Hard work and Parent Child Contracts: Being Proactive to Stop the Homework Whining

My son is a bright boy. He is resilient, knows all about animals and there habitats, and a playful boy, acting our crocodile attacks on zebras with accurate animals noises included. But when it comes to his fine motor skills, he has really improved, however he won't be a calligrapher. Maybe via graphic design?

And I know with the latest technology, iPads are the future in "writing" reports, worksheets, and nearly all assignments. Especially by his high school days. My grandchildren probably will have a 3D Pinterest board titled "I don't know what this is:" that beams pictures like a hologram from their iPad v25. And the hologram will be of a Pencil!

But there's something to be said for hard work and perseverance. See my recent bank confusion and perseverance success here. And when we talk about homework and school tests, we don't praise the grade, we praise the work! We say "Good grade, your hard work studying (or reading or just doing homework everyday) really paid off." 

It's the end of the first week of school and his penmanship is legible... the teacher can "read the answer" which has always been our goal. When he brought home an assignment to complete yesterday, he was still falling into some bad habits. I bring the corrections to his attention: 

- "start words all the way to the left,

- use Capital Letters!

- we didn't finger space here did we?"

So what's a mom to do? Be PROactive an flip the script on my kid. I hate lecturing, because it doesn't work since kids can't follow the long train of thought... And I just get exhausted. So instead I make it a positive learning tool. 

For example: last year my older son  struggled to remember his homework responsibilities, so I wrote up a contract which we referenced nearly every day the first month of school - see the homework contract here. Instead of being REactive to his complaints at homework time, I anticipated the whining and instead I was PROactive by having him read the contract, outloud. After we put back packs down and changed our clothes, he'd come to the kitchen for snack time and he'd start reading te contract which was taped to the wall by his seat as he waited for the food.

So this year he knows the homework routine, and now we can focus on the details of what's expected in his work.

I found this graphic on the Internet which highlights Good Writing Habits. My color ink is Out on our inkjet, so we brightened it up the ol' fashioned way, with markers.




areyousureaboutthatblog Being a Better Writer, Starts Here...

This fabulous and small reminder will be where last years homework contract resided. And he'll have to read it everyday out loud before snack. Hopefully this ingrains the expectations to help in his results - better penmanship!

"What good writers do..."

 • They think about their topic.

 • They write neatly.

 • They use a Capital Letter at the beginning.

 • They use punctuation at the end . ? !

 • They use finger spaces.

 • They read it over and over.

 • They ask if it makes ? sense.

I hope this helps with our penmanship. Even tho iPads are the future of "writing" I think that this exercise in hard work, I get better results teaches my son to persevere!(? I hope!).

We've always said a few regular "reminders" for Older Sons penmanship:

• Write Slow
• Make your most BEAUTIFUL letters
• When Assignments come home - we write the letter or the word 5 times, NOT 20!
• We tell our son AND the teacher that "the teacher has to be able to read it to grade it!"
• Please review your sheet and YOU find where you can write it Neater!

Well - at least the teacher thinks his work is improving!

areyousureaboutthatblog Teacher even likes his improved penmanship

The days are long, the years are short. Make Mistakes, Breathe, Reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud.

Easy Garden Pasta

We have a small garden that we tend too at home, nearly year round. The boys help pick what we grow each season, plant the seeds, weed and hardest our produce.

Our cherry tomatoes, which we planted waaayyyyy too many off, are coming in. During nap time I started the dish. While my pasta was boiling, for 8 minutes, I went out and picked a bowl full of tomatoes.

I washed and cut the tomatoes into quarters. I drained the pasta, and in the pasta pot, heated some olive oil, and sauted 4 chopped cloves of garlic for 5 minutes on low. Tossed in the tomatoes and sauted for an additional 6 minutes or so. Yes that whole bowl of tomatoes because we are making a big bath of pasta.

Added some fresh chopped green onions for moms bowl. 

Bag of pasta $0.89 cents. 

Everything else was in the pantry and garden.

Yes it was very yummy!! 

Make mistakes, breath, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud

It Can Be Easy to Make Time for Mommy Moments and Quality Kid Moments too

I just put my baby girl and young son down for their naps. At 18 months she sleeps nearly 2 hours and he's 4 sleeping only sometimes, but always resting (for at least 20 minutes).

