hkempskieHelp is on the way!
- Lisa
Filed under: Parenting advice | Leave a Comment »
Sibling Fun on Independence Day
Posted on June 30, 2009 by hkempskie
Here are some fun ways to mark Independence Day with your family:
Make a patriotic wreath. Just cut out the center of paper plate and decorate the edges with white cotton balls, blue colored tape (painter’s tape) and red tissue paper!
During the day, let the kids decorate T-shirts or hats with paint and glow-in-the-dark decals. Their creations will be ready by the time the sun goes down.
Create your own noisemakers by using bicycle horns, whistles, bells, cymbals or pots and pans.
Glo-sticks, glo-ropes and glo-jewelry can safely light the night for kids.
Want to eat like our first president? Here’s a dish he likely ate:
Filed under: Activities | Tagged: fourth of July, independence day craft | Leave a Comment »
Sibling Advice
Posted on June 23, 2009 by hkempskie
Hey there! Wanted to point you to some great articles I came across recently on raising siblings. Knowledge is power and we all need some especially since summer and family togetherness is approaching. Enjoy!
- Heather
Filed under: Parenting advice | Leave a Comment »
Summer Tip
Posted on June 21, 2009 by hkempskie
Gulp. They are both going to be home…all summer.
I am looking forward to it. Really. The lazy days of summer are hopefully on the way.
I was so focused on what my Kindergartner would think of being home everyday that I had forgotten what my youngest may be feeling. He had run the roost for the last 120 days. Now he has to contend with his big brother. Jake and I had something beautiful going. If I asked, “Do you want to go to the park?” I would get a resounding YES! Now when I ask I get a YES and a just as loud a NO from big brother! Then the compromising begins.
“We will stay just awhile.”
“Tomorrow we will do your choice.”
“Come on it will be fun.”
Then ends with someone dragging out of the car like I am dropping them off in the desert while the other one is skipping into the sunset. He won and he knows it.
Here is my tip:
Plan your week ahead of time. Ask your children something they would like to do during the week – go to the library or go letterboxing, etc. Plug it in and get excited. Pick some things for yourself too! Then do two things at the same time : put a limit on ” votes” and distract (to avoid the moaning). It is time to be clear.
Example: “We are going to the store to get somethings we need. Is there a fruit you would like to pick out to go with our lunch today?
No voting and a great distraction.
Have fun!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Father’s Day Gift Idea
Posted on June 15, 2009 by hkempskie
We all struggle (or is it just me) with a gift idea for the Dad. I really want to give him something made by the kids and it be something that he will actually use. This year a very good friend shared an idea with me. It turned out to be the end-of-the-school-year for all 6 teachers we had to purchase something for! It is relatively inexpensive and will be used over and over again. Thanks for the idea Robin!
Filed under: Activities | Tagged: craft for dad, Father's Day, gift for dad | Leave a Comment »
Sibling T-shirts for sale
Posted on June 2, 2009 by hkempskie
Lisa and I are proud to introduce our new Siblings 
Store! Now you can order adorable shirts, onesies or bibs to celebrate the siblings in your home. The design was created by the ever-talented Sarah Barnewold – thanks Sarah! You can reach her directly at sarahb9@comcast.net.
Filed under: Behind the scenes | Tagged: sibling shirt, siblings | Leave a Comment »
Preparing for Summer…
Posted on May 30, 2009 by hkempskie
My son will be
done with kindergarten in a few short weeks. Up until he started school he was home with me. Everyday.
I thought I was going to be lost without him but I have to admit having just one child at home with me was rather nice. Just yesterday, while Noah was at school, Jake had me all to himself. We rode bikes, colored, built with blocks. He didn’t have to share anything, he didn’t have to wait his turn. He talked in a kind way all day.
Fast forward to 3pm
Filed under: Behind the scenes, Parenting advice | Leave a Comment »
More that a minivan…
Posted on May 25, 2009 by hkempskie
It’s now a driving commercial – literally. I am fully advertising that I have kids and that I’m busy.
If the minivan wasn’t enough – I have now plastered along the side of it – our Siblings’ Busy Book web site url. I am hoping people will pull up along side of me – see how refreshed I look – see how well-behaved the children are and say – “Hey, I should check out that site. That girl has it all together.”
If you do see me – ask me to pull over. Then you can look inside the minivan. It will comfort you to see goldfish smashed into the carpet, juice boxes leaking onto the floor and some sort of tension brewing about the song that is playing!
- Lisa
Filed under: Behind the scenes | Tagged: busy books, mini van | Leave a Comment »
Siblings and Germs: Do they always have to go together
Posted on May 21, 2009 by hkempskie
When Lisa got chicken pox when we were only 10 years old, my mother wasn’t worried if we played together. In fact, our pediatrician encouraged it. “Heather is going to get it anyway and it’s best to have the family get it together.” I never did…ever. Chicken pox just skipped me by and when I was 27 I got the vaccination for it.
Let’s face it, siblings share everything including germs. You can’t board off a section of your home if one child get sick…although I’d like to. This week, my son Kyle is under the weather. He’s got a low-grade temp and is coughing and sneezing everywhere. On occassion, he remembers to cover his mouth. When he doesn’t I am there in a flash armed with Lyscol spray in a futile attempt to kill germs in mid-air.
Filed under: Behind the scenes | Tagged: germs, siblings, sick | Leave a Comment »
Is it a full moon, spring fever…
Posted on May 15, 2009 by hkempskie
My house is alive with the sounds of…arguing.
It all began a about two weeks ago when the sun began shining. It was like they erupted out of hibernation – the cozy-I-love-my-family-mode into you-are-in-my-way–all-the-time type of mood. My husband and I may as well be wearing black and white referee shirts. We feel defeated, exhausted and in a bitter mood more than the sun says we should be.
Its spring and they have energy. If they are “bored” (which sort of cracks me up – they have 1 trillion things to do in this house and outside 1 trillion more) they will bug each other for some type of exciting reaction.
What to do? I ask that I am waiting for someone to write back with an answer! But I have a plan. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Filed under: Behind the scenes | Tagged: fighting, spring fever | Leave a Comment »
