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I have these thoughts and visions.  But I also have a son that is 4 years old; and no longer naps. (I have to admit, I miss nap time!) I also have a son that is an only child.  I have a son that demands my energy and attention almost 12 hours a day; 7 days a week.

I also haven’t figured out how to do that Mary Poppins snap thing in order to clean my house.

Add the fact that I thought it would be a great idea to start a blog and “work from home”.

I want to treasure this age and spend as much quality time as possible with my son.

But life still holds responsibilites and there is only so much Candy Land I can play.

Balance is needed for both of us.

Finding a balance and creating structure in our day has become a huge priority to me.  These are the ways that I have found help our family create a healthy balance between tech-time and old-fashioned play time.

1. Invest in an Amazon Fire Kids Tablet

About 6 months ago, after lots of research, my husband found a possible solution in the Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablet.

As someone who was “anti-tablet”, I can honestly say I am more than pleased with this purchase.

I love how the Amazon Fire for Kids has a clock to set how long our son can use it each day. I never have to say, “okay, time is up”.  The “man” just shows up and he just tells me, “I was in the middle of ___ and bam, the man showed up”!  And that’s it.  No crying.  No asking for more time.  No discussion.  It is awesome!  And I love it because I get an hour of time where I am uninterrupted.

I love that it has a kid proof case.  I love that Amazon will replace it if somehow it still breaks – no questions asked.

I love how I can use the setting to control how he uses the tablet.  If I want him to play some learning games before he watches a show – I can program that!

Added bonus: it is 4 times cheaper than an Ipad mini!

2. Create a Picture Schedule

This was an idea given to me by our son’s pre-school teacher.  It really helped us have a great summer.  Xavier tends to not want to play independently.  Creating a picture schedule helped him see the plan for the day and understand that sometimes we play together, other times Mommy has to work or clean, and other times are for eating or going outside.

I literally walked around taking pictures of different things that we would do throughout the day and then taped them to construction paper.

This helped both my pre-schooler – and me – to stay on task!

Quiet time was on the picture schedule, so our son knew exactly when he could play with his Kindle Tablet

3. Get out of the House!

I can not relax in my house.  I just see more things to add to the “to do” list.  So getting out of the house is a great way for me to get a break and give my son more attention.

Sometimes getting out of the house is strictly for fun.  We go on nature hikes, to the playground, to story time or swim lessons.  Once a month we go to a mom’s club meeting where I get to talk and pray with other moms, and there are other children and toys that make it fun for my son.

Sometimes we have to run errands.  No matter what, it’s great bonding time!

4. Embrace Your Child’s Desire to “Help”

Doing the dishes is really playing with the water in the sink.  I’ll take it over watching another show.  Watering the plants is a fun chore.

Baking is so much fun for our son – and I love eating what we make! I let him push the vacuum.  I let him wipe the baseboards.

I still have not convinced him how much fun it is to match socks – so you have any tips with that one – please help!

5. Let them Watch that Show

Once in awhile, it is perfectly okay if he watches t.v. (I keep telling myself this)!

We, like many people, have Amazon Prime.  We invested in the Amazon Fire Stick.  So, those times where he wants to watch a show or two, there is always something educational and kid friendly he can watch.  Fireman Sam is a huge favorite.  Daniel Tiger is another.

My son could identify every letter of the alphabet by the time he was 3 (thank you Super Why!).  There is plenty of quality, positive and educational shows that are available.

I definitely recommend the Amazon Fire Stick.  So many movies and shows are free with Amazon Prime – having the fire stick helps us get more for our money.

What are some suggestions you have to keeping a healthy balance between tech-time and play time?  Please share!

The post Five Ways To Balance Tech Time and Play Time appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

I heard this question come from the back seat as I was driving this afternoon. My four-year-old, Xavier, has a lot of questions lately.  I have to admit, I often don’t have the answers.  He asks me how things are made and who made (insert random synthetic object).  But this one,  this one I thought -I kinda know this one . . . so I attempted a response.

