FIRST RETIREMENT UPDATE – GET OUT THE FUN STUFF!!
Every day that I went to work, I dreamed of retirement. I retired in January from teaching 12th grade English Language Arts. I never said I could afford to, I said I’d figure it out along the way. Here’s a note I wrote to my teacher friends who were still on the job. This is what my first few months of retirement were like.
Celebrate Love and Take 15% Off Toys in the Melissa & Doug Valentine’s Day Shop. Use Code VDAY15
Specials on all your favorites at Walmart.com!
Redeem your coupon for $20 in free tutoring!
Grammies just wanna have fun too! Remember this one?
ROLE PLAYING (This was written when my 9 and 10 year olds were younger, so it’s for younger children). Being a grandparent doesn’t mean you can’t play too! Have fun with the grands. I know that sounds silly, but put on a costume and try it!
Now’s your chance to be a princess or a villain or anything you want!
Role playing is cheap and very educational. My babies are into Disney Princesses. Everytime they come over, we have to act out a story. Of course, Natalie is always the Princess and Grandpa and I are always the villians. We try to include Alli and Sami, since Natalie is older and dominant.
Belle’s Special Edition of Dream Big, Princess!
So who gets to be the Princess?
Well, we usually have a role for everybody. Sleeping Beauty (Alli), Snow White (Samantha) and Cinderella (Natalie) all get to be Princesses – no fighting. If I play my cards right, sometimes I get promoted from the Wicked Stepmother to Belle. It’s amazing what the little ones will retain and how they express themselves as their character – great practice for preschool. Where do we get most of the dress up costumes? Garage sales or the DollarTree.com.
However, when it’s a gift, it’s brand new.
Click on the picture
My girls like to play “Nino’s.” What started out as a fruit market, is now an “international market place.” We save the shopping bags from Nino’s and of course I found a toy store front and play money at a garage sale.
Please send me your ideas on how you have fun with the grandchildren! Thanks in advance and have a grand day!
debbie@grammyslittlehelperscom.
THE SALON
Are you like me in that you have drawers full of lipsticks of which the color just doesn’t look right on you any more? How about that thing you asked for because you decided that you were going to give yourself some pampering? Who has time for pampering, right? Well I’ve been there, done that. So I took the foot bath, the facial vaporizer, the 20 bottles of nail polish and created a salon in my basement for my granddaughters. They are girly girls and love the make up and bows and especially the hot wax pedicure (under my supervision of course).
It all started when I found a toy salon at a garage sale. Then I found two more. Rog loves to go garage sale-ing, but I end up buying stuff I don’t need. In fact, if I spent more time cleaning up the stuff I already bought, I probably wouldn’t have the mess that I have. Anyway, I found other things at garage sales for the saloon too. Like a string of lights, mirrors, and decorations. I even took my old slow cooker and used it to warm towels like they have in the real salons. See? The stuff is being used and the girls love it.
IT ALL COUNTS AS EXERCISE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHhheCf0G1I
Now here’s another little something the grandchildren can help you with – exercise. By that I mean dancing! When Olivia gets me to exercise it’s to the Hot Dog Dance from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. When Alli, Natalie and Sami were over earlier this week, they (tried) to show me how to do the Nae Nae dance.
Now watch Grampy and me try to learn the Nae Nae dance. Click below!
After you enjoy the above talent – filled video, can someone out there please tell me how to turn it the right way? Please!!!
debbie@grammyslittlehelpers.com
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That’s right – let’s have fun! That’s what it’s all about when you’re at Grammy and Grampy’s house. Fun doesn’t have to be expensive, at least for the younger grandchildren. I wrote this part about six years ago when Sami, Alli and Natalie were younger. This still applies to my baby Olivia, who just turned two. The older ones? Check out my “Help From The Panel of Experts” tab. In the meantime, blog me what you know!
The worst thing to do, is to let the kids get bored. Also, when it’s time to leave one activity, it’s easier to get the kids to leave when they are going to another fun activity. When the babies are over during vacation, we have a “schedule” and also a “whose turn is it?” chart to help things run smoothly. We really don’t stick to the schedule, it’s just there in case we’re at a loss for what to do. Otherwise, we keep activities from 1/2 hour to 1 1/2 hours long, just to keep from getting bored!
HAVE A SCHEDULE – JUST IN CASE
Here’s the schedule for when they stay overnight during the summer. Adjust it to what you need. For older children, substitute my “little girl” activities for what your kids do. Don’t forget to blog and let me know!
CAMP GRAMMY AND GRAMPY
9:00 – 9:30 Breakfast
9:30 – 10:00 Get dressed
10:00 – 10:45 Walk around block across the street or play in basement
10:45 – 11:00 Snack
11:00 – 11:45 Walk around block on this side to the playground (before the big kids get there).
11:45 – 12:30 Play in basement
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 Field Trip*/pool
3:00 – 3:30 Snack
3:30 – 5:00 Movie/naptime
5:00 – 5:45 Sandbox
5:45 – 6:30 Sprinkler
6:30 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 – 8:00 Arts and Crafts
8:00 – 9:00 Walk around block across the street, snack, bedtime story
9:00 – 9:30 Get ready for bed
9:30 Movie/bedtime
Time for Grammy’s “special juice.”
Take note: We go to the playground early, before the big kids get there. We go on a “field trip” or in the pool, which is the longest activity, before naptime. We play in the sandbox as late in the day as possible, and follow that with washing off in the sprinkler before dinner. Our “field trips” are planned as well as we can according to the weather.
I’m thrilled that our babies like to play in their playroom in our basement (their Castle), but we live in Michigan, so we’re going to soak up every hour of sunshine we can get. The basement will be there all winter when I’m at work. What do we play in the basement? Read on!
debbie@grammyslittlehelpers.com
(this recipe is full of immune-boosting orange ingredients)
These two servings contain a full 7 fruit/vegetable servings.
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup mango
1 medium orange
4 medium strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 cups water
Add all ingredients to the Nutribullet RX short cup and extract until smooth. If you don’t have a Nutribullet RX, you can try an ordinary blender but it might not extract as well.
CREOLE FISH FILLETS
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounce can no-salt added tomatoes, cut up
1/2 cup chopped up celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 garlic clove, minced (I always have the big jar on hand)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh cod fillets
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients except fillets in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Place fillets in a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Pour sauce over fish and serve.
4 servings, 3 ounces fish and 1/2 cup sauce each
Per Serving – 130 calories, 1 gram total fat
debbie@grammyslittlehelpers.com
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