Movie Day

We just started doing this movie day once a week for the summer. Someone from the ward told me about it. Every Weds this movie theater shows an older disney movie and in order for the kids to get in free they have to fill out a book report. It's to help keep them reading during the summer and for kids under 6 they can draw a picture from a story you have read to them. Then they allow you in to the movie and put your name in for a drawing they do at the end of the movie. They have a 1st, second and third place prize.. They start with the 3rd which is a sack with a book and a pencil and a marker and maybe some stickers. Then the 2nd place has a little more stuff, then the 1st place has even a little more.. Today they showed Happy Feet and the kids had a blast.. When the show was over they brought out the box that had all the reports and picts. in it and started drawing the names for the prizes. When it got to the last prize which was 1st place they said Logan Hoyt and all my kids started screaming and jumping up and down. It was so funny.. Logan was so proud of herself. In her sack she got a sponge bob operation game, a dora hard cover book. A Blues Clues nursery rhymes book, A kung fu panda magazine, A pencil, A marker, some tatoos.. It was a pretty nice gift. I wish I would have gotten a picture but of course I forgot.. There is about 200 kids there. The cinema is usually full so it was quite the odds of getting your name picked so we were pretty excited.

Afterwards I decided to take them out to mcdonalds for a happy meal and let them play on the big slide for a while... This was quite a treat for them because steve and I hate Mcdonalds food so we never go there and the kids always beg us to take them but we never do. We went with another lady from our ward and her 2 sons and they always do the mcdonalds lunch after the movie so last week i promised them that this time I would let them go.. Of course the food was gross as always and the service was just as bad, but they had a wonderful time...Plus it gives me some good quality time to spend with them that I just dont do very often. It felt so good when Austin and Jessie came up to me and gave me a hug and genuinly said thanks mom this has been the best day.. It about made me cry.. Its so easy to forget that its the little things like this and just spending a little time with them that means the most to them.. Last night I took them to the park for a couple hours and I played catch with my son and I pushed the girls on the swing and we went on a walk by the lake to look at the fish. It was alot of fun... I'm trying hard to at least take 2-3 days a week now to just spend some time with them doing something fun whether its playing some games or going to the park or this movie thing or even going on some bike rides. They always used to say all mom does is work on her computer and that made me feel bad but it was true and to an extent it still is.. With my die cut store on ebay I tend to get pretty busy and I spend the majority of my days down in my computer room doing cuts and working on the computer when I'm not running my kids around to their activitys, so my kids are left to themselves to find things to do and play.. Im trying to turn over a new leaf.. My family is what is most important so i'm trying to make an effort to do something with them everyday even if its only for a few mins... Its hard and will take some getting used to but it is so worth it.. Hopefully I will get to a place where I can start finding some time to take each one of them and do something with them on a one to one without the other kids.. Exspecially with steve gone as much as he is that wont probably happen for a while but its a goal I'm shooting for.. I want to be a cool mom that my kids are proud of and want to be around not a grouchy mom that never spends any time with them and they dont want to spend time with me.. As they get older it will be harder and harder so now is the time to start.. It's sad that it takes until we become grandparents to finally slow down and enjoy lifes every precious moment and take the time to smell the flowers. And by then its to late for our kids..

So here's to my new goals.. I'd love to hear other peoples storys on how they do it and balance their family time. Any tips, tricks, ideas would be great!!