Ben: "Mom, I love you more than Green Lantern!"
Mom: "Thanks Ben!"
Ben: "Actually, I love you both the same."
Mom: "Oh?"
Ben: "But, that is still A LOT."
Ben: "Mom, LOOK!!!!!"
Mom: "What is it, buddy?"
Ben: "I've put Cheerios in my hands (one cheerio per hand, in the middle of each palm)."
Mom: "Yes, you do have Cheerios in your hands."
Ben: "Now, I'm just like Iron Man!"
(for those of you not versed in Iron Man, he has energy repulsor things in his hands, so the Cheerios were kind of a good match)
Ben: "I want to wear my gray comfy pants today -- with my Batman socks"
Mom: "Ok, sounds good. How about this shirt?"
Ben: "No, not that (insert any color) one. Or that one. Or that one. I want the gray one. I want to be like Batman."
Anyone else noticing a theme here??
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sculptures
Abby's second grade class was assigned art homework this fall. The assignment was to go view an art show somewhere in the community, and the teacher even provided a lot of suggestions of places to visit -- many of which I didn't even know about even though they were within a few miles of our house. This is the kind of homework I can really get into! I really enjoy visiting art museums, art festivals, and being creative, and I've realized that this is one area of my life that I ignore first when things get busy. I've missed doing this sort of thing.
Yesterday, the whole family attended an outdoor sculpture exhibit at Jenkins Arboretum. If you live nearby and haven't been to Jenkins, this 15-acre outdoor garden is really is a hidden gem -- and it's free to visit! The 65 sculptures of the "Wind through the Trees" exhibit were integrated throughout the trees and gardens in Jenkins, which are all accessible with paved walkways. None of the sculptures were created with carved stone, as you might expect. Instead, the sculptures were created with all sorts of media -- found objects, foam, metal, piping, antique keys, etc. All sorts of interesting creations!
Scott, Abby, Caroline and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour. I don't know how much Ben really appreciated the art, but he had a good time finding the markers with the numbers for each sculpture. Also, since this is an outdoor exhibit, we didn't have too to worry about being too quiet or still. We chuckled while suggesting alternate titles for each sculpture, and assigned Abby the job of telling us the official name of each sculpture from the exhibit catalog you could take with you on on the tour. I think we'll visit again in the spring when the flowers are blooming to see different the pieces look when there are leaves and flowers.
Here are some of our favorites:
Yesterday, the whole family attended an outdoor sculpture exhibit at Jenkins Arboretum. If you live nearby and haven't been to Jenkins, this 15-acre outdoor garden is really is a hidden gem -- and it's free to visit! The 65 sculptures of the "Wind through the Trees" exhibit were integrated throughout the trees and gardens in Jenkins, which are all accessible with paved walkways. None of the sculptures were created with carved stone, as you might expect. Instead, the sculptures were created with all sorts of media -- found objects, foam, metal, piping, antique keys, etc. All sorts of interesting creations!
Scott, Abby, Caroline and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour. I don't know how much Ben really appreciated the art, but he had a good time finding the markers with the numbers for each sculpture. Also, since this is an outdoor exhibit, we didn't have too to worry about being too quiet or still. We chuckled while suggesting alternate titles for each sculpture, and assigned Abby the job of telling us the official name of each sculpture from the exhibit catalog you could take with you on on the tour. I think we'll visit again in the spring when the flowers are blooming to see different the pieces look when there are leaves and flowers.
Here are some of our favorites:
"Captured Flight"
"Revolve"
Sculpture is suspended over the pond!
"Pando"
(Painted steel rods and aluminum to look like Quaking Aspen trees)
"Meteorite Series"
"Picnic in the Park"
Friday, November 26, 2010
Mayhem
H-O-L-Y C-O-W.
I went Black Friday shopping earlier today. It was nuts. I was (am?) nuts. I'm still shaking my head from the spectacle.
After reviewing some upcoming birthday and Christmas wish lists, I realized that a few certain items were significantly reduced in price if I were able to roust myself out of my post-Thanksgiving turkey slumber and get shopping early today -- waaaaay early. Normally, I would shy away from reduced sleep coupled with ridiculous crowds, but these items were upwards of $40 off each and all these savings can be combined to spend on other glamorous purchases like a new dryer since ours shot off a giant spark recently.
So, I got to Target by 4:09 a.m. today. Yes, that is completely crazy, I know. Target opened at 4:00am, and I really thought that I would have the store to myself. Wrong! At 4:09 am there were people pouring out the door pushing carts and trolleys with flat screen televisions, already finished with their purchases. Person after person after person after person with TVs. I must have passed at least 20 people pushing televisions from my car to the front door. There were more people in line with TVs and even more TVs in the aisles. It was really something to behold! Obviously there must have been some kind of amazing special. I've never seen anything like it. Fortunately I skipped all the electronics, found my three sale items and left by 4:25am. Score. (By the way, a large thank you to the kind Starbucks employees who were working at 4:20 this morning.)
