Blog Posts by Amy, Using Our Words

undefined"How are you?"

What used to be a passing nicety is now a loaded question.

"How are you?"

Photo by UsingOurWords.comThere's no doubt this is the scariest time of the year. But it's not the ghosts, witches and goblins that do me in. It's the ketchup bottles and men in yellow hats. (Ok, not men, one particularly feisty baby, really.)

For some reason Halloween brings out the momster in me. I feel this bizarre need to prove my insane creativity in the form of costumes for very little (very uncooperative) people. It all started when my son was 18 months old. (Well, I guess it really started when he was about 15 months old...these things take time.) I told my sewing-machine-lovin' mother in law that I thought the cutest costume ever for a 'Heinz' would be a ketchup bottle. But not just any ketchup bottle. A hand-painted, personalized Heinz ketchup bottle.

A 2-hour flight, a weekend of intense research at the fabric store and a custom-designed pattern later, our vision started to come to life. Not even raging wild fires and an evacuation could slow us down. This would be the best. costume. ever.

Photo by Amy, UsingOurWords.comIt's funny, I'm not a fan of change. I like things to be routine, predictable. So the fact that this summer was packed with newness should have me going crazy. And, in a way it does. But the good kind of crazy. The kind of crazy that makes you laugh out loud-just at the thought of it.

That's because this was the summer it all started.

It was the summer a baby girl won our hearts with her first cries, coos, smiles, giggles and screams.

It was the summer a shy little guy turned into a real honest-to-goodness boy who walks with confidence, talks with insight and even rides the bus to kindergarten.

It was the summer a feisty toddler became a preschooler who's thrilled to be exploring his very own interests, fears and place in the world. (Even on those days being a middle child has its challenges.)

It was the summer our family grew. In numbers. In maturity. In love. It was the summer that we didn't go many places, but we felt like the world was all ours. It was the summer that will

Photo by Big, Using Our WordsWhile trips to museums, zoos and parks may have to slow down now that school's back in session, here are five ways to have some fun around home in the afternoons.

Photo by Amy, Using Our WordsYesterday was my son's first day of kindergarten. And, yes, I've known this day was coming for close to five and a half years. But it snuck up on me anyway. I wasn't ready for it. But it turns out my son, Big, was. Which was really surprising given how sensitive and emotional he tends to be. As I look back on all the things I should have done, I realize that not doing some of the prep is actually what led to our family's success. So should you have a newborn baby/stacks of paper you can't see over/denial issues, here's how I suggest you get your kid ready for kindergarten.

Forget about the summer worksheets your preschool teacher sends home. I came across ours last week, swore at myself, and asked Big if he wanted to do them. He picked a couple he liked and seemed excited about getting to work. I figure if I'd remembered I had the monster stack, I might have pushed him to do them all…and made him a bit more nervous about the academics to come.

It turns out we practiced

Little non-swimmersSwimming. Over the years the word has had a lot of different meanings to me.

When I was very young, the baby pool was home for the summer. It meant friends, fun and snack bar goodies. By the time I was eight, it meant early mornings, blue ribbons and pool records. Soon came the Olympic dreams (far fetched as they were) and a confidence that I didn't have in other parts of my life.

At thirteen swimming became an escape, a way to transfer schools to avoid the mean girl who was plaguing me. By fourteen, my Olympic dreams were long gone, but the dreamy boys were front and center-in Speedos. For years I lifeguarded, taught swim lessons to adorable little kids and I grew up in the water. But after an injury or two (including a broken heart), my love of the sport faded.

Even so, every time I get in the water, a flood of memories and emotions comes rushing back. I feel peace, strength, grace-and I feel at home.

You might assume that because of my past, I'd have little water babies of my

Photo by Amy, Using Our WordsDon't get me wrong, I love the smell of salt water on my skin and the freeze of pina coladas on my brain. And if I didn't have 3 kids ranging from 6 weeks old to 5 years old, I'd be on a plane to Hawaii at this very moment. But I do. So this summer, we'll be making the most of being at home-in the all-American 'burbs.

Some of our favorite things to do include…

Playing in the Street

Plasma cars, scooters, sidewalk chalk and neighborhood buddies are afternoon favorites around here. I love the way cars yield to little ones riding their hearts out and-with a bit of help from some the world's greatest sidewalk artists-driveways turn into twisty and turny raceways that even the most experienced drivers can't get enough of. And on those days the sidewalk gets too hot, the grass quickly transforms to a water park.

Dancing in the Park

To me the telltale sign of summer is seeing kids of all ages letting loose at our local concerts in the park. Every Wednesday I throw some

Photo by Amy, UsingOurWords.comMuch to my 5-year old's disappointment, I'm not a camper. In fact my friends joked that the reason I had a baby this Spring was so I could avoid their annual summer camping trip. Again. (And they just might have been right.)

I have no doubt that one day this will catch up to me. I'll lose the battle-weeping through the night with frozen toes and itchy arms-to prove how much I love my family. But for now, I've got a way to keep my kids thinking I'm pretty cool. With a lot less dirt and drama.

Friday Adventures. (It even sounds cool, right?)

My kids love Fridays. They know each week that we'll have our special day together. We get up, pack a simple lunch, hop in the car and go wherever the mood takes us. Living in the SF Bay Area, we have far more options than Fridays-especially since my boys tend to have their favorite spots they pick time and again-so it's always exciting to hit the road. Museums, amusement parks, aquariums, playgrounds, you name it.

Friday adventures bring us new