3 Rainy Day Kid Activities

Friday was, off and on, a rainy afternoon. I couldn't decide whether or not to go out with the kids and face the rain knowing that it was intermittent, or just enjoy some inside activities. Big Bro made the decision for me. Here is what we did:

1. Water Beads

These beads are intended to be used to put in a vase so that you can arrange flowers without having them flop around and ruin your vision of a fabulous bouquet. They are also great for kids (who no longer put things in their mouths) to explore. They come in tiny packages and you hydrate them in water. Beads the size of a crumb turn into bouncy, translucent balls.The kids loved feeling them, burying toys in them, pouring them in and out of cups. Adults enjoy them too because they feel really neat and are so pretty. You have to keep them moist otherwise they start to dry and shrink back down to their original size.

Eventually Lil Sis decided that the best way to play in them was to sit in the box. This combined with the fact that they had been in use already for 2 weeks meant they were getting kind of slimy. Some of the beads start to break apart too after lots of play. 

What to do? You don't have to give up on them immediately. I washed them in 2 batches. I just needed a large colander, plus a new large clean container to put the clean half of the washed beads into while I cleaned the second half, and the original container itself. Then they were (mostly) good as new. Beware though, they do bounce and roll, so if your kids start throwing them out of the box there will be lots of sweeping to do. 

2. Moon Sand 

This is an activity I saw on Facebook and wanted to try. It's simply flour and baby oil, though I read that vegetable oil works fine too. The recipe I found said to use a 1:8 ratio of baby oil to flour. When done it should look like flour, but stick together when you squeeze it. Well, it didn't quite work that way.

Big Bro and I measured out two cups of flour and 1/4 cup of baby oil, but it just turned into a bowl of flour with beads of stuck together flour where the baby oil settled. Not to give up, I added more baby oil willy-nilly to the mixture until it seemed like a crumbly play doh. I ended up using 1.5 of the baby oil bottles pictured above.

I thought it would be fun to add some food coloring, thinking it would turn everything blue like play doh. Once again, this was not the case. The food coloring stuck in little clumps making it look like "flavor crystal" infused play doh. It does feel super soft and is fun to squish and shape though. Plus it's been sitting uncovered on the table since Friday and is still soft and supple.

3. Chick House Expansion

Since the chicks are growing, the cardboard box under a heatlamp that they call home is getting smaller and smaller. They cheep and flutter at each other in an annoyed fashion. To try and minimize the tension I explained to Big Bro how I could cut a hole in their box, plus another smaller cardboard box we had on hand. Putting them side by side in the tub where they live gave them a whole new room to spread out into.

It took them a while to be daring enough to try the new room, but later that evening two had moved into the smaller box while 3 remained in the large box. Success!

My daughter the raccoon

Sometimes I wonder, is my daughter a girl or a raccoon?

She has known how to use a real cup at the table since she was one, because I can't stand sippy cups and their unwashable crevices.

I don't know when she started exactly, but she always dunks her food in her drink. She dunks her watermelon in water, she dunks her toast in milk, she puts her noodles in her milk and then fishes them out with a spoon. Whatever food item she has she will dunk it in whatever beverage she has.

She eats some of the dunked food, but soon you know she is done because she dunks it and then starts painting the table.

I guess as long as she doesn't start pulling things out of the trash, I know she is a girl, not really a raccoon.

Love at First Sight

Today is my dear husband's birthday. I have known him for more than half my life. I saw him when I was just 15, and instantly wondered to myself, "what if he were my boyfriend…" it was love, or at least big crush, at first sight.

We just stayed best friends for quite a while before dating. We even broke up for about a year and a half. But we ended up back together in 1999, married in 2007, and have been happy together ever since.

Here is a trip down memory lane for #TBT. I love you husband, happy birthday!!

Chinese Food, Curtains, and Crankiness

On Monday night my husband and I got an impromptu date night courtesy of Grandma. We didn't want to miss an opportunity so we went out to dinner at an upscale Chinese restaurant, then to see X-men Days of Future Past.

Lil Sis had taken a late nap that day. We fully expected that she would be awake when we got home. However, we did not expect Big Bro would also still be awake.

Thankfully, the kids went to bed quickly after we got back home. X-Men, by the way, was amazing. And I'm not even a "true" X-Men fan!

The next morning Big Bro woke up first. This is an unusual event. By contrast, Lil Sis slept in.

Big Bro was a bear. So much crying. So much whining. 

I spent much of the morning cleaning. Big Bro has been dealing with allergies so I thought that by thoroughly cleaning his room and taking down the curtains it would help.