Next stop, Toys R Us -- but the item that I was looking for was already sold out at 4:40. Bummer. Then, onto Walmart for two other "doorbuster" deals that seemed too good to pass up. I'm going to be honest here, Walmart is not my favorite store. I can never find anything, and today was no exception. After wandering in a daze for a while, I found someone with a list who said they didn't know exactly where my item was, but I could find the line for it if I found a balloon with the letter E on it. Huh??? Then, I realized there were letter balloons flying around and I got in the E line. And waited. It's probably good that I was so sleepy because I am pretty sure it was a looooooong wait. And an even longer wait to check out. But, all this foolishness paid off! Savings galore.
I do realize that this post would be a lot more interesting if you knew what I was shopping for....but that would really spoil the surprises now wouldn't it??
I'll spare you the rest of the itinerary, but the short version is that I made a bunch of other stops and made it home to unload by 8:30 or so. I really thought I had "done" the whole Black Friday shopping thing last year, when I made it to a toy store by 6:15am and made one other stop and was home by 8:30am. But that was nothing compared to this year. I just can't get over how many people were out and about.
Scott jokingly suggested that I should go and see the new Harry Potter movie this morning since I was already wide awake. Before he could take it back, I was already at the theater with movie ticket in hand. AWESOME! And, then, since the theater was next to King of Prussia mall, I thought I'd go into the mall for a quick peek -- but I quickly retreated to the safety of my car. I am just not ready to face that kind of Black Friday shopping yet. Maybe next year.
I went Black Friday shopping earlier today. It was nuts. I was (am?) nuts. I'm still shaking my head from the spectacle.
After reviewing some upcoming birthday and Christmas wish lists, I realized that a few certain items were significantly reduced in price if I were able to roust myself out of my post-Thanksgiving turkey slumber and get shopping early today -- waaaaay early. Normally, I would shy away from reduced sleep coupled with ridiculous crowds, but these items were upwards of $40 off each and all these savings can be combined to spend on other glamorous purchases like a new dryer since ours shot off a giant spark recently.
So, I got to Target by 4:09 a.m. today. Yes, that is completely crazy, I know. Target opened at 4:00am, and I really thought that I would have the store to myself. Wrong! At 4:09 am there were people pouring out the door pushing carts and trolleys with flat screen televisions, already finished with their purchases. Person after person after person after person with TVs. I must have passed at least 20 people pushing televisions from my car to the front door. There were more people in line with TVs and even more TVs in the aisles. It was really something to behold! Obviously there must have been some kind of amazing special. I've never seen anything like it. Fortunately I skipped all the electronics, found my three sale items and left by 4:25am. Score. (By the way, a large thank you to the kind Starbucks employees who were working at 4:20 this morning.)
Next stop, Toys R Us -- but the item that I was looking for was already sold out at 4:40. Bummer. Then, onto Walmart for two other "doorbuster" deals that seemed too good to pass up. I'm going to be honest here, Walmart is not my favorite store. I can never find anything, and today was no exception. After wandering in a daze for a while, I found someone with a list who said they didn't know exactly where my item was, but I could find the line for it if I found a balloon with the letter E on it. Huh??? Then, I realized there were letter balloons flying around and I got in the E line. And waited. It's probably good that I was so sleepy because I am pretty sure it was a looooooong wait. And an even longer wait to check out. But, all this foolishness paid off! Savings galore.
I do realize that this post would be a lot more interesting if you knew what I was shopping for....but that would really spoil the surprises now wouldn't it??
I'll spare you the rest of the itinerary, but the short version is that I made a bunch of other stops and made it home to unload by 8:30 or so. I really thought I had "done" the whole Black Friday shopping thing last year, when I made it to a toy store by 6:15am and made one other stop and was home by 8:30am. But that was nothing compared to this year. I just can't get over how many people were out and about.
Scott jokingly suggested that I should go and see the new Harry Potter movie this morning since I was already wide awake. Before he could take it back, I was already at the theater with movie ticket in hand. AWESOME! And, then, since the theater was next to King of Prussia mall, I thought I'd go into the mall for a quick peek -- but I quickly retreated to the safety of my car. I am just not ready to face that kind of Black Friday shopping yet. Maybe next year.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Master Artist?
I recently posted about how much I was enjoying Ben's coloring, and even showed a few pictures of boy wonder's artwork (Pop Art ala Ben). Well...now we have too much of a good thing. Way too much. His artwork has spread from the manila pages of his coloring books to everywhere else: the walls, the fridge, the floor, and even my shoes.
With specific regard to the walls, Scott and I just finally got around to painting our living room walls two or three weekends ago. Instead of the original cream color, they are now a nice light brown. We really liked how the walls turned out -- warm and inviting. Ben apparently thought they were too brown and decided to spruce them up with not 1, not 2, not 3, no not even 4, but FIVE separate splashes of blue lines and shapes. On my newly painted walls. Sigh.
Fortunately for Ben, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser removed all traces of his art, otherwise he'd be spending Thanksgiving in the neighbor's doghouse. He might anyway at the rate he's going.
The shoes, though, that's what really gets me. I was sitting at the kitchen table at the end of the day on Monday. I'll admit it, I was pretty tired and not really paying attention. Ben was under the table doing something, but I figured he was foraging for fallen cheerios. Instead, he was coloring on my shoes. Yes, Ben was coloring on my shoes while I was wearing them. I'm pretty sure that's a first. In addition to winning the "Most Oblivious Mom of the Week" award, I also learned that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works on suede.
