This year I signed up as Team Mom.Yikes! I didn’t know what I was in for. On top of all the paperwork collecting, fundraising is a huge part. We provide all the players with game socks, a hat, sweatshirt and end of the season banquet, so fundraising is necessary.

Of course we got busy finding sponsors and planning snack bar events but we also needed a way to think outside the box (or I guess you can say field).

That’s where the Touch Down Bucket came in. We decided that every time our boys scored a touch down, several of the moms would run down the field, shaking cow bells and collecting cash for our players.

But, of course we needed a cute bucket to collect the money. I swung by my local craft store, bought letter stickers and a bunch of ribbons in our team colors, bought two buckets off of Amazon and got busy decorating.

For a boy mom, I’d say these turned out pretty darn cute. I think even the cheerleading moms would be impressed.

AND, they double as 50/50 ticket buckets too. On our opening day we were able to make $160 just from our 50/50 raffle.

You can also adapt this for any sport your child plays. You can use a “Goal Bucket” or “Home Run Bucket” etc.

Get the supplies I used here:

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

The post Youth Sports Fundraiser | Touchdown Bucket appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

How do I answer that without dumping some deep emotions on this little girl?

I quickly mulled that question over in my mind, trying to come up with a simple answer for her. I couldn’t go into the birds and the bees and tell her how she actually needed to ask my husband. I didn’t want to divulge the truth that I secretly prayed that each of my pregnancies would give me a daughter, and I also couldn’t discredit the fact that I am so grateful for the three boys I do have.

“Great question, Elle. I guess God thought I needed boys,” was how I replied and she skipped away, pigtails bouncing as she went, satisfied with my answer. 

It was as simple as that for her, but for me, it took me back.

My husband and I talked about the kids we would have even before we were married. We would have a boy and a girl. Her name changed over the years from Giada to Dillinger then Pepper, but she was real to me. She was always destined to exist.

When we found out at our 12 week ultrasound that my first baby was a boy, we were excited. I knew my husband wanted a boy and I wasn’t worried because we were planning on having another child so the next one would be my girl. 

He was born in April of 2014 and I entered the world of boys. Having been raised with just a sister, I felt like a foreigner to this space. Boys have a different energy and humor. It took some time, but I started to adjust and eventually adapt to boydom, but I still believed that I would be rescued by a daughter. One day, I would play tea party with her, help her buy her prom dress, and watch her walk down the aisle and get married. She would become my best friend when I got older.

Three years after my first son was born, we decided we were ready for our second child. In November of 2016, we found out that we were pregnant. I was sick and putting on weight at speeds that quite exceeded my first boy pregnancy. “This is it,” I thought! “My girl.” I felt it in my bones. Right before our 20-week ultrasound, I dreamed about how I was going to reveal the gender. Pink balloons? Pink confetti? Pink “Little Lady” sign?

At the ultrasound the only words I could hear were, “It’s a boy.” 

“Can you double check?” I asked as I fought back tears. “How silly am I? No one cries at an ultrasound. Pull it together.” I thought. I think I insulted the technician, but I asked her to show it to me no less than three times just to be sure. 

I went home, told my mom, then hurried to the bathroom to cry in private. 

No pink balloons, no pink confetti, no pink “Little Lady” sign. 

Instead of a Pinterest-worthy gender reveal, I grabbed my son’s blue Crayola marker and a piece of printer paper. I scribbled the words, “It’s a boy,” sat my son on our swing outside, commanded him to smile and snapped a picture. I didn’t care that he had a cold and his nose was all red or that his jeans had holes in both the knees. I sent the gender reveal picture via text to eager friends and family members then shut my phone off. I didn’t want to hear congratulations from my friends who were also pregnant but having girls. I didn’t want to hear, “Brothers are the best,” or “Now you don’t have to buy new baby clothes. You will save money” I wanted to shop. I wanted to spend excessive amounts of money on bows and pink dresses. 

