How I Taught My Child Multiplication

Chloe entered third grade this last fall and I knew this was the year they would start learning multiplication. I wanted her to know her multiplication tables before they started learning them in class for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted whatever she learned at school to be extra practice and two, I thought if the tricks I taught her didn't work, she would surely learn different ones at school. When Nash was in third grade he attended an amazing charter school. I remember that his teacher used stories and pictures to help the kids remember the facts. I had no idea what lesson she used, so I began Googling.

I found Multiplication.com 

I purchased the book, Multiplication In A Flash.

It's actually on sale right now for $21.95.  

The book starts with several schedules. You can choose one to fit your needs and desired pace. I picked the 3 day schedule. When it was time, Chloe and I would sit down at the table with a white board, our printouts, and some m&m's for motivation! I would talk her through the short lesson and whatever else.  I used the whiteboard during the lesson, then she got to use it, to show me what I just explained. The book walks you through everything and it is VERY EASY to follow.

The best part about the book is that it has different teaching approaches for each kind of learner. It teaches with funny stories that are easy to remember, pictures that tell the story, games, and cookie graphs.

Here are a few snapshots from the book:

Teacher Gift Idea

See the eight and skate picture below? I printed that and all the others like it off onto white cardstock. I printed the story that goes with it on the back. Then, I had Chloe color the photo. We did this on a few cards each week. When they were all done and we completed the book, I had them lamenated. We gave the cards and the book to Chloe's teacher.

At times, we struggled to start the lessons, but we got through it. The m&m's helped. So did the bribe. I promised Chloe that after she was done with the lessons, I would get her the Marbleworks toy from Discovery Toys. I'm so happy I took the time to do this with her. It definitely gave her an edge. She never had any trouble when she did multiplication in class. In fact, she was the best in the class, scoring 100% on every timed test before any of the other children. Aren't those bragging mom's so annoying?

*I was not asked to write a review for this product, nor did I receive any compensation.

I'm just sharing something with you that I really loved!

Another Weekend For The Record Books {Personal Reflection}

Well, there weren't actually any records set this weekend, but it was a weekend worth recording. We've had three great weekends in row this much which is saying a lot. There have been weekends where we just can't figure out something fun to do for the life of us? Does that ever happen to you? Besides hubs and I's {wait, is I's correct grammer, doubtful} permanent standing date-night, it helps that Chloe has games on Saturday's because that is a pre-set family activity that gets us outside and we all thoroughly enjoy watching her play. This Saturday after Chloe's game me and the kids went to lunch with my Aunt and my cousin. Remember the one that I hadn't spoken to in a long time and we recently re-connected? Yep, we all went to lunch and it was sooooo nice. Perfect actually. I'm glad she was available to go, it was great to spend time with her in that setting. She also was rooting Chloe on at her game. Chloe received her second game ball. She had an incredible hit that was almost out of the field. She also made a few outs at first.

After lunch we went home for siesta. Then, that evening, Chloe had a friend sleep over, which these days is a rare occasion. The little girl had never been over before, but she was so sweet and easy! Chloe was very happy. Sunday morning her friend was picked up shortly after breakfast. Later, we took the kids to Belmont Park. Belmont Park is small amusement park, with maybe 12 rides, located right by the bay/ocean in San Diego. For $27 per child they get a bracelet that allows them to ride all the rides as many times as they want. It's a great deal. It's also great that Chloe and Nash are big enough to go on all the rides by themselves. Me and hubs just got to watch, although my stomach drops just seeing them on the rides like this very old roller coaster.

Giant Dipper @ Belmont Park, San Diego, Ca.

Photo from Joyrides.com

Teacher Appreciation Week Schedule of Events

If you have kids in school you will be celebrating their teachers sometime this month for {TAW} Teacher Appreciation Week. I adore Chloe's teacher and she has had such a difficult year I really want to make next week special for her. In my opinion she deserves so much more than anything I can prepare, but I hope the children's effort will have an impact. I'm the room mom, so the responsibility falls on me.

