Pinterest Inspired (A Poser Challenge)

This summer hasn't all been swimming pools, nature walks and baseball.  It's also been about movies--family movie nights.  Via NetFlix we've exposed the kids to movies I never thought we'd watch together (or I'd ever watch period).  Movies like The Pacifier, where I was moved to tears by the life lessons Vin Diesel taught us, and Cheaper By the Dozen, which to be completely honest, I've watched before and liked.  

But the other night I found my movie mom soulmate in the remake of Yours, Mine and Ours.  The movie itself isn't very good, but oh man, I love Rene Russo's character and can totally relate.  She was all about chaos, lots of kids, fun, art and enjoying her kids and their life.  I love that.  And this was her go-to phrase:

Just like us, her house was the one where something was always going on.  In one scene the very serious, strict parent played by Dennis Quaid and his young son drive by Russo's house.  "That looks crazy," Quaid says.  "That looks fun," the son says.  At any given moment, especially in the summer, you drive by our house and the same can be said.  There might be a half-naked pre-schooler running around the house.  Bikes are strewn all over the driveway.  The kids' artwork hangs on the front porch.  Spray paint cans are at the ready on the back porch if someone wants to spontaneously craft.  The house looks crazy, but fun.

I get it, it's not for everyone.  But we love it.

This week's Pinterest Poser Challenge** isn't really based on Pinterest, it's based on one of our favorite family movie night movies, Ramona and Beezus. 

**In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,* every week I  detail a new Pinterest challenge whether it be a new recipe or a craft.   

*My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

In the movie which is beyond family friendly, not an inappropriate word or scene throughout, Ramona and her dad set out to draw the longest picture in the world.  Last week was Tim's birthday, so the kids decided to make the biggest birthday card in the world.

Together the four of them came up with a plan.

  

They got a box from the basement.  Asked me to pour the paints in individual paper cups and they were off.

 Not only was it fun to watch them create and express themselves, it took a good bit of time on a hot summer afternoon.

When they were done and the paint had almost dried, they set up their surprise on the front porch and waited for the big reveal.  Tim came home from work to possibly the world's biggest birthday card, but definitely a house full of freedom of expression and love.

It's all about the love.

Pinterest is all about ways to organize and beautify mud rooms and perfect looking bedrooms, but it's also about inspiring messy, creative types too.  Pinterest has set my spray-painting, word-loving, self-expressing inner crafty person free and it feels so good.  Pinterest is less about copying in my opinion and more about inspiring.  

Have you made something from Pinterest lately?  Had any great successes? Or advice?  Or warning about a project that's a total waste of time? OR hey, do you have any favorite family movie night movies? Do tell.

Please share whatever you're working on in the comments here or over on Facebook.  Come on over and follow my Pinterest boards.

Here are some of the projects I've already attempted, the good and the bad:

Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here

Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here

Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click here
The Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

Come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here.

Cloudy Stuff of Dreams

In summer we all live in a dreamy place...

summer is lavish, fragrant, colorful, slow, humid, calm...

the children, in the country at least, play riotously and can hardly be persuaded to remember the necessity of sleep, 

even when the fireflies are blinking as high as their bedroom windows.

Also, the heat makes of neighborhood a genuine thing, people are out on lawns or porches; they are exhausted, happy, beneficent, 

less ambitious than in any other season, 

and they are full of the beautiful cloudy stuff of dreams.

-Mary Oliver

I'm at a loss for words, which quite frankly never happens.  I'm trying to carefully find the right words, but first I have to wrap my head around my feelings.  What the hell am I talking about? I don't know how to write it, say it, feel it.  So I will wait.  I will find the words.  Until then, I will soak up the words of poets and writers like the amazing Mary Oliver.  I love what she has to say about summer--it's the season for people to be full of the beautiful cloudy stuff of dreams.

My kids climb a mountain into the sky almost everyday.  It's not really a mountain, it's a medium-size dirt mound that tall grass has decided to grow upon.  But to my kids, it's a mountain.  They climb and conquer.  They slide down the slippery glass slopes.  And back up again.

I wonder if they will come back as grown ups and discover their mountain is a medium-size dirt hill.  I hope not.  I hope when they tell the stories to their kids about their summers, the mountain stays majestic and they stay full of the beautiful cloudy stuff of dreams.

This weekend, I tried to figure out my feelings, find my words in between baseball tournaments, walking the dog, reading stories...

"Go outside," Tim told me putting his arm around me.  "Just take a break and be alone outside."

Normally I would go on a run, but this time I got on my bike and rode through the trails by our house.  

I stopped the bike by the river and sat down and listened.  The water rushed over the rocks. The trees whooshed with the slight breeze.  The birds chirped.  The mosquitos bit.  The dragonflies buzzed.  And I just breathed.  And I felt calmer.  I felt like everything was going to be okay.  I felt like I climbed a mountain and I could dream again.

Still no words, but more peace and that's a start.

And just to keep it real, after a few minutes of meditating by the river I got the hell out of there because I was scared of the evil deer that are taking over the trails and my town.  I don't trust them.