Today's post was not sponsored by Magic Eraser, but it really should have been.
With specific regard to the walls, Scott and I just finally got around to painting our living room walls two or three weekends ago. Instead of the original cream color, they are now a nice light brown. We really liked how the walls turned out -- warm and inviting. Ben apparently thought they were too brown and decided to spruce them up with not 1, not 2, not 3, no not even 4, but FIVE separate splashes of blue lines and shapes. On my newly painted walls. Sigh.
Fortunately for Ben, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser removed all traces of his art, otherwise he'd be spending Thanksgiving in the neighbor's doghouse. He might anyway at the rate he's going.
The shoes, though, that's what really gets me. I was sitting at the kitchen table at the end of the day on Monday. I'll admit it, I was pretty tired and not really paying attention. Ben was under the table doing something, but I figured he was foraging for fallen cheerios. Instead, he was coloring on my shoes. Yes, Ben was coloring on my shoes while I was wearing them. I'm pretty sure that's a first. In addition to winning the "Most Oblivious Mom of the Week" award, I also learned that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works on suede.
Today's post was not sponsored by Magic Eraser, but it really should have been.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Movie Review: Disney's TANGLED
Yesterday, all three kids and I were treated to a sneak peek of Disney's new movie, TANGLED.
Right after the movie, I asked everybody to rate it using the traditional movie rating scale: (0 Thumbs up = Didn't like it; 1 Thumb up = Liked it; 2 Thumbs up = Loved it).
After making sure everyone understood the system, Abby (7 1/2 yrs) gave 2 thumbs up. Caroline (5 yrs) gave 3 thumbs up. And, Ben gave Tangled a whopping 10 thumbs up. I also give Tangled 2 Thumbs Up, for a grand total of ......17 THUMBS UP out of a possible 8. Great Score! Also a Great Movie! We loved it!!!
As you would expect from a Disney animated movie, the kids were laughing in parts, scared during some chase scenes (Ben was in my lap for most of the movie), Mom cried at least one time (ok, actually twice), Gothel and the "bad guys" are frigtening, some of the bad guys turn out to be good guys, things look pretty bad for Flynn for a while, and then there is a wonderfully happy ending (whew!). The songs were fun too, particularly when Rapunzel and Flynn visited the Inn.
Apparently I have missed all the previews for this movie because I didn't know Tangled was in 3D! (Note to self, do not wear glasses to a 3D movie again since wearing 2 pairs of glasses feels weird.) Abby and Caroline were literally squealing/gasping about some of the visual effects in the movie -- "Mom, there is a butterfly flying right out to my eyes! LOOK!!" They have never seen anything like that before and they were IMPRESSED. The animation was gorgeous. The lanterns....just wait for the the scene with the flying lanterns!
A couple of notes for parents with younger viewers:
1) The 3D glasses did not fit Ben; they were waaaay too large for his face. So, he did not wear them and watched the whole movie without them. On the plus side, he didn't seem to notice the doubled lines.
2) The movie shows not one, but two characters dying.
3) The movie had a lot of chasing and action sequences -- so it was borderline too scary for Ben at 3, who usually loves that sort of thing. Abby and Caroline even came over to cuddle for parts of it.
Overall, though, take your older kids to see it -- it's FUN!
_______________________________________________________
Here's a little more information:
Official Description: "RAPUNZEL may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress. The girl with the 70 feet of golden hair is an energetic, inquisitive teenager who fills her days with art, books, and imagination. Rapunzel is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. Rapunzel has always obeyed Mother Gothel by staying hidden away and keeping her magical hair a secret… but with her 18th birthday just a day away, she is fed up with her sheltered life and ready for adventure. When a charming thief seeks refuge in her tower, Rapunzel defies Gothel and seizes the opportunity to answer the call of the kingdom. With the unwilling Flynn Rider along for the journey, Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, and begins a hilarious, hair-raising journey that will untangle many secrets along the way."
Also, Check Out "Found: Rapunzel" on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8mF5sv7bKg
Disclaimer: I was provided free tickets of Rapunzel for me and my family in order to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not otherwise compensated for this review.
Right after the movie, I asked everybody to rate it using the traditional movie rating scale: (0 Thumbs up = Didn't like it; 1 Thumb up = Liked it; 2 Thumbs up = Loved it).
After making sure everyone understood the system, Abby (7 1/2 yrs) gave 2 thumbs up. Caroline (5 yrs) gave 3 thumbs up. And, Ben gave Tangled a whopping 10 thumbs up. I also give Tangled 2 Thumbs Up, for a grand total of ......17 THUMBS UP out of a possible 8. Great Score! Also a Great Movie! We loved it!!!
As you would expect from a Disney animated movie, the kids were laughing in parts, scared during some chase scenes (Ben was in my lap for most of the movie), Mom cried at least one time (ok, actually twice), Gothel and the "bad guys" are frigtening, some of the bad guys turn out to be good guys, things look pretty bad for Flynn for a while, and then there is a wonderfully happy ending (whew!). The songs were fun too, particularly when Rapunzel and Flynn visited the Inn.