After a litany of follow-up “why” questions to each of my answers that tried to simplify how we need water to live, I finally answered – “because that’s the way God created the world”.

Xavier then asked,

“Why did God create the world?”

“Because He loves us”, I responded.

Then, instead of asking why God loves us, or any “why”question, he asked:

Does God have a magic wand?

I was silent for almost a minute as I thought of his question.

Finally, I said, “I don’t know”.

I am pretty sure anyone who has taken a theology class might argue that I should have said no.  But, he’s four . . . and God is a mystery.

And in my life, God has done a lot of “magic”.

Recently I have been taken back with awe and gratitude with how God, who has given us free will, still seems to find a way to help us be in the right place at the right time.

If you are a parent, I am sure you vividly remember your child’s birth.  In most cases, you were there!

As an adoptive momma, my story is unique.  My son’s story is unique.  And honestly, how much I tell of it is a question to me.  Adopted children have a right to know their stories before others.  So, out of respect for my son, and his first parents, I will be leaving out many details.  However, I’d like to share a glimpse of our story with you.  Through my eyes at least, it shows how even though we have free will, we are also right where God wants us to be.

I, nor my husband, were present at our son’s birth.  Very few people knew we were “matched” (in the adoption world matched is the equivalent to “expecting”).  We had kept it a secret because in the 3 months before we had been “matched”three other times and those situations were just not meant to be.  Getting excited, telling people, then plans change, your heart hurts . . . and you have to tell people . . . That gets exhausting.  So this one- this one we kept a secret.

Our son’s first parents chose us and we met.  But anyone who has experienced adoption knows, the adoption placement decision does not come easily or lightly.  We were told what hospital our son’s biological mother had planned to deliver . . . and what hospital was the back up plan if they felt they needed to get to one quickly.

The night our son was born, he was not born in either of those mentioned hospitals.  We found out days later; and eventually were told that the biological parents changed their minds about adoption.

My husband and I wept.  This was the fourth time this had happened to us, but this was the first time we cried in each other’s arms about it.  We were confused.  We really thought this child was meant to be our child.  But adoption is unique, and this is part of the expectation on the journey.

Then, in an unexpected chain of events – we were called almost three weeks later.  Our son’s first parents changed their minds again, and wanted to know if we were still interested in adopting their baby.  The adoption agency told us the baby was “very sick” but because of privacy laws, they couldn’t tell us anything else.  We had to base our decision on faith.

I wanted to say yes without even talking to my husband. . . but I knew that’s not how it works.  My husband was scared.  He was afraid of “losing him again”.  He didn’t think his heart could handle it if the baby’s sickness was fatal.

Then, like a light bulb turning on above my head, I remembered that the one NICU nurse I know, works at the hospital this baby was born.  I had not really talked to her in over a decade, but through Facebook we had reconnected.  I sent her an inbox asking her if she could send me her phone number.  I gave her mine.

She called me and I said, I know the chances are slim . . . but . .. and I went on the explain our situation, and asked her if she had any idea what baby I was talking about.  It had been almost 3 weeks . . .

My friend paused, and then said, “I know exactly who you are talking about, I admitted him.”  She then went on about his health, but also about what a sweet baby boy he was and how we would make the greatest parents for him.  She couldn’t promise a clean bill of health, but her love for this baby compelled her to encourage us to love him too.

In the whole world I knew one NICU nurse . . . a friend from my childhood . . . and a former classmate of my husband’s.

We couldn’t be there to hold our son the night he was born . . . so God guided some guardian angels and made sure someone who knew us was there holding him.

That’s God’s Magic.

So, I guess the next time Xavier asks if God has a magic wand, I might just say no, but He does have a magic heart.  “Magic” because His heart loves in way we can not fully comprehend or understand.  “Magic” in the sense it causes us to stand back in awe.

Our son’s birthmother chose to go to a hospital that had not even been mentioned as a back up birth place.  The doctors she had been seeing through the agency – who had been taking her to appointments – were not affiliated with the hospital in which she gave birth.

