Category: featured

THE SPARK STATION – IT TRAVELS Part 1

Grandma experimenting with playing pretend.

When my daughter, Jodie’s, children were young, I lived two blocks away. When I was caring for them in my home, they loved the Spark Station. But I wanted to connect more often, so for several years I would take my Spark Station traveling to their home. I didn’t stop there. I took it to Washington and Colorado to connect with my faraway grands. I used it at events with children. I wanted a better connection with all the children in my life. It came to be called the Traveling Spark Station.

This four-part series is for anyone who loves a child but doesn’t live with them every day — grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, anyone who wants to show up and really connect. The Traveling Spark Station is simply a basket, bag, or box filled with books, supplies, and simple activities built around a single topic. You choose the topic. You pack what you need. And then you go.

Over the years, I wrote dozens of articles about the activities I did with my grandchildren — the topics we explored, the crafts we made, the books we read, the messes we made, and the memories that stuck. This series pulls those articles together into one place. My grandchildren ranged widely in age, and the internet makes it easy to find activities on any topic for any age. Books matter too. Reading together, even with the littles piled in your lap, builds connection in a way that nothing else quite does.

So, dive in. What sparks you? What do you know will spark the children in your life? That’s your starting place.

JUST FOR FUN

Since the Spark Station is for fun, learning, and connection, not everything has to be useful. Some activities are simply for the joy of it.

1. Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
I spent a few months collecting toilet paper rolls for an event where I created a Spark Station for 140 children. When it was over, I had many tubes left and started pondering how to use them. I googled “toilet paper roll crafts” and then tossed a bunch in my basket. No matter the topic, the season, or the holiday, you can find a craft made from toilet paper rolls. Some are great for pre-teens, and your teens will love helping the littles. You’ll be amazed.

2. Empty Water Bottles
We had the same kind of delight with empty water bottles. A water bottle collage, a landscape in a bottle, a baby’s rattle, a bird feeder, the options are endless, and there is something for every age online. Save those bottles and have a fun family activity. Why not start with a water fight and then make a craft?

3. Pretend Play
I did something scary for the Traveling Spark Station: I played pretend. I have done crafts, sewing, cake decorating, and gardening with hundreds of kids. But imaginative play? By the time I was fourteen, I had completely stopped pretending. I would build fabulous play spaces for my siblings (I was the oldest of nine) and then step back and let them play. I did the same with my children. I watched and enjoyed it, but I never entered the game.

I decided to try. The Traveling Spark Station held books that could be acted out, and a pile of large fabric squares. We read several stories together and then acted out The Little Red Hen. It was an interesting afternoon, and I genuinely enjoyed pretending with them.

4. Doing Nothing Special
I don’t want you to think every Traveling Spark Station activity needs to be carefully planned and filled with fabulous ideas. Some days you’re tired. Some days, circumstances intervene. One day, I showed up with no library books, no internet research, and no topic in mind.

We made cinnamon snakes from packaged biscuit mix, not because we were studying snakes, but simply because the children love to cook. My husband was building an air gun shooting range and had cut out small wooden animals as targets, so we helped paint Grandpa’s animals. That was it. We had a lovely time, helped Grandpa out, and enjoyed being together. Sometimes that is exactly enough.

OUR BODIES

1. What Can a Body Do?
One summer, the Traveling Spark Station had no projects and no crafts — just pure outdoor fun and movement. I wondered about Maggie, who was five and had severe cerebral palsy. What she can do on her own is very limited. But she has a body, and she likes to use it, so we went ahead. We walked. We smelled the air. We fed the ducks. We watered the garden. We felt flowers, leaves, and prickly stickers. We waded in a stream at the city park, swung on the swings, jumped, and ran. Then the long walk home, squinting into the sun. We ended with the book Sleep, Little One Sleep by Marion Dane Bauer. Our bodies and our eyes were ready for a rest.

2. Learning About Bones
Learning about bones was a laughing good time. We played a bone identification game by tickling our rib bones, neck bones, backbone, and hip bones. We talked about the difference between skin and bones: bones hold us up, skin holds us together. Skin is soft and can tear; bones are hard and can break. We talked about keeping both healthy and strong.

For activities, we traced everyone’s body on large pieces of paper and drew in the bones: head, spine, arms, legs, hips, and chest. Hanging the finished bodies on the wall was the most exciting part. We also made a Q-tip skeleton, read three wonderful books, and yes — we found a use for those toilet paper rolls too. : )

3. Toilet Training
You can put anything in a Spark Station, including potty training support. Jodie asked me to come up with fun ways to reinforce progress for Jack, who was in the middle of training; Mary, who wasn’t ready yet; and Maggie, in her wheelchair, who never would be potty trained. I want to be honest, there’s no way to make this topic relevant to older children. Sometimes the Spark Station holds something just for one or two kids, and that’s perfectly fine. This tool is versatile.

I had potty training books, of course. Jack was absolutely riveted; his interest could not have been higher. Maggie practically had her nose to the page as we read a story about a girl and her potty. She wasn’t interested in sitting on one herself, but she loved the stories. For our activity, we made a paper potty train to hang on the wall with prizes taped above it. Jack got to move the train down the track each time he used the potty. Maggie and Mary, in their own stages, got to move it when they brushed their teeth.

4. Germs and Hygiene
Jack, Maggie, and Mary had all been very ill for two weeks, which seemed like a good time to learn about germs. We looked at pictures of germs, watched a funny video of germs with cartoon faces, and used yeast and sugar to show how fast germs multiply. We practiced hand washing while singing the Alphabet Song. We spent less than an hour together. There was some chaos and a lot of laughing. Worked out great.

READING & WRITING

I love to read. Being able to read matters deeply to me. I wanted my grandchildren to love reading. That’s one reason the Traveling Spark Station always carries books, and one reason family reading time is worth protecting.

1. Mother Goose
I had a book of Mother Goose rhymes and found some wonderful, themed lunch ideas the kids could help me make. I made do with what I had on hand rather than running to the store. As we ate our Humpty Dumpty lunch, we read rhymes. I had made a few toilet paper tube puppets ahead of time, and we acted out Little Bo Peep, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and Baa Baa Black Sheep. Then we made Humpty Dumpty finger puppets to play with while we ate. One grateful mom sent me a note afterward: “Mary Ann, you are such a genius. The nursery rhyme-themed lunch and the puppets look amazing. I had never thought of anything like that.”

For children over six, try letting them create their own Mother Goose book for younger siblings, or look up the surprising history behind the rhymes. Ring Around the Rosie is a great place to start.

2. Letter Recognition
I had planned a letter recognition activity for 1-year-old Mary, 3-year-old Jack, and 5-year-old Maggie. Then, at the last minute, I discovered I would also have a 10-year-old, a 7½-year-old, another 5-year-old, a special needs 4-year-old who was blind, a 13-year-old, and a 15-year-old. Yikes.

I pulled out books and asked the children what they had in common. The older kids had a lot of answers. We played a letter recognition Memory game with alphabet cards — Christopher, the 10-year-old, loved it. Maggie dove into the worksheets, which are her favorite, and the other 5-year-old and the 7½-year-old joined her, delighted to be playing school. Annie, the 13-year-old, took pictures for us. Jason, the 15-year-old, settled in with Pride and Prejudice. He and I had a great conversation about Great Expectations while the littles played their card game. The Spark Station connects people regardless of age. Every time.

3. Family History
A fun way to inspire children to read and write is to start with family history. My grands had a ball looking at photos and hearing stories about their parents when they were young.

