The girls are having a blast with one of their friends. They are bike riding. The weather is good enough to go outside today. It is warmer than it has been. It is nice to have them out of the house. They have been cooped up all week.

We love to play outside if we can. The kids have a trampoline to get on. This is a wonderful time. When they can be outside on a day like today, they ran at the chance. Also, they got to ride their newer bikes.

My husband got me a new bike as well. It was fun to ride again. He knows how much I enjoy it. Being able to ride with the kids is very special. I know there are times when the kids would rather be with their friends. This seems to be the right day for it. I do encourage them to stay active for as long as they can. It is no fun getting older and not being able to ride your bike as often as you like. I want them to enjoy their childhood. Bike riding has wonderful memories for me.

The kids had a wonderful day off. They are so excited to spend time with us. Then they wanted snacks. They are pretty self sufficient. I allow them to get snacks now. They know they have to brush their teeth if they eat this late.

When I cannot manage their every move, I want to ensure that I spend some time with them. It may be late, but we can still spend some time together. We have a ritual. There is reading books together and settling in for the night.

If they are still up even later, I let them know how important it is to get their rest. If they see me up late working, then they think it is ok to stay up late. I heard a lesson from a highly successful man. He said it is better to keep the rituals than to work so much, that you don’t even know your kids anymore. The kids feel neglected. So, we are going to have late nights, so I can spend some time with them.

The kids are happy to be off of school. They are happy being able to do what they want. I am glad they get a break from school. They get to spend time with us during this season. They don’t have to worry about homework. Neither do we. However, I think it is important to continue their education.

The best education is letting them play. We have lots of art supplies. They are happy creating. I don’t give them any instructions. With young kids, I let them have at it. There is no studying. They know how to mix colors. If they have questions, they ask freely. There is only light structure.

They get a design to paint. They can make the items any color they choose. A yellow carrot, a blue and green egg, and red rabbit ears are all their ideas. When they are given some boundaries and a little freedom, they are happiest. I try to keep this in mind in all aspects. Also, making it fun for them. We can sit together silently working or laugh out loud. It is up to them. We are playing together.

Today the kids will get to relax after a busy Saturday. They helped me pack their clothes for a summer vacation coming soon. They did exactly as I had instructed them. They got to pick out the clothes they wanted. They were thrilled to get what they wanted. They took the time to fold their clothes.

They understand that they cannot go back in the bags until it is time for vacation. I want them to learn to plan ahead. Even thought we have plenty of time before the vacation, we can plan ahead. It is best to be ready to go.

Once they have a thought about what they want to do, they can easily just go. This is one less to do item they will have to worry about when going on the trip. It also, gets them excited for something. It also feels like a reward for finishing school. I am a bit jealous. I did not get to go on trips growing up. I also want them to be thankful for what they have. If they don’t do any part of the planning or preparation, they will not appreciate what went into the trip. After all is done, they can relax and enjoy.

Today we went to the dentist. I did not have much planned. The kids did awesome. They were not looking forward to it. They follow directions well. They listen to instructions. They are polite. They are not this way at home.

They do know the proper way to act. I understand that they are testing my limits. I get well are testing their limits at home. My kids like to push my buttons.

I am proud of them. Even thought they may act out. My son just peaked over my shoulder and smiled at what I wrote. We are fortunate. My son asked my daughter if she was doing good. He asked her to five a thumbs up. I get well behaved kids most of the time-even when we visit the dentist. They may need to brush up on their hygiene.

The kids asked me if it was the last week of school. I told them that it was not the last week of school ever. It is only spring break. Not summer break. I look back and see how far they have come. It is not the end of their learning or their growth.

I hope that they learn that just because the end of something approaches, that it does not have to be the end of everything. We can choose to look at it as the end or as a beginning of something new.

I choose to look at the end as something new. It allows for possibilities. It allows for room to grown. The end seems so final. It seems so absolute. There is no room for growth there. I want to teach my kids that just because something ends, it does not have to be a bad thing. It can be a great thing. So here is to the end of the old ways of thinking and the beginning of new ways of thinking.

The kids are recovering. They are at home sick. Going to school is fun for them. They miss their friends. At first they were upset. Then they got to spend time with their favorite babysitter. Also, they got to watch cartoons all day.

What a way to recover. Of course they took naps. They may miss another day of school. Making sure we have everything lined up for school for the last day of school this week, may be a challenge. They are already in a phase of resting.

When they have to get back in to their regular routine, it will be more difficult. They are happy because they can do what they want and make the best of their situation. Finding the bright side of their situation is helping them recuperate.

Going to the Doctor is not fun. The kids don’t like to get shots. They did not get shots today. They were still frightened of going. I had to swear that they were not going to get shots up and down. I pinky promised. There were still tears. The girls did not like the idea of going. When I asked the nurse if they had to get shots today. She indicated that they did not have to get them. There was a collective sigh.

There were very sick and needed to get medication. It was good thing they took off of school today. I believe them when they are not feeling well. They know I will take them to the doctor if they are sick. The school must have something from the doctor if they are off of school.

They are happy to be at home recovering from their ordeal. Meanwhile, I think I feel a little something coming on. I may have to go to the doctor, myself. This is no laughing matter. Mom’s don’t like doctor visits either. We can’t fit them in. We work when we are sick. So a doctor visit means a day off of work for me and then back into the routine of caring for everyone else.

My son wanted to sign up for track and field. In an effort to arrange this, I had to rearrange my schedule. He was excited about it. I am thrilled that he is happy to be involved in an activity.

I am grateful that I can give him this opportunity. I did not have the opportunity to participate in activities outside of school. There were some activities I could do during school, including yearbook club. That did not last a long time.

I liked to be involved. I wanted to try my hand at sports. However, I never quite go the hang of it. I felt that I was too short. I now know that this is a limiting belief. Also, my parents felt it was drain on their finances and time for us to participate in activities. They did not want to wait around for us to finish our meets or practices. This is something I did for my sisters when they were older. I made sure I was around for their practices and activities. Now I am running for different reasons. I am running to keep up with all the different activities, to enrich my kids lives, while balancing my schedule.

The kids don’t like selling door to door. That is something we will have to work on. I am not a great salesperson either. I do like to sell cookies. Either you like them or you don’t. Most people like cookies. Slam dunk.

Not everyone does, right? If you get rejected it is only because they don’t like cookies. We were selling some. It was cold. So we gave up too soon. We could have kept going if it was warmer. I could have come up with a solution. It is difficult to teach my kids shear toughness.

Somehow, they believed that they were shy. I have to break them out of that little cycle. I tell them that they are not. I let them no how brave they are when they speak up. I don’t know if they got it from me or from school. I try to speak up, but may bite my tongue at times. I know they can be pretty brave. I remember the time they jumped off of rocks into a natural spring fed river. I just have to sell them on the idea.