Prepositions through the day

Walked by,
stood amid,
dusted along,
vacuumed up,
wiped down,
found beneath,
placed above,
looked into,
scoured through,
emptied out,
loaded in,
swept under,
glossed over,
collected from,
brought to,
thought beyond,
worked until,
tuckered out.
What’s for dinner besides?

 

Be the moon.

Be the moon. Just be.
With craters, crevasses, shadows, just be.

God is the light. He provides the light.
We try to turn to reflect just right, to hide the holes — not trusting God to shine over it all, as if God needs our help!
And how often does trying to tilt a bit this way or that – maybe while trying to hide one of the craters – end up spinning the entire thing off kilter?

Just be the moon.
Trust God to do the work.
Sit still. Don’t try to hide.
And just see how the moon will shine at its appointed time.

 

Fast, healthy, and tasty pizza snacks

This popular snack is a hit with kids and one you will be happy to serve anytime! See tips at the bottom for festive Spiderman Pizzas or adding more vegetables.

Quick Pizza

Ingredients:

• whole-wheat English muffins
• provolone slices (or other cheese – provolone are handy, since they are round)
• puréed carrots (baby food or home made – I will freeze purée in ice cube trays)
• tomato sauce & seasoning (or your own spaghetti sauce)

Method:

Use toaster oven, or preheat full-sized oven to 400F.
Lay desired number of English muffins on tray.
Spread with puréed carrots.
Cover with tomato sauce and season very gently with a small sprinkle of thyme, basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning.
* Health notes: expand your child’s palate and introduce healthy seasonings such as herbs and garlic – just begin slowly, according to little tastebuds. Also, purchased spaghetti sauces  often contain sugar or corn syrup. Avoid having your children acquire a taste for sugar in most foods (other big culprits: bread, flavored yogurt, prepared sauces & mixes, and most beverages besides water and plain milk). 
Lay provolone slice on top. Bake 4-7 min, or until cheese is melted.

Increase the adventure and introduce a spoon of pesto, fresh basil, mushrooms, or broccoli. Place vegetable on sauce, below cheese. Chop very finely for more finicky eaters.

For fun, draw a “spiderman web” with additional tomato sauce on top of the cheese in a squirt bottle (ketchup, etc.).

 

First fingerpaints: fun & safe painting for little hands!

I loved introducing my son to self expression through art. I started very early, and one of my favorite projects is this little painting project.

Important note: this activity can make two things confusing for your child.

1. “Don’t play with your food.”  That’s exactly what this activity amounts to, so try to set it up differently than mealtime – don’t use normal bibs, change the location of the highchair, and call it “yogurt painting” or such.

2. “Don’t eat art supplies.”  Call it “yogurt painting” or “yogurt frosting” - anything to avoid calling it “painting” & avoid paint-sampling later.

Supplies:

1. Plain yogurt in 2 or 3 small unbreakable bowls
2. Food colors  (use baby-food carrots, mashed beets, mashed blueberries, etc., if you are very concerned about any dyes)
3. Freezer paper (has waxy finish underneath) & masking tape
4. Smock or other clothing protection (shirtless works on a warm day!)
5. Optional: old shower curtain or sheet for under the highchair

Get ready:

1. Mix several tablespoons of yogurt with coloring to make 2 or 3 color choices.
2. Tape the freezer paper to the tray.
3. Once everything is ready, add a properly suited up toddler.

Go:

Directions should be very simple, and there should be few rules.

Good rule:  except if you are outside, yogurt-paint should stay on the paper. You teach your child good social behavior by not allowing it on the floor or on the head, even if they are very young. Exceptions are hard to understand, hard to predict, and make it easier to “miss the mark”. These rules help your child become a likeable person who respects other people’s space, so they are good rules.

Be prepared: this may mean stopping the activity after only a few minutes if wrong choices continue. It isn’t a failed attempt, it is a good learning opportunity. “We all make mistakes, so then we fix it and try again later.” The rule will be easier to follow the next day you try.

Bad rules:  Don’t direct what kinds of lines they make, rubbing the paper to shreds or not, mixing colors, using two hands or one….

