Today when I finally walked out of church I noticed it was decidedly Spring-like. Happy day! I came home, ate lunch and pottered around for a bit, then declared to Aaron that I was deliciously tired. He knows that this is code for a nap, an undisturbed nap.
The children were all playing outside so I retired to my bedroom. The window was open and a slight cool breeze was blowing. The bedroom was a bit chilly but under my fluffy duvets it was perfection. Perfect sleeping weather.
I put myself to sleep by reading one of my recently re-acquired (Hooray for eBay) favourite books from my childhood-The What Katy Did series. They are quaint and gentle and pastoral-somewhat Little Woman-ish. I drifted off reading about charming children playing outside in their garden, listening to real children playing in the garden below my window. Sublime.
I was frequently woken from my happy idyllic dreams of holidaying surrounded by warm water, with my whole family, (mom, you were rockin' that bikini by the way), by the sounds of happy children. I would open my eyes a crack and see the sunlight streaming through the open window, and fall back into blissful slumber, picking up my happy holidaying dreams just where I left off. It was dreamy, in every sense of the word.
The perfect sunny Spring Sunday. I can't wait for more like it.
Sunday nap
The angel Gabe
Over the last couple of days Finny has been whining every time his older siblings go to play at the (very) nearby park . He is welcome to go with, but feels more comfortable closer to home ie: in the backyard.
Today after much inveigling, Finny was persuaded to join his older brothers and their friends at the park. His older brothers were having an awesome time, playing football with the neighbourhood kids.
Not five minutes passed before we looked out the kitchen window and found that Gabe had brought Finny home (clearly, Finny had not embraced the wonders of the park). Gabe was playing with him, obviously it was a game of Finny's choosing.
He didn't come and complain to us about it, or even bother to come inside to report, and there is not even a hint of resentment in his demeanour. He is cheerful and engaged in Finny's little game. Because he lives to make Finny happy. Even if that means he has to abandon his own fun time. He has always been happily self sacrificing. He will never eat the last of any treat without ensuring everyone else has been taken care of, and it is a trait that I have noticed Finny emulating.
He should start a school for Kind Big Brothers. I love that Gaber, I have said it before, but he really is the most aptly named child.
Pretty, pretty, pretty *GIVEAWAY *( and I want it....)
But it's anyone's game. Hope you win. (Hope I win more). Click here:
Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!
Vegetarian unfriendly
I'm generally not a fan of red meat, and I don't buy it routinely, but sometimes the call for a burger is strong, man. A big, juicy, interesting gourmet burger. The likes of which cannot be found at Wendy's.
It was with this primal urge raging wildly within me, that I came across this little beauty at
Pioneer Woman Cooks.
It spoke to me
It said, "make me and then eat me, I won't mind."
I made it that very night.
And it was freaking phenomenal.
Aaron, who is not a fan of the blue cheese, loved it on this burger. We made mac 'n cheese for the kids because we are hoping they will resent us when they are adults (we think it will make them more interesting), but deigned to share with Benjamin when we noticed we had an extra patty.
Benjamin loved this burger.
About 1/4 way in, I was filled to the brim, so Finny took over. Finny loved this burger. Gracie asked if she could have some of the onions. She was a fan. Gabe, as a rule does not eat, but he did not make the usual gagging sounds at the sight of the rest of us doing so.
I would say this was a hit. I followed her recipe pretty religiously (even down to the real mayo which is against my personal religion. You see, I believe Miracle Whip comes from a higher power, and mayo is of the devil if we must be damning condiments.) But I don't question Her Pioneerness when it comes to matters of food full of fat and flavour. I did not however slather the mayo as instructed. I have my limits, I refuse to let that woman brainwash me.
Spring-ing the Kitchen
So did I ever tell you about my pink kitchen counter tops? Ah yes, they are pink. We'll skip the whole psychological analysis about what might have driven the former owners of this home, to go to Home Depot one day and say, "I think they should be pink. You? Yes. Definitely".
This fact has limited my decorating options somewhat. Now I have always (from my child bride days) wanted to do a light and pretty vintage theme in my kitchen, however, when I got to painting my kitchen 5 years ago I decided to ask the advice of others and one friend thought that I should strive for a "Kirsty's African Kitchen" theme. Given some thought, this made sense since I do have a lot of Africana (I think I may have just made up a decorating term) to display. I painted the kitchen in a reddish pink and it worked with the pink countertops and made sense with the African baskets and such I had displayed on the walls.
