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twinkles - how people, places and things shine and share happiness
winks - little hints from life lighting the way toward one's happiest path
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Summer is here at last.  And I love it.  Biggest twinkle ever. 

This summer, I have four kids full time (two mine, two in my daycare) and no minivan, because I refuse to surrender to that.  I've put together a whole schedule for the summer, arranging what to do on each day, depending on who's gone for a bit it summer school, who's off for family vacations and what stuff my family has going on. 

The good news is, we've got wheels.  A wagon for the littles and two bikes with training wheels for the biggies.  There's a strip mall of sorts just up the road.  There's a google-world full of ideas.  There's a great daily schedule already in place. 

Every Friday is Friday Fun Day, spent outside in our baby pool with the plastic slide dumping right into it creating a mini-water slide for lots of fun.  I roll out of bed, throw on a terrycloth romper, and let the kids play, play, play.  Maxing and relaxing.  It's like an early/extra day off. 

Think about how you can create some Twinkle Time this summer.  Eat popsicles.  Sit in a chair in the shade.  Read a good book even if you haven't read one in ages.  It's the best time of year.  Savor it.

See you Monday.

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twinkles -  how people, places and things shine and share happiness
winks - little hints from life lighting the way toward one's happiest path
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Let’s get mushy.

It is okay to ask for help.

It is okay to need a little shoulder to lean on.

It is okay to need a break.

It takes a village to raise a child, children,what-have-you.

Use your village.

Even if they give your kids high fructose corn syrup and nitrates (barf), use them.

Even if they don’t keep your kids’ schedule, use them.

Even if they are into things that you are not into, use them.

Use your village.

It keeps your kids well-rounded.

It keeps your kids learning how to adapt and trust and rely on others.

It keeps your kids occupied while you take some Twinkle Time to do what you want or need to do.

Use your village.

Be part of a village.

And that’s as mushy as I get.

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twinkles - how people, places and things shine and share happiness
winks - little hints from life lighting the way toward one's happiest path
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Last week the kids were nuts one day.  Like, more nuts than usual, that is.  And I’ve learned that when kids get squirrely, let those squirrels go play in the backyard.

I knew they’d be occupied since we’d been cooped up all day and the sun finally came out.  I thought I’d
find a few minutes to steal and work on Twinkles & Winks.  I have this little black and white notebook because I kick it old school with pen and paper; it’s how my mind works best.

So I scooped up my smoothie and my notebook and all four kids and expected, at best, 25 minutes of Twinkle Time to scribble down some ideas as the squirrels looked for nuts or whatever.  I settled into my chair, whipped out my pen and heard quite the sad, struggling, super slow version of Reveille, you know, that military tune...from a tuba.  

WHAT?!?! 

The song subsided and I settled in once again.  Only to be met with the same sad, struggling, super slow version of
“Supercalafragalisticexpealidocious”…from a tuba.

“Mama, what’s that funny noise?” asked our little Bickleberry.

I explained it was a tuba and that a tuba ALWAYS sounds funny because they sound like a toot or a dying goose or a dying goose that IS tooting.  

The song subsided and I settled in once again.  Only to be met with the same old sad situation, but this time, bellowing “God Bless America” while one kid played in a cottage, one tipped on the teeter totter, and two dug in a tub of sand while one twit played the darn tuba.  

Twinkle Time nixed by a tuba.  But that tuba turned into a twinkle because it made me giggle.  Because tubas are funny.