March 2014

Month

Sun
23 ^rd

When Our Children Become The Teachers

Posted by Pinparent — 27 Comments

Over the past few months, it has been a real joy getting to know my daughter. Sure I have been with her for the past 26 months of her life, but now that she has been talking up a storm I have really gotten the opportunity to watch her little personality take form. What I have learned is my daughter despite what it seems does indeed pay attention to everything we say to her, even if she doesn’t respond. She is bright & funny and a bit of a smart ass.

Mai has been learning so quickly. She loves to learn. She absorbs everything that we put in front of her. Recently, I have been getting the feeling that my toddler might just be smarter than us.

One morning over the baby monitor, I heard her and daddy talking. My husband was commenting on how cute her turtle pajamas were. “Frogs, Dada, frogs!” I had to laugh because I knew that she was right.

She has corrected me as well. It can sometimes be embarrassing to have a two year old tell you that you are wrong, but at the same time it fills me with pride to have raised such a bright young lady.

I have been realizing that there is a lot that I can learn from our little girl.

The Joy Of Living

Everyday things that we take for granted bring our children such joy. There is so much beauty in watching the world through my child’s eyes. Her eyes grow wide when she sees snow on the ground & squeals with excitement when a bunny hops through the yard. There is no rush to get to an appointment or to that next meeting. Each moment is breathed in and enjoyed without limits.

Fearlessness

You tend to lose this the older you get. I can remember being young & the riding roller coaster until I was ready to puke. Now, it scares the daylights out of me. When you are young, you are ready to jump into anything. You don’t care what anyone thinks or what anyone says. You are not afraid of getting hurt or injured (I know not always a plus, but how liberating).

Don’t Waste A Moment

Do you ever notice how your children never want to nap, eat or go to sleep at night? They are so busy having fun, playing & learning that they do not want to give up a moment of their time. Children have no downtime they are always busy. While, I am pro-nap all the way, I wish that I made better use of my time.

Open Your Imagination

Imagine being a princess of your own castle or having tea with an elephant and a giraffe. The possibilities are endless when you are a child. As an adult many of us lose our sense of imagination. This doesn’t necessarily mean that need to run out and buy a pirate costume & start playing dress up, but keeping an imaginative mind can be beneficial to you in solving problems and brainstorming new ideas. Would J.K. Rowlings be where she is today without her beautiful imagination?

Never Stop Learning

Children love to learn and they do it so well. We have a US map puzzle that my daughter & I often do together. She has gotten really good at it. She knows her states by shape, name & location. At this point, she might know them better than I do. Have you ever seen a child with electronics these days? Many are able to operate them better than their parents. What this means to me is there is still a lot that we can still learn even as adults. Your studies don’t need to end when you reach a certain age. Remember “Knowledge is Power”.

Forgiveness

Do you still have a grudge over some fight with a high school friend 20 years ago? Have you ever woken up not speaking to your husband after a fight? I have bad days with my daughter. We have had moments where mommy had to say no, take away her toys or put her to bed in utter exasperation, only to have her wake up in the morning and throw her arms around me as if nothing ever happened. We could all take a cue from our children.

Things Often Forgotten

Tonight at dinner as we sat down to eat, she taught my husband and I another lesson. I was pulling the fork up to my mouth about to enjoy my first bite when our daughter said “God bless our food, Amen.” I was shocked & a little shamed as well. She did not learn this from me. I have heard this short prayer many times coming from my mother-in-law. We work so hard to instill good manners and values in our child, but have managed to forget about bringing God into her life. Thank you Mai for reminding us what is important.

Thu
20 ^th

Mac & Cheese Omelette

Posted by Pinparent — 4 Comments

Let the comfort food continue…When you have a little one at home, it is not always easy to prepare meals. My daughter is pretty good at playing independently, but for some reason as soon as I try to cook or do a household chore, she wants mommy. My time is as precious as my little girl.

I am a garbage cook. I love throwing together random leftovers to make a meal. It is quick & easy and it gets rid of leftovers. The other night I made Velveeta shells & cheese for Mai for supper. She refused to eat it. She claimed that it was too spicy. ??? Crazy kiddo. Sufficed to say, I had a lot of mac & cheese left. This morning, hubby was home & we were all able to have family breakfast together. SInce my husband is a big fan of mac & cheese, I thought it might be fun to throw it in an omelette for him & see what he thought.

