It’s been a very white winter here in the Heartland. We’ve had a lot of snow (and awful ice) storms. On Friday we were supposed to get 3 inches. We got 8. Today we got another several inches which continues to blow all over the streets. We are currently under a blizzard warning, a winter storm warning, winter weather advisory, and a wind chill advisory as temps hover around 7 degrees BELOW zero. Good times.
But there is one good thing about all this snow. Sledding.
We got the kids new sleds for Christmas this year. [And then we forgot all about …read more

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in the Midwest. We’ve already had a few inches of snow and a couple of ice storms. And it’s not even officially winter yet. When I was a child I loved living in Iowa. My friends and I would play in the snow for hours coming in to go to the bathroom and sip some hot chocolate and then back outdoors. But now that I’m an adult I prefer curling up in a blanket on the couch over building a snow fort.
Even though I really want to stay indoors all winter …read more

The whole family is ready for the weekend – it has been a jam packed week of activities, homework, and daily drama. The kids have already asked if we can order pizza, pop some popcorn and have a Wii party tonight.
I love the Wii because it is so interactive and has such a great selection of games for 4 players. Our favorite Wii party games are:

Wii Sports – Bowling is by far the best game made for Wii because everyone can pick it up easily and be successful.
Smarty Pants: Trivia for Everyone- Wii puts a fun twist on trivia! Play …read more

My son turned 12 this summer and when we were in the planning stages of his birthday party, he mentioned he wanted 6 of his buddies to spend the night. Immediately I imagined 7 tween boys running loose in my house and started to shutter. But then the idea hit me – a tent!

I suggested that they make the theme of the party a camp out and we get a tent, cook smores by the camp fire and make it an outdoor party. My son thought that was a great idea. We live on 4 acres in a quiet neighborhood …read more

Studies have shown that teens who are bored, stressed and/or have lots of spending money are more likely to smoke, drink, use illegal drugs and have sex. When school is in session it’s easier to keep their minds off the “bad” things and more on the “good” things. With school, homework and extracurricular activities teens stay busy and have less time to get bored and therefore in trouble. But during the summer break it only takes a couple of days before parents start to hear “I’m sooo booored.”
So what can we do to keep our teens busy? We’ve already given …read more

On a whim we decided to take a family road trip yesterday up to Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore is one of our favorite day trip options because there are so many family-friendly things to do while you are there!

Our favorite things to do in Baltimore include:

National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor – kids of all ages love it and you can go back over and over. I love the spiral descent from the rainforest down through the giant shark tanks the best. The kids always love the dolphin show, too.
Maryland Science Center – we visited the science center yesterday to see …read more

Summer is here and we are kicking off a new series at Weary Parent aptly called – Camp Weary Parent! Christine and I will be sharing ideas, activities, and survival tactics for a summer of fun with our tweens and teens. Of course, we’d love your input too, so feel free to leave us links to summer fun activities.
Let’s kick off the summer with a fun game that will get kids moving, thinking and laughing. The game is called “Here, There and Everywhere”.
What you need:

A group of kids of any age – the game can be played with 1-100 kids
An …read more

Like my shiny new purple golf clubs? Mr. WearyParent finally took my request for golf clubs seriously and he and the kids got me a set for Mother’s Day. When I first asked for them a few years ago, he laughed at me – literally – not to be mean, but just because he was so taken aback that I wanted them.
So, why would I want to play golf? Well, I have this theory. My thought is that couples who can find an activity to do together that is fun, healthy, and lasts a lifetime, have a better chance of …read more

For my 21st birthday I went out to the bar like many young adults do for that big birthday. I went with some friends and my boyfriend (now husband). I drank way too much beer and way too many shots. We stayed in a hotel that night and the next morning I walked out in to the sun with my boyfriend and friends and instantly threw up in the bushes. The sun was just too bright for my hungover self. That whole day I was miserable. I remember trying to give my nine-month-old son a bath and trying not to …read more

Today is the last day of Spring Break and we are taking the kids to Busch Gardens to ride some rollercoasters, see the shows and have a day of family fun!  Speaking of families and fun, what did you do this week with your kids that was fun?