I recently had a mom e-mail me asking what she could do to help make New Year's Eve special for her toddler, keeping in mind she's on a tight budget. I am all to happy to let you all know what I've got planned for my daughter and I this New Year's. First off, let me premise this by stating that the mother who e-mailed me says she lives in south Orange County, California. Some of the activities are location specific and may not apply to those of you who live farther away.
The first thing I would recommend to anyone living in the Orange County area, or even southern parts of L.A. County is to take a trip to Pretend City in Irvine, CA. You can take a look at their website, pretendcity.org for more information. This place is great for most children under the age of 8 or 9. It's only $11 to get in, and the children will love it. I will definitely be taking my little girl there on New Year's Eve because they will have activities, arts and crafts, and music related to the holiday.
Another thing that my daughter and I love to do is baking. I thought that we could incorporate New Year's into our baking this year. We will be baking lots of cookies and decorating them to theme of New Year's. Some of the cookies will have white icing and then, using black icing, we will make it look like the face of a clock at midnight. Other cookies will have fireworks using sparkle icing of various colors. You can also make party hats designs and confetti on other cookies as well. My daughter absolutely loves this time, and it's special to me as well. I will always remember baking with my little one. Little guys will love this, too! Let them be creative with their designs. You can print up some pictures of fireworks, clocks, party hats, etc. for them to see as a visual (younger children would benefit most from this).
One of the activities my daughter loves the most is painting. I always try to incorporate painting into every holiday. For New Year's, I would recommend you get a couple of your old white socks. Fill them with sand (or fine dirt) and tie off the end of the sock so the sand cannot escape. Use old pie tins (or flat, big bowls) to hold your paint - choose any colors you like, or let your little ones choose the colors they like best. This is an activity best done outside, or indoors with the protection of a sheet on the floor. Put a large sized piece of construction paper on the ground. The children will dip their socks full of sand in the paint (have one or two socks for each color, mixing them might ruin the colors) and then slap it onto the paper. This will create a design that looks like a firework! I've used nylons in the past as well, sometimes these work even better than the socks. You can use sparkle paint to make it look more realistic. The children will love this activity. If they accidentally get a big glob of paint on the paper, don't despair. Just give the kid a straw and tell them to blow at the blob of paint. It will make silly paint spiders, that look similar to their fireworks!
Children can easily make their own party hats with a piece of construction paper in whatever color they like. Let them paint it, color it, sticker it, whatever, and then staple it for them. You can also staple on some strings of paper to the top and sides if you like! Or, the children can help you make a Happy New Year's banner. Each letter gets it's own piece of construction paper (usually cut in half). Make the shape of the letter using glue and let the children glue on buttons, sequins, stickers, noodles, or anything else to make it look unique. Children will feel so proud of themselves as they hang up the banner (letters connected by yarn or string) and see just how creative they can be.
The great thing about many of these activities is that they don't cost money. Most of the supplies needed can be found laying around your home. After all these are done, check out some local firework displays in your area. I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year's. Please e-mail with any questions or comments, or leave on posted here!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Christmas Blues (Bright or Dull?)
It's that time of year again. Snow is falling (in the colder regions), trees are being bought, gifts are being fought over at the stores, and families are tolerating each other long enough to have a traditional meal with one another. Our family just hosted the annual Christmas party we throw each year, inviting everyone we know to come enjoy food, drinks, people, and the real reason for season. I've bought all my gifts, wrapped them, decorated the house, and bake enough cookies to make me sick. Of course, my daughter had to help me decorate the cookies with icing and holiday sprinkles, which was a blast. It was even more fun when she started licking the sprinkles off the cookies; note to self, don't allow a two year old to help out with food you plan to serve to others.