Another mom, Annette, tried this with her older children. A scrapbooker by nature, she had originally planned to create a memory book for each child from everything she had saved over the years. Instead, inspired by the Spark Station, she let each child explore their own box of treasures. They spent the whole activity telling each other stories and peppering their mom with questions.

Compiling a photo album and labeling the pictures together is another wonderful idea. Even children who can’t read yet will enjoy this for short stretches. Put some family history in your Traveling Spark Station and let the children celebrate the story of their own lives.

4. Classic Stories
Pack a few classics in your Traveling Spark Station for whatever age you’ll be with. Classics spark imagination and a genuine desire to read in a way that few other books can. Two tips I learned from my friend Rachel DeMille years ago have stayed with me: first, read with the intention to interact, not just to get through a chapter. Ask questions. Talk about what’s happening. When my Spark Station traveled to my grandchildren in Washington, this was one of their favorites. Second, take a little time to learn about the book you’re reading, whether it’s The Three Little Pigs or The Secret Garden. Your questions and conversation will be more interesting.

5. Books That Change You
One book in my Traveling Spark Station that I return to again and again is The Hundred Dresses. It’s about generosity, charity, and kindness, told through the eyes of young girls who learned these lessons the hard way. This book was impactful to me as a girl and changed how I treated other people, and it still does, every time I read it. That is what a classic does.

Think about the books that have changed your way of being. Those are worth sharing with the children and grandchildren in your life.

6. Books for Teens and Young Adults
I still read children’s books and young adult novels, and I freely admit it. They are fun and often say more than adult books.

One book I picked up by accident was The Lost DaVincis. It wasn’t until chapter three that I realized it had been written by my friends Aneladee and Don Milne. That made it even better. You know you have a good book when it makes you think. If it makes you think, it will do the same for a young reader. I decided that if I were eleven, I would be waiting breathlessly for the sequel. What a perfect Traveling Spark Station book. If you want your kids to read, read with them. Talk about the books. Take them along wherever you go.

7. Fables and Tall Tales
Fables, tall tales, and fairy tales are wonderful Traveling Spark Station territory for children from littles to teens. I checked out a wonderful assortment from the library. Reading through them gave me activity ideas.

I chose fables from Bali, Zaire, Mexico, two from Native American traditions, and one from America. When I asked Jack what he thought a fable was, he replied, “A monster.” We had a good laugh, and then I explained that it was a pretend story, and that every country in the world has its own pretend stories. I spread out a large world map, and we found each country together — Jack and Maggie were too young to fully grasp maps and continents, but I wanted to plant the idea.

We had simple crafts connected to each country: a tipi craft, a game, and a coloring page. Despite being so young, both loved every minute. This topic is rich enough to stretch across several family activities. You could even eat a dish from each country whose fable you read.

You’ve just seen how much ground a Traveling Spark Station can cover, from silly toilet paper roll crafts to classic literature, from tracing bodies on butcher paper to acting out The Little Red Hen. Some of these activities took careful planning. Some happened with a box of biscuit mix and whatever was on hand. All of them mattered.

That’s the thing about this tool: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. It just has to be yours: your curiosity, your presence, and your willingness to show up.

In Part 2, we’ll keep going. We’ll look at how the Traveling Spark Station can make math genuinely fun — yes, really — and how arts, crafts, and imagination open doors that worksheets never could.

You may be surprised how naturally these things travel.

The Spark Station: Bringing It All Home

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard one day. From his collar and well-fed belly, I could tell he had a home and was well cared for. He calmly came over, I gave him a few pats, and he followed me inside, walked down the hall, curled up in the corner, and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day, he was back. This continued for several weeks.

I pinned a note to his collar: “I would like to find out who owns this wonderful dog and ask if you know that almost every afternoon he comes to my house for a nap.” The next day, he arrived with a new note: “He lives in a home with six children, two under the age of three. He’s trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?”

Raising children is a 24/7 occupation and can be very tiring. With the right outlook, it can also be the most wonderful thing we ever do.

Seeing Differently

When I developed the Spark Station, I thought I was helping parents learn to use a useful tool for connection, learning, and fun. What I spent most of my time doing was helping parents see their children differently — helping them stop seeing their children as burdens, responsibilities, or problems to be solved.

My mission became helping parents adjust their sight and hearts, to see their children with new eyes. When we see differently, we behave differently. When we behave differently, we get new results. Willpower isn’t what makes a home a heaven. Seeing our children as people we genuinely like and want to be with does.

The Spark Station is a tool to help you accomplish that. When you observe the Five Principles of Power, you begin to connect with your children as people. The trick is to make time consistently, and then let go of the world and be present.

I love this passage from James: “Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they turned about with a very small helm.” You are the pilot of a great ship — your family. By implementing small changes for good, just a one percent improvement, you can turn your ship around. Have faith in yourself to learn, grow, and change, and that your children can weather the storm of your growth and theirs. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

My Accidental Spark Station

When I had five of our seven children at home, I accidentally created a large Spark Station. We had a basement room with shelves containing toys and items of interest, everything in a labeled bag or box, so you could always find what you were looking for. There was also a cupboard stocked with paper, scissors, glue, and tape, just like my grandmother Ann had kept. As my daughter Jodie later told me, “It was magical.” Except that it wasn’t — not consistently. Looking back, I can see why.

The room was available at any time. My children would play happily for a few days, and then it would lose its appeal because it had become a mess. They wouldn’t go back down no matter what, preferring instead to follow me around or park in front of the TV. I had given them a wonderful place filled with amazing things, and I couldn’t figure out why no one wanted to use it.

The second problem was cleanup. Because I wasn’t present — either physically or mentally — no one was guiding the experience. When the children tired of the room, they would pull everything out looking for something new until the place was chaos, then abandon it until I got tired of the mess and put it to rights myself.

The fix, I now know, was simply the five rules. A set time for the playroom each day would have preserved the anticipation that makes any Spark Station sing. Being present would have changed everything — I could have helped them clean up one mess before creating another, monitored the glue and scissors, read to a younger child, or helped an older one fix a slide for the microscope, all while building stronger bonds. Keeping fewer things out at a time, rotated every few weeks, would have kept the fascination alive and prevented the chaos that came when the children ran out of ideas. And a little planning would have saved me a weekly disaster to clean.

I didn’t know these principles then. I know them now, and that basement room is a big part of why I teach them so persistently.

One Child or 140 — the Principles Work

In 2011, I had the privilege of creating a Spark Station for an educational event — an entire room with 140 children. I wondered how it would work. Because of the Five Principles, it was a huge success.

We had a set space and a set time, and both parents and children could count on my team and the fun. Rule 1.

I remember holding a very young child who had been crying. She had stopped but was unwilling to let go of me, so I sat with her as 139 small bodies moved around me, knowing I was needed in many places. It was the end of a long day. Then another small child came up with teary eyes and put her hand on my knee. She wanted her mom. I felt a twinge of irritation — and then I made myself look into her eyes and saw a person in need. I hugged her, gave her a drink of water, and she hugged back. The tears dried up, and we three waited quietly for their mothers. When we focus on the child rather than the problem they are creating for us, we send a message of reassurance and caring that soothes hearts. We can only do that when we are present. Rule 2.

My team and I had worked hard to make that room something special. Rule 3.

That first morning, there were many options for children to choose from, and it took everything we had to keep up. For the afternoon session, we boxed many of the options and left out a streamlined selection. The calmer energy from that one adjustment was remarkable. Keeping it simple leads to peace. Rule 4.

And we planned — visualizing the outcome without putting our expectations in stone, with one goal: to keep the children happy and keep our good natures. Rule 5.

