Three Hundred Fifty Degrees Farenheight

So the other night, just a day after the Tea Kettle Incident, I was getting ready to make dinner. I turned the oven on to preheat it, and continued doing what I was doing. When the oven beeped to let me know that the desired temperature had been reached I opened the door. As soon as I did the smoke detector started beeping furiously. No one flinched. No one moved despite the terrible sound. I started to laugh because the day before I had placed all the baking sheets, Silpats and cooling racks to dry in the top oven. Obviously I had forgotten all about them. Nothing was harmed. Nothing was burnt. No damage was done. Daddy shouted to the kids not to worry. Christopher replied "Yeah, yeah, I know. We're used to it already!" His head never moved. His eyes never once diverted from The Clone Wars on the television. Then, my smart-ass/funny daughter said "She has a food blog, Daddy. Now that's scary!"

Talk Dirty, Baby!

There is a most wonderful place for children of all ages in Stratford, Connecticut. If you happen to be on the I-95 corridor and passing through New England you must stop here. This was my third field experience to The Garbage Museum, part of the PreK-3 curriculum at my children's school. Our clever teacher loops this trip in with a lengthy lesson on the importance on recycling and precedes the study of Andy Warhol who made art from recycled items. (Think Campbell's soup cans!) Our school does what it can to help make the world a little "Greener" using fluorescent lights, buying organic, locally grown produce, meat and dairy and teaching all it's students the importance of recycling.

The Garbage Museum is a great, hands-on way to learn the importance of recycling. Adjacent to the building is a recycling center. Part of the museum is comprised of a large, windowed corridor over the actual recycling center. Twenty towns utilize this recycling center. Plastics, glass, paper, and tin are brought to this location. Oh what fun it is to watch the recyclables being sorted accordingly. The items that are unable to be recycled are sent off to the local waste station where the trash is turned into energy.

The children watched eagerly as the plastics went down a large shute on one side of the glass hallway, to rise up on a long conveyor belt on the other side where it was brought to workers who sorted, by hand, the items to be recycled. After the workers sort though everything, the plastics then get crushed by a giant machine and packaged up where eventually it will be transported to North Carolina and recycled into carpeting, or sweaters or backyard swing sets! The paper goods will get recycled into other paper goods. As you will see in the slide show, (below) every once in a while, items made their way into recycling bins that had no right to be in those bins!

At the museum the children saw the museum's 2000 pound Trash-O-Saurus, created entirely by recycled items that people had tossed into the garbage. It's quite the creation and fun to look at.

The museum is very interactive. In addition the Trash-O-Saurus the children learned about composting, saw art made from recycled items and learned that the earth will really be a happier place if everyone recycled. Sadly, the museum is in danger of being shut down due to lack of funding. I do hope that someone steps in and helps. For the most part I am not a fan of Obama's stimulus packages. But, if he could find it in his heart to keep small, special places as this alive, much as he is pumping money into the NEA, I would be happy. And so would a lot of little children. Including Alexander and his friends.

There are other similar museums across the country. You should check your local towns to see if such an activity is available to you!




The children learned that everything should be reused, reduced and recycled. Instead of throwing away items that are no longer needed, give them to someone else. Instead of throwing away your water bottle recycle it. Or reuse it. Come up with a creative use for it.

Alexander fell asleep on his way home from the museum. It's unusual for him to nap these days, but he had fun and he was exhausted. When he woke up he demanded that we reuse his orange juice bottle!

Together we made an I Spy Bottle. And he loves it and he is so excited to bring it in to school to show his teacher what we made with his recycled bottle!






You too can do this. It's simple and takes a matter of minutes. I do suggest using a bottle (or jar) with a wider mouth. (Soda or water bottles won't work so well.)

Together we found, and used the following items:

a small car
2 gum balls
1 piece of hard candy
1 crayon
1 glue stick
some odd change
a red plastic lobster
a pink eraser
a key
a few multi-colored nonpareils
a button
a green plastic clip


We placed all the items in the bottle and then we filled the bottle with uncooked rice, leaving enough room so that the rice would move enough so that we could find the items inside the bottle.

This is a great craft project to tie along with a little lesson in recycling!

I Learn Something New Every Day

So this is my friend Andrea's blog title (listed on my blogroll), and I don't mean to steal it, but it seems fitting here!

I was cold and it was only 1:00. I was looking forward to my glass of wine and hot tub but I was still hours away from this and warmth. So I decided a quick solution would be to put on the kettle and have some tea. And that's what I did. And while the water was heating I went in to the laundry room to fold and sort and wash and fold and sort and wash some more. And when that was done Alexander and I headed to the playroom to clean and organize and play. (I cleaned and organized and he played!) I had piles of items to be donated, games and blocks and puzzles and books that the children have outgrown. It felt good to finally be doing this. Alexander even helped. I explained that there were children who did not have money to buy new toys and there were children who had no books in their homes. So together we sifted and sorted and then we heard a high pitched beep. Curious we left the playroom together. It got louder and louder as we neared the kitchen. What was that smell?! The Kettle! I had completely forgotten about the kettle! I have no recollection as to how long it had been on the stove but what was once filled with water was now empty... and stinky... and melted! Melted to the burner! I hit the alarm and opened up a window. I then managed to pull the kettle off the stove. The aluminum bottom had completely melted away and was sitting on the bottom of my burner. How could I not laugh? I mean the idea of a kettle melting is pretty preposterous, really! But as you all know, with me, any thing's possible!

