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Every week I like to take a moment to showcase the moments that brought me the most joy. Sometimes they are awesome activities and other times it’s a sweet moment between the kids. There are always moments that can fill us with joy if we choose to see them with a thankful heart.
We focused on play a bit more this week and being purposeful with our time. It’s really hitting me how quickly these days are going and I want to make sure I’m engaging with the kids more often. I do believe it’s good for them to play on their own and get creative in their play but I also want to be part of that world sometimes. There were lots of places to find joy because of this!
1. Letter practice
Although I made the goal of getting things ready to start preschool with Mercedes back in August I could tell she wasn’t quite ready for a more formal sit down setting and I wasn’t either. Each time we tried we both got frustrated. Instead we kept talking about letters and numbers as they appeared in normal life but didn’t push the topic.
This week was different though! She really wanted to practice writing a few letters so I grabbed a portable chalkboard I found at Target a couple years ago in the dollar section and a few supplies I had on hand for teaching letters. She chose T to start (which is great since it’s so simple!) and I was incredibly impressed with her ability to form the letter. She repeated over and over, “Line down, line across.” as she drew each one. We also used the Fridge Phonics toy to reinforce the letter name and sound. She really enjoys singing the song as she draws the letters also. I’m so proud of her desire to learn!
2. Picnic time
During one of our play times we pulled out all the fake food and had a picnic. We took turns making silly meals and ended it with a big cake. Watching them create sandwiches and pizza with crazy toppings or pretend to eat their goofy meals is one of my favorite things. They really get into it and make chewing noises and wiggle their whole bodies as they “eat” the food.
3. Playdate
A friend moved back to town and organized a playdate at the mall playland. The big boys are too big to go there anymore so I never think about going when they are at school with the little three. They had a blast and it was so nice to sit and chat with friends. Several of us grabbed lunch together in the food court as well and I was amazed at how well the kids did sitting and eating their food with so much other activity around them. Yay for successful adventures!
4. Fashionista
Mercedes has displayed her unique fashion choices before so I shouldn’t be surprised when she comes up with the outfits she does. She was really proud of this one and called herself “fancy” because of the sparkly skirt. I’m sure loads of people got just as big of a giggle from her outfit as we were shopping as we did when she modeled for us. I hope she never loses her confidence to be unique and independent!
5. Birthday party
Our youngest nephew turned one on Saturday and we had a great time celebrating. Our kids immediately found their cousin’s bedroom and set about investigating all the new-to-them toys. It was a fun treat to see family and a nice way to spend a Saturday.
6. Silly faces
Anders has learned to make silly faces along with me for the camera too! You can ignore my weird face – I was trying to make sure I was actually pushing the shutter button, haha! I think being goofy with my kids is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. No need to take life seriously when there is so much fun to have!
7. Wrestling
It wouldn’t be a Sunday night if there wasn’t wrestling involved. Cade was frustrated that he couldn’t lift the giant blanket to cover Micah while all the other kids piled on top of him. Moments later Micah helped him lift the blanket up and all was right again. I could watch Micah play with the kids all day – not much better than a daddy that loves being around his kids and really gets down on their level!
What brought you joy this week? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments!
