March | Napping at Red Lights

What’s Your Favorite March activity?

March 14, 2008

March is one of those strange months that are more about transitions than about a particular event or season. But that doesn’t mean the month should fly by without a little adventure. What is your favorite activity to do in March?

When the twins were born, we started a new March tradition – the Henrico County Kite Festival. We’ve done it every year, but this year – it was extremely cold and rain last weekend when the festival took place.

It seemed like the festival came early this year, probably because Easter is early this year. But I digress.

The festival is a great family affair. You go to this park in the county and everyone is out there with their kites. You can see all the kites in the sky as you approach the park. Kites of every shape and size soaring through the air. It’s beautiful.

We always pack a lunch, meet some other friends and make a day out of it. We might fly our kites for a bit, sit and watch the other kites for a while, have a snack or play some ball. We always bring a few other activities for the kids. And the Parks and Rec Department always has a few activities for the kids too.

Last year, for the first time, the kids really got into the kites. They helped daddy put them together. Sure the process would have quicker without their help, but it was cool that they took such an interest.

Then they wanted to hold the reel that releases the string. They didn’t quite understand what they were doing and often crashed the kite with their efforts. Still it was fun to enjoy a “family” event in the fresh air.

I felt a little like the family at the end of Mary Poppins (I promise not to strut around with a sash chanting about women’s right to vote). They had finally found time for each other and were truly enjoying each other’s company. “Let’s go fly a kite . . .”

Since we missed the festival this year, I think we will have to take the kids out another day later this month or early in April. April would be good since it’s National Kite Flying Month.

I’ve never really been good at flying a kite. But I’ve never had so much fun trying as with my kids helping. When was the last time you flew a kite?

Leave a Comment » | Events, Family Fun, Holidays, Memories, Parenting, Toddlers, Twins | Tagged: activites, Events, Family Fun, kite flying, kites, March, Parenting, Toddlers, tradition, Twins | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Christmas in March

March 12, 2008

On Saturday, my children woke up and scurried downstairs to the living room like it was Christmas morning to find a pile of “new toys” much to their delight. What, you say. It’s only March.

No, the Easter bunny didn’t make an early stop at our house. And no, I haven’t joined some weird religion that has moved Christmas to March. But I am a member of a club (club, not cult) that made my children’s Saturday morning joy possible.

I am a member of a Moms of Multiples club, a club for parents who have had twins, triplets or more. That fact alone did not bring Christmas to my house in March. But the club’s bi-annual fundraiser did.

In an effort to raise funds for the club and put a little money back in the pockets of the members, the club started holding a Kid’s Stuff Only Yard Sale twice a year.

Members clean out their closets and attics, bringing out gently used kid’s clothes, toys, nursery items, books and videos to sell. We each price our own items, but we put them out in like categories (i.e. all the girls clothes that are size 6 go together, all the toys go together, all the books, etc.).

The club makes 15% of whatever we sell. We take home the rest. Sure it’s not a lot of money, but it’s enough to cover a few extras like a membership at the children’s museum or to cover the cost of the twins’ birthday party. And when you have twins, every little bit helps.

But selling is only half the fun. Members also get to pre-buy. We set up everything on Friday night and the sale is Saturday morning from 8-11. But after we setup, members get first crack at cruising through the isles to find deals.

I am able to find a lot of good deals on clothes this way – and trust me it’s important to get deals when you are buying for two at a time. Most of the clothes are gently used, but some are brand new (kids outgrew them before they got a chance to wear them).

But for my kids, it’s what else I bring home that tickles their fancy. By the time I get home Friday night, they are asleep. But they know Saturday morning some new-to-them toys will be waiting for them.

Last fall I spent $3 and the twins thanked me for an hour. I kid you not. I know you are thinking what did she buy? I bought a box a legos.

But they were just so thrilled at having something new (at least to them) to play with that they would play with them for a few minutes then one of them would come by and thank me. Then they’d go play again and then the other would come by to thank me again. This routine went on for an hour – over a box of legos.

The yard sale lets us rotate toys so the kids don’t get bored with them. They get to try out a lot more toys that if I had to buy them new.

This year when I was tagging things to sale the twins noticed for the first time I was taking some of their toys away. I kept hearing “That’s mine Mommy.” But I explained that they were too big for those toys any more.

But any grumblings disappeared when they saw there bounty Saturday morning. My son got T-Rex Mountain, the ImagiNext dinosaur set. He has been roaring all week. And my daughter is still primping in front of the Princess vanity she got. I paid a fourth of what these items retail for and they are both in great condition.

And when the twins aren’t playing with these toys, they are toting around the Look and Find books I got them. They love to “read” and the only way I can keep them in books (without going broke) is to buy them at the yard sale. We even had to take the new books to dinner with us Saturday night.

And don’t tell the twins (luckily they are two young to read mommy’s articles), but I even picked them up a surprise for their third birthday – something their grandfather wanted to buy them but they were still too young for when he past away last year – a two-passenger motorized jeep. We’ll be giving this gift to them in Grandpa’s memory.