Don came home and cut the melted aluminum away from the burner rescuing the stove-top. The Kettle would have to be replaced. My friend Kim suggested an electric one that shuts off electronically. My friend Chrissy told me that when her grandmother had forgotten her stove was on three times they placed her in a nursing home. I am two strikes away from that. Then Chrissy and I decided that would not be so bad after all. My meals would be cooked and served to me. And my children would have restricted visiting hours!


Before:
(Notice bottom of kettle)



After:
(Notice bottom of kettle. It's partly missing!)

Oh look, here it is!!

Aluminum sculpture, formerly bottom of Stainless Chantal Tea Kettle

Yes, you can think what you're thinking!!!

According to Wiki.com aluminum melts at 2000 degrees! I never knew that before. Damn, that's hot!

I hate Mondays!

It takes a short weekend to mess up a house and a long Monday to bring it back to where it should be! It's not yet 12:30 and I have washed and dried and folded and washed and dried and folded. (But not put away!) I still have a full hamper and our bath mats need bathing. My dishwasher needed emptying as did my sink. And I had to bake cookies for the girls who are coming over for dinner tomorrow.

I love these girls. We all came together about 5 years ago to form a book club. People came and left. Stopped to have babies, left and came back. Stopped to try out other clubs and came back. Stopped to have careers and came back. We are still trying to get our footing back to where it once was, and we will get there. Our core group is now small, but it fits. We laugh and we talk (notsomuch about the books!) and we laugh. And we laugh some more. I have always looked forward to getting together with these girls and I still do. It's a personality match. So, it's not just that it's Monday but that my girls are coming over tomorrow. I have to have a tidy house. I wish we'd hang up our art work and drapes already, but at least I can clean. And maybe even polish some copper and silver along the way. Alexander's fine. He helped me bake (and eat!) the cookies this morning. And he played beautifully while I cleaned and tidied. And now he's watching Madeline's Christmas because he's obsessed with Christmas, and Birthdays too.

He had a hard time on Saturday, on Christopher's Birthday. He had a hard time letting his brother soak up all the attention and get all the gifts. He has a long wait yet. Perhaps we will have a Half Birthday party, or a Happy Unbirthday. We all like to celebrate and have fun here!

While the boys were all playing Mario Karts on the wii last night I took advantage of an empty upstairs and went to work. I polished all my wooden furniture. I really wonder when the last time our cleaning lady had done so. What came off on the paper toweling was repulsive. As what kept flying out of Rebecca's Flokati rug. And the rotten apple under Christopher's bed. And the sticky spots by Alexander's bed. I vacuumed over and over and over again. I grabbed the Swiffer and scrubbed Rebecca's floor, then Alexander's, then mine. (Christopher has wall to wall carpeting.) And then their bathroom. And then mine. I had to change the Swiffer pad a few times. It didn't take a couple of hours and yet I was much more thorough than our cleaning lady ever had been. I'll mop the kitchen in a few, as well as the downstairs bathroom off the kitchen. I think we'll not replace our housekeeper immediately. I had to clean up after her anyhow. I cleaned the downstairs daily anyhow. We'll save a fortune. I can put it towards decorating! But first I have to figure out how to fire her. I couldn't do it last week. I am such a wimp. I called her, told her not to come as the kids were all home sick. I am a liar. A big fat spineless liar. Would you fire her for me?

I'm going to get off my duff now and take out the garbage, the recycling (both cans and papers), clean up the mudroom, package up the cookies, make some lunch for Alexander, make a few necessary phone calls, take dinner (chili) out of the freezer, and spend the rest of the afternoon playing with Alexander. And when I come back home after picking the older two up from school I will pour myself a glass of wine and take a nice long, hot soak. Just so my Monday doesn't have to end on a bad note!

Happy Birthday My Gr8 One!

My oldest boy, my second-born turns eight today, February 21st, 2009. You don't hear so much about Christopher as he often flies beneath the radar. He was exactly like his brother when he was his brother's age. He was curious and in to everything. We used to call him "Bad Boy Griffie" because that really was his middle name. Christopher's nickname is Griffie. No his middle name is not Griffin, it's just that when he was born and his sister was just 2 years old she couldn't pronounce his name and every time she did it came out sounding like Griffister. Soon Griffister was shortened to Griff and Griffie and 8 years later those names have stuck.

Christopher has mellowed tremendously with age. Not to say he can't go crazy and wild at the drop of a hat as he is a little boy still, after all. And when my two boys get together, fuggheddaboudit, it's crazy-mayhem and we have to banish them to the play room on the far end of the house! But Christopher is a gem. An amazing child. He is the peacemaker (except when he is trying to beat up his older sister who sent his Hess Truck flying across his room). He is a really easy going child who loves math and loves to build and construct things and more than anything loves to watch TV and play on his wii and Nintendo DS. And his Pokemon cards. He's smarter than I am... and I beg to put that birth order/intelligence statistic to the test... You know, the one that states that the oldest children are the smartest? Because this kid is brilliant. He is a great student and loves a challenge and is always pushing himself. He loves soccer and he loves to play with his friends. This kid, quiet and unassuming, has a heart the size of Texas. He's sensitive and caring and giving. In many ways is like every other 8 year old boy. And in many ways he is very different. In a recent meeting I had with his teacher I was told that he was "a privilege to teach and have in his class." She also told me that the other kids "should feel privileged to have him in their class." He is "caring, courteous and always eager to help." Amazing things for a mother to hear.

