Long Acres Farm Is A Kids' Key

Do You Have A Place Like This Nearby? If You Don't, You Should!

Wow, so much fun! How many Parents can say after an outing for the kids can say, "I don't want to go, when can we come back?"

We had so much fun enriching the kid's minds and growing their confidence as they directed us in the huge corn maze! Did you know a four and two year know which way to go to successfully complete a maze? Fellow maze-goers took hours to find their way out. We did it in 53 minutes! (It must be because they are closer to the ground!)

We had a little help from the "coach" a-top the scafolding tower that ran the course but for the most part the kids directed the show.

The park also had things like goats to feed and pet, a gem stone/fossil panning operation (we found two shark's teeth and some gems and fossils), huge hill-side slide, tennis ball sling-shots, water pump races, a huge sand pit, pillow jump, peddle go-carts, climbing wall, "go-green" trivia, wonderful tasty treats, and so much more!!

What I Hoped My Kids Learned:

1. They can do anything they put their mind to;

2. Having fun and making memories with our family is treasured; and

3. I respect their individuality.



What I Learned:

1. My kids can do more than I think;

2. They are so much fun to be around; and

3. Bring extra clothes for mishaps (tinkling in a corn maze for a 4 yo can be tough!).

"No Cost" Family Fun Is A Key To Kids' Success

What is it about doing "nothing" or the little things that is so darn fun and important? For me these little moments that may have lasted less than 5 minutes meant the world!

Emmy and Sam have taught me how to play and how to really have fun. Thank you "Sunshine" and "Monkey"!!

You'll never know how much Momma Loves You!

Birthdays Are A Kids' Key To Success

I don't know about you all, but we have been to A LOT of birthday parties lately (10 in the last two months)! Some have been big and grand and others have been intimate and traditional.

I am not a parent who goes all out and hires a favorite charachter, rents a bouncy house/jungle gym, puts on a show, or rents out an identified "birthday party place".

I am a mom who, if truth be told is a little cheap and a whole lot traditional.. I prefer simple parties surrounded by family and maybe a close friend or two. Am I a bithday Ginch?

I am not saying big parties aren't wonderful and can be super special. But, I've always been this way... grand celebrations, big parties, gala events... just aren't me.

I hope I never dissappoint my kids, but small intimate parties are where it's at for me. ...probably with six kids in our family it will never really be small or quiet!

What I want my kids to learn about birthdays:

1) Make the birthday person feel really special by making/giving a meaningful gift;

2) Remind the birthday person how blessed the world is because he/she is in it; and

3) Celebrate his/her life with a silly, unique, simple tradition so they have something to depend on, anticipate, and is meaningful.

To me, that is what a birthday parties are all about.

What are birthdays for you? Do you have a special tradition? What is the birthday message you want to give your kids?

Hiking Is A Kids' Key

This weekend we decided to seize the beautiful day (it may be our last here in upstate NY!) and packed a picnic lunch and headed for the trails!

After a short hike down (and up) a twinning and twisty trail we came to a great place to spread our blanket and lay out the spread of PB&J, grapes and chips! We took in the view of rolling glacier formed hills and cumulus clouds and compared the figures we spotted in the clouds.

Emmy was adamant to bring her coloring supplies and went straight to it as we munched in the sunshine and Sammy the man chased bugs away shouting as he went "shooo, shoo bug, go way!" and growled like the fierce lion growing inside.

We packed things up and decided to do some more hiking...the adventure truly began! Our sense of direction was turned upside down and inside out like the tumbles of our washing machine. We were lost within 30 minutes on the coiled path and think woods.

We managed to document some "firsts": It was Emmy's first experience of relieving herself, squatted over ferns and wild mushrooms; Sammy's and I had our "first" with changing a "loaded" diaper while in verticle position; and to Jeff's relief (since there was no sign of human life) that I couldn't ask him to pull over to ask for directions!

After a long hour and a half, my little troopers finally declared "we found home!" as we approached our lifesaving air-conditioned minivan parked in the deserted parking lot. I am so amazed by two little ones (age 4 and 2); they trudged along singing, laughing, jumping over roots and were fascinated by dirt, bugs, and snails.

