Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…night has come.

I am thinking…a picture really is worth a thousand words.

I am thankful for…order.

From the learning rooms…”homeschooling lite”…it’s summer, so there’s nothing formal going on…just a whole lot of reading, playing, and making connections when we can.

From the kitchen…the leftover cake from Joseph’s birthday is calling me all day long.  I look forward to a little sliver each night (although Daxson will tell you it’s not really a sliver, more like a chunk). 

I am wearing…pajamas.  Old, broken-in, comfy pajamas.

I am creating…a birthday letter for Joseph (I know it’s a little late, but I’m still reflecting on the fact that he turned 3)…I’ll post it soon.

I am going…to teach Joseph how to play “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the piano tomorrow.  He asked me to teach him today but the only copy of the music we had involved three sharps…Mom’s sending us an easier version.

I am reading…Creative Homeschooling by Lisa Rivero.

I am hoping…for beautiful weather for Mom’s family reunion.

I am hearing…silence.  Golden silence.

Around the house…reorganizing the playroom.  I feel like it never ends!

One of my favorite things…rinsing all the sand off after a day at the beach. 

He's not sleeping...he's getting sandy...very, very sandy.

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Cheating

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Shhh…I’m cheating in the kitchen.  That’s right…cheating.  And I don’t mean cheating as in boxed meals.  I’m sneaking in all kinds of goodies to boost the nutritional value of each meal…and everyone is LOVING it! 

Yesterday was sweet potato and carrot puree in our spaghetti sauce.  Today was fortified french toast (fortified with sweet potato and carrot puree).  Tonight?  Oven fried fish sticks with hidden cauliflower and zucchini. 

My weapon of sneakiness?  The Sneaky Chef, of course.  Missy Chase Lapine has done a great job in this book, arming parents of picky eaters with an assortment of ideas on how to sneak in some of the fruits, veggies and whole grains that kids find so hard to swallow. 

We eat relatively healthy to begin with and Joseph is and always has been an excellent eater.  He eats whatever is served, down to the last crumb.  I’ve never felt a need to be sneaky or to change our menu.  I know Joseph has been filling his body with the nutrients a growing child needs.  But William, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.  He hates texture.  He hates vegetables.  It’s nothing I did or didn’t do.  It’s nothing I’m serving or not serving.  It’s him.  It’s his picky little palate.  He just doesn’t like to eat much and the things he does eat are not well-balanced.   

I know some of the basic rules for sneaking nutrients in.  For example, I know that avocado and spinach can be added to smoothies because they don’t change the flavor (just the color, so be sure to add them to dark colored smoothies like blueberry or chocolate), but really I can’t feed William a smoothie for every meal.  I needed another way to be sneaky, so enter the Sneaky Chef.  I simply puree an assortment of veggies and fruits (Missy’s make-ahead recipes) and then add them into the foods that we’re already eating.  This is nothing new.  Moms and grandmas have been doing this for centuries, I’m sure.  But Missy’s taken it to a new level by constructing some delicious recipes from breakfast “ice-cream” to mac n cheese to chocolate cupcakes.

I know there are critics out there who say sneaking fruits and veggies and whole grains into other foods doesn’t teach children to appreciate the foods in their own natural state and that we’re actually encouraging picky eating behavior.  I’d venture to say those critics never had a picky eater to feed.  I’m more concerned with the nutritional value of a meal than whether my child will knowingly eat an array of vegetables.  It’s not as if I’m disguising the goodies in junk food.  The purees are being added to already healthy food…they’re just increasing the nutritional content.     

Daxson asked me this morning if I feel deceptive?  Deceptive?  Yeah, maybe, but something to feel guilty about?  No way!  The food is delicious; we’re all getting an extra boost of nutrition; and I can rest easy knowing that the little bit that William actually consumes is packed full of nutrients that his little body needs.

The Dentist

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

One of the most beautiful things about children is there is no tainted experience to ruin their adventures and exploration. They haven’t been taught to be afraid.  Spiders?  Kids love them.  Snakes?  Incredible.  Dentists?  Exciting! 

Joseph visited the dentist for the first time today. He wasn’t scared.  He didn’t cry.  He was excited to go.  He’s been planning all week, reminding me that Wednesday he was going to go visit the dentist.  He was so proud to have an opportunity to show Ms. Cynthia and Dr. Moore his teeth. 

So early this morning, Dax and Joseph set off for the dentist office.  I worried a little.  After all, everyone that Joseph told he was going to the dentist gave me a kind of skeptical, worried look.  Our friends and family didn’t seem too excited about the upcoming event; rather they all gave off the impression that the dentist office is a place they dread, a place they avoid.  So I did worry a little.  Maybe we didn’t prepare Joseph well enough.  Maybe he’d get there and not cooperate.  Maybe he would think getting his teeth cleaned hurt! 