In September he was diagnosed with ADD. I'm putting this out there for you all to see. It's not something I hide. It's not something I am embarrassed by. Nor is it something I hide from. And if you ask him, he's pretty open about it as well. We've had our eyes on this for many years already. His preschool teacher first saw some differences. He often was off in a cloud, or fidgeting seeming not to know what was going on in the classroom. At other times he was intensely focused on the task at hand. ADD kids often do this. They hyperfocus. We monitored him through preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade where his teacher and aide helped to bring him "back into the moment" when needed. I saw a difference last summer. I saw my distracted kid getting a little more distracted. I saw it affect the things he loved. I saw his soccer game slip. A good bit. I started to worry for his safety. With his head in the clouds I worried about him crossing the street and getting mowed down by a car. Now, at 7, I was not about to let him wander anywhere by himself... He was getting harder to deal with. We would have to tell him things over and over and over again. He was getting more distracted and forgetful. My red flags were up.

And then in September I had a meeting with his teachers, from last year as well as current. And it was unanimously agreed-upon that we should seek help. So I went to his pediatrician who had really been expecting us. We filled out the Connors report the preceding year. We all knew he had all the signs off ADD. Now was time to act. When Christopher was in 1st grade he was reading and doing math at a 3rd grade level but everyone worried that he would soon fall far behind. ADD students are neither lazy nor dumb. They simply have a hard time focusing and this often leads to them missing an important feature, which leads to them not understanding the task at hand which leads to frustration and eventually these children give up the will to try. I was not going to let this happen to my child. I had just finished reading a wonderful book written by a young man suffering ADD/ADHD. The book, ADHD and Me, is what motivated me to be proactive about my son's health. I got praised all around by teachers and doctors. I wondered why, since I was doing what any mother would do who wanted the best for her child.

Christopher started a medication called Focalin in September. Medicating children is not always the answer, but with ADD it has made all the difference. I am not at all a drug-pusher, and believe all other therapies should be tried, but when they fail, there is nothing wrong with medicine. Christopher is a different child. He is focused and happy. His soccer game is back on and he rarely has to be told to pay attention in the class room. Ask him and he will tell you. If you suspect something is not right with your child, please seek help. Everyone will be happier in the end. If you have any questions about ADD/ADHD and want to contact me, please do. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. ADD/ADHD is genetic.

Happy Birthday Griffie, I love you and I hope you have the best Birthday ever!!!

XOXOXOX ,

Momma

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Christopher's class Birthday Party is tomorrow. When I was making Rebecca's Slumbering Children Cupcakes he picked these out. Last night he confirmed that he indeed wanted the spaghetti and meatball cupcakes. Oh these were so much fun to make and so easy! I got the idea courtesy the Hello Cupcake cookbook! I am also the 2nd Grade Mystery Reader tomorrow. The book I have selected, fittingly, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! (Directions will be up shortly on Food blog!)

These would be fun to make for April Fool's Day!

Caught!

So I am a paranoid grocery shopper. I'm afraid that I'll get caught putting something I shouldn't into my cart. Like the Lay's BBQ potato chips. Or the Edy's Samoas Girl Scout ice cream. Or the Dunkin Hines Cupcake mix. That sit in the cart next to the frosting --vanilla and chocolate. That sit next to the Entenmann's Donut Holes. I'm afraid that Dr. Phil or Oprah will jump out from aisle 7 and grab my cart roughly and in so doing will knock off the three 12-packs of Coke Zero from the bottom shelf. "Do you really need this?" And then, gasp, Dr. Mehmet Oz, behind her, approaches me quickly out of nowhere and begins telling me that these items have just aged me an extra 25 years. And if that couldn't get any worse, Dr. Phil comes flying out of left field and puts his hand on my shoulder and says (in his preachy, southern drawl) "Now, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica... Do you REALLY NEED THOSE potato chips? I think not! Do you REALLY NEED that heart-clogging, artery-clogging ice cream? I think not! Now Jessica, Jessica, Jessica... think about all those size 4 jeans sitting in your closet that no matter how many pairs of Spanx you try to squeeze your former slim self into at one time will not help you squeeze into those jeans. It's time to get real, Jessica!" I will try to explain to Oprah and Mehmet and Phil that the ice cream is for Becca and the chips are for Christopher... I had promised him he could have some with his sandwich this weekend; chips are not a staple in our house. And then Oprah will begin to tell me that I am killing my children. And all at once their eyes roam the cart from packaged cake mix to canned frosting to donut holes, I can see them all closing in on me... I tell them I am making spaghetti and meatball cupcakes from Hello Cupcake for Christopher's class party... but it's of no use... I feel guilty for not having an extra quart of strawberries. And no blueberries at all. I feel guilty that my milk is hormone-free but not organic this time. I feel guilty that I have no fish in my cart and instead have a couple of pounds of ground (albeit very lean beef)... And then I come out of my reverie and thank God I live in Connecticut and such an experience will never, ever happen to me!

Actually, I really am a pretty good shopper. Yes I do have treats for the kids from time to time. But my cart is always filled with fresh veggies and fruits and lean meats, and whole grains and low-fat dairy... and an occasional pack of m&ms for which I will make no apologies.