A Final Word

A mom wrote to me after working with the Spark Station for several months: “Introducing it into our family did just what you said — it made my kids want to be together, which encouraged me to be consistent. It took patience, planning, and practice, but we have improved. It even works when we have my two-year-old grandbaby over. Your information has been so useful. Thanks a million.”

That’s what this is all about. Not a perfect system or a perfectly stocked Spark Station — just a reliable, workable way to show up for your children and make being together a joyful part of family life.

Next, I will share how the Spark Station travels, what Spark Station Letters look like, and

Ideas I used to keep my grandchildren fascinated for years.

The Spark Station in Action: Real Families, Real Results Part 2

Let’s Begin where We Left Off – Keep It Simple: When It’s Full, Stop

Here’s a rule I wish I had understood earlier: when your Spark Station is full, stop adding things. You want everything visible, easy to reach, and put away — then stop. If you want to add something new, take something out.

Chaos happens when the Spark Station is too full. Here’s the thing — it’s rarely the children who create that chaos. It’s the parents. We get excited. We find wonderful things. We keep adding. And then no one engages because no one can find anything, and the whole space feels overwhelming.

When my grandchildren were younger, I had a Spark Station. One day, I did a big purge. I took nearly everything out. What remained were some books and materials on rocks that my grandchildren had been studying, some new craft supplies for an upcoming holiday, and the magnets — because the children never tired of them. That’s it. Simple, colorful, and interesting.

It also helps to reevaluate the contents every few months. Have children outgrown certain things? Are there games gathering dust, are there completed projects, or supplies that have lost their appeal? Take them out. Nothing in the Spark Station is permanent. It’s a living, changing space, and that’s what keeps it working.

Plan: Keep Your Eyes Open

Planning doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. The mother who found dollar insect items at Target wasn’t sitting at a desk with a planner. She was simply paying attention to what her boys loved, and when she saw something that sparked them, she acted on it.

That’s the kind of planning I’m talking about. Watch your children. Listen to what they talk about. Notice what makes their eyes light up. What does your family like to do together at home — read, play outdoors, create games? Think about upcoming holidays. What’s happening in your family? What did you love as a child? Keep a running list if that helps. Then regularly sit down — even for thirty minutes — and think about what you might add or remove in the coming days. If parents have something specific they want to introduce, they can use the Spark Station to get the ball rolling.

Every Family Is Different — Don’t Be Afraid to Re-Tool

My daughter, Jodie, has four children, all of whom are teenagers. When she first started using the Spark Station, they were 7, 5, 3, and 18 months.

Jodie had decided to homeschool for a couple of years. Jack, her five-year-old, was convinced he needed a ‘real teacher’ — meaning anyone other than his mother.

I helped Jodie put together her first Spark Station. We chose wonderful hands-on items — sewing cards, coloring books and fresh crayons, magnets, a salt shaker with toothpicks to drop through the holes, dry-erase boards, games, books, colored pencils, and notebooks. We also added several special science projects, a family interest: a homemade coloring book, library books about scientists, a mobile to make, and a baking project.

The night before their first official use of the Spark Station, Jodie helped her kids make Earth spheres out of Rice Krispies treats, a family activity not part of the Spark Station. The kids loved it. They discussed how the Earth was created and how scientists continue to learn more. Jack was all over it.

When the Spark Station was opened, Jack took one look and said, “Mom, your school is boring. I’m going to cancel your school.” Disaster.

So, Jodie re-tooled. She removed the special learning projects. The simple, fun, hands-on items remained. The little ones dove right in. And Jack? He looked up and said, “Mom, I want to learn about knives.”

Jodie got a few knives, a tomato, and some potatoes. They spent the next hour learning about serration, sharp edges, how knives are used, and what it means to observe — which, as it turns out, was the exact topic of their first science project. Fabulous time. Sneaky mom.

The lesson here is not that you will always get it right on the first try, whether you’re using it as part of your school ambitions or for family activities. The lesson is that when something isn’t working, you step back, take a good look, and retool. Every family’s different. The rules stay the same, but how you apply them will be uniquely yours.

What About the Hard Days?

There will be times when your carefully planned Spark Station sits untouched while your child plays dress-up in the corner. There will be days when the baby’s screaming, the toddler’s grabbing everything in sight, and you wonder why you ever started this. There will be days — and I say this with love — when your five-year-old looks at everything you’ve prepared and tells you it’s boring. There will be days when you take out a book for family reading and your teenager goes to sleep. There will be days when you get the materials for a new outdoor game, and your 13-year-old daughter sits glumly on the sidelines because this doesn’t interest her.

That’s normal. In nearly every family I’ve mentored, we’ve had to talk about this. The Spark Station is designed to inspire families and kids, not require.

If today’s a disaster, remember the thing that matters most: the Spark Station’s greatest purpose is not the activity, it’s the connection it creates between you and your children over time. If no one wants to engage today, sit down, read, or talk about an upcoming holiday, trip, or family event. Next time will be better.

You Are the Model

I once asked a mom what had drawn her to my class on the Spark Station, though she had never heard of it before. She said she read the description and thought, “That’s a good idea.” The line that caught her eye was this: “Would you like a system that helps you more effectively structure creative connection time?”

That’s it. That’s what we’re all looking for. Not a perfect system, not a perfectly stocked Spark Station, but a reliable, workable way to show up for our children and make being together, playing together, and learning together a joyful part of family life.

The Spark Station gives you that system. But you’re still the heart of it. If you want your children to love learning, let them see you learning. If you want them to read, let them see you reading. If you want them to be curious about the world, be curious yourself. If you want them to engage with the family, then put down your phone, turn off the TV, and engage with them consistently. You put on your oxygen mask first, and then you help them with theirs.

The families who see the most transformation with the Spark Station are not the ones with the most creative content. They’re the ones who show up consistently, stay present, keep it simple, and keep going even when a day falls flat.

That’s the whole secret.
And now you have it.

The Spark Station in Action: Real Families, Real Results Part 1

I want to tell you about an experiment I did years ago. I had been talking to families about the Spark Station and quickly realized that something wasn’t clicking for a lot of them. They liked the idea, but it wasn’t working the way it should. I could see clearly that these parents were missing the vision of the real power this tool could have in their homes. So, I decided to test what I knew worked with real families — five of them, over two months.

The families were wonderfully different from each other. One had three children ranging from a newborn to three and a half, with the oldest having severe cerebral palsy. Another had three children ages six, ten, and twelve. One family had five children from ten months to eight years. Another had four children, ages five to sixteen. The last had five children, ranging from a newborn to ten. I talked face-to-face with parents and children, and what I learned from those two months shaped everything I now teach about the Spark Station. What I found was this: the tool itself wasn’t the problem. The principles behind it were.

It’s About Five Rules, Not the Stuff

I want to share a letter I received that illustrates this perfectly. “I had to send off a quick thank you for your help. The Spark Station is transforming our family learning experience and fun! Last Saturday, I found dollar insect items at Target. We are having a blast. I almost passed up the big plastic insects as ‘toys’ but realized, no, they are inspiration for my little boys and models for insect body parts. What was I thinking?”

Isn’t that a great letter? I have received many such letters, but here is what I want you to notice. This mom thought it was about the plastic insects. It wasn’t. It’s about a mom who was focused on inspiring her boys. It’s about a mom who meets with her children consistently and stays present. The insects are wonderful, but they are not the magic.

The magic’s in the Five Principles of Power. I’ve said this before, and I will keep saying it, because I want you to be convinced that these rules work, not just in learning but in family connection and fun.

