Author: kswemba

Monarch Caterpillar Rescue Part 2!

kswemba
Two at their new home

My husband and kids found more milkweed not far from us. We gently gathered the caterpillars into our bug jars, (a big thanks to Aunt Alaina who got jars for our kids) and placed a few milk weed leaves inside to tide them over….. they’re super hungry! Judging by the size of the large ones, I’d say they’re maybe a day or so away from forming a chrysalis. The small ones need to continue to eat for about 5 more days before they’re ready.

We took the caterpillars out of the jars and placed them on the milkweed leaves. My kids loved helping the caterpillars onto the leaves! They were so gentle and even cheered the future butterflies on in attaching to their new home.

My husband found a milkweed seed pod and once we got home, him and the kids spread the seeds. It literally opens up and look likes cotton or white dandelion fluff. Hopefully soon we’ll have more milkweed and be able to provide a home to future monarch caterpillars. I’m thrilled we got to help nature today and go on an adventure as a family! Simple and beautiful, what a day!

Monarch Caterpillar Rescue!

kswemba
Here’s two of eight! Aren’t they stunning!?

Oh my goodness, I am so excited right now! In our backyard, we have 8 monarch caterpillars! It’s unbelievable! My husband planted milkweed specifically to attract monarchs and it worked! It worked too well because it also attracted deer, which have eaten most of our milkweed! Milkweed is the only thing that monarch caterpillars eat and where monarch butterflies lay their eggs. So now, my kids are on a creature rescue, as inspired by The Wild Kratts. (If you don’t know who the Wild Kratts are, I urge you to check out their show on PBS…it’s FANTASTIC, my kids LOVE it.) They’re on a neighborhood hunt with my husband for milkweed. Once found, we’re going to transport the caterpillars to their new home. I’ll keep you posted! Enjoy your day!

Friday Faves

kswemba

Happy Friday everyone! We made it! (Insert celebration dance here!) I have a super cute book to share with you today. Ally-Saurus and the Very Bossy Monster by Richard Torrey is a book about Ally (who refers to her self as Ally-saurus) and her friends who have a great time playing in their shared world of make believe. That is, until Maddie comes along and starts telling everyone the “new rules” she has just made up. It’s a delightful story that gently teaches kids about bossiness and the need to respect each other and our differences. A great message, with cute and unique illustrations makes this book my pick for the week. Enjoy!

    Checkered flag

    kswemba

    You’ve made it, it’s the end of the night! Congratulations! Confetti is being tossed, you’re getting the little ones up to bed for bath, teeth brushing and stories. You hear the roar of the crowd cheering you on with each step as you march up towards the bedtime routine. The end is in sight and you can almost feel yourself sinking into your couch to relax, and possibly even watch a show that doesn’t include cartoons! You can do this!

    And that’s when it happens. It’s either because they’ve had a long day and don’t have the energy to behave and listen. Or, they really do want to stay up with you because they love you, and being around you that much. Or, as I’ve realized just recently, they just don’t want to listen. Well, isn’t that just awesome? No, no it is not. It’s so awful that right before bed things can fall apart. A time, where in my mind, should be spent lovingly cuddling my sweet children and reading them a story before they fall fast asleep.

    Alas, it happens and instead of seeing the checkered flag, I start waving a white flag, surrendering to a less than peaceful end to my night. But tomorrow is another day, and another chance to get it right, or closer to right than the night before.

    Let’s talk about stress baby

    kswemba

    We all have it, and we all want it to go away. But how can we decrease our stress level in an already demanding and overpacked scheduled? Some will say to remove certain things from your life. Well, if you’re like most of us, our stress comes from work, our family responsibilities, and daily tasks, which, are not removable. Others will say exercise, but if you are already overloaded, the idea of adding in one more thing just seems daunting. So the questions remains, WHAT CAN WE DO TO DECREASE OUR STRESS!?

    I think what’s important is to find out that triggers an increase in your stress level that ISN’T one of the above stated responsibilities. For me, I tend to start getting a little worked up when my house is, shall we say, a disaster. To be more specific, every room seems to have been attacked by a mini tornado of stuff….clothes, toys, art projects, dishes, laundry etc. I then turn into a cleaning monster and do a full attack on the mess, but not in a graceful way. Something inside erupts and I find myself saying, “I can’t take it anymore!” Once everything is cleaned up, and organized into an acceptable fashion, I feel better. My trigger is clutter. Which means, I just need to stay on top of straightening and cleaning, oh mercy I’m already stressed about this task!