My husband came home later that night, and much like he is with everything in life, he calmly proceeded to reassure me that everything would be great. We talked about boy names and although he was in love with one, I wasn’t ready to accept a boy name quite yet. I simply didn’t want to even look at names.

I let myself wallow in this lonely feeling for a few weeks. I put on a smile when people would say, “Oh two boys, you will have your hands full.” The more he kicked and moved around in my belly though, the more my heart began to soften. 

My second son was born in August. It was a long labor but when he arrived, I reached out and held him close to my chest, boy parts and all, grateful for this new little life that I had given birth to.  

In the following year, I slowly watched as my two boys turned into brothers and friends. They loved like brothers and fought like brothers. A friend had given me a “Boy Mom” hat shortly after the birth and I eventually started to accept the truth that I was, in fact, a mom of only boys. Occasionally, I would still do a double take when a little girl in a cute dress walked by or when I saw a sign for ballet lessons, but it didn’t seem to hurt as much. 

As my middle son moved through the baby stages, I held on to all of our baby gear. My husband would show me the box of newborn clothes or the baby bouncer and ask, “Donate?” I would just look at him and smile and he knew to store them in the garage. 

To my surprise, that feeling of being “done” did not come over me. Instead, a pit in my stomach kept nagging at me to add another child to our family. Maybe it was my desire to get my girl or just the vision I had of our family dinners in 20 years surrounded by people, but something kept telling me that our family wasn’t complete yet. 

We eventually decided to try for a third child. We both agreed that boy or girl, we wanted another baby no matter what the gender. Yes, I did want a girl and everyone knew it, but the past five years had taught me about the rare sweetness of boys and the bond that is special between a mother her son. 

So we did it. We got pregnant for the third time. With this pregnancy, I decided not to find out the gender of our baby. People around me thought it was crazy, including my husband, but to be honest, I was protecting my heart. I hated the way I felt when I heard I was having a second boy. I felt guilty for being upset. I feared my unborn child would feel my sorrow as he grew inside me. I worried that my feelings were totally unjustified when thousands of women around the world struggle to conceive or have healthy babies. 

I held onto the hope that if I went through hours of hard labor and heard the news, “It’s a boy,” that maybe the sheer relief that labor was over would be enough for me to accept the fact that I was not destined to have my daughter. 

I knew it though. Deep down in my soul or I guess you could say my womb, I knew that we were having a boy. It was still unknown through ultrasound but I had a dream about a baby boy and I slipped and called my baby, “he,” throughout the whole pregnancy.. 

A week past my due date, after days of preterm labor and eventually being induced, I was the first to see it and announce, “It’s a boy.” He came out perfect and healthy, my third son. 

*****

They are my trifecta. All three boys are different in their own way, yet each has made me more and more complete.

So the answer to that little girl’s question, “Miss Kate, why don’t you have any girls?” 

Somewhere deep in the universe, someone knew I wanted a girl but needed these boys.  They have taught me things only boys can teach, like how to be strong yet have a gentle side, how to be brave but still show emotions, and how to look the world straight in the eye and defy it. I needed them as much as they need me. 

Ultimately, I think I wanted a girl because I was afraid of failing with a boy. I’m a woman, I was raised with a sister. Having a daughter would have been easy for me. These boys of mine have shown me though, that despite all the mistakes I have made, I do have the patience, creativity, energy and love that only a boy deserves. 

I have grieved my daughter, the girl I hoped would become my best friend. I have said goodbye to those dreams, and in doing so, I found something more; the undeniable love for three boys.

The post Miss Kate, Why Don’t You Have Any Girls? appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

But for my boys, bubbles are the enemy line, encroaching in on our front yard, threatening our very existence. The battlefield is marked by a fence, guarded by my kids, and the bubbles don’t stand a chance.

These soldiers of mine are equipped with their best weapons, like foam swords and boxing gloves, or are ready for hand to hand combat. One by one, bubbles go down, surrendering to the mercy of my troops. Each burst bubble is a cry of defeat. They are surrounded on all sides as my three soldiers work to fight off the attack and prevent escapees.

