I feel like all I've done the past two weeks is take care of sick kiddos and it seems that another ear infection is upon us. My blog has been neglected for this reason, so I thought I'd just do a quick post tonight. I hope to resume my usual "Crocking Monday" recipe share next Monday!
Sometimes despite our best efforts, we fall behind. We now have six weeks of school under our belt and I am still working on ironing out a decent morning and evening schedule. My oldest kiddo is not a quick mover and really feels no sense of urgency when it comes to making it to school on time. We always make it, but I usually feel guilty after I've dropped him off because I've had to yell at him to get him into gear. One mom I know made a comment that she was going to create a morning playlist to cue her kiddos in that it was time to get ready and go. I may have to try this out if things don't improve soon. Sounds more positive than the yelling, nagging, and time-outs that have been happening here!
Though he has minimal homework, it seems like we are also having a difficult time finding a good time to work on it. I like to give him time to unwind and play when he gets home, but then it seems like dinner, bath time, and bed time have crept up on us and we're scrambling to complete it. It always gets done, but I think we need to work on our time management. We do spend about twenty minutes a night reading to the kiddos before bed, so that makes me feel a little bit better that we are achieving his teacher's goal of ten minutes a night. Have to find the positive!
The house tends to get away from me when the kiddos are sick. I know that in the grand scheme of things it's not a big deal because they need their mama, but I hate looking around seeing bathrooms that need to be cleaned, vacuuming that needs to be done, and toys scattered all over. My goal this week is to catch up on my housekeeping tasks that have been pushed aside. I got a good start today, thank goodness, but envision a day spent at the doctor's office tomorrow and shuffling kids back and forth to school. Probably going to be behind again. Someday when my kids are grown and gone I'll have plenty of time to keep my house looking the way I'd like (at least that's what I tell myself!).
I have begun to realize that life is always going to be throwing curve balls at me and I'm going to fall behind. Kids are going to get sick, appointments and meetings will take up a lot of time, and there will just not be enough hours in a day to get it all done. I just have to cut myself some slack and realize that it's okay. There's always tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to remember that tomorrow when I'm fretting about the things that should be getting done, but won't! Wednesday will be a new day.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Raising the Next Generation
It seems that every time I turn on the news, I see a story about our children suffering. Whether it be bullying, gun violence, abuse, neglect, or poorly educated, none of it is acceptable. Sending your child out into the world is a scary time these days. I know I felt very anxious about our son starting kindergarten for many reasons. Outside of the danger of his allergy, I worry about how he will be treated by others. It breaks my heart to hear him come home with stories about being hit or kicked or being left out. I understand that there are many tough lessons that all of my kiddos will have to learn, but the reality of it all doesn't make it any easier. While some incidences are "normal" childhood behavior, there are many that are not. It is our job as parents to start turning this around. We can be responsible for our kiddos and hope that they can lead by example. These lessons start at home and who best to learn from than us? Remember, it takes a village!
The "Golden Rule" at our house is to treat others as you wish to be treated. Whenever one of our kiddos does something to hurt another, one of the first questions they are asked is, "How would that make you feel if ___ did that to you?" Once they've answered, they are promptly sent to time-out to think about what they have done. Once the timer goes off, they are to apologize to the offended person and most of the time a hug is involved, too (though that's voluntary!). It seems simple enough, but it's a good life lesson and one that they will time and time again. As they grow older, I hope that they will take the time to stop and think about how their actions will make others feel.
We also believe in using good manners. Even before they can speak, our kids are taught "please" and "thank you" using baby sign language. In our home, we expect our kiddos to be polite when asking for things, we also do the same for them. While we are firm in our directions, they are usually prefaced with a please and if they have followed the direction, they will receive a thank you. We work hard on these manners at the dinner table and hear a lot of, "You're welcomes" coming from the kiddos, too. When they are done eating, they must ask to be excused from the table. Even our little guy uses all of these manners. It makes us proud as parents to hear compliments from others on how polite our kiddos are. We feel that this is important and instills a sense of respect in them.
