stabbing and throbbing and constant. I remember allowing hope to rise and then seeing it crash all around me, month after month, for seven years. I am working on another post about infertility that will come at a later date.
But right now, in my actual life, I have three boys ages 5 and under. There are many moments where they are utterly delightful, like last week, when Isaac told my sister-in-law that, "My daddy has hair all over." Or when Elijah put a green washcloth over his chin and cheeks, and proudly declared, "Daddy! I have a beard just like you!" Or when Ben sneaks downstairs in the morning before the other boys do, smiles at me, and says, "Daddy and Ben time."
But there are also many moments when I have no idea how I'm going to make it until their bedtime. The constant demands, the needs and the fighting are fingernails across the chalkboard every single day.
One of my children is for sure going to be the next Steve Jobs. I now have immense empathy for his parents. He has a precise vision of what he wants -- exactly that way and no other way. Sometimes, it's the way his plate needs to be centered exactly to his chair, or how his socks go on, or exactly how the picture of the pink dolphin needs to look -- with brave eyes, not sad eyes, daddy! He is a laser beam, and he is not satisfied until it's exactly right.
I have to confess that sometimes, the sound of his screaming drives me to hide in the pantry. And I will neither confirm nor deny that while in there, I compulsively eat chips and/or dark chocolate.
There are people who say this to me:
"You should enjoy every moment now! They grow up so fast!"
I usually smile and give some sort of guffaw, but inside, I secretly want to hold them under water. Just for a minute or so. Just until they panic a little.
If you have friends with small children -- especially if your children are now teenagers or if they're grown -- please vow to me right now that you will never say this to them. Not because it's not true, but because it really, really doesn't help.
We know it's true that they grow up too fast. But feeling like I have to enjoy every moment doesn't feel like a gift, it feels like one more thing that is impossible to do, and right now, that list is way too long. Not every moment is enjoyable as a parent; it wasn't for you, and it isn't for me. You just have obviously forgotten. I can forgive you for that. But if you tell me to enjoy every moment one more time, I will need to break up with you.
If you are a parent of small children, you know that there are moments of spectacular delight, and you can't believe you get to be around these little people. But let me be the one who says the following things out loud:
You are not a terrible parent if you can't figure out a way for your children to eat as healthy as your friend's children do. She's obviously using a bizarre and probably illegal form of hypnotism.
You are not a terrible parent if you yell at your kids sometimes. You have little dictators living in your house. If someone else talked to you like that, they'd be put in prison.
You are not a terrible parent if you can't figure out how to calmly give them appropriate consequences in real time for every single act of terrorism that they so creatively devise.
You are not a terrible parent if you'd rather be at work.
You are not a terrible parent if you just can't wait for them to go to bed.
You are not a terrible parent if the sound of their voices sometimes makes you want to drink and never stop.
You're not a terrible parent.
You're an actual parent with limits. You cannot do it all. We all need to admit that one of the casualties specific to our information saturated culture is that we have sky-scraper standards for parenting, where we feel like we're failing horribly if we feed our children chicken nuggets and we let them watch TV in the morning.
One of the reasons we are so exhausted is that we are oversaturated with information about the kind of parents we should be.
So, maybe it's time to stop reading the blogs that tell you how to raise the next president who knows how to read when she's 3 and who cooks, not only eats, her vegetables. Maybe it's time to embrace being the kind of parent who says sorry when you yell. Who models what it's like to take time for yourself. Who asks God to help you to be a better version of the person that you actually are, not for more strength to be an ideal parent.
So, the next time you see your friends with small children with that foggy and desperate look in their eyes, order them a pizza and send it to their house that night. Volunteer to take their kids for a few hours so they can be alone in their own house and have sex when they're not so tired, for heaven's sake. Put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes, and tell them that they're doing a good job. Just don't freak out if they start weeping uncontrollably. Most of the time, we feel like we're botching the whole deal and our kids will turn into horrible criminals who hate us and will never want to be around us when they're older.
You're bone-tired. I'm not sure when it's going to get better. Today might be a good day or it might be the day that you lost it in a way that surprised even yourself.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
You're not alone.
steve wiens



 

 


 





Saturday, May 4, 2013

Free cardboard slide


For entertainment this winter, we taped two big cardboard boxes together to make a makeshift toddler slide that covered the stairs. Was pretty fun-as long as you get enough pillows at the bottom. If anyone wants to have it, let me know. Otherwise, we'll toss it.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Email from Cookie Cutters in Lehi

Tell your friends and family each Wednesday during the month of May all children 5 and under will receive a $9.95 haircut.
If Wednesdays are inconvient for your schedule, there are many ways to save instore. 5 for $55 punch cards makes 5 haircuts $11 each. Rebooking, come in for a haircut, rebook for a future haircut and receive $2 off the future haircut. Family Day Tuesdays, for 3 or more haircuts, first haircut is $13.95 with 2nd and 3rd cuts at $10 each.
Hope to see you soon!




$4.00 off
KidsCut
Wee Wednesdays

From the Cookie Cutters Lehi, Haircuts for Kids


Valid Wednesdays only May 2013.
*This promotion can not be combined with any other offers.