Here they are:
1. Structure time and be consistent
2. Be present
3. Make it special
4. Keep it simple
5. Plan ahead

Understanding them deeply is what makes everything else work. I introduced them last week, but now I want to illustrate how the rules work in real families. Let’s start with the first three.

Structure and Consistency: Honor the Time

Once you have set a time for your family to use the Spark Station, honor it. Consider it sacred. I received an email from a mom who had just gotten her Spark Station ready and structured some family time, when every child came down with a cold. She shelved the whole thing for a week.

I understand. I raised seven children, and I know what it feels like when everyone is poorly. But here is what I told her: Hold to the time, even when life gets in the way. Modify it — gather your children, read for a few minutes, give everyone a glass of juice or hot chocolate, and call it good. The point is consistency. It allows your family to depend on time together, to know they can count on family time.

Illness isn’t the only thing that will challenge you. There will be days when you’ve made more commitments than you can manage. We all do it occasionally. When that happens, gather your children together, begin as you always do, read briefly, or visit about something important to your family, and call it good. Something is always better than nothing; your family will appreciate the consistency.

Be Present: The Real Gift

Being present is a gift — to whoever we give it to. It means listening without texting, checking email, or watching TV out of the corner of your eye. It means being all eyes and ears for what’s happening right now. Families feel more secure and happy when parents are truly present, and that feeling is the heartbeat of the Spark Station.

A reader once wrote to ask whether she was supposed to put activities in the Spark Station and observe, rather than jumping in with her own ideas. She worried that it seemed counterproductive to have a learning agenda when the whole point was connection.

Here is what I told her: when you’re working with a child under six, they usually want you to play with them and be with them. For them, it’s all about being with you and having that warm family feeling. That is the connection. Your learning agenda is simply what you choose to put in the Spark Station. Once it’s open, follow their lead.

Regardless of what is in your Spark Station, let each family member choose what they want to engage with. If it is on Sunday, everyone will be there. If it’s to unwind after school, just the kids and you, etc. If they ask questions, answer them. If they want you to play, play. If they seem content exploring on their own, let them.

Make It Special: The Siren’s Song

One dad described the Spark Station this way: “It’s like Christmas. The excitement stays because it isn’t available all the time. It’s amazing!”

He’s exactly right. The Spark Station only sings to children and family when it’s treated as something special — available at certain times, consistently, so it can be counted on and looked forward to. That anticipation is powerful.

I received a letter from a mom named Pam whose ten-year-old had just discovered cross-stitching materials in their Spark Station. She had only gotten three stitches in before lunch, and Pam knew her daughter would be frustrated not to continue. She asked whether there was ever an exception to keeping a project in the Spark Station rather than letting a child use it freely.

Here is what I told her: keep it in your Spark Station, and here is why doing so works in your favor. Your daughter isn’t bringing you a wad of tangled thread when you are up to your elbows in bread dough or separating squabbling siblings. The project’s also safe from the curious two-year-old, the interested six-year-old, and the teasing ten-year-old. A twelve-year-old girl told me what she loved most about the Spark Station. She said, “When you’re working on a cool project, and you have to stop, you’re excited about getting back to it ” Kids get it.

This principle works with things that are new to your family — cross-stitch, calligraphy, woodworking — and it works equally well with things they have had forever. I’ve seen parents take a book off their bookshelf, one their children have walked past for years, put it in the Spark Station, and suddenly everyone wants to read it. One young girl asked her mom to put a geography game in the Spark Station. It had been unused for over a year. Once it went in, she and her siblings played it many times.

As for how long an item stays in — it doesn’t matter. A day, a week, a month. When it comes out, its Spark Station life is over, and something new takes its place.

That’s the cycle that keeps the magic alive.

The Spark Station: Everything You Need to Know to Build One

When I was in fifth grade, I learned to crochet. It wasn’t easy to learn. I had never done anything like it before. I felt all thumbs, and it wasn’t always easy to conceptualize what it was I was supposed to do. With time, I did learn, and I made a small purse. My teacher coached me through almost every row until it was done. I still have that purse.

The next hurdle was learning to read actual directions. Yikes. It was like reading Greek. I had learned how to crochet, but without a teacher constantly at my elbow or being able to read the directions, I couldn’t really use my new skill. To learn to read directions, I had to go back to the beginning and learn to connect the skill with the actual execution of a pattern.

The same is true for the Spark Station. You may have heard me mention it, but hearing about it and actually creating and using one are two different things. This April, I’m going to give you the instructions you need.

Why The Name Change

When I decided I needed a new name for this amazing family connection tool, our youngest child was having her first baby. We were all excited about it.

When a new baby comes to a family, a lively search for a name ensues. The mother-to-be probably has a few she has carried in her head since she was a girl. The father may have a football hero or two with names he really likes. Our daughter and her husband went through quite a list looking for the perfect name.

The question is, how to choose a name? For our first child, we watched a movie. Two weeks before our due date, we still had no names picked out. Back then, you didn’t know which you would have, so you had to have two names ready. We were watching a Disney movie, and, in the credits, we saw the name Jodie. Eureka, the perfect name – perfect for no other reason than that it sounded good, and we liked it.

With all our other children, we went through a similar scientific process. One was named after a best friend, one was named after a song I liked, one came from the Bible, another was named…and that’s how it went. Later, I realized each name had a meaning and energy attached to it. Maybe we should have put more thought into choosing them, but you can’t go back and change a child’s name. For better or worse, it is what it is.

Fortunately, that’s not true in business! I knew I wanted to change the name of my family connection tool and searched for the perfect one for over a year. I wanted to make the change for several reasons.

•My printer said he loved my Closet Mastery Course, teaching how to use the tool, but had to look inside because he wondered if I was training people to come out of the Closet.
•When people asked me what I did, and I told them I showed parents how to create a Closet to connect as a family, I got confused looks and then the inevitable “So, how does a clean closet help them connect as a family?”
•Many parents told me they loved the tool but didn’t have a closet to use and were stuck.
•It seemed odd to call the tool The Closet and then tell people they could use a box, a bag, a drawer, or any container they liked – or even no container at all.

The name was problematic. I needed a name that spoke to what the tool was all about. I wanted a name descriptive of what made the tool so effective in helping families connect and making learning fun.

The Spark Station. I love that name. Let me tell you what the Spark Station is and how it can change the way your family connects.

The Spark Station

The Spark Station is about what’s inside, not what holds it. It can be a box, a plastic tub, a drawer, a closet shelf — or no container at all. It’s a place for cool learning and connection materials that inspire your children and bring your family together.

It’s designed to allow children to choose from several activities and topics of interest and engage with them in their own way. When used correctly, it’s very helpful in relieving the tension that comes when parents require children to stay together as a family on a Sunday afternoon, learn about a topic they may be struggling with in school, or stop arguing on a boring Saturday afternoon.

The Spark Station isn’t just one thing. It looks different in every family, and sometimes there is more than one, depending on the activity. Take the Sunday Box, for example, a box filled with cool stuff that helped a real family gather on Sunday afternoons. That’s the beauty of the Spark Station. You can showcase things your children are already interested in, you can gather to learn something new together, or just have fun. It keeps interesting and inspiring materials close at hand, so children and families have a magical and exciting place to learn, play, and connect.

There are Rules for Success

Whatever your Spark Station looks like, it’s only available at certain times. It isn’t a space that children can access anytime they want. Doing this preserves the sense of anticipation that makes it sing to kids, like a siren’s song. In Leah’s family, their Spark Station (The Sunday Box) was only available to the family on Sunday. Another family that homeschooled used their Spark Station during their school hours. Another family made their Spark Station available for an hour after school so kids could unwind. This builds value and interest in the content.