In motherhood, I have learned that in order to survive, I have to adapt.

Each day, I am realizing how differently the minds of my boys work than mine. I am constantly trying to match their energy, or at least keep up with it. My dreams of quietly coloring at the table or having afternoon tea parties faded with each birth of a son.

This didn’t mean I surrendered in defeat though. Nope, I chose to adapt. I learned that to survive in a house full of boys, I had to embrace their energy and competitive nature. I had to turn bubble popping into a battle for survival, much like how daily strolls have become adventure quests, couch pillows have turned into shields, sticks transform into swords and pillow cases make the best superhero capes.

Adapting is just part of the motherhood journey. So to all moms, I salute you.

Leave me a comment below and tell me how you’ve had to adapt in motherhood.

Our Favorite Battle Gear

Here are some things we use to turn bubble popping into a true battle.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com at no cost to you.

Fists or Karate Chops

Our Favorite Bubble Wands

Foam Pool Noodles

Foam Swords

Boxing Gloves for kids

Foam Bats

Water Guns

Extra Large Bubble Maker (This makes the best big bubbles and it’s so easy to use).

The post Bubbles: Tiny Pops or Karate Chops? appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

This baseball cake is so easy, you’ll be sure to knock it out of the ballpark.

What you will need:

2 round cake pans

Parchment Paper

Box of Cake Mix

3 jars of Frosting

Red Food Coloring

Piping Bag and thin round tip (you can also use a store bought icing tub or replace the piping bag with a resealable bag

Trace the round pans onto parchment paper, cut out and line bottom of the the pans.

Make cake batter as directed on box and pour equally into the two pans.

Bake the cake until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely (about 2 hours).

Using a serrated knife, level the top of one of the cakes then place on a board or plate for icing.

Ice the first cake (cut side up) covering the entire top surface. I used one jar of icing for this step.

Top the first cake with the second cake and ice top and sides. I used one jar of icing for this step.

Mix red food coloring with a small amount of remaining icing. Fill a piping bag or resealable bag and attach a small round tip. If you do not have these materials, most grocery stores have prepackaged icing bags that work great.

First, draw the two curved lines with a toothpick. Next, using your red icing, draw the lines on the top of the cake continuing over the sides. Then, add the angled lines to form the seams.

That’s it! You’ve got yourself a baseball cake and officially hit a home run with this one.

Now add some candles and make a wish!

Get our Baseball Decorations

If you want to complete the look, get your hands on this decoration party pack that we purchased. It serves 24 people and comes with 2 table clothes, green plastic utensils, dinner and cake plates, naps, paper cups and a happy birthday banner.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. The link above is to the exact set that we used for our baseball party.

Baseball Birthday Party Pack, Dinnerware Set and Banner

The post The Baseball Cake That Anyone Can Make appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

When I first became a mom I thought I was prepared. I read the baby books, attended all the classes my hospital offered, researched every topic, and took copious notes from veteran moms giving me pointers about baby gear and sleep training.

And then my son arrived.

I had the book smarts but definitely not the street smarts to be walking the streets of motherhood. This was one hood that I didn’t feel like I belonged in.

I found that I had no clue what I was doing. The baby sleep schedules and breastfeeding techniques that I thought would come so naturally to me, all ended up making me feel like a failure. I can’t even begin to describe what six months of potty training did to my mommy self-esteem.

But I’ve been give second chances along the way and the peace of mind that each mistake was just a stepping stone on my journey through motherhood.

After my first failed attempt at motherhood, I became a mom again with the birth of two more children. I was relieved to have a fresh start and a chance to redo things. Knowing this, I relaxed a bit. I let my baby sleep on my chest with less guilt that I might be creating a terrible sleeper. I felt more accepting of the fact that the formula I gave all three of my boys was not interfering with my ability to bond with them, and I felt more comfortable turning on the TV so I could get a break, knowing that I wasn’t actually rotting my kid’s brain.

