Mother's Day Memories
As I write this, I'm looking outside at my husband and two kids decorating a gift for me. They are so proud. And I am so thankful for these memories and the gift of being a mom.
As I write this, I'm looking outside at my husband and two kids decorating a gift for me. They are so proud. And I am so thankful for these memories and the gift of being a mom.
What's an Easter basket without a chocolate bunny? I came across this cute idea from designer Matthew Mead. You can make those plain rabbits "hop out" with edible glitter, powders and icing.
When you think of someone breaking the law, all kinds of crimes come to mind. But, what kind of crime could a little six year old commit?
Stress, tears, relief… three feelings moms experience often, maybe even daily. Being a mom is the BEST job ever, but let’s face it, it can get complicated... especially when you lose your wedding ring!
“The corn looks like tiny little ants and the houses look like toy houses. Mom was right,” Olivia squealed. Not only were my kids up in the air, they were going to Florida where new sites and adventure awaited them. This was a time of “firsts” for our family on many levels.
‘Tis the season for a timeless parenting question. How old should your kids be when you have the “Santa Claus” talk? What? What are you talking about? I know… it’s hard for me to even ask that question. But, as a mom, I feel like other people ruin the magic too soon.
As parents, we do our best to try and shield our kids from troubling topics. And here we were faced with a story about a former Penn State coach who sexually abused children…children about the same age as my son.
When you’re six years old, a little piece of enamel is a big deal. And when you lose that little piece of enamel before you can give it to the Tooth Fairy, well that’s a major problem in a child’s world.
Every year, my kids pick a theme for their parties. In April, Olivia chose a mermaid theme. And last year, you may have remembered Jacob's platypus party?! What can I say, he was into bizarre Australian animals! Well, this was Jacob's year for going all out with sports.
Summer 2011…time for another Vanderford vacation. Where to this year? Well, in a world filled with Wii games, iPads and frenzy-filled amusement parks, our family opted for a breath of fresh air, literally.
Where has the year gone? You could say I’m one of those emotional moms. I cry on the first day of school, the last day of school and at those little moments in between. It’s hard to believe that my baby is now a 1st grader!!
“Remember to say please and thank you!” These are the last words my kids usually hear from me as they shut the car door and trot off to school. It’s my friendly little “manners” reminder.
It’s only a few days until Mother’s Day, and here I am scurrying around working on Mother’s Day cards. My kids were filling out their cards for grandmas when a mistake happened. This little problem became a learning moment for me this Mother's Day.
As a parent, you want to shield your kids from bad news. And the death of Osama bin Laden is high on that list of troubling news. But, my kids overheard us talking about bin Laden, and they were confused and scared. I plan to sit down with my kids and tell them what happened at a level that is appropriate for their age.
Life is the bubbles when you go “under the sea” for a party! Recently, we made a splash with a 6-year-old birthday bash! My daughter Olivia turned six on April 16th. Every year my kids pick a theme for their birthday parties. This year, Olivia chose a Mermaid Party!
What do you get someone who’s experienced 90 wonderful years of life? That’s the question I pondered a few weeks ago as I thought about what to get my grandma for this special birthday.
When you think of Spring Break, the beach, wild parties and drinking alcohol may come to mind. Well, for the Vanderford family, the words synonymous with Spring Break 2011 are: the mountains, swimming in a hotel pool and sipping Jamba Juice smoothies. The end of March, we packed up our little red SUV and drove west to Colorado.
March 16th was my birthday. I turned _______. We’ll leave that blank for now. It’s funny how as we get older birthdays start to creep up on us. My kids can’t wait for their birthdays and their themed-parties. They count down the days. I think adult birthdays can be fun, too, if we try to make that day SPECIAL.
It’s March Madness! And that means it’s time for hoops! From the state level to the national stage, basketball teams are competing for trophies and bragging rights. This past weekend, we had the chance to be fans for my high school girls basketball team.
“Why do people have to die?” my little five year old asked. When a little blond-haired girl with teary eyes looks up at you with a simple, yet poignant question, what do you do?
Sometimes you have a great weekend. We just had one of those. It was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! The Broadway musical “Mary Poppins” was at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha for a few weeks. I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to expose the kids to the theater.
My little girl is tickled pink. We decided that a new year called for a new room. And when I say a "new room", I don't mean new furniture, bedding or even a totally different room. For a "new room", you just need a fresh perspective.
There she is...Miss America. Most of us know the song but not many knew the 17-year-old girl who claimed that title.
What if we picked the winners of football games purely by their mascots? Well, maybe my 8-year-old son is on to something. It's the bowl season in the crazy world that is college football.
On Sunday night, the night after Christmas, "The Sound of Music" was on network television. And even though I own this family favorite, there's something special about watching it on TV...commercials and all. So the kids and Jon and I settled in on a winter's night to hear "My Favorite Things" and watch that famous nun in my favorite show.
