Mom's Tree House

Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

My husband is so great! While visiting a local book store he came across a book called History’s Monsters:101  Villains from Vlad the Impaler to Adolf  Hitler and entered the  world of all these monsters and their gruesome history. I love history and reading on the most notorious killers, kings, rulers, etc. was a real treat.

The books serves as a short- encyclopedia giving you brief but enough details on the particular monster.  It starts from the very beginning of time to present day, so you learn about Crassus, to Vlad  the Impaler, Lucrezia Borgia to Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and all the way to Osama  bin Laden. You meet all of them, here in this book.

If you like to catch up on the dark side of  history, then this book is for you. You will truly enjoy it.

About the Author

Simon Sebag Montefiore, born in 1965, educated at Harrow School and Caius College, Cambridge University, specializes in the history of the MIddle East and Russia. His acclaimed books are world bestsellers, published in over 35 languages. Potemkin: Catherine the Great’s Imperial Partner was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson, Duff Cooper, and Marsh Biography Prizes. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar won the History Book of the Year Prize, British Book Awards. Young Stalin won LA Times Book Prize for Biography (USA), the Costa Biography Award (UK), the Kreisky Prize for Political Literature (Austria) and Le Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique (France): Young Stalin is now being developed into a six-hour miniseries. He is the author of the novel, Sashenka. His latest book, Jerusalem: the Biography, a fresh history of the Middle East, is out now. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Visiting Professor at Buckingham University, he lives in London. He is the presenter of a new BBC series, Jerusalem: the Making of a Holy City.

Right around Thanksgiving, my childhood friend called me upset and distraught, she just found her husband with another woman. Clearly, I heard her pain and felt her confusion through the phone. I wish I could have been there, but my friend lives miles away at a different state. Yet, I realized that my friend found herself in a situation she was unprepared for and found that in times of betrayal, women really do stick together.

It has been a little over two  months now and my friend is slowly getting her life back. Yet,one thing is clear, she is going through this hardship with the help of her friends and women she does not even know. In order to respect my girlfriend’s privacy, I will say that she leaves in a small town in where everyone knows your business but, my girlfriend informed me that neighbors she never spoke to, would go up to her to let her know that “she was not alone”.  According to my girlfriend, she found this comforting and even surprising. She now has a network of friends, family, neighbors and even strangers being sympathetic to her situation.  

We all go through pain, betrayal and so forth…but is nice to know that in a time of need, women do stick together. Girl Power!

Okay, I am really not a Grinch but, am I the only one thankful that Christmas is over? I love Christmas but, this year it just got away from me and all the picture taking for all the card sending, with all the shopping and hopping to every office Christmas party, just got to be a bit too much. Thus, weeks of preparations come to an end on just one day. Then “BOOM” is all over.

The baby wakes up with so much excitement and you can’t help but feel excited too. Is so wonderful right? Waking up to see your child wake up with smiles on their faces and then comes the building of toys. Why is there always one toy that comes with instructions that you simply do not understand?   Also, why does hubby always forget to buy batteries?

So, after the toys are ready comes the playing. Yeah, we love it! We are so happy that our kids are finally enjoying what we bought them but lets be honest, How many times am I going to look for missing pieces to a game,pick up toys or cover my ears to the noise. As parents, we sacrifice and spend money to get our babies what they want and then they torture us. Is what we are made for…

This Chritmas was a little too crazy and I so glad is over. Now, another year before we do it all over again.

Okay, so people this is the happiest time of the year but, can I say is also the most chaotic? I thought by now I would be finished with my shopping but of course I’m not so, I have been running around all week trying to get those special gift for all the special people in my life. I am faced with no parking in over-crowded malls, long line and people rushing and pushing in the stores. Yes, I know is my fault but why do people stop being polite during Christmas?

I then decide to shop online, no waiting lines and easy perusing through all the popular stores. I order the Kindle Fire on Wednesday for my husband and scheduled to arrive on Monday…prefect! I just tell my neighbor to grab the box and hide it.   Well, the box arrives on Friday directly to my husband’s hand. So much for a surprise! 

Then comes the office Christmas party which is not just one but, four due to the four departments I oversee.   I enjoyed going to parties but with a two year old and studying for finals, who has the time? And speaking of my two year-old, we then have his party in where mommies have to bring baked goods. Could I just buy a cake and place in my baking pan and say I baked it? Would that be just wrong? Oh well.

Time to visit Santa! We get to the mall by 9:30am to find the line to Santa crowded with crying kids and stressed out moms jittery and shaking to deprivation of their morning coffee. I stand on line to peek at Santa who looked like a gnome instead of Santa. What is going on here and why is Santa so short? I jumped out the line knowing I would not like the picture as my two year old might have appeared bigger than Santa. As I walk back to the parking lot, I see a car ram into another one.   Two women come out the cars and start fighting over the parking spot. I don’t believe it. I decide to run back home.

I know this is the happiest time of the year, but from what I see is also the most chaotic. It’s not safe out there and this year, I can’t wait for Christmas to be over.