As I take him upstairs, holding hands, we talk about what we can do after resting time. He wants to play at the park. I tuck him in, give him a kiss, put on some songs he likes and say sleep tight. That took a whole 5 minutes? Maybe 7? I could've easily sent him up alone to get into bed. I have lunch to make, dinner, fold 2 baskets of clothes, and write up some insect labels, insights my older sons 2nd grade memory book, get my coffee, etc., etc., etc...  When isn't there a list of things to do?

And that's when it hit me... Above our bed I finally hung up our Fathers Day Hands and Feet Project. Check it out here. And baby girls feet have a quote written in the space between her prints, "The best things in life aren't things!" While my to do list is exhaustive and infinite, my sons childhood is not. Capturing a few minutes everyday with him in between my to do list is a great way to stay connected and not get caught up in "the things" that don't matter. Will I remember the piles if laundry, probably, and with a feeling of sheer exhaustion accompanying that thought. But I will also remember that nearly everyday, I walked my son upstairs for his nap, had a chat, and got a snuggle and kiss from his cute face - now that's a memory worth stopping everything for!!

Here's some quick ways to get some great mommy moments (and memories) for a lifetime:

1. One of the best pieces of advice from my Older Sons preschool packet was "take 15 minutes every hour to spend with your child." Sounds insane I know. And no it's not easy for multitasking moms. But who said this parenting thing is easy? Our kids long for their parents attention, so why not do it on your time?

Now, you may think 15 minutes is a lot, and for some it is. But the opposite is that every time your kid comes to you, you end up saying "not now," "maybe later" and "honey mommys busy." Tell me again when your getting that kid time in? When I found myself saying these No in these creative ways, I knew I had to make a change. Here's what I've done over the last few years. Pick one habit to start. Do it for 3 days, then a week, it'll come easier then you think.

15 Minute Mommy Moments: 

- when its cleanup time, I take a moment to "help" the kids get started, instead of standing over them dictating where things go, we lead by example, and put a few toys away whole recommending where there tots should go to. We clean up together. I do not do it for them.

- when they start watching TV I sit down with them for a few minutes. It helps me monitor what there watching while snuggling with my older son who usually isn't interested anymore!

- we eat all meals together at the table!! Granted its not snuggling, but it's a positive interaction where we connect by talking about the day and our family plans.

- walking my son in to bed for nap time, sometimes we even read a book together while baby girl nurses to sleep.

The days are long, but the years are very very short. 

Make mistakes, breath, and Laugh.Out.Loud

Summer Bucket List: Here's What we Didn't Do

I have to say that after reviewing my Summer Bucket List post I realized that so much DID NOT get done at home. And it's only fair to tell you that while I blog about a lot of fun that we have, and the occasional mishaps, we are a NORMAL CRAZY family. Here's what did not get done this summer.

What we DIDN'T Do this Summer!

• Laundry, where often we wore underwear for two days. (If you have never Googled "Piles of Laundry Pictures," totally do it!!! You will feel so much better about your self, either your above it, you just got a load done - and folded - or you can co-miserate with others.)
• Dishes, while I started my boys on unloading the dishwasher everyday, often dishes would sit for 2, 3, and 4 days.
• Sleep schedule. What sleep schedule?? We often napped in the car (with the engine off in the garage..I wasn't gonna risk WAKING 3 kids mid-transfer to their beds in the daytime, when I could easily lay my car chair back and nap too).
• We ate triscuits crackers for lunch or dinner (maybe with bits of cheese)
• ... and we were cleaning up using baby wipes instead of soap and water. OK, and we even washed out sticky hands in rain puddles.
• Spending time with Friends... we did a lot on our own as a family. We took very few walks with our best friends on the block. But we made a lot of new friends everywhere we went. 
• House work. We are so lucky to afford a cleaning lady, who comes every two weeks to help with maintaining a clean home. She washes the floors, launders the towels and our cloth napkins (I can't believe I haven't written a blog post about our Awesome Cloth Napkins at Home).

In addition there was some down time, and rather boring time, for the kids when mom had to:

• Go to the eye doctor to start figuring out what's wrong with my eyes blind spots.
• Take Young Son to the dentist for his first filling.
• Take baby girl for her 18 month doctors appointment and two shots.
• Mowing the lawn
• Having almost NO Tomatoes this year.
• Running errands and food shopping.
• Garage sale - HA The toys and stuff is piled HIGH in the basement

And there's so much more. While our trip to Japan was amazing, it also ate up two weeks in July for the actual trip and many... many... days in June spent packing, repacking and then actually packing. 