    This will be a forever work in progress. Stress just doesn’t go away. It’s sneaky, and is like a chameleon, it can change and take many different forms. It can rise up at any time, which means we need to be ready to handle it at any moment. How do you do this, you ask? There are a few techniques to bring down a rise is stress. The first is controlled breathing. When you feel stress coming on, stop what you’re doing. Breathe in through your nose for 4-5 counts, and out through your mouth for 4-5 counts (like you’re blowing out a birthday candle). Do this a few times in a row. It will help decreases your heart rate, increase the oxygen to your brain and throughout your body. Deep breathing can be a tool to help you relax and can be done anywhere. If you need something more active, I recommend exercise. Sometimes just a good sweat session can be exactly what the doctor ordered. Another more fun option is to dance it out! Play your favorite song and sing and dance along! Blast the radio in the car, sing along, and move yourself to a better state of mind.

    We all struggle with stress. Taking the first step to decrease it is the hardest, but keep at it!

    Healthy School Routine

    kswemba

    Summer is a great time of year where kids can spend hours outside running free, playing and being little. We spend our summers at the pool, playing in the backyard, eating ice cream and going on bike rides. Our schedules are a little less packed, which gives some breathing room for extra time outside and later bedtimes which hopefully leads to sleeping in, but not always though.

    Now, however, we’re back in school and my mind has switched gears to having a more set schedule. I strongly believe that our family needs routine and functions best when everybody knows what is expected of them. My children are in first grade and preschool, and I think it’s good to show them the balance of school work and play. For example, if my first grader comes home with a project, we need to get that done first before heading outside or to her sport’s practice. This seems like an easy and obvious thing, but for kids, all they want to do is play. If I make it a routine where we come home and get our necessary things done, they can feel a sense of accomplishment and then enjoy the reward of playing. I have a master degree in psychiatric nursing, and I can say that helping kids develop responsibility is a positive thing, as long as it’s being done in a gentle and kind way. It’s not easy, but if you stick to the routine, when they get older they’ll already have good study habits which will only help them to succeed in the future.

    Friday Faves

    kswemba

    Happy Friday everyone! I have a wonderful book to share with you today. The Sloth Who Slowed Us Down by Margaret Wild is a delightful book about a girl who brings home a sloth to her family, who just happen to be the fastest family in the world. The sloth takes its slow time doing everything, forcing the family to also slow down, and thus, begin to appreciate all that is around them, including each other. It is beautifully illustrated by Vivienne To and is my pick for the week.

    Stormy Sea of Parenting

    kswemba

    Self forgiveness is the hardest part of being a parent. I try to start each day with the right mindset – to be my best, kindest, most loving self. My feet hit my bedroom floor and as my morning sleepiness wears off, so does my patience. It hangs on through the first batch of “nos” and sibling disputes. But as the parental waters start to experience storm waves and sea squalls of disobedience, I find it harder and harder to navigate. To quote a friend, I’m “treading water” in a sea of uncertainty and the waves start to knock me down. Instead of being my best self, it’s every man (or woman, in this case) for themselves! My mantra meets the reality of time outs, cool downs in rooms and loss of privileges. Raising kids is hard! Some days are just harder than others, and if you’re a parent, you’ve been there and know what I mean. Bad days can really ruin our self image and parenting morale. The secret though, is forgiving yourself. This is also hard to do because if you’re like me, you have high expectations for yourself. But we must learn to be gentler and kinder to OURSELVES! So, if you’ve had one of those days, take a deep breathe and try to forgive yourself. Know that I’m right there with you, and will be back at sea tomorrow, hopefully better equipped to handle whatever weather finds me.

    Morning craft

    kswemba
    Cute little piggie created by my daughter

    My 6 year old woke up this morning and asked for an empty milk carton. She came up with the idea to craft this pretty pink piggie. We already had all the supplies (an empty milk carton, 2 sheets pink construction paper, cupcake liners, and ribbon) and worked together taping and cutting. We even added a curly ribbon for the tail. It was something fun and easy to do together. Plus, she felt a real sense of accomplishment! Great way to start my Friday!

    Easy as riding a bike

    kswemba

    Today will remain quite a memorable day; for my sweet first born rode her bike all by herself! What a feeling! Watching her pedaling, wobbling but holding on, steering back to the sidewalk to keep on her path. A new path for her that is exciting, one all her own. She now rides without training wheels, bringing her a sense of pride, accomplishment, and freedom. I start my journey today as well; a little wobbly, a little unsure, but have never felt more on the right path.