All in all, my holidays are off to a good start! I'm excited for Christmas and all it will bring. I love the special music and sermons at church, I love getting dressed up to take our annual family pictures. The streets are lined with brilliantly lit homes and our home is saturated with the smells of pine tree, candles, and baking goodies. Christmas time is so special. My daughter is finally old enough to understand what's going on, and boy is she excited! I just can't wait for her to start opening presents on Christmas, where her eyes will light up with the joy of everything she's going to receive. I love spending time with my family; the simple things are the things that make me happiest. There's only one thing I would change about this time of year...the fact that, in some ways, I'm still so alone.
It's so hard being a single mom in that respect. I can't help but to feel a small void where my 'soul mate' should be. I want someone to share special touches, secrets, and dreams with. I want someone there who will help me raise a family and be all the things I dreamed a husband would be when I was a little girl. I guess you could say I still want to find my dream man. Now, I'm a realist, make no mistake that I have false hopes and unrealistic expectations floating about my mind. That's absolutely untrue. I know that no man is perfect. I know that every relationship, especially romantic ones, are a great deal of work. I know that the chances of me finding someone exceptional are exceptionally small. However, there's still some small part of my heart that cries out for all of that.
I mostly want the companionship. I want to have a man in my family Christmas portraits. A man to do all the heavy lifting and to help me set up the holiday decorations. I want a man to appreciate everything I put myself through to ensure that Christmas will be wonderful for my family. Instead, it's just me. When my daughter's asleep late at night and I want to talk to someone, to be comforted by someone, to laugh with someone, it's just me. When I want to feel special and be taken out for a night on the town, it's just me. When I'm having a hard time financially and want someone to swoop in and rescue me, it's....just....me....
Now don't think I'm sitting around all day pouting. Quite the opposite, actually. I've realized that even though, at times, the holidays do make one painfully aware of their relationship status, the holidays also serve as a great reminder to be thankful for everything I have. And I mean everything. When I start feeling down and lonely, I focus on all the amazing things that God has blessed me with now and through the years. I focus on the fact that God has me all alone right now for good reason. Did you ever think that maybe you're supposed to be learning a lesson or two through these sometimes difficult times? I do. I try to focus on all that and trust in the fact that, when God is ready, I will meet the man of my dreams.
Up until then, I think it's my job not to see my Christmas Blues in a negative (dull) light, but in a bright light! I may not have all the amazing things that come with having a spouse, but I have the knowledge that I'm strong enough, smart enough, inventive enough, and even economical enough to do this all on my own. I'm a better mother for it and all the things singleness has taught me. Sure, some of the lessons were hard learned, but they've all made me better, and I'm sure you would find the same is true if you sat back and thought about it.
I could go on for hours about this, but I will cut it short at this point and say A Bientot (See ya later!) to you all. If you have any questions or would like advice on anything (posted here), please don't hesitate to e-mail me or drop me a comment. I wish all of you single mommies out there the strength and happiness we all need and deserve to be the best mommies possible!
All in all, my holidays are off to a good start! I'm excited for Christmas and all it will bring. I love the special music and sermons at church, I love getting dressed up to take our annual family pictures. The streets are lined with brilliantly lit homes and our home is saturated with the smells of pine tree, candles, and baking goodies. Christmas time is so special. My daughter is finally old enough to understand what's going on, and boy is she excited! I just can't wait for her to start opening presents on Christmas, where her eyes will light up with the joy of everything she's going to receive. I love spending time with my family; the simple things are the things that make me happiest. There's only one thing I would change about this time of year...the fact that, in some ways, I'm still so alone.
It's so hard being a single mom in that respect. I can't help but to feel a small void where my 'soul mate' should be. I want someone to share special touches, secrets, and dreams with. I want someone there who will help me raise a family and be all the things I dreamed a husband would be when I was a little girl. I guess you could say I still want to find my dream man. Now, I'm a realist, make no mistake that I have false hopes and unrealistic expectations floating about my mind. That's absolutely untrue. I know that no man is perfect. I know that every relationship, especially romantic ones, are a great deal of work. I know that the chances of me finding someone exceptional are exceptionally small. However, there's still some small part of my heart that cries out for all of that.
