Kindness Rocks

Several years ago, while on our annual trip to VA to visit family, McKinley found a rock at his feet. But this wasn't any ordinary rock, it was what we refer to as a Kindness Rock. It had a sweet little saying "Always Try", which was so fitting at that time. McKinley used to always tell us, "But we can try." So this rock was meant for him. It currently resides on his bookcase in his room.

Fast forward to earlier in the month when McKinley and I created several different kids crafts for a March segment on Better Kansas City. It's spring break in these parts, and we're all looking for kid friendly activities that help get us all off of our screens and doing something creative! McKinley and I discussed different types of projects we have worked on in the past, making a list of which ones would be better for the segment, and the Kindness Rock from VA was mentioned. And because of spring break, it was the perfect time to create a few rocks so that we can leave them at local parks around the neighborhood. Want to create your own? The read on to get a list of materials you need to complete the craft!

You need rocks, of course, so head out into this gorgeous spring weather and pick up some flat oval rocks. If you can't find any, pick some up at your local craft store. I found these at Michael's. They are smooth, flat river rocks in black. You also need acrylic paint in a variety of colors, paints pens, paint brushes, and any surface for painting. I love paper plates, but use what you have!

I painted all of the rocks white so that the acrylic paints would be vivid on the rocks. If you leave them black, that's fine, just know your paint won't be as bright in color. Paint the fronts and backs.

Paint your rocks in a variety of colors. Again, paint the front and back.

Next up, it's time to write on those rocks! We used paint pens, again found at Michael's. Pick complimentary colors, if you want, or go with whatever color speaks to you like McKinley did! No rhyme or reason for him. And let your kids get creative with their sayings. And if there are misspelled words, so what, it's the thought that counts!

Here are the completed rocks! I love them and I love that his heart is on each of these rocks! Again, he picked all the sayings, wrote them all himself, and I'm so proud of him! To finish them off, make sure you coat them with an outdoor  protectant so the paint doesn't run if they get wet. Head out to a local park and place them in friendly areas. Make sure they aren't in places that people will trip over them, but find them organically. 

If you decide to create Kindness Rocks of your own, please post all of your works of art on my This Kansas Mama Facebook page! We would love to see your inspirational sayings! Everyone needs a little kindness in their lives!

Check out the segment here for additional kid craft ideas or come back soon for more posts to come!

XO,

Andrea

Be Free

On this rainy Monday morning, we are getting back in the swing of things after being on Spring Break last week ! I love having the time off from the daily grind, but it's so hard to get back in the groove. Thank goodness for coffee and a full DVR! However, I may not get anything truly done.

We spent last week doing all the things we could possibly do in a week! We kicked off the break with heading to Union Station, McKinley's favorite place on earth, taking advantage of all of the fun things to do. And it was all about trains! We started with the train tour at Science City where McKinley wanted to show me the train museum he finally discovered. He is able to play on a BNSF locomotive and use the controls inside the engine. Heaven for him! There are other fun train cars to explore and we did just that. We then headed to the beloved model train exhibit, a fun activity that doesn't cost you a thing! A free to the public exhibit that allows you to explore towns of the past while watching train after train ride the rails! 

We spent some time in Crown Center as well. McKinley had a blast in Funville, a free to the public exhibit that allows kids to explore the world of different occupations. So much to do, see, and play with inside this room of wonder. He loved it so much we went twice! Speaking of free, we also headed over to Kaleidoscope where McKinley was the most creative he's ever been during a visit. Kaleidoscope is provided by Hallmark and it allows children to be creative and use their imagination when constructing things out of scraps of paper, tape, markers, stickers, and more. McKinley made a kite out of tissue paper, curling ribbon, tape, and St. Patrick's Day stickers. He also made a truck out of card stock circles and scrapes of green paper. It was so much fun to watch him create! 

While we were out and about, taking advantage of the free things the city offers, I was constantly on guard. You know, holding McKinley's hand 90% of the time. Telling him not to run ahead too far. Asking him to stay within ear shot when we're using the restroom that's not a family one. Telling him to look both ways when crossing the street. Stay where he is when we're in a parking lot until I can get all my stuff out of the car. There is never a moment for him to just be free! With tons of people all around, I'm not about to let him out of sight or out of my reach. The unfortunate truth is that society has caused me to be a little more on edge, a little less carefree, and a lot more protective. Some might call it overprotective or being a "helicopter mom". I just called it being a mom. 

When we headed to the river that past week, free takes on a whole different meaning. As my dad mentioned, McKinley is free to do whatever he wants. He doesn't have to hold anyone's hand, unless he simply wants to. He doesn't have to ask if he can run ahead and be out of reach. He can come and go out the back door as often as he wants, shutting it with a bang behind him. He can roam the backyard, play in the truck bed, dig for whatever he can find, run up and down the river bank, however I will shout "don't get too close to the water's edge" from time to time. I don't want him falling in fully clothed in March. Summer will be a different story. 

I would love to allow him more space to be free. I told my mom this weekend that I wish we had a little more land to allow for badminton games, batting practice, Frisbee throwing, and exploring. Instead, we have enough yard for gardening where he can dig in the dirt and search for worms and other insects. A spot for his sandbox where he creates amazing construction sites and Monster Jam arenas. He has a swing set that serves as a fort, drive-thru restaurant, and picnic area. He can mow the lawn, drive his tractor, play with bubbles, have a picnic, jump in his bouncy house and swim in his bouncy swimming house. So he has free rein of the backyard, it's just not as vast as the one the river house provides. 

