Summer Time = Precious Mommy and Daughter Time

This has been a very busy school year for us. Going back to full-time teaching left me with very little time to do all the extra things we had become used to and loved doing together. This summer is very important to this working mommy. It means 8 weeks of precious time spent with my Lil Divas. 8 weeks where they don't have to share me with 20+ other littles who need me.

So what do we have planned? LOTS! The Lil Divas are attending 2 half-day camps for the first time ever. They are both only a week long but they are super excited about them. One week will be at an Art Camp (I'm so excited to see what they learn and create) and the other week will be spent in a fun Frozen (yes, the movie!) Inspired girls camp - how cool is that?! 

We also have lots of our own adventures planned. We will be exploring places in South FL (our own backyard), heading to Busch Gardens in Tampa (woot!), journeying to San Francisco (I am beyond excited about this year's vacation friends!) and naturally we have to fit in some Disney time (how could we not?). 

Of course being a Teacher Mommy I plan to take advantage of our summer days and fill them with many book/reading adventures, some fun learning and arts and crafts (the Lil Divas' fave). 

I have lots I hope to share with you this summer.  I thank each and every one of you that has stayed with us and hung in there as I transitioned back this year into full-time teaching. I know my sharing on this space was very minimal. I simply had to cut back in order to keep afloat with the many demands in my life. I won't lie to you - it was hard! 

We had a lot to adjust to over the school year. This mama dealt with lots of angst, fear and feelings of simply not being "good enough". I sorely missed this creative outlet but even more than that I missed the all time with my girls. 

I thought more than a few times of simply walking away from this blog. Then I'd come here and look at all of our posts, read your comments and lovely emails and my heart would be full and I knew that I couldn't do that. This is another way for me to do what I love. You all kept me going so much more than you could ever know. 

So thank you for not giving up on us and what we have to offer. Thank you for reaching out - it always seemed to be just when I needed it most. This blog is a little piece of me and it means so much to have it embraced by others. 

Hugs to the most wonderful readers in the world - YOU!

Bern

Catch the Ball! - Sharing Family Memories Through Play

The Lil Divas love mommy-daughter dates. They also love to reminisce and share memories. This gave me the idea for a game that combined getting active with some of their favorite things - mommy time and sharing memories of special moments spent together as a family.

I grabbed a beach ball (yes, I keep these on hand for learning and fun) and my sharpie and got ready. I thought up a few questions and wrote them all across the beach ball. Then, I invited the Lil Divas to play. Playing with a ball is always fun. It inevitably leads to missed catches, giggles, bumps on the head, falling on the floor and lots and lots of laughing.

To play the game, use whatever questions are relevant for your family and/or your children's ages.  Here are the questions I used:

1. What is your favorite treat to eat?

2. Say 1 nice thing about everyone playing.

3. Where is your favorite place to go as a family?

4. What is your favorite family trip? Why?

5. What is your favorite game to play?

6. If we could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?

Then play catch, taking turns so that everyone gets a turn catching the ball. Wherever your hands land on the ball, that's the question you need to answer. If you have already answered the question your hands are on then answer the question nearest to them. Play until everyone has answered all the questions.

The Lil Divas enjoyed playing the game and reading (sneaking in some literacy!) and answering the questions. They really liked hearing my answers too and it was fun to play and share together. As a mom my favorite was the one where everyone had to say something nice about the people playing.  It was very sweet and actually led to the cute moment pictured above of the Lil Divas hugging. The Littlest Diva was touched by what her big sister said about her and ran over to hug her. It made my mommy heart full to bursting.

I can see this being a great game to play every now and then as the answers will undoubtedly change as the Lil Divas experience new things. I look forward to revisiting this game in the future with the Lil Divas.

This idea is being shared as part of the Mommy Playdate 100 Days of Play hosted by Sun Scholars and Life at the Zoo. 100 blogs/bloggers from around the world have taken on the challenge of connecting with our kids through play and are sharing our ideas with you from April 1st thru July 9th. We hope you find some ideas that inspire you to play and connect with your kids.

  

100 Days of Play is brought to you by these wonderful bloggers:

SunScholars . Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails . Playful Learners . Train Up a Child . Fantastic Fun & Learning . Scribble, Doodle & Draw . Learn. Create. Love. . Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas . Nothing if Not Intentional . My Little 3 & Me . Buggy & Buddy . Sun Hats & Wellie Boots . Twodaloo . True Aim . The Educators' Spin On It . Blog Me Mom .Life At The Zoo . Putti's World . Kitchen Counter Chronicles . Triple T Mum . Busy Kids Happy Mom . Crystal's Tiny Treasures . Rainy Day Mum . Momma's Fun World . My Little Bookcase . Craftulate . One Perfect Day . MumCentral . Artchoo! . Little Artists . Simple. Home. Blessings. . JDaniel4's Mom . NurtureStore . Me & Marie Learning .Child Central Station . Mamas Like Me . Making Boys Men . Powerful Mothering . Craft to Art . 3 Dinosaurs . Domestic Goddesque . Lessons Learnt Journal . Royal Baloo .Smiling Like Sunshine . Adventures at Home with Mum . B-Inspired Mama . PragmaticMom . Eazy Peazy Mealz . Gluesticks . TheBoy&Me . Learning is Messy . My Nearest & Dearest . Growing Book by Book . How to Run a Home Daycare . Here Come the Girls . Think Magnet . Dandelions Picked . 123 Homeschool 4 Me . Our Ordinary Life .Parenting with Professor Poppins . 2 Little Hooligans . Fun-a-Day! . The Non-Martha Mamma . Angelique Felix . My Very Educated Mother . Creative Playhouse . Go Explore Nature . Zing Zing Tree . Sense of Wonder . Childhood 101 . Crayon Freckles . KZ & Me . Serenity You . This Mumma's Life . Leapfrog & Ladybugs . Blue Bear Wood .Growing Together . KC EDventures . Mommy Lessons 101 . Nature & Play . Like Mama Like Daughter . Mums Make Lists . From Wine to Whine . Messy Kids . Babble Dabble Do . Sugar Aunts . Teaching @ Home . Preschool Powol Packets . Clothed in Love . Curiosity Creates . The Magnolia Barn . Strong Start . Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide. Learn with Play at Home . Mummy... Mummy... MUM! . Science Sparks . Toddler Approved . Thrive 360 Living . Rockabye Butterfly . Mud Hut Mama . Coffee Cups & Crayons . Playing with Words 365 . My Lil Love Bugs . Creative Connections for Kids . LalyMom

Have fun playing together!

Bern