I hadn't been such a paranoid shopper until my friend JoAnna asked (on a parenting message board) if there were any other grocery cart snoopers out there? Of course I look into other people's carts! Of course I do! But it never in a million years dawned on me that people would peer into my cart and judge me! Ohmigod, how completely naive am I?!

Yes I look into shopping carts. Yes I judge people by their groceries. Should the 350 pound lady in front of me really be buying all that bacon and sausage and chips and cookies? Should the young mother in front of me really feed sugared cereal to her 1 year old sitting in the cart ever so patiently? (Now, how would I know that there are 15 year old twins in her home as well?) And to the man waiting on line for the register to my left... I had no idea they still made cheese wiz, let alone anyone still purchased the stuff? And the young man behind him... You know those Twinkies can last in that packaging for 100 years and you are still going to eat that stuff?

So maybe I am too quick to judge these people much like Phil and Oprah and Mehmet were too quick to judge me. And I will make no apologies for my cupcake ingredients. Nor the ice cream (and if you have never had any of the Edy's/Dreyer's Girl Scout ice creams, well then, your taste buds haven't lived!

So today I was in the grocery store. Again. Third time in as many days. I thought that if I did not spend $300 in one visit, and broke it down into several small trips I may trim the bill a little. Why I thought that? I have no idea! I'm at $125 and the week is still young. Very young. So today I bumped in to my friend Andrea and as she said Hi I gave my cart the once-over... was it lean enough? Tidy enough? Organized enough? Green enough? There was not much in it at that point. The Coke Zeros screamed from below in their tell-tale red and black packaging. Andrea drinks only Perrier and Fiji waters. I wondered if she thought I had a slight Coke Zero issue. I don't. I can stop any time. After I have my last glass of wine. And what she thought of my yellow lemon-scented Lysol multi-surface cleaner. I had contemplated the greener versions. And have bought them many times in the past. But what got me today were the words "kills 99.9% of all viruses" (or something to that effect) and to me being healthy and germ-free weighed a little more importantly. I also had a bottle of Windex. There just is no substitute. I don't care what you say! And 3 white potatoes, a red pepper, a bunch of scallions, some chives, 2 English cucumbers, a package of Nature's Harvest onion ciabatta rolls, a bag of potting soil, a small bottle of Miracle Gro plant food, a packet of lavender seeds, cilantro seeds, basil seeds and green onion seeds all for my next project... so stay tuned!

Why Won't the Laundry Fold Itself? And Other Tales of Love

I don't remember ever being so inundated by laundry. Ever. When Rebecca was born and we had to change her spit-upon outfits hourly I thought that was a lot. But those newborn clothes were so tiny. They were easy to wash, fold and put away. They took up no space, so to speak. I now have three kids and a Daddy. And they are all slobs and change their outfits as often as they change their minds. And while I tell them repeatedly that an outfit worn for just a few minutes or even an hour does not warrant a trip to the washing machine, they seem not to listen. I know the reason why. It's much easier to toss your clothes, inside out in to a hamper than it is to pull them back to the right side and fold them and put them properly in their drawers.

The two worst culprits are Rebecca, who will try on 20 outfits before settling on what she will wear for the day, and Alexander who will decide that he is tired of wearing his orange turtleneck before being tired of wearing his red turtleneck that he had to put on since he spilled milk down the front of his pink shirt that was newly put on because he decided to wipe his nose on his navy shirtsleeves. I can not catch up. I can not stay afloat in the laundry department. Yesterday I put away 4 heaping-over baskets of laundry and washed 3 more that still need to be folded and put away. I have two more beds to strip (changed 2 sets of sheets yesterday) and since 8:00pm last night our hamper is full again. I will spend another day sorting and washing and folding. And by this time tomorrow the hamper will be full all over again.

Yesterday, overwhelmed by a sea of folded shirts and pants and skirts and sweaters and sweatshirts and and jeans and socks and underwear, mismatched, in varying sizes and shapes, 30% of which have lost their mates, I did what I should have done a long, long time ago. I sorted each child's laundry (Don's included) and told them that they had to put everything away themselves. Properly. Neatly. I would go through their drawers for inspection. Now, while Rebecca sometimes puts away her laundry Christopher never has. This is one time when she can't tell me it's not fair! She was 9 when I first had her help me put her things away. Christopher is just 7. If she does the math properly she will know that he will have 2 extra years in his lifetime of having to put his own laundry away. And therefore I do not love him more than I do her! I love everyone the same... just as soon as they have all put their laundry away!

I've tried to think of many ways to have the kids pitch in. They have to make their own beds and clean their rooms. Yes, even Alexander. They have to pitch in and help each other clean up if they are all playing together, and even if they are not. It's part of being a family, a team. Because I do so much for them, they need to help me in return. No amount of help is too small.

Of course they all want to help in the kitchen. They love to cook and help me in the kitchen. They love to make breakfasts and lunches, sandwiches and whatnot. I love their independent-ness. And I appreciate their help, efforts and interests in doing so. But I do not appreciate all that is left in the wake of these efforts. The crumbs scattered not just across the counter, but across the floor. The mayonnaise and mustard and peanut butter and jelly that seems to have catapulted from the spoon up to the ceiling dropping to the counter tops bouncing to the back splash and back again. The bits of dropped and crumbled cold, wet turkey or cold cheese that sticks to the bottom of your foot when you accidentally set foot in the kitchen, or the great glob of grape jelly sliding down the cabinet door slowly, slowly like a slug on a garden gate, leaving the same sticky trail behind... Thanks for offering to make lunch kids, but no thanks!

and speaking of messes

My Housekeeper Sucks...

