Getting Ready For Mother Goose Time

We are so excited to start our Mother Goose Time preschool curriculum this year! The kids were so happy when the "bus" arrived at our door. 

We opened our box to find our welcome kit and our supplies for a month of learning. 

I appreciate how organized the curriculum arrives, already sorted out by each day. There is a new theme each month, and everything from the music to crafts goes along with that theme. There are many resources for the teacher to keep things organized and plan for the month. I also appreciate the extra member resources that they offer, like a list of books we can check out from the library that will go along with our theme each week. 

Our theme for the month is Friends and Feelings. 

Each day we have a bag with a craft and activities for the day. 

Lu received two books to use as enrichment with her Kindergarten learning this year, More Literacy and More Math. 

Both kids were excited about the 

Dance N Beats DVD and are ready to move!

They immediately wanted to open the manipulative sets and started sorting the buses by color. 

We are sure to have fun with these all month long!

I am honored to be a Mother Goose Time Blog Ambassador this year and join a great group of educators! It's going to be a fun-filled year.

One (almost) Free Day in Telluride

Western Colorado is a great location for many reasons, one of which is our close proximity to many fun towns for day trips. You can make quick trips on a tight budget and still have a day filled with fun.

A few weeks ago I decided to pack the kids in the car with a picnic and drive up to Telluride, CO. It is really one of the most beautiful towns I have visited, and there are so many reasons why it is one of our favorites. Even the drive there is lovely.

www.telluride.com

I checked my weather report before we left, and though it did say a chance for rain in the afternoon (which is pretty common for the colorado mountain towns) it looked pretty decent. Unfortunately we got off to a late start and it started raining about an hour out and didn't stop for another hour or so after our arrival. Not just a sprinkle, big fat drops of heavy rain.
That's okay, this mom is always prepared. Ha! Well, almost. I had gathered the jackets, but they had not made it into the car. They sat in a nice pile by the front door at home. We circle the town and finally find parking on this busy, tourist-filled day. Our first stop was the local thrift shop to find 6 jackets.
We found a few that worked nicely and hit up the "free box" for the remaining two.

The free box is this amazing set of shelves full of stuff that is free for the taking. Take something, leave something. All in the spirit of sharing and not wasting what you don't need. I love it.
We have found some pretty cool stuff over the years.

At this point, it is still pouring rain and everyone is quite irritable. I spot just the remedy for such an occasion. The Telluride Truffle shop.

 Everyone picked one delicious chocolate and we all left with smiles

As we sat together, enjoying our treats, the rain begins to fade away and my oldest son says "see mom, chocolate fixes everything." Oh, I have taught that boy well!

Now that we are all in better spirits, and the rain has moved out of our way, it is time to hit up the free gondola. Sporting my thrift store hoodie of course.
We brought our goldendoodle puppy, Crosby,  along for this adventure. He was only 5 months old on this trip, and still has quite a bit to learn. Trying to socialize him can be embarrassing and frustrating at times, but he will never learn the proper way to react to situations if we don't take him out in the world. Luckily, they offer pet-friendly gondolas and as we waited in line he only let out one bark before ours was ready to board and he quickly got on and sat down. After sniffing a bit, he just laid at our feet for the ride.

Good dog.

The kids love the ride and the scenery is amazing. Did I mention it is free?! In the summer the ski hills are open to mountain bikers and it is fun to see them tearing down the dirt paths.

Happy kids. Lu in her thrift store jacket and Cal in his awesome denim jacket from the free box!

We got off at mountain village and walked around a bit before heading to the playground. The kids got out some energy and Crosby got to walk around, explore, and get more leash training. The air was misty and the clouds were low. It was lovely.

 We wanted to still have time to play in the river, so we loaded back onto a gondola for the trip back down to the town of Telluride. Note the boy in the adorable denim jacket found in the free box!