Offer valid only at:

Cookie Cutters Lehi
801-341-5110

image

Friday, March 29, 2013

Imom.com

This is a GREAT new find! At www.imom.com, there is a free section for "movies and music" that categorizes current music and movies so that parents can know exactly what the content is and whether it is appropriate for your family. Love it! (There are also free Easter printables on there right now.)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Free stuff

Somehow, I have two copies of "The Easter Story" so if anyone wants one...it's the perfect season to read it. Also, I have "70 Favorite Children's Songs" by Janice Kapp Perry on CD we don't use. If anyone wants these, let me know!

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Toddler Playgroup Update

Hi Ladies,
Here's who I have interested in a toddler playgroup and when they're most available...

Alissa Packer   Tues/Thur. afternoon
Robin Towle   anytime during summer
Ammie Gillespie  Monday morning, Thursday
Kristen Canales   mornings
Renee Foster  Fridays
Melissa Clark  ?
Mary Smith   mornings (9:30)
me (Monica Pack)  Mon/Wed/Fri

Unfortunately, it looks like getting one day that works for everyone will be tough. Any ideas?

100 Greatest Books for Kids

Saw this interesting list for the 100 "Greatest Books for Kids," ranked by Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. Don't know if I'd agree with all of them but here they are...
(What are your kids' favorites? As we all know, they're the true critics.)
 
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
4. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jacks Keats
5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
7. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
11. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
12. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
13. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
14. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
15. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
16. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
17. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
18. When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan
19. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
20. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
21. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
22. Corduroy by Don Freeman
23. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
24. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
25. The Giver by Lois Lowry
26. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
27. Black on White by Tana Hoban
28. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
29. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
30. My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
31. The Mitten by Jan Brett
32. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
33. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
34. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
35. Freight Train by Donald Crews
36. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
37. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
38. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
39. Zen Shorts by John J. Muth
40. Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton
41. Matilda by Roald Dahl
42. What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry
43. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
44. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
45. The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta
46. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
47. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
48. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
49. Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
50. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
51. Sylvia Long's Mother Goose by Sylvia Long
52. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
53. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
54. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
55. Smile! by Roberta Grobel Intrater
56. Living Sunlight by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm
57. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
58. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
59. Dear Juno by Soyung Pak
60. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes… by Annie Kubler
61. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
62. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
63. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
64. My Truck Is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis
65. Birds by Kevin Henkes
66. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
67. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
68. Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book by Karen Katz
69. The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole
70. Blackout by John Rocco
71. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
72. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
73. Tea With Milk by Allen Say
74. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
75. Holes by Louis Sachar
76. Peek-a Who? by Nina Laden
77. Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
78. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
79. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
80. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
81. Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman
82. Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows
83. Yoko by Rosemary Wells
84. No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli
85. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
86. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
87. Rules by Cynthia Lord
88. Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
89. An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
90. Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault
91. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
92. What Shall We Do With the Boo Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell
93. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow
94. I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis
95. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
96. Gossie by Olivier Dunrea
97. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
98. First Words by Roger Priddy
99. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
100. Animalia by Graeme Base

Friday, March 15, 2013

Love and Logic

Anyone who knows me knows I love using LOVE AND LOGIC. At our house, the techniques have totally worked--especially when it come to dealing with toddler tantrums and giving effective consequences for negative behavior without getting too stressed as a parent. If you struggle with this like I do, I'd definitely recommend it. (loveandlogic.com) Their classes usually cost, but they have free articles and videos you can find on their website.

In the meantime, here are a few good reads I like about how to help little kids clean up their toys (a current struggle).

http://www.themomcrowd.com/how-to-get-your-preschoolers-to-pick-up-their-toys

http://www.ldsliving.com/story/5750-the-gobble-bag

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Childcare List

Here's a list of local young women who would be THRILLED to watch your kids if you need a sitter. Date nights, here we come!

Aubrey Rosvall               385-312-6275
Linzey Daugherty           801-513-0912
Jessica Larson                 208-316-6169
Bailee Willits                  801-889-6584
Britta Watts                     801-946-6286
Deborah Richardson        801-692-1442
Clara Richardson             801-692-1442
Addie Spencer                 801-822-3699
Anna Rhoton                   801-420-8355
Hanna Emery                  801-505-3190
Courtney Evans               801-673-0379
Tahlia Erickson               801-372-6486
Emily Jarman                  801-691-4256
Bryn Miller                     801-756-6654

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Playdough Recipe

For those moments when you've run out...

Playdough Recipe

 
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tbls. vegetable oil
food coloring (I used 4 drops)
Just dump all the ingredients into your pot and give them a good stir. Enlist some small help if possible – they will think you are magic.
 
Put your pot on the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms into a ball.
As soon as it joins into one big glob, take it off the heat and dump it onto your counter or some wax paper. Wait for it to cool, then knead it a few times until it is nice and soft.
 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

75 Creative Activities



About this time every year, the snow season begins to seem endless, doesn't it? Found this great list online, though, of 75 creative things to do with little kids to avoid boredom. Enjoy!
http://cuegly.blogspot.com/2011/09/75-kid-activities.html

(P.S. And no, these are not my kids-whew!)

Monday, February 11, 2013

Free admission to Discovery Gateway

 Discovery Gateway is having a "Share The Warmth Day" on Feb. 13, 2013. Bring in a gently used blanket or coat to donate to The Road Home and you will receive free admission!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Toddler play group

I am looking to start up a toddler play group. Anyone interested?