Apparently I have missed all the previews for this movie because I didn't know Tangled was in 3D! (Note to self, do not wear glasses to a 3D movie again since wearing 2 pairs of glasses feels weird.) Abby and Caroline were literally squealing/gasping about some of the visual effects in the movie -- "Mom, there is a butterfly flying right out to my eyes! LOOK!!" They have never seen anything like that before and they were IMPRESSED. The animation was gorgeous. The lanterns....just wait for the the scene with the flying lanterns!
A couple of notes for parents with younger viewers:
1) The 3D glasses did not fit Ben; they were waaaay too large for his face. So, he did not wear them and watched the whole movie without them. On the plus side, he didn't seem to notice the doubled lines.
2) The movie shows not one, but two characters dying.
3) The movie had a lot of chasing and action sequences -- so it was borderline too scary for Ben at 3, who usually loves that sort of thing. Abby and Caroline even came over to cuddle for parts of it.
Overall, though, take your older kids to see it -- it's FUN!
_______________________________________________________
Here's a little more information:
Official Description: "RAPUNZEL may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress. The girl with the 70 feet of golden hair is an energetic, inquisitive teenager who fills her days with art, books, and imagination. Rapunzel is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. Rapunzel has always obeyed Mother Gothel by staying hidden away and keeping her magical hair a secret… but with her 18th birthday just a day away, she is fed up with her sheltered life and ready for adventure. When a charming thief seeks refuge in her tower, Rapunzel defies Gothel and seizes the opportunity to answer the call of the kingdom. With the unwilling Flynn Rider along for the journey, Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, and begins a hilarious, hair-raising journey that will untangle many secrets along the way."
Also, Check Out "Found: Rapunzel" on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8mF5sv7bKg
Disclaimer: I was provided free tickets of Rapunzel for me and my family in order to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not otherwise compensated for this review.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Equity
Lately, my kids seem to be more and more concerned about FAIRNESS. I've heard so many, "So-and-So got more than I did!" Or, "He/She got to do ____ and I didn't." Sigh.
Although I've tried explaining that we are very lucky and we should be very grateful for what we have already, none of this seems to be sinking in. Things have really gotten bad with all the catalogs that are showing up on our doorstep daily. I would prefer never to hear one more, "I want _____," again. It's very disappointing since we've been preaching gratitude over and over again for years.
With that said, Caroline gave me a chuckle yesterday (although I left the room so she would not see me laughing). Ben went to visit the neighbor's son in the afternoon and came back with a ziploc bag filled with a 4pm snack of cookies. I'm not sure why he had the cookies....but it just wasn't worth trying to wrestle the cookies from his vice-like hands. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, you know? Meanwhile, before Ben returned home, Caroline and I had just whipped up a quick batch of Toll House Cookie Bars, and she had just eaten a small taste of the batter when we were finished.
So, even though Caroline had just had a spoonful of rich, delicious cookie dough, she immediately screamed out:
"MOM, BEN HAS MORE SUGAR THAN ME!!!!! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!"
So, apparently in addition to toys, clothes, and activities, Caroline is also monitoring sugar intake now. And, I do believe her assessment that the sugar content of three cookies is greater than that contained in single spoonful of batter is accurate. At least her nutritional evaluation in right on track.
Today begins a 9-day break from school. Wish me luck.
Although I've tried explaining that we are very lucky and we should be very grateful for what we have already, none of this seems to be sinking in. Things have really gotten bad with all the catalogs that are showing up on our doorstep daily. I would prefer never to hear one more, "I want _____," again. It's very disappointing since we've been preaching gratitude over and over again for years.
With that said, Caroline gave me a chuckle yesterday (although I left the room so she would not see me laughing). Ben went to visit the neighbor's son in the afternoon and came back with a ziploc bag filled with a 4pm snack of cookies. I'm not sure why he had the cookies....but it just wasn't worth trying to wrestle the cookies from his vice-like hands. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, you know? Meanwhile, before Ben returned home, Caroline and I had just whipped up a quick batch of Toll House Cookie Bars, and she had just eaten a small taste of the batter when we were finished.
So, even though Caroline had just had a spoonful of rich, delicious cookie dough, she immediately screamed out:
"MOM, BEN HAS MORE SUGAR THAN ME!!!!! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!"
So, apparently in addition to toys, clothes, and activities, Caroline is also monitoring sugar intake now. And, I do believe her assessment that the sugar content of three cookies is greater than that contained in single spoonful of batter is accurate. At least her nutritional evaluation in right on track.
Today begins a 9-day break from school. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Not Your Typical Pilgrim
Today Caroline performed the role of "Pilgrim, female" in her Kindergarten's Thanksgiving Pageant. I thoroughly enjoyed the show -- it's completely adorable to see 40 or so kindergartners to perform together.
As I fully expected, she was the loudest pilgrim. By far. On the plus side, it was obvious to the entire auditorium that she knew all the lines. And, she danced the Turkey Tango with excellent hip movements.