How did my left over mac & cheese omelette rate? Let’s find out?

This recipe is for a family sized omelette.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 tbsp of water

About 1 cup of mac & cheese (heated)

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar

Garlic salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, water, garlic salt & pepper. Spray a frying pan with spray. Add the egg to the pan & cook on medium low heat. When egg is cooked through add the mac & cheese and top with cheddar. Fold your omelette over & sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Keep on the heat until the cheese melts.

My leftover mac & cheese omelette was a huge hit, My husband absolutely loved this. I might have to make some macaroni & cheese again just to recreate this delicious breakfast.

Here is one more of my favorite junk omelettes. This is a 4 egg omelette with left over meat loaf, a 1 1/2 tbsp of barbecue sauce & swiss cheese.

Related Topics:

http://holisticwellnessforlife.com/2014/03/15/the-omelette-a-meal-you-can-always-count-on/

http://alotonyourplate.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/bacon-potato-and-cheese-omelette-cups-9/

Wed
19 ^th

Pasta La Carbonara

Posted by Pinparent — 12 Comments

Yesterday was an emotional day for me. Not only was it the anniversary of my mother’s passing, but I received a phone call at work from my brother-in-law letting me know that my husband had been in a car accident while on duty. Luckily, my husband left the accident with only a few aches and pains and a dented cruiser. I was very happy to have my injured hubby home in one piece. It was definitely an occasion for comfort food & comfort for my husband start with bacon.

Pasta La Carbonara

While this is a fairly simple recipe to make, timing is very important in preparing this dish. The egg is added to the dish at the very end & is cooked by the heat of the pasta. It is very important that the past is hot, so the bacon must be ready before or at the same time as the pasta. Also, be sure to have your egg mixture ready before you finish your pasta.

Ingredients:

1/2 package of extra thick cut bacon (chopped into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces)

1 lb of pasta

3 eggs (room temperature)

1 cup of parmesan

1/2 tbsp of minced garlic

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tbsp of garlic salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet add olive oil & bacon. Cook over medium heat. Cook the bacon halfway through & add the minced garlic. Cook until just under crispy. Drain excess grease, leaving a little in the skillet to toss the pasta in & flavor. Cover & set aside until the pasta is ready. Make sure that the bacon is finished before the pasta. You need the pasta to be hot.

In a mixing bowl beat the egg. Add the parmesan, garlic salt & pepper. *Prepare this before the pasta is finished cooking. It must be added to the pasta while still hot as the heat of the pasta is what cooks the egg.*

While the bacon is cooking, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta & immediately add to the skillet & toss with the bacon. Remove from the heat and add the egg mixture and toss together. The egg will cook as you toss it & form a creamy sauce. Enjoy!

My husband may have been in pain, but he had a happy belly & even had room for seconds.

Related Topics:

http://inmamastephskitchen.com/2014/03/18/dinner-in-10-one-pan-spicy-tomato-pasta/

http://cookingandmyfamily.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/ragu-and-pasta/

http://yourperfectburn.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/shrimp-curry-with-cream-sauce/

Tue
18 ^th

The First “I Love You”

Posted by Pinparent — 18 Comments

The last couple of days have been rough ones for this mama. Mai had an epic melt down a couple of nights ago over the content on her dinner plate. Apparently everything mommy makes these days is “too spicy”. FYI, I made macaroni and cheese. She went to bed extra late & woke up far too early. She was “the naughty child” at gymnastics yesterday morning & threw herself on the floor at the grocery store & made a little bit of a scene. A kind passer by took pity on me & actually stopped and asked if she could help me. Like I said, it has been a tough couple of days.
Some days being a mother is just too hard. It leaves you mentally and physically exhausted.
That was how I was feeling last night. After returning home from the grocery store I was beat down. I was getting ready to start supper, but Mai was ultra cranky and clingy. I pushed my preparations aside and sat on the couch with my cranky daughter and snuggled with her for a few minutes. As she sank in to my arms, I could feel the stress releasing from both of our bodies. I lie there relaxed for a few moments, drinking in the smell of my daughter’s hair and the feel of the smooth skin on her soft little cheek.
As much as I was enjoying this tender moment, I did have to start making dinner. I stood up and excused myself from my daughter & headed to the kitchen.While, I stood at the island, cubing up some ham, Mai came to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. “Mama, I love you.” I quickly scooped up my child and gave her a kiss with a tear in my eye & a smile on my face. It is just further proof that even the bad days in parenting are still pretty good.

