From One Mom to Another: Tips on Disney, Races and Kids

Me, my sister, my mom, grandma Last weekend I drove to Colorado with Jacob, my mother, and the two girls to attend my grandmother's 100th birthday party.  It was a wonderful trip where we enjoyed each other's company and celebrated the life of one of the happiest people I know.   Sydnee and I enter Wyoming DAY 1: We drove from our house in Montana to Pueblo, Colorado.  We took Jacob's car which seats 7 because Sydnee is still in a car seat and Skylar sleeps anytime a car is moving and she's not behind the wheel.  Here's a couple of other hints to making a road trip with a 4 year old and 18 year old more fun (or at least tolerable). Tip 1 : Do not wake the 18 year and make sure she has a plug for her phone to charge.  Tip 2: Pack tons of snacks even though you can buy them at the gas station, this will reduce stops.  I also packed Sydnee some workbooks, plenty of toys and her iPad.  This kept her busy and comfy the whole trip. I am ...

(The 2017 race was held July 9)   The Missoula 1/2 Marathon is my big race for this year and most years.  This year marked my 7th half marathon.  I love running in my home town, course is flat and beautiful and Run Wild Missoula does a great job with the entire weekend.    Race prep starts early, like October when I sign up for the race because it is only $75 if you sign up early.  The website is easy to find and use: http://www.missoulamarathon.org/   Then I am locked in and it forces me to start training and increasing mileage, even in the winter when running on the treadmill or in cleats is a must.    Fast forward to July.  Marathon weekend starts on Friday with activities, speakers and the beer run.  I skipped these because I had to work.  Saturday is the 5k, the kids' marathon and the race expo.  I normally volunteer at the expo but this year was unable to because of personal commitments so my weekend...

So, normally I write about racing or some outdoor activity and I did run a huge race over the weekend but my pictures aren't in so I'll save that for later.  This week is a helpful hint blog:  "What do I do with all these pictures my kids make at school?"   I hear that a lot from other moms.  There is only so much fridge space and you feel bad throwing them away.... So here is what a mother of three talented kiddos does.  Step 1.   I differentiate between a coloring page and an art project.  This is more important in the 0-6 crowd.  Color pages get recycled or a short life on the fridge.  Art projects move to step 2 . Step 2.   Does it have an imprint of a foot or hand?                      Yes? Label with the artist's name, age and year. Move to step 4.              ...