This is about young children experimenting on their paper and expressing themselves through a visual design. Anything they try on their paper is an interesting and worthwhile experiment.

1. Spoon practice. Have your child practice pouring a small spoon of yogurt on the paper.
2. Say the names of the colors. You can ask the child to repeat the names of the colors. Over time, you can ask them to point out a color when you name it.
3. Mix colors. Use a sing-song chant (“red and blue make purple” or “yellow and blue make green” or “red and yellow make orange”) if your colors combine well. Your child will not remember color combinations for a while, but you are sowing seeds in your child’s mind.
4. Demonstrate making lines across the paper with your finger, and explain that you are drawing lines. Let your toddler try, if he desires.
5. Demonstrate making a circle, say “Circle” and let toddler try making a circle…if she feels like it!
6. Try having your child “paint emotions” –
   “What do you think happy painting looks like?”
   “…silly…”
   “…sad…”
   “…loving…”
   “…angry…”
7. Ask your child to describe a painting (“tell me about your picture” instead of “what did you draw?”). You might want to make notes on the back of it later, along with a date!

I hope you have fun with this activity! I have also used this outside on warm days, where full-body mess is entirely ok and a wading pool or sprinkler serves both for clean-up and more fun.

 

A prayer for those marked by 9/11

I woke up last year on 9/11, and called to mind immediately the many lives marked by 9/11, and the many still reviewing each “last” from that awful day.

The last hug or hand-hold, the last morning routine with someone, the last ordinary moments that are now tightly held, periodically dusted off, and reviewed in hope of  finding some new detail.

I wrote down my prayer last year, and have re-visited it since. When I feel my arms aren’t long enough to do all that needs doing, I remember that they are long enough to pray.  I have seen answered prayers; I assure you that God is still here. So here is my prayer this year. I hope you will add your own voice.

Lord Almighty, God of Creation,

As you promise, hear my prayer to you for the families and the friends of each person lost eight years ago on that terrible day. Rain on them grace, as they lie awake recalling the last hours. Open their hearts to the real and certain truth that you walked beside each soul, that you were with each dying person, that you will not leave us.

Where lack of money and unanswered need has bound people to unproductive and unhappy lives after their 9/11 losses, raise up workers with eyes that see and ears that hear to meet those needs and remove what binds. Look with favor on the work of our hands.

Where over-abundant money has resulted in strife and torn families, where people try to bind deep wounds with money, things, alcohol, or any false bandage, open their hearts to see blessings and to recognize healing truth. Teach their hearts to know the joy of choosing to love and choosing to give.

In a world with terrorists such as these, with other horrors across the globe, please guide the decisions of those who govern. Let them not compound evil with evil, but instead guide them to govern in truth, that people’s lives may be protected and preserved to seek you and know you.

Stir up a consuming love for you in all who know you, that they will passionately work out your plan and grow in love for your creation. Encourage all who love you to seek justice, to encourage the oppressed, to defend the cause of the fatherless, and plead the cause of the widow. Let our faith be a living faith, practiced in an abundance of good works, for a world lost in so much darkness.

Let us then love you with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind, and all our strength. Let us then love our neighbor as ourself.

 

Making air travel with children a great adventure

I traveled coast-to-coast frequently in the U.S. when my son was young, since family was far away. Most of the travel was just the two of us, meeting up with Dad at our destination. I’ve also spent many plane hours entertaining other small row-mates.

Over the years I’ve collected my own learnings, plus happily borrowed great ideas from others. Using these ideas, I’ve greatly reduced stress & hassle, making travel with my son a fun adventure, filled with many great memories.