Mon
17 ^th

Rice Krispie Easter Eggs

Posted by Pinparent — 17 Comments

There is a sweet commercial on TV which features a mother & a daughter making Rice Krispies treats eggs together. Not only does watching this make me want to spend quality mommy & daughter time with my little girl, it makes me really want to make these eggs. This looked like such a cute idea, I had to try it, but nothing is quite as easy as it seems.

Ingredients:

5 cups of Rice Krispies

1/4 cup of butter

40 large marshmallows

Food Coloring (optional)

Marshmallow peeps

Plastic Easter eggs

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Add marshmallow to melted butter. Cook until marshmallow is melted, stirring occasionally. Once marshmallow is melted & smooth, add the Rice Krispies slowly & stir until evenly coated. Add food coloring if colored eggs are desired. For a more speckled look add food coloring & toss, do not stir.

Clean & dry the plastic eggs & spray the insides with cooking spray. Wet your hands. **This is very important to do between eggs or your hands will stick to the mixture.**Press Krispies inside the eggs, press in the middle to create the hollow for the egg. Repeat this until you have used all of your mixture. Remove your formed treat from the egg. Use a knife if you have a difficult time removing any. Place a Peep inside of one half of your egg & place the other half on top. Cut the Peep on the bottom if it is too large.

These were a little more of a pain than I anticipated. Again be sure to wet your hands frequently. It is not easy to mold when hands are dry. It is a little time consuming & messy but it in the end it does make a cute Easter snack.

Related Topics:

http://sleeplesssleeper.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/best-38-effortless-diy-easter-crafts-to-inspire-you/

http://dunnitagaindesigns.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/bunny-holders/

Sun
16 ^th

Sorting Game For Toddlers

Posted by Pinparent — 10 Comments

I know that there are mixed feelings about children and electronics. I think that they can be a great learning tool, but in moderation. Our daughter has a Nabi Tablet. It has been a wonderful tool in promoting learning for our daughter. She can access her ABC Mouse Learning Center from there and there are also a lot of learning apps that we selected for her. As I said, I think that is a fabulous tool to educate my daughter, but I also don’t want her parked in front of it for hours on end. I thought I could bring one of her favorite lessons to life.

There is one application that has an assortment of objects and a row of baskets that represents a category that each of these objects falls into. She loves this one & is starting to get pretty good at it. I decided to use this idea to create a similar game that she could play sorting various pictures & matching them to their coordinating category.

What you will need:

Paper bowls or another bowl shaped container

Old magazines or computer print-outs of clip art

Scissors

Glue

Posterboard

Directions:

Figure out what categories you would like to use. I chose animals, clothing, toys, food & transportation.

Flip through old magazines and cut out various pictures.

Cut out pictures that fit your various categories.

Put your pictures in a container.

Make a sign for your category with picture examples of the category. Glue it to the inside of the bowl.

Line up your sorting bowls & spread out the picture cutouts in front of them.

Match up your pictures to the appropriate bowl. Here we have a dog, cat & horse matched up to the animal sorter.

Hmm…Where does this go?

Right there..right there

My daughter loves anything that has pictures that she can sort through. She named off all of the cut outs and we sorted through them together. She did the best on her own with the animals and the food. I love this activity. It is cheap & easy to make and it is something we can do together or she can play with on her own.

Related Topics:

http://mommiesstudygroup.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/playdough/

http://mommiesstudygroup.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/painting-with-baloon/

Sat
15 ^th

20 of the Most Famous Mom-isms

Posted by Pinparent — 8 Comments

There is a certain time in each woman’s life when she realizes an ugly truth about herself. It happens one day unexpectedly, when you hear yourself muttering something under your breath. You realize that your mutterings sound all too familiar. Then it hits you, you sound just like your mother. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Your mother is a wonderful woman, but all of those things that used you drive you mad about her growing up are the very same traits that you have now inherited.
As children, we have all heard those same common mom phrases. Every mother has spoken them. When you get older & especially after becoming a mother yourself the reality of those phrases finally hit home.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Don’t sit so close to the television.