I have been working all day on planning out each day for her next week. Monday, I'll decorate her door with cute notes from her students. I will pre-print some cardstock that I will cut with a large scallop punch, with something like "Mrs. Jacob's is special because....". I'll be sending them home later this week for the kids to fill in the blank and return Monday morning. Tuesday each student brings in a single flower to form a bouquet, Wednesday they will each bring in a piece of candy, Thursday a piece of fruit and Friday a picture or hand-written letter. In addition to coordinating gift giving for the whole class, Chloe and I have a few special gifts to give her as well, like bringing her lunch, a Barnes and Noble giftcard, and the note card holder below.

There are so many fabulous gift ideas floating around Blog Land. I've picked two that suit my needs. I was asked to make cupcakes for the teacher luncheon and I have decided on these from Apple Caramel  Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream from Tidy Mom.



I also chose this super simple and cute handmade note holder from Domesticated Lady. She has lots of great ideas for TAW, so I would encourage you to stop by her blog if you need some inspiration.

Giverslog is also a great blog to visit anytime you are in need of gift ideas. That's what her blog is all about, after all!

As if TAW didn't keep me busy enough, I also have FOUR custom baking orders this week. That would be a record for me. Maybe next time I learn how to say NO, there's a thought. But, I do like a challenge and I will get some good photos for the portfolio. I'm sure I'll be posting the photos next week.

Separately, I have to mention that Chloe got the game ball at one of her games last week. It's pretty cool that not only is she the only girl on the team, but she plays really important positions like first base and pitcher. Oh, and she's a power hitter too! Her game ball was well deserved, but she also had a really incredible game this Saturday, maybe her best ever. I'm so proud of her. I'm always hearing other parents talk about what a great player she is. On Saturday even parents and kids from the opposing team were complimenting her play. Parents always ask me where she gets her talent, she gets it from me of course! That might be a stretch. Either way, it's a real thrill to watch her!

I'm Back!

I'm back, but still just as busy as ever. Only four more days until spring break! I can't wait! Well, this past weekend, Friday, April Fool's Day was my cousin's wedding. You remember, the one Chloe was a flower girl in. We had such a fabulous time. It was the best wedding I have EVER been to. The bride and groom did such an amazing job planning everything. Her colors were beautiful. It was perfect for spring with hot pink, Tiffany blue, and orange. Chloe did perfect! The day after the wedding she said she wanted to be a flower girl again, and we thought about who we know who may get married next. It was so great hanging out with all the family who had flown in. We spent the whole weekend hanging out and when Monday came around I had quite a socializing hangover!

Here is a picture of the bride, flower girls, and ring bearer's in their Converse! Remember how I said Chloe wanted to change her dress at the reception?

She changed into the black and white one on the left.

Here's Chloe on the right holding her petal basket up to her chest.

I was able to get her attention and told her to hold it down in front of her.

I'll be back soon to share some ideas I have on how we are going to spend our two-week vacation. And please know that just because I haven't been commenting on your blogs, I have been reading them on my phone whenever I can! But I do miss chatting with some of my favorite gals! You know who you are :)

Dress To Impress

Just a quick note to let you know that I am completely swamped with to-do's while trying to get ready for this wedding tomorrow. Things should calm down next week and I will be back to posting next Tuesday. I did want to share a little talk I had with Chloe and Nash last night.

We attended the rehearsal dinner last night for Ian and Kate's wedding. I wore a spring dress, cardigan, and wedge sandals. Chloe wore a casual dress with leggings, which is out of the norm from her regular t-shirt and jeans. Nash wore dark jeans and a collared button down shirt. Dad wore jeans and a long sleeve button down. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, on the drive there, Chloe asked if her cousins would be dressed up, or if anyone else would be. I said probably not because it was at my cousins house, BUT that it didn't matter in this case what everyone else was doing. The soon-to-be bride and groom requested us to look business casual.

