4 Grown-Ups

Why I write Creative Connections for Kids…

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This video, “Just Fishin” by Trace Adkins, describes quite well why I write CCK and what this blog is all about. I’m not a big country music fan, and you may not be either, but if you haven’t seen this already… for a moment turn your volume up and watch:

Tags: Just Fishin’, Trace Adkins, Trace Adkins Videos

Here’s the link as well: http://www.cmt.com/videos/trace-adkins/659727/just-fishin.jhtml

It’s not complicated. Simple times with your child, talking about what is important in their life can impart your values and instill memories that last a lifetime. CCK provides simple, fun activities for you and your child (in case you can’t go fishin’) and that enhance development.

I was and am a 100% bona fide daddy’s girl. I remember summer days sitting with Dad on the tailgate of his 1965 Chevy pick-up behind their little grocery store. We would eat bologna sandwiches with slices of home grown tomatoes for lunch, and share a glass of iced tea. It always seemed like his tea was colder than mine. I could never quite figure that out. We read “Green Eggs and Ham” dozens of time and worked on multiplication tables until I finally learned that 9×4 is 36.

Here are just some of things that I learned from my quiet, hardworking dad:

Don’t go into debt, buy what you can afford to pay for.
Be honest.
Do your paperwork well, take care of your business (whatever that maybe). My dad is a small business owner who is always ready for an audit, an inspection…whoever walks into their store. The ‘paperwork’ is ready.
Be cautious of what you say: “Lose lips sink ships”, “Silence is golden”, “The fish that didn’t get caught didn’t open his mouth”, “If you told three people (shown with three tally marks ///)…you have actually told 111 people.”

He didn’t teach these value by lectures, but by a quiet life, his example, and moments together “Just Fishin”.

My dad and mother with our girls, making a happy memory while sitting on bags of Always Save dog food at their grocery store. 🙂

Take time for those ‘just fishin’ moments with your kids.

I made a Camera Bag-Purse

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This is not a typical preschool activity. But if you are a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, teacher…etc…you probably take pictures of the children in your life and have a camera. I thought you might appreciate this information and find it to be helpful. I made a camera bag-purse:

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The Beach – Have fun in the Sun!

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The beach is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy spending time with your family. We live hundreds of miles from any coastline so I relish every moment at the beach…the sun, surf, and the sand are rejuvenating. You might enjoy these fun beach activities:

Work together to build a sandcastle.

Play ball.

Write your name in the sand, in a very big way!

Hunt for shells in the surf.

Try to catch them (or take a picture) before they work their way under the sand as the water swishes over them.

Watch and listen to the birds.

The way the sunlight sparkles across the water is beautiful! Relax and enjoy.

If you are out in the morning or evening, notice how you can play with shadow.

Bond with the the grandkids,

and the family…

Watch your sandcastle be swept away by the surf.

Here is our oasis and bit of shade on a very hot beach.

We enjoyed every refreshing moment in Galveston, Texas. Thanks ya’ll!

Where is your favorite beach?

What is your favorite beach activity?

We are pleased to be linked to these sunny sites:

Travel Tips for Grown-ups…

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Road Trip!!! Part 2

I am happy to report that soon we will be traveling to Texas to attend a wedding and enjoy the beach on the gulf coast. It is a 15 hour drive to the nearest coastline so beach time is something I anticipate and enjoy. That is why traveling is on my mind. 🙂 Here are some travel tips for adults:

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Road Trip!! Activities for Kids

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Summer is here and so is the time for the family road trip!!!

Traveling on the road with children, grandchildren, young friends, and favorite nieces and nephews can be fun and challenging. Having mini DVD players, games on the phone or iPad are awesome, but you if want to expand horizons a bit beyond screen time; here are some ideas and resources for your next road trip.

Fun, sanity saving road trip ideas:

Music

Take your’ child’s favorite music CDs or load up your phone or the the MP3 player with kid’s music. In the baby area of our Walmart there is a display of children’s CDs with a listening center so you can listen to them before you buy. Don’t forget lullabies for quiet times and classic nursery rhymes too.

Your local library may have children’s CDs that you can check out.
There are free kids music downloads at Free Kids Music.
Kidsongs.com is another place to search for, purchase and download children’s music.
Here is a summer song list for kids!

Books

Go to the library and check out books that are new and different. Also get books that describe your destination and activities.

Printable Games

Mom’s Minivan has printable games that are very fun! You can slip them into a sheet protector and play using dry erase markers so they can be used again. I was totally impressed with this website. Here are examples of Bingo, a scavenger hunt, and tic-tac-toe:

Here’s another great road trip bingo printable that is really cute too.