I mostly want the companionship. I want to have a man in my family Christmas portraits. A man to do all the heavy lifting and to help me set up the holiday decorations. I want a man to appreciate everything I put myself through to ensure that Christmas will be wonderful for my family. Instead, it's just me. When my daughter's asleep late at night and I want to talk to someone, to be comforted by someone, to laugh with someone, it's just me. When I want to feel special and be taken out for a night on the town, it's just me. When I'm having a hard time financially and want someone to swoop in and rescue me, it's....just....me....
Now don't think I'm sitting around all day pouting. Quite the opposite, actually. I've realized that even though, at times, the holidays do make one painfully aware of their relationship status, the holidays also serve as a great reminder to be thankful for everything I have. And I mean everything. When I start feeling down and lonely, I focus on all the amazing things that God has blessed me with now and through the years. I focus on the fact that God has me all alone right now for good reason. Did you ever think that maybe you're supposed to be learning a lesson or two through these sometimes difficult times? I do. I try to focus on all that and trust in the fact that, when God is ready, I will meet the man of my dreams.
Up until then, I think it's my job not to see my Christmas Blues in a negative (dull) light, but in a bright light! I may not have all the amazing things that come with having a spouse, but I have the knowledge that I'm strong enough, smart enough, inventive enough, and even economical enough to do this all on my own. I'm a better mother for it and all the things singleness has taught me. Sure, some of the lessons were hard learned, but they've all made me better, and I'm sure you would find the same is true if you sat back and thought about it.
I could go on for hours about this, but I will cut it short at this point and say A Bientot (See ya later!) to you all. If you have any questions or would like advice on anything (posted here), please don't hesitate to e-mail me or drop me a comment. I wish all of you single mommies out there the strength and happiness we all need and deserve to be the best mommies possible!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
It's almost that time of year.
No, I'm not talking about Christmas, that will come later. I'm talking about the end of my semester. I go to school full time, which is proving to be a challenge. Thankfully, this is finals week and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't feel like I can fully get into the spirit of Christmas until my semester is officially over and I'm on break from work. Does anyone else feel this way? It seems as though we need a special event to mark the beginning of the festivities.
But I digress, back to my original thoughts, school. I had been in college before I found out that I was going to become a mother. Looking back at that time in my life, I realize that I never really had a direction. I couldn't choose just one path to go down that would satisfy me for the rest of my life, so I chose the no-path path. Living in limbo, enjoying young adulthood, doing whatever I wanted at a whim, it was nice enough. It wasn't until I found out that I was going to be a mommy that I started taking life seriously.
I dropped out of school due to pregnancy related illnesses. A while after I had my daughter, I realized that I needed to be her main role model. What kind of role model would I be working a part time job and living off of my parents charity? With that on my mind, I enrolled back in school and told God that if He wanted me to do this, He was going to have to help me get back in. In almost no time I received my acceptance letter, and I've been working hard in school ever since. I still have an entire year before I get my bachelors, which seems so long. After that, I will have to go back to school in the Teaching Credentialing Program. All of this has to be done before I can even start my career.
At times, I feel like I'm going nowhere. I feel like my life is passing me by, my child is growing up, and I haven't done anything. I'm sure some of you other moms out there feel this way. I'm here to say, let go of those thoughts and hold onto your plans and dreams.
It's so important for mothers to be the role models their children need them to be. Sometimes, as moms, we focus on achievement and showing our children how accomplished we can be. While it's important to feel good about what you've done and give your children valid reasons to look up to you, I think that we forget one thing that's even more important than that. Our children need to see that it's O.K. to have big dreams and plans for the future. They need to see that some of the best things in life require a great deal of hard work, planning, effort, and time. Children focus on the here and now, and so does our society. We need to bring our children back to the past, where people were able to wait for something far greater than what they could get immediately.