Well, she doesn't. My vacuum does that. I wish my housekeeper was as efficient. I usually end up cleaning after she's gone. I've been wanting to get rid of her for a long time. Since we moved last Spring. This house is just too big for her. And with each and every passing week I have grown more disappointed and frustrated with her. And so I will break the ties. I will. I just need to tell her this. And soon. Without her there'll be a lot more work for me. I have a hard time keeping up as it is. I'll have to come up with a plan to budget my time and cleaning effectively. I'll break it up, I think. Upstairs one day, downstairs the next. Though we all know the downstairs get tackled daily, at least. Daddy thinks I vacuum too much. That I have an addiction. But I can stop. Really. After breakfast!

We have wood floors throughout the downstairs save for the unattractive beige porcelain tiles in the kitchen and the nastier grout in between each nasty tile. And so, as you know if you have hardwood floors, everything shows. Everything. And I can't stand it. And I have children. Notoriously messy children. And so I vacuum. Daily, at least. But I can't mop. Really. I have my Wet Jet Swiffer and I love it. It's perfect for those in between mopping days. Our floors get mopped every other week when the housekeeper comes. Or they did. Now I will have to pick up the slack. So if you have any good mopping tips send them my way. And window cleaning tips, toilet cleaning tips... and most of all any tips on how I can keep my linen closet neat. Because it is a disaster and no matter how I try, it looks like a disaster.

I've often been accused of being Martha. But I could never be Martha. Have you seen her sheets and how perfectly folded flat they are? Well, they've tried to teach me. Many people. I just can't seem to do it. And I love nothing more than a tidy-looking linen closet. Perhaps I should have a Closet Keeper instead.

I'll put a few calls in just as soon as I put another load in the machine.

Pass the Cheese, Please!

One of those large toy companies advertises Family Game night. But when one of your children plays Candy Land and the other two prefer Monopoly or Chess or The American Girl 3000 Wishes game, such a night is challenging, to say the least, Maybe in another couple of years we'll be there. So when one of the kids, I think it was Christopher, said he wanted to make pizza for dinner we thought it the perfect opportunity to do this as a family. I did all the prep work, chopping up all the ingredients that were requested -- olives, onions, peppers, pepperoni, meatballs (leftover from the night Christopher cooked) getting the cheese and sauce all ready for the kids to be able to spread. Daddy then took over with the dough. I got the pre-packaged stuff, 2 packages. Daddy put them together and then divided the mound into three equal sections, one for each child. He floured the kitchen table and placed their doughs in front of them. I let him take over from there and I poured myself a glass of Chardonnay and sat down to watch the children eagerly preparing their pizzas with thought and determination, as though the dough was their canvass and the toppings their medium. The end results were beautiful and indeed delicious. Better than any store bought or delivered pizza I have ever had! We had this with Christopher's version of our Valentine's salad -- He substituted the mozzarella for goat cheese and added red peppers, grape tomatoes and celery. (He hates tomatoes but likes the way they look!)

After dinner Alexander went in to the family room and passed out on the couch. He missed the Valentine's goodies. Each child got a book and a small hear filled with 6 chocolates. They were each allowed two. Alexander, of course, had his for breakfast this morning!

Last night was such a success I really hope to be able to do this a couple of times a month. Weekends are perfect because we are not stressed out by the demands of the day -- schedules, school, activities, homework, bedtimes. When we cook like this we go at a relaxed pace and we enjoy our family time and our cooking time. And this is one activity that works well for all ages.

Floral Arranging 101

My Son clearly spends too much time with his Mama! Yesterday he went out to play for a while and came back, banging on the kitchen door, fists filled with goodies he had collected from the outdoors. He placed the items, sticks, branches, acorns, dead leaves, gingerly on the kitchen table and said he wanted to do something with his stuff. He, initially asked for the glue, but I had no paper large enough, and the thought of more pine needles shedding all over my home so soon after Christmas sent my heart racing. He agreed to do something else with them instead. Then he told me that he wanted to make a centerpiece. So I gave him an inexpensive vase and let him work away. He was quite proud of his end result which now sits on display in our foyer! I love that this was all Alexander's idea! I bet you would have fun doing a similar project with your little ones.

My Valentine Lunch

I had an old college friend over for lunch today. I am not insinuating that Emily is old... it's just that we go way, way back. And while we have seen each other here and there over the years, our lives took different paths and so our schedules were varied. I've been very good about following through with my New Year's resolution. (Partly, I am sure, because it had nothing to do with a gym!) I told myself that I would reconnect with all those people who were near and dear to me in the past. People I've let go, slip away because I was busy, or lazy or whatever. And so, largely thanks to Facebook I am back in touch with so many wonderful people. Memories that I thought had been buried have been unearthed, some good, some bad, and many, very funny ones. So I noticed that Emily was on FB and I sent her a note a few months ago. She posted a message on my wall a few days ago. And so we decided to get together and reminisce. I offered to have her over for lunch since the kids had no school today. With no running around I could enjoy some time for a play date of my very own! I made a Valentine Salad with heart of palm, artichoke hearts, fresh mozzerella that had been marinating in an olive oil based dressing, garbanzo beans and kalamata olives with a light vinaigrette. We enjoyed our salads with baguettes and a garlic, olive oil and butter spread. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and a bottle of Pellegrino. For dessert (when the boys decided to make an appearance) we had strawberries, miniature heart shaped fudge brownies and cranberry almond shortbread. The wine, the food, the company made for a nearly 4 hour lunch and a perfectly wonderful afternoon. (Menu and recipes are posted over at The Entertaining Kitchen.)

