We equip our children to be the best they can be and then send them out into the world every morning, hoping we did our best. When they come home physically or emotionally bruised from the day's adventures, it's our job, as parents, to hug them, make sure there's no major damage, and equip them to learn from the bruises. When they come home excited and eager from their day's adventures, it is our job, as parents, to hug them, celebrate with them, and equip them to learn from their accomplishments.
Empathy. Compassion. Kindness. Thoughtfulness. Strength. Resiliency. Courage. The list is long. When our kids are little, we have to put these tools in their toolboxes for them. We equip them. They build with them.
Our job is not to do for them, it's to teach them to do for themselves. Always hug. Always build on experiences.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Pile 'O Popcorn
My son is a Cub Scout. A Wolf, to be exact. Last year, there was a changing of the guard, so to speak, in our Pack as the former treasurer was leaving to follow her son to the Boy Scouts. Somehow, I accepted the title "Treasurer". As many of you know, in the fall, Scouts across the country participate in the annual popcorn sales drive. Well, when I became treasurer, as there were no other committee members yet, I also became the "Popcorn Kernal". Yes, you read that correctly. That's what us people who run the popcorn sales are called. "Popcorn Kernals". We set up "Show & Sells", where the boys sell popcorn that we have on hand. We organize the "Take & Sell" orders, which are the orders the boys take by selling off of the popcorn flyers. We manage online sales, money, prizes and yes, popcorn. This is what part of my dining room has looked like since the end of September:
There's more to the left of the boxes stacked with Kiddo's bunny "Cubby" protecting them. And there's more to come when I go to pick up the "Take & Sell" orders. Fortunately, popcorn season is almost over, and I'll get my dining room back. Don't get me wrong: our Pack did really well selling this year, really embodied the "Do your best" motto of the Cub Scouts, and there are packs out there that I'm sure could fill someone's basement with boxes of popcorn and sell it all. But I'm looking forward to not looking at boxes of popcorn. Until next September.
There's more to the left of the boxes stacked with Kiddo's bunny "Cubby" protecting them. And there's more to come when I go to pick up the "Take & Sell" orders. Fortunately, popcorn season is almost over, and I'll get my dining room back. Don't get me wrong: our Pack did really well selling this year, really embodied the "Do your best" motto of the Cub Scouts, and there are packs out there that I'm sure could fill someone's basement with boxes of popcorn and sell it all. But I'm looking forward to not looking at boxes of popcorn. Until next September.
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Fist Bump
It's a moment in time. It's one of my favorites. My husband and The Kiddo, walking toward the Pacific Ocean, talking about who knows what. And at the moment my sister raised her camera to take their picture, a decision was made and they fist bumped to solidify it.
Solidarity. Those two have it in spades. 95% of the time, Kiddo will side with Daddy on any topic, esepcially if it's at the comical expense of Mommy. But watch out boys because Mommy has a little girl now, and she can work the charm (esepcially on her Daddy!). So, keep on bumping fists boys, because you never know when the girls will strike and you're gonna need all the solidartiy you can muster!
Solidarity. Those two have it in spades. 95% of the time, Kiddo will side with Daddy on any topic, esepcially if it's at the comical expense of Mommy. But watch out boys because Mommy has a little girl now, and she can work the charm (esepcially on her Daddy!). So, keep on bumping fists boys, because you never know when the girls will strike and you're gonna need all the solidartiy you can muster!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
For my sister: Cleaning a ceramic stove top
Okay, so apparently how to clean a ceramic stove top is not common knowledge. Picture this:
While at my sister's preparing for our mom's surprise birthday party (yep, she helped us clean for her own party she didn't know she was going to have!), I walk into the kitchen to the metalic sound of my sister and mom scraping the stove with spoons. Yes. Spoons. So I ask them, "Um, guys? You do know there's an easier way?" The looked up, sweat beading on their browns, with shocked, yet hopeful looks. "Really?!" Yes, really. I give you: the magic of a razor blade.
1) Get a razor blade. You can get them from pretty much any grocery/dollar/hardware store in packs of 5 for darn cheap.
2) Hold the blade at about a 45 degree angle and gently scrape away gunk.
3) Wipe clean.
4) Voila! Clean stove!
Note: do not use a razor blade to attempt to clean marble surfaces - you'll only scratch/dig into the marble.