These skills seem easy to teach. It involves repetition, capitalizing on teachable moments, and leading by example. To truly make a change in this world, though, we need to teach our children to be compassionate and empathetic, to tolerate and accept others' differences, to think of and help others, and to simply be kind and generous people. Helping our kids achieve these qualities will take a little more work!
Once again it seems that the best way to teach these skills is to be a role model yourself and to surround yourself with people who display these qualities. If one of our kiddos is crying, we encourage the others to ask if they're okay. Now it is a natural response when they are around other children their own age and they're crying. It is very heartwarming to see them pause and go check on someone.
Holiday season is a wonderful time to teach children the importance of helping others. There are always opportunities to provide food, gifts, and basic necessities for those in need. Now that our kiddos are a bit older, I like to bring them along to help with the purchases and discuss what we're doing. If you don't have extra money lying around for these causes, you can always donate your time. By modeling the importance of these type of activities, we are truly teaching our children to be compassionate, kind, and helpful human beings.
I feel like one of the hardest issues to tackle is teaching our children to tolerate and accept others' differences. In this day and age where bullying is so prevalent, we need to really work with our young children on this issue. I know that I fear that our son will be bullied for his peanut allergy, as it is all too common now since there seems to be a "target" on his back. For some reason many parents who don't have a child with a peanut or nut allergy view the precautions taken to keep children safe in such a negative way and this rubs off on their children. Before you become angry because your child's school has adopted a peanut and nut-free policy, step back and think of the reason why these measures have been taken. These children can die from ingesting the smallest bit of a nut. This is a perfect example of teaching tolerance and acceptance and it starts with the parents. Kids pick up on everything and their ears are always on. If you are speaking poorly about others because of their differences, your children will adopt this mentality as well. It's a hard habit to break, but take a step back and put yourself in someone else's shoes. We all want our children to be treated with kindness and respect. This starts in the confines of our home. Do we as adults model this behavior? Are we tolerant and accepting of others? If not, it's time to get to work.
It seems like we live in the era of go, go, go. We are always running from one activity to the next trying our best to make sure that our children have it all, but in the end is it worth it? When I was young, this just wasn't the case. We didn't even start playing sports until we were eight! While I am all for my kiddos exploring their interests and trying new things, I do not want to spend our evenings and weekends running from activity to activity. Together we will prioritize what is important to them at the present time and give that a try. If they enjoy the activity, then we will continue it, but if they do not enjoy it, once the session is over we will be done. At this age, I feel like it is much more important to sit down and have a meal together several nights a week, focus on schoolwork, and get a good night's rest than spend our time running around, eating in the car, and being tired and unprepared for school the next day. I know not everyone will agree, but I feel that while our children our young, we should enjoy them and not be terribly stressed about where we are going and all that we have going on. I want us to be able to spend time as a family and truly appreciate these moments that we have, because soon they will be gone. Our kids are only kids once! Maybe getting back to slowing things down and spending more time as a family unit will help our children in the future.
While I understand that not everyone will share the same values that I have, I hope that we can all agree that something needs to change for our children. Growing up we all dealt with being picked on and made fun of, but it feels like kids these days have taken it to another level and it saddens me. Life seemed much simpler back then. I went to school, came home, played, did my homework, enjoyed a family meal, spent time with my family watching tv, reading, or playing a game, and went to bed. I didn't feel like I was constantly on a clock rushing to complete everything. This is what I want for my kiddos. I want them to feel loved, appreciated, respected, and important. Perhaps if they feel this way, they will be happy and able to overcome the hardships they will inevitably encounter. It seems like a hefty challenge, but I am up for it!
The "Golden Rule" at our house is to treat others as you wish to be treated. Whenever one of our kiddos does something to hurt another, one of the first questions they are asked is, "How would that make you feel if ___ did that to you?" Once they've answered, they are promptly sent to time-out to think about what they have done. Once the timer goes off, they are to apologize to the offended person and most of the time a hug is involved, too (though that's voluntary!). It seems simple enough, but it's a good life lesson and one that they will time and time again. As they grow older, I hope that they will take the time to stop and think about how their actions will make others feel.