Thank You!

Lucky Me gave me this wonderful award. I am honored. And touched. Thank you so much!

I am going to think about passing this along... will let you know when I come to my decision!

My Funny Valentine (Gifts)!

We love Flubber! After making Play Doh for Alexander's preschool class I thought it would be fun to make something a little "more cool" for the older two... not that Play Doh is uncool by any means, but well, Flubber is cool! And so easy to make. Alexander had a blast helping me this morning. Here, again, is another fun project suitable for all ages!

Recipe for Flubber

In Bowl #1
3/4 Cups of warm water
1 Cup of glue (Elmer's)
Food coloring

In Bowl #2
2 tsp. Borax (you can get it in the grocery store -- cleaning/detergent aisle)
1/2 Cup of warm water

Directions:

Stir together well mixtures in both bowls. When both bowls are well mixed pour mixture #2 into mixture #1. Stir with a rubber spatula, or just reach in with your hands to pull out a glob of Flubber!

Here we have the packaged Valentines....

Fun Valentine Craft for all ages!

You can't expect Valentine's day to come and go without a fun craft idea for all ages, can you? We love Play Doh. Well the kids do. They play and I clean up after it. But that's another story! Play Doh is one of those things that keeps all three kids busy for hours on end. It's something they can play with alone or with each other. I've made Play Doh before... have tried all different recipes but none seemed right. Christopher brought home some that he made in class not too long ago and it was perfect! Not too sticky and not too tough. It didn't stick to your hands. This dough was not a gooey blob that that was icky to the touch (couldn't think of a better word!) This dough was perfect... soft and pliable and not at all crumbly. I wrote Christopher's teacher and she kindly shared her recipe. Alexander and I made it the next day. Then I had an idea... we needed to bring in Valentines to the children in his class. We would bring home made Play Doh and package it up with a heart shaped cookie cutter and a copy of the recipe. We made two batches. The children will either get purple dough or pink dough. I think this is a great idea and will be a big hit!

Should you want to make it for a class or make it with your kids at home, a rainy day project just follow the simple steps below! This should take no more than 10 minutes start to finish!

Ingredients:

2 Cups of flour
2 Cups of water
4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp oil
1 cup of salt
Food coloring, optional

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in to a bowl and mix well with a spoon until well blended. Should you add a lot of food coloring, as I did for my pink dough, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of flour. Pour mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring regularly. The mixture should resemble bread dough. Remove from pan and cool. If the dough is too sticky, add and knead in powder until the dough is no longer sticky. Will feel like Play Doh when done. At first the smell is not pleasant, but this will disappear!

We made gift tags/recipe cards
I printed out the recipe and cut and pasted them on to index cards. I used a hole punch to punch a hole to tie the cards on to the gift bags. The small hearts were created by inserting Alexander's thumb onto an ink pad... we positioned the two thumb prints to resemble the shape of a heart. (Love this idea... not sure where it originated... could have been Martha Stewart's.)

Below, the finished product!

My Little Valentine!

We love Valentine's Day! We start celebrating early. Rebecca has started making her cards, Christopher has started writing his --He prefers his bought -- and Alexander has started a few projects that we will be sharing here and on my food blog for you all to do with your kids and for your friends. We started our celebration at lunchtime yesterday. A simple pb&j was cut out with 2 heart-shaped cookie cutters. I also hulled a few strawberries to look like hearts. Alexander thought this was the greatest lunch ever! If you have nut allergies you can achieve the same result with cream cheese and jelly!

Another Most Embarassing Moment (and we know I have quite a few of these)

I got this very funny email from a friend the other day. It was so funny -- at least I thought so -- that I decided to pass it on to some friends knowing it would give them too a good chuckle.

Here it is -- I think you will laugh too!


The Black Bra

I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends. One is engaged, one is a mistress, and of course I have been married for 20+ years. We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by wearing a black leather bra, stiletto heels and a mask over our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes. Here's how it all went.

My engaged friend: The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask. He saw me and said, 'You are the woman of my dreams. I love you.' Then we made love all night long.

The mistress: Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing the leather bodice, heels and mask over my eyes and a raincoat. When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but we had wild sex all night.

Then I had to share my story: When my husband came home I was wearing the leather bodice, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes. As soon as he came in the door and saw me he said, 'What's for dinner, Batman?'


Well I must have inadvertently typed in the wrong name without realizing it and I hit send.

Yesterday morning I got an email back from Rebecca's Science Teacher telling me that the email was indeed funny?!?!?! Ohmigod, after a mid-sized panic attack followed by a good-sized chuckle I called my friend Marie to tell her. Then I forwarded the email to her. Of course she thought it was even funnier knowing that I had sent it off to Rebecca's science teacher!

Just the day before I noticed on a friend's Facebook page a comment that said something to the extent of "Did I just post that for everyone to see or as a message?" I almost replied "Never had that problem!"

It's a good thing Rebecca has a young and hip science teacher!

Keep Out!

I really had no intention of Alexander taking over my blog, but it'd be logical since he is taking over my life!

