Family Time

Is it just me, or does it seem that on the days when you actually sit on the floor and PLAY with your child, they are much happier all around? On Saturday I was just playing with Brinks - helping her stack stuff and what not - and she was all giggly and smiley and happy! Not that she's not happy normally, but this was a noticeably happier baby!

Well, along those same lines, I checked this book (Family Fun My Great Idea) out at the library and loved it so much that I bought it off of Amazon for $1.78. It has some great ideas (hence the title of the book) on playing, creating, and spending quality time with your family! It's simply a compilation of ideas from other parents across the country, but some of the ideas sound like so much fun! I can't wait to try them out! You should check it out.

Some ideas that I thought sounded particularly fun:

• Make your own family holiday, such as a 'sisters day' or a 'do nothing day' (where you just stay home and spend the day with your family - no interruptions)
• Have a family drive-in movie night and make little cars out of cardboard boxes.
• Have a 'read-a-thon' (do you remember those from elementary school? I loved them!) Get in your comfy clothes, sit on piles of blankets with a bunch of books and READ! I am a bookaholic, after all.
• Keep in touch with family that may live far away by sending them things your kids make in the mail along with letters and pictures.
• Create a 'Fun Zone' stocked with art supplies, books, games, puzzles, and music. Then, instead of watching TV or playing video games - your kids have a place to play and be creative!

I could go on and on because it also has tips for getting your kids out of the house on time, organizing all their stuff and teaching them things like finances and manners, but I'll stop there. When I do some of the ideas, I'll be sure to post about it to let you know how it went for us.