While at my sister's preparing for our mom's surprise birthday party (yep, she helped us clean for her own party she didn't know she was going to have!), I walk into the kitchen to the metalic sound of my sister and mom scraping the stove with spoons. Yes. Spoons. So I ask them, "Um, guys? You do know there's an easier way?" The looked up, sweat beading on their browns, with shocked, yet hopeful looks. "Really?!" Yes, really. I give you: the magic of a razor blade.
1) Get a razor blade. You can get them from pretty much any grocery/dollar/hardware store in packs of 5 for darn cheap.
2) Hold the blade at about a 45 degree angle and gently scrape away gunk.
3) Wipe clean.
4) Voila! Clean stove!
Note: do not use a razor blade to attempt to clean marble surfaces - you'll only scratch/dig into the marble.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Time for Kettle Corn: Making your own at home in 10 easy steps!
I love kettle corn. The sweet and the salt, the crunch and unpredictableness of when you'll get a really sweet piece or salty one. I decided to try and make my own at home many years ago, and it worked! I recently decided to resurect my recipe and I've had a couple people ask me how I make it. So, for your kettle corn pleasure, a step by step guide to making your own kettle corn!
What you'll need:
Popcorn pot of your choosing (see "Pick your pot")
Oil 2 - 3 Tablespoons(vegetable, canola, blend...no olive oil!)
Popping corn
Butter 2 Tablespoons (not margarine!)
Sugar
Salt
1) Pick your pot. I am huge fan of Revereware copper bottom pots for making popcorn. My parents used them and soon after I was married, and lamenting that I didn't have a proper popcorn pot, my dad and sister found one for me at a thrift store and cleaned it up for me. I need a larger one now that there are 4 popcorn eaters in my family! Why Revereware? It's a very light pot and has a light lid, which allows the popcorn the freedom to move and easily raise the lid when I've put too much in the pot (which is all the time now because I'm trying to make bigger batches).
2)
Put about 2-3 T oil (depending on the size of your pot) in the bottom of the pot and tilt the pot to coat the bottom. It should not be a puddle, but more than a thin coating, so add more if you need to.
3)
Add popcorn - enough to cover the bottom of the pot.
4)
Dice up the 2T of butter into smaller chunks
5)
Evenly distribute the butter chunks.
6)
Using a large spoon (table spoon?), scoop up a spoonful of sugar (it does help the medicine go down, right?).
7)
Liberally sprinkle over oil, popcorn and butter. I do not end up using the entire spoonful. Eyeball it for your own taste preference.
8) Put the lid on your pot and set the burner to med heat.
9) Stay nearby! When you hear the butter starting to sizzle, swirl the pot to help evenly distribute the melting butter and sugar. When you hear the popcorn start to pop, swiftly push the pot back and forth over the burner. Make sure you have your bowl ready! When the popping slows to a pop or two every second or so, pour the popcorn into your bowl.
10)
Salt to taste! Enjoy!
What you'll need:
Popcorn pot of your choosing (see "Pick your pot")
Oil 2 - 3 Tablespoons(vegetable, canola, blend...no olive oil!)
Popping corn
Butter 2 Tablespoons (not margarine!)
Sugar
Salt
1) Pick your pot. I am huge fan of Revereware copper bottom pots for making popcorn. My parents used them and soon after I was married, and lamenting that I didn't have a proper popcorn pot, my dad and sister found one for me at a thrift store and cleaned it up for me. I need a larger one now that there are 4 popcorn eaters in my family! Why Revereware? It's a very light pot and has a light lid, which allows the popcorn the freedom to move and easily raise the lid when I've put too much in the pot (which is all the time now because I'm trying to make bigger batches).
2)
Put about 2-3 T oil (depending on the size of your pot) in the bottom of the pot and tilt the pot to coat the bottom. It should not be a puddle, but more than a thin coating, so add more if you need to.
3)
Add popcorn - enough to cover the bottom of the pot.
4)
Dice up the 2T of butter into smaller chunks
5)
Evenly distribute the butter chunks.
6)
Using a large spoon (table spoon?), scoop up a spoonful of sugar (it does help the medicine go down, right?).
7)
Liberally sprinkle over oil, popcorn and butter. I do not end up using the entire spoonful. Eyeball it for your own taste preference.
8) Put the lid on your pot and set the burner to med heat.