We also believe in using good manners. Even before they can speak, our kids are taught "please" and "thank you" using baby sign language. In our home, we expect our kiddos to be polite when asking for things, we also do the same for them. While we are firm in our directions, they are usually prefaced with a please and if they have followed the direction, they will receive a thank you. We work hard on these manners at the dinner table and hear a lot of, "You're welcomes" coming from the kiddos, too. When they are done eating, they must ask to be excused from the table. Even our little guy uses all of these manners. It makes us proud as parents to hear compliments from others on how polite our kiddos are. We feel that this is important and instills a sense of respect in them.
These skills seem easy to teach. It involves repetition, capitalizing on teachable moments, and leading by example. To truly make a change in this world, though, we need to teach our children to be compassionate and empathetic, to tolerate and accept others' differences, to think of and help others, and to simply be kind and generous people. Helping our kids achieve these qualities will take a little more work!
Once again it seems that the best way to teach these skills is to be a role model yourself and to surround yourself with people who display these qualities. If one of our kiddos is crying, we encourage the others to ask if they're okay. Now it is a natural response when they are around other children their own age and they're crying. It is very heartwarming to see them pause and go check on someone.
Holiday season is a wonderful time to teach children the importance of helping others. There are always opportunities to provide food, gifts, and basic necessities for those in need. Now that our kiddos are a bit older, I like to bring them along to help with the purchases and discuss what we're doing. If you don't have extra money lying around for these causes, you can always donate your time. By modeling the importance of these type of activities, we are truly teaching our children to be compassionate, kind, and helpful human beings.
I feel like one of the hardest issues to tackle is teaching our children to tolerate and accept others' differences. In this day and age where bullying is so prevalent, we need to really work with our young children on this issue. I know that I fear that our son will be bullied for his peanut allergy, as it is all too common now since there seems to be a "target" on his back. For some reason many parents who don't have a child with a peanut or nut allergy view the precautions taken to keep children safe in such a negative way and this rubs off on their children. Before you become angry because your child's school has adopted a peanut and nut-free policy, step back and think of the reason why these measures have been taken. These children can die from ingesting the smallest bit of a nut. This is a perfect example of teaching tolerance and acceptance and it starts with the parents. Kids pick up on everything and their ears are always on. If you are speaking poorly about others because of their differences, your children will adopt this mentality as well. It's a hard habit to break, but take a step back and put yourself in someone else's shoes. We all want our children to be treated with kindness and respect. This starts in the confines of our home. Do we as adults model this behavior? Are we tolerant and accepting of others? If not, it's time to get to work.
It seems like we live in the era of go, go, go. We are always running from one activity to the next trying our best to make sure that our children have it all, but in the end is it worth it? When I was young, this just wasn't the case. We didn't even start playing sports until we were eight! While I am all for my kiddos exploring their interests and trying new things, I do not want to spend our evenings and weekends running from activity to activity. Together we will prioritize what is important to them at the present time and give that a try. If they enjoy the activity, then we will continue it, but if they do not enjoy it, once the session is over we will be done. At this age, I feel like it is much more important to sit down and have a meal together several nights a week, focus on schoolwork, and get a good night's rest than spend our time running around, eating in the car, and being tired and unprepared for school the next day. I know not everyone will agree, but I feel that while our children our young, we should enjoy them and not be terribly stressed about where we are going and all that we have going on. I want us to be able to spend time as a family and truly appreciate these moments that we have, because soon they will be gone. Our kids are only kids once! Maybe getting back to slowing things down and spending more time as a family unit will help our children in the future.