I preceded to explain that it was a sign of respect to Ian and Kate and ourselves to take the time to make ourselves look nice. I told them that not everyone may feel that way and that it may not even occur to other people, but our family was going to observe this theory. With all the work everyone put into to make the dinner happen, the least we could do was invest some time in making ourselves look presentable. I said I didn't think they would appreciate us in all their rehearsal dinner photos in scrubby clothes! They agreed and I think they had a bit of pride in themselves.

I would never consider leaving the house in my pajamas, without make-up, or without my hair brushed. Again this is just a personal issue I have, but I honestly feel better, when I feel I look "put-together." Chloe opened up dialogue and I took advantage of a teaching moment with them. I look for those opportunities with them all the time. We often have important conversations and I'm proud to say they have a very open and honest relationship with me. I think they feel comfortable talking to me about anything. That makes me very happy!

Happy Bday Chloe {Cupcakes & Favors}

Happy 9th Birthday Chloe!
Dear Chloe,
I'm so proud to be your mom! You are smart and sweet. You are the comedian and the athlete in the family. Today we watched you, the only girl on your team, knock ball after ball past all those boys in little league. You never missed. Every game everyone is amazed at how well you play. I'm not amazed or surprised. You have so much determination. Every time your up to bat, and that ball goes flying, I hear parents from the other team say "Wow!" You made some awesome plays at first too. Today you chose to go to Benihana's for your birthday dinner and tomorrow we will be having your party at the ice skating rink. Here are the favors we will be giving out tomorrow, who doesn't love a GIANT rainbow lollipop? You asked for these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough filled cupcakes for me to give to your baseball team for snack. And you also asked me to make Brownie Popsicles which I will make later tonight. Hope your birthday is as great as you hoped. I love you.
Love, Mom

These party favor tags were created by Jen @ Mommies Ink, who I found on Etsy. They originally had a roller skate on them. She responded to email request within minutes, resized the image per my request, swapped out the skate and the name, and had them delivered to my email that night. That is some awesome, super fast service! I used a 3 1/2 inch scallop punch.

Chloe loves cookie dough and I had this recipe from Kevin and Amanda. She has the complete recipe and tutorial so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here. You can go to her blog for all the info. I had a love-hate relationship with these cupcakes. The cupcakes themselves are pretty plain, which Amanda notes. So, next time I would use a yellow cake. Also,  no one in my house really like this frosting. Cookie dough's main flavor components are butter, brown sugar, and vanilla, and that is what this frosting is made of. It was way to sweet for us. I don't have an alternative yet, so I'll take your ideas. Finally, when you plop on the frozen cookie dough balls, DO NOT press them down. Yes, I learned this the hard way. But, it is important that you just light press them on top of the batter. The batter will bake over them, I promise. If you press them down you will have half a crispy cookie at the bottom of your cupcake. Also, the middle of the cupcakes will sink in slightly when you remove them from the oven. Even though I really wanted to toss these at one point, I kept them and the kids on her team loved them, and I got a cupcake order out of it!

I have transferred Amanda's Recipe onto a word document, which includes some of her photos. Please email me if you would like me to send you a copy. The Cupcake Doctor also has a recipe for Cookie Dough Cupcakes which might be of interest.

Brag Session: Nash and Chloe {personal reflection}

Nash and a group of his classmates participated in Constitutional Competition at one of our local colleges. Many schools were invited. They presented answers to school board members, lawyers, teaches, congress members, etc. It was fascinating to watch these eighth graders explain the constitution. They presented different opinions and ideas and backed them up with court cases and laws. They wore suits and they sat up straight. They introduced themselves with firm handshakes, polite smiles, and eye contact. They spoke with confidence and articulated their thoughts clearly. I know many adults that couldn't answer the questions they were asked. I know many adults who can't explain the Constitution like they did, myself included. I was very impressed, and I'm glad I got to witness our future generation in action. I'm proud of you Nash! And no, his group didn't win. But he was kind of relieved, I think.

