MORE MOMMY MAGIC – 506 Ways to Nurture Your Child (Book Excerpt)

It was one of those landmark days when nothing could go wrong. The day began with our regular "morning hugs," my boys got into the bathtub without whining, there were no spills at breakfast, my little girl and I played diving Barbie in the tub for an hour and I still got everything done that I wanted to get done, while my older ones were at school. As a bonus, when I picked them up ...they were full of stories to tell without my usual prodding ...and they had NO HOMEWORK!

On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and they all rode in one of those new carts with the two red seats in the front, along with the normal front seat inside of the cart. I love those because all three of them have their own special seat. In addition, I could let them get most of the things that they wanted since they were reasonable requests, which made for a great shopping day!

Since they were so good in the store, their reward was to stop for ice cream. I enjoyed a hot fudge sundae as they laughed and gobbled down their own interesting concoctions. I'll never understand how you get bubble gum into ice cream and why you're allowed to swallow it, but my youngest thought it was great. The boys' combinations were too strange to describe.

Of course, these are the same boys who mix every kind of soft drink into one cup when they are allowed to get their own at a "make it yourself" soda fountain. We stole each other's cherries and tasted each other's specialties and got spots on our clothes ...including mine. But that was part of the fun.

The day got better as we hit the park and finally arrived home to find daddy already in the living room - an unexpected grand finale to an already perfect day. Plus, dinner was in the oven! The evening was warmed by loving hearts and a tearjerker movie, topped off by a glowing fire. Some "magic dust" made the fire even more engaging as we tossed it into the flames, which turned into every color of the rainbow. One by one, they all seemed to be drifting off into dreamland ...including my husband.

As I stroked their hair, I talked about what a wonderful day we'd had. My six-year-old snuggled up as close as he could possibly get and said, "It was because of the magic, mommy." "What kind of magic are you talking about sweetheart?" I asked. "The magic that's called MOMMY!" he said. The words stood still in my heart as his eyes gazed into mine. Any of Warhol's "fifteen minutes of fame" could never have compared with this. Tears welled up in my eyes and I couldn't respond, so he continued, "YOU make things magic for us, mommy. And I like it!"

I realized at that moment, that the magic he was referring to was the everyday environment that a mother is responsible for creating around her child. My mother used to tell me that she wished she could put me in a magic bubble that would protect me from the hurts of the outside world. I have often felt the same way about my own children - but realize that the key is to prepare them to deal with the many disappointments that life will bring, as well as teach them to enjoy every miracle of life, and every precious moment that we have here.

This starts early, as they watch how you deal with the roller coaster of life. As you show the way by example, and teach them to uphold the precious virtues of life, you are indeed creating an invisible bubble that will surround their heart and soul, and give them the tools that they will need to become happy, productive andcaring adults.

God's words, "...And the greatest of these is love," resonate in my heart constantly. And showing unconditional love to our children is the greatest gift that we can give as parents. Demonstrating that love must be constant and varied, playful and soulful, firm when necessary, kind continually and patient ...always. The following chapters will offer stories, suggestions, tips and activities that will help you on your ceaseless quest to make the world a brighter place for your child.

Some of the ideas will awaken the child within you; some you will have heard a million times, yet reading them again will prompt you to try them; some you will never have the desire to try; some you will have done, but the words will remind you how fun it was and you'll want to do it again; some you will have never heard of and you'll say to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that!"; some will bring tears to your eyes, as you remember your mom doing the same for you; and some will make you laugh. But I can assure you that all of the suggestions come from myself and other moms who have tried them and found them worthwhile.

In addition to sharing ideas that will create special, memorable, fun and loving moments with your children, I will briefly explore the magic that exists through amazing sixth sense connections between a mother and child. Whether you call it mother's intuition, maternal telepathy, or an angel's whisper - it exists, it is very powerful and it is fascinating. To understand the full love, power and responsibility behind motherhood is awe-inspiring, and I wish you the very best on your unique and miraculous journey.