During the time you have set aside to learn, play, or be together as a family, you gather together for the amount of time you have pre-determined and open the Spark Station.

Not every child will want to engage with the content every time it’s available. They should be free to play with whatever takes their fancy — or even just read or write instead. They need to remain with the family, but they don’t have to engage with the Spark Station contents. When that happens — and it will — don’t be discouraged. I know, you worked hard on that Spark Station! But this is normal. In almost every family I’ve mentored, we’ve had to talk about this. Allow your children the freedom to decide.

The Spark Station is a tool that helps parents inspire their children, at all ages, to love learning, to experience new things, and to connect as a family. It brings scheduled, consistent moments of discovery and joy into your home — and those moments matter more than you know.

This April, let’s build one together.

From the Archive – A Fun and Messy Easter Tradition

“Mom, come on. It’s almost Easter, and we need to color the eggs.” These words were spoken in a voice of desperation and a full two weeks before Easter. Out came the huge soup pot. In went 5 dozen eggs. Out came 15 cups, vinegar, and boiling water. In went the dye. (Cake decorators have a lot of colors!) Fifteen large spoons followed. Nine chairs around the table. Very tight!

“I want blue.” “No, I want blue.” “Guys, guys, you can all do blue.”

“Barry!!!”, as six, yet to be colored, eggs hit the floor. “Don’t worry, guys; these will be cool, tie-dye eggs. You’ll love them”. Said with all the enthusiasm I could muster.

“Quick, grab the paper towels. Run!”, spoken in a voice of slight hysteria by one child as pink dye moved slowly across the tabletop and onto the floor. I ran for the towels.

“Kate, you must remember to put the lids back on the markers. They’re going to dry up.”

“Stop that, you’re bumping my elbow. Now my tree is crooked.”

“Look, Mom, you really can see my name. You couldn’t see my name before, and now you can. How does that work?”

“Hey, we’re running out of eggs. I only got to color six. Not fair. Can we boil some more?”

And so, it went each year of the forty years that we colored eggs. Nothing changed much, even when we were down to just three at home, Kate, Don, and me. There were still spills, and someone would think we didn’t have enough eggs.

I love holiday traditions, and this egg-dying ritual was one of ours. Some years went better than others, but each one brought us closer as a family. Each one tied us together in a bond that exists today. Traditions matter to children. These are the things that they can depend on: certain foods on the table at holidays, special activities done year after year, and favorite people gathered together. Family traditions were important to me, too.

Let me share some Easter egg-dying tips I learned as our family established this tradition. If you keep them in mind when dying Easter eggs, things will go smoother.

Egg Dying Tips

1. Less is more. Keep it simple, nine cups of dye, not fifteen. Have one cup per person in your family and rotate. If you have fewer family members than colors, rotate anyway.
2. Keep all the eggs, un-dyed and dyed, in egg cartons. They can’t roll; much safer.
3. Cover the table top with two or three layers of newspapers, the whole table. You will save paper towels!
4. No rugs anywhere within a four-foot radius of the table. This is a must. LOL
5. If you don’t live in Montana (as we did), and the weather is good, do it outside! : )

How to Dye Easter Eggs with Water and Food Coloring

1. Before you begin, you’ll need hard-cooked eggs that are completely dry and at room temperature.
2. For each color of dye, find a container that won’t stain or that you can discard when finished. Make sure the container is large enough to submerge an egg or several eggs.
3. Place an egg in the container. Turn it with a spoon. The longer the egg sits in the dye, the darker the color becomes. Remove and place on a paper towel or put into a cardboard egg carton. If you are using Styrofoam cartons, make sure the egg is dry before placing it in the carton.

How to Dye Easter Eggs with Natural Ingredients

Lavender – Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice; Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice; or Red Zinger Tea
Violet Blue – Violet blossoms boiled in water; boil a small quantity of red onion skins; Hibiscus Tea; Red Wine
Blue – Canned blueberries, use the juice and smash the berries for more juice, heat and strain; boil red cabbage leaves; purple grape juice
Green – boil spinach leaves; Liquid Chlorophyll
Greenish Yellow – Boil yellow Delicious Apple peels
Yellow – boil orange or lemon peels; Boil Carrot Tops, Boil Celery Seeds; Boil Ground Cumin, boil Ground Turmeric; Chamomile Tea; Green Tea
Golden Brown – boil Dill Seeds
Brown – Strong coffee; Instant coffee; boil black walnut shells; Black Tea
Orange – Boil Yellow Onion Skins; boil Cooked Carrots; Chili Powder; Paprika
Pink – boil beets; boil cranberries or use cranberry juice; red grape juice, juice from pickled beets
Red – boil lots of red onion skins; canned cherries with juice, smash cherries for more juice, strain; pomegranate juice

You can get detailed instructions for natural egg dying HERE.

Why not be brave and make some Panoramic Sugar Eggs with your family!

Share your egg-dying experiences, along with tips to help us all have more fun this Easter.

I would love to hear from you, and so would others!

From the Archive – Panoramic Sugar Eggs Your Family Can Make

I’ve taught hundreds of children to make sugar eggs. I taught two groups of kindergartners every year for over 15 years. I taught children how to make sugar eggs in Girl Scouts, community groups, and for the city in Laurel, MT. I traveled to Colorado to help over ninety children in my grands school classes. I flew to Washington, where more grands lived and helped many other children, do the same. It has become an Easter tradition in our family, and traditions matter.

Despite having made hundreds of these eggs for friends and family, I had never made one for myself. So, one year, I made a very large one for the center of my basket (a flat, flower-gathering type basket) and surrounded it with 24 small eggs. It was gorgeous and a real conversation piece the whole Easter Season. I enjoyed that basket of eggs.

When Easter was over, I carefully set the egg-filled basket into my cedar chest stored in our garage. The next Easter, I went to the garage and pulled out the basket. It was in perfect shape. It was as delightful and beautiful as I had remembered. I was excited to display it again in our home.

Then I picked up one of the small eggs and looked inside. NOTHING! It was empty because the bottom had been licked out. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I checked every egg, including the very large center egg. Every egg was empty. I have since thought about how many secret licks and how many weeks it took to empty all those eggs. To this day, the culprit has not confessed, although all the suspects are between 35 and 55. Every Easter, I am reminded of this family experience, and I laugh about it.

The Perfect Easter Experience!

Isn’t that a perfect family Easter story? The eggs were empty!! Mary Magdeline went to the tomb, and it was empty!! Jesus was not there; he had risen. What a glorious message and event that thrills the hearts of Christians.

This sugar egg project is perfect for a family. It takes very few supplies, and even a two-year-old can do it with help. I know because I’ve helped many 2-year-olds. : ) Remember that only adults care about the end result; children adore the process. So let them have a free hand, helping only when necessary, knowing that, however they look when finished, your children will be thrilled.

Sugar Egg Recipe and Directions

1. Place 2 cups of sugar and 3 tsp. of water in a zip-lock type bag. You can color the Easter eggs with food coloring for a tinted shell by adding a few drops of coloring to the water before you add it to the sugar. Rub the bag between your hands until all the sugar is moist like damp sand. You don’t want any dry particles, as they flake away when the egg is done. You don’t want it too wet, or it takes too long to dry. I share with the children why there is light inside the egg. We discuss the word translucent. I tell them there are spaces between the grains of sugar that let in light. We talk about why you wouldn’t want to completely cover the top of the egg with frosting or decorations. Just know that some children still will!