As many of you know I am heading our school's Ways and Means Committee (fundraising) and with our large annual auction coming up I am busy with brainstorming and planning and organizing and meetings. Many meetings. I do try to schedule them when Alexander is in class so that I do not have to drag him along and bore him to tears. Poor kid had to come to two fairly long meetings this week. He did well. I was proud of him for keeping his complaining to a minimum. Today he sat next to my friend Maria. Alexander loves Maria. To say he is smitten with her would be a great understatement. Seriously, her husband of 6'4" had better watch out! It didn't help that she was wearing a soft as anything cashmere sweater. So while I was talking and listening I caught glimpses out of the corner of my eye flirting with and pawing at Maria. At one point Alexander drew some scribbles on to a sheet of note paper, tore it out and gingerly handed it to Maria. Then, batting his eyelashes he handed over the scribbled-on piece of paper and said "This is for you for your little brothers so you can put it up on your bedroom door and tell them to keep out!"

Gee, anyone wonder where he got that from?!!

Why? Why? Why?

Clearly we have entered the "Why?" phase... No, not Rebecca. No, not Christopher. Wrong again! Not Alexander. ME! You'd have thought that I had outgrown this phase a long, long time ago. But you were wrong, very wrong! Here are the "why's" I have found myself asking myself (and now I am talking to myself too, it seems!) over the past couple of days.


why can't little boys EVER learn to lift the seat?

why can't little boys flush?

why can't children rinse the spit out after they have done brushing? (this annoys me to NO end)

why are children so adverse to putting toys away -- so much so you would think such a task might send them into anaphylactic shock...

why do children whine?

why don't they understand the word no?

why won't they wake up on time?

why won't they go to bed on time?

why won't they blow their noses?

why must they be told to be quiet when I am putting the youngest to sleep after 3 years of the same drill?

why do they become louder the minute I ask them to be quiet?

why are they full from dinner but not for dessert?

why can't they hang their coats up-put their clothes away?

why am I mean?

why am I unfair?

why is it so much trouble to tuck in your shirt and brush your hair?

why does my oldest have to have the last word?

why does she always have to be right?

why do they always stand inside the fridge when they ask for a snack?

why do they always want to tell me about their day at 10pm and yet when I ask them at 4pm they tell me they have done nothing that day?

why isn't playing with a sibling considered a play date?

why won't you play with your siblings?

why are you always bored?

why can't you ever ask your father for help-snack-drink-help?

why do all little kids want to help you with whatever you're doing and as soon as they get a bit older they go into convulsions if you ask for their help?

why can't I go to the bathroom without a child barging in or banging on the door with the greatest of urgencies?

why is the house so much quiet with just two children?

why didn't I listen when everyone said that 3 children is more than double the work of 2 children?

why do I bite off more than I can chew?

why can't I say No?

why do I have no memory left?

why is my wasitline getting thicker by the second?

why aren't m&ms a food group?

why do the kids fight getting into the shower/bath?

why can't I get the kids out of the shower/bath?

why is my hamper always full, even after I empty it?

why does one have to wait until 5:00 to have a glass of wine?

why do kids have more energy than parents?

why is youth wasted on the young?

why can't my kids throw stuff into the garbage without it landing on the floor?

why do they think my car is a garbage can?

A+D (ointment) = Shiny Shoes!

I learned a great trick from my grandmother when I was younger. To erase scuffs on shoes dab a soft cloth into a little bit of Vaseline. It works like a charm and I have resorted to this old trick for many years.

I didn't know what to do when both pairs of nice black boots looked a little too beat up to be worn. All they needed was a good polish. I couldn't find the black polish and I couldn't find the big tub of Vaseline either.

We were late in getting out and I needed to wear my boots. So after ransacking all the drawers in the bathroom I found an old tube of A+D diaper rash ointment. I dabbed some on my finger and gently applied it to the tip of my boots. Guess what? It worked like a charm! So I ended up with shiny boots that smelled a lot like a baby's bottom!

I have a tube of Lansinoh nipple cream. It's been years since I have nursed a child, but I am still not willing to throw out a perfectly good $10 tube of nipple cream. So I use it as a lip moisturizer. Nothing works as well as protecting my lips during this Susie Chapstick Season!

Do you have any A-HA Uses you would like to share?

The Jerk

I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't. The incessant name calling. I hate that Alexander says these words all the time. I hate that the older two hurl them across the room without a thought. It's really upsetting and it has to stop. I can't punish Alexander since he really is too young to understand why he shouldn't call people Jerks. Luckily (save for the one isolated incident in the juice aisle yesterday) he keeps these words to himself. I have lectured him repeatedly about using them in public, in the classroom and near his friends. Sending the older two to their rooms doesn't cut it either. I decided to try Andrea's idea and have a little jar that the older two would have to deposit a Quarter in to every time they said a bad or unkind word. When I had had it, really had it, I asked the older two to go to their rooms and get me two dollars a piece. Enough was enough. Of course they protested and started bickering about who says Jerk more. He does. She does. He does. She does. Blah-blah-blah. I told them I would go upstairs and take the money myself. They had to pay up. And then I showed them the jar. And we just all burst into fits of hysteria. As though it was the funniest thing we had ever seen. And guess what? They stopped fighting! Hallelujah! I never got the money but the same result was achieved. Until,

Alexander said the F-Word!

And I tried to scold him but by this time the other two were laughing so hard they were crying and it was damn near impossible to keep a straight face and I succumbed to the laughter and therefore all my efforts to try to discipline Alexander were for naught.

I am so screwed!