2. When you have kids I hope they treat you like you treat me.

3. You just wait until your father gets home.

4. Money doesn’t grow on trees.

5. Don’t talk with your mouth full.

6. I’m not going to tell you again.

7. Say please… thank you…you’re welcome

8. This room is a pig sty.

9. I’ll give you something to cry about.

10. If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?

11. Put a coat on, you’ll catch pneumonia.

12. It’s way past your bedtime.

13. If you like their family so much, why don’t you move in with them.

14. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times

15. Don’t get smart with me.

16. Because I said so, that’s why.

17. Close your mouth when you chew

18. There are starving people in China that would be happy for this food.

19. Turn that racket down.

20. Listen to your mother.

And one last one… the truest of them all. “Your mother is always right.” She really was.

What are your favorite mom-isms?

Fri
14 ^th

The Power Of Music – Influencing Your Child With Song

Posted by Pinparent — 18 Comments

Music is a powerful thing. Certain songs that you hear on the radio, can take you back to a certain time, or place in your life. It can bring forth emotions & feelings that you had forgotten were there. It can make you cry or smile, soothe you or get you pumped. It has an amazing effect on all of us big & small.

It’s calming. When my daughter was a newborn, she cried all the time. Rocking or dancing with her was my most popular method for calming my little girl & it was usually always accompanied by song. My favorite song to sing her was ‘Once upon a dream’. I still sing it to her now, only now she joins in.

It is said that introduction to music at a young age aids in physical and mental development. We enrolled our daughter in music classes when she was 18 months old. She loved everything about it. She was fascinated by the instruments and the lyrics. She was learning to talk during this time. It was fun hearing her try to mimic the song lyrics. Each session began with a song introducing each classmate. What a wonderful tool to help remember your classmates names, I thought. It is a great memorization tool. How do you think kids have learned their ABC’s for years?

It gets them moving. If your child is anything like mine, she loves to dance. Whether it is an up tempo song or a more soothing ballad type, she will move to the beat of the music.

It is incredible the influence music can have in influencing our lives…

Our daughter is like a tornado through our home. I call her “Destructor” because she leaves a path of destruction in her wake where ever she goes.

060

Mai has not been the best at picking up her toys. She is great & taking them out, but does not like putting them back. Mai is at an age now of understanding. She may not always listen, but she hears me & comprehends what I am saying. I have tried several different methods for getting her to put her things away. She often liked to challenge mommy & would take out some toys, pour them out & then say “Mommy pick up”. No, no, no, this was not going to happen.

One day after she had made a particularly big mess. I started singing while picking up her toys. I asked Mai to help me.

We’re going to pick up our toys…

We’re going to make some noise… (making noise)

We’re going to pick up our toys, right now…

(Clap hands) Good girl!

I have only sung this song probably about 3 times. A couple of days ago, my daughter in a “destructor” moment, pulled out a box of her flash cards & threw them all over the floor. Mommy very calmly, said “Mai Mai, please pick up your cards.” All of a sudden she broke out singing. “Pick up tooooooyyyys, make noooooisse…pick up toys, right now. Gggggood girl.” She proceeded to pick up all of her flash cards & continued singing. I was floored. Floored not only that she remembered this little song, but that it actually worked. I could not believe it. She has done this everyday since. Never underestimate the power of song.

Thu
13 ^th

Sweet Potato Chips

Posted by Pinparent — 8 Comments

I started a new job a few weeks ago. While I love my new job, it has been quite a change for me. My last job had me on my feet all day. I was used to being on the run. With my new position, I am at a desk more the majority of my day. Not only am I not getting as much activity, I am also snacking much more while sitting at my desk. I needed to find healthy snacks to bring to work that did not make me feel guilty. A while back my mother-in-law bought us a bag of sweet potato chips & I absolutely loved them. How difficult could they be to make at home?