Non of this is complaining. Its just, well, reality with kids. 

The days are long but the years are short. 

Make mistakes, Breath, and Laugh.Out.Loud.

Back to School Ways to Save

Summer felt so short this year. Probably between preparing for our trip to Japan and packing the kids for their two weeks with my mom, that prep ate up a lot of time. So, with school starting we are getting back into our routine, and that includes Saving Money while getting our Back To School supplies!!

I love saving money. I get a real thrill knowing that I saved money by Not Spending Money. And for those absolute supply needs its great saving 70%, 80%, and 90% off retail prices. Saving money is an irony for me, because ideally we Do Not  want to spend any money. Don't crack open the wallet if you don't have to. 

The Back to School shopping frenzy sometimes makes us parents feel like we are doing something for our kids, helping their back to school success, and making them happy with new "things." But really do those freshly opened packages of pencils, crayons and markers make them any smarter? On top of the shopping frenzy, there's a small emotional learning for my kids too: you don't have to "shop" for "new things" to be successful in school! Don't get me wrong - sometimes we do need new tools for our job: pencils, or a pencil case, but these items don't improve your reading skills! Or make our kids happier on that first day of school. What's the message when that new pencil breaks? Or their new clothes gets a rip? Is that item, that's now ruined, making them sad?  I should hope not. 

But when it comes to a new school year, there's always a list of supplies that are needed (notice I didn't say need to be purchased).

Here's a few ways we save on School Supplies:

Recycle Last Years Supplies

At the end of the school year my son brings home his pile of papers, projects, half filled notebooks, folders, and used pencils. From 2nd to 3rd grade transition we reused several pencils, folders, notebooks and our book bag. Hos notebooks had maybe 15 pages filled. We ripped those out for reuse. Pencils were resharpened if they were more then half their original size. Otherwise they stay home in our homework basket for at home work. 

Repurpose Packaging

There is the unspoken pressure, as kids get older, to bring in "new supplies" to school. We get around this in 2 ways. 

1 - Keep a Like New Box.Iin my storage area, I keep a few boxes for crayon, colored pencils and markers on hand. So when I'm thrifting, or consolidating a few crayons from a larger box (say 60 crayons), I can put them in a smaller crayon box (24 count). My sons taking a "new" box of crayons to school and moms saving money.

2 - Put it in the Pencil Pouch. We opened our thrifted colored pencils, barely used, and put them in the pencil pouch and tossed the tattered box with another kids name on them. 

Store School Supplies in One Place

You don't need to hord supplies, because excess is wasteful too. But do keep every thing in one place so what you have is easy to find and replenish. 

For us the toy room is an ideal place to securely fasten shelves for kids stuff that isn't often used, but easily accessible. We have our box of large items like notebooks, boxed items like crayons and color pencils, glue sticks and folders. 

Then our pens pencils (see the link to alternative bags) and used crayons go into the supply box, or our kitchen craft shelf for project time.

When craft supplies run low I can easily access our supply boxes. Our "recycle & repurpose" supplies are here to. So creativity is sparked within eyesight of what we may need.

I also keep our incomplete craft sets, unused items, excess usable crayons & markers from previous years here too. Great for future school supply lists and our crafting supplies.

Thrifting and Discount Stores

All discounts are not equal!!! We do thrift, with a tighter belt then in previous years. It's easy to fall into excess, even when your saving money. When school supplies DO go on sale (July / August) Target and Walmart sell crayons for $0.25 a box. So when I'm thrifting, crayons need to beat that price. It pays to be familiar with reduced retail prices so you can know when the thrift stores truly have a deal.

Our rules for thrift stores always apply. 1. It has to work/it is not broken. Even opened packaging is acceptable. Especially with school supplies. Just be logical an think thru if you can: 

1. Find the purchase elsewhere for a better price? 

2. Unique items always come home! 

3. Do you REALLY need it?

Big Box and Discount Stores

The same thrifting theory applies to Big Box & Discount stores. Big Lots recently had heavy stock folders, 15 in a pack for $1.50. That's $0.10 per folder - great deal. But during back to school sales Staples has $0.01 penny folders. That's a Better Deal! I personally won't drive out of my way to another store for a few cents savings, because I'll spend what I would save on folders to drive there in gasoline! If it is not "on the way" I'm not going. So take into consideration the convenience of savings. 