Nash and Chloe both tried out for Little League last weekend and they will both be moving up a level this year. This will be Nash's last year playing, as he starts high school next year, and it will be MUCH more competitive. So, just another month and we will be eating, sleeping, and breathing baseball again! I hope that means more radio and television appearances for Nash too. That will help any internship he may apply for in highschool.

Chloe agreed to wear ANOTHER dress for an event we are attending on the east coast in a couple of weeks. The girl hasn't worn a dress in years, and she didn't even put up a fight. Don't tell her I told you, but it seemed she was a little excited. We rushed right out to pick the dress. She tried on several and she was twirling around in the dressing room. She said, "You know, it feels kinda nice to wear a dress!" OH BLESS HER HEART! She got TWO dresses! She did say she wasn't wearing them out in public. By public she means, not to school or around our town. What would the boys think?

Nash is on track to get straight A's. He's in honors classes too. He sure has come a long way since elementary school when he got C's in some subjects! That's another story. I'm actively looking at high schools for him, which is hard to do, because I still don't know if we are moving or not, and where to if we do!

Chloe finished the first Harry Potter and took an A.R. test on it and passed. She's now 1/2 way through the second book. Nash didn't read that series until he was in 5th grade. It was good he waited though because that year when he was promoted he received an award for the most AR points in the whole school. Chloe does have the most in her class, but nowhere near what he had.

Do you ever cry during the back stories on AI?

I do....all the time!

Chloe and Nash and I have been watching American Idol. Chloe hopes to someday tryout for America's Got Talent or AI, but mostly for playing piano, not singing. She is now in her 4th consecutive year of lessons. She started in kindergarten. She actually taught herself how to play Beethoven's Fur Elise! We've had our battles and she's wanted to quit a lot. I know she will thank me when she's older. And she'll always have something to fall back on. Maybe she give piano lessons to little kids when she's in college instead of waitressing. We pushed through, even getting her a new teacher this year. She's much happier with the new teacher. It melts my heart when she plays and now she plays on her her own without any push from me.

I love being a mom, and I especially love being a mom to Nash and Chloe. I feel so lucky to have such wonderfully healthy, happy, smart, and well adjusted kids. I NEVER take it for granted. I truly believe everyday is a gift. Everyday that they still live it home and I get the honor of taking care of them, teaching them, and raising them is like Christmas morning for me. I love you kiddos!

How I Got My Kids To Eat Everything {6 Rules}

Liver, cow tongue, mushrooms, menudo, salsa, beans, escargot, sushi, quail eggs, salad, brussle sprouts, lamb, the list goes on and on. Nash (13) is older and more adventurous than  Chloe, his 8 year old sister, but they are both super eaters. It wasn't always so easy to get them to eat what I wanted them to.

This morning Dr. Oz called into one of our local radio stations for an interview. He said that what you eat while your pregnant will influence how your children eat once their out of the womb. Hmmm, I guess it makes sense. He mentioned that the food you eat makes their way to them via the amniotic fluid through the umbilicol cord. He was much clearer explaining it than I am. When I was pregnant with Nash I craved Rubio's Fish Tacos, and I ate a lot of Cheerios due to morning sickness. It seemed to be the only thing that stayed down. With Chloe I ate rolled taquitos with guacamole. I don't think any of that transmitted to what they wanted to eat later.

I think that taste buds evolve. I think that babies and children's taste buds are more sensitive. Of course Nash lived off of quesadillas and dino chicken for what seemed like forever. And Chloe is still perfectly content with a big bowl of plain noodles.

I eventually learned a few rules that helped them transition into more adventurous eaters. I would definitely try to avoid introducing nutritionless foods and bad habits in the first place, but in my case I was young mother who had no idea what she was doing and no Internet, and no one to ask for advice! So, later I had some serious undoing to do.