Create a binder for your child

Be organized. Games that have been printed can be put into a folder or 3 ring binder. Depending on your children you might want to have access to the binder and supplies to give to them as needed. However, another option is to give each child their own binder with the activities they enjoy. The binder gives them a place to write and a place for paper, a packet of crayons, pencils, stencils, and small activity books (all shown below are from Walmart). A pencil holder that you can snap into a 3 ring binder works very well to keep things together.

Teach your child to use a map or map app

Get a map, atlas, or a map app that your older kids can use. You can purchase maps that are laminated or you can print one from the internet. Highlight the route, mark stops and sights, then slide them into a sheet protector and put into their binder.They can follow the route of the trip which is a great way to teach map reading skills. Trust me…when they leave home for college you want them to be able to read a map even if they have a smart phone!

Eight Amazing Quick Tips

1) Know some classic road trip games like these.

2) Be prepared with a new book or small toy (or a toy or book they haven’t seen in a while) to whip out when boredom really arises.

3) Know where rest stops and parks are located. Pack a Frisbee or ball so that the kids can play when they have the opportunity.

4) Change seating arrangements. Sit in the back so you can read together, talk about the sights, snuggle and share some cheerios.

5) If you have babies and young toddlers consider traveling at night if possible. Just be sure that you are rested and can safely drive at night. Be safe!

6) Here are some preschool apps for your iPhone or iTouch. They are from 1+1+1=1 an awesome tot and preschool resource!

7) If you are grandparents or other loved ones traveling with your favorite little folks, make sure you know favorite foods and routines.

8) Keep track of your child’s blankie, binkie, or any other favorites!

I left my daughter’s ‘moe’ (beloved blanket) at Grandma’s and could find nothing that substituted for it. Everything was pushed away with a tearful “no Moe!” Feel free to learn from our mistake. 🙂

Most importantly ~ keep a sense of humor and have fun together!

What is your favorite traveling tip, resource, or activity?

Joplin, Missouri ~ Ravaged But Resilient

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Before moving on to fun things, I simply must write about Joplin, Missouri. As you likely know, on May 21, Joplin suffered one of the most devastating tornadoes in American history. A mile wide F5 tornado with winds of 200 miles an hour tore through the southwest Missouri city on May 22, Sunday evening and changed lives forever. At this time, there have been a total of 139 deaths reported, but the number is expected to rise as there are still persons missing and unaccounted for.

Joplin is special to my family because I grew up about 90 miles from Joplin; my husband attended college and lived in Joplin for five years; and our daughter attended college there as well. On Tuesday after the storm they both left to help with recovery efforts. They were expecting complete devastation, but to be an eye witness and finding familiar locations completely unrecognizable was shocking.

Here is an early video from the Associated Press:

Before and after aerial shots:

There are hundreds of harrowing stories of loss and survival:

The loss of young mother and toddler leaving a father facing the future alone.
Children were tore from their parents arms.
The loss of a young husband as he protected his wife
Many emerged from their closet to find only the closet standing and the rest of the house gone
People have rummaged through their pile of rubble, and were only able to salvage a box full of items
After hours of searching, a small journal describing a mother’s pregnancy was located from a huge pile of debri

What is more amazing then then the storm is the response to the storm. My family and friends witnessed the following:

A grassroots network of support and services developed within a hours on Facebook.
A constant influx of individuals and businesses offered their support and supplies
Farmers, neighboring fire departments, and construction companies descended on the area with their equipment and crews
Nurses and doctors from far and wide rushed to provide services for those injured
There was a sense of cooperation and gratitude from the masses of people in need.
The influx of volunteers who raced to provide help was more then the government and relief agencies could initially manage.
Universities, colleges, civic organizations, and churches have organized to meet needs.

Here is just ONE church:

The response to the tragedy has been stellar. The statistics from the City of Joplin on Saturday were:
Total number of volunteers registered at MSSU 7,546
Total number of volunteers registered via the phone 12,000
Total number of calls to Wellness Call 6,137
With over 750 people deployed to work per day with the recovery

This weekend I was in Springfield, just an hour away from Joplin, and had the opportunity to listen to a local Joplin radio station as they continued to share information, phone numbers, resources, information about displaced pets, and anything else needed. One caller was a little boy who had collected stuffed animals to give to children who lost everything. He had a generous heart and was sharing what he had with others. He then became philanthropic as he began to collect donations from others.

So I write to encourage you to love and help those in need around you. We have had an extreme season of natural disasters across the country and around the world. From Joplin to Japan, from Minnesota to Mississippi, from Alabama to Arkansas; you don’t have to look far to find someone in need. Take time to share what you have (including time) with those in need around you. Your example will be followed by your children.

