Unforgettable Childhood

Yesterday I had my first experience of being the mom of a kid that was bullied. I sent my little (8 year old) to softball practice. She is old enough this year that she practices with 8-12 year old girls. My oldest is a little athlete, but she is only 8. This is her first year out of t-ball into the “bigger” kids league.

She had her first practice of the summer and it was horrible. The softball field is across the street from my house so she went over on her bike. There was about 15 minutes left when she walked in the door. I could tell something was wrong. She burst into tears and said that a couple of girls were being mean to her.

She said she missed catching a couple of balls and they started saying stuff to her, and they wouldn’t drop it. Oh, my mama bear instinct came out. I kept myself from marching over there to give the girls and coaches a little piece of my mind. She calmed down and was fine, but I was still so mad.

I am a parent that believes that sports can really teach my children some valuable life lessons, if they are done correctly. Sports can give children the opportunity to build confidence and be healthy. I believe that some competition as children is good for them. However, I also believe that if they have bad experiences as young children with sports, it can ruin their experience with sports for life.

My hubby and I love going over to the ball field with our girls to throw the ball around and help them learn the game. I wanted to share a few pictures of our last trip over to the field.

The oldest gets a little bored waiting for her sisters to actually hit the ball. . .

The baby was mad because we were giving her older sisters a little too much attention. Oh well, she was still having fun.

Our middle girl is learning to hit the ball without the tee.

Well! We all survived the Party. Every year I let the girls celebrate a Kick Off to Summer Party. This year I did the party for both girls together. So. . .there were 22 girls in my backyard. (I don’t have a very big backyard). It was crazy, but it was a blast. We decided to do a camping theme this year. We didn’t get real fancy with the invites since we were having so many girls attend.

The girls wanted to help get ready for the party, but that lasted about 15 minutes and they were over it. Their contribution was the “No Boys Allowed (Except Dad)” Sign, that they insisted they needed. . .

We started out the party with painting ceramic bugs. (note to self: next time make sure I tell the moms to have their girls wear old clothes or have a lot of paint shirts).

Next we played Rainbow Tag. They had tons of fun with this game. I found the idea for this game in my Family Fun Magazine. We changed the game a little bit. In our version, nobody was “it”, the winner was the one that found all six colors first.

Next up, we split them into four teams for a Scavenger Hunt. This activity did not take nearly as long as I thought it would, but they had fun with it. They found the items really fast.

Now it was back to the art table for Bagel Bird Feeders. My aunt gave me the idea and it was a hit. I found the instructions on Hearts and Trees Blog. Each girl got one half of a bagel. They spread the flat side with peanut butter. Next, they dipped the peanut butter side in a pie plate filled with Bird Seed. The final step was tying a string through the center of the bagel. I realized (a little late), that I should have tied them with the string before they put peanut butter on them.

Finally it was time for the Fire Pit. I got one of my friend’s son to play his guitar and the girls sang along. After they screamed “No boys Allowed” a few hundred times, they did let him sing. It was great.

We finished the night with Smores. It did get a little crazy with sticks and marshmallows and fire. Thankfully some parents stepped in and helped us get it accomplished.

Here are a few pictures of the menu. We didn’t do a lot of food because we started right after supper. We did Jello Jigglers, Butterfly Fruit-n-Cheese Mix, and Dirt Cups. I found all of my recipe ideas on the Kraft Foods Website.

I usually try to do cool goody bags, but I told the girls the guest list was a little bit too big for anything fancy. So I found a Journal Idea in Family Fun Magazine that I tweeked into a nature journal. I gave all the girls glow sticks, too. Then they had their painted bugs and bird feeders to finish off their treats from the party.

Another Summer Kick Off Party done. . .now I can relax until the Fall Birthday Party Season hits.

Good thing today I have a Girlfriends Day Shopping Trip Planned with no kids. . .I need it!

The big party day is here! 22 little girls running around in my backyard. (Well, hopefully. . .I am praying for no rain and warm weather).

Time to get moving. . .there is a lot to do before 7:00 pm. Can’t wait to show pictures tomorrow of the party! Wish me luck.

We had an incredible weekend in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Unfortunately we did not have a lot of time to enjoy the tourist areas that are available. However, it was a much needed time to relax and enjoy the view.

The girls and I had our first road trip with Grandpa at the wheel. Not really sure he will take us along again. My little one was a little grouchy until we were over half way to our destination.

We did take a little stop on the way for lunch. We had to take advantage of a photo opportunity in front of the Faith Dinosaur Museum. . .

We spent the weekend watching my nephew run track. Well, the girls didn’t really watch. I bribed them with new markers and coloring books.

It was a great trip, relaxing and exhausting all at the same time.

What’s up this week. . .t-ball, softball, a kick-off to summer party with 20 girls ages 6 to 8, a much needed girlfriends shopping trip (no kids allowed). If I survive during the week, it is off to another camping trip with a little softball tourney on the side.