Happy Monday!
I hope things are good in your little corner of the world. Things are pretty good in ours. I have all of my chicks back in the nest, which makes for a crowded but happy nest in my book.
This summer, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder related to my blood (Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome or Hughes Syndrome) and also with a seizure disorder. My neurologist has prescribed anti-seizure medication but it’s a pretty serious medication and I’m generally a natural kind of girl. If anybody has experience with natural treatments to help manage seizures, please leave me a note! These are not the type of seizures that make me lose consciousness or anything like that, just frequent “sharp waves” and “lightning strikes” throughout the day that make life a little more challenging (as if having five kids doesn’t do enough of that already!).
My husband read once that September is the month of winds and magic. This certainly is a magical time of the year. Here are a few ways to make some memories with the kiddos this week….
1. Stop at a park you pass and explore it together.
We passed this tiny park about an hour from our home and we got a kick out of the quote by Ole Synsteby about how busy folks are “these days” with their motor cars and such. 🙂
2. Teach the kids some magic tricks. Here’s one site that has some simple ones for kids.
3. Go feed some ducks, pigeons or seagulls.
4. Tell the kids that they can’t use their hands for dessert tonight. Take pictures!
5. Do some playing in history. Make cardboard viking shields, have a Little House on the Prairie day, eat like the Colonial Days, make LEGO pyramids or otherwise delve into history through play. You can peek at my Playing in History board on Pinterest for inspiration.
6. Watch movies with the kids of when they were little or snuggle up on the couch and look through old photo albums. Tell stories and be sappy.
7. Throw a family cocktail party. Make up some little appetizers and arrange some party platters with tasty favorite foods that you usually reserve for parties. Put out some fun and fancy looking drinks and fancy glasses (or plastic partyware). Even orange juice turns fancy in a special glass with a sugared rim! Tell everybody to dress up, put on some background music and mingle!
8. Find a really old cookbook and make a meal fit for an old fashioned family. Some of the intriguing recipes we’ve found include Porridge, Lone Ranger Sandwiches, Creamed Chicken in Potato Nests and Jumbo Prunes with Cream. Some sound more tempting than others!
9. Do balloon chores! Write simple jobs on small pieces of paper and slip them into balloons. Blow up the balloons and let the kids each pick one to pop. They do whichever job is inside. When their job is finished, they get to pop another balloon and do the next one. Fill a few of them with jokes or other fun freebies, too.
10. Have a Ten Good Deeds Day. Each family member picks 10 things to do for others (strangers or loved ones) and writes them down. When the last one is done, everybody celebrates with a little group reward. Try to log the good deeds in a special place so you can look back on them later.
And with that, I’m off to feed my hungry masses and wrestle the kitchen into shape. Have a magical week!
A Magical Childhood 