Fruit Salsa

Are you looking for a yummy snack that is kid approved?  Look no farther, I've got your fruit salsa recipe that the kids can actually help with.

2 Golden Delicious apples
1 small tub of blueberries or blackberries
1 small container of strawberries
2 kiwi
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP white sugar
3 TBSP of fruit preserves (pick any kind you want, you can't really go wrong)

Peel and dice the apples and kiwi.  While you are working with that have the kids use a straw to core the strawberries (I think this is better for older kids because it takes a little strength and concentration) and an egg slicer to slice the strawberries (perfect for the younger kids).  Once the strawberries are cored and sliced, you can quickly cut them in the opposite direction.  If you use blackberries I suggest cutting them, the blueberries are fine the way they are.

Have kids dump everything into the bowl and stir (you might need to stir again just to be safe than sorry).  I like to refrigerate my salsa for an hour or so, but it's not necessary.  I just think it brings out the flavor a bit more.

While kids are doing that stack two or three tortillas and run a pizza cutter over the tortillas to make bite sized chips.  Spray lightly with butter flavored spray, sprinkle with some cinnamon and bake until golden brown or crunchy.

Bon appetite

My Backyard Excitement

I really want a backyard that will keep my kids smiling all summer long.  Something that make's them excited, and their friends are happy to come over and hang (ask me if I'm still liking it come September 1st haha).  So on Memorial Day I asked my poor unsuspecting boyfriend to run to KMart with me.  We bought a pool, correction I bought a pool, he gave me the look haha.

So once we figured out an area that seemed level I ran out and bought some wood, weed barrier, and sand to make sure it stayed level.  What I learned is that area is nowhere near as level as I thought, eighteen bags of sand did not make it better, my animals love to be involved in everything I'm doing

and four kids splashing in a pool totally decimated the sand level that we had achieved.

Oh and I learned that raking send is not nearly as relaxing and zen like for me as it is the boyfriend.  Crazy guy.

Now I need to demolish this old and questionably safe wooden play structure (kids haven't used it in three years but what do you want to bet I hear farting, moaning, and groaning about taking it down), move the swing set to that location.  Then I am getting an outdoor inflatable movie screen, projector, and speakers (no clue what I'm doing here, just that I want it).  This will be set up so the kids can sit in the pool to watch movies at night if they want.

I'm keeping my eyes open for an affordable outdoor tables and chairs set also set with-in watching distance of the screen.  As if my next month isn't going to be crazy enough trying to find all this at an affordable price (Thank you Walmart for having the screen priced at about $160), I want to make some outdoor games that won't be harmed by the elements.

Right now I am gung-ho and excited.  By September first I bet I will hate my yard, movie screen, and be thankful that the pool will be coming down within a few weeks of that day haha.  But I hope this inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.  It doesn't have to be a blow up screen and pool, it can be something far more simpler.  You might experience some difficulties (did you see the gap under the wood frame for my pool, holy cow) along the way, but hopefully you experience a ton of laughter too.

Summer Adventure 2014

Maybe you're driving somewhere exciting this summer, or maybe you have to stay at home.  It doesn't matter because life is an adventure.  I challenge you to find a summer adventure.  Remember all adventure's have their sometimes ugly challenge.  We (I) decided  I wanted an exciting backyard, you can read about it tomorrow. Here are some ideas for those that are limited to staying close to home:

• Library reading program.  Visit other countries, time periods, learn about other people with your kids.
• Plant a learning garden.  Butterflies, hummingbird's, flowers to attract bees..  Then look up the information about your visitors.
• Lowe's and Home Depot offer free classes for kids to build things.  FREE, 100% free, and to my knowledge they are on the weekends.  Maybe the kids can make them, paint them at home and give them to various family members as presents.
• Teach your kids about civic duty at an early age.  
• Collect old newspapers, blankets, and more for your local SPCA or animal rescue (call them ahead of time to find out exactly what they need).  You and the kids can make flyers and leave them with your neighbors with a promised pick up date.  
• Maybe make some snack bags for the homeless, with a little research you can find who is accepting donations.
• Clean a park or even your neighborhood
• Build a stand to hold your old grocery bags and place a small garbage can under it.  Paint a sign to let passerby's know it's a poop collection area.
• Visit the elderly and maybe adopt a grand-parent......
• Completely re-do your kids room (with their input of course).  New paint on the walls goes a long way.  Don't get rid of their old blanket, cover it with a duvet or make a duvet cover.  An area rug, and maybe update the furniture with some paint or wall paper/contact paper and wow you have a new room for pennies.
• Find out about your community.  Is there anything of historical significance?  Go see it with the kids.
• Build something.  Lowe's has a great how-to area with all sorts of building ideas.  From the itty-bitty to the big ticket, you'll find it here.
• Make a goal.  Maybe your summer adventure will be to spend every Saturday at a park with the kids or to learn a sign language with your kids.  There are some great adventure's that are free and educational.
• Challenge your fears, and let your kids see them.  A friend of mine was terrified of shocking herself.  She decided to up her marathon runs and did two Tough Mudder's and a few others that include being shocked.  Her son learned to face his own fears and she learned an inner strength that she didn't know existed.  That being said, be smart about it.  If you're terrified of shark's, pick a different activity than shark diving, maybe get a fish tank with a small shark in it.
• Movies.  Many theater's offer discounted movies during the summer.  Your city may even offer movies under the stars.

