Will Blog for Sleep

Family Game Night is so nostalgic.  To remember family game night is to remember nights with family and friends -- evenings filled with laughter, teasing, bickering...and general hilarity with everyone around. That, and my dad peacocking around as he annihilated his 8-year-old daughter in ping pong, cards... anything else, really. Finally the day came when our children were functional enough and ready to start a new tradition.  Most importantly, ready for me to kick everyone's butt (in an absolutely gracious, lovely way) with my mad skills in games like Sneaky Snacky Squirrel . Things went really well...for the first full minute. Until our older son realized he wasn't winning. There were tears.  Pieces went flying. Not exactly the idyllic family bonding moment I had envisioned. To be fair, research does say it may take time for kids to catch on and be able to play without getting upset.  Many stress how important games are to learn the art of winning...

Thought I would come out of my semi-blog-retirement to post a completely untypical blog for the Will Blog for Sleep site. This weekend I pulled together a Car Themed Do-It-Yourself Party for my 3 year old, and wanted to share for those who also have car enthusiasts at home!  After spending hours researching ideas online, I pulled together these favorites, which ended up being hits for the kids too! Invitations The theme revolved around the collateral found on Etsy - LuluPaperPrints She worked with this pattern to create invitations, Food Tent Cards, and some of the signs below: Activities Next came the activities - wanted something where kids didn't have to be watched 24/7 (it's a party for parents, too, for goodness sake!) and where everyone would still have fun! We  chose (we, who are we kidding...my husband learned what was happening the day of): Car Photo - Made with cardboard and Spray Paint, specialized license plate Race Track  - Race...

I am a tad behind in the app-world of smart phones, as I have been fumbling around with my first smart phone for only a week now.  And, I have to brag, have yet to drop it. That being said, am hoping you can feed into my growing obsession of apps.  Below is a ((very) short) list of my favorites and would love to hear from others on apps they prefer and why.  From apps for hobbies, working out, kid-centric, I want to know about it! If you have a favorite, tell me.  Favorite ten, even better.  Faves in excess of 20...maybe think about getting a new hobby...after sharing of course. City-Centric: SpotHero - Best parking rates available near any location to provide. It's been fantastic for us in Chicago.  Which is great when you are cheap like us. Park Chicago & Parkmobile - parking meter apps for city of Chicago.  CLUTCH if you are like me and typically carry your phone.  And only your phone.  Side note: I need to start remembering ...

Peace, Love, and Joy to you this Holiday Season! 2014 has been a series of milestones for us...though we are still awaiting the most treasured gift of all: a full night of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.   Kevin has added to his work resume with the Best Comedic Performance*  award.  He has dipped his toe in the accounting-themed speaking arena and enjoys it.  If looking for him to present on the rules and regulations of number crunching at your company, keep in mind he's now regionally  internally recognized and this will be reflected in his fee. He already has a grassroots fan base: Tracy received a promotion at work, moving from a manager of events, to a manager of people.  This shift simultaneously led to a surge in daily meetings and a new-found respect for all previous managers.  Turns out managers aren't luxuriating poolside, sipping Mai Tais.  Was told this was a "no returns, no exchanges" arrangement when this gr...

Something amazing happened over the past two weeks. We have entered into a "sweet spot" of parenting.  Our home has become down right fun, thanks to Kiefer finally turning a corner.  He has traded screaming for laughing; Fall-on-the-floor tantrums for funny walks ; and loud demands into boisterous singing.  The "C" in his a-b-c-d song is epic. Prior to the "turn" Kiefer was unhappy and clingy from about 5:30 am - 7:30 am every morning.  And then it was time for school, leaving us very little enjoyable time together. Now he is (relatively) quick to wake up and doesn't mind a little separation from his parents' hips.  In fact, his new-found independence has us running frantically to snatch him out of oncoming traffic and other new varieties of danger found when not being carried 24/7. I just wish he wasn't so fast. For a two-year-old still sporting pants for a 12 month old, those tiny legs are speedier than expected.  And with such a lo...

We hope this season finds you experiencing the joy of friends and family.  Or at least pockets of time without the stress of shopping and shoveling.   Having a 3 year old has helped us take a step back from the To-Do list this year to enjoy house decorating, snowball fights, and new aspects of gifting.  Eg. The gifts are constantly being moved to/from our couch, where Chase feels it keeps them safe from Kiefer stomping on them (one year old's new favorite thing, not kidding).  Also learned quickly wrapping should only occur while the boys are sleeping to avoid the wrapping paper rolls immediately being "refurbished" into pogo sticks or bats.... During 2013, Kevin has continued to save the world...one playstation game at a time. He continues to work as an accountant at LaSalle and also volunteers as a punching bag/jungle gym for Chase’s classmates at church. He’s a pretty big deal in pre-school social circles. Tracy is still managing events for BMO. ...

First off, You're Welcome.  Because if I wasn't so tired/lazy, these ideas would already be in motion and you wouldn't have the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of such high reward potential.  My only request is a 5% cut of future earnings.  Deal? Battery Changer: I typically buy toys without batteries (per the photos above).  You may think it is because I am an amazing mother who encourages my children to use their imagination; not allowing the toy to create the fun for them.  Uh, yeah sure, that's it.   Hours of my life and strands of hair have gone missing due to dead toy batteries.    The first obstacle is finding a teeny tiny screwdriver to release the 6 (SIX!!) miniature screws holding in the batteries.  The second issue is keeping the bouncing child calm while they wait for their toy to rise from the ashes.  Once the minuscule tool is located and the batteries are revealed, only then do you realize issu...