The sun was trying its best to make an appearance, but we weren't sure how long it would last.  We took a chance and headed to the river trail which runs along the edge of town. If you park in town you can reach all of these attractions by foot, without having to get back in the car. This is great, especially with a bunch of kids to buckle/unbuckle at every stop.

The trail along the river was the perfect I am pretty sure this was the kids' favorite attraction, as well as Crosby's. The water was freezing, but they didn't care. Most of them had even ditched their jackets at this point. Throwing rocks, wading in the water, and looking for creatures below its surface kept them quite entertained. It is just such a beautiful spot to be on a summer day. A little slice of heaven.

After our river playtime we made a trip up to main street for a bathroom break and a stroll down the charming streets decorated with flower boxes and flags from around the world. Telluride offers a very charming downtown area filled with shops and restaurants.

We had packed our picnic and ended up eating in the car on our drive out of town as the little kids were getting sleepy. As we drove away the sun finally broke through the clouds and the mountains lit up, giving us amazing scenery to enjoy. A beautiful good-bye.

We got home around 9:30pm and I put 5 tired kids and one exhausted pup to bed before crashing myself. I think we may try more "Adventure Fridays" this year since they kids don't have school on those days. There are so many more fun places to explore around our area, and no need to break the bank. Next time I will remember the jackets!

Type 1 Diabetes - Cal's Diagnosis Story

Today marks one year since my youngest son's diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.
365 days ago I knew nothing about this disease and how dangerous it really is, so I feel it is important to share our story.

Last summer Cal started to request sippy cups filled with any liquid he could get. He suddenly wasn't picky if I would just give him water. It was July/August and I just thought the heat was making him thirsty. His diapers were soaking through in just an hour. I bought the bigger size diapers thinking he was just growing out of them. He would complain of stomach aches and say he was going to throw up and look like he was going to pass out. I thought he just had a bug that his siblings had passed on. He started to look very skinny and pale, and his energy level dropped considerably. This is when I got worried.

I spent a weekend worrying and debating taking him into urgent care. I waited until Monday (ugh, in hindsight this makes me ill tho think about) and called our family doc. I listed off his symptoms and they made us an appointment for Friday. I knew that 5 days was too long to wait. Something was very wrong with my two year old baby boy. In the back of my head I knew that excessive thirst and urination were associated with diabetes, but I had never heard of a two year old being diagnosed. I knew nothing about Type 1 and the base of my knowledge was on Type 2. My mom had a blood glucose meter and I asked to borrow it that afternoon while we were over at her house. It read "HI check for ketones." She looked at me confused and said she had never seen that before. She tested her blood and it read a normal number. I called my doc and they said "I am so sorry, please go to the ER immediately!" I was scared. If it was "just diabetes" then why is this an emergency.

I was clueless. I thought, well maybe it is some other disease that raises your blood glucose levels. A million different terrifying scenarios went through my mind. Luckily the hospital was just up the road, so I didn't have much time to come up with ridiculous self-diagnosis before they rushed us back. They tested his blood and it was 646. It should not be above 180, if we had waited much longer, he could have ended up in a coma. My heart sank. They immediately needed to start an iv which is very hard to do on a skinny, scared two-year old boy. It took several tries and over the course of the next few days they would have attempted 6 IVs with only three being successful. The time they decided to try the papoose board instead of have me hold him was the worst. His scared eyes reaching out for me as he screamed, and I was just trying to put on a brave face for as long as I could.

Time moved so quickly, yet stood still at the same time. My husband was there with us and asked many questions before one doctor finally said the words, Type 1 Diabetes. I immediately felt responsible. What had I done to cause this? He wasn't overweight, we ate fairly healthy. We had no one in our family with Type One. Again, I was clueless. They were running some tests on his blood and urine and there was mention of DKA, but we were still confused. All the staff left as we sat on the bed with our boy and all three of us had tears streaming down our face. This was a life-changing moment for all of us. I wasn't sure what this meant for his future or how this would limit his activities. I was told he would be dependent on insulin shots or a pump for the rest of his life,  but would lead a "fairly normal life" otherwise, and that was all I had to go on at this point. It was better than some scenarios I had made up in my head, but it was still heavy and terrifying.

