Stella and Sophia love watching the ninja warrior shows and are fascinated with the different obstacles. As we watch, they jump from our living room chairs onto the couch and around the room. I'm constantly telling them to be careful and to not break a leg! They pretend we have a buzzer that they need to hit to win. Recently, while at the park the girls create their own obstacle courses. They dash from slide to climbing rope to bridge and laugh along the way. The other day we were at Rosedale Park in Chicago, near our friend Margaret's house. The girls love to climb and the above picture shows the girls climbing to the top of the tower to hit the "buzzer!" So much summer fun!

Do you have ninja kids in your home? If so, we have the place for you to go this Saturday, June 24th! Come to the Kids Obstacle Challenge in Crystal Lake! The course looks amazing! Your kids will have a blast climbing the ropes, swinging over the mud pits, and dashing into the ball pit! And, so many more fun obstacles! You need to check out the photo gallery! Each participant receives a very cool medal and the event looks like so much family fun! The Kids Obstacle Challenge is for kids age 5-16.

The great folks at the Kids Obstacle Challenge are offering followers of Messy Mommies an exclusive offer! Check out the website and we hope to see you on course! 

Kids Obstacle Challenge
​Lippold Park
851 IL-176, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: 20% OFF registration to Kids Obstacle Challenge in Crystal Lake, IL on Saturday, June 24th! Offer ends 6/23 at 11:59pm CDT.
​Promo code: BEBRAVE20

 Are you working on plans for your kids? If they like to shake, rattle and squirm to music we know where you should go! Come see the amazing Ms. Jodi Koplin and the Jigglejam Band! I’ve shared before that we think Ms. Jodi is fantastic! We have taken her classes and have been to her shows and our twins have loved singing and dancing the Jigglejam way! Within minutes Ms. Jodi captivates the youngsters and has them up dancing. We have her CDs and are constantly singing along in the car to her upbeat tunes.
 
As a mom I try to think of positive influencers for Sophia and Stella. Most times I feel like I’m doing pretty good. Recently, Stella started saying she “hated” things and when she was mad was calling me “stupid.” Not good for my 5 year-old and at first I couldn’t figure out where she was even picking up the language. I thought about the shows we typically watched on Disney and Nickelodeon and I knew it didn’t come from there. Flipping through the CDs in the minivan I realized the language was coming from the movie Home Alone. We love the movie and the tricks on the bad guys make the girls laugh. But I hadn’t paid close attention to some of the language. In the beginning Kevin is fighting with his siblings and they call him stupid and later he says he hates his mom and family. Ugh, #momfail on my part. We are now watching less of Home Alone and listening more to Ms. Jodi. 
 
Ms. Jodi’s CDs have great music and more importantly, great lyrics for kids. She talks about kindness and friendship, making safe choices, and healthy eating. As the kids sing along they are learning about good values and good choices. We can’t wait to hear the songs on Ms. Jodi’s new CD, Shake, Rattle & Squirm!

Following are some of Ms. Jodi and the Jigglejam Band’s upcoming events! We hope you can come out for some fun and great music! You can read more in Ms. Jodi’s recent Chicago Tribune article too! Check out Ms. Jodi's Facebook page for more information!
 
Ms. Jodi and the Jigglejam Band
Saturday, June 17th – Deerfield Farmers Market
9:30 am Free event!
 
Monday, June 19th – The Book Market at Hanger One, 2651 Navy Blvd., Glenview
7:00 pm Free event sponsored by the Glenview Public Library. Registration required.
Register for the event by calling the Glenview Public Library at 847-729-7500. 
 
Wednesday, June 21st – The Chicago Botanic Garden – Shake, Rattle, & Squirm CD Release Concert
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Free event, need to pay for parking. Bring a picnic and enjoy he conert in a beautiful setting!
https://www.chicagobotanic.org/taxonomy/term/10/0