But now I am over it. I suspect Spring fever is having a part to play. I have been searching the internet for ideas for my kitchen given my limitations. Them being:
1. No budget to re-do my kitchen
2. Pink counter-tops
3.Pink counter-tops
I wish to revisit my light and breezy vintage theme given the fact that...
1.My kitchen is genuinely vintage. If you consider what I estimate to be early 80's vintage.
2.It is forgiving of the pink countertops.
And here are a few of the little yummies I have come up with. Aren't they delicious? Don't you want to put them in an ice-cream cone and eat them with a little spoon???? I have stalked this picture series for years. And here are a few other kitchens I am finding delightful
And while we are at it, isn't this a pretty room for Spring? Maybe for the boys room...hmmmm
My goal is to get this thing done before Easter. Now I just have to break that to my husband.
Check out Melissa at the Inspired Room for some more Inspiring finds for a beautiful life.
If you have any ideas, photos and inspiration for me and my kitchen I would love to hear them!
We've had our fun, now nighty-night...
The above title is a inside family joke, which I will now share with you, and it, out of context, will not make you laugh nearly as hilariously as it will my family. When I was little, my brother and I had these random duvet covers with sketches of woodland creatures and the legend inscribed across the bottom, "We've had our fun, now nighty-night". One night many, many years later, it was quite late and one of my now adult siblings got up to go to bed and announced completely dead-pan. "Ok, we've had our fun, now nighty-night". It is amazing how hysterical random bedding from one's youth can be in retrospect..
Ok so anyway the errant article is now up at Modern Molly Mormon. We're talking about sleep today and how to get more of it.
It turns out it's rather important! Who knew?
(Well I did, but I'm a bit brilliant that way. )
Go check it out. No really, after all I have been through with this one you must. You must.
The best laid plans of moms and men...
So for once, I did not put off finishing an article to the 11th hour. I proudly told my husband several nights ago, that I had already finished my article for the Molly's today. He was appropriately stunned.
This morning I was informed via email by my editor over there, that my article had disappeared. Oh no, surely not. I had just checked it last night, before bed. I had caressed it, comma'ed it and lovingly tucked it in, all ready for its 6am debut today.
But when I went to check-horrors-it was true! Gone gone gone, eaten by cyberspace, leaving nothing but the title, not even a noun-y tooth or verb-y bone remained. Gone, I say.
On reflection, it was too clean, it could not have been a monster. It had to have been the cyber-black hole
Many many carefully crafted paragraphs, and perfectly picked pictures.....>
So I spent the next hour, frantically recreating what I could remember of it, with Dora blaring in one ear and the bunny having a field day with the freedom she had to chew through any electrical cord of her choosing. (She stops just short of chewing right through the copper but one of these days there is going to be barbecued bunny, mark my words. You can only live on the edge for so long.)
Anyway all this to say, that if you are looking for my Run and Not Be Weary post this week, you will find that it is not there. But have no fear (because I just know you were fearing), last I looked it was in the box waiting to be posted. Not sure when that will be now-the whole world has gone mad! But Don't. Panic (because I just know you were panicking).
And the lesson learned from this particular experience is?....
PROCRASTINATION PAYS, PEOPLE. (The black hole would not have found it if I had finished it just before posting time, of this I am bitterly sure).
Facing up to it...
Pimples and wrinkles? Really? Seriously, Mother Nature that is so not cool.
Over the years I have tried so many different products for my sensitive, break-out prone skin. And now that I am in my thrilling thirties I have a whole new issue to contend with-the wrinkles. Ack! Which means there is no more solving things with something harsh and drying (not that this was an awesome look even before wrinkle consideration).
With time and trial and tribulation, I have found a number of awesome products which seem to work well in symphony with keeping the acne at bay, and do not seem to accelerate the aging process while they do. All of them are affordable (I have seen enough 20/20/Good Morning America expose's about how you really only pay for the packaging and the perfume in the pricey products-I'm hip to it peeps.) Most importantly, all of them are kind to both the teenager and geriatric living beneath my epidermis.
