Helping Kids Simplify...

It seems during the school year we rev up with accumulating things. School papers, toys from Christmas, birthdays, fast food, and way too many clothes. It is hard to avoid so much stuff with four kids and a busy family.  

School's out, and we all need a break. For once, I did not over plan the summer with an over abundance of camps and activities. We have just been together, swimming, eating, playing, and being.

I recently read a post from My Cup 2 Yours about simplifying:

"Simplifying. It’s good for the schedule. It’s good for the house. It’s good for the soul. I love it when things are simple and organized. Like when that “catch-all drawer” in the kitchen is clean, with the paperclips in the paperclip box, the pens in the pen container, and the sunglasses, plastic robot, and Barbie crown where they’re supposed to be and NOT in the drawer. It makes finding things easier. Simpler."

We have a couple of projects going on- replacing carpet, changing the play room into a guest room, and moving the playroom toys into the children's bedrooms. I decided to involve my children in the process.

I had heard a tip from another friend. Anytime, she needs to reduce the toy load she lets her children help decide which toys to give away. She talks to them about how blessed they are to have so many nice toys, and how many children are less fortunate. She gives the control over to them, and then they are less likely to have trouble parting with the older toys.

This morning I tried it. I gave each of the older boys a medium size box. We talked about other boys and girls in the World needing toys, and I told them to fill the boxes with whatever toys they wanted to give away. 

They were so enthusiastic about the task. They worked together and spent about two hours going through toys and filling up their boxes. I heard them in the playroom saying, "I don't need this anymore" or "I don't play with this."  In the past, when I talked about selling toys at garage sales, or taking toys to the goodwill they would get so upset. 

Lil' Expert, my seven year old said, "Mom, I put one of my neopets in the box." These are his most favorite stuffed animals.

We have a local church that takes clothes, toys, and food monthly to the children that live in the dumps near the Nogales/Mexican border. I showed the boys some photos on the internet of some other children of the dump  from Puerto Vallarto. We decided to donate our things to our local church for the upcoming trip.  

Lil' Expert after looking at the pictures said, "They'll have fun with our toys at the dump. Mom, do you think we should send them a penny or two in the box, or at least a dollar." 

Storytellin' Boy went and got his piggy bank. He asked me to open it. He wanted to give "seven dollars to the children living at the dump." 

Today, I have been reminded of the giving nature (with a little prompting, of course) of my children!!! 

"Teaching children to count is not as important as teaching them what counts"

-Arlene Greco, Christian author

Today is Works for me Wednesday over at Rocks in my Dryer. Check out other WFMW tips! 

 

She's gone Cat Crazy

Brown-eyed Gal has gone totally bonkers for cats. She doesn't really play with any of her toys, except those somehow related to cats. She has a giant pink cat pillow, two or three cat stuffed animals, a puzzle piece with a cat on it, a couple of cat storybooks, and a tiny little plastic cat that goes to a dollhouse. These are her cat treasures.

She plays with them all around the house. I see her tucking them into beds and feeding them with toy baby bottles.  She plays with the kitties in various corners. The corner of the office where she is hidden away from view behind a recliner, or in the corner of my bedroom behind the rocking chair. I hear her meowing and see her crawling around on all fours. She makes cat families. Sometimes she searches around for the mommy cat, or the daddy cat, or the baby cat. 

"Mommy, I hear my kiddy. Meow, meow. he's calling to me."

Today she got a new stuffed animal cat in the mail from her grandmother. She laughed and meowed at the new toy. She told her brother, "Look at my new pet." She told me, "Mommy my kiddy is so soft and so cute." She played with this new kitty for hours today, and tonight the new kitty is in the place of honor sleeping in her arms.

The funny thing is we had cats for several years. Murphy and Elephant were our two mischievous cats. The older kids loved the real cats and Brown-eyed Gal loved them when she was a toddler.  

Storytellin' Boy, our five year old started having terrible allergy attacks. We found out it was from the cats. We waited for several months, and tried different things, but his allergies did not improve. In the end, the cats had to go.

So now, we've added some new "pet" cats into the fold. The good news is these "kiddys" don't have their cat litter changed, they don't claw the furniture, and they don't eat much. They do provide Brown-eyed Gal with hours of companionship. They are quiet and well-mannered. Our two rowdy dogs could take some lessons. The best behaved pets we've ever had!  

Tuesday is Silly Monkey Story day! To view more stories about the funny and delightful things children do... go to 3 Garnets and two Sapphires.

Finnish Mac and Cheese... the Ultimate Comfort Food

The first weekend we moved to the Sonoran Desert, I met my friend Paive who had relocated here from Finland. She has two boys around the same ages as mine, and we spent time together with the kids frequently.  She has since moved away, but one of the things she left us with is a delicious recipe for the ultimate comfort food.

My friend says this dish is close to being the national dish of Finland! It is called "Lihamakaronilaatikko." 

Can you pronounce that?  We'll just go with Finnish Mac and Cheese! 