As an aside, read the fine print if you do go in for $0.01 folders or something similar, there's a $5 minimum purchase requirement. So you have to spend to save. Back to Schools a great time because you can stock up on other sale items. But be careful of the impulse buy. You might spend everything you've saved for an item you wouldn't otherwise buy.

My favorite false frugal save is dollar stores. Don't buy crayons for $1 when target sells them for $0.25. And sometimes there brand of markers doesn't last as long as crayons does. So it's not worth buying generic if your running out and buying replacements - due to failure!!

Buy TWO

As the school year passes, by Winter Break its time to restock up on use supplies. New pencils, erasers, maybe a few notebooks and glue stocks need to be replaced. And yes, teachers will ask for Kleenex boxes am paper towels again. So when we make our back to school purchases we usually Buy Two of what we don't have in our supply box at home.

Make mistakes, breath, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud

The days are long but the years are short, very short. As was our summer!!

Re-finish Frames for Fathers Day gift.

You will notice I'm writing this on August 19, and I'm not early for Fathers Day next year,  writing about the one that passed in June 2013.

I have a board on Pinterest with hand, finger and foot print ideas.

These were the inspirations. 

Work in progress. First sanding the ugly gold color frames (okay not ugly, but they don't match our homes style).

My any 'ol box for laying frames in for spray painting so it doesn't go everywhere and all over.

Then I spray painted the frames, about 3 coats letting them dry 10 minutes in between each coat. Baby girl was getting antsy by the end so I gave her a small outdoor water tub and some plastic cups to occupy her for a little longer. 

Here's the finished product hung up at home. Dad loves them, mom too. Thank you Pinterest!

Thing 2 - is my young sons nickname. We even have Thing 1 thru 3 t-shirts from Wisconsin Dells this year. That one has a phrase from "Oh the places you'll go," relevant because my husband read this book to the teachers on the first day of school as a "modeling exercise." But relevant to him too.

 

My older sons hands and feet.

 

Baby girls feet say "the best things in life aren't things." 

 

Here is young son about to wash off the colors form his hands when we made the Thing One and Thing Two imprints.

 

And finally the aftermath and Inspiration that my young son and baby girl enjoyed after we washed the paint off. They decided to paint the sidewalk with the remaining ink on the paint brushes and also "paint" with the water.

Um, this is NOT recommended as we used acrylic paint (for permanence in the project and Kid Art.... it is STILL on my sidewalk a year later).

The days are long the years are short. So enjoy the moment NOW. Paint and All!

Make mistake, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud.

 

Summer Bucket List 2013 (with Chicagoland Area Web Page Links)

After finding lots of great ideas on Pinterest, and creating a MUST DO board for the kids, we finally sat down and wrote our Summer Bucket List. We did a lot of impromptu stuff this summer too - like the Waukegan Library Book Sale a friend posted about on Facebook. Instead of paying .50 cents per kids book and $1 for adults, I got a Big Red Bag of books for $5.

We did put the effort into actually writing out a Summer Bucket List and I like Sharing. At the end of this post is an update with a list of what we actually did, things not on the list, and moms tasks in addition to the list. We didn't craft nearly as much as we usually do either, because we were outside nearly EVERYDAY!!

2013, oUR family summer bucket list

       GO PLACES

□     BEACH!!                                           □     Go to the park (A LOT!!)

□     Water Park (A LOT!!!)                    □     Go bowling

□     Nature hunt (s)                                  □     Alphabet Scavenger hunt

□     Shapes Scavenger Hunt                    □     Have a picnic

□     See movie at a drive in                       □     Santa’s Village

□     Go to A Farm (Glenview)                  □     Wild West Town

□     Museum Days 

AT NIGHT

□        Catch fire flies                                  □        Use the Telescope in the Yard

□        Roast Marshmallows

COLLECT

□     Collect Bottle Caps to make an end of summer Mosaic

□     Bugs, Rocks, Feathers, and …

AT HOME OUTDOORS

□     !! Make JAPAN Paper Ring Chain Countdown !!