In the morning I wake up my skin in the shower with good 'ole Neutrogena. There is actually an anti-wrinkle anti-pimple cleanser in this line (genius) but I found the scrub in that to be not as scrubby and there is a higher percentage of benzoyl peroxide in this particular scrub. There are lots of little beads in it, it feels really exfoliating and invigorating but not at all drying or brillo pad-dish and it leaves your face nice and soft.
I follow with some Oil of Olay Complete for sensitive skin on face, neck and chest. It is nice and light so my face does not resemble an oil slick by noon, and I like that it has sunscreen.
This eye gel from Mario Badescu helps to de-puff and moisturize around my eyes.
At night I am a firm fan of a nice warm washcloth and some Cetaphil cleanser. 
I don't use traditional one which is milky. I have found a clear one billed for "normal to oily" skin.
Instead of buying those over-priced and environmentally unfriendly pre-soaped wash "cloths", buy a stack of real white cotton ones, and use those instead. They are much bigger, more soothing (a warm wet cloth covering your face at the end of a long day feels soooo nice-they have them in First Class on airlines-that's why people pay the big bucks), and have much better exfoliation abilities.
Once you use one, toss it in the wash, and use the next one. (Yeah...don't be tempted to dry it and use it again-it's best to keep the stuff you put on your face squeaky clean, same with the towel you use to dry your face-use it just for your face and wash it often. Oh, and protect it from your kids. *Shudder*
Anyway the wash-cloth/cetaphil combo works brilliantly. If I skip this part of my routine (and just use the soap without the cloth), I notice it almost immediately in the texture of my skin.
You really don't get all the make up off if you just swish cleaner and soap around with your hands. It just moves the make up around, really. There has to be something to wipe it all off with-trust me, I have been investigating this issue for years. The thing about the white wash cloth is that you will be able to tell when it is all off and your face is perfectly clean.
Af
ter this I finish up with Proactiv repairing cream. When my skin is feeling too dry I follow up with a little moisturizer on top of that, but generally the repairing lotion does the trick if I get it on soon enough after I pat my face dry. I have used Proactiv for many years. The results have not been that outstanding to be honest. I have found just as good (actually, better if you must know-sorry Proactiv chicks on the TV), results from the Neutrogena cleanser, and it is a lot more affordable. But I have always liked the repairing lotion. It is not too drying and it does seem to keep things under control so I will keep using it until I run out and then revisit my loyalties.
Since I'm old now, I have tried to be more consistent with using a night eye-cream. This one by Mario Badescu was given to me as a sample (they are awesome about giving generous samples) and I have been using it for months. A little goes a very long way. My mother taught me that you should only ever apply anything around your eyes with a patting motion and your 4th (ring) finger because it is weak and cannot pull at the delicate skin too violently. Huh. Who knew. Anyway, I obey my mother.
Tragically, pimples happen, peeps. And although this routine has done the best job so far of keeping the facial coast clear, the hormones-they are mysterious and powerful. When I do get a zit I use this wonderful amazing drying lotion. I saw it advertised for years and years in magazines as the amazing go-to solution for the stars when they got zits on Oscar night. (Egads!) It always looked intriguing to me but I never saw it at any store. When my sister came to visit we walked into a French home decor boutique of all places, and found a little display of Mario Badescu products including the mystical pink stuff. The lady there told us that you generally don't find it for sale at stores but they are online. You dip a q-tip into it and get some of the pink stuff that lives at the bottom of the bottle and plonk it on the spot. It's fun although you can end up looking as though you have chicken pox and have been at the calomine lotion if you get too carried away. (I hate to waste, and so I just dot it randomly around my face when I have leftovers. It's a look.) It is truly amazing. It gets rid of the spot but does not dry the skin around it or make the molehill into a mountain the way some on-the -spot acne products can.
I'm one of those people who does not feel dressed without my make-up on. 
A lot of make-up irritates my skin though, and causes me to break-out. I have recently found Almay pure blends foundation. It is 97% natural and eco-friendly. Very light and natural coverage, does not irritate or clog my skin at all. It comes in a neat little tube which dispenses far more accurately (and hygienically) then a bottle, and I am a fan.
Honourable mention goes to the honey almond scrub by Mario Badescu and for their Drying Cream (good for the sort of under the surface bumps). I have used samples of both and am super impressed. The are next on my list to try, is a MD facial mask. I really recommend that check out the Mario Badescu website. They are surprisingly affordable and Martha Stewart loves them. What more is there to say.