Encore show of her performance available to all Thanksgiving attendees!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Weekend Retreat
Last week was a really loooooooooong week for many reasons, none of which are worth recording here for posterity. Suffice to say, I definitely wasn't in my "happy place" anymore, or really even in the tri-state vicinity. Very fortunately, I had already scheduled a much needed break a few months ago and went on a solo visit to parents on Saturday night (thanks mom and dad!). Not only did I eat several meals like an actual adult (i.e., sitting for the entire meal and enjoying conversation), I also enjoyed an evening stitch-in at my mom's favorite cross-stitch shop, The Stitching Post. A healthy serving of parental love and quiet stitching time is just what I needed to quiet my mind and refresh my mood -- that and some delicious bacon from IHOP. (OK, there was also sausage and french toast too.) Even though I was only gone less than 24 hours, the 100% break from parenting and chores is just what I needed. By the end of the day, I remembered that I really do love my family and am profoundly grateful for all I have. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder sometimes.
When I returned, guess what was waiting for me??? Homemade cookies! Scott and Abby were inspired by the photos in the Crazy for Cookies book (it really is a cool cookbook) and made Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies, and they even made the toffee to go inside. DELICIOUS. (And, all the dishes were even cleanup up!) This is a photo I took, and the cookies turned out exactly like those shown in the book. You can see a hunk of homemade toffee peeking up from the center of the cookie. Nice baking!
Prior to my visit down to Maryland, I took Abby and Caroline ice skating on Saturday as part of a Girl Scout event. I used to skate all the time, so it was fun for all of us. What has changed from when I was little, is now rinks have these cool skating bars that new skaters can use for support. They are like skating walkers, and the girls used them to get the feel for the ice. Abby tossed her aside after about 20 minutes, and zoomed around, so I don't have any good photos of the front of her.
When I returned, guess what was waiting for me??? Homemade cookies! Scott and Abby were inspired by the photos in the Crazy for Cookies book (it really is a cool cookbook) and made Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies, and they even made the toffee to go inside. DELICIOUS. (And, all the dishes were even cleanup up!) This is a photo I took, and the cookies turned out exactly like those shown in the book. You can see a hunk of homemade toffee peeking up from the center of the cookie. Nice baking!
Prior to my visit down to Maryland, I took Abby and Caroline ice skating on Saturday as part of a Girl Scout event. I used to skate all the time, so it was fun for all of us. What has changed from when I was little, is now rinks have these cool skating bars that new skaters can use for support. They are like skating walkers, and the girls used them to get the feel for the ice. Abby tossed her aside after about 20 minutes, and zoomed around, so I don't have any good photos of the front of her.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Fall Back People....Fall BACK
While the majority of the rest of the country turned their clocks back this past weekend, my children have elected not to do so.
Ben has been waking in the 5:45-5:55am range. Caroline has been waking by 6am or earlier, and even Abby has been up by 6:25am, although (bless her) she's been reading in her bed rather than coming into my room to scream at me for breakfast. And, I do mean scream. It's a super fun way to start the day. And, kind of jarring. And, since it's so early, there's so much day to fill with additional screaming. I've tried to explain how everyone will feel happier and better rested if they just went back to sleep for one more hour, but, alas, the sun is up and so are we.
One less hour of sleep isn't really a big deal in the scheme of things for me, but I it really impacts the kids -- particularly by the end of the day. Since we are really trying to get on this new schedule, they're staying up to their regular bedtimes, but yet they still waking up early. How can they keep doing this day after day?? I'm baffled!
Ben has been waking in the 5:45-5:55am range. Caroline has been waking by 6am or earlier, and even Abby has been up by 6:25am, although (bless her) she's been reading in her bed rather than coming into my room to scream at me for breakfast. And, I do mean scream. It's a super fun way to start the day. And, kind of jarring. And, since it's so early, there's so much day to fill with additional screaming. I've tried to explain how everyone will feel happier and better rested if they just went back to sleep for one more hour, but, alas, the sun is up and so are we.
One less hour of sleep isn't really a big deal in the scheme of things for me, but I it really impacts the kids -- particularly by the end of the day. Since we are really trying to get on this new schedule, they're staying up to their regular bedtimes, but yet they still waking up early. How can they keep doing this day after day?? I'm baffled!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Pop Art ala Ben
Sometime in the last few weeks Ben has been bitten by the coloring bug, hard. In addition to his busy schedule with all the superhero adventures and Lego sessions, he has been fitting in considerable stretches of standing at the kitchen table and coloring his Star Wars coloring book. He is as intense about the coloring as he is about the Legos, which is really saying something.
He is still working on the fine motor skills, so coloring an entire picture takes quite a while. Also, he uses a really firm grip on the crayon -- so hard that whatever crayon he has been using is warm to the touch when he finally puts it down. This is some intense coloring.
His results are good though! He's not even close to coloring inside the lines yet, but he is staying on the paper now (which is a good thing since I'm out of Magic Eraser) and he's combining colors in pretty novel ways. Scott really likes the pictures and wanted to take one to work, but Ben will not even consider removing a page from "the collection."
