The kids love to go for a ride in the minivan. They can watch videos in the minivan as we go. There are several screens they can watch. It helps them pass the time.

When I was a kid, we did not have videos in the car. We drove our parents bonkers. They would have to pull over if we misbehaved. It was probably quite often. We also go threats from the front seat.

We did not have seatbelts. We could walk around and pace if we wanted to. There were no car seats. Somehow we managed to survive. Our parents were tougher. They did not put up with much. They also had to have nerves of steel driving without a distraction for the kids.

I made chili for the kids. They ate at the sitters house. However, they are still hungry. My youngest is asking for some of the chili because it smells delicious. I told her she could have some. We all want some comfort food tonight.

It is a cool night. It is a winter night. It was quick and easy to make. It was satisfying. I don’t know if the kids want some normalcy, like sitting at the table together. It is hard to know. I do like to sit down together as a family and enjoy a meal.

We do this when we can. The kids are pretty self sufficient. However, they still have not learned to return the bowls to the kitchen. I will have to hunt for them. Chili for dinner is so much more. I can create a good meal quickly and know that the kids are eating healthy. Also, we get an opportunity to play together sooner rather than later. Chili nights are the best.

My daughter read a book about a kid who had a sweet tooth. She looked at the pictures and realized that she needs to eat healthier. In the book she saw what happened to a kid who ate all the sweets he wanted to. It made him sick to eat sweets. The kid starts eating fruits and vegetables.

He notices that he feels better. She associated this with her own choices. She told me that he made better choices and he felt better. She knows that she can make better choices and be healthier.

She picked out the book to read. It is really cool that she learned something from this book. I am pleased that she did pick up on the idea of the book. It helps to have great illustrations in a book. My daughter responds to graphic images. I know this now. She no longer has a sweet tooth. We all learned something.

We had some fun activities yesterday. The kids were not on their tablets. They were happy. It is hard to find something for the kids to do on a cold winter day, without spending a fortune. We made the best of the day.

I let them build forts. They all worked together to create a fort. They were involved for a few hours in making it. Then they rested inside the fort. They played inside the fort. Then they read books.

After reading we had a picnic lunch by their fort. Later on we made cards from construction paper and stickers. We made cookies. Then we had a tea party. I did not plan this out ahead of time. It was totally spontaneous. The kids had a great day. They were into the adventure of not knowing what was in store for them. For me, it was just a day to have fun and not plan everything to the minute.

The kids are having a contest today to see who can read the most books. They know they will get a prize for the one who reads the most books. They are pretty tough customers. They know exactly what they want.

They are not afraid to ask for something in return. They know that I will follow through on my promise to give them a prize, if I say so. I want them to know that I value reading more than anything.

I am willing to pay the price for a prize for them to get how important reading is to me. I want them to develop a love of reading early one. It is the key to everything. Reading can help them learn things on their own. They will be better off having a love of reading. I want them to learn to apply what they read. That is the next phase. For now, they will have to compete against one another for the prize. This is one contest that is crucial.

The kids know what they can get away with in this house. They are getting big. They like to do things for themselves. They don’t want Mom and Dad to help them. Working together to get things done, is what they do.

I let them know that they can only go so far with what they do. It is better to tell the truth now, than to hold off. I tell them that I won’t get as mad. If they don’t tell me the truth, right away, It gets worse. They know this.

There are times when they tell me right away when something is broken or something went wrong. I usually as if they learned something. I don’t get as mad as I used to. We are all growing. If they can learn to find a good thing from a mistake they are well on their way to continuous growing.

The kids know that the toys belong in various bins. They choose not to sort anything out. They don’t know what to do. It is all new to them. They have the entire house to play in. I thought about confining all of their toys to one area.

I choose to give them as much freedom in the house as possible, when it comes to play and toys. I think it good to allow them the freedom here. They need to experiment and play in a safe environment.

It is important to keep the house orderly and not let them rule over us. Play time for the kids can be an exciting time. They realize they can use whatever they find along with toys. This sometimes leaves the house a bit messy. Teaching them to clean up after play time is not always easy. It takes a lot of energy to get them to do what they are supposed to do. Other times they surprise me. When they make each other sandwiches for a picnic in the house. They take turns making them. They share the ingredients and work together. That is not just child’s play.

My youngest daughter and I set out to have my daughter checked out at a specialist. We headed out for the Hospital. This one was an hour and a half drive away. I was nervous for my daughter. It has been a struggle for the past two years. You never know what is in store. If there is an abnormal test, and they want to look into an issue further.

Getting the tests done is half the battle. Waiting to find out was nerve racking. Getting her blood drawn was scary for her. She was upset because, I did not tell her it would be drawn. She watched the procedure. I could not watch them, stick me, when I get by blood drawn. I told her that she was brave for going through this. I promised a prize for getting through this. I told her that Mom and Dad have had their blood drawn before. She knows her brother and sister have never had their blood drawn.

We had all of the testing done in the same day. She had an ultrasound. I held her hand. She appreciated that. We all need someone to hold our hand when we are uncertain. This does not have to be in the literal sense. A kind word or gesture can help. We were early and they got us in right away. The doctor reviewed the tests. All looks good. They do want to keep an eye on her. I am holding on to my faith. I have others who have reached out to me to support me. That is all each of us needs.

One child woke up and determined that the other was not in the bed with her. She was concerned. She missed her sister. I assured her that her sister was in the bed. She was not just lying next to her. She was at the foot of the bed next to the dog. It was not her usual space.

It was sweet that she was worried about her sister. Even though they may argue over some simple things. They truly love each other. It warms my heart. They do like to play together. They would be truly upset if something happened to one or the other.

I think if we all looked at relationships like this, life would be so simple. We may not always fully appreciate our relationships. They may be in different positions in their lives. We would miss them if they were gone. I think it is important to let them know. I will have my girls tell each other how much they mean to each other. They would genuinely miss each other if they were separated for a long time. Also, I think it is important to connect with your friends even though you may not see them in person. A phone call is nice.

My kids love to swim. They wanted to learn how to dive. They were not diving off the edge. They were already in the water, wanting do what I did because it looked cool. I made it look easy.

They did not know how to dive. They wanted to do something because they saw me do it. They wanted to replicate what I did. They wanted to learn what I was doing. They wanted to know how I did.

This is a philosophy I have when it comes to dealing with my kids. I dive in to what I do. I let them see me sweating, working, and getting done what needs to be done. They like what they see. They want to impress me, too. They know they will get praise. Then they want to dive in. I make it look easy and fun. The see that it is not easy. However, they keep trying to get it right. It is cool to see them dive right in. It is cool to see them trying and not giving up. They will ultimately swim right along.