So that's what works for me-my little arsenal for dealing with the hills and valleys. Haha I just made that up-hills and valleys!...HA!...ahem..moving along.... As my dear mom has taught me, in the end, consistency is key. Whatever you decide to use just make sure that you use it every day- religiously. Sensitive skin is not forgiving to little lapses in routine. Even if you did stay up 'til past midnight to post your WFMW.
Here's to faces as soft and smooth as a baby's booty. And sticking it to Mother Nature. Wench.
Sentimental value
I may have mentioned that I am a tad sentimental. I am slowly getting better at not needing to have a physical representation of every event of my children's lives. I have their first teeny tiny fingernail clippings in a scrapbook. Don't judge me. Those are cute.
Yeah ok fine I am a freak. I know this. In my defense, I tossed the umblilical cords, and I let the hospital keep the placentas.
Like I said, I have been getting bettter. As I get more.. mature, I am losing my tolerance for clutter and given the size of my house (miniscule) this means having to be selective about the things I keep for posterity. The digital camera has been extremely helpful in easing the trauma of having to occasionally throw away a piece of paper my kids touched in any way. I can take photos and they take up a lot less space. Especially when I never even develop them. (Yay blog!)
But on my fateful trip to Big Lots the other day I realized that I am indeed still a sentimental fool. I saw these charming little bottles of soda. And so I bought them. Now one may say that this does not seem to be an unreasonable act. But bear in mind that we don't drink soda, so we don't buy it and I am pretty budget conscious so I don't tend to buy things we don't need.
Why did I buy it? Because of the label. We used to live in Napa Valley. It was a happy time. So I had to have the soda. Naturally! But truly, aren't these the cutest little bottles of soda? The labels make me happy. Of course the day I bought these the kids were very happy too. They enjoyed the soda. But what to do now? Do I have to recycle the bottles? No I think not. They are going to make charming little vases for flowers when we eat out on the deck I think. Can't you just see each one with a bright Gerbera daisy in it? Phew. Dodged that emotionally loaded bullet. Imagine if I'd had to toss our happy times in Napa into the recycling bin? Nooooo........(I'm pretty sure I will get over it the first time one of my charming vases on the deck gets knocked over by the wind and it all just starts looking like junk.)
On another trip to Big Lots (yes I do shop elsewhere occasionally, I am just walking down the Big Lots memory lane this week. It's my blog so I can do that if I want to. Sorry did that come off as defensive? ) Anyway, on another trip to Big Lots I purchased their entire Big Lot of Gerber Giggles and Grins Oatmeal Baby wash. Gerber Giggles and Grins has been discontinued which is why I bought up the entire stock. Because it has a great smell. A great smell which my last baby Finny smelled of, when he was indeed still a baby.
I wish Finny to smell like a baby always. I realize this may create a problem for him in middle school but we really will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now it is helping me not to rush out and get pregnant again just so that I can have a freshy baby head to smell. So the Gi
gglesand Grins it is. Small price to pay I say. Sorry Finny. We all have to make sacrifices in this life.
The Publicity Dilemma
I have been asked by people not of the LDS faith from time to time how I feel about the series Big Love. I've never watched it, but I know enough about it to know that it's not something I am interested in watching or supporting. Other then that I don't give it much thought or energy.
I found this to be a thoughtful and eloquent statement that represents my take on it and the Mormon/Media issue in general very well. If you have any opinions of LDS people in light of what you may have garnered from watching the show, or from recent media coverage, I encourage you to read it. If you are LDS, I encourage you to read it too. I have noticed that the Church through the years has pretty much always taken a "simmahdownnah" approach regarding things hitting the fan. Simmahdownnah is pretty much always some solid advice I find.
Just so you know that I keep my promises...
(Eventually).
Kallie the winner of the birthday challenge did indeed receive a little gift for her trouble. Or at least she was finally mailed a little gift (tell me if you got it Kallie, and if you didn't, cease and desist from any further reading of this post until you do.)
I told you it would be a personalized gift. Kallie has the cutest family so I decided that a little scrapbook to fill with photos of them would be in order. Isn't this a cute scrapbook? It spells "family", yes it does! Perfect. For photos. Of a family. Isn't that cunning? Isn't that smart?