This is an old song, but kind of perfectly captures my vibe as I was out on the trail this weekend.  It's Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson.

Bathroom Breaks, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

This sign arrived at the perfect moment this week, 
isn't it amazing?
More details on where I got it and a giveaway coming in the next few weeks, stay tuned.

Earlier in the week, I was a mess.  I was waving the white flag.  I was giving up.  The kids were taking over the house with their not listening, their bickering, their I-never-get-to's and their why-do-I-always-have-tos.  It was too much--too much whining, too much noise, too much chaos.  I hid in the bathroom and cried.  The crazy, loud kids were standing on top of the couch cushions, which were strewn about the living room floor, claiming victory.  Chanting and cheering about their successful coups. If you are picturing a scene from The Lord of the Flies you are picturing it about right.

A friend of mine told me once about how she grew up down the street from a large, Catholic family with about 10 kids.  She said somedays she would be there playing and she would see the mother go around the corner in the kitchen and say "Oh Mary, Mother of Sweet Jesus" over and over and over.  She told me she was so confused as a kid, but now as a mom, she totally gets it. I get it too.

I wish I could tell you I was praying while I was hiding in the bathroom, but it's just not the case.  I was saying as many swear words as I could in a row, sort of an F word mantra.

My little break helped.  After five minutes of f-ing in the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face and headed out to dethrone the children.  

We went outside, we played with the dog, we explored, we focused on the good in the world.  Blue skies, trees to climb, puffy clouds that tell stories.  Running, skipping, climbing, racing.  Holding hands, piggy-back rides, bike rides, scooter rides.  

I love my children with all my heart and soul, but parenting is hard work.  I've always believed in the power of prayer, bathroom breaks and the F word with a capital F (not around the kids of course) to cope.  Fresh air helps too.  Even on the hardest, most challenging days of parenting, there are good moments, I know that for sure.

Here's what else I know for sure (this week):

• There are a lot of reasons I love my husband, and this is one of them--the moment he was sewing a skirt on Lulu's American Girl doll at Peyton's baseball game.  He and Lulu designed the skirt.  He was proud and happy to be spending time with his daughter while watching his son play ball.  I mean, right? He's amazing.

• I fell more in love with Dustin Hoffman this week too.  I'm sure you've seen this video, but watch it again or show it to a man you know.  It really is pretty incredible.  I love the honesty.

• Did you see my post about free bowling earlier in the week?  It's a sweet deal and there are no strings...it's free and it's bowling and it's fun, check.it.out.  Click here for info.

• This is a funny mash up of the "song of the summer" Blurred Lines and The Cosby Show.  

• Two things I love about summer the most: reading on the front porch to the kids and the pool.  

We just finished Where the Red Fern Grows and now we're starting the Harry Potter series.  Peyton has read all the books twice, but still sits and listen and I love that.

Almost every good memory I have as a kid revolves around a pool.  And now I get to relive it with my kids. I love pool days.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. How do you cope on the hard days of parenthood? Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

I'm linking up today with my friends Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah from SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones.  

Check them out.

Summer UnPlugged--Fighting Against Tweens and Screens

I never understood people who said they were bored.  Really?  Have you tried daydreaming?  Have you danced in your kitchen?  Have you taken a nature walk or just a walk down your street and made up stories about people you don't know who live in houses on your street or the next?  I mean, come on, bored?  How does that work?

My kids have known from an early age that so-called "boredom" can be inspiration to use their imagination.  When my oldest was very little and he complained of "nothing to do" we sat down and made a list together.  The list was 25 Things To Do When I Feel Bored.  It included things like "play with my stuffed animals" and "dance to my favorite Barney songs."  He was really little and couldn't read yet, but we hung it on the fridge anyway.  Sometimes he'd walk by and point to a number and say "what's this one mommy, I need some impsperashum."  I would read it to him and off he would run to his room to dance to Barney songs. 

That strategy worked for years, but now we are entering new territory....tweens and screens.  Actually, it's also the fact that my stellar parenting of the early years has been slacking since there are now four little beings to "impspire."  All my kids, even the 3-year-old would gladly grab the iPad and play games and play games and play games.  My oldest, now 11, would go from his Kindle Fire to the iPad to Apple TV if there were no rules limiting screen time.  And while I really do love technology, too much of it makes all my kids grumpy and fight more with each other.

In an attempt to fight the lure of the screen to fix any feelings of boredom, we sat down before school got out and made a summer list.  It's on our chalk board in our kitchen for "impsperashum."

So far, so good.  The bike rides, pool time, nature walks and skipping rocks have won out over screen time.  All of that is wonderful and I am once again a pretty proud mama.  But what about when it rains? Last week we had a slew of rainy days and the kids eagerly went for their gadgets and it happened, they got grumpy and fought with each other more than they had since school got out.

I rushed to the chalk board searching for indoor activities that would please four grumpy kids ranging in age from 3 to 11.  And then I saw it, bowling.  We love bowling!  Everyone can bowl.  So off we went.  