9) Stay nearby! When you hear the butter starting to sizzle, swirl the pot to help evenly distribute the melting butter and sugar. When you hear the popcorn start to pop, swiftly push the pot back and forth over the burner. Make sure you have your bowl ready! When the popping slows to a pop or two every second or so, pour the popcorn into your bowl.
10)
Salt to taste! Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
I am a mom.
When you look at this picture, what do you see? Mom and two kids at the beach, who look pretty happy (the little one doesn't look too fond of the wind). Here's what you don't see: how the children were born (vaginally or c-section; natural or medically induced labor; epidural or med free); if they are adopted or natural children; if they were breastfed, bottle fed or both; stay-at-home mom, work-at-home-mom, or work-out-of-the-home mom; home-schooled, public or private schooled; if they were fed only organic or if they had McDonald's on the way to the beach. You cannot tell any of that information by looking at this picture. Here's what I can tell you about that mom and her kids: she loves them deeply, and quite frankly, doesn't care how they got into her arms, as long as they got there. She dreamed of being a mom from the time she was a little girl. She's not a perfect mom, but she does the best she can. I am that mom. And I'll be damned if anyone says I'm less of a mother because of how those children came into my world. Who cares? They are here and they are mine. The "Mom Wars" need to stop.
*Inspired by "The Unnatural Mom" article on CNN.com: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1033811
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Adventures in Cross Country Traveling: The Dos and Don'ts of Traveling with Multiple Children
This summer, my family (me, my husband and our two kiddos, ages almost 2 yrs. and 7 1/2 yrs.) traveled from Virginia to Oregon with my sister and her family (her, her husband and her two kiddos, ages 2 yrs and 4 yrs) via airplane to visit our mother's side of the family. Here are some tips from our experiences:
DO: Pack snack bags for each kid and adults. My sister had the idea for the kids' bags. I had just brought stuff we could toss in one of the carry ons. She already had bags started for each kid with their names on them. Since each kid has preferences, it came in handy to have their names on them. Here's what were in the kids' bags: graham crackers, fruit pouches (Go Gos, Smashems, etc.), fruit roll ups, fruit snacks, raisins, Goldfish crackers, Crackerfuls. Things that were relatively compact and easy to manage. Adults had similar items, plus Twizzlers. Don't forget to pack cups with lids for the kids (with or without beverage in them - TSA will let you through with them, but they will test the contents).
DO: Remember any medicines you might need for you AND the kids. Both the toddlers were on antibiotics the whole trip and their meds needed to be kept cold. We packed a soft cooler with ice packs and their meds and a baggie full of clean medicine dispensers. Yes, TSA needed to check their meds, but that was fine by me. We also brought along sinus meds for adults (air pressure can wreck havoc on sinuses!) and Children's Tylenol for the kids, just in case. My sister also brought Dramamine.
DON'T: Get on the plane hungry! Your snacks will be gone before you know it!
DO: Put the kids in similar/matching shirts. This was my idea for the trip home. While in Oregon, we went to the Portland Children's Museum. The day we went happened to be tie-dye day, so we let each of the kids make a shirt. I thought it would be cute if they all wore them on the trip home. Well, let me tell you, it was quite nice to be able to look up and do a quick tie-dyed head count!
DO: Pack extra t-shirt and pants for each kid (and at least a shirt for yourself!). My sister saved my butt on this one because I didn't pack extra bottoms for my youngest, but she had packed extras for her oldest. Both little ones had unfortunate diaper incidents before getting on the plane at 6:00 am. Which leads me to the next DON'T:
DON'T: Book a 6:00 am flight! Yes, we saved some money. Yes, we got to Portland with a lot of daylight left. But, we were an exhausted, hungry, virtually decaffeinated group of parents with 4 kids under the age of 8 who were able to nap at various points of the trip (never all at once!) and have energy to spare once we landed. Granted: they were as well behaved as we could have asked them to be under the circumstances, but still...okay, so really it was the parents who had a harder time with it.
DO: Try to get seats together at the back of the plane! This worked wonderfully for us! We were as out of the way as we could be, next to the bathrooms and near flight attendants should we need anything quickly. The older two sat together and kept each other occupied, while the younger two sat with me and my sister or brother-in-law (whoever my nephew wanted at the moment). Since planes don't go 4 seats across (my daughter was still a "lap baby" at just under 2 years, so that worked out well for us), my husband got a seat in the row directly in front of us (he's not a huge fan of flying so he really tries to get a window seat). This was helpful because he was close enough to us that I could hand our daughter over the seat to him if I needed a break or she needed a change of scenery.