In the afternoon I, perhaps foolishly, decided that they needed new curtains TODAY. The old baby decor curtains were thin and let in lots of light. In the summer we put blankets over them so that it is dark enough in their room at 7:30 pm when they go to bed. I didn't want to go back to the old curtain system after cleaning so much, so loaded the kids in the car and drove to Big Lots! to find some light blocking curtains.

Lil Sis fell asleep, which was expected. Big Bro also fell asleep, which made sense given his mood that morning, but was unexpected and rather unfortunate.

I sat in the parking lot giving them their much-needed rest. When they awoke I loaded them into the cart and rolled into the store. They both got to pick out their own color of curtains since the room has two windows. All good things, right? We even bought a snack.

Big Bro's mood was even worse than it had been before his nap. He cried, he whined, he drove me absolutely crazy!

We got home and I plied him with snacks and drink just as he had whined about the whole way home. 30 minutes worth.

My husband had a meeting, so I was on my own straight through bedtime. Because of their naps, both kids didn't want to go to sleep.

All I can say is, enjoy your impromptu night out while you can. There is a good chance you will be paying for it the next day.

The Disappearance of Baby Pepper

Several nights ago my husband and I were putting the kids to bed. All of a sudden Lil Sis said, "I want my Baby Pepper!"

"Have you seen her?" I whispered to my husband. "I haven't seen her all day."

"No, haven't seen her either." he whispered back uneasily.

Thankfully I was able to distract Lil Sis with two other beloved stuffed friends, a mommy fox and baby fox just like her big cousin has.

We looked around that evening and over the following days in the house and the car, but Baby Pepper was nowhere to be found. I started wracking my brain to think when was the last time I saw her?

Then I realized, the last time I remembered seeing her was almost a week ago when we went with to Friendly's with some cousins. We had left the restaurant in a bit of a rush as kids were getting restless. Maybe I forgot Baby Pepper there? It was a late night realization so the next morning I called the restaurant.

"Have you seen a little black stuffed dog?" I asked hopefully to the guy on the other end of the line. He asked the other staff if they were working on Sunday (the day we went) and had seen the dog in question. 

No one had.

"I lost my son's little snuggly lamb once." said the guy on the other end of the line. "I let it fall out of the stroller in a store and my wife never let me forget it even to this day. My son is six years old now!"

I appreciated the commiseration, but it was no real comfort for me. I left my name and number just in case Baby Pepper did turn up.

After not seeing Baby Pepper for over a week I started searching online to see if I could find a replacement. I didn't know if Lil Sis would go for it, but I had to try. She was asking about Baby Pepper more and more often but each time I just redirected her to something else.

I found a look alike online, and asked my husband if he agreed that I should order it. "Let's wait until tonight ," he said.

We forgot to talk about it later that night. But, as we returned home from music class this morning, Lil Sis reached down and picked up Baby Pepper from the middle of the hallway! She was so happy! She gave her beloved friend a big long hug, and cooed "Baby Pepper! I found Baby Pepper!"

Oh what a relief! I'm glad I didn't order that replacement. Turns out my husband found Baby Pepper squished in between our bed and the floor. I don't know when or how she got there, but boy am I glad she came back!

Limitless Sun - 2 Really Cool Inventions

So there are two solar inventions that I think you should know about if you don't already.

1) GoSun Stove--a portable, high efficiency, solar oven that can cook 3 pounds of food using only the sun! The sun! Check it out! It cooks everything from meat and vegetables, to muffins! It takes 20 minutes and heats up to regular oven temperatures. It bakes, it boils, it fries.Great for camping, great for extended power outages.



Taking the more wordly, philanthropic view, it is great for getting 3 billion people away from cooking with firewood and charcoal which destroys forests, thus contributing to climate change. It will save women countless hours collecting firewood, it will save people from spending huge amounts of their income on charcoal, it offers a fast way to sanitize water so it is drinkable.

You can preorder it here. When you buy one, it will help spread the technology to people in the developing world who really need it.

 2) Solar Roadways--solar cells inside indestructible hexagon shaped boxes that are so strong that they can be used as road pavers. Making roads, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and any other paved surface out of solar cells means that you can have the street lines and markings light up at night! You can have roads that stay above freezing to eliminate the need to plow snow which would be a huge boon for traffic safety, and never shovel your driveway again! You can reconfigure parking lots just by reprogramming your system! You can have alerts sent to your car to alert you if there is an animal or other obstruction on the road ahead of you! The road produces power which can be used to power electric cars (which everyone should drive someday, and soon).