As parents, we often look to see when our children understand the concept of an event or holiday and yesterday, Franco began to learn the etiquette’s of Halloween. 

Little Franco-stein

Last year, Franco walked around his neighborhood and carried a pumpkin head full of candy not knowing why it was given to him. This year however, as he watched other kids trick or treating he understood that dressing up and knocking on doors meant candy hand-outs. He truly enjoyed himself. Franco knocked, pulled out his tiny hand and waited for his treat.  

As his mom, I watched and cheered as  I knew my little baby was becoming a little boy. He carefully studied the “big kids” and wanted no help knocking on doors, climbing stairs, carrying his own candy basket or running as he simply tried  to keep up with his older cousins. Franco trooped block after  block for his Halloween treats.

With each passing year, Franco will embrace Halloween learning to love all that comes with it. For now, is the candy, soon he will understand the ghost stories, goblins, pumpkin seeds, and so forth. One day, he won’t need his parents for Halloween, as he will outgrow it so, Lou and  will continue to savor every moment of his experience with Halloween because, seeing those tiny hands hold that candy pumpkin head,  seeing that smile as he is handed a candy, seeing those eyes light up as he sees lighted Halloween decorations will imprint in our memories forever.   As my little boy continues to grow older,  I will always remember Halloween of him being my little boy.

Today,  we have a guest post from Kathleen Thomas, who s writing on behalf of   Primrose Schools. Kathleen is a Marketing Support Coordinator for the Atlanta day care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of day care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

As you can see from her article, Kathleen is full of great and fun ideas that will keep your family busy while enjoying the season of Fall. These ideas are exciting, creative and easy to do. I’m so glad she shared them with us. Thanks Kathleen! 

Beat Boredom as a Family

By Kathleen Thomas

Summer is full of adventure and wonderful events that keep us busy. When fall rolls around, with its regiment and schedules, it also brings about a new sense of enclosure. Trying to figure out what to do now that the weather is turning cool and the freedom the summer offered is no longer available can be difficult for any mother, but it’s especially hard for one trying to stick to a budget.  Although the kids are busy in school and child care, it is hard to keep them occupied on cool rainy days in the fall.

Fortunately, fall is a great time to learn how to combine imagination and creativity without blowing the budget. Whether it’s before school, on a weekend, or a weeknight, take the time away from school to engage your child in quality activities.

1. Foliage Hunt: Take your children around your yard, neighborhood, park, or any other area that has a multitude of trees. Collect and gather leaves of all different shapes and colors. Make a game of asking each child to “scavenge” for leaves and create categories such as “biggest leaf”, “smallest leaf”, “brightest leaf”, “softest leaf”, etc.

2. Leaf Art: After your Foliage Hunt, or from a stock of leaves you already have on hand, take the vein side of the leaf and place a plain piece of paper over the top of it. Gently rub a crayon over the top to reveal an impression of the leaf. For a more creative flair, layer the leaves or use multiple colors of crayons.

3. Feel of Fall: Another simple game for children of all ages, is to collect multiple pieces of nature. Broken twigs, feathers from a bird, the smooth skin of an apple, are just a few examples of interesting objects that may be collected and placed into a brown paper bag. Without showing your children, ask them to put their hands inside the bag and feel what is inside. Ask them questions about what they’re feeling. Engage and encourage them to use only their sense of touch to guess what they’re feeling.

4. Garden Delights: Harvest season is another rare opportunity fall brings for learning and experiencing. If you can locate a pumpkin patch, apple orchard, local garden or farm, take your child to view and pick vegetables and fruit. Something as simple as seeing where food comes from is an amazing and eye-opening experience for children. Take the opportunity to explain how food is created and all of the different components needed to create a delicious apple or a pumpkin ready for carving. Being able to take home these items and use them as nourishment is exciting and healthy for the whole family.

5. Raking Leaves: Invigorating and a great way to exercise, raking leaves is a task kids will enjoy taking part in. Ask a fellow neighbor if you can help them out and rake their leaves as well.

6. Apple Cooking: Apples can provide an easy and delicious snack that is often simple enough for children to help prepare. While apple pie may only be suitable for older children to help make, younger children can prepare a very simple “apple bake”. After peeling, coring, and slicing an apple, children can place the apple slices on a microwave- safe plate. Dollop the apples with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon before placing the plate in the microwave. Heat for approximately forty seconds or until just warm. The soft, sweet apples will have everyone hungry for this easy snack.

7. Nature Hike: If you live near a forest, large park, or any other secluded area that provides hiking terrain easy enough for little feet to maneuver, take your children out to enjoy the scenes of a fall day. Point out interesting plants, animals, and flowers. Tiny objects like lady bugs or spider webs can fascinate a child while reminding adults to stop and notice the little things.

8. Vegetable Animals: Everyone’s heard of carving pumpkins, but have you ever thought of dressing up a squash, potato, or head of cabbage? Use common supplies you have around the house—markers, old socks, glitter, egg cartons, etc., to make a vegetable come alive. Decorate these veggies in themes, or just make them look silly and see what creative designs everyone comes up with.