2. Pack the sugar into the two halves of an egg mold and scrape the top off with a knife to make it level. Turn quickly onto waxed paper. Children over five can do this part of the process. They will mess up a few times, but will eventually get an uncracked shell. If you’re working with a group of young children, it’s better to have the shells premade. It lessens your and their frustration.

3. Take a piece of thread and make it tight between your fingers. Slice off the tip of your egg to form an opening. With the point of a paring knife, scoop out just a bit of sugar to create a small cave-like look to the opening. This prevents the front opening from hardening too much while the eggshell dries.

4. If you’re making the shells ahead of time, you will be able to begin scraping out the sugar to create a shell after about an hour and a half. Use a spoon to scrape away the damp sugar from the inside of the shell. This will give you a nice thin shell. You want the shell to be 1/4 of an inch thick. If children are scooping out the eggs themselves, you may want to wait 2-3 hours, so they’re very firm. This creates a thicker shell, which is less translucent, but you will have less breakage. When I work with groups of children, I usually have the shells premade. However, it’s interesting for them to know how it was done, so I begin with a quick demonstration. In a family setting, you can let the family make their own shells or make them ahead. It will depend on your time frame.

5. Let your scooped out shells dry until very firm. You can mention to children that the shells are now concave, another learning moment.

6. Make “royal” frosting in your mixer. This frosting dries like cement. It can be made with egg whites or meringue powder. I always opt for meringue powder as the frosting is easier to make and holds up better, especially when working with children. You can purchase meringue powder at stores with a cake decorating section, such as Walmart, baker’s supply houses, and culinary stores. The directions are usually on the package. If you opt to use egg whites, you can find the recipe online.

It takes 7-10 minutes of beating time, and the frosting should look like marshmallow cream. If it’s too thin, you will need to add a bit more sugar. If too stiff, add a couple of drops of water. Make sure the consistency is easy for children to squeeze out of a bag and yet holds its shape.

I always use paste or gel food coloring, rather than liquid food color, as the liquid can thin the frosting. The paste and gel food coloring give you truer, deeper colors. A little bit goes a long way! These types of food coloring can be purchased wherever cake decorating supplies are sold, and last for years.

7. I purchase disposable decorating bags for children. I cut off the tip to make a hole. I do not use decorating tips as the frosting dries in the tip crevices, making it harder for children to squeeze it out. If you do not have access to these decorating bags, you can use a plastic food storage bag. Snip off one corner. I put the frosting into the decorating bag or food storage bag, twist it behind the frosting, and rubber band it. This helps children keep the frosting in the bag, rather than having it squeeze out the back.

8. You can use miniatures purchased at a craft store for the inside of your egg. You can also put stickers on stiff paper or cardboard and cut them out. It’s also fun for children to draw and color their own small pictures, which are treated like stickers.

9. Put a spoonful of green or blue royal frosting into the bottom shell and allow the child to spread it around with their finger. Make it thick so that whatever they put inside the egg will stand upright. The size of the shell determines the amount of frosting needed. This picture shows a fancy inside made by one of my experienced grands, but most children are happy with a bunny in some green frosting or a duck in some blue.

10. Use a bead of the royal frosting around the outside edge of the bottom shell. I talk to children about the word perimeter here. Always teaching. : ) Now put the two halves together.

11. At this point, I talk with the children about the magic of the egg, that even adults will ask, “How did you get those little bunnies in there?” I tell them to cover the seam so no one will know how they did it. I also suggest they decorate around the front opening. Remember that some children won’t want to decorate the front opening or the seam. It’s ok. It’s their egg.

12. You can decorate your egg with frosting flowers purchased in the cake decorating section of the craft store. You can use small silk flowers snipped from their stems. You can use small candy decorations from the baking aisle of the grocery store. At Easter, there are plenty of Easter decorations available. You can even use raisins and nuts. Use your imagination. There are many wonderful ways to decorate sugar eggs.

13. Let your egg creation dry overnight before handling.

Have a delightful, spiritual, and family-centered Easter.

Five Principles of Power Series – A Marvelous Example of Being Present

When my youngest daughter, Kate, was a senior in high school, she was in an advanced writing class. One of her assignments was to write a poem using iambic pentameter. She was overwhelmed by the assignment and wasn’t clear as to what iambic pentameter meant. They had talked about it in class, but most of you will relate to how clear it was by the time she got home. LOL

I want you to know I’m not a fan of poetry, unless it comes from Mother Goose. I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, and I know that I owe it to myself to read some poetry before I die. : ) My daughter, however, liked it a lot. She really enjoyed Shakespeare. She had read all of his works and all of his sonnets, watched many plays, and acted the part of Hero from “Much Ado about Nothing” in 8th grade. Here is another confession- I have read Romeo and Juliet and seen The Taming of the Shrew. That’s it.

So, it wasn’t a happy circumstance when she came to me and asked for help. I had no idea what iambic pentameter was. But how could I say no to my daughter who needed my support? So, we sat at the computer together and began. We looked up iambic pentameter. We read it. We gave each other a blank stare and then read it again. Now I may not love poetry, but I’m pretty good at figuring out what I read. I began to understand and was able to explain it to her. Then she was off and running.

We talked over possible topics for her poem. Then she chose one, which happened to be her own idea. Way to go, Kate. She told me the story she envisioned her poem telling. It was good, really good. Then she wrote the first line. I can see us pounding out the syllables into our hands and changing words until there were exactly ten syllables per line. We would come up with ordinary words and then check the Thesaurus to find words that were more descriptive, elegant, or fitting for the time period and topic. It was fun. We laughed a lot.

She wrote and rewrote for over 3 hours. I was there the whole time. I made suggestions whenever she was stuck on a word or a thought and asked for help. She seldom used the word I suggested, but it would spark her mind, and then she would come up with the perfect word by herself. She would look at me with an excited smile, raise her hand, and say, “Gimmie five.” I would, at regular intervals, say, “This is good; it’s really good. You’re amazing!”

Be With Me While I Write

When Kate was in her first year of college, she took a creative writing class. One assignment was to create an imaginary author and describe his/her life. She was to present a piece of the imaginary person’s writing and then analyze it. She decided to rewrite the poem she wrote in high school about a sailor’s widow. She was adjusting it to tell the story of a Civil War soldier’s widow.

One day, I peeked in her room to say hi and see what she was doing. “Mom, come in and let me read this to you.” I went in, and she read it to me. Then she asked me to sit down and help her out.

We reminisced about the time we worked on the original poem together; all those great feelings came back. We laughed about the experience and how fun it had been.

I sat on the side of her bed and watched her use the Thesaurus and the dictionary to find words she needed. I saw her look up Civil War information and get a feel for the time period. I didn’t say much. Her poem was coming along great. Eventually, I stood up, patted her back, and left her to her work. She didn’t really need me. She had learned through experience what to do.

This is a marvelous example of being present. What Kate had needed in high school, she wanted to feel again while creating her imaginary author and what they would have written. She wanted me to be present, to feel my support, have some of my focused time, and sense my enthusiasm for what she was doing. These are the things all kids need from time to time.

Kate wrote her poem in high school by herself. She thought she was asking me to help her do it. What she really asked was, be with me, care about me, and learn with me. This is Principle Two from The Five Principles of Power – Be Present.

Kate is raising three children of her own, and she understands not only how to write a poem in iambic pentameter, but she also knows how to be PRESENT. Enjoy Kate’s work from her high school days.

It’s now a few decades old, but still wonderful.