Here's a sampling of my little pop artist's work:
I do realize that showcasing Ben's coloring skills is a pretty long way from my "core mission" of Searching for CC. However, I have had a head cold for the last week... my brain is not working anymore since it's so stuffy and the bright colors are cheering me up. Hopefully back onto more adult-oriented topics soon. Actually, now that I think about it, "adult" topics sounds kind of inappropriate. But, you know what I mean.
He is still working on the fine motor skills, so coloring an entire picture takes quite a while. Also, he uses a really firm grip on the crayon -- so hard that whatever crayon he has been using is warm to the touch when he finally puts it down. This is some intense coloring.
His results are good though! He's not even close to coloring inside the lines yet, but he is staying on the paper now (which is a good thing since I'm out of Magic Eraser) and he's combining colors in pretty novel ways. Scott really likes the pictures and wanted to take one to work, but Ben will not even consider removing a page from "the collection."
Here's a sampling of my little pop artist's work:
I do realize that showcasing Ben's coloring skills is a pretty long way from my "core mission" of Searching for CC. However, I have had a head cold for the last week... my brain is not working anymore since it's so stuffy and the bright colors are cheering me up. Hopefully back onto more adult-oriented topics soon. Actually, now that I think about it, "adult" topics sounds kind of inappropriate. But, you know what I mean.
Monday, November 8, 2010
C-R-A-Z-Y for Cookies
I love cookies. REALLY love cookies. I'm not really into pies, cheesecakes, or even salty snacks. I don't even love store-bought cookies that much, except for maybe Girl Scout peanut butter patties and Berger bakery cookies from Baltimore. But I love a good homemade cookie. And, with the exception of a little Amelia Bedelia-like baking mishap when I was about 12 (directions said to grease the bottom of the pan....so I greased the outside bottom...), I am a now a skilled cookie baker and grease the appropriate side of the pan every time. I really hit my stride around Christmas time -- shortbread, Russian tea cakes, chocolate chip, raspberry thumbprints, butter spritz with almonds....ah...I can't wait.
I am the proud owner of at least five large, dough-splattered cook books devoted exclusively to this important culinary art, one of which is titled 1001 Cookie Recipes. Clearly, I have more cookie recipes than I can ever bake. But, I can't help myself. We're talking about cookies here. And, I just received a brand new cookie cookbook, Crazy About Cookies: 300 Scrumptious Recipes for Every Occasion & Craving by Krystina Castella that I really like. The author also has a second creative cookbook on the art of cupcake baking that she previously published called Crazy for Cupcakes.
Why do I need this new set of over 300 cookie recipes?? Because these are super cute! Not only does this cookie book have some interesting twists on traditional cookies, but this cookbook really differentiates itself by a great selection of super creative cookies -- the recipes are more like cookie art projects! Edible, adorable cookies with ideas for all occasions, holidays, and even every day. Wow-'em ideas that are perfect for cookie exchanges or classroom parties or care packages. And, if you're new to baking, there is also a thorough basics section on doughs, toppings and decoration techniques with some tips that I hadn't read before.
One of my favorite cookie in this book is a twist on the traditional peanut butter cookie. Instead of the normal circular peanut butter cookie that you criss-cross with a fork (also included on p.80), you roll out the cookie dough and cut out the cookies like a tiny pieces of bread -- and then after they come out of the oven, spread a little jelly on the top of half, and a little peanut butter with honey on the top of the others, and the cookies look exactly like the two halves of PB&J sandwiches. SO CUTE! And there are so many other super fun ideas in here too, like German chocolate cake cookies with pecan filling, and thumbprints with mocha icing, and black & white cookies and cocktail party cookies on skewers and on and on. Yum yum yum.
OK, I think I need to go bake something chocolaty now.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of Crazy About Cookies to Review by Thoroughly Modern Mommies. All opinions expressed are my own.
I am the proud owner of at least five large, dough-splattered cook books devoted exclusively to this important culinary art, one of which is titled 1001 Cookie Recipes. Clearly, I have more cookie recipes than I can ever bake. But, I can't help myself. We're talking about cookies here. And, I just received a brand new cookie cookbook, Crazy About Cookies: 300 Scrumptious Recipes for Every Occasion & Craving by Krystina Castella that I really like. The author also has a second creative cookbook on the art of cupcake baking that she previously published called Crazy for Cupcakes.
Why do I need this new set of over 300 cookie recipes?? Because these are super cute! Not only does this cookie book have some interesting twists on traditional cookies, but this cookbook really differentiates itself by a great selection of super creative cookies -- the recipes are more like cookie art projects! Edible, adorable cookies with ideas for all occasions, holidays, and even every day. Wow-'em ideas that are perfect for cookie exchanges or classroom parties or care packages. And, if you're new to baking, there is also a thorough basics section on doughs, toppings and decoration techniques with some tips that I hadn't read before.
One of my favorite cookie in this book is a twist on the traditional peanut butter cookie. Instead of the normal circular peanut butter cookie that you criss-cross with a fork (also included on p.80), you roll out the cookie dough and cut out the cookies like a tiny pieces of bread -- and then after they come out of the oven, spread a little jelly on the top of half, and a little peanut butter with honey on the top of the others, and the cookies look exactly like the two halves of PB&J sandwiches. SO CUTE! And there are so many other super fun ideas in here too, like German chocolate cake cookies with pecan filling, and thumbprints with mocha icing, and black & white cookies and cocktail party cookies on skewers and on and on. Yum yum yum.