Air Travel Basics

• Your attitude will become your children’s attitude. Even routine travel can be fun when you look for interesting things. Airport art, unusual floor tiles, funny backpacks, newspaper origami, or a shared vanilla-flavored milk at the coffee stand can all provide inspiration to pause, breathe, and enjoy your family and the world through a child’s fresh perspective.
• Be prepared to carry everything.. and everyone.. on your own. If people help you, you will have a good reason for extra cheerfulness. If no one is there to help, you’ll still have the confidence that you can manage.
  Have an item count – know how many pieces you should be carrying, so nothing is left behind (eg, 4 items – car seat, roller bag, carry-on, plus baby sling).
  Slings are far more useful than strollers for traveling through an airport and for dealing with most bathrooms.
  Buy a seat and use a car seat for young children. In the event of turbulence, your child will be secure. In any flight, your child will be more easily entertained in place, since children are already accustomed to remaining in a car seat. Of course, remember that if you remove them “to stretch” or such, you’ve just introduced the idea that sitting there is optional.
  Roller bags are great, but remember that you can’t easily access anything inside. Also, 22” roller bags often do not fit easily on planes. You may need to gate-check the bag for certain planes or for a full flight. If the flight seems full, get the item stored in the first overhead space you see so it is in front of you.
  Warmth. Planes may or may not have blankets & pillows, which may or may not be clean. A one-piece hooded suit with feet for babies means no drafts, and no lost hats or socks. Older children will want a sweatshirt and perhaps thin blanket/pillow.
  Zipped mesh laundry bags. I like these for key travel items. You can put it in the seat pocket in front of you, keep key snacks, play, and wipes in site and handy, and also keep it all together for easy departure. It prevents leaving things behind.
  Safety pins. Large safety pins keep socks, bibs, or other small items attached to a bag or car seat.
  Wipes & small hand sanitizer. I leave some wipes plain, and put another set of wipes in a plastic bag with some alcohol for cleaning airplane trays, etc.
  Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about getting sick on planes from re-circulated air. Air circulation and cleaning is well regulated, so exposure to illness will actually come from hand-to-face contact with a large number of new people and their germs.
  Minimize it where you can without creating a frenzied child.
  Labels. Have your name and cell number on every item – if it gets left behind, you might get it back.
• Be prepared with food and diapers for at least 24 hours, regardless of scheduled trip length. A small water bottle gives you something to drink even if there is no time to stop. You can refill it at a faucet in a pinch.
  Airport shops may be closed when you go through, the airline may cancel its food service, or substitute an anchovy-fillet Caesar salad ($15, a la carte) for the free child’s meal you thought you had ordered.
  Winter storms in the north, summer storms in the south, and other ”system glitches” can strand you at inconvenient times of the night, or get you to your destination far later than you’ve planned.
  Having the basics reduces stress, and might just be a lifesaver.
• Something to do. Don’t rely solely on electronics. They don’t always work, they generally leave children grumpy and waited passively for the next entertainment, they can be heavy, and they are often left behind. Several books, “go fish” cards, paper, and a few crayons or pencils provide hours of entertainment, especially if you are willing to participate. (Markers and pens are messy and caps get lost.) Masking tape becomes stickers, is fun for babies to pull off of socks, becomes a fishing game with a small tape ball on the end of a pencil, etc. Brush up on every song and rhyme you can think of for “special secrets” on-flight, or for gleeful singing in an airport corner while waiting. Better behavior and better memories are two bonuses from enjoying simple entertainment with your family.
• Cash for emergency. Being stranded at an airport that is about to close with no hotel shuttle available is a bad time to set off on a search for a cash machine because the cabby won’t take Visa.
• Spare clothes roll for you and for children. If the child needs spare clothes, there’s a good change you will too. When you find yourself coated in mess, happiness is quickly recovered with ready-to-go clean clothing, rolled up with diaper/ relevant undergarments, wipes, and plastic bag (for the dirty items).
• Keep critical items handy. ID, small bills for tips, phone, and key numbers on paper should all be in an easily accessible – but secure – location. Use a small notebook, a zipper plastic bag, or a wallet card for phone numbers, email & land addresses, and confirmation numbers in case you can’t use your phone. I carry phone & fax numbers for pharmacy, doctors, and nearby friends/family.
• Flexibility. Again, your attitude becomes your child’s attitude. If you keep choosing to make it work and find positives, your child will learn the same things, and you will both be happier.