The Widow’s Walk

By Kate Johnson

Upon the widows’ walk forlorn, she stands.
Face gray, indistinct in the morning mist.
Iron railing, cold portent in her hands.
Heartache knocks, upon her cheeks he kissed.
Annals of mariner’s wives keeping pace,
Back and forth, eyes on the horizon.
Lives lost forty leagues below without trace.
Possibility, worry like poison.
Bells peal out, mournfully telling of loss,
Belaying her breath, they tacitly mock.
Mind shrouded, forever bearing the cross,
Endlessly trudging the high widow’s walk.
Hope springs eternal; they shall meet anon
Sighs a chantey to a roseate dawn.

Listening, Trusting, and Following Through Make a World of Difference

The Day of Surgery

The day of my hip surgery, September 3, after returning home, I was going up and down our two stairs, caregiving, and managing as if I had never had surgery. One week out, I canned salsa. The doctor had told me I would recover quickly because I was so active. When I asked about canning, he said I could do whatever I had energy for because my new hip was made to stand on. That’s why I was in crazy mode for the first two weeks after surgery. And it was crazy!

Reality Is No FUN! Getting Help Is

At the end of the first two weeks, reality descended. I fell into extreme fatigue and became depressed. I couldn’t shake the feelings of worry, fear, sadness, anger, resentment, powerlessness, etc. My hip began to bother me when I sat or when I first began walking after sitting. I was totally unprepared for this. It wasn’t what I was expecting after two fabulously energetic and pain-free weeks. What had happened?

Caregiving didn’t go away because I was struggling. Mom and Don still needed help with everything. My daughter helped when she could, but she works full-time, has four teens, one with severe CP. I had to keep doing what was necessary because life goes on. This was the reality of my situation, but how could I continue when I felt so unable to manage myself and my feelings?

I was desperate for answers. So, I did what I do. I prayed for help, resources, and thoughts. As I knew it would, help came. I received information from two trusted sources that let me know that depression is part of the healing process. The body uses all the energy it can to do its healing work, which leaves one depleted. Knowing this, that there wasn’t anything wrong with me, that I wasn’t weak, and was in exactly the correct place, helped me cope with how I felt, until the depression and most of the hip discomfort went away in late December.

A Thought That Made A Difference

Today, I want to focus on one thought that came to me, which I immediately implemented, even though it seemed odd. Then I’ll share the amazing clarity I received as to why trusting the thought and following through made such a difference at a very challenging time.

The thought was to open the hymnal on my phone and sing 1-2 songs each evening. Really, I was living a very busy caregiving life. I had just had surgery and was struggling. I didn’t want to add something else to my already loaded plate! But I listened. It was fall and warm, so I went outdoors at sunset and sang. I couldn’t always sit, so I would stand. It lifted my spirits. It caused me to smile. I have continued this simple practice. Eventually, I couldn’t go outdoors because of the changing weather, so I would sit at my desk in the bedroom or in the bathroom before my nightly shower. The fatigue and depression, although still there, began to be more manageable.

In November, they announced the church choir would begin practicing for the Christmas program. I had quit singing three years earlier. It was too hard to take Mom and Don home, feed them, and then go back for choir. But for the two hours we were at church that day, the thought kept returning. “Mary, sing in the choir.” “Join the choir.” “Don’t forget choir.” Finally, I looked heavenward and said under my breath, “OK!!”, in a frustrated voice. I took Mom and Don home and returned to the church at 3. It was a beautiful and uplifting experience! I hadn’t realized how much letting go of my music had affected me. I had forgotten how much I loved singing.

I was given a small solo, even though I had been gone for three years. Singing a solo was on my bucket list, and here I was at 75, doing it for the first time, after a three-year hiatus. A miracle. Singing daily in the evening and on Sunday with the choir was one of the things that helped my heart shed the burdens it felt.

The Christmas program was wonderful, and I did a good job. It was fun, and I was glad I had listened to my thought. The depression had gone, and I was managing well. But it didn’t end there.

On Sunday, January 18th, they announced there would be a choir for a larger church meeting held a couple of times a year. I knew the singers in this choir would all be better at the craft than I am. I don’t read music well, so I have to memorize my part, but I felt I would have time to do that. I really enjoyed the first practice, despite being in deep water. : )

Why Did It Make A Difference?

Driving home after that first choir practice, I was pondering the whole music/singing issue. Why had it made such a difference? Was it the singing itself, the music, being with a group, what? In that moment of thought, I got a download; it filled my mind and heart. It wasn’t about the music or the singing. It wasn’t about being part of something. It was the sense that I was caring for myself because I matter. I’m worth caring for. This is exactly what I know I am doing when I shower at night. I’ve been showering at night for over 30 years. Caring for myself is what I’m doing when I schedule those phone calls, walks, and the occasional lunch that I resisted doing for three years and recently told you about.

In each of these situations: creating regular connections with other women, taking a hot shower at night, singing in the evening, joining the choir, I was intentionally caring for my heart, my mind, my emotions, my healing, not just from surgery, but from the challenges of everyday living. It was mind-blowing and mind-opening. It made so much sense.

We all find ourselves in this place, maybe not from surgery or illness, but from managing a family, a job, and life. It can feel overwhelming. And we all must learn to manage the feelings this overwhelm can generate.

I mentioned some time back the story I’ve been dealing with for over nine years, “There is no time in my life for me.” I know it’s a story, but it hasn’t been easy to dispel because my life is packed with people to care for, and I gave up a carefully built career to take it on. In this moment of clarity, after that choir practice, I understood that the things I had been led to do by my creator were designed to help me care for myself, to say in a physical way, “I love you, Mary Ann. You matter to me as much as anyone!” The activities I have added to my hectic life in the last couple of years are making a difference, a world of difference.

No matter what your situation looks like, if you ponder and think about how you can care for yourself, thoughts and resources will come. Don’t dismiss them like I did when the thought came to create a group of women I could connect with consistently. Don’t dismiss them if they seem odd, like adding choir practice or evening singing to your already packed day. Don’t dismiss them if they seem frivolous, like scheduling walks or going to lunch once every three months. LOL

Every evening, I still shower, pray for someone, put on lotion, read a few paragraphs, and spend time alone. I can usually give myself 10 to 15 minutes. : ) I still sing every evening. I have my calls, walks, and one lunch preset so they actually happen. I’m diligently working on rewriting that old story, one God-given thought and then one action at a time. I’m sending the message loud and clear to myself,

“There’s always time for you because you matter as much as anyone!”

Fantastic Dinner Conversations – Year of the Horse

WARNING – There is a TON of stuff in this article. Take what you need and leave the rest. : )

Sometimes it can be a challenge to get kids to talk at the dinner table, especially teens. But having dinner conversations helps create a culture of togetherness and is worth the effort. This year marks the Year of the Horse. It begins on February 17, 2026, and will end on February 5, 2027. I know that seems odd compared to our calendar, but the moon cycle determines the dates each year. The Chinese New Year is a great jumping-off place for some happy dinner conversations.

In China, they use a zodiac based on a 12-year cycle to determine when the new year begins. To celebrate each new year, they have a 16-day festival. This year, the festival will culminate with a full blood moon, known as the Worm Moon, on March 3, 2026. This New Year’s festival is also known as the spring festival.

There’s much to talk about as we enter the Year of the Horse. As you ask good questions and share interesting information, you can get some great dinner conversations going and then expand them over the next couple of months.

Sample Questions

• Does China use the same calendar system we do?
• Do you know how China celebrates the New Year?
• Did you know that in China, there is an animal sign for each new year?
• Did you know that if you were born in the year of the horse, you would have cool characteristics?
(vitality, speed, perseverance, success, and be hardworking, warm-hearted, and independent)
• Have you ever heard of the Worm Moon?
• Do you have a favorite book about horses?
• Would you like to know what animal was on the zodiac the year you were born?