6 Rules To Get Your Kids To Eat Better

1. They must try everything. They must try it every time it is served. Sources say that you must introduce a food many times before they will be willing, like 20! Of course, if they are gagging maybe pass. You don't want to traumatize them. And some things they will never like. But you can't serve them broccoli 3 times and then give up on them. And don't overly season things. Maybe trying serving veggies with cheese sauce or dressing at first.

2. If they are hungry they will eat. Hmm, your child doesn't want to eat his dinner? How about skipping the afternoon snack, glass of juice, and cup of milk before dinner. Maybe move dinner a little earlier so the little guy or gal doesn't have a meltdown.
3. Never serve milk with dinner. Have you ever sucked down an entire glass of milk before dinner? If your trying to eat smaller portions try it. You'll be full before you even pick up your fork. Same goes with little Johnny. Serve water with dinner.
4. Eat the number of bites that you are years. So if little Sally is 2, she needs to take 2 bites of broccoli, 2 bites of fish, and 2 bites of salad, before she can be excused, or before she can eat all of her mac and cheese that she loves so much. When she turns 3, she moves up to 3 bites. At 10, she'll eat, you guessed it, 10 bites.
5. Skip most casseroles and salad dressings. Every kid I ever met has issues with casseroles unless it's the above stated mac and cheese. For whatever reason, kids seem to like their food separated. They don't like dressing on salad either. The only dressing most kids like is ranch, in my experience.
6. Let them have a say. Now, in my opinion it's never been a good idea to say something like, "What do you want for dinner tonight?" Or, "What do you want to do today?" Ask that and you may get answers like, ice cream and Disneyland. However, you can still give them choices which will help them feel like they are a part of the process. Do you want super vision carrots or giant muscles spinach with dinner? And for goodness sake, don't ask them if they want salad, just serve it to them! You're the boss, remember?

Now implementing these rules won't change your child's eating habits overnight. These things take time. It took years before my kids willingly opened themselves up to trying new foods. Now it's exciting for them. When we went to San Fransisco this  last fall, we took the kids to a fancy restaurant. Nash had been dying to try Escargot, so I ordered him an appetizer plate. He and Chloe ate the whole thing while me and hubby sat and watched horrified! Anyway, you're not a short order cook. You do enough, you shouldn't have to cook separate meals. Strong Statement Alert: If you have picky eaters, it's because you've allowed it. Even still Chloe complains about eating her veggies, but she always does, with the exception of onions. I don't force her to eat those. Nash still doesn't eat tomatoes. And that's okay, I don't expect them to like everything, that's unrealistic.

Please forgive me if I have offended anyone. These are solely my opinions and ideas. I'm NOT a physician or psychologist, I'm just a mom. These rules worked for my kids and I think they can work for you. It won't be easy, you must dilligent. And if not...there's still hope. How many adults do you know who only eat chicken nuggets and applesauce? I'm willing to bet, NONE.

Need recipe ideas and meal plans. Buy Saving Dinner. It taught me everything I needed to know about serving healthy dinners. I actually prefer the recipes in Saving Dinner The Low-Carb Way.

Do you have any good tips to

share to get kids to eat better?

Say Yes To The Dress!

In case you were wondering, she said yes! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, allow me to recap:
My daughter, Chloe, 8 years old, tomboy.
Was asked to be a flowergirl in my cousins wedding.
Uh-oh. Dilemna. Chloe hasn't worn a dress since first grade.
Hmmm. After some talking, and thinking, and contemplating, she said YES.

Here's how it went down. They asked, and said she could think about it. They told her she didn't have to do it, they had a back-up if she said no, but that she was their first choice. They also told her the dress will either be blue (good) or pink (bad) AND...that she got to wear converse with the dress! How cute! Also, she was told that she could change for the reception, which she liked.