□     Grill dinner once a week                 □     Make recycled water pouring wall (pinterest)

□     Make Giant Ice Cube filled with plastic toys to CHIP APART

□     Roast Marshmallows                       □     Blow bubbles (Bubble Station)

□     Eat ice cream and popcorn for dinner

□     Outdoor Alphabet hunt                  □     Exploding Paint – make ART BOMBS

□     Make Bird Bath Mosaic                  □     Block Party

RAINY DAYS

□     Make Stained Glass: Draw Sharpie on wax paper looks like stained glass

□     Build a fort                                       □     Balloon Ninjas to shoot with Nerf Guns

□     Make Hands/Foot Paint Animals    

□     Make Hotwheels race track with drawn race course and tube

□     Make Jet packs from Soda Bottles  

□     Make GEO BOARD (Pegboard w rubber bands)

□     Bake Cookies!!!                                □     Make Fingerprint Ornmnt

□     Move Chalk board to kitchen (Keep family menus on)

□     Paint pebbles/rocks with glow in the dark paint to line the garden/walkway

□     Make MOONSAND                      □     Indoor ALPHABET HUNT

□     Make VOLCANO ERUPTIONS  

□     Make the Outdoor TIC TAC TOE from rocks and wood

□     IVORY SNOW Cloud                   □     Wii, & iPad 

*** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** 

BEACH

We went to the beach a lot. While my mom had the kids during our trip to Japan. They were at the beach nearly every day, sometimes 2x a day. 

ü  Loyola Beach

ü  Indiana Dunes

ü  Boogie Boards at Waukegan Beach

ü  Loyola Beach with our Cousins

GO PLACES

ü  Go to Parks –  a different park each Wednesday with our Cousins (splash pads, climbing gyms), our neighborhood park and surrounding parks, bicycling to the school park, and with Uncle Bogie.

ü  Water Park – only 1x because it was such a cool summer. But we did slip and slide with our neighborhood friends and in the yard. We also had a splash water fight with Dja Dja in his yard.

ü  Nature Hunt – when we were at the Nature Center with our Cousins we did this nature hunt. Totally Fun!  While at the Spring Valley Schaumburg Nature Center (so awesome, includes a ½ hour walk to a mini farm) our cousins granola bar was stolen by a Chicken there.

ü  Have a picnic – everywhere we go for a DAY outing I pack our (found in the alley) California Wheel Cooler with food and we picnic.

ü  Kohl’s Children’s Museum – purchased at 50% off with Travelzoo.com, great deal. Paid $19.50 for two instead of per person.

ü  Roast Marshmallows – with our Tia

ü  Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo (and picnic’s)

ü  2 weeks with Baba – went to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm, saw pigs and cows galore

ü  Glenview Wagner Farm – love this place.

COLLECT

ü  Bugs. We collect dead bugs and pin them. I collected Bugs in Japan and at home.

ü  Rocks at the beach and everywhere else.

AT HOME / OUTDOORS

ü  Make Japan Paper Ring Countdown Chain – read about it.

ü  Make GIANT ICE CUBE PICKER – filled with toys and rocks for the kids to destroy. From Pinterest

ü  Bubble Station – from Pinterest

ü  Build a fort – on rainy days.

ü  Make Hand and Foot Print animals – for fathers day – here’s the result.

ü  Played Wii – only 2x

We did one 2 crafts this summer, the Japan Countdown chain and Telescopes from Toilet Paper Tubes.

Not on the List

ü  On the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER we went to our local library. And to my pleasant surprise they had started the book club THAT DAY. So we joined up….Library Book Club – we joined our library’s book club. We read EVERYDAY this summer, alone, to eachother, and at night time! I AM PROUDEST OF READING EVERYDAY THIS SUMMER!!!

ü  Lake County Fair with Dad

ü  Bike Riding with mom and dad in the Forest, using the bike attachment for Baby boy and Girl to ride in.

ü  My older son chose “an experience” for his birthday instead of a party. We had dinner at “a fancy” restaurant and cake at home at my mom’s in Indiana. Older Sons birthday gift hunt and Trampoline Hunt/Map – see more here

ü  Got Geodes to crack open from our Uncle’s Trip to Colorado with his Cross Country Track Team

ü  Movie and Cookies and Ice Cream with Ciocia Jola, just because

ü  Pirates Cove Amusement Park (and we picnic’d) $11 per child and baby girl was free (they thought she was under 1).

ü  Wicker Park fest, where we grew radish and pinto beans using hydroponic gardening - we used a clear glove instead of the jar. Later these were planted at Baba's house. (This summer, families can watch plants grow without soil in a hydroponic garden)

We also made red current jam from our garden berries (and with frozen mixed berries). We gardened, planted carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins and a few flowers...