While I understand that not everyone will share the same values that I have, I hope that we can all agree that something needs to change for our children. Growing up we all dealt with being picked on and made fun of, but it feels like kids these days have taken it to another level and it saddens me. Life seemed much simpler back then. I went to school, came home, played, did my homework, enjoyed a family meal, spent time with my family watching tv, reading, or playing a game, and went to bed. I didn't feel like I was constantly on a clock rushing to complete everything. This is what I want for my kiddos. I want them to feel loved, appreciated, respected, and important. Perhaps if they feel this way, they will be happy and able to overcome the hardships they will inevitably encounter. It seems like a hefty challenge, but I am up for it!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
"Souper" Sunday
It's a great day for soup! Today I'm making the Vegetable Beef Soup I shared with you awhile back. Can't wait to get some fresh bread and enjoy it for dinner! I'd like to share another wonderful soup recipe called Tuscan Chicken Soup. We love it and it's quite healthy as well! My friend posted it on her blog Peanut Blossom around Super Bowl time last year and we gave it a shot. It was a keeper!
Tuscan Chicken Soup
From Peanut Blossom
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 medium yellow onion (medium dice)
4 carrots (peeled, washed, and medium dice)
4 stalks celery (washed and medium dice)
2 zucchini (washed and medium dice)
3 cloves fresh garlic (chopped finely); I cheat and substitute the jar kind!
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional); we omit
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. Asini de pepe pasta
In a large pot, add 2 T. olive oil and saute, onions, celery, and carrots over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic. Saute until tender about 4-6 minutes.
Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken. Simmer soup for 20 minutes, vegetables should be tender. Add pasta and cook right into the soup for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream if using and allow to simmer 6-8 minutes.
Tuscan Chicken Soup
From Peanut Blossom
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 medium yellow onion (medium dice)
4 carrots (peeled, washed, and medium dice)
4 stalks celery (washed and medium dice)
2 zucchini (washed and medium dice)
3 cloves fresh garlic (chopped finely); I cheat and substitute the jar kind!
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional); we omit
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. Asini de pepe pasta
In a large pot, add 2 T. olive oil and saute, onions, celery, and carrots over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic. Saute until tender about 4-6 minutes.
Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken. Simmer soup for 20 minutes, vegetables should be tender. Add pasta and cook right into the soup for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream if using and allow to simmer 6-8 minutes.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Different Take on Lasagna
Things are busy here today and with Dad out of town, I am thankful for a night of leftovers! Today the little man and I spent the morning shopping. Both of my older kids grew a considerable bit over the summer and I'm finding drawers filled with high-water pants and shirts that are not long enough! I am happy to have found some great deals and feel better knowing that my oldest guy has a warm coat that fits.
One of our leftovers we are having tonight is Mexican Lasagna. It has been a staple in our recipe rotation since we got married. I am a Plain Jane and prefer to eat it as it is, but those of you that like "stuff" can jazz it up any way you like!
Mexican Lasagna
1 1/4 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
chili powder/garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 c. rice (cooked)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups cottage cheese
1 beaten egg
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Large flour tortillas
Brown ground beef and add the taco seasoning, chili powder, and cooked rice. Add tomatoes and a little grated cheese to the meat mixture. Roll mixture up in large flour tortilla. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Combine cottage cheese, beaten egg, and grated cheese and put on top of tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Top with more cheese, tomato, lettuce, salsa, etc.
One of our leftovers we are having tonight is Mexican Lasagna. It has been a staple in our recipe rotation since we got married. I am a Plain Jane and prefer to eat it as it is, but those of you that like "stuff" can jazz it up any way you like!
Mexican Lasagna
1 1/4 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
chili powder/garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 c. rice (cooked)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups cottage cheese
1 beaten egg
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Large flour tortillas
Brown ground beef and add the taco seasoning, chili powder, and cooked rice. Add tomatoes and a little grated cheese to the meat mixture. Roll mixture up in large flour tortilla. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Combine cottage cheese, beaten egg, and grated cheese and put on top of tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Top with more cheese, tomato, lettuce, salsa, etc.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Apple Fun: Kids Math Activities
When I was teaching, I always loved doing a unit on apples. There are so many things you can do! Today I am going to share some fun and easy math apple activities for you to do with your kiddos of all ages. My own kiddos are enjoying our new apple projects each day and I hope yours do as well!