I had my talks with Chloe about this as well. I didn't want to pressure her to say yes, but I wanted her to be really confident in whatever decision she made. Of course I wanted her to do it, but not to the point where she would be unhappy about it. So, I told her that it was a really great opputunity and it was honor that they asked her. I told her she's getting older and may not have the chance again. I told her how she would remember this for her whole life. On the other hand I reminded her that if she chose to do it, she would have to wear the dress, have pretty hair, and  NOT COMPLAIN. I said, "This really is not about you after all. It's Kate and Ian's special day, and it's your job to help make that happen." I was quite surprised that she said yes, but I am happy that she did. The wedding is on April Fool's Day....I know, right? I'll be sure and let you know how it goes.

I'm hoping this will be the turning point from my tomboy back to my little princess. I won't hold my breath though, and I'm sure the dresses and cute girly clothes will come when she's old enough to want to go to the mall on her own...great. Until then, I'll be happy with her wanting to just be one of the boys instead of wanting to impress them :)

I do feel like she is coming around. This morning she wore the shirt with the sparkley heart without TOO much protest, and we paired it with really cute gray boots from Old Navy. She was super sassy and stylish. If only she would let me do something with that hair! I pick my battles wisely though, so I'll shut up now!

Fun With PicNik Photo Editing

Chloe and I sporadically took some photos the other day. We took advantage of a spectacular cloud formation and bright blue sky. She's 8 and she's been taking pictures for a couple years now. (You can see her New York photos here.) She has her own camera, and it cracks me up to see of the things she takes pictures of. I'll download it to find tons of pictures of her dolls, herself making funny faces, and butts. She's always capturing photos of my butt which makes me particularly irritated. Glad they're so easy to delete :)

Anyway, here are some of the photos we took, you know I never post personal photos of myself or my kids, so you get these...no faces photos. I played with them a bit, just for fun. I love Picnik for editing photos. It is the easiest thing I have ever used! EVER. And so much fun. They have so many cool features in their free portfolio. However, after trying it out for several months, I upgraded to a premium membership for even more fun tools. Free tools include awesome fun fonts, editing, effects, touch up tools, frames, and stickers. All the photos I post on this blog, are edited in Picnik, that is if they are edited at all. Oh! They even have some collage and scrapbook tools!

Shown below is a simple two framed collage box. But you can put many pictures into a collage, as I did in my CAKES and How To Bake A Professional Looking Layer Cake posts.

Here's an example of some different editing tools and effects. This first picture of the heart is the original. I only cropped her face out, but other than that I didn't make any changes.

The second photo is edited in Picnik.



I know you girls could get so much more creative than I did. This is just another thing I love, and wanted to share with you all. I hope you get a chance to try it out. And remember, this is not a sponsored post, mine never are :)

What's your favorite editing program?

What's your favorite effect or editing tool?

Coming this week:

How to make a wine bottle lamp tutorial, and how I organize my recipes and plan meals.
This post is linked to:

Pencil Toppers and Club Penguin

Christmas Gifts You Can Afford & Kids Will Love!

Perfect for a niece, nephew or distant cousin's kid!

Out with the old in with the new! Luckily I went through my 8 year olds toys this summer, so there's not really much to get rid of now, except for maybe Silly Bandz. Yep, incase you didn't get the memo, Silly Bandz are out and pencil toppers are in! And at 25 cents a piece, that's fine with me! We have been buying ours from our local Round Table Pizza, or Blockbuster Video. They sell them in those little machines. I also noticed they have them on Amazon too. Try googling sea mania pencil toppers, or jungle mania, and so on. There is also another brand called Squinkies, but we don't have any of those.

Another gift item on the 8 year old circuit is anything Club Penguin. Club Penguin is a Disney affiliated website with a role playing game involving a virtual world. After reading all of the information I feel pretty comfortable letting my daughter play and it is evident that child safety was an important focus in the development of the features of the game.

