SuburbaMom

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Learning Job Skills Early

I have been a volunteer my entire life.  As long as I can remember, I was cleaning parks, painting over graffiti, teaching children…

When I had my own children, I knew we would do volunteer work together.  The kids helped the March of Dimes, and we all worked for the food bank.

Many volunteer opportunities have minimum age limits, I guess for liability purposes.  When my oldest was finally old…

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I'll Miss This

These days, it seems like every day is the same, but there are those rare quiet moments when everyone is content, and I relish being with each of my children.  And I realize it won’t always be like this.

Someday I’ll miss inside out dirty socks strewn throughout the house.

I’ll miss getting Legos embedded in my feet.

I’ll miss the sound of Legos rattling up into the vacuum.

I’ll miss toothpaste…

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What A School Lockdown Drill Looks Like

I was in my five year old’s transitional kindergarten class when the teacher told me we were going to have a lockdown drill.  This class had never had one before.  The fifth graders in the room said that’s their favorite drill.  One said he would go after the guy. I know my older children have had lockdown drills before, and I always wondered what they were like.  I figured the teachers made it…

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The Significance of Turning Nine

I distinctly remember my dad saying there is something about turning nine.  I was about to turn nine years old, I imagine.  He said nine comes with great responsibility and more privilege.   Do you ever feel like you tell your kid the same thing a million times?  When it comes to improving the kids’ behavior, it turns out sometimes it’s just a waiting game in the maturity department.   Our oldest…

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The Love of Grandma

I don’t know why, but when I snuggle in at night, I often think of Grandma.  She has always been a source of comfort.  There was nothing Grandpa couldn’t fix, or Grandma couldn’t make.  Nothing could go wrong.  I could sit at Grandma’s bar and watch her work her magic in the kitchen.  Who doesn’t love egg salad sandwiches, graham cracker-frosting sandwiches, Velveeta and shells, Jello in special…

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Saying Good-Bye To The Tricycle

Why are they growing up all of the sudden?! My oldest has been ready for a bigger bike, and got money for his birthday to go toward one. My youngest’s balance bike broke to the point of no repair. So, for a while we couldn’t take them all out to ride bikes. Three kids; two bikes. It was time to buy that bigger bike. Daddy took them out and bought the bigger bike. My oldest couldn’t wait to try it…

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New Year's Football

A New Year’s Day tradition at our church, is a morning of flag football.  My hubby played football in high school, so he’s always up for a game.  Two years ago, he took our oldest son with him, and they had a blast!  The six year old even sacked the senior pastor! This year, Daddy brought the oldest two boys with him to football, and later my five year old and I joined them. We found two small…

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Rose Parade Float-Decorating

Recently, while planning a trip to Pasadena, I realized we would be there during the time of float-preparation for the Rose Parade.  I remembered that my elementary school teacher/principal (also a Vacation Bible School teacher to our kiddos) was involved in float-decorating.  Having never been to a Rose Parade or anything, I asked him how it works to come see the floats.  He proceeded to invite…

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New Year's Satisfaction

I notice at the end of every year, people hope for the best from the coming year, and also complain about the ending year being their worst ever.  After a few years of this, it is clear no year will ever be good enough for those people.  Why can’t we acknowledge every year will have ups and downs?  Why can’t we focus on the progress?  I’ve never really made my own comments about a year that is…

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Who Are My Sons?

I was reading my old blog I started around this time eight years ago, with descriptions of what my oldest was like as a baby.  There are so many similarities to how he is now.  It has me thinking about who my children are, and the adults they may become.  They have so many individual attributes.   My littlest son is the epitome of a little kid.  He likes to crack jokes, laughs at everything,…

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Gingerbread House of Teamwork

I usually avoid projects like this, because I anticipate the boys fighting over it.  They even asked if I got them each one, when I told them we would be doing this.  Nope.  This household only needs one gingerbread house.  This may just have to be another learning experience. To my delight, the squabbling was overshadowed by compromise, flexibility, and even… flattery.  There were moments of…

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Orange and Clove Pomander Balls

This craft is special to me because my first time seeing it or making one was when my mom was our Brownie leader and taught all of us.  I love the smells and process of making it.  This is a wonderful all-around sensory experience.   Materials: Oranges Cloves Ground spices (e.g. cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, all-spice) Citrus zester or vegetable peeler Toothpicks Rubber bands We did this with…

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DIY Santa Christmas Ball Ornament Tutorial

http://wp.me/p3OUdF-Mr

While we’re making Christmas crafts, how about some proper ornaments?  I found these red, sparkly ornaments and decided to do a little more with them. All you need: Ball ornament Black felt White felt Glue gun   I cut a little strip of black felt, long enough to wrap around the ball ornament and serve as a belt. I cut a little square of white felt, about the width of the black felt.  I folded it…

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DIY Candy Cane Reindeer Tutorial

I don’t know about you, but I love my memories of making Christmas crafts, however kitchy they may be. Remember candy cane reindeer?! I’m bringing those babies back to life! So simple, right? All you need is: Candy cane Googly eyes Red pom pom Pipe cleaner Glue gun   I plugged in my glue gun to get it warm. I twisted a pipe cleaner around the curve of the candy cane. I put a dot of warm glue to…

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DIY Christmas Stocking Tutorial

When Christmas was approaching with my first baby, it suddenly dawned on me that I needed to get him a Christmas stocking.  I couldn’t imagine buying one from the store.  Mine is still the one my mom made me.  My husband said his mom made his.  I had to make this baby!  Up until this point, I had only made one quilt.  That was the extent of my adulthood sewing experience. I liked my husband’s…

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New Adventures At the Beach

We have been so busy with school and soccer commitments, I have to schedule family time to make sure it happens.  Today was a beach day. We went to a new beach the boys haven’t been to before.  I went as a kid, and wanted my kids to have some of the same experiences there.  What we found was more than I could have dreamed of. The waves were very calm and shallow, allowing the boys to go in the…

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Thanksgiving Turkey Craft of Gratefulness

Last year, we got together with my extended family for Thanksgiving.  We were so excited!  We wanted to bring something festive that would show everyone how grateful we were to be family and to be together, so I came up with a craft for us to share. It is a turkey that is later taken apart into individual necklaces that say we are grateful for each person. We used: Felt (red, white, gray, black,…

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