DO: Pack books, DVD players/laptops/iPads with movies, small toys, crayons and coloring books, as well as a sweater for everyone. Pack a camera (either on your phone or an actual camera) to capture wonderful moments such as these (Note: only climb up into overhead bins, visit the cockpit and explore the galley with your flight attendant's permission!):
DON'T: Expect there to be room in the lavatory to help your little ones go "potty". Unfortunately, some airlines have bathrooms the size of a nickle, and there's no room to help your little one navigate getting pants down, sitting etc. You may just have to change some diapers while they stand up on the toilet seat, or change them at your seat if they can't stand up (i.e. infants. Our airplane did not have a handy changing table in the lavatory, like some other planes I've been on do).
DO: Bring your own car seats! Unless you have seats waiting for you at your destination, bring your own car seats! The car rental company wanted to charge us $65 a seat for the week we were in town! Highway robbery! For that price, we could have bought new seats when we got there. It was worth carrying our own seats to the check in counter and having them checked. It does not count against your luggage count and they are free to check at the counter or the gate. At least with our airline it was. Check with your airline before going.
DO: Spend the few dollars it might cost for those luggage carts at the airport. You may not want to, but when trying to wrangle toddlers, you need all the hands you can get. Get a cart, stack your luggage and car seats and have one person push that while others takes kiddos' hands and/or strollers.
DO: Bring a stroller if you have toddlers. Especially if yours has a storage basket under the seat. If you have a couple of kiddos, have the youngest in the seat and the other holding onto the stroller, or walking next to it.
DO: Give older kids jobs, like holding hands of younger children or pulling a rolling suitcase. Our 7 1/2 year old was very helpful when it came to walking through the terminals - he held hands with his cousins and little sister, gladly carried his little sister's carry on, loved pushing the stroller - he loved being useful.
DO: Make sure you have enough time between flights, if you have a layover. I prefer at least an hour and a half between flights to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs, use the restroom, get a bite to eat and have time to get to the gate on time. Rushing kids is no picnic. On our flight out to Oregon, our plane landed, but we did not have a plane change. There was only 1/2 hour between other people disembarking and new passengers boarding, so my sister and I sent the husbands off for snacks, and we stayed on the plane with the kids. I feared for mine and my sister's sanities. Fortunately, we had an AWESOME flight attendant who let us play on the plane while we waited. She was patient, inventive and fun (see above shenanigans pictures). We will never forget Flight Attendant Kate!
DO: Have fun! Yes, it was stressful at times, but on the whole, we had good flights!
There you have it! I hope our experiences from flying this summer with multiple children are helpful to your future flying adventures. It was certainly helpful that we had one-on-one coverage, but well thought out and planned flights can be fun and successful, even if you run into some turbulence on the way. Bon Voyage!
DO: Pack snack bags for each kid and adults. My sister had the idea for the kids' bags. I had just brought stuff we could toss in one of the carry ons. She already had bags started for each kid with their names on them. Since each kid has preferences, it came in handy to have their names on them. Here's what were in the kids' bags: graham crackers, fruit pouches (Go Gos, Smashems, etc.), fruit roll ups, fruit snacks, raisins, Goldfish crackers, Crackerfuls. Things that were relatively compact and easy to manage. Adults had similar items, plus Twizzlers. Don't forget to pack cups with lids for the kids (with or without beverage in them - TSA will let you through with them, but they will test the contents).
DO: Remember any medicines you might need for you AND the kids. Both the toddlers were on antibiotics the whole trip and their meds needed to be kept cold. We packed a soft cooler with ice packs and their meds and a baggie full of clean medicine dispensers. Yes, TSA needed to check their meds, but that was fine by me. We also brought along sinus meds for adults (air pressure can wreck havoc on sinuses!) and Children's Tylenol for the kids, just in case. My sister also brought Dramamine.
DON'T: Get on the plane hungry! Your snacks will be gone before you know it!