But wait, there is more, you can put pictures on all the different sized pages. Groovy!
And see! See how purty all the paper is? Ohhhhh...pretttty (Kallie please overlook the fact that I am scissors challenged-I really do try)
And you can put photos on the back of all the pages too. No way! YES Way. What will they come up with next? My word!
I'm also fairly certain that Kallie is normal appreciates chocolate, so I managed not to decimate in one short sitting dip into this box of my most beloved Ferreror Rocher's before they were ripped from my sweaty clutches mailed. Kallie, trust me, you should consider this unprecendented self control a huge sign of my affection for you and my gratitude for what you did.
I have not forgotten that I hinted that others may be surprised too...
"Give", Said The Little Stream....
You may have noticed a widget on my side bar for Hannah's Socks. I encourage you to click on it and read a bit more about this fantastic cause. It is absolutely beautiful in its simple message of love and generosity. What a practical yet profound way to help others. I have loved it since I first heard about it. Everyone else I know who has become involved with it, has been similarly touched.
This week I blogged about a brilliant pair of parents who created the most fun scavenger hunt party, with a twist, for their little girl who was turning 8. Go and read about it here. Scavenger hunt parties are some of my favourite memories of my childhood, and I can only imagine how much more sweet they would have been if we'd added this charitable aspect. Charity makes everyone feel better, "charity never faileth" to increase our sense of love, happiness, self worth and purpose. Hannah has shown us that nobody is too little, and no act of service is too little to make a real difference in the life of another.
"I'm small I know, but wherever I go, the fields grow greener still"..
“Give,” Said the Little Stream, Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 236
I feel like a newly wed...
Aaron and I did not register for our wedding. The downside of getting married in a place where no one knows you is that you aren't going to get many gifts. Aaron's family were kind and generous and the congregation of his ward where we had our reception were too, but the gifts were heavy on the dishtowels if you know what I mean, and we weren't what one would say well equipped for our marriage.
We were in school and having babies for a long time after that and so we made do with the what we could scrape together here and there. We got junky flatware and as it bent beyond recognition or got scrambled in the garbage disposal, we replaced it with similarly junky flatware. We broke glasses and replaced them with other glasses which I secretly hoped would soon break too, because I wasn't feeling them). After a while I sort of resigned myself to my tacky fate since there as always a soccer tuition to pay for before I could think about forks..
Yesterday I got glasses that I may well have actually registered for. Today I got new flatware. Beautiful, heavy, classic banded flatware which I may well have registered for too, had I remembered in my highly twitterpated state that such an option existed (gee thanks everyone else for helping me out there...*insert meaningful indignant glare* ). The spoons won't bend when the ice cream is too hard! The knives will do more then anchor down the food. We are moving up in the world folks. They're classier in person then in the picture by the way.
Both are nice quality in other words, and for once I did not settle just to be all cheap about it. But the best part is that I was all cheap about it. I got both the lovely glasses and the yummy flatware at my favourite store..Big Lots. Yes folks, I spare no expense. All good things come to those that wait almost 14 years.
These new acquisitions together with my groovy new mixer are helping to make me feel less cheated all the time. I love my husband but I am considering leaving him, then remarrying him just so I can register next time. Ok not really, (but clearly the thought has crossed my mind in moments of desperation). Only problem is when you are 32 and onto your second marriage people say, "oh they have everything, we'll donate to a charity in their name...". I guess I will just stick with my awesome husband and keep checking Big Lots.
(Both the glasses and flatware are currently available at Target so if you feel like spending twice as much as I did, you should go there). Sorry Target, no offense or nuthin'
PS: My "awesome husband" just read this, looked up and said, "but aren't you....thirty....three? Already with the lies!" I am revisiting the leaving him thing.
Crock-pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
What the heck? Is it seriously Friday again so soon?
Ok I am cheating a bit with the Foodiness this week, since this is not a new recipe to me, and it's not that exotic, but it's a favourite easy stand-by which is also very yummy.
I give you Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken brought you to you by our friends at Kraftfoods.com
It uses all the things you are likely to have on hand, except maybe the Catalina which can be substituted with French I have found, and this week I made it with a Teriyaki marinade and adjusted the sugar (!) and the soy sauce accordingly. It actually tasted very similar, surprisingly. I also didn't have fresh ginger so I used ground. Just remember that powdered is more potent (rule of thumb is 1/8 tsp powdered for every tablespoon of fresh), which means just a dash in this case, unless you have a major thing for ginger. Try for the fresh though-it is yummier.