And potty training again?… Well, round two went much smoother. I tossed the books out the window and silenced the voices in my head telling me that each accident was my fault. I realized that I had put so much pressure on myself to have my first son potty trained at 21-months not because it felt right for us, but because a book and witnessing other moms made me feel like that was what I had to do. So, when it was time for my second son to start the dreaded potty training phase, I waited. I waited until my son was ready, but I also waited until I was ready.

***

Learning and growing from our mistakes is what makes us moms. Just as our children are learning to crawl, walk and run, we are learning how to be moms through baby steps as well.

Give yourself grace. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Your mistakes are just chances to do things differently the next time.

Each mistake is a stepping stone on your journey through motherhood.

The post Raising Kids One Mistake at a Time appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

My oldest is an extrovert, constantly needing me around. He bounces from toy to toy or activity to activity faster than a ping pong ball. His younger brother, on the other hand, is an introvert, requiring quiet, alone time. He likes to tinker and fiddle with things.

One day he was digging through a cupboard in our playroom and discovered one of the neglected puzzles I had purchased for my oldest son a few years earlier. He was almost three but he sat with the puzzle for over 30 minutes. Piecing it together over and over again, each time incredibly proud of his work.

He was captivated by this jig-saw puzzle, sometimes building it upside-down or other times border first. I took it as a sign that we needed to invest in more puzzles for him. Over the past year we have collected quite a nice collection.

Let me share the puzzles that have received a 5-star rating from my 4 year old.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. These are all puzzles that we personally own and love.

Melissa and Doug Barnyard Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle – 24 pieces

This was the puzzle that started it all. It captivated my middle son. The 24 pieces and board are made of wood and are easy the handle and store.

Melissa and Doug Space Floor Puzzle-48 piece

My mother-in-law gave my son this Solar System puzzle on her last visit and he calls it his “ground puzzle.” It has 48 large pieces and fills up 3 feet on the floor. It’s great to see him sprawl out on the ground piecing this one together.

Chuckle and Roar Giant US Floor Puzzle – 50 Pieces

Our latest purchase was this large United States map ground puzzle. My older son has been interested in learning about the 50 states and he actually will jump in and try this one with my 4 year old. Most of the pieces are in the shape of the state and have illustrations that depict each state. This is a great way to learn US Geography at the same time.

Melissa and Doug 4-in-1 Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Set

Melissa and Doug has nailed it when it comes to puzzles. They have created these ingenious 4-in-1 puzzle sets.

Each box set comes with 4 different wooden puzzles that are sorted by dividers in the wooden box.

The pieces have 4 different shapes on the back (square, triangle, circle, diamond) each corresponding to a different puzzle which allows for easy sorting.

The lid of the box slides back on and creates a frame or outline for the puzzle building.

The end results is 4 complete puzzles.

We have loved the following sets:

• Pets
• Farm
• Vehicles

Mudpuppy Hot Dogs to Go Puzzle – 36 pieces

What we love most about this puzzle, other than the cute dogs and bright colors, is the fact that it comes in a small bag. We take this puzzle to restaurants to keep our boys busy while we wait to order.

If you have a puzzle lover like I do, run out and get some of these!

Amazon Links for the Puzzles We Own and Love:

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. These are all puzzles that we personally own and love.

Melissa and Doug Barnyard Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

Melissa and Doug Space Floor Puzzle

Chuckle and Roar US Map Giant Floor Puzzle-50 piece

Melissa and Doug 4-in-1 Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Set – Pets and Farm

Melissa and Doug 4-in-1 Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Set – Vehicles

Mudpuppy Hot Dogs to Go Puzzle – 36 pieces

The post Our Favorite Puzzles appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

She’s heading back to work but this time he isn’t going with her. For nine glorious months she toted him along in her belly as she met with colleagues, attended meetings and wowed clients. 

But today, he won’t be allowed in. Her baby is going to be with strangers, and, even though she checked all the credentials, got referrals and even toured the center in-person, her heart still breaks. Daycare is not the place she wants him to be but their lifestyle requires a dual income and there is no other option. 