The moral of the story? It's alright for us mommies to feel disheartened and far away from our goals and dreams at times. It's alright to dip into the self pity jar once in a while. What's not O.K. is giving up on those dreams and goals. You will not only hurt yourself, but your children as well. They see more than you think. So while I'm whining about how long it's taking me to complete school, my daughter will see me persevering, getting up when I fail, working hard, focusing on greater things, and she will emulate that when she gets older. Not only that, she will see her mommy accomplish something no one else thought she would, which can be priceless.
STAY STRONG MOMMIES AND KNOW YOU ARE LOVED!
If you ever need advice or help, please don't hesitate to e-mail me ladies.
But I digress, back to my original thoughts, school. I had been in college before I found out that I was going to become a mother. Looking back at that time in my life, I realize that I never really had a direction. I couldn't choose just one path to go down that would satisfy me for the rest of my life, so I chose the no-path path. Living in limbo, enjoying young adulthood, doing whatever I wanted at a whim, it was nice enough. It wasn't until I found out that I was going to be a mommy that I started taking life seriously.
I dropped out of school due to pregnancy related illnesses. A while after I had my daughter, I realized that I needed to be her main role model. What kind of role model would I be working a part time job and living off of my parents charity? With that on my mind, I enrolled back in school and told God that if He wanted me to do this, He was going to have to help me get back in. In almost no time I received my acceptance letter, and I've been working hard in school ever since. I still have an entire year before I get my bachelors, which seems so long. After that, I will have to go back to school in the Teaching Credentialing Program. All of this has to be done before I can even start my career.
At times, I feel like I'm going nowhere. I feel like my life is passing me by, my child is growing up, and I haven't done anything. I'm sure some of you other moms out there feel this way. I'm here to say, let go of those thoughts and hold onto your plans and dreams.
It's so important for mothers to be the role models their children need them to be. Sometimes, as moms, we focus on achievement and showing our children how accomplished we can be. While it's important to feel good about what you've done and give your children valid reasons to look up to you, I think that we forget one thing that's even more important than that. Our children need to see that it's O.K. to have big dreams and plans for the future. They need to see that some of the best things in life require a great deal of hard work, planning, effort, and time. Children focus on the here and now, and so does our society. We need to bring our children back to the past, where people were able to wait for something far greater than what they could get immediately.
The moral of the story? It's alright for us mommies to feel disheartened and far away from our goals and dreams at times. It's alright to dip into the self pity jar once in a while. What's not O.K. is giving up on those dreams and goals. You will not only hurt yourself, but your children as well. They see more than you think. So while I'm whining about how long it's taking me to complete school, my daughter will see me persevering, getting up when I fail, working hard, focusing on greater things, and she will emulate that when she gets older. Not only that, she will see her mommy accomplish something no one else thought she would, which can be priceless.
STAY STRONG MOMMIES AND KNOW YOU ARE LOVED!
If you ever need advice or help, please don't hesitate to e-mail me ladies.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Hello one and all!
This is my first post in regards to this website. I wanted to take a minute or two to introduce myself and what my blog. My name is Terri and as you will soon learn well enough, I am the mother of a two and half year old girl. Her name is Morgan, and she is my heart. I am a single mother, working and going to school full time.
The reason I started this blog was to give advice, share stories of trials and hope, and to allow you a view into my world. It is not easy being a single mom. It is not easy starting life over. My hope is that you can learn from some of my experiences or some of the advice tidbits I can throw your way. Some of my posts will be humorous, others will be challenging to read. I hope that we can grow together, and that you will feel you know me and my life a little more intimately after a while.
The reason I started this blog was to give advice, share stories of trials and hope, and to allow you a view into my world. It is not easy being a single mom. It is not easy starting life over. My hope is that you can learn from some of my experiences or some of the advice tidbits I can throw your way. Some of my posts will be humorous, others will be challenging to read. I hope that we can grow together, and that you will feel you know me and my life a little more intimately after a while.
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