I should have saved my energy for something else.  The entire experience was so positive for Joseph.  He had a great time, thanks to Ms. Cynthia and Dr. Moore.  They praised him, telling him his teeth look great.  They talked with him and laughed with him.  They were so patient and so friendly.  (I can’t be more specific about how wonderful they were because Dax was there, not me, but I know they were just wonderful because of the sheer joy on Joseph’s face when he told me he saw Ms. Cynthia and Dr. Moore and because I know from my own experience that they are so delightful).   

But I’d like to think maybe Dax and I had something to do with his positive experience, too.  We never said “oh no, you’ve got to go to the dentist.”  We made it sound like an adventure.  We took him with us a few months ago while we each had our teeth cleaned, so he could see firsthand that it was nothing to worry about.  For the past few weeks, we’ve been reading books about going to the dentist (Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer and Take Care of Your Teeth, a Rookie Read-About Science book).  We acted out what it was going to be like to go to the dentist.  We made up bedtime stories about little boys who visited the dentist.  We told him that Dr. Moore and Ms. Cynthia would be so proud of how well he had been taking care of his teeth.  How could he be anything but excited?!

And it seems as if all of our effort worked.  He actually enjoyed going to the dentist.  He’s been telling me, nonstop, about his visit.  I’m not sure at what point we begin to dread visiting the dentist (maybe the first time we get a cavity?) but I’m relieved to know that Joseph isn’t at that point yet.  Who knows?  Maybe he’ll never dread it.  Now wouldn’t that be something to smile about?

 

Maybe if there was a goodie box for adults, we'd be more excited to visit the dentist!

Chatting with Dr. Moore

Just like the dentists' mirrors in his books!

A perfect check-up...definitely worth a smile!

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…it’s raining.

I am thinking…rainy days are such a great excuse for a hot cup of tea and a chance to be lazy.

I am loving…the way William signs and says “stop” and “go”…it sounds more like “top” and “doe”. 

From the kitchen…Fortified French Toast from The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine (french toast with a nutritional boost…sweet potatoes and carrots…no, I’m not kidding…yes, it was delicious!).

I am wearing…jeans and a blue flowery shirt.

I am creating…all kinds of sneaky concoctions in the kitchen (worthy of a blog all of its own).

I am going…to finish ordering curriculum for next year…and then breathe easy for the rest of the summer.

I am reading…a knitting mystery.

I am hoping…to catch up on my to-do list (I had clingy children last week, remember?).

I am hearing…the soft pitter patter of the rain outside the window.

Around the house…ahh, finally, things are organized and the house is clean…all ready for company this weekend.

One of my favorite things…hearing the excitement in Joseph’s voice as he counts down the days until his birthday.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  A morning at the beach, a trip to Barnes and Noble with my little birthday boy, visitors, a joyful birthday.

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…Last week we read Corduroy by Don Freeman and Joseph loved the story!  After reading (and re-reading and re-reading), Joseph decided to dress his bear up as Corduroy.  Then yesterday I was impressed when we went to walk at the mall and as soon as he saw the escalator, Joseph exclaimed, “Look!  Just like in Corduroy.  That’s an escalator, but Corduroy thought it was a mountain.”  What a memory!

Clinging Children

/ Stacie / 2 Comments

With two little ones around our house, clinginess is no stranger.  There are days when these two little boys seem to want nothing more than to be held.  Breakfast is fast and easy; lunch is something I can make one-armed; dinner is nothing fancy.  I try to remember that the things on my to-do list are not urgent.  Yes, they feel urgent to me, but the world will not stop if I fail to check off each item.  I try to my best to keep it in perspective and to embrace each moment as it comes, but sometimes its hard. 

Today was the perfect example.  I have been trying to reorganize the kids’ room.  Not just reorganize.  No…the project has become much bigger.  I am trying to downsize.  Out with the old and unused in an effort to make room for the new.  There are bags and bags (and bags) of baby clothes and blankets and hats and booties.  Piles of toddler clothing and jackets and sweaters.  Some of it passed down to us, some of it gifts, some of it worn and broken in, some of it never touched.  I’ve been trying to be practical.  If it’s never been worn then it went into the “give it to someone who might actually use it” pile.  Surprisingly, I came up with quite a load to give away.  Accomplishment.  A little extra space.  Ah, some breathing room.  So today’s task seemed simple enough.  Sort the remaining clothes according to size, put them in vacuum seal bags, vacuum them shut, store them.  That’s it.  A 30 minute project.  Yet it literally took me all day to accomplish those few steps.  Nothing else on my list got checked off.  Why?  I had two little children who both refused a nap and instead spent the afternoon clinging. 

So when I sat down at the computer tonight and read Elizabeth’s blog, I felt her advice could not possibly have come at a better time.  As she tells a story of her clingy toddler, she passes on some advice she read.  Here’s her advice…

Embrace him. He is empty and unsure of your permanence, for whatever reason, and the more you resist, the more unsure he gets. The more unsure he gets, the more he will cling. Embrace him every time he wants you to, for as long as he wants you to. Don’t let go until he does. Eventually he will.