Not everyone threw a strike.  Some of us were more interested in the candy machines.  Some of us took it very seriously.  And some of us didn't.  But we all had fun.

What do you do to fight off your kids' "boredom"? Do you struggle with the whole tweens and screens issue?  I'm not alone am I?

If you find yourself with a houseful of kids with "nothing to do" or it's 110 degrees and just too hot to move outside or it's raining or you're just a really cool mom (or dad), here's a special deal for free bowling.  Yup, free with the AMF Summer Unplugged Program.

The AMF Summer Unplugged Program includes two free games every day for each child* ages 15 and under (shoe rental not included). Sign up here (http://bit.ly/AMFSummer) for free bowling all summer long.

*You can register up to six children in the program.  If you would like to add more children, you will need to create a new account using an alternate email address.

And this sweet deal is not just for kids. An AMF Summer Pass is just $34.95 and includes two games per day for the pass owner and up to three guests ages 16 and up. (Shoe rental not included.) Click here (http://bit.ly/AMFSummer) to sign up.

All it takes is one simple sign-up, no coupons to mail or print. Simply present your membership card or your name at your local AMF center and you're good to go.

There are 250 AMF locations, find an AMF Bowling Center near you- http://bit.ly/AMFCenters.

I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing.  All opinions stated in this post are my own.

Miley & My Anxiety

This post was inspired by a vlog prompt over at Mama Kat's Losing It.  The prompt was to watch Miley Cyrus' video for her new song "We Can't Stop."  I thought it would be a funny little vlog, but it made me feel all sorts of anxiety and prompted me to write this post. Here's the vlog:


(If you're an email subscriber, click here http://youtu.be/KnBN6s6cU0Q to watch.)

When I was 13 years old, my middle school guidance counselor asked me to come to her office to talk. I went to her office.  I sat in the cold fake leather chair across from her and waited.  Waited to hear what I did wrong.  

"Well, I've noticed you have been wearing very short skirts lately," she said timidly.  "Why do you think that is?"

"Duh, lady, to get boys' attention, any boy, every boy. Geez," I said in my head feeling defiant. 
"I dunno," I said out loud while I looked down feeling shameful.

The guidance counselor continued to talk to me about proper clothes for school and said she was worried about me.

"You should be! I'm in trouble and I'm confused and trying to get attention every way I know how," I screamed, in my head.
"Uh-huh, okay," I mumbled out loud.

It wasn't just my short skirts and slutty clothes. This was before slutty clothes were really marketed to young girls.  I was just copying the girls I saw in Motley Crue and Warrant videos.  Yeah, it was the eighties.  It wasn't just that.  I was taking my mom's car at night to drive to boys' houses, I was quitting dance, band, softball and any other positive extra curricular activity, I was failing classes, getting detentions, disrespecting the world and myself.

The guidance counselor might have called my house and talked to my mother, I'm not sure.  But I am sure of a few things...I wish I didn't have to go through some of that stuff, but I am glad social media wasn't around to capture it all.  Because I was a mess, my family was a mess, my world was a mess.  But then it got better.  I still carry a few scars from my early-learning years, and not to sound too much like a Kelly Clarkson song, but I'm stronger.

I don't know if I would be singing the same song if my exploits were Tweeted and Instagrammed and Facebooked and Youtubed.  In fact the thought of it all makes me feel ill.  Imagining the comments my inappropriate skirts would get makes me want to cry.

My story is on the extreme side, not every 13-year-old takes their mother's car out for a joy ride while her mom's at the bar, again.  But how many girls (and boys) make mistakes, take stupid risks, say things that sound repulsive, disrespect the world and themselves?  And now we live in a world where these girls and boys share every minute, every mistake.

I have no answers, mostly just anxiety.  And fear for my own children who will be teenagers no matter what I do.

"Enjoy being a kid," I told Lucy when she showed me a dance that resembled a very inappropriate, yet popular dance craze.  "You have plenty of time to be a grown up and do grown up dances.  Right now, be a kid."  

I explained that I grew up too fast and I wish I would've been a kid longer (without any details).  This speech will only work for so much longer, they will want details, they will roll their eyes.

Watching the video from Miley Cyrus' latest song, makes me feel all sorts of things--annoyance, judgement, relief, anxiety,  compassion.  I also feel like I aged 30 years and became a conservative grandma in under three minutes--pursed lips, furrowed brow, etc.  

I don't want to judge Miley or her ridiculous video.  The scared mother part of me disapproves of her oversexualization.  The wounded, messed up 13-year-old in me is nodding a big "yeah, I get it Miley."  And then I read some of the comments and I just wish people would show more compassion and just not be so mean. Oh hell, then I go back to being the scared mother.  

I have no answers, mostly just worry.  
I will do my best to parent my children with love, compassion and boundaries and limits.  I will do my best to let them make mistakes, advise them not to share everything and teach them how to get stronger.  I will do my best.  And I will not let my 11 and 9-year-olds watch Miley's new video.

What do you do?  How do you set boundaries?  Do your tweens and teens share everything?  What do YOU do about cyberbullying and oh god, sexting?