Tag Archives: Red White and Blue

Red, White & Blue: Mommy’s Little Girl’s a Sparkler Too!

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“Ooh, it’s sparkling all over, Mommy!” my six year old  said while the sparkler illuminated as she held the end of its stem. This Memorial Day weekend, we had an intimate family cookout to not only remember the fallen soldiers but to celebrate my husband’s birthday too. As my daughter eagerly put on her red, white and blue romper and was ready to spend time with her family, I knew it was going to be a fun time.

As the day went on, I pulled out the sparklers I purchased. These are one of my favorite little fireworks from childhood. Though it may not cause much stimulation for adults, I knew the kids would enjoy them.

When I attempted to light the first sparkler, the wind picked up each time making it more difficult to get a spark. So we had to find a corner to shield the wind and find the right angle to light the sparkler. Even with trying to get the “right” angle, it took a little time. But once we developed a technique and realized that we couldn’t just hold the flame at the tip but had to slowly move it up in down from the tip a few centimeters, we finally go the sparkler ignited. After getting the first one, the others were much easier to do.

My daughter was so patient throughout this process. Yet at first, she was a little nervous about holding the sparkler. But once she did, she held the sparkler confidently and asked, “Can I do another one, please?!” Lighting the sparklers made me think about how much of a sparkler my little girl is. She truly illuminates my world. When her eyes light up about something that sparks interests within her, it fills me with hope and reignites some sparks in me that I thought fizzled years ago.

A sparkler may last just a minute or two, but the fun and experience from holding and waving them, for me, lasted well into adulthood. It is my hope that the passion and hope my daughter currently has will last a lifetime keeping her filled up and determined to leave her spark on the world.

All the best,

Tanya

Preparing Patriotic Punch: A Knock-out with My Little Girl

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“This is actually tasty,” my five year old exclaimed as she twiddled her straw slurping up some more of the beverage she helped to make.  With July 4th comes barbecues, spending time with family and friends, parades, fireworks, you name it! So I thought a fun project while celebrating America’s independence would be to prepare a patriotic drink (non-alcoholic of course) with my little girl.

After heading to my favorite go-to app, Pinterest, I came across several samples and decided to go with the drink containing, red punch, sprite, and a blue gatorade. Come to find out, it was actually like a science project because after filling the glass with ice, the different color beverages were able to sit on top of each other without blending because of the grams of sugar. Indeed, we would not regularly have a drink with that much sugar, but it was a nice treat and a great way to not only spend time with my daughter but to have her think critically questioning why the colors did not merge.

If you haven’t done anything like this, give it a try with your child(red). It’ll be a big hit, I’m sure!

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Celebrating My Little Girl’s Freedoms and Rights this Memorial Day

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Most people look forward to a good picnic, barbecue or just the three-day weekend during Memorial Day weekend. Though I certainly do, it also gives me the opportunity to reflect and be grateful not just for the the many freedoms and rights that I have but the freedoms, rights and privileges that my three year old daughter isn’t even aware that she has as a result of those who have served in the military and sacrificed their lives upholding the phrase, “America: Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.”

There are countless children around the globe who must live in war-torn countries, extreme poverty and rigid laws that prohibit them from doing what we consider to be basic rights in the United States. During this three-day weekend, we’ve proudly worn our red, white and blue, and I would like to just take a moment to say that I hope and look forward to my daughter never feeling restricted yet protected and empowered in this wonderful country we call The United States of America. Once more, here’s to those who have served to keep us all safe. Happy Memorial Day to you and yours.

All the best,

Tanya