The kiddos always seem to make the most simplistic activity special... We picked out "special" rocks to bring home to paint and celebrate our adventure to "Take A Hike"!

How did I get so lucky!?

Extended Family Is A Kids' Key TO Success

Every year, the first weekend in August our family and close friends drop what we are doing and we gather together from AZ, TX, and all over the United States to Upstate NY to participate in our Annual Wagner Cup.

Our Wagner Cup started in 1995 and has taken place every year after. Our mission is to have fun together as a family but most importantly to send a message to our next generation the importance of family and "playing" together.

We are not all pictured together because our event has become so big that we can't fit everyone in at one time. So, our event coordinator, Uncle Rick (a.k.a. Luigi) has broken us up into our representative teams: Europeans Vs. The Americans. Our "Cup" is based on many events (Golf, mini golf, euchure, beer pong, relay races, dancing, kireoke, and many more) and includes everyone from our oldest members (85+) to out youngest (1 old year +). The scores are calculated at the end, the fourth day, to to win the "Cup". We had trophies made especially for this event and they are passed from one team to the other depending on who wins.

A LOT of work goes into this...much, time, effort, and heart. We start preparing for the next year as soon as the Cup is done; As we drive our family and friends to the airport. We are continually coming up with new ways to improve and make it better. We have been told from friends who have been invited that this is "one awesome event... one like no other with a family like no other!"



What I Hope My Kids Learned:
1. How to work together, even when we are tired, and we don't get along 100% of the time.
2. A family that plays together; Stays together.
3. We are here; We offer support, love and guidance.
4. Respect for one another; take turns.
5. Being a Team Member.

What I Learned
1. Every Year I learn more about commitment to family.
2. How to be a more effective role model
3. How to really have fun.

Giving Back Is A Kids' Key To Success

A question was asked resently about why am I writing all these articles about internet business, marketing and such when the name of my blog is "Kids' Keys To Success"? Isn't this blog suppose to be about Parenting and being the best parent you want to be? Well, the answer is, "Yes" and the reason I have been writing these articles becasue that is what my readers have been asking me about.

Which you know, really makes sense and ties in with "being the best parent you want to be" and this is why... I have recently been doing a lot of reading and research lately and I am learning that the best way for me to be a parent and a person is to be as financially successful as I can be. See, I was trained to be a social worker and practiced therapy for many years with trauma victims, so, I thought I knew what was the best way I could "give back" to my community. I thought for many years it was the long hours I put in volunteering, working as a therapist, writing up treatment plans, steering down defense attornies in the court room as I explained the emotional, physical and spirital toll abuse has on a survivor, etc.

Although those are all great ways to give back as I know there are other super great ways to give that many people do every moment, I have come to realize there is an even a better way. If I was able to make enough money; to become successful/financially free, then, more than likely, I would not only be financially in good health but also emotinally and spiritually in good health. See, the doors have been opening up to me and revealing some personal truths.

I have realized that not only is the key to well-being, living a balanced life but living a financially-free balanced life. Thus, the freedom to choose how I want to spend my money and where I want to spend my money. Living from paycheck to paycheck and working super long hours was not helping me live a life in balance - emotionally, physically, spiritually or financially.

See although, I graduated with a Master's in Social Work from a great school and always worked super hard (60+ hours/week) I wasn't making even $24,000 a year. Let alone the emotional drain of the type of work I did. The rule: work hard, go to school, do well, and you will be rewarded just was not the case for me. As a newly married person without any kids, it really didn't matter in the beginning because all I really needed to do was support myself but as the years past and I earned only a little more due to our annual 1% raise (FYI: working for non-profits is not profitable!) , I new I would need to earn a whole lot more if I wanted to go back to work and make it meaningful to be away from my kids.

Plus, in order to do that sort of work I would be looking at long hours again, little pay-off financially, and being away from my kids which I did not want. Anyway, this brings me back to the reason why I began this article, I can do so much more for my community and people in general if I was financially free. So, I started my own business: My American Dream.