Please always substitute anything white with brown when you can. Which means BROWN rice and wholewheat pasta. Such an easy way to be a little bit healthier.
Your kids will most probably enjoy this. Bon Appetit!
It's A......(aka How I Get My Baby Kicks Without The Heartburn).
So I may have mentioned that I am pretty sure I am done manufacturing babies and for the most part I am cool with that. There are a few things I am wistful about never experiencing again, but today I got to experience one of those things in a whole new way.
Last October we went to a pumpkin farm for a pumpkin and came home with a bunny. Thumper. A quick check (before Thumper vehemently and violently declared her rage at being thusly violated,) kinda sorta confirmed that she was a girl. But with bunnies it is hard to tell, particularly when they are babies. Let me tell you, we never tried checking again, we were cool with her being a him and us not knowing about it.
Gradually Thumper the sweet albeit chewy bunny turned somewhat evil. She stopped peeing in the the designated spot for peeing, she started plotting to kill my husband, she lunged at anyone so audacious as to set foot on the mat that she has appropriated as her own (which is awkward since one must cross the mat to get to the phone which may explain all those times you may have heard "HelllloooooyeeeoooouchDangitTHUMPER" when we answered your call.) We decided that Thumper had PMS or that Thumper was a boy and wanted to do that which rabbits, especially boy rabbits are wont to do, and there was no one to do it with. Which made Thumper angry.
Thumper doing her dog impersonation. She tends to do this while angrily watching TV. We keep her away from any CSI type shows (don't want her getting any ideas)
This morning at 7:45 am Thumper was taken to be fixed. And we fervently hoped that the term "fixed" was all inclusive in this case. We wanted sweet albeit chewy Thumper back.
We do actually own a vacuum, but wherever you find Thumper you will find debris surrounding her. Much as with a human toddler.
But back to the baby thing. Clearly, as of this morning we were still hazy on her gender identity. We were crossing our thumbs that she would be pronounced a "he" giving us a $30 savings in "fixing" costs. Gracie however was heart-broken that her "sister" (this poor bunny has a lot of pressure fulfilling all the roles of dog, bunny and sister), would be lost forever as yet another brother. I'm not sure which was more compelling, our daughter's feelings or the savings. I'm just trying to be honest here ok.
ANYWAY back to the baby thing. So ever since this morning I have had a faint frisson of excitement every time I thought about getting the verdict this afternoon. It felt not unlike Ultrasound Day. As I parked the car and walked into the vet's office I even felt faintly nauseated for a moment, and needed to pee. I felt as if I wanted my loved one by my side as the verdict was read.
The event in itself was hugely anti-climactic. I walked in and asked for the bunny. "Thumper?" the receptionist asked very formally. I affirmed this, trying not to giggle. I find people using animal names in formal situations hilarious. What if her name was Mrs. Poopsalot? (which it should be, by the way.) As I waited for the delivery of our freaked out furry friend, the receptionist saw to my bill. "Ah", she chuckled happily, "it looks like we have a spay here". Which means...
It's
>>
>>>
>>>>
A
>>>>
>>>
>>>
GIRL!!
(After all)
See, I thought I'd never be able to share a moment like that with the internet ever again. Life is just full of sweet surprises.
Our girl is indeed traumatized. She was subjected to outside air (shudder) . It is very warm today (well relatively speaking) which was good, but also very windy (which was bad). She done fahreaked peeps. She has been home for a couple of hours now and she is still sitting in her box with her back to me, and only moving her head in a small irritated motion when I offer her a treat. Reminiscent of Gracie on a Sunday morning. (Our Gracie is not a Sunday morning person)
The vet told me that once the hormones left her body she should be better with the pee-ing and homocidal tendencies.......and see that right there-that's why I am ok with not ever being pregnant again.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Dressed for success.....
I'm talking about the postponement of self acceptance as it relates to weight loss and such, over at Modern Molly Mormon today. Go check it out! Then go get fierce! (says she, sitting in her PJ's and glasses on the couch.)