~ A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34~

For Little Ones at a Wedding ~ Gift Bags

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As many of you know, we have been preparing for our daughter’s wedding for several weeks. It was delightful! We could have not asked for a more gorgeous day in anyway. It was a small family wedding in our backyard.

To keep little hands busy during the evening, we put together gift bags for the children in attendance.

We used canvas bags from a craft supply store, fabric paints, and Crayola fabric crayons. The fabric crayons were awesome! They were neat, clean, and easy to use. Plus, they had a rustic look when used on the canvas.

The theme of the wedding was family and how the bride and groom’s family forms the roots for their new family tree. One side of the bag was decorated to reflect that theme and with the child’s name.

Bethany decorated the other side with the date, colors, and graphic from the invitation.

We selected a variety of items from Walmart’s party supply section to place in the bag: the book “Mouse Count”, slinkies, silly putty, activity books, tilt game, and pen. We gave the toddlers board books: “The Everything Book” by Denise Fleming and “Blue Hat, Green Hat” Sandra Boynton. (I read “Blue Hat, Green Hat” to a two year old last week, and he laughed and laughed. He absolutely loved it!)

We gave the bags to the children at the reception dinner.

We also made a couple hundred origami globes to jazz up white lights.

Bethany and her dad worked together to make signs.

In the background you can see lamp posts. The base of the lamp is a tuna fish can and the globe is an ivy bowl (goldfish bowl). An oil lamp was placed inside. The oil lamps were purchased from a restaurant supply company. These were created for a friend’s wedding and were shared with us. Thank you. 😉

We made the floral center pieces for the reception and I am sorry to say I didn’t get a good picture of the completed center pieces. But an easy component was dropping a gerbera daisy into a tall vase. They are beautiful flowers!

The bride and groom wanted their day to represent them and honor the special people in their life. Bethany wore her grandmother’s pearls, her great-grandmother’s brooch, and ear rings that were given to her by a close grandmotherly friend. The glassware for the dessert table were pieces from friends.

This post is not as early childhood focused as most, but do let this be reminder that this day will quickly come. I mean like…fast…the speed of light…vroom…it is here! 🙂

I suggest that you:

Take advantage of teachable moments; slow down, share your time.
Teach your children the values that you want them to have; even when it is difficult. Persevere.
Teach them how to choose good friends. This will later help them select a good spouse.
Be the person that you want your child to be…or try to be. This is easier for me to say than to do.
Have fun! Make happy memories together.

Thank you for reading and following Creative Connections for Kids!

A Blogging Spring Break

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Hi Everyone,

Due to an extreme spring schedule I need to take a blogging Spring break. Work is wonderful, but there is so much to do before the end of the school year it is overwhelming. My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and we are planning to celebrate that mega milestone in April.

My eldest daughter is getting married in May.

She and her sister are art and design girls and we are making many things to make the day extra special. This includes clearing out our heavily wooded backyard to make a wedding venue and making over 100 origami globes (so far) to use for lighting. We are having a great time! I want to relish every moment with the girls as our family celebrates and begins a new chapter.

Blogging the last few months has been wonderful and fun. In September, I started this blog knowing absolutely nothing, zero, zilch and have learned something new nearly every day. I love that. While it doesn’t take as long to write a post or figure out the technical aspects as it did in the beginning; it continues to be time consuming. For example, the “Super Spider” post was supposed to be a quick post, until I realized my spider had only six legs, not eight. I remade the spider, took more pictures, edited them, and then had to post on a slow connection in a hotel room. Time consuming. Anything associated with changing settings, the header, the widgets is time consuming. I enjoy it and get really wrapped up in it so…I need to step away from the computer…and focus on my family and my families at work.

If you like, you can sign up for the CCK Facebook page. I will continue to share resources and connect through it.

Thank you for sharing your time with me! I am grateful and hope you will stay tuned.

Kristi

Let’s Talk ~ Encouraging Language Development

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As a parent educator, I will sometimes have a parent express concern because their 18 to 24 month old has a limited vocabulary and simply hasn’t started to use words consistently. We review and discuss concerns such as hearing, familial history and patterns, receptive language skills, and cognitive skills. We usually refer them to their pediatrician to be sure there is no medical reason for their concern.

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Love One Another

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Valentines Day is just around the corner. Often this is a day of romance, flowers, and candlelit dinners for those in love. However, this is wonderful time to teach your child to have thoughtfulness, compassion, and kindness toward others.

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