We got the results back and found out he was in fact in DKA, Diabetic Ketoacidosis. His blood glucose had been high and since the glucose was not getting into his cells (because his pancreas was no longer producing insulin that is required to get glucose into your cells) his body was burning fat which produces ketones. This meant his blood was becoming acidic and threatened the health of other organs.

We were wheeled up to the pediatric unit, and as I lay on the bed holding my son they pushed us through the double doors and I saw a hallway of rooms. It hit me that they were full of children. Very ill children. I could not stop crying as I felt so lucky. We were going to get treatment, education, and leave. Our diagnosis was NOT terminal. It was chronic. It was going to be a life-long battle. But it could be managed.

We spent that night trying to keep our boy comfortable with finger pokes every 30 minutes and IV changes and blood draws every few hours. We did not sleep.

The following day was filled with education and news that we would need to travel 250 miles to Denver to the Barbara Davis Center for  Childhood Diabetes to receive training and care. This was just the beginning of a year of unique challenges.

To be continued...

**Please educate yourself on the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes. You can be diagnosed at any age. If not caught early enough, it can be deadly. If our story can help just one person, it is worth sharing!

Birthday Blessings

The kids and I had so much fun celebrating my birthday by spreading random acts of kindness around town. I want to share, not to be boastful, but to inspire you and your family to have a RAOK day yourselves. It was so amazing to see my kids get excited about each act and discuss how helping others makes us feel. I ended the day with such a full heart.

The first step was to gather supplies. If I was a better planner, I would have done this on a separate day. We went to the dollar store to purchase items to put into bags that we would hand out to people we came across as we went around town. We found snacks, hygiene products, cooling towels, handkerchiefs, chapstick, water, socks, and many more useful items to stuff the bag full. We also included a note of encouragement.

I found printable RAOK cards by searching Pinterest. There are so many cute designs out there. I loved THIS owl one that It's Hue I Love used on her birthday kindness day!

While you're at the dollar store this is a great time to sneak a few dollar bills with notes attached around the store. How fun for someone to find them and get an item for free, especially in the toy section!

We assembled the bags when we got back to the car and headed out to deliver them. The kids were cracking me up as they said "give one to him" and pointed at anyone walking on the sidewalk with a beard. My teenage son explained to the youngest that everyone with a beard is not homeless. I was dying. He decided on the rule, "let's just stick to people with signs." That worked well. We saw a man at a stoplight and quickly turned around to get in position to hand him a bag. He was very grateful and the kids were thrilled too. "Let's find MORE people" my daughter yelled.

We took our lunch to the park and left books with notes on the benches and tables. I saw suggestion of handing out popsicles or candy, but my kids agreed that I would not let them take that from a stranger so it was better to stick with non-food items.

My car was so dirty, and the kids love going through the largest automatic carwash in Western Colorado, so we headed there next. After paying for my wash I asked the attendant if I could pay for the next car to pull up behind me in the line. She looked bewildered. This must not happen often. "Okay?!" She ran my card and handed it back still looking confused. The kids loved watching as a car pulled up and knowing they were the recipient of our gift.

We came across another man sitting on the sidewalk with a sign asking for prayers. We pulled over and extended the bag out to him and he jumped up in excitement. "Oh, I love these goodie bags you guys put together." Glad to know others are doing the same around town! He said he especially appreciated a cold bottle of water.

We put scratch lottery tickets on gas pumps with notes attached. Hopefully someone got a free tank of gas, or more!

We went by a park where I knew there would be more people in need. A man was sitting at a stop sign with a sign and we pulled up to hand him a bag. He was very appreciative and the kids watched as he looked through the contents as we drove away. They thought of more items next time, like sunscreen since one of the men was clearly sunburned. It was great to hear them really putting thought into it.