Apples lend themselves to math activities since there are three different colors. For your youngest kids, you can simply work on matching the colored apples or stepping that up a notch and sorting them by color. To make it really fun, use real apples! This morning I had my little guy work on his colors by picking up the color of apple I asked for and then gluing it on a piece of paper to make an apple collage.
Practicing color recognition
For kids that are preschool-aged, you can practice patterning with two or three colors. Today my daughter quickly made a pattern with two colors. She loved creating it and using the glue (of course!) to put them on the paper. Once she completed her pattern, I had her "read" it back to me and then count how many apples she used. This, too, would be fun with real apples!
A simple AB pattern project
If your children can recognize numbers, show them a number and have them count on that many apples. You could also make a book, providing the number on the top of the page for them to trace and then draw that many apples. It may look something like this:
Tracing and drawing book
To take this activity one step further, if your child is ready, you can print off the color word in addition to the number and have them create a book about apples.
Color word and number book
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Fall is Upon Us
The weather today definitely feels like fall and the ten-day forecast shows no 80 degree temperatures, so I think it's time to switch to fall mode. While summer is truly my favorite season as I love warm weather, fall is okay, too. I love to pull out the old sweatpants, whip up some yummy fall treats, and decorate the house for the upcoming holidays. Fall also brings on football season, which goes hand-in-hand with yummy soup and appetizer recipes. See, fall isn't so bad!
Yesterday I had my little kids make some stained glass apples to hang on our patio door. It's so simple and a great craft for those little hands. Simply print off an apple coloring page, cut the apple out, trace it on some construction paper, and carefully cut it out leaving an open space, while leaving the outside edges in tact, to put the tissue paper in. Cover with contact paper (make sure the sticky side will face away from your tracing marks) and cut it out. I pre-cut the tissue paper for my kiddos, but if they're a little bit older they can rip the pieces for some extra fine motor practice. To go along with our project, we read a few stories about apples: Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell and The Biggest Apple Ever by Steven Kroll.
Yesterday I had my little kids make some stained glass apples to hang on our patio door. It's so simple and a great craft for those little hands. Simply print off an apple coloring page, cut the apple out, trace it on some construction paper, and carefully cut it out leaving an open space, while leaving the outside edges in tact, to put the tissue paper in. Cover with contact paper (make sure the sticky side will face away from your tracing marks) and cut it out. I pre-cut the tissue paper for my kiddos, but if they're a little bit older they can rip the pieces for some extra fine motor practice. To go along with our project, we read a few stories about apples: Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell and The Biggest Apple Ever by Steven Kroll.
Look at those little fingers working!
Taking their time to make...
Beautiful apples!
Fall also means time to make some pumpkin recipes! Today I thought I'd share with you a healthy (by my books!) pumpkin muffin recipe.
Pumpkin Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour (whole grain works well or do half and half)
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 regular size can of pumpkin
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. canola oil
1/3 c. greek yogurt (vanilla or plain; I prefer vanilla)
Combine dry ingredients. Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, and yogurt in separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes (may take longer, as original recipe was for mini muffins).
Monday, September 17, 2012
Crocking Monday!
Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and you're ready for a new week. I feel like I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately, but I am hoping to share some old and new recipes with you soon. I've bookmarked quite a few and am looking forward to some new dishes! Today is "Crocking Monday" and I'd like to share a simple beef and mushroom recipe with you. It's easy and doesn't contain too many ingredients! Hope you enjoy!
Beef and Mushrooms
3 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans mushrooms with liquid
1/2 cup apple juice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Combine all ingredients in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 10 hours. Makes 4-6 servings. Serve over rice.
Beef and Mushrooms
3 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans mushrooms with liquid
1/2 cup apple juice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Combine all ingredients in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 10 hours. Makes 4-6 servings. Serve over rice.
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