Advance planning for an easier trip

• Pack light? Could be!  Locate supermarkets, discount stores, and/or laundromats near your destination. Convenient locations might mean you can easily purchase extra diapers & swim pants, formula, medicines, juice, snacks, flip flops, etc, at your destination.
• Travel clothing. Do you really want to chance spilling on that outfit? Or deal with all of those belts / buckles / buttons in a public bathroom? Are those shoes good for going through security quickly? I’m prefer socks for such a well-traveled area, and don’t want to meddle with laces. On the other hand, sloppy sandals or clogs on tiny feet will also slow you all down as you go through the airport. I also like bright shirts, and even coordinated outfits, so I can quickly spot and track people.
• Dry run. Give your carry-on a trial run. Is it really workable, when full, with a child? Hook the car seat to the carry-on to make sure it works, and can be separated and re-assembled quickly when you go through security. A few minutes a day or two before means you’ll have a much easier day of travel when time may very well be an issue.

Booking travel.  

• Avoid rush hour – Monday mornings, Thursday afternoons & evenings, and Fridays are rush-hour for business travelers. Traveling with children at these times is harder, and harder still if you don’t travel regularly.
  Find shorter lines with less rush on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
• Travel early in the morning. Delays in the system build up over the day. Longer lay-overs. Opt for flights with lay-overs of at least 1 ½ hours. It gives time for bathroom, walking, and luggage to transfer with you.

Other (sometimes) handy items

• Sunscreen, if a specific brand is important
• Thermometer & acetaminophen
• Nightlight for destination
• Child safety things. Outlet caps, plastic adjustable cabinet locks, door-handle covers, as appropriate
• Disposable changing pads (incontinence pads for people or doggies work well for this. They are a sad waste, but they will give you more options for adequately clean changing.)
• Zipper plastic bags. Store left-overs at the hotel, collect shells, corral small parts…endless uses.

 

How to make a child’s art smock in a snap

Make this in a snap, AND make it inexpensively, of course!

I noticed a sweet little friend had managed to paint her clothing at school the other day, and remember this handy project.

NOTE: This smock provides adequate protection for many budding artists, but because it is fabric, a big enough spill can soak through.

If you are especially concerned, add additional protection with water-repellant spray once you are done.

MATERIALS:

• Sewing machine and thread
• Scissors, sharp enough for fabric. Pinking shears – with a zig-zag edge – are best, because they slow unraveling.
• Straight pins
• Long-sleeved shirt, about 2 sizes larger than the child. Arm length doesn’t matter, but it should be large enough to fit over clothing easily, and small enough not to drag on the floor. If you need to buy a shirt, look for a thick fabric such as oxford cloth – paint will take longer to soak through!
• Elastic for wrists.
  How much? Measure around wrist (comfortably – not too snug) and use that amount, plus 1″ to sew ends together. Use whatever width you have available, or look for 1/2″ W. It is thick enough to be comfortable, and yet not bind too much.
• Large safety pin for threading elastic.
• Fancier touches:  Approx. 1 yd ribbon to cut in half and use to tie in back, cinching it in a bit.

1. Cut cuffs off of the shirt.
2. Sew a zigzig or other finishing stitch over the raw sleeve edges to prevent unraveling.
3. Turn shirt and sleeves inside out.
4. Make a casing (tube for the elastic) by folding sleeve up 1 ½ ” (or width of elastic + 1″). Pin casing. Repeat for other sleeve.
   The raw edge of the casing should be pinned against the inside of the sleeve.
5. Sew seam ½” from raw edge, but not completely around. You will need to leave an opening of approximately 1 ½” for threading elastic.
6. Measure and cut elastic.
   Attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic.
7. *** Hold firmly to the unpinned end of the elastic so it does not slip into the casing.***
8. Then, begin working the safety pin portion through the opening, threading the elastic into the casing.
9. Once the elastic is threaded through the casing, pin the elastic ends together with 1 or 2 straight pins. (You should have allowed yourself 1″ to overlap the elastic.)
10. Pull the elastic away from the fabric, and sew the elastic together so it is now a complete circle. Use several zigzag stitches up and down the elastic, or make a small square on it.
11. Repeat steps 4-10 for the second sleeve, and you are done!
    —— Optional:
12. To add tie ribbons, have child try the shirt on and locate child’s waist. Pin the end of one ribbon at waist height in back, approximately 4″ from the left side seam.
    Repeat on the right side with the second ribbon.
13. Sew the pinned ribbon with zigzag stitches over approximately 1″ of ribbon.  Finish the unattached edge of each ribbon either with clear nail polish, or by folding and sewing it.