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp of cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash & peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes in thin even slices.( Try to cut the slices as evenly as possible.) Drizzle & rub with oil. Toss with cinnamon & paprika, coating each potato evenly. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer & sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Cook times will vary) Turn off oven &

The baking can be a tricky process. Watch them carefully to make sure that they do not burn. If you have some slices that are thicker or thinner than the others they will cook differently. Thicker cut slices may not be crisp.

I made these to bring to work the next day but ended up eating almost all of them as a late night snack. I guess I will have to double the batch the next time.

Related Topics:

http://fitdishdiaries.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/roasted-smokey-spiced-chickpeas/

http://dontforgetyourveggies.com/2014/03/12/my-favorite-granola/

http://fairyburger.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/apple-chips/

Mon
10 ^th

Who Needs Toys – Playtime Made Easy

Posted by Pinparent — 23 Comments

You always hear people joke that you don’t need to buy young children expensive toys because all they end up wanting to play with is the box. This is no joke. There is no truer statement. Toddlers are easy; they can find the fun in anything. Their little spongy minds are absorbing and exploring everything. Things as simple as the box, are still new and fascinating territory for them. At 2 years old, my daughter is past the excitement of the box, but still has a taste for the simpler things in life.
We have more toys in this house than we know what to do with. Between the play kitchen, Little People Villages & Twisty Tracks, she should have enough to keep her occupied until she is in her teens, but as kids tend to do, she gets bored of these things very quickly. There are many things that you can do to occupy your child’s day without the use of fancy toys.

Here are some simple and fun things for your child to do.

Water play

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. This is one of my favorite activities to give my daughter while I am cooking or doing dishes. Lay out a towel & fill a large container half way with water and add some measuring cups & spoons. Here my daughter told me she is making coffee.

Chick Peas, Beans & Rice

Similar to above, I have a container of chickpeas & colored rice set aside just for play. It is amazing how long my daughter will play with them. She will count them out & transfer them from cup to cup.

Couch Cushion Fun

My daughter has a lot of energy. She loves to jump & is always throwing herself on the ground for some odd reason. Take your couch cushions off the couch & place them on the floor & let your child roll around on the pile of pillows.

Stringing Pasta

Pasta necklaces are an old classic. This requires a little bit of hand – eye coordination. Mai strung up the 3 shown below & told me that it was the mama pasta, daddy pasta & baby pasta.

Read, read & read some more

We spend about a half hour before bed reading books every night, but books are not just for bedtime. We often read to our daughter while she is eating to keep her firmly planted in her chair during her meal. Many times even if my daughter insists that she does not want a story, if I just start reading she will eventually jump up on my lap.

Bubble Wrap

We order from Amazon a lot, I mean a lot. Bubble wrap comes with most of these packages. I think that bubble wrap is fun for small children and adults alike. Who doesn’t love popping that stuff?

Blanket forts

Being that mommy is always cold, even in the summer, we have blankets all over the house. Mai loves it when we make forts over the couch. “Mommy, play in the fort toooooooo?” Definitely! Here she is reading with a flashlight under her fort.

Song & Dance

My daughter loves music. She has been dancing as long as she has been walking. She also loves to sing songs with mommy & daddy. Don’t underestimate the power of music.

Red Light, Green Light & other games

My daughter loves running around our house in circles. I had to teach her Red light, Green light just to catch my breath in between chases. Pheeew! Also try Simon Says or Hide and Seek.

Get outside

If your toddler is like mine, then he or she loves to run free. Take them outside, weather permitting & let them run & jump and play. Here is Mai walking the track at the Relay for Life in memory of her grandmother & namesake.

Color & Draw

I have an unlimited supply of poster board in our home. My daughter loves to doodle & color. She also loves when we draw for her too. She & I will lie on the floor and she will ask me to draw pictures of caterpillars & horses. She has a vivid imagination. She creates different scenarios for these pictures. Here Mai asked Mama to draw a mama & dada spider. She said that they were both sick & needed medicine.

Stacking boxes

I love stacking boxes & have quite a few sets strewn all over the house. My daughter shares my love for them. She likes piling them up & placing them inside of one another.

Styrofoam & Yarn

Seriously! Yarn sticks to styrofoam. If you are like me & have styrofoam cones laying around this is a great busy activity.

What easy & simple activities do you have for you & your toddler. I would love to hear.

Older Posts →