Car Phone Fun

Remember the 2 paper cups attached by a string and when you pulled the string tight you could communicate through the cups?

Yes, it may be a bit crazy. But I was always looking for ways to make road trips more fun and less boring. (And more memorable, and crazy is memorable. Right?) Car rides can get long with kids. I also wanted to take some of the stress out of the trip by reducing the yelling from the back seat of the van. "Mom I'm hungry! Mom I'm bored! Mom I need to go potty!"
So we came up with an idea to keep the yelling to a minimum in the car.
I grabbed 2 funnels from the kitchen and measured the small opening and then found some clear plastic tubing at the hardware store that would fit over the small end of the funnel. I bought about 8 ft. of this tubing. (I found it in the plumbing section. My tubing had an opening of 3/4" wide.)
Then I slipped the narrow end of a funnel into one end and did the same to the other end. This created our "car phone".
One end was given to the front seat passenger and the other end to the kids in the back seat. Now instead of yelling over the car noise, the air conditioner, the other conversations in the car, and the CD/DVD playing, if we needed to communicate from the front seat to the back of the car we just said "car phone" and the other person can "pick up". To use it one person holds the funnel to their mouth to talk and the other person holds their funnel to their ear to listen. This way we can communicate without yelling back and forth. Besides the practical use of finding out what someone needed, I would also tell stories, read a book, or just have a fun conversation. It definitely added fun and reduced stress for our trips.

(FYI These pictures were NOT taken while she was driving. Front seat passenger should do the talking NOT the driver.)

Bird Feeder

I woke up early the other day to the birds singing and I was glad to hear their happy sounds. The kids have made a variety of bird houses and bird feeders that have hung in the back yard over the years. I think my favorite are the humming birds that flit in and out so quickly. I also enjoy the bird bath in the garden too. It is always fun to watch the birds enjoying the water.
Here is a great idea for recycling a water bottle and turning it into a great bird feeder. With all the water bottles used this time of year, this makes a great summer project.
Have fun with your kids or grandkids.
http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-make-bird-feeder-from-water.html

Reading With Your Kids

Reading was always a part of our bedtime rituals at our house. Whether I read with the kids or they listened to audio books it was the final finishing touch on the day. (Just last night I asked my 19 year old son if he wanted to do some evening reading with me of a historical fiction book. Not sure that he'll take me up on it. But it would be fun. To me it's like exercising, I'm more likely to do it if I have accountability to someone.) Here is a great article about the importance of reading out loud with your kids and some ideas for a few good books to read with them this summer.
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=21010121&nid=999&title=6-fascinating-books-to-read-aloud-with-kids-ages-8-12