It’s true.  Everything with children is just a phase.  They will outgrow their clinginess.  They will outgrow their neediness.  And I will miss it.  Oh yes, someday I know I will miss the little arms wrapped tightly around my neck.  I’ll miss the little sticky hands reaching for me.  I’ll miss the cries that are only satisfied with a mommy hug.  So for now, I am going to do the only thing I can.  I’m going to set aside that to-do list and I’m going to embrace my children…clinginess and all.

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…it’s beautiful and sunny, but oh so very hot.

I am laughing…William just hit a button on the keyboard and I can’t get this blog to align properly…so much for presentation.

I am thankful for…a good night’s sleep.

I am learning…motherhood is a job that requires a lot of humility.  Case in point: William managed to break an $80 bottle of tequila at Grandma Nury and Grandpa Larry’s last weekend.  The only things I could offer were a very humble apology and an offer to replace the broken bottle. 

From the kitchen…fresh pesto…lots of basil, some walnuts, some olive oil, a little salt and of course, garlic…mmm, mmm…everybody’s eating it…even picky little William!

I am wearing…jean shorts and a purple tanktop that has a glittery butterfly on it…very teeny bopper.

I am creating…memories.  My favorite one from last week…seeing Don and Ingrid.  Joseph’s still telling stories about his friend Don.

I am going…to the post office to mail some more books for www.paperbackswap.com  Have you joined yet?

I am reading…the Rainbow Resource catalog…yep, it’s that big that I can actually consider it reading material!  Trying to make some final choices about curriculum and manipulatives for next year.

I am hoping…to take the kids to the beach again soon.  Look!  They’re actually warming up to the whole idea of getting wet…

I am hearing…Joseph singing “Father Abraham” with William attempting to hum along.

Around the house…some last minute Spring cleaning (it’s almost summer so I have to hurry!).

One of my favorite things…everything in its place.

Here are a few pictures I thought worth sharing…the Mighty Minds box says “Makes Kids Smarter” and “Keeps Them Busy for Hours.”  I’m not sure if the first claim is true, but the second is! 

Small Steps

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If you haven’t already, stop what you’re doing and order a copy of Elizabeth Foss and Danielle Bean’s newest book Small Steps for Catholic Moms.  It’s not a book that’s meant to be read in one sitting (although you could if you wanted to!) but rather a book to be savored over the course of a year.  It’s a 365 day devotional where each day includes 3 steps: Think (a reflection from a saint or the bible), Pray (a short prayer to help you get focused), and Act (a simple action to put the month’s virtue into practice).  I’m finding this book to be my spiritual anchor right now…it’s hard with two little ones to find quiet time to pray and grow, but this book is making it possible.  No matter what point you’re at in mothering, you’ll find hope, encouragement, and spiritual noursishment between the covers of this little gem.

Handwriting

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Handwriting is so fun to work on with little kids because the opportunities are endless…shaving cream, rice, oatmeal, chalk, pipe cleaners…everything is an opportunity for practice, just so long as you’re practicing correctly because as Daxson is fond of saying, “Perfect practice makes perfect!” 

Joseph loves using sidewalk chalk to practice his letters...this day we chose to do "rainbow letters."

If Joseph's having trouble with a letter, he practices tracing the correct strokes on the letter I've drawn.

Proudly showing off his ABCs.

To practice the correct strokes, Joseph uses the sandpaper letters that I made for him. The correct strokes are shown with numbered arrows.

St. William

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

We discovered that the Letter C on Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Gary’s alphabet mat make a perfect halo for William…perhaps these pictures will inspire him to behave in a saintly manner!

Authority

/ Stacie / 2 Comments

Joseph does not like to feed himself.  Anything.  Ever.  He hates getting messy.  He hates risking a mess.  He is a perfectionist.  I know I already told you this.  Do you remember?  Well he’s almost 3 and I have tried everything to get him to eat.  I’ve tried bribing, coaxing, cajoling, praising…you name it, I’m sure I’ve tried it.  Yes, I’ve tried leaving him there until he finishes…he could sit there forever.  Yes, I’ve tried rewarding…he’s not interested.  Yes, whatever you’re about to say, I’m sure I’ve tried it.  I was beginning to wonder if this child would ever feed himself and then a miracle happened.

I took William for his well-baby appointment with Dr. Perez earlier this week and I asked her about it.  She said, “Joseph’s a big boy…he needs to feed himself.”  So I came home and at lunch, I told Joseph, “Dr. Perez says you’re a big boy…she says you need to feed yourself.”  And HE DID.  And HE STILL IS.  And at every meal, he kindly reminds me, “Dr. Perez says I’m a big boy…I need to feed myself.”  I guess this Mommy is not an authority on everything.