April 11, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

20 ways to fill your child’s love tank on their birthday

It only happens once a year, so why not CELEBRATE! In my experience, it is rarely the gifts my children remember. It is the feeling of excitement when they get out of bed, the element of surprise throughout their day, and the enthusiasm surrounding them. This week, my baby turned 6. We each need two hands to share our age and I’m not sad at all; I’m thrilled.

With 3 kids, I’ve accumulated a variety of birthday ideas with the hopes of filling my children’s love tank on their birthday. I think we should pool our ideas, borrow freely, and be inspired to make those we love feel special. Isn’t that our goal? I slightly cringe when I see a mom relishing her recent DIY project while another looks on, feeling defeated by her sense of inferiority. I tap into my sister’s bag of tricks all the time when I am just not feeling it. So, here’s what’s in my birthday bag this week: 20 Ways to fill your child's Love Tank on their Birthday [the House of Hendrix}

Build the excitement with a COUNTDOWN. There are many ways to do this. This week we counted down with a chalkboard.
Decorate the Bathroom Mirror. Use a window marker, dry-erase marker, or lipstick. Balloons, streamers, it’s all good.
Window Marker your car with “Honk! It’s Lily’s 10th birthday!” This has delighted my children for years. With every honk, we all cackle with joy. (You can buy them at here for a few dollars).
While they are sleeping, decorate their room with streamers and balloons. Even just the doorway makes a big effect
photo by Sidetracked Mom
Candles in their breakfast, why not?
photo by lilmissbossy
Put Water Balloons in their bath
photo by Learning4Kids
Use the special “Celebration Plate”. We made one years ago at a painted pottery place. We’ve used it on birthdays, potty training milestones, soccer goals, and when loved ones visit.
Declare it a Screen-free Day for the parents. If the child is awake, put your cell phones down and turn off the tv/computer. Be present, not distracted.
Wrap each food item in their lunchbox. Throw in a balloon if it will fit. Pure delight.
Measure them. We have a very messy wall with dates, ages, and heights of our children, nieces and nephews, and neighborhood children. Kids loved to be measured!
Retell their birth story. Even get their baby book out. My baby books stopped after the 1st child, but they delight in hearing about their first cry in the delivery room. My mother still calls me at the exact hour I was born with “Oh, I feel a contraction. Ouch. I think you’re coming today Allison.” I love it.
Make or buy them a special shirt or socks with their new age on it.
Get a pair of socks that say, “I AM SPECIAL”
Allow your child to pick the dinner for everyone.
Eat at the fancy table. We have a formal dining room table we NEVER use. Last year we used it to eat the delivery pizza for my daughter’s birthday. We light candles and the kids knew without doubt, that day was SPECIAL.
Have siblings serve them, clear the table, and do their assigned chores for the day.
It is a tradition in our family to play “My favorite thing about Palmer is…” and we all go around share. Our cousins even call in with their favorite thing
Celebrate the Waiting – in a world where we get everything right now, it’s tough to teach kids to wait, especially for good things. We thought we’d give them some practice in small areas (chewing gum, makeup) so they’d have some experience waiting for the bigger things like intimacy. We make our kids wait until they are 10 to drink soda, then have a cooler full on their birthday. We celebrate those Waiting Milestones big time.
photo by Michelle March
Fill their closet or the kitchen cupboards with balloons. When they open them, they will fall out. Delight!
photo by A Subtle Revelry
Teach siblings that the most important thing on somebody’s birthday is making them feel special. When we go to a birthday party, our goal should be to make the birthday person feel special. This can be especially difficult in a society when the party favors are sometimes nicer than the gift brought.
Make a party hat for your pet. I’m kinda kidding on this one, but kinda not. It doesn’t make your child feel special, but it sure is funny.
Let your child know that your greatest joy in life is that you GET TO BE THEIR MOMMY! They need to hear it…and often.

Click here for 14 More Ways to Fill your child’s Love Tank on their Birthday

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April 10, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World

I am re-posting “Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World” from a blog called We are that family. Thought it was a great perspective.

March 27, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

The Stinky Feet of Passover

Today is the beginning of Passover. Last night our family read the Old Testament story about when God “passed over” the blood-stained homes of the Jews. A lamb had been the provision of escape for His chosen people. We then switch to the New Testament story in which Jesus celebrates Passover with His Disciples.

Here is the excerpt from the Jesus Storybook Bible that had my children rolling with laughter in a not so funny story:

“Jesus and his friends were having the Passover meal together in an upstairs room. But Jesus’ friends were arguing. What about? They were arguing about stinky feet. Stinky feet? Yes, that’s right. Stinky feet. (Now the thing about feet back then was the people didn’t wear shoes. They only wore sandals, which might not sound unusual except that the streets were dirty – and I don’t mean just dusty dirty – I mean really stinky dirty. With all the cows and horses everywhere, you can imagine the stuff on the street that ended up on their feet!)”

Why did Jesus voluntarily do such a chore?

Do you think He needed to be reminded?

We talk about what it means when Peter asks Jesus to not just wash his feet but “ALL OF ME.”

We pray together and ask God how he wants us to respond to this story...which leads us to today’s Holy Week activity.

Lily told her brothers about an activity we had done on our missions trip to Malawi. We had washed the feet of the African ministry leaders who tirelessly serve those in the villages. We were there for 10 days but these faithful servants spent EVERY day feeding and ministering to the needs of the poor. They are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, and we were humbled with tears for the privilege of “washing their feet”.

My children select a beloved teacher who has touched each of our lives in a special way.

They get a bowl and some towels.

Campbell comes to me with a handful of random travel-sized shower gels, “Which of these is the most expensive?” We study them and are certain by the smell we had found the most precious.

Ding Dong at the teacher’s door. Hugs are given. Chairs and towels are laid out. Hot water is added to the bowl.

They wash. They dry. They lotion.

I’m convicted for all the stinky feet I didn’t want to wash; for the times I grumbled allowing another to compensate for my selfishness. Not just my feet Lord, ALL of me.