Why?

Why am I so damned tired?

Why did Don's alarm manage to wake everyone up except for him this mornign at 5:45?

Why are little boys so perfect the moment they wake up for the day and go steadily downhill from that moment on?

Why were we so late for school?

Why did Rebecca slip on the ice while getting out of the car in the parking lot resulting in our need to drive all the way back home for a change of clothes?

Why was she so sad despite the fact that I told her that she was not in trouble and slipping was not her fault?

Why were the wheels for disaster already set?

Why are little boys so messy?

Why do little boy's toys take over the entire house despite your best effort to put them away?

Why do kids scream and fight and kick and yell?

Why are Three Year Olds so Terrible?

Why are girls so sassy?

Why do big-little boys get up on the weekends but never during the week?

Why do little girls have to have attitude?

Why do little brothers have to emulate everything?

Why did I take a little three year old to the grocery store today?

Why do little boys not sit in the shopping carts like they promise they would?

Why do little boys not sit in the special Fire Truck shopping carts you search high and low for like they promise they would?

Why do little boys want everything they see in the grocery store?

Why do little boys have to shout out at the top of their voices that they don't like THAT lady in the grocery store because she is not pretty?

Why does my grocery bill go up at least 10% when I shop with little boys? (And more if I have all three?)

Why do little boys run up and down the aisles?

Why do little boys say "You Stupid Jerk!" to the strange lady as they run down the aisle?

Why do I always believe little boys who say they are sorry and "will never ever ever do that again"?

Why do people look at me as though I am the villain when I say NO to the little boy because he has not been a good little boy, therefore making the little boy cry?

Why do I have no sympathy for little boys who try to jump off moving shopping carts and slip and fall?

Why do I get evil looks from people as I speak sternly to my little boy about the dangers of jumping off of moving shopping carts?

Why do little boys run down the aisle of the grocery store shouting (really, really loudly) "Don't hurt me, Mamma!"

Why is this par for the course, a typical grocery shopping experience?

Why don't I order my groceries from Peapod.com more often?

Why can't little boys be more mild mannered like little girls?

Why are little boys so darn cute when they say they are sorry?

Why are little boys so very infuriating and yet so very wonderful?

Why is there not a more perfect moment than tucking sleepy little boys in their beds at the end of the day?

Why is there nothing better, in the entire world, than sweet, wet, little boys kisses, even after they have been so terribly devilish?

Why do little boys melt your heart and tug at your heart strings?

Mouthwash...

Formerly Titled "Show of hands if you think it is OK to wash three year old’s mouth out with soap!"
Posted on January 22, 2009 by entertainingmom

Seriously, this kid has a problem. He might look all cute and preppy but boy oh boy does this kid have a sailor’s mouth! Incessant bickering from older brother and sister does not help matters. I have tried to get to the root of the problem (siblings) and scold them for saying unkind words that younger brother should not be repeating. But I know that the minute I walk out of the room they are hurling insulting words at each other behind my back. So really, I should not be surprised at what does come out of Alexander’s mouth. And yet, it never ceases to amaze me.

Yesterday we were in the kitchen getting Rebecca’s Birthday dinner ready while she was out at ice skating with Grandma, Grandpa and Dad. Alexander was a bit overtired and giddy and fresh.

Me: Alexander stop doing that, please?

Alex: No.

Me: Please, I wish you would stop. You are going to break it. (Refering to my aerolatte frother.)

Alex: No you big Jerk. You are an idiot! (I know exactly where he picked this up from.)

Me: Alexander, that is a terrible thing to say. We don’t say words like that and you know it.

Alex: But Becca and Griffie do.

Me: But they shouldn’t and neither should you.

Alex: You big Jerk!

Me: I should wash your mouth out with soap, young man.

Alexander is quiet as he is clearly trying to visualize how I would do this.

Me: You want me to?

Alex: Yes!

Me: You had better watch it or I will, Mister!

A few minutes pass and he does something else he shouldn’t have and I reprimand him again. He gets off his stool and gives me a kiss.

Me: I don’t want your kisses, Alexander. I want an appology. You are not being a very nice boy right now.

Alex: But Mommy, kisses make everything better!

I swear, if he wasn’t so darned cute…

Parenting with a sense of humor

Previously Posted on January 28, 2009 by entertainingmom | Edit on WordPress
The only way I can communicate with Don during the day is via email or text messaging. He can not be on the phone while in the OR. Earlier I sent him a text asking if he would be home in time for me to take Becca to skating so that I would not have to drag the boys and risk a 5 or 6pm nap from Alexander. I then went on to tell him that the kids were driving me bonkers. I am overtired and really need more of a break than the two hours a week I get. I went on to explain that I would have driven them to school in this… or in an ice storm just to get them the hell away. Sadly, this is not one of those I-am-so-overjoyed-to-have-the-kids-around-all-over-and-on-top-of-me snow days. It’s one of those I may break-into-school-and-deposit-the-kids-there kind-of days. Don’t gasp. If you haven’t had one you are either The Greatest Mother in The World, or you are inhuman. Or you are lying. A big fat LIAR!

So after whining over a text message this is what Don told me to do!

"Under my desk on the right are pre-paid FedEx bar code stickers.
Firmly attach one sticker to each child then dial 1-800-GoFedEx for ground service pickup."

So, I think I am back...

It just feels moer like home here. Now I am trying to figure out how to import my posts from WordPress and for some reason I can't get it right...