In this article, I’m sharing interesting and fun ideas so that as you take the leap and give this a try, you will have what you need. Below you’ll find information on the Year of the Horse, family learning ideas, family activities and games, and family reading.

Information on the Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse

The Chinese Zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao in Chinese, is based on a 12-year cycle. Each year in the cycle is related to an animal sign. These animal signs are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The zodiac is calculated according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The selection and order of the animals that influence people’s lives originated in the Han Dynasty (206 – 220) and is based upon each animal’s character and living habits. The spirit of the horse is the spirit of the Chinese people. They are always trying to improve themselves. This spirit is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent, and able.

People born in the Year of the Horse have ingenious communication techniques and, in their community, they always want to be in the limelight. They are clever, kind to others, and like to join in a venture career. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy, but stubborn. They like entertainment and large crowds. They’re popular among friends, active at work, and refuse to be reconciled to failure. Hmmm, could that be you? You can find more details about the year of the horse HERE.

Were you born in a Year of the Horse? You can find out what animal was celebrated in your birth year HERE. I was born in the year of the Ox, and my birthday on the Chinese lunar calendar is Dec. 23, 1949. According to the calendaring system we use in the USA, it’s February 9, 1950. Interesting.

Family Learning Ideas

Whenever there’s a special event in the world, such as a holiday, it gives you a wonderful opportunity to create learning experiences for your family, which then can lead to great mealtime conversations. Here are a few ideas to get you started with the Year of the Horse.

1. Take the time to discover each person’s animal sign.

2. Learn the difference between astronomy and astrology, and there is a big difference. That will help clarify why calendaring systems are different.

3. Study the country of China, the writing, the history, the culture, and the arts.

4. Since this is the year of the horse, learn about horses. Sharing facts or asking questions about horses to see what your family already knows would create great dinner conversation. Here are a few facts to get you going.

Fun Facts about Horses
• Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.
• Horses can run shortly after birth.
• Domestic horses have a lifespan of around 25 years.
• Horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years.
• Horses are herbivores (plant eaters).
• Horses have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on land.
• Because horses’ eyes are on the side of their head, they can see nearly 360 degrees at one time.
• Estimates suggest that there are around 60 million horses in the world.
• A male horse is called a stallion.
• A female horse is called a mare.
• A young male horse is called a colt.
• A young female horse is called a filly.

5. Visit a nearby farm or petting zoo to see horses.

6. Watch “Miracle of the White Stallions” by Disney. I saw it as a young child, and I loved it! (Vienna’s famed Spanish Riding School – and its prized Lipizzan stallions – is threatened by devastating bombing raids and indifferent Nazi commanders. Despite the dangers involved in evacuating the magnificent animals, the school’s director and a handful of heroic citizens attempt a daring, life-threatening plan to move the stallions away from the ravages of war and keep the historic breed alive.)

7. Play a Game

Pin the tail on the horse (played like pin the tail on the donkey)
A picture of a horse with a missing tail is tacked to a wall within easy reach of children. One at a time, each child is blindfolded and handed a paper “tail” with a push pin or thumbtack poked through it. The blindfolded child is then spun around until he or she is disoriented. The child gropes around and tries to pin the tail on the horse. The player who pins their tail closest to the target, the donkey’s rear, wins.
Animal Charades
This is not just about horses; there are more animals than just horses in the Chinese Zodiac. This fun, old-fashioned kids’ party game has kids imitating their favorite animals. Each player takes a turn imitating an animal, while the other players try to guess which animal. The player who guesses correctly takes the next turn.
Hobby Horse Race
You can make a hobby-horse from a broom, a mop, a yardstick, a dowel, etc. They can dress up their “horse” using ribbon. Make the head from a paper bag. Decorate the horse’s face and put it over the top of whatever you are using for the body, and secure it with ribbon or string. Create a racecourse in your backyard: get them to run around the sandpit, under the trampoline, use the garden hose to map out a course, give them something to jump over- get creative, and it will be sure to keep the kids busy for a while.

8. Do a Craft – The crafts below need little direction. When needed, brief directions are given.

Tube Horses – made from painted toilet paper rolls. The legs and neck are pipe cleaners or construction paper.
Stick Horses – Have your child make a horse head. Attach them to yardsticks, empty gift wrap rolls, or wooden dowels, etc. Cut two heads from paper or use a paper bag, decorate, add yarn or felt mane, stuff with crumpled paper or not, add wiggle eyes or color them in, staple, add a stick, viola! Now the kids are ready for stick horse races.

9. Make Fun ‘Horse’ Food

Lunch for Hungry as a Horse Kids – Keep it simple. For lunch, serve apples and carrots, along with some Happy Trails mix (nuts, seeds, M&M’s). Throw in some chips and a sandwich.
Serve a ‘Horse’ Sandwich – What you’ll need:
• bread and filling (PB&J, lunch meat, etc)
• sliced cheese (for mane and tail)
• sliced ham
• string cheese
• peas (for eyes)
• celery (for legs)
• Raisins (for legs, spots, eyes)
The pictures should give you all the directions that you need. : )

Family Reading

If you have a family reading time, then read great books about horses, both fiction and non-fiction. If you don’t have a family reading time, try reading a chapter at a meal. You will eat cold food, but it isn’t forever. : ) Below is a short list of fiction, non-fiction, and kids’ books to get you started. There are also two Aesop Fables to share at a meal and then talk about. No reading needed. Remember the Year of the Horse lasts all year. : )

Story 1: Aesop used horses to teach life lessons. You can find these stories in any Aesop’s fables book. Here are two to get started. You can tell these at a meal, ask questions at the end, and get another conversation going.
The Horse, Hunter, and Stag – A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help take revenge on the Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: “If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as we follow after the enemy.” The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then, with the aid of the Hunter, the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and said to the Hunter: “Now, get off, and remove those things from my mouth and back.” “Not so fast, friend,” said the Hunter. “I have now got you under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present.”

Moral: If you allow men to use you for your purposes, they will use you for theirs.

Story 2: The Horse and the Donkey
A horse and a donkey were traveling together, the horse prancing along in its fine trappings, the donkey carrying with difficulty the heavy weight in its panniers. “I wish I were you,” sighed the donkey; “nothing to do and well fed, and all that fine harness upon you. ”Next day, however, there was a great battle, and the horse was wounded to death in the final charge of the day. His friend, the donkey, happened to pass by shortly afterwards and found him on the point of death. “I was wrong,” said the donkey.

Moral: Better humble security than gilded danger.

Fictional Stories About Horses

• The Wild Little Horse by Ashley Wolff
• Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
• All the Pretty Little Horses by Linda Saport
• Black Beauty by Mary Sebag-Montefiore
• Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewell
• National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
• The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
• Girl on the High-Diving Horse by Linda Oatman High

Non-fiction Stories About Horses

• The Kids’ Horse Book by Sylvia Funston
• I Wonder Why Horses Wear Shoes by Jackie Gaff
• Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses by Kate Petty
• The True or False Book of Horses by Patricia Lauber

Picture Books About Horses

• The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
• Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner
• Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman
• Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse by Rebecca Janni
• Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett
• Scamper and the Horse Show by Jessie Haas
• Leonardo’s Horse by Jean Fritz
• Cowardly Clyde by Bill Peet
• Facts About Horses: 50 Amazing Illustrated Facts for Kids by Amy Lyons