It's not just a sci-fi fantasy. There is a couple who is actively working on this and has gotten support from the Federal Highway Administration to pursue it further. 

Founders Scott and Julie with their first solar parking lot prototype

Check out their video below, and see them on FB too!




It's really amazing what solar power can do!

Put the camera away and play!

Yesterday afternoon we went to the beach. It is my husband's grandfather's house and it's on a lovely sandy beach on Lake Champlain. Big Bro and Lil Sis loved it. "It's the biggest sandbox you've ever seen, isn't it?" asked their grandmother.

The kids played in the sand with trucks and scooped it into piles with plastic shovels. They were sitting in the dappled light of the shaded part of the beach. They were both wearing baseball caps, shorts and t-shirts, and it was adorable.

They tip-toed down to the hot sand with their grandmother helping the big one, and me bringing up the rear with my eye on the little one. "I do it myself!" Lil Sis exclaimed.

They ended up walking on the cement barrier wall because the sand was so hot. Piles of "bone white driftwood" (as their Dad would say) covered the beach some pieces were small, some the size of trees. The neighbor was gathering it up into piles the best he could. Down the beach you could see huge tree tepees of driftwood set up and ready to go for the biggest bonfires. "They light them all at the same time," Grandma said. "All up and down the beach. It really is a sight!"

The kids eased into the water. I joined them wading in up to my ankles. Lil Sis went all the way into the water she didn't mind getting her shorts all wet. Even her shirt was getting wet. She had on her cute little hat with pigtails sticking out. It was just so wonderful the way the light was reflecting off her and the water as she smiled and crouched down deeper into the water. Big Bro wanted to climb a huge tree of driftwood near the shore. Grandma climbed up to help him feel brave enough to climb up too. 

"Look, I'm getting really wet!" he said. 

"You are wet, "I said, "but not as wet as Lil Sis!"

We threw stones in the water, we tried to skip them but they were too boxy and bulky. We threw sticks, we splashed. I kept checking Lil Sis to see if her hands were too cold or if her lips were turning blue. Amazingly she was fine even though she was in the water for a long time. The sun was hot and the water wasn't even a foot deep. We built sand castles at the waterline, then sat on the hot, dry sand and dug our feet in the heavy sand below the water. Big Bro built a sand cave that he filled with water. He was learning about sand, water, physics and erosion.

I didn't have my camera so wasn't snapping pictures like I normally do. It was really nice. I was fully present in the moment-- though I did cheat a bit and ask Grandma to snap a couple pictures with her phone. Oops.

Put away those cameras once in a while and just play.

A Handi-Alliance

I worked at a city about a decade ago before I studied urban planning or transportation. I remember sitting in a public meeting and there was something there complaining about the state of the city's handicap accessibility especially during winter. I didn't really get it. I felt some sympathy for this person, but I also just thought things like "it's so hard to keep streets and sidewalks clear,"   and "I can't believe it's really that bad."

But then I had babies. I remember going downtown when my son was really little and in the stroller. I wanted to go into various stores on the marketplace to go shopping like any person would do. All of a sudden the place didn't seem as friendly as it once had. Other shoppers were reluctant to hold doors for me, which was very surprising. Who wouldn't hold the door for a new mother? Some of the big stores did have the handicap accessible door buttons which I used and were very helpful. But more stores had doors that opened out into the street which made it difficult to maneuver around them. Lots of them also had little ramps or steps into the stores which made it even more difficult to get the stroller in. When I was in the mall the elevators were tucked in recessed corners and hallways making them difficult for a newbie to find even with the subtle signage that did exist.

When my family and I went to Boston last week it was my first time using public transportation with the stroller. We had to get off the T at one point, transfer to a bus, then transfer back to the T due to construction. Even with the kneeling bus it was awkward to get the stroller in and the only handicap spot on the bus was in the front near the driver. Under normal circumstances this would not be a problem since everyone has to enter near the driver to pay. But it was a shuttle bus so we entered in the back and were stuck blocking the aisle. Luckily people in that situation were very understanding. 

I recall riding the bus as a regular passenger when I lived in Los Angeles and seeing handicap people come on. It caused a big shuffle of seats as the driver asked people to move then folded up the first benchseat for the wheelchair to fit in. Not a perfect system, but better than no system at all.

On our way home on the TV during our last trip to Boston, I was pushing the stroller into the T and preparing for yet another awkward arrangement. Just by chance I had picked the car and the door on the car where there was a designated handicapped spot. I didn't even have to fold up a bench seat. It was perfect and I felt really relieved at our good fortune of picking this place by accident.