Mom actually planned the 4th Annual Block Party this year, booking the jump house, obtaining the permit, and buying kids crafts to paint, bead, and tattoo ourselves to no end.

I also was able to spray paint some ugly gold frames we had to display dads Fathers Day present of the kids hand and foot print animals (Pinterest Inspired). So glad that's done.

So it looks like I am keeping this list for next year. We actually completed about half of the list.....which means we can look forward to have a lot more fun in our future.

The Days are long, but the years are short....Make Mistakes, Breath and Laugh.Out.Loud

School Pencil Pouch Solutions: An Alternative School Supply Solution

I love back to school deals. I do not believe in paying FULL PRICE for anything. NADE, Zero, Zip. When we are out at second hand stores I always keep my eyes open for school supplies, and alternative school supply solutions. I keep them in our school supplies bin in the playroom. See the red box here.

This year we snagged a bunch:

$1 for 10 crayons markers

$1 for 12 color pencils

.50c for 100 color index cards

.50c for 2 glue sticks

.17 for 70-page wide rule notebooks

And thru sales and thrifting we've found:

.1c folders

$5 pocket file folder, accordion style

But Pencil Pouches drive me nuts. The vinyl ones have holes in them within a few weeks of school starting. Forget about the plastic ones! 

So I've resolved to searching for wallets and cosmetic cases! Canvas zippered is preferred, but through the discount stores like Ross, Marshall's and TJ Maxx I've found leather ones for under $5. 

My new treasures!

Make mistakes, breath ad laugh.out.loud!! 

How to Talk to Your Kids about Adults they should stay away from...

We are at our local park nearly everyday. And nearly everyday we see this weird guy in the neighborhood, walking his big black dog (who as an aside is very aggressive, barking at little kids). Why is he weird? Well I personally get a gut alarm and an uncomfortable feeling around him. He stares at the kids, and not in an admiring way. Especially staring at little girls. What can we as parents do? Unfortunately not much, but we can prepare our children for dealing with creepers around our neighborhood.

Stranger danger doesn't really exist. Most people who commit crimes against children have a pre existing relationship with them, either a family member, a friends parent or a neighbor. So it makes predicting who would harm your child even more difficult since their probably in the family circle already. Which brings us back to this guy at the park. He's in our neighborhood. My kids see him regularly, which seeing him often might make them think he's a safe adult just because we are "used to" seeing him around.  But as the Illinois Sexual Assault registry shows us, predators live everywhere, and sometimes in proximity of our neighborhood, arguably they are someone's neighbor!

I've told my boys, when he's in the park, to come and sit y me so I can tell them something. "See that man over there, don't point at him. He's the one with the black dog. Well we aren't ever allowed to go near him." 

"Why not?"

"Well you know how sometimes you get that weird feeling in your stomach when you've done something wrong, or you see someone doing something wrong? Well that's how mommy feels about him. And sometimes adults know a little bit more then kids about weird adults who might be unsafe. So lets stay away from him."

Over the last two years we have seen this man around. And I've told my boys not to make a big deal about him. Just to always observe where he is, and if he's ever getting close to you, you go play on the other side away from him. And they do pay attention. I've alerted their "inner red flag" gut system. And I'm teaching them to pay attention to that feeling.

One day we were at the local Donut Shop with my husband and the kids and he was there, sitting with two other men. They all seemed a little intoxicated. There we some pre-teen girls there, in summer shorts and T's. The 3 men were staring at them, and making comments to each other under there breaths. Husband and I were in ear shot. We we disgusted. The girls were 10-13 years old, not physically developed yet. It was horrifying. The girls left, and we left after them. 

Whenever I have an uncomfortable Feeling about someone, I always question that feeling, "am I jumping to conclusions? Maybe I'm wrong?" But since I pay close attention usually I'm right. Usually it doesn't turn out to be nothing. So moms pay attention to your inner voice, instinct, and that gut feeling we get. It's not nothing! And tell your kids!

Since the donut shop incident, I've warned my kids even firmer. They are "never allowed near him. And if he ever tries to talk to a girl when your here you must let mommy know right away." What I'd do, I don't know. Probably what I do well, I'd yell at the guy vulgarities and tell him to leave the girls alone, while telling her to get away from him.

He's gotten more forward thru the years, coming into the park play area nearer to the kids, and not just the outter perimeter of the park. That's frustrating. But we do what we can which is notice him, and stay away.

The days are long and the years are short, so enjoy every moment now.