We found Redbox machines and taped popcorn with notes for the next visitors.

We ended with my favorite birthday drink at Starbucks, a reward I get on my account each year. I again asked to pay for the person behind me, and the kids all turned around to see who was on the receiving end. It was a hotel shuttle van and the kids thought the driver was well deserving after driving people around on a hot day.

It was an amazing birthday and a tradition I think we will continue in years to come!

You don't have to make it a whole day, but sharing even one random act of kindness with someone will surely make you want to do more.

The kindness came back around to me that evening when I found out my boys had snuck through the checkout at the dollar store that morning, purchasing gifts for me with their money. They presented me with this mug filled with chocolate and some cool shades. They even made a homemade card. It brought me to tears, such sweet kids!

Have you had a random act of kindness day with your family before? What are some of your favorite RAOK to share?

Juxtified Review & Art Print Giveaway!

 

I got some fun mail the other day! Dapper Dan sent me one of his unique dictionary art prints from his Etsy shop, Juxtified. They are printed on vintage dictionary pages that are 50+ years old. I love the use of mixed media, the modern print on the antique page makes a neat contrast. They are a real "play on words"...get it. Okay, back to the art.

There are so many prints to choose from. Everything from music and movies to literature and humor. The really fun part was waiting to see what page of the dictionary I would receive. When the cardboard mailer showed up in my mailbox I couldn't wait to see what it held.

I got the Cute Couple Wearing Classic Chuck Taylors Awesome Upcycled Vintage Dictionary Page Book Art Print and I love it! I need to go shopping for a frame. I am thinking black, but am open to suggestions in the comments below.

My page came out of the E section of the dictionary withe the work "emulously" highlighted at the top. It must not be used very often these days, because my auto-correct feature really wants to change it to tremulously.

The back of the page is art in itself with a definition and illustration of the word emu. I kind of feel bad placing that in the back of a frame. 

The pages are 8x10 and you can see the neat edge where it was removed from the book.

 

They are shipped quickly in sturdy cardboard mailers and encased in a plastic cover.

I like Juxtified's art because it is unique, suprising, and affordable. There are so many prints to choose from, and it is fun to see what words will show up on your page.

Here are a few of my favorites...

 This Darth Vader print would be great for my boys' room. You can't help but sing-along.

And this Johnny Cash print is obviously amazing. C'mon, he is hugging a kitten!

I think this Edgar Allen Poe print is also interesting. His created art with words, and now he is art printed on words. Give that one a ponder!

You can get your hands on your very own Juxtified print by visiting his Etsy page here https://www.etsy.com/shop/Juxtified

He is running a deal where if you buy 2 you get a 3rd print free! You can roll this deal over as many times as you'd like. Buy 100,000 and he'll come out and give you a hug. For free! His words, not mine.

Want to WIN your very own Dictionary Art Print from Juxtified?! He has generously offered one lucky reader a print of their choice. Enter using the Rafflecopter below!
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Just By Jaime Winner!

Congrats to Farrah, the winner of the $20 gift certificate to Just By Jaime!


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A Dozen (more) Disneyland Tips From a Mom of 5

 

We took our 5 children to Disneyland last fall,
and here are a few things we learned.

You can also check out my trip planning tips HERE.


1. Have your tickets ready the night before. If you are picking them up, go to the ticket counter the night before and avoid the long line in the morning. There was no wait, and the cast member spent extra time explaining things to us. She even gave each kid a fun button for their first visit!

2. Get to the park early. There will be a line an hour before the park even opens. This blew my mind, even on a slow day people are lined up at the crack of dawn. It will take longer than you think to get out the door, so plan to get up early and get moving.

3. After you get into the park put all the tickets in an envelope or ziploc and have one responsible person keep them. This will really help when it is time to run around and get fast passes and ensures that they won't get lost.