DO: Put the kids in similar/matching shirts. This was my idea for the trip home. While in Oregon, we went to the Portland Children's Museum. The day we went happened to be tie-dye day, so we let each of the kids make a shirt. I thought it would be cute if they all wore them on the trip home. Well, let me tell you, it was quite nice to be able to look up and do a quick tie-dyed head count!
DO: Pack extra t-shirt and pants for each kid (and at least a shirt for yourself!). My sister saved my butt on this one because I didn't pack extra bottoms for my youngest, but she had packed extras for her oldest. Both little ones had unfortunate diaper incidents before getting on the plane at 6:00 am. Which leads me to the next DON'T:
DON'T: Book a 6:00 am flight! Yes, we saved some money. Yes, we got to Portland with a lot of daylight left. But, we were an exhausted, hungry, virtually decaffeinated group of parents with 4 kids under the age of 8 who were able to nap at various points of the trip (never all at once!) and have energy to spare once we landed. Granted: they were as well behaved as we could have asked them to be under the circumstances, but still...okay, so really it was the parents who had a harder time with it.
DO: Try to get seats together at the back of the plane! This worked wonderfully for us! We were as out of the way as we could be, next to the bathrooms and near flight attendants should we need anything quickly. The older two sat together and kept each other occupied, while the younger two sat with me and my sister or brother-in-law (whoever my nephew wanted at the moment). Since planes don't go 4 seats across (my daughter was still a "lap baby" at just under 2 years, so that worked out well for us), my husband got a seat in the row directly in front of us (he's not a huge fan of flying so he really tries to get a window seat). This was helpful because he was close enough to us that I could hand our daughter over the seat to him if I needed a break or she needed a change of scenery.
DO: Pack books, DVD players/laptops/iPads with movies, small toys, crayons and coloring books, as well as a sweater for everyone. Pack a camera (either on your phone or an actual camera) to capture wonderful moments such as these (Note: only climb up into overhead bins, visit the cockpit and explore the galley with your flight attendant's permission!):
DON'T: Expect there to be room in the lavatory to help your little ones go "potty". Unfortunately, some airlines have bathrooms the size of a nickle, and there's no room to help your little one navigate getting pants down, sitting etc. You may just have to change some diapers while they stand up on the toilet seat, or change them at your seat if they can't stand up (i.e. infants. Our airplane did not have a handy changing table in the lavatory, like some other planes I've been on do).
DO: Bring your own car seats! Unless you have seats waiting for you at your destination, bring your own car seats! The car rental company wanted to charge us $65 a seat for the week we were in town! Highway robbery! For that price, we could have bought new seats when we got there. It was worth carrying our own seats to the check in counter and having them checked. It does not count against your luggage count and they are free to check at the counter or the gate. At least with our airline it was. Check with your airline before going.
DO: Spend the few dollars it might cost for those luggage carts at the airport. You may not want to, but when trying to wrangle toddlers, you need all the hands you can get. Get a cart, stack your luggage and car seats and have one person push that while others takes kiddos' hands and/or strollers.
DO: Bring a stroller if you have toddlers. Especially if yours has a storage basket under the seat. If you have a couple of kiddos, have the youngest in the seat and the other holding onto the stroller, or walking next to it.
DO: Give older kids jobs, like holding hands of younger children or pulling a rolling suitcase. Our 7 1/2 year old was very helpful when it came to walking through the terminals - he held hands with his cousins and little sister, gladly carried his little sister's carry on, loved pushing the stroller - he loved being useful.
DO: Make sure you have enough time between flights, if you have a layover. I prefer at least an hour and a half between flights to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs, use the restroom, get a bite to eat and have time to get to the gate on time. Rushing kids is no picnic. On our flight out to Oregon, our plane landed, but we did not have a plane change. There was only 1/2 hour between other people disembarking and new passengers boarding, so my sister and I sent the husbands off for snacks, and we stayed on the plane with the kids. I feared for mine and my sister's sanities. Fortunately, we had an AWESOME flight attendant who let us play on the plane while we waited. She was patient, inventive and fun (see above shenanigans pictures). We will never forget Flight Attendant Kate!
DO: Have fun! Yes, it was stressful at times, but on the whole, we had good flights!
There you have it! I hope our experiences from flying this summer with multiple children are helpful to your future flying adventures. It was certainly helpful that we had one-on-one coverage, but well thought out and planned flights can be fun and successful, even if you run into some turbulence on the way. Bon Voyage!
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