While they do offer some free play, the majority of fun is had through a monthly membership fee. I pay about $6 a month and I chose to have it automatically withdrawn. However, they sell Club Penguin gift cards at Target. These would make great stocking stuffers or gifts or could be great for incentives or even bribary. ;-) There are also all kinds of books, stuffed animals, trading cards, and toys that go along with it.

It's My Birthday...Crown

Today Is My Birthday!

Today is my birthday! A couple days ago Chloe made this crown for me. She even thought to include little sheets I could tear off each day for a countdown. When she presented it to me, she made it clear that I was to wear it all the time leading up to my birthday...."Even in public," she said. Was she kidding, I thought?

So on Sunday we all had to go out to pick up some supplies for a school project (and my wine ornaments) at Michael's. Being the mom I am, I happily adorned my birthday crown. Let's just say on a Sunday afternoon there were no shortage of shoppers. There were a lot of looks my way, a little girl who pointed and laughed, (no joke), and a past PTA president, with whom I had an entire conversation. I even stopped her to ask if she could take me seriously while I was wearing the crown. At the end of our chat, she tapped me on the arm, looked at me pathetically and said, "You're a good mom." Hmmm, I thought, I guess I am. But, really, I thought, how could anyone not honor a wish like that of their 8 year old daughter? It reminded me to have some childish fun while celebrating my birthday!

On the inside she wrote "If lost return to"....and my phone number.

While at Michael's Nash made a secret purchase for me, asking the store attendants their opinion on his idea. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it. I already feel like the luckiest person in the world. I have all of life's greatest gifts already.

Sometimes When You Lose You Win

"When you lose you win."- Chloe

Today we went to go support our team. Our support didn't carry them through for a win, but it was close. It was a great game. They didn't give up. Even though they lost, we didn't leave feeling as bad as we normally would have. I think it's because it was such a close game in the end. But, it was also mainly because we spent another quality day together. On the way home as we were talking about it, Chloe says very matter of factly,

"Well you know, when you lose you win."

I think what she meant to say is,  "You win some, you lose some." She is ALWAYS saying the funniest things, and she always uses that same tone. She exudes an air of confidence, and with good reason. Her comment, when you lose, you win...it really did apply. Yes, our team lost, so we lost, but really we won. We got to spend a great day together. And we got to discuss themes of some important lessons. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, don't give up, and of course, you win some and you lose some. Don't put all your eggs in one basket was used when discussing Nash putting a ton of Chargers players on his fantasy team.

Do you have any good sayings you share with your kids?

Or any funny things they said this weekend?

Check out my new post at http://www.fashionmomsrock.blogspot.com/

NYC Through Her Eyes

 New York City Through the Eyes

 of an 8-year Old

This summer my husband and I took our two children on a two-week east coast vacation.

We spent three night in NYC, seeing the sights.

After taking hundreds of photo's with my Nikon D5000, I forgot it in the Airport

bathroom on our way home.

We had photo's with family and friends in NYC, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

It was a devestating loss.

We spent two exhausting days in a desperate search for the camera's.

My husbands camera was also in the camera bag along with mine.

I hadn't downloaded or printed any of the photos from the camera's.

Luckily,

My 8 year-old daughter had taken her camera on the trip with us.

These are the photos SHE took.

We are so grateful, that she was able to capture some memories from our trip.

We were delighted with the beauty she saw and captured.

It was sad to have lost the camera's, to know that someone found it and chose not to return it. It gave us an uneasy feeling to know that some stranger was looking at us, at our photos. But...we found comfort in the fact that we DID have a perfect trip, and we all made it home safely.

I will cherish these photos my young daughter took forever. Actually, I'm considering making these photo's into postcards and using them as our Christmas Cards.

I now have 3 labels on my camera with reward information. Before it only had our phone number.

We gave our daughter a small pink digital camera for Christmas when she was 7.

She has given us a bigger gift.

Do you have a child who has taken an amazing or funny photo? Send them to me and if you "follow me" I will try and post it.

                                         

*The photos in this post are the property of Lilianna Grace

and cannot be used without permission.*