The past three months were filled with sleepless nights, unknowns and learning curves but she would go back and do it all over again, because working was not in her plans. As a child she played house, cared for her dolls and dreamed of becoming a mom. Now she is leaving her “day job” to go to work. 

She unlocks the doors and enters the empty office, the one she refused to think about the past three months. The emptiness mimics the hollowness in her heart. 

Sitting at her computer, she stares at the endless list of emails she ignored during her leave. She knows she has to get to them but her heart wants to race back and pick him up. The clock ticks and it is already time to pump so she locks herself away in the small space, listening to the rhythmic pulsing of her machine. She thinks of the afternoons she nursed him, sitting outside, in the sun, on her porch. Now she is living on coffee and whatever lunch she was able to throw together. 

Day by day it does get a little more manageable. She figures out how to pump during her short breaks or even in the car while she is driving. She learns to keep an extra set of pump parts at work just in case her already jumbled mind forgets them at home. She allows herself to switch to formula because it’s about his health and not her need to bond. She finds the best dry shampoo so that she can devote an extra five minutes in the mornings to snuggle him. 

She will get through this. She will survive. She might even begin to appreciate the adult conversations she gets to have at work.

When you see her in the office though, know that she might have been up three times last night with a teething baby. She might be thinking of the nursing session she is missing while strapped to her pump. She might be wondering if he says his first word off her watch or if the daycare center will keep him on his sleep schedule, the one she worked so hard to get him on.

Be gentle on her because secretly she could be breaking inside.

The post When Her Maternity Leave Ends appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

Back and forth, back and forth.

Next a twist and a tug.

Then pop!

He dances around excited that he will finally be joining the rest of his classmates on the tooth chart. 

He grins with pure joy but I can’t help but feel a pang of emotion deep in my soul. 

He shows me his first tooth, sitting in his hand, so small and unassuming.  I remember that little tooth though. It was the tooth that woke us up in the middle of the night when he was 8 months old. There were screams and tears, then the discovery that he badly needed his diaper changed.

With a thermometer reading of 99.7 degrees and fearing he was sick, I took the day off work and hustled to the grocery store to stock up on Pedialyte and all the ingredients Google had taught me were required for the B.R.A.T diet.

After lots of cuddles and cold teethers, a little tooth grew in. It resided there, solo for months, the white shard in his gummy smile.  We called him, “Little Tooth.”

Later, it was joined by others. Each bringing a low grade fever, tons of drool and 3 days of extra cuddles. Now with my third child, I know all the signs of teething and can almost predict when a tooth will pop, but this first little tooth dropped me into the complete unknown. 

Today, he dances around showing off the gap in his mouth, feeling his tongue go in and out, fingers constantly tracing the missing spot in the lineup. 

I can’t help but feel a little gap in my heart at this moment too. His feelings of joy and maturity fill me with longing and reminiscing of my baby. My once little guy is now a boy, who will soon be a teenager, and then a man. 

As his adult tooth grows in, I hope the gap in my heart will start to fill in as well. Not with sadness and longing for the past, but with the knowledge that my love for him is permanent.

The post Little Tooth appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

We are smack dab in the middle of the summer and boredom is in full swing. Some days my kids make it sounds like the boredom is eating them up alive.

Although I am a firm believer in the idea that being bored fosters creativity, I am also really tired of hearing those three little words, “I’m So Bored!”

I created an “I’m So Bored” chart to put an end to all the suggestions my kids keep vetoing. Now, when my kids come to me and say they are dying of boredom, I say, “Go get the dice.”

They know that once they utter the “B word,” they can’t take it back. The dice will determine their fate for the next 10-15 minutes.

My chart is divided into 6 categories, each with 6 tasks. The first roll determines which box they will be in and the second roll chooses the specific activity.

Some ideas might be exciting and enjoyable for them, others, like clean the windows, might cause some groans, but that is the risk they take when they let the boredom phrase slip.

I have provided you with our list but you can also download my blank list to write in your own ideas.

