The Stuffie Race

The Stuffie Race
April 9, 2020

It’s just another quarantine day in Wisconsin, with a little hail to make things extra dramatic. Since the weather forced us inside, today seems like an appropriate day to share another Matthews Family quarantine game- The Stuffie Race. Like the Stair Race, this game was designed with the sole purpose of making my children tired. And based on the fact that toward the end of the game the girls were hot enough to strip down to their underwear/diaper, I think it did the trick.

To play this game, the first thing you need to do is have the kids collect all the stuffies in the house. And for anyone that is confused, “stuffies” are what I referred to as “stuffed animals'“ before having children that insist on this new lingo. Once you’ve gathered all the stuffies (hopefully that process alone will keep your kids busy for a while) divide them into two laundry baskets or boxes. If you want to be super fair, you can make sure there are the same number in each basket. Then put the full baskets on one end of the room. And finally put two empty laundry baskets or boxes on the other end of the room. Now your set up is complete and you are ready to begin!

The game is simple. Two athletes will race against each other to see who can be the first to move all of the stuffies from the full basket to the basket on the other end of the room. You can only carry one stuffie at a time, and you absolutely must stay in your lane. That last rule is key! Depending on the number of athletes you have and their stamina, you can run as many heats as you like.

After some serious competition, awards were given. Unfortunately the pandemic prevented us from having medals and trophies made, so we repurposed some stuff from IronKids and i9 Sports. Look at the pride on those faces.

But they weren’t done yet! And the clothes came off so you know these last few heats will be intense.

Here it comes, the final moment of this epic competition…

And naptime! Another quarantine success story from the Matthews Household. Until next time, take care friends!

Matthews Family Stair Race

The Matthews Family Stair Race
April 2, 2020

Having a precocious two-year-old home all the time is exhausting! She is an unstoppable whirlwind of activity- emptying all the drawers in the house, constantly pushing the water button on the refrigerator, peeling the paper off of all of the crayons, and routinely dumping baskets full of freshly folded laundry.

Quarantine has forced us to get creative. We know we have to give this kid things to do so at the very least we know what she is busy doing. And above all else, we have to get her tired enough that she will take a nap. When it comes to quarantine, naptime is worth more than toilet paper! It is only only time in the entire day that we can work uninterrupted. So, the Matthews Family Stair Race was born.

The rules are simple: go up and down the stairs 10 times (4 times for participants age two and under). You choose your style- run, walk, butt scoot, whatever you want to get the job done. Everyone in the family takes a turn- children and adults alike. You are racing the clock. You are fighting for the right to claim the title of Matthews Family Stair Race Champion. The competition is fierce. And the winner gets whatever junk food is available in the pantry, but more importantly pride!

This competition is serious and we are sticklers with the rules. Daddy indicates the exact spot Cadence must touch when she reaches the bottom, while Blithe tracks her time.

The videographer records the first day of competition.

Blithe chooses a more traditional form of locomotion. Her concentration is intense.

Daddy gives it his all and almost injuries himself in the process. Meanwhile, Mama was so fast no photos were captured of her- she was just a blur.

We enter the second day of competition, and Blithe examines the course. She carefully plans her approach.

She realizes her pants might trip her up so she decides to go without them. Meanwhile Daddy decides to prepare for his race with a cocktail. This is a serious competition, but we are also quarantined with two young children during a pandemic, so…

Blithe’s decision to go without pants pays off. She finishes with her best time yet among a crowd of cheering onlookers!

Going without pants worked so well for Blithe that Cadence immediately removes hers. She is ready!

This time she decides to stay upright and her competitive side really comes out. Her screams echo around the entire house.

Daddy gives it his all, but his decision to carb up with a cocktail was in poor form. He cannot recover the time he lost to Mama, who again was too fast to be captured on camera!

The Matthews Family Stair Race is a weekly contest, so stay tuned for the most up-to-date results. Our progress is being tracked over the course of our quarantine. Here are the our current standings. It seems rather random, so please direct your questions toward Blithe.

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!
March 30, 2020

We are living very isolated lives right now, and yet thanks to modern technology we can still stay relatively connected. I am blown away by all the amazing content that is coming up online to help people cope. One of My family’s favorite online sources of joy is Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! Both Blithe (my 7-year-old) and I love to draw so this is fun and therapeutic for us both. Everyday after we put Cadence (my 2-year-old) down for her nap, we get our paper, pencils, and crayons and learn from Mo Willems.

During Lunch Doodles, Mo shows you around his studio, talks about his creative process, teaches you how to draw and doodle, and encourages you to develop your own ideas. He even references feelings kids might be experiencing right now in a very gentle, kid friendly way. I highly recommend this amazing and completely free program. Look at all the things Blithe and I learned from Mo last week!

Go check it out at https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems I can’t wait to see what you and your kids create!

Sending You Love

Sending You Love
March 28, 2020

I am missing all my friends and family during this unprecedented and scary moment in time. This past week felt like an entire year, with a constant flood of conflicting emotions. Under normal circumstances we turn to others for support during a crisis, but in this strange world the very connection we crave is the root of the problem. It definitely leaves me feeling helpless. So no matter what you are feeling, I’m sending you a virtual hug. And I want you to know I am here for you. For a phone conversation or a FaceTime meet up. If you need someone to go to the grocery store for you or you just want a funny movie recommendation, please reach out. We are so much stronger than we think, and we will get through this.

And no matter what shape we are in when we can finally come together again, we will lift each other up. I believe in the collective good, and I believe in you. So try to find the bright moments in the dark, and hold your head high. Even though we can’t physically be together, you are constantly in my thoughts and I am sending you love daily. Together we’ll get through this.

How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids

How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids
November 8, 2019

Think of yourself as a storyteller.  And to tell a good story you need some context.  Many stories can be told within a single photo, you just have to make sure you include the right details so the viewer will understand what is happening. The best advice I can give is to think about your story from a different perspective.

Most parents take pictures of their kids at roughly the same distance all the time, but getting in really close or standing far away can really help tell the story.  For example, you know when your kid is doing something naughty because they know they can get away with it- like pulling an entire roll of toilet paper off the roll.  You feel the urge to go into the bathroom to take that photo, but the reason your kid is doing that is because she is all alone- so that is a really important detail. My advice-try taking the photo from hallway- that way you can capture your kid’s mischief while they are all alone in the bathroom. It gives more context, tells the complete story, and gets a little more of the emotion you are feeling into the photo.

Then there are photos that are all about the little details- like the unusual way your child holds their spoon or the sweet way your kids hold hands. These little details can easily get lost in a photo, especially if taken from far away. Try getting in really close and taking a photo of just their hands or the minute details that are most special to you.  This will really highlight exactly what you were interested in at that moment in time. 

There are the times you want to get down low to show the perspective of a small child, or the dog. Being able to view the scene from the same vantage point really helps the viewer understand what the was being felt in that moment.

Other times, getting up high is the best option. You can include more of the scene from up high, which is a great way to show the chaos that exists in life with small kids.

Changing the perspective of your photo is a quick and simple way to improve your photography, even if you are only photographing your child to preserve memories. Hopefully you find these quick tips helpful, and I can’t wait to see the photos you capture and share! Please comment below with any questions you might have about photographing your kids. I would love to chat.