OK, I think I need to go bake something chocolaty now.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of Crazy About Cookies to Review by Thoroughly Modern Mommies. All opinions expressed are my own.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Return of the Juncos
Although my children are still venturing outside to play with flip-flops since they are apparently immune to the cold, the cooler fall temperatures have definitely settled in and it really "feels" like fall. We've had our first frost, I've pulled out the sweaters and winter coats for the cold fall mornings, and even somewhat successfully started our first fire in the fireplace last night with a little help from Duraflame and several sections of the Inquirer.
For me, one final and undeniable fall indicator is the return of our little gray and white friends from Canada, the dark-eyed juncos. These medium-sized sparrows live and breed in Canada all summer long, and then fly south to all parts of the US for the winter. They are ground birds and hop around and flock in your backyard to look for seeds. If you have bird feeders, they park under the feeders or perch in nearby shrubs for the entire winter to wait for dropped seed treats. Juncos are easy to recognize by their bright white tail and belly feathers and pale yellow to pinkish bills. They cheerfully make high-pitched chirps all day. While perhaps not as flashy as some other types of birds that over-winter here, I always feel a little extra cheerful when I notice that the little juncos have returned for another winter season.
I first noticed that our juncos had returned this past Thursday while I was staring out the window watching the rain fall (when I should have been working, ahem). Has anyone else noticed that their juncos have returned too?
For me, one final and undeniable fall indicator is the return of our little gray and white friends from Canada, the dark-eyed juncos. These medium-sized sparrows live and breed in Canada all summer long, and then fly south to all parts of the US for the winter. They are ground birds and hop around and flock in your backyard to look for seeds. If you have bird feeders, they park under the feeders or perch in nearby shrubs for the entire winter to wait for dropped seed treats. Juncos are easy to recognize by their bright white tail and belly feathers and pale yellow to pinkish bills. They cheerfully make high-pitched chirps all day. While perhaps not as flashy as some other types of birds that over-winter here, I always feel a little extra cheerful when I notice that the little juncos have returned for another winter season.
I first noticed that our juncos had returned this past Thursday while I was staring out the window watching the rain fall (when I should have been working, ahem). Has anyone else noticed that their juncos have returned too?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Legoland
Ben has become obsessed with Legos. Having been obsessed with Legos myself for a period (flashback to the castle series in the 80s), I completely understand Lego love. What surprises me, is that he is only 3 years old and barely has the fine motor skills to scribble. And yet, he spends all his waking hours (ALL) building, playing with, and manipulating Lego mini-figures, having Lego battles, and transporting Lego pieces all over the house. He wants nothing to do with age-appropriate Duplo blocks. He's obsessed with the "big kid" blocks. I can't blame him there, Duplo blocks do not have the detail or building potential of real Legos.
Unlike my own obsessive-compulsive tendencies to maintain inflexible boundaries among various types of Lego sets (Star Wars stay with Star Wars, pirates with pirates, castle with castle, etc.), Ben is not bounded by these rigid guidelines. He combines any and all pieces to create leagues of Lego superheroes and knights and bad guys. He even combines people pieces with non-people pieces. Gasp! The result is an incredibly creative and ever-changing set of Lego guys. And all these "Lego guys" travel around the house and have "awesome" battles with requisite sound effects.
All this Lego-loving has some implications for our house, which I am hereby renaming: Legoland. (Unlike the real Legoland in California, I do not charge admission. Shoes highly recommended.)
1) The dining room has become the Lego Room. We haven't eaten in there in months. Actually, from a dining perspective, this is no problem since we eat all our meals around the kitchen table anyway , but I can't decide if having my formal dining room as a Lego room says I am a cool and free-spirited mom, or if it just shows that I've lost control in yet another area of my life.
2) Vacuuming has become much more challenging. Ben carries his Lego guys all over the house to go on adventures. While I support expanding his imagination and all, the little tiny Lego pieces are getting strewn everywhere. So, in addition to the typical pre-vacuum pick-up, there is now a pre-vacuum scour the floor for teeny, tiny Lego pieces. I can't just vacuum without looking for pieces up -- I could accidentally vacuum up something important! (The OC part of me must maintain complete sets of Legos!)
3) The newspaper and mail have become much more important. Now that Halloween is over, the Christmas shopping season has begun in earnest (or so I've heard), and the Sunday paper and daily mail is chock full of toy catalogs full of pictures of Lego sets. When not playing with the Lego guys, Ben has been intensely reviewing these catalogs and telling me which sets he would like (all of them, actually). His favorite set to longingly gaze at is the $400 Star Wars Death Star set that comes with 16 (!!!) Lego mini-figures. Pops recently brought up this season's Lego store catalog -- which is 50+ pages of Lego dreams. Ben has been carrying it with him around the house, like some young children do with lovies or blankies.
I tell you the boy is obsessed.