Get your copy at my Etsy shop: click here

Box 1: Make Something

This box gets your kids to use their hands and be creative. Have them make a card to send to a friend, build a pillow fort or Lego car. Make a comic book or a list of their top ten favorite foods or animals. Try making paper airplanes and race them.

Box 2: Clean Something

This might be my kids’ least favorite activity but that is the risk they take when the chart comes out. I tried to find things that are age appropriate and safe for them to clean.

Take a look at my post Chasing Rainbows to see how we organize our bookshelves using color order.

We use this vacuum because it’s super powerful, easy to store, and manageable for the kids to handle.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Box 3: Learn Something

I don’t like to make learning a punishment so I tried to make this box something that my boys would actually be interested in learning. Heck, in the future, they might even be able to use sign language to communicate the phrase, “I’m so bored.”

Box 4: Draw Something

There’s no better activity for your kids to do when they’re bored than to draw something. You might even pick up a crayon of your own and join your kids! We are huge fans of the step-by-step tutorials that Art For Kids Hub has on Youtube.

Box 5: Read Something

Just like the box “Learn Something,” I don’t like to make reading a punishment, but sometimes when you are bored the best things to do is to pick up a book and reset. Maybe changing the location or allowing your child to make a video of themself reading will be the motivation they need to get their nose in a book.

Box 6: Play Something

This one might include your participation but who doesn’t like a game? All these games are classics for kids to learn and require very little supplies. Word of caution though, I always warn my oldest son that I don’t play with cheaters and the loser must be a good sport.

Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew DeWalt

If you haven’t read the book, The Legend of Rock, Paper Scissors with your kids, run out and get it. It is on our top ten list of all-time favorite books and is the best way to teach the game, “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

Now go get your dice and put an end to the constant stream of children whining, “I’m so bored.” Use this chart as your secret weapon in the battle against of boredom. After a few rounds of laundry or reading to little brother, my boys have thought twice about admitting to the fact that they are bored.

Try our blank template and come up with ideas to fit your own family.

Get your copy at my Etsy shop: click here

The post My Secret Weapon in the Battle Against Boredom appeared first on Burnt Pancakes.

NOW, I want to make EVERY summer fun and memorable for my whole family. 

Get Your Bucket List HERE

My boys and I sat down and made a list of the places we want to go to and things we want to try together. It was fun to hear some of their ideas. My oldest came up with 80’s Day and I am excited to see what he has planned for us. 

If you want to do this with your own family, you can use our Bucket List Ideas or print our blank template to fill in your own.

Get your Bucket List HERE

Summer Bucket List Ideas

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com

Bowling

Camping in the yard

Water Fight – these instant self-sealing water balloons are a time saver and so much fun!

Make Dinner for the Family – Plan the meal, make a shopping list, hit the grocery store and prepare dinner. This should also include waiters/waitresses and dishwashers too!

Make Root Beer Floats

Make Ice Cream Sundaes

Picnic in the Park

Visit a Museum

80s Day (dress up, rock out and watch 80s movies)

Slip n’ Slide

Play Mini Golf

Make Rock Candy

Go to a Baseball Game

Visit a Zoo

Have a Beach Day

Watch an Outdoor Movie – We use an outdoor projector screen with a projector to show movies.

Stay up Past your Bedtime

Go Fishing

Have a PJ Day

Make a Mento Geyser (To see how to make a Mento Geyser check out THIS POST

Game Night – We love the classics like Candyland and Shoots and Ladders but have also become huge fans of Catan Jr. and Spot It!

Make S’mores

Take a Hike

Go to the Movies

Make Homemade Ice Cream in a bag

In a small resealable bag combine

• 1 cup half & half
•  2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Add small bag to large resealable bag with

• 3 cups ice
• ⅓ cup rock salt

Shake until ice cream hardens.

Go Somewhere New

Go Kayaking

Fly a Kite

Play Tennis

Whatever you put on your bucket list, make sure to check off…

X Have Fun!

Get your Bucket List HERE

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