So my question is, why doesn't the stroller set align with handicap accessibility advocates? We have the same struggle of wanting to get a personal set of wheels in and out of public spaces easily.

One last note, we are all familiar with handicap parking, but did you know that some countries and even some cities in the US have family parking so that young families can get their babies and strollers in and out of stores more easily? How great would that be?

I know the issue isn't as simple as I am laying out here, but it is something to think about. We can accomplish more together than alone.

Quitting at being a SAHM?

I was browsing my email this past weekend and saw a job announcement. I read it out of habit and was surprised that it sounded pretty darn perfect for me. I told my husband and he said you should apply, it just seems like such a great cross-section of all your experience.

But it's full-time, I replied. What about the kids? It could be a great job but the timing is still all wrong. We would have to do the daycare thing and that would be a huge transition for us. 

Yes, but we could potentially send them to our neighbor's daycare. It just seems like it could be a good job for you.

Source: 

http://www.secureteen.com/working-mom/working-mom-vs-stay-at-home-mom-what’s-best-for-kids/

I've been torn ever since seeing that job ad. It really does seem like a great position. My husband's excitement about it added to my feeling that I should apply. It could still be a longshot since I have been out of work for so long. But what's the harm in trying?

Then I started feeling anxious. What if I got the job? It would be a holy sh** kind of moment....Can I really get on board with the day care option after 4 years as a SAHM? Only seeing my kids for maybe 2 hours a day on weekdays before bed. Would they revolt? The family lifestyle changes it would force didn't sound appealing. Then again it was the most appealing job posting I've seen in a long time. But, I've already been out of the workforce for 4 years. If I wait 3 more years until Lil Sis is in kindergarden that will be 7 years out of the workforce! My chances will just get worse and worse in the future the longer I stay away.

...It's a fitting job. It could be a bridge back to working.  I should apply. Chances are I won't get it anyway, afterall I've been out of work for 5 years. Then again I should just see what happens. It will only be harder to get a job the longer I've been out. But what if I did get it? What then? What about the kids? No, don't bother applying the time isn't right--but....

Circular thoughts, over and over.

Monday morning I was driving in the car and flipped to a new radio station and heard a song with lyrics including:

We wish our weekdays away 
Spend our weekends in bed
We Drink ourselves stupid and work ourselves dead....

But we’re all slowly dying in front of computers....

(Scare away the Dark by Passenger http://youtu.be/0hVQ2jjDpss)

The song was a little sappy, and not entirely applicable to my situation, but it cleared my angst (temporarily). Did I truly want the job? Not now while my kids are so little. Especially since it's full time and does require some evenings and weekends as do many planning jobs. Why this job? Is it really so perfect? Why am I so worried about not having a job? Because you need a career to be successful. You need an occupation, money, titles and promotions to be considered worth something. I don't want to be left behind. How will I rejoin the workforce when the time is right?

However... Right now I have something that many people wish they could do. To have the freedom and the choice to not be tied to a desk and computer 40+ hours a week. To be home with my kids, snuggling on the couch reading books at 2:00 on a weekday afternoon.

The realization hasn't totally stopped the circular thoughts, but it has helped. I don't want to quit being a SAHM. Sometimes I just want it all, and you can't. At least not all at the same time.

5 Little Chicks

Once there were 5 little chicks.

Said Daddy to his family, "Come see the 5 baby chicks. Look, here is their food, water, and a heat lamp to keep them warm."

Said Big Bro to the chicks, "I will name them all Doggity." Which then changed several times until he settled on calling them "Happiness 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5" since they have no distinct features to tell them apart.

Said Mommy to Big Bro and Lil Sis, "Let's not pick them up for a while so they can get used to being here and not be scared."

Said Lil Sis to the chicks, "Oohhh, don't worry baby chicks, I help you!"

When they are big they will move out to the coop where hopefully they will integrate well with the older hens: Alpha, Frieda, LBJ, and Ciena.

Come November we will have ample eggs to give away or sell.

Pepper's Prognosis

After learning that Pepper has very low, almost nonexistent, thyroid function she began taking thyrozine twice a day.

I'm happy to report that she is Eeyore no more. She's more eager to make eye contact and wag her tail in conversation. She bounds alongside me when we're outside. Her eyes are brighter, her fur seems shinier, and I think she's lost a little weight too. 

The vet will confirm how she's really doing on the medication in a couple weeks. I think she's doing great though. She's more like her puppy self.

