When my son turned five, we threw him an epic shark birthday bash. Since I hear it is ‘Shark Week’, I realized it would be the perfect opportunity to share the details from the party we held a couple summers ago.
With school out for the next couple months, I thought it would be beneficial to share some tips for keeping kids motivated to read over the summer break. While there is lots of time to spend at the pools and water parks, inevitably there is also down time to cool off and this offers up the perfect opportunity to pick up a book!
School is out and summer vacation has officially begun. Bring on the sunshine, sunglasses, sandals, BBQs, bonfires, beaches and trips to the pool! So much fun to be had and so little time to fit it all in. I am always amazed at how fast the 8 weeks goes before school is back in session, so this year we are making a list of everything we want to do.
As the school year comes to an end, I am once again trying to come up with way to recognize my son’s classroom teacher. This year, I feel like we won some sort of jackpot, with an educator that challenges my child to be his best self and to produce his very best work. While I feel like there is no way to truly repay her for all her hard work and dedication, presenting her with a thoughtful gift is a good start.
With summer break around the corner, I am already anticipating having both kids home from school and daycare for several days. Therefore, I am starting to compile activities that keep them busy, having fun and maybe even learn a bit. Like most children, mine are big fans of stickers–especially my 3-year-old.
I yearned to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories writing a piece in the third grade that said when I grew up I wanted to be a mom and have my own daycare so I could take care of my baby and other kids. So when I became pregnant with my first born at 29 years old, I was beyond excited. I would finally get to follow in my mother’s footsteps and be a kind, nurturing and loving caretaker for my family.
When we moved from our small two bedroom apartment downtown to our current suite that still isn’t massive, but does have four good sized rooms, I was thrilled to make the extra room a play space for the kids. I was happy we could have an area that could house their toys and foster their creative sides.
I am the first to tell you that being a mother is the hardest role I have taken on in this lifetime, while at the same time, being my proudest accomplishment. It is exciting, humbling, exhausting, all encompassing and emotionally draining and fulfilling (all within a single day). To your children, you are the one that provides for them, the one who comforts them and the one they love unconditionally, although they may not always show or say it. For that moms should be celebrated…not just in May, but each and every day.