It is a kid's favorite and since she prepared it for us, my children cannot get enough. It's full of wholesome, basic, comfort food ingredients: eggs, milk, cheese, tomatoes, ground beef, macaroni, salt and pepper, and ketchup on top!

Well, since the Storytellin' Family spent most of the weekend ill with the flu, we are all ready for something soothing and not too hard on the system.  

I am still feeling a little under the weather, so rather than write out the recipe and steps myself... 

Here is a beautiful site, I found that shows step by step instructions and pictures of Finnish Macaroni and Cheese.

Enjoy!

Musical Beds, Throwing Up and Sleep Deprivation...

Saturday, I started out the night sleeping in the guest bed (futon) in the spare room with Storytellin' Boy. He has a fever and has thrown up four times since about 9:00 pm. 

As I'm working with the little sick boy, I hear the baby crying. She is just getting over the "throw ups" herself and was sick the previous two nights. She is now sleeping in a pack-n-play right next to our king size bed. A few days ago, one of the doors on her crib failed and fell completely off.  She is the fourth one to use the crib, and I think it just wore out from all the years of use. 

Anyway, I wait because my husband is in the bed right next to the little port-a-crib. The baby continues to cry. Storytellin' Boy is settled for a minute, so I go and check on the baby. My husband is snoring inches away and is not bothered by the crying baby, or the throwing up going on in the next room.  I pat the baby back to sleep.

I go back to bed with Storytellin' Boy. I fall into a deep, exhausted sleep. I wake up startled and hear a gagging sound. Brown-eyed Gal has just thrown up red Hawaiian punch all over her bed. My husband actually wakes up and helps me clean up the mess. I move Brown-eyed Gal into the futon bed with her sick brother. I load the bed up with towels and bowls. I make a bed on the floor with a sleeping bag near both of them.    

I have been up six times now since I first went to bed. I'm sure it's the middle of the night, maybe 2:00 am. I look at the clock before hitting the comfortable bed bag on the floor. It's only 11:53 pm. I hear the baby crying again. Pat, pat, pat and she's back to sleep. 

I'm feeling a little queasy. Something tells me, it's going to be a long night...  

Crickets in the Kitchen

We are having a home invasion of crickets. During the day, they are quiet, but every night is a raucous cricket symphony. They especially love the kitchen. The crickets remind me of summer breezes and cool evening walks, except I can sit right here in my office and experience a full range of cricket harmonies. There are no "Quiet Cricket" relatives living in this house! They have all found their wings.

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle is one of my children's favorite books. The story is as follows:

One warm day a little cricket is born. He is welcomed by a very big cricket who is trying to teach the little cricket to say hello. The little cricket tries to rub his wings together, but nothing happens, not one little sound.

He is greeted throughout the day by various other insects. A locust whizzes by, then a praying mantis. But even though the little cricket tries to answer them, he can never make a sound. Next he comes upon a worm, a spittlebug and a cicada. Each of them greets the tiny little cricket. The little cricket really wants to say hello, but he just can't get the sound to come out. He is not discouraged. The little cricket keeps practicing all day long to say hello to each different insect that he meets.

The little cricket is enjoying the silence that the night brings when a luna moth sails quietly by. Then he sees another cricket, who is also a very quiet little cricket just like him. This time all of his practice pays off. When he rubs his wings together, he begins to chirp! It is the most beautiful sound the other little cricket had ever heard.

Eric Carle has illustrated the insects to be very realistic looking. At the end of the book, there is a mechanism that makes the cricket chirp. It sounds exactly like an actual cricket.

This is a beautiful book and a great summer read for preschool age children, or you could always just stop by my house and enjoy a noisy summer cricket serenade!

A Tale of Two Coaches

I play basketball.

I won most improved player.

I earned a medal.

Mom says a slam dunk.

I am getting stronger now.

I dribble and shoot!

Lil' Expert has just finished his first season of basketball. At the beginning of the season, he had trouble dribbling and was unable to hit the basket with the ball. He was afraid of the ball. If he got the ball in a game, he would immediately pass it to another player as fast as he could.

Fast forward to Saturday's pizza party after the last game. The coach had all the kids gathered together to give out medals and pictures.  He announced he had a special award for one player. Lil' Expert got the award for being the most improved player on the team.  The prize was 550 tickets to redeem for prizes at the pizza place's prize counter. He was so proud and excited about the prize tickets. Of course, being his Asperger's collecting self he spent the tickets mostly on prizes ranging from 5 to 15 tickets instead of any large ticket items.  This meant a long time deliberating at the prize counter, and a large bag of prizes!

Lil' Expert's coach was fabulous. He pushed and challenged him, but he was also fast with encouragement and hugs after the game. As I have mentioned before, Lil' Expert can have social problems. There were times when my son got into trouble and had to run laps. I wanted to step in and protect him. I wanted to explain it was his disability and intervene.  I kept my mouth shut, and Lil' Expert rose to the occasion. This has been the most successful sports experience he's ever had.  

My other son, Storytellin' Boy also played basketball. Well, he started to play until we pulled him from the team after the first game. His coach took the game very seriously, even though it was a bunch of five year olds running willy nilly around the basketball court. The league did not even keep score during these games. 