Sticks and swimming in the lake

Leading the way

Loving the water and stealing the kids' sticks

Child Interpretations of Political Cartoons

Wednesday we were at a cafe for a late breakfast, (for all you locals it's Nunyuns in the Old North End--delicious) and saw political/environmental cartoons by an artist (last name Wittenberg).

Big Bro was looking at them and offered the following interpretations:

That Earth is announcing a race. It's going to tell the cars on your mark, get set, go!

That big old guy can jump really far. He's going to jump over those spiky things.

I think that's a good bicycle picking up trash.

Love that kid. 

Re-establishing my Garden Cred

I've got stiff muscles in my legs and back and dirt under my fingernails, but it feels good.

I've written quite a bit about our homesteading efforts but felt a little like an imposter since it was my husband who did all the gardening last year. Yes, I did a lot of canning, and yes I did have a 1 year old and 3 year old to chase after, but my husband deserved all the garden credit.

This year it's changed.

I raked and hoed, dug and pulled weeds. I took the old abandoned raised beds from the chicken yard and reassembled them as a weed barrier between the garden and the old juniper tree stumps by the patio.

I planted 4 rows of potatoes (only 3 shown below), 5 rows of black beans and 2 rows of green bush beans. Each row is carefully marked by stones at the start of the row. I planted two trellises worth of sugar snap peas. Plus I started our asparagus bed last week.

Big Bro chased the free-ranging chickens out so they wouldn't eat our newly planted seeds. They have been banished back to their yard until a garden fence can be installed. I chased Lil Sis out so she wouldn't dig up the seeds either. Pepper tried to dig up potatoes to make a cool place to lie in the sun. Can't wait for that fence!

It took a total of 4-5 hours, and there are more things I still want to do like plant lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and herbs, but I can at least re-establish some credibility as homesteader/gardener.

This Girl: Special Health Needs no more.

This girl.

Born with a submucous cleft palate.

Underwent cleft repair surgery at 14 months old.

Only made growling sounds and m sounds. Mama was her only word.

This girl.

Began speech therapy at 15 months.

Made fast progress.

Now talks a ton. Has normal pronunciation for a 2 year old and has extensive vocabulary. "Mommy, where's my stethoscope?"

No joke.

Just discharged from special services.

She's well on her way!

Best Laid Plans of Kids and Cars

Since the kids were babies we travel at night to maximize sleep time in the car and minimize crying, screaming, yelling, etc.

True to form, we left for Boston Friday night after dinner, brushing teeth and putting on pjs. 

Lil Sis fell asleep instantly since she didn't nap all day. Big Bro asked how long the drive was. Four hours was my reply.

How much longer to Boston?

Still 4 hours....

How much longer to Boston?

3 hours 55 minutes...

How much longer to Boston?

3 hours and 45 minutes...

3 hours and 44 minutes....

3 hours and 43 minutes...

3 hours and 40 minutes--

Mommy! You already said that so many times!

Well, it's a long drive it's going to be dark before we get there, it's not even dark yet. Why don't you close your eyes and sleep? It will make the drive shorter.

I'm never going to fall asleep! I'm going to stay awake the whole time!

Grrreat.

We heard many more questions on how much longer the drive would be. We talked about how it would get dark and we would still have a long way to go. We would see the city lights and lots of big buildings.

There's a lot of lights and buildings! He declared somewhere in New Hampshire where some warehouse type buildings and street lights were visible next to the highway.

Um, ok...

Then Lil Sis woke up crying and wailing. Go home now! she whimpered.

But we're going on our trip to Boston! We're staying at a hotel! Yay!!?

More crying.

I know what will make her feel better, Big Bro offered. We can go home!

Uh, nope. Look a toll booth isn't that neat??? Let's listen to music class CDs!

I swivel my arm back to rub Lil Sis' sweaty hair to calm her down.

I'm going to stay up so I can see the Boston lights! says Big Bro.

Well, you can sleep and we will wake you up to see them.

10 minutes before the skyscrapers appear he falls asleep and will not wake. Lil Sis is still gripping my swiveled back arm. Oh, it aches...

We arrived at our hotel after what was probably the longest seeming drive since I myself was a child.

From now on we will drive during the day.

Boston Pics

Waiting for the hotel elevator

Getting ready to play Red Light, Green Light at our friends' house.

Bikes and scooters

Lil Sis didn't like riding the T, too loud

Finally getting off the T after a bus transfer due to construction

Harvard Natural History Museum

Growl !

Ocean Dinosaur!

Lil Sis and the Dinosaur

Triceratops