9. Autumn Picnic: Squeeze in one last family picnic before the weather makes it impossible! Get creative and turn the normal afternoon lunch excursion into an exciting early morning trip to the park before school to eat breakfast on a blanket—hot chocolate, and warmed bagels go great with a beautiful autumn morning sunrise.

10. Dog Walking: Looking for a great way to encourage your kids to make some money and exercise in their free time? Have them go around the neighborhood to ask if anyone needs a dog walker. Now that the weather is turning cold, many people are anxious to find someone to take their dog out.

Whether choosing these ideas or creating your own, be sure to enjoy the beauty and special season that fall is. It’s a great time to teach and encourage children about the world around them.

 I always look for books that will capture my son’s attention and  Bible Stories for Preschoolers by Monika Kustra did exactly that. Ths book was such a pleasant read and Franco enjoyed it so much. Bible Stories for Preschoolers will definitely be a favorite among reading time in our household.

 With 49 Bible stories fully detailed in bright, vibrant colored illustrations done by Andrzej Chalecki, Franco concentrated on the pictures while his Dad read the stories.  The stories themselves were not short as other children books but related important lessons within about 6-7 per each story. The stories were also interactive, which I really loved. The author includes interactions in the text such as, “Close your eyes. Now, what do you see? You don’t see anything, do you? Everything is dark.” Franco would quickly cover his eyes wth his little hands and giggle. 

 Another interactive part of this book was the 2-page Family Time section at the end of each story. Within ‘Family Time’ there are three sections: talk, remember and do. Talk includes about 5 questions to make sure that the children understood the story. Franco is too young for reading comprehension but my 7 year-old-niece Juju, really enjoyed this part of the book.  The remembersection includes a take-away verse from the story you just read. I loved this part as it helps with remebering scripture. With the Do section, we all got together to do “stuff”. When my niece and nephew comes to visit, they now ask to read the Bible-game book.  We all enjoyed this part of the book the most. It gave us the opportunity to get together to do things or eat things related to the stories we have read. 

This children’s bible just rocks and I recommended it to every child that simply wants to know about the bible and God !

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Media in exchange for my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.

After some long thinking, I have decided to remove the Writer’s Club from Mom’s Tree House. Since, going back to school  have found less and less time to concentrate on this aspect of my blog. I will however will continue to feature other blogs within my Penthouse and VIP portion of Mom’s Tree House. I will also continue to review books and products.   Along with these features,  I will also continue to write, sharing all that goes on in my crazy life, with you, my devoted readers.

I do want to thank all for those that participated in the Writer’s Club.  I have come across some great blogs and a group of creative women true to their writing. So, thank you.

I look forward to continue reading your blogs and please continue to visit me.  I do love the company.

I hope you enjoy this week’s prompts and please feel free to email me some of your own prompts as to include them in. I want your ideas and feedback. Just remember, just have fun with it and express yourself freely. Keep encouraging the word experience through your writing. I can’t wait to read and comment on your entries!

If you’re passing by for the first time and don’t know what the Writing Club is then, just click here. Hope you’ll join in on the fun.

This week’s prompts were-

#1 Things that have changed, things that have not.

#2 A camping trip ….

#3 Somethng you wish you could do over.

#4 A Halloween treat recipe.

So writer’s, if you’re participating today then please leave your linky below;

Lately, I have been on motivational overdrive to get things done.  I don’t know nor  can’t explain why I have this sudden urgency to  do things  I have been putting off for so long. The only reason I came up with, is that the year is quickly coming to an end and somehow all the pieces of me have to come together  as to embark on my own  journey of things left undone, for just me.

The other night I dreamt I was in a college classroom, participating in a discussion. I woke up feeling uneasy and with a sense of failure.  Seven years has passed, and I still have not made it back to school. I told myself  that  I would go all the way, told myself that when the time was right,  I would go back for my Master’s. That time however, never came.

For the next two days,  I slumped around the house  feeling hazy and defeated.  One night, my husband watched TV while the baby played in his room, not wanting to go to bed.  I sat  in the kitchen thinking, just thinking.   As mothers and wives, we sometimes let go of who we are and on what may be important to us.   Instead, we pass our lives working to make ends meet, we make sure the baby is up to date with his shots, we make sure dinner is ready on time, we make sure to bake cookies for bake sales, we are supportive when our husbands had a bad day at work and we even forget to schedule time for things we like to to do because somehow, our time is no longer our own.   So, as I sat in my kitchen,  just thinking, and I finally  said, “shit, why not?”

That night I stayed up on the computer researching online schools and degrees. After much reseach  signed up to obtain my Master’s in Public Administration.  I start class in two weeks and now beginning to feel nervous. Can I really do this? What happens if  I fail? Okay,  I snap out out of it! There are many pieces of me, that makes up, “me”. So, just as I juggle being a mom, a wife and an employee,  I will now  add “student” to list of “me”.  

I’m going to to do this and simply for me. This is something  I wanted, peices of me left undone, but not for long. The pieces one day will come together and I will become complete.