Unlike my own obsessive-compulsive tendencies to maintain inflexible boundaries among various types of Lego sets (Star Wars stay with Star Wars, pirates with pirates, castle with castle, etc.), Ben is not bounded by these rigid guidelines. He combines any and all pieces to create leagues of Lego superheroes and knights and bad guys. He even combines people pieces with non-people pieces. Gasp! The result is an incredibly creative and ever-changing set of Lego guys. And all these "Lego guys" travel around the house and have "awesome" battles with requisite sound effects.
All this Lego-loving has some implications for our house, which I am hereby renaming: Legoland. (Unlike the real Legoland in California, I do not charge admission. Shoes highly recommended.)
1) The dining room has become the Lego Room. We haven't eaten in there in months. Actually, from a dining perspective, this is no problem since we eat all our meals around the kitchen table anyway , but I can't decide if having my formal dining room as a Lego room says I am a cool and free-spirited mom, or if it just shows that I've lost control in yet another area of my life.
2) Vacuuming has become much more challenging. Ben carries his Lego guys all over the house to go on adventures. While I support expanding his imagination and all, the little tiny Lego pieces are getting strewn everywhere. So, in addition to the typical pre-vacuum pick-up, there is now a pre-vacuum scour the floor for teeny, tiny Lego pieces. I can't just vacuum without looking for pieces up -- I could accidentally vacuum up something important! (The OC part of me must maintain complete sets of Legos!)
3) The newspaper and mail have become much more important. Now that Halloween is over, the Christmas shopping season has begun in earnest (or so I've heard), and the Sunday paper and daily mail is chock full of toy catalogs full of pictures of Lego sets. When not playing with the Lego guys, Ben has been intensely reviewing these catalogs and telling me which sets he would like (all of them, actually). His favorite set to longingly gaze at is the $400 Star Wars Death Star set that comes with 16 (!!!) Lego mini-figures. Pops recently brought up this season's Lego store catalog -- which is 50+ pages of Lego dreams. Ben has been carrying it with him around the house, like some young children do with lovies or blankies.
I tell you the boy is obsessed.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tricks and Treats
The Highlights
Overall, we had an excellent Halloween. Our neighbor's pumpkin carving party, Abby's field hockey game, our town's Halloween parade, and trick-or-treating was all enjoyed in less than seven hours. (whew!)
We I mean the kids received an excellent amount of candy. Scott and I have completed our initial safety evaluations, but remain undecided whether or not candy is safe to consume. More analysis planned for this evening. Personally, I'm still not quite sure about Reese's Cups and Twix. On a related note, I resumed attending Body Pump class at the gym today to offset these necessary safety checks.
One surprising moment occurred last night when I opened the front door to give out some Hershey's Special Dark bars only to notice that Ben had removed his costume and pants to make a trick-or-treating pit stop. But, he decided to do the disrobing part in the entryway, so the result was basically mooning the trick-or-treaters. I think that firmly goes into the "Trick" column, don't you??
Fortunately, the rest of the evening was just "Treat!" Particularly after we returned home to investigate the contents of the trick-or-treat bags. When the girls were thoroughly reviewing their haul and I was sorting out the food dye containing candies (which Caroline did a great job avoiding, I should add), Ben realized that neither Scott nor I were paying close attention to him. I looked up to find out that he had opened and consumed a truly impressive amount of candy and was diligently opening candies as fast as his little fingers would let him. Any type of chewy candy or hard candy that would take too long to consume was licked and then cast aside for items that could be eaten faster. I asked, "Ben, what on earth are you doing?" His answer was to scoop up an entire mini-bag of candy corns and shove them into his mouth as fast as he could. I think that he knew the candy-eating event of his lifetime was over. He was all smiles though!
Boo
Overall, we had an excellent Halloween. Our neighbor's pumpkin carving party, Abby's field hockey game, our town's Halloween parade, and trick-or-treating was all enjoyed in less than seven hours. (whew!)
One surprising moment occurred last night when I opened the front door to give out some Hershey's Special Dark bars only to notice that Ben had removed his costume and pants to make a trick-or-treating pit stop. But, he decided to do the disrobing part in the entryway, so the result was basically mooning the trick-or-treaters. I think that firmly goes into the "Trick" column, don't you??
Fortunately, the rest of the evening was just "Treat!" Particularly after we returned home to investigate the contents of the trick-or-treat bags. When the girls were thoroughly reviewing their haul and I was sorting out the food dye containing candies (which Caroline did a great job avoiding, I should add), Ben realized that neither Scott nor I were paying close attention to him. I looked up to find out that he had opened and consumed a truly impressive amount of candy and was diligently opening candies as fast as his little fingers would let him. Any type of chewy candy or hard candy that would take too long to consume was licked and then cast aside for items that could be eaten faster. I asked, "Ben, what on earth are you doing?" His answer was to scoop up an entire mini-bag of candy corns and shove them into his mouth as fast as he could. I think that he knew the candy-eating event of his lifetime was over. He was all smiles though!
Captain America, Cleopatra, and Wonder Woman
Edited: Scott has just reminded me that one of the "highlights" also included not one, but TWO of our children having accidents in their costumes yesterday. Believe it or not, but I had already selectively forgotten that in less than 24 hours. Impressive! (my lack of memory, not the accidents)
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