It's a beautiful day so I think we'll stop at a pond we pass on our way home from work. There are ducks there and I have old bread.  I think between the two, I can make some ducks really happy AND some boys really happy too. Take some time to make a detour in your routine today.

Equals indoor fun at the Science Museum.  We had a trip to the zoo planned but the good mommy in me couldn't justify taking my 3 kids with allergy coughs outdoors when it's cold, sprinkling and wind gusting up to 50mph.  Instead, we headed to the Science Museum. I'm super blessed to live in an area that has great activities for the whole family. I encourage you to look around you and find something your town has to offer and check it out this month.

I grew up in the deep South. The bayou of Louisiana where the road is named after your grandpa and everyone knows where you've been before you get home. Part of the fun of growing up was being immersed in tradition of holidays and having lots of fun in the meantime. Any good day was reason for a crawfish boil or get-together. Since next week is officially Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, we had Mardi Gras night. In this current world of political correctness, it makes me chuckle to remember that my High School lunch menu was affected by Lent and other religious holidays...fish on Fridays. I hope you enjoy this night as a fun time together, if for nothing else than to spend a little time learning about someone else's culture.

If you live with a 4 year old, you never know what you are going to get.  One day they might act 20, the next it's like they are 2. Right? In the world of a 4 year old, emotions change minute to minute and there's no guarantee what you're going to get. Sometimes as a mom I stand looking in the mirror saying 'i'm really responsible for this little human being? WHAT?!" I can't promise that I'm not going to lose it right now! Let me encourage you that in the eyes of your child, you're the best parent EVER. You don't have to be wonderful in the eyes of anyone else, especially your mom-friends that act like they have it all together. Just be you. When you're spending 5 minutes reading or making dinner or putting on jammies or giving a kiss at bedtime, you are putting a little bit of long-term security in their moment by moment world.

Pre-school Valentine's parties are a riot. Sugar, sugar and more candy fill up treat bags...b/c everyone has to bring everyone else a Valentine now.  What happend to the days we had where you didn't get anything if you were the mean kid in class?  As I told #2 last week, if you spit on your friends they will not be your friends for very long.
Anyway, I forgot how much joy a colored piece of paper and 10cent sucker could bring to a 4 year olds face.  And yes, I was the mean mom that didn't put candy with our Valentine's, they got a seed packet instead so they could do Garden night. ;)
May my heart appreciate the little things today.