Making Memories

I love making memories with my kids

Maybe it’s because I just turned another year older recently.

Maybe it’s because the reality of an empty nest is upon me.

Maybe it’s because my baby will be graduating high school the same year my oldest baby is graduating college. (2013)

Maybe it’s because I never want to forget.

BUT lately, I’ve just been remembering and waltzing down memory lane.

It probably doesn’t surprise many of you to know that I’m a happy go lucky kind of gal.  Roll with it, fix what you can and smile through the rest.

Seriously, what else can you do? Right?

It's in that kind of spirit that I wanted to give you some fun things to do to simply make memories.  After all, that will mean more to you than a clean house, money in the bank and a nice car one day.  Mom’s seriously, if someone comes over and you have a sink full of dishes but you PLAYED with your kids, smile and say – dishes can wait, my kids can’t.

Making Memories is as simple as:

• Laying on a blanket looking at clouds and or stars
• Having an afternoon tea party with your princess and her stuffed friends
• Playing basketball in the yard
• Painting fingernails
• Walking in the park
• Reading out loud together
• Late night movie fests, with popcorn and m&m’s
• Mail cards to your small children. They LOVE getting mail. (ok, mail cards to your child...period. ) We all love mail!
• Take silly photos. Yes, we want the pretty family pictures, but always, always ALWAYS take the silly ones too.
• Dream together.  Know what your children dream of doing.  Secretly work to make it happen
• Toss the football
• Handle problems together
• Bake a cake and don’t wait for it too cool before frosting it and eating it. Such a treat.  And do NOT cut perfect squares.  Just scoop it out.
• Try new recipes together. If they don’t turn out, laugh!
• Share PB&J’s
• Buy chocolate chip cookie dough for the sole purpose of eating it raw
• Walk in the snow together. Try to catch snowflakes. Close your eyes and enjoy the coolness on your cheeks
• Sing in the car! Sing loud.
• Go to the park and swing.  If they have a tall sliding board, slide! If they have a see-saw, even better
• Explore your city together.  Let your child take pictures.  You’d be surprised at what they love….pictures are worth a thousand words
• Plan a day of NOTHING. NO chores, no dishes, no cooking – tell everyone – it’s a lazy day all around.
• Let your child play with the camera on your phone and be silly with them.
• Color. Seriously.  When is the last time you got a HUGE box of crayons and colored? (psst..make sure you color outside the lines)
• Ask your child what made them smile this week.
• Sit on the floor and play.
• Have a mad, crazy game night.  Order in Pizza and play one board game after another
• Hot Chocolate out with the kids
• Picnic outside with an ordinary meal
• Pop some popcorn and sprinkle with different flavorings. Try ranch, taco or even cinnamon sugar
• Text your kids.  Seriously.  Text them randomness, facts of the day, verse of the day, silly photos.
• Give turn down service. Leave a small piece of their favorite chocolate on their pillow and a note saying you love them.
• Play in the rain.  Just do it.  Treat it like snow.  Have fun!
• Hold hands.
• Always play music from a juke box. ALWAYS. Do not let this opportunity pass you by
• Have cereal for dinner
• Enjoy the extra sprinkles without question
• Roast marshmallows and hotdogs
• Blow bubbles
• Write on the porch or driveway with sidewalk chalk
• Play hopscotch
• Cry together.  (Not only will you make a wonderful memory of support, you’ll let your child know that it is ok to cry.)
• Shower them with hugs and kisses. Even when they don’t want them. They will thank you for it one day
• Always answer the question. Even if they’ve asked 100 times already.  Just answer it.
• Eat cotton candy together
• Collect sea shells together
• Gaze at a rainbow
• Volunteer together
• Have water balloon fights
• Play “cars” on the floor
• Enjoy go-kart riding with your kids
• Have dessert first
• Experiment with homemade pizza.  Use tortilla shells, wraps or bagels.  Have fun creating different kinds
• Have your kid’s friends over and have a peanut butter contest. See how creates the coolest sandwich w/peanut butter.
• Dance with your kids.  Be footloose and fancy free
• Catch lightning bugs
• Make homemade banana splits or sundaes.  Have toppings galore
• Spend time in a hammock together
• Host a neighborhood art exhibit
• Have a watermelon seed spitting contest. Only rule is EVERYONE must participate
• Play in the sprinkler
• Feed ducks
• Enjoy a petting zoo together.  Pet something you are afraid of
• Start a Thank you Journal, and add pics and notes about people who make a difference in your world and then DO something sweet for them
• Start a lemonade stand and donate proceeds to Spreading Joy
• Build a fort out of blankets and camp out in the living room
• Play in the town of “____” with huge cardboard boxes
• Silhouette art – draw an outline of your head and frame it.  Lamp without shade, black construction paper and it’s practically done.
• Jump rope
• Hula hoop
• Play in the band. Yes..you.  Mom, grab that broom and make it sing! Pots and wooden spoons make great instruments
• Make hand turkeys each year and watch how they grow
• Make, freeze and enjoy frozen kool-aid
• Whip up some mud pies.  Ohhhh the memories there.
• Watch the rain together.
• Go roller skating together
• Disney for everyone
• Make Snow Angels
• Remember out loud with your kids.  Talk about the fun, silly, serious things that you love about each of them.
• Send your child something unique to them for no reason. Again, everyone loves surprises in the mail
• Go for a long walk
• Fly a kite
• Plan a scavenger hunt.  Do it at a mall with pictures, or at home.  Leave fun clues.
• Cozy up by a warm fire and talk about nothing
• Bake cookies together
• Saturday Morning Cartoon Fest.  See if you can find some awesome cartoons of Yester Year.  Bugs Bunny, Road Runner etc.
• Pancakes for everyone.  Make a wide variety, chocolate chip, banana or sprinkle in some cinnamon for a delightful flavor.
• Is your child going on a sleepover or away for the weekend, week, summer etc? Slip a note into their bag telling them you'll miss them and love them. This seems so very small, but is actually HUGE in their eyes.

Tell me, what are some things that you do to make memories?  What memories do you have as a child that has just stuck with you?

Please share them with us as you never know who you’ll inspire to do those things to make memories of their own.

Inspire us in the comment section below