WFMW: Whiteboard+Dice+Kids=Painless Spring Clean
So here's the latest episode of Making Your Kids Work Without Losing Your Mind.
In the past we have gazed together upon the much beloved Stick Jars , the story boards, and who can forget the chore wheel. Have no fear, these will all go back into rotation soon enough, but as we know, when it comes to kids, variety is the spice (and success) of life. This tactic is more for catastrophic/spring cleaning events
When this last weekend rolled around, our house was frightening. Sick mom, New Beginnings Evening, work every day, four kids, crazy bunny, ... 'Nuff said. All hands were needed on deck, but things were so bad that strategy of military precision was required. It was time for a Mini-Spring clean. Enter yard sale, $2 white board. I got this a while ago. A whiteboard is an invaluable tool and every mom should get one. In the past I have sectioned it off with sticky ribbon which looks pretty but limits your options a bit so I pulled it off.
I split our home into 12 sections/rooms. Then I got two dice. I tell you what, when you introduce dice you have a game. It's quite uncanny. Try it. Hmmm...I now have the sudden urge to launch into song (actually this song is pretty insightful when it comes to getting kids to clean, if only I could get the finger snapping thing down...I have been working on that for years! Shoot.)
Since we have 6 people in our family, it all worked out quite nicely. (Other then for room number 1-but we all know what you do in that dilemma-mom gets it. There, solved.)
So each person got to throw the dice twice, with the sum of the dice obviously deciding which rooms they would clean. After some time, much hilarity, a fair amount of cheering and groaning (and much rooting for the stairway rather then the bathroom -thankfully stoic daddy got them both) and some negotiating and switching, we all got to work. The rule was that each thing on each room's list had to be checked off and once all 12 rooms were crossed through, we'd have a family treat.
It worked! 4 kids worked pretty steadily for 3-4 hours. They loved checking off the chores and I could turn my head when they took self-scheduled breaks-they knew what had to happen before the treat was delivered. I love the no nagging part. By the end of the afternoon, we had accomplished an enormous amount, everyone felt a great sense of satisfaction, my vocal chords were intact, we got to go out for dinner and best of all we came home to a clean house.
This morning I had the board propped up and waiting for them with a cheerful greeting and a list of instructions before school. It was a smooth and quiet morning. It is amazing how much more likely kids are do to things willingly when the instruction does not come out of their mother's mouth. Kids are suckers for dry erase markers and autonomy. And that works for me.
Multi-tasking
Last night I found myself on the couch surfing the web, reading a magazine, whilst watching TV and keeping up an ongoing commentary for the benefit of my husband (who was so grateful for that as he tried to watch another show on his laptop-ah how technology brings us together). To be fair, the TV show in question was this one, so it did not require a great deal of mental engagement. (Ha! I punny), but it strikes me that this may not be the most relaxing way to spend an evening and may contribute to why I have some difficulty in turning off my brain when I finally get to bed each night. Hmm...ya think?
Anyway be it a genetic predisposition, or learning through observance, I have noticed a similar tendency with my kids. And instead of concern over ADD (as with myself), I rejoice that they are clearly not comatose as their brains are turned to mushy alien-food.
Finny has the most endearing habit of them all. (Although Gracie's dance moves are pretty sweet). He uses props to watch TV. He will stand by at the beginning of the show, flexed like a runner on a starter block. Within moments, he has ascertained where the show is going and which prop will be required to participate. He rushes off to the play-room, retrieves what he needs and rushes back ready to go.
All set to watch Handy Manny (note the all important pencil behind ear and the cap.)
Watching TV is certainly an interactive experience for Finny, (which comes in handy for my guilt over letting him watch it rather a lot). He doesn't so much watch the screen as use it for a launching pad for his own little show. I love to observe him as he very solemnly contemplates his role in each show (he cannot be aware of this, because then he gets self conscious and asks me quite sweetly to please go and do something else).
Ack, caught finding him adorable. Invited to leave.
It's a delight. I can't bear the thought that one day in the future he will be lying on the couch, unblinking, mouth agape, deaf to the world (particularly high pitched sounds- such as that of his mother's voice), in the manner of the male homo sapiens. It will be so much less delightful then.
Incidentally, if you watched this train-smash (and will admit to it-I know, I have no pride), what's your take? Mine, when I have more time, I'm in the middle of getting dinner into the crock pot ;)