Storytellin' Boy has his head in the clouds most of the time, and basketball was no different. During his one and only game, he did not really follow the action and was often in the wrong place at the wrong time. My goal would be for him to learn to be on a team, learn the fundamentals of basketball, and have a positive experience during the practices and games. Hopefully, he would learn to run in the right direction when his team had the ball by the end of the season.

His coach had other plans. She spent most of the game yelling his name, and occasionally would yank his shirt in the direction she wanted him to go. I don't mind a little redirection, believe me he needs it, but this coach really screamed at him. She screamed at other kids on the team as well. He did not respond to this, and seemed paralyzed like a deer in headlights. After the game another parent on the team approached me and said, "I didn't like the way the coach was yelling at your kid during the game."

I talked to the coach in a very diplomatic way, but she was very defensive. I don't think she understood my perspective and I probably didn't understand hers. During the game, she yelled at her own daughter (also a five year old), "Your playing like a girl." It's a coed team and her daughter is a girl! 

In many circumstances, I believe in sticking it out. I know my kids will eventually have to learn to tolerate difficult people. In this instance, I really felt the negativity outweighed the positives.  My son is five. I hope that playing sports will build his confidence and self-esteem. We decided quitting the basketball team would be best for Storytellin' Boy. 

Two different teams, two different coaches, and two totally different experiences. I am sure there will be many more sports and coaches to contend with in the years to come.

It's Haiku Friday! More poems at A mommy's place and Playgroups are No Place for Children   

           

Where's the Fairy Dust?

Lil' Expert lost another bottom tooth yesterday. He loves losing teeth, but he loves the tooth fairy even more. It happened in the morning and all day he planned for the tooth fairy visit. He schemed about what the tooth fairy might leave him. His guesses ranged from a quarter all the way to a Wii gaming system. 

"Mom, it's a pretty good looking tooth, don't you think," he said.

When he lost his first tooth about a year ago, we started a new tradition around the tooth fairy visit. I had heard the idea of sprinkling glitter around the child's pillow and on the window sill in their room. This "fairy dust" is left behind by the tooth fairy as proof of her visit. I use a multicolored glitter for my fairy dust, and it looks sparkly and fairyish when sprinkled around.

This morning my son woke up, and was quite pleased with the tooth fairy's visit.  He jumped around, showing me the fairy dust and the money the tooth fairy had left. 

His brother Storytellin' boy has yet to lose a tooth, but is greatly anticipating the event. He came into the bedroom. Right away, he wanted to know, "Where's the fairy dust?"

Lil' Expert and Storytellin' Boy spent quite a few minutes examining the pillow, the bed, and the window. It is amazing to see the wonder of these little boys.  I know it won't be long before they are too old for the tooth fairy and other magical beliefs.

I will relish the time now, while they are still asking, "Where's the fairy dust?"   

Southwestern Salsa Extraordinaire

Tomorrow, the kids and I are going on a picnic. I am bringing my current summer signature dish. 

I had this salsa a few months ago at a neighborhood party. The host was kind enough to give me the recipe.  It is so colorful, so delicious, and so easy to make. The bonus is the kids even like it. I adjust the seasoning on part of the batch so it is not so spicy.  

The salsa is fresh, low calorie, and great for hot weather because there is no cooking involved.  It has been a crowd favorite everywhere I've taken it. 

Southwestern Salsa

1 can white corn drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno finely chopped

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 container red cherub tomatoes halved

1 red or green bell pepper chopped

1 zucchini chopped

1/2 cup fresh green onion

1/2 cup fresh red onion

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

3 or 4 shakes of hot sauce

cilantro garnish sprinkled on top

Mix ingredients together and marinate over night, or for several hours.  I make a double, or triple batch to have it all week long. It's a great topping over chicken, vegetable dip, and yummy with chips.  

Happy Summer cooking!

 

Night Swimming

My husband has been away on a trip. It's been tough having all four children around the clock. Last night, the baby was already asleep. I was relishing the thought of the other three sleeping soon. I had plans to work on my writing and watch a movie.  

My son said, "Mom, can we go night swimming? Please, please mom?"

It was a beautiful, clear night, and I thought why not. I'm so glad we did because I really enjoyed watching and interacting with the older three.

As I sat in the spa with Brown-eyed Gal, she said "Mommy, de stars are budiful." 

They were beautiful. We turned off the spa and pool lights. The stars were bright and easy to see. We looked at the North Star and the Big Dipper.

The boys decided to play  "monster." They jumped off the rocks into the dark pool, and I made monster sounds as they swam around in the dark. They laughed and scared themselves silly. When they couldn't take it anymore they would yell, "Mommy, mommy turn on the lights."  We played this over and over until they were relaxed and ready for bed! 

R.E.M. describes it well in their popular song Night Swimming:

Night swimming deserves a quiet night.

The moon is low tonight.

Night swimming remembering the night...

One of my favorite R.E.M. songs. 

Some of the best times with my kids are spontaneous, when I let go of the routine for a moment. Night swimming, awesome!