Our old friend was working that night, and our son’s birth led him to need placement in the NICU. She was there to hold him and care for him when I wasn’t.  She was able to tell me about the night my son was born.

We have all the hospital documents from that night . . . but what a wonderful gift it is to have someone we know tell us how she cared for him on the date of his birth.

What a gift . . . God’s “magic”.

The post Does God Have a Magic Wand? appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

“Put that back” . . . I said it last night at Kohl’s and I am saying it more and more as my son and I go into stores.

This time it was a Clifford stuffed animal.

I couldn’t keep the smile in my heart from appearing on my face though.

Ya see . . . I loved Clifford when I was a child, and I get so happy when I see my son liking something I liked when I was younger.  I love how it makes me feel like a kid again.

Although I can’t offer you a drink from the fountain of youth, I can recommend some things that really do make you feel decades younger!

Here our the toys and books that allow my husband to be young again!

Clifford Books

Clifford’s Bedtime Stories

Star Wars Little Golden Books

This is a double whammy for my husband and I!  I think one of my earliest memories was my mom reading me a Little Golden Book about becoming a big sister.  I was only 3 years old when my mom was expecting my younger brother!  And, well, there is no bigger fan of Star Wars than my husband.  Although I am sure his excitement is definitely shared with many dads in our age group!  Just last night Matt read “Revenge of the Sith” and our son absolutely loved when he imitated Darth Vader’s voice.  What an awesome bonding experience for both of them!

Uncle Wiggly Stories

I remember my dad reading Uncle Wiggly to us from an old brown book; I think it might have been his as a child!

UNO the Card Game

I have to admit, this is my favorite game to play with my son!  We play Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, but I really love playing Uno with him.  And he totally wins sometimes!

The Original Slinky

This was my son’s favorite toy at Christmas!  Picture several generations gathered around our steps trying to make it go down half a flight at least!!!

I hope this brought you back in time and made you smile!  If you are in a rut, try playing one of these games or reading one of these stories!  Enjoy feeling like a kid again – I know I do!!!

God Bless and have a wonderful day!! xoxo

The post Going Back In Time: Being a Kid with Our Kid appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

1. Go to Adoration – I made it there once, and when I arrived Jesus wasn’t exposed in the monstrance!  I called the rectory and my pastor answered.  I exclaimed calmly that I “couldn’t find Jesus!”  Father Connors explained that since it was a national holiday, he left Jesus in the tabernacle, since often those days many people do not come to adoration.  Thankfully I got there . . . and found Jesus!
2. Make “Playtime with Xavier” the first thing on my to do list every day – I did “okay” with this one.  Many times I didn’t have structured play first thing in the morning, but often I found myself stopping what I was doing and playing with him – even if it was for a short amount of time.  This still needs improvement.  I feel way to distracted most days.
3. Make healthier choices – Epic fail.  Really.  Any advice or encouragement is this department is most welcome.
4. Go on at least one date with my husband – Just in under the wire – we went on a date January 30th!  It was awesome, and I plan to write a whole post on it.  We went wine tasting and out to dinner.  To those who live in or around PA or NJ, I highly recommend Old York Cellars!  I’ll talk more about this date in my next post!

Now, I’m moving on with February!  It’s funny, because I have been seeing a lot of this meme going around . . .

So, if you shared this, or think, “yep, that’s true!”.- join me!  Make a few month resolutions – and share them so we can hold each other somewhat accountable!  Let’s all make some little improvements and accomplish some big goals!  If not now, when?

LET’S DO IT!

In February, I am going to:

1. Get to adoration – at LEAST twice!
2. Spend more time in the evening looking at the faces of my family members, and less time looking at a screen!
3. Eat healthier foods, and exercise.  Even if it’s just going for a walk.
4. Get out on another date with the hubby.
5. Spend more time playing with my son – and teach him at least one new game.

Will you join me?  Will you share some goals you have for this month?  Will you tell me what I can eat that’s healthy, but looks and taste like a cookie?

The post Taking 2016 One Month at a Time: February Resolutions appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.