For now, at almost age seven, McKinley's free to play whatever comes to his creative mind. Whether it's a Matchbox cars junk yard, being the "cooking guy" in his kitchen and serving up some of the best wooden food around, playing trains, using sidewalk chalk in the driveway to make elaborate cities or solar systems, or just sit with a pad of blank paper and draw until his hearts content. That's the thing about being free. You're are free to be whatever you want to be or do whatever you want to do. Just be free!

XO,

Andrea

Summer Vacay - Week in Review

Well, we made it through our first week of summer vacation! I'm tellin' ya, I'm not yet conditioned for full on summer break, but I'm getting there. The first day was a little rough. We just need to find our footing and I think it's going to be fine. That could be my first week optimism talking....

Here's what we've done so far. We kicked off summer break with a visit to the library, per McKinley's request. You can read all about it here. He's obsessed with the Titanic so we got a couple of books for him to continue his research. I picked out some lighter topics to read. As a family, we hit World's of Fun on Saturday. It was our first trip to the amusement park this season and it didn't disappoint! McKinley was super brave, conquering the roller coaster again for the first time in a couple of years and squealed "again, again" after it was over. He road on the Snoopy airplanes for the first time in ages and actually flew above the low lying clouds! He even rode a few rides on his own. This is definitely becoming the summer of firsts!

Sunday brought a baseball game and a very sluggish player. He complained before we left that he didn't feel well, but having spent the night with Meme and Granddaddy, I just assumed he didn't want to leave their house. All during the game he would barely swing the bat, would slowly run the bases, and made frequent trips over to tell me how he didn't feel well. I completely shrugged it off and commanded he take the field. About an hour after the game, I took his temp. At 101.4, I guess he wasn't feeling well.

On Tuesday I made a doctors appointment and it turns out he had an ear infection and strep! Mark yet another notch in the "Mom of the Year" belt for this mama! He is in full on recovery and playing a lot more!

He has had sleepover number two. We got much needed haircuts. We built a fort. We're working on reading. And he earned $5 yesterday for helping Granddaddy so much in the yard. Today we are heading to Louisburg with Meme to check on the booth. From there, we're getting flowers to plant in pots around the house. And possibly do a little additional gardening, if the rain holds off. 

How has your first week been? Are you ready for the summer vacay like you thought you were? Still need some conditioning? It's okay! We all do! I just saw another mom post on FB that it was only day two and she was curious how many days were actually left of summer vacation! It's not just us! Remember that! And maybe have a little sip or two at the end of the night. It helps!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

XO,

Andrea

Spring Break So Far

It's Wednesday and we're already half way through the week! I feel like we've done nothing but put drops in McKinley's eyes and ward off the cold by doing all indoor activities. We've had some fun along the way and some extra fun with Joel taking a half day off so he could hang out with us! Here is what we've done so far!

Over the weekend, we spent most of our time at home which allowed McKinley to heal and not spread pink eye to the public! Thankful no one else was infected within the family, including my dad who is currently recovering from cataract surgery. However, on Sunday, we decided to let McKinley spread his wings by doing a few things he loved since his eyes were so much clearer and he had been on drops for a full two and a half days. We headed to Crown Center for lunch at Fritz's, followed by a trip to Union Station to check out the model trains. Yes, we are there all the time, but this is his spring break and he's had enough sickness with the flu last month! After the trains, we headed back to Crown Center for another visit to Under the Sea. He loved it just as much the second time around. Those exhibits are truly the best!

On Monday McKinley and I had a little mama/son time at his other favorite place, the mall! We headed straight to Build-A-Bear where he cashed in his gift card for Chirpity, his new spring chic. He's super cute and has made himself at home among the other bears in McKinley's collection.

From there, we were off to the food court for lunch! There is nothing like a slice of pizza and a little conversation while people watching. From there, we took our adventures to the Disney Store! Yet another gift card to be used, this kid has tons of money to spend, where he got the Donald Duck Roadster Racer "Duck Car" and a Dinoco helicopter from Cars. Up next, the Lego store. He loves browsing all the cool sets that are on display, reading the number of pieces listed on the really big boxes, and telling me which ones he wants for his birthday. And, he got a starter kit with a cool mail helicopter. I see a theme here... And as always, we rode the carousel. We had a great time!!

Yesterday, my husband took a half day of vacation to hang out and we headed to our favorite bowling alley! Man was it packed. Everyone had the same idea, but what does a family do on spring break when it's pouring down snow and freezing? And wouldn't you know it, McKinley got his first strike and neither of us saw it! McKinley and I headed to the counter to ask for a few additional minutes on our lane to finish our tenth frame. It was McKinley's turn to bowl so he headed back to the lane. Joel was setting up the Gator and didn't see McKinley slide in right behind me. While Joel was asking me where he was and me telling him he was bowling, McKinley runs over to tell me he knocked down all ten pins! That's right, a strike, and we didn't see a thing.... Wah, wah! He actually bowled his best games! He's turning into quite the bowler.

He picked several spares as well!

 Finally, we explored the world of Shrinky Dinks! My childhood is now being experienced by my child and I love it. Now to find him a Lite Brite! However, they weren't actual Shrinky Dinks. It was Shrink Art, a box of really cool designs that McKinley loved picking out and coloring. We waited for Dada to get home before we shrunk him and McKinley was amazed by the whole thing. I had forgotten just how cool it was to watch! It's run reliving the past through the eyes of McKinley!

 

 Today we are thinking of going to Party City to look at possible birthday party themes. Someone turns six next month and I'm not ready!! We may head to Louisburg to check out the booth, We are thinking of making St. Patrick's Day cookies, with some Easter thrown in, and there will be some play time in there somewhere! What are you guys doing today?

XO,
Andrea