 

reFrame

A thousand reasons to be thankful,

100 reasons to forget thankfulness.

 

A thousand reasons to look to the sun,

10 reasons to stuck in the clouds.

 

A thousand reasons to revel in a forest,

5 reasons to curse a rocky scramble.

 

Every good reason to look up at the brilliant moon,

be wonderously dizzy with the sparkle of the stars,

and wait for sunrise to dance over the horizon.

 

Delightful Pumpkin Soup

More soup to enjoy! I think I’m anticipating autumn after enjoying several cool (75F) mornings…of course, it might just be the porch full of live oak leaves lending it that autumn feel.

Add fresh bread and a romaine salad with strawberries for a colorful dinner that straddles summer and autumn.

Sauté ~5 minutes:

• 1 chopped med onion
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 chopped celery

 Add:

• 1 t curry powder
• ½ t ginger (or some freshly grated)
• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 16 oz broth

 Bring to low boil, let simmer 20 min. For smooth texture, purée in blender or with hand blender.

 Salt & pepper to taste. Swirl in 8 oz sour cream or plain yogurt & serve.

Lots of happy vegetables!

 

Back to school – and school lunches

The first week of school always feels to me like a collage – new books, paperwork, school supplies, new friends, old routines, new routines… a little of everything all scattered across the week.

My thoughts have followed the same line, a little of everything scattered across the week. Which means my efforts have been on enjoying all the news while trying to instill some order.

I dusted off the dinner grid, which made meal planning for the first week back was easy. The family make their picks and – - Sha-zAMM – - dinners were all planned.

Even though it is still hotter than blazes here, soup was one of the picks.  I pulled out the carrot soup recipe and made a double batch. Good thing! It is easy, accommodates many diets, child-friendly, healthy, and a hit whenever I serve it. How many menu items can say that?! Left-overs would have been nice for lunch, had they made it past the midnight snack!

Lunches have been a breeze, too, thanks to freezing sandwiches. Hopefully you aren’t gasping in horror at the food faux-pas.  It thaws perfectly by lunch, and the deli items are still cold. (Here, there’s a good chance an icepack alone won’t keep them cold.)  Better still, it means less effort at 6:10 a.m.

Whenever I’m at the school for lunch, I see so many lunches traded off or thrown out untouched. So, I ask questions like, “what did you want more of in your lunch?” or “what did you have too much of?” to help me figure out what will be eaten, not wasted.

We’ve got many current fruit and vegetable favorites, but it took time to get there. Go on a Produce Quest. Explore the produce department and have your child try one new vegetable or fruit each week. Maybe ignore the price and purchase just a small portion to try. The point is to learn that you can find new favorites by trying new things…even if you aren’t going to buy a $5 melon every week!

We skip the individual packages, since it means more waste, more cost, and more processed food. Getting some fruit ready in the morning for lunches can help get more fruit in everyone’s breakfast, as well. And who says pea pods are just for lunch?!

• Blanched frozen baby sweet corn or baby peas. They sit with boiling water briefly, and then are enjoyed cold. They’ve been a hit since kindergarten!
• Edamame – because food you can play with is fun
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Carrots, celery,cucumbers
• Pear or apple slices – add lemon juice to keep them looking fresh
• Oranges or grapefruit- sliced so kids can make funny faces, of course
• Grapes, berries, cherries
• Cantaloupe, mango, or watermelon
• Clementines
• Raisins, “dried plums” (prunes), dried apricots, dried mango

You may be very surprised at what becomes the newest hit! Cycle back, too. I just got a request for marinated & baked tofu after not wanting any for several years.

I am excited about the new year and with this little bit of organization, I know we’re off to a smooth start.