Stacey Skrysak

I’m think they would last a couple of hours tops!

Monday Morning Cuteness: I’ve always taken pride in being the mom who shows up. It can be exhausting, and sometimes a little chaotic (hello first graders!), but I love seeing my children’s smiles when I can be part of their important days.

I took the day off of work Friday to spend it with 60+ first graders at their end of the year field trip to the zoo. It’s not always easy finding that work/family balance, but it’s so worth it. I love getting to spend moments like this one-a day full of smiles, just as much as I love that my girls can see me hard at work, in a successful career.

Every single day! 😂

“Last year, a teacher brought balloons to school and asked his students to blow them all up and then had them all write their names on one of the balloons.

Once they wrote their names on the balloons. they tossed them in the hallway while the teacher mixed them from one end to the other.

The teacher then gave them five minutes to find their balloon with their name on it. The students ran around looking frantically but as time ran out, nobody had found their own balloon.

Then the teacher told them to take the ballon closest to them and give it to the person who's name was on it.

In less than two minutes everyone had their own balloon.

Finally, the teacher said "Balloons are like happiness. No one will find it looking for theirs only. Instead, if everyone cares about each other they will find theirs as quickly as possible."

I always love sharing this ❤️

A big shout out to all the kids who didn’t win an award, make honor roll, and barely made it through the school year.

A big hug to the moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers, and foster parents that stuck by them as they maneuvered the school year.

To the kids that didn’t get invited to the prom, didn’t get a scholarship to college, and perhaps have to go straight to work out of high school....you are still worthy of a pat on the back and a Facebook post with people talking about how amazing you are.

Some kids have to work twice as hard as other students just to get a C. Their achievements deserve recognition.

Don’t forget those kids.

Kindness, creativity, and generosity....those attributes don’t always get the accolades.

(Credit unknown)

💯

I took away my daughters’ iPads.

I took away all their electronics.

I’m so tired of them gravitating to their devices from the second they wake up until the second they fall asleep.

So, I took them away this weekend and told my two children to go play.

No phones. No iPads. No video games.

And guess what?

We lived to talk about it.

After the initial cries and whining and panic set in by my oldest, the two eventually found themselves at the table creating a Lego masterpiece. They wandered outside and came up with a trampoline routine, complete with handmade tickets to see their “show”. And we all picked up books, spending a lazy afternoon sprawled out on the couch.

Electronics have brought out the worst in my girls.

The meltdowns and the emotional outbursts when we say “time’s up” aren’t healthy. They’re becoming more and more to their devices, and I feel like electronics are slowly chipping away at their creativity.

I remember the days of playing outside with the neighborhood kids, the skits we would come up with, and lemonade stands we would hold at the corner.

We need to let our children be bored.

And here’s the thing—it starts with us.

I’m the first to admit that I need to put my own phone down and be present, to unplug from TikTok and the mindless scrolling.

As I put my own phone away, I watched my girls, their unique minds at work as they built Legos and crafts.

Friends, take it from me: let them be bored.

Chances are, their imagination will soar.

**a good reminder as we get ready for summer.

RIGHT?!?!?!?!?

Such an important reminder moms ❤️

Via Joanna Goddard

Monday Morning Cuteness: what happened to my little miracle child?! Peyton spent the weekend with her camp friends, getting dolled up for her friend’s Bat Mitzvah. I spent the weekend watching her immersed with these sweet friends, whom she spends one month of the year with at a camp in Wisconsin. The other 11 months are filled with FaceTime calls and a text chain of 20 camp friends (yes, boys, too 😳).

I love that my daughter has different groups of friends: her school friends, her swim friends, and her camp friends. Even at the moments when she may feel left out, she has so many close groups of friends. And those camp friends have become lifelong friendships! For the record—I love that kids now wear sneakers with their fancy dresses. After years of wearing four inch heels, I would have loved to put comfort first!

Happy Mother’s Day!!! In our home, handmade cards are my favorite gifts. I hope you all felt loved and special on this day. I spent several hours planted in my giant “reading chair”, enjoying some peace and quiet as I got lost in a book.