4. We used the TouringPlans and hit three of our must-see rides in less than an hour when we got to the park. We followed the plan and had seen all the rides on the list by early afternoon. It gave us the rest of the day to move at a slower pace and re-visit favorites or throw in rides that weren't on the plan. You can get the plans on their website our their book The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.

5. Take a stroller. We kept our lunches, snacks, blanket to lay out to save space for parade, water bottles, jackets, diaper bag, and any souvenirs we bought in their and it was a life-saver. Even our 7 year old got tired feet and wanted a turn to ride. We love the sit-and-stand for the storage space and bench seat for older kids. We put a brightly colored water bottle in the cup-holder to make it easy to spot in the crowd of strollers. You can park it and visit rides in the surrounding area, no one touched our stuff.

6. The park really clears out after the Fantasmic show. I didn't think my kids would be able to handle a late night, but we stayed until the park closed at midnight and they were all smiles. There were no-lines for many of our favorite rides, and the park has a completely different feel at night.

7. The water tastes funny. Take bottled water if you are particular about the taste. The kids seemed fine filling up their bottles in the drinking fountain or our condo's faucet, but this mama had a hard time with it.

8. Buy your own shirts, hats, and souvenirs before you go to save money. I found deals on Disney shirts at Target, Walmart, and Old Navy. I found a cute hat for my little princess on eBay. I paid $5-10 for my items compared to the $20-30 in the park. We gave each kid a $25 Disney card for their entire visit. Since they were on a budget they put thought into their purchases and weren't asking us for items throughout the visit. I bought Disney party favor items liked Mickey shaped ring pops and character Pez dispensers that the kids loved. Buy glow sticks at the dollar store, you will save the $15 they charge at the park and helps to keep an eye on kids at night. We also bought these glow sticks that came in handy and the boys were convinced they were light sabers, bonus!

9. Wear your most comfortable walking shoes. Most of your pictures will be from the waist up anyhow, you have to go function over fashion for this one. I mentioned in my earlier planning post that you will walk miles. I think the average is 7 miles per day at the park. You can take moleskin along in case of blisters, but we never needed it. I wore these columbia shoes and they were supportive and breathed well.

10. Buy the PhotoPass+ before you go! I should have put this into my planning post, because you really should order it ahead of time (I think 2 weeks in advance) to get the best price. For $70 you will get a card on a lanyard that you will give to any photographer you see, as well as all of the ride photo counters, and all of these pictures will be put onto your account. When you get home you enter a code and have access to download them all. Hundreds of pictures by professional photographers, totally worth it. If you split up, just have the other party get the number of their photo and you can go back with the lanyard and have it put on. You just have to go by the end of the day. If they see other photographer have them get a Photopass card and you can go to the photo shop on Main Street to have them all merged onto your lanyard card. Take a picture of the back of your lanyard card, if you lose it you lose all pictures, but if you have photo of the number they can get them all back for you!

11. A quick tip for the famously busy Cars Land ride at California Adventure. Go straight to that ride when you enter the park. Everyone goes straight to the fast pass line (you can send someone there too if you want to ride it again later) and the line to the actual ride is short. So, send one parent to the fast pass line, and one to go ride with the kids if you can. It is a fun ride, but my 7 year old doesn't love the feeling of dropping and there are a few good hills where your tummy does a flip. It goes pretty fast at parts and can feel a bit like a roller-coaster ride to a little one. Oh, and if you want a good picture of your kid, have them sit in the back. Otherwise, the windshield will cover their face and you'll miss a shot of their expression.

12. Although you will be running to and from rides like crazy, don't forget to savor each moment. Really look at your kids expressions, watch them take it all in. That is why you came, right? It is about creating family memories, so make sure you take moments along the way to really enjoy it.

I will continue to post more Disneyland tips, there is SO much to cover. We haven't even touched on the yummy food! Mmm...I can smell the churros now.

If you have useful Disney tips for parents, please share in the comments below!