I intended to unveil an action-packed post today highlighting the easy and exciting Small Hands Big Hearts event at the Minnesota Children’s Museum (MCM).

With no school today, I just knew we would pack up a couple of pairs of mittens and socks to donate to the shelter, put together cards for the children’s hospital, and make some pet toys for the humane society all with the help of MCM. After all that, I figured we would burn off extra energy, a side effect of the cabin fever currently gripping us, by running around the much-beloved exhibits in the museum.

Extra energy, bah!

It nears lunch time even as I type, and the three of us still reside in our pajamas. All of our extra energy seems to have been sapped by the snow and dark, dreary sky. Add to that the fact that I’m nearing the midpoint of my pregnancy with our third child, and let’s just say the children’s museum is my Everest at the moment.

So instead of the high energy exploration of MCM, we settled in at our own kitchen table. Together, we made cards for the kids featured at Make a Child Smile.

This used to be a regular activity, but since school began, we have lapsed. This was an excellent opportunity to start the conversation anew.

Miss Kindergarten protested at first, assuring me that the kids’ “moms and dads will make them smile; they don’t need us.”

I reminded her that we all need as much love and cheer as possible when we’re not feeling well. Of course, this brought up more difficult questions. Why do kids get sick? What is cancer? Will they be okay?

I answered it all as delicately and honestly as possible. Before we were done, we added several family members to our card love list. Then we set out to make cupcakes for some neighbors who are under the weather. For a low energy day, it has been rather productive! Perhaps I should ditch the pajamas… nah!

Tags: Craft, Free, Parenting Challenges

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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