How Are My Kids Learning

If you are lucky all of your children learn fairly the same way.  They are these great kids, that never have academic problems, and you receive glowing comments from the teachers.  Not all kids are created the same.  Therefore they do not all learn the same.  Chances are your kids are very different.  The chart below explains Gardner's Multiple Intelligence's.  I'm not going to bore you with the individual information, however look at the chart and think about where you see your kids.  Ask friends for their input.  Once you know this, you can completely change the way your kids learn.

I have a daughter whose heart is made of poetry, music, and love for all people.  This falls under Musical, Interpersonal, and Linguistic.  Three of my kids are very Logical-Mathematical, in fact two of them will explain something to death to you if you don't run.  A fourth child is very active and loves all things in nature which falls under Bodily-Kinesthetic and Naturalist.  I'm still trying to figure out where my daughter Taelin falls, she's a hard nut to crack.  She is a spatial learner when interested, and linguistic to an extent.  She loves music, but I don't think it talks to her like it does the oldest.  I can tell you that like many people with Autism, she struggles with Interpersonal.

Okay so you have my examples, and you have your ideas.  What does this mean for your kids?  Well it tells you how to help teach your kids.  If you have a naturalist in the family, get outside with him or her.  Learn about things outside.  Practice real life math using your garden, practice biology by learning about animals, make a hammock and lay outside reading.  For musical kids, sing songs or chants to help them learn things (I will never forget the quick song for our address, three kids learned it this way), play music quietly in the background while doing homework.  Bodily-Kinesthetic kids like to be moving, so take brain breaks during homework by stretching.  Throw a ball around while practice spelling or math facts.  Linguistic kids may prefer to learn on their own by reading books or web sites, which is great for them but it means you need to monitor what they are learning (I know right, I thought everything in print was true).  Spatial kids might do better in art class, but they can do just as well with projects.  Logical-mathematical kids are going to challenge you with why.  Be prepared to find the answers, or help them find the answers, but make sure they don't get caught up in finding out why when they are supposed to be doing something else.  Intrapersonal kids are self-smart, these are the kids that you can use their life to teach them things.  Interpersonal kids are the ones that you can use their relationships to teach them.

Remember your kids are likely to fall under several of these categories and that is okay.  They do NOT have to fit under all of them, despite what some tests out there try to force.  If you work with their natural tendencies you will go much farther than if you try to force something.  Just saying....

ROAD TRIP!!!

I don't know about you, but nothing strikes fear into my heart quite like taking my kids in the car.  Nooo, I'm not worried about the other maniacal drivers on the road.  I'm worried about the irritable, back-seat driving, adorable kids that like to argue with one another, cause fights, and ask incessantly "Are we there yet?"  You're laughing right now so you've either never experienced this (lucky you), or you totally get me (wine party my house Friday, 8pm).  So what do you do?

Well, I make it a habit to hit the local thrift store and look for look and find books.  I store them in easy reach of the kids and rotate them often.  Why do I rotate them?  Well if I leave them all out the kids make a big mess, don't really use them that much, and they take up a lot of room!!!  I'm pretty sure we've hit the end of the line with those books for awhile.  So here are a few other options:

• Maps.  I spent years on my neighbors porch with my best friend pretending to drive a car while we planned vacations using maps.  Put  marks on point A and point B, and let the kids natural curiosity take over.  You might have to ask a few questions to get them started like the names of rivers, weird city names, etc.
• Crayola wonder markers.  These amazing gizmos are clear until they come into contact with special Crayola paper.  We've used these for two Disney trips no with no problems, however one of the b-rats grabbed a fluorescent orange crayon and boy did that leave a mark on my vinyl.  UGH.
• Etch a sketch.  Who doesn't like an etch a sketch?  At one point Etch a sketch came up with maze sheets that you put over them and the kids found their way through maze after maze, repeatedly.  I'm not sure what ever happened with these sheets, but I am confident that you can make them again with permanent markers and some strong, clear plastic sheets that you cut down to size.  
• Magna Doodle.  Enough said.  But actually there are even more magnetic things, like Hair-do Harriet, Buddy Beagle, located at the Office Playground.
• Make your own look and find lists (yes I'm back on the scavenger hunt thing again haha).  It helps if you have knowledge about where you will be going.  But make a word/picture list of things the kids have to find.  They can check it off or hand you the card once it's found.  The winner gets a prize.
• Car puppets.  I wouldn't recommend the tiny finger puppets, nor would I suggest the full size ones at the store.  Simple ones that fit over your hand (maybe even home made sock puppets).
• Books and comic books are great also.  My kids really dig Weird But True Facts and the Ripley's books because they are not long and drawn out, and they can read them in any order (yep a few of you just cringed haha).
• Pamphlets.  Where are you going?  What will the kids see?  Any interesting historical info along the way?  Yeah this takes some advance notice because you have to either get these sent to you or kill your ink printing them up, but they're cool.
• Ball.  No not for inside the car, but if you have a long trip.  Grab or pack a lunch, pull into a picnic road side area and let them kill some energy.  
• Okay and lets not forget the electronics:  tablets, iPad, iPhone, smart phone, hand held games, DVD player, etc.

The list above gets my kids through about 26 hours or a bit more in a car for a trip.  The trick is this, NO SMALL PIECES, rotate car stuff on a regular basis, and make car stuff JUST FOR THE CAR, never to be seen or used elsewhere.  They're kids, and they aren't going to use it as much as you hope if they have constant access to it.  I know it sounds like a lot, but you can fit them into small containers easily.  I personally sell Thirty-One and so I use the following containers that can be found at my site Erica.  Here are a few of my favorite things; you can use any containers these are just my preferences:

FLIP TOP ORGANIZING BIN THE TOP ALSO BECOMES A TABLE

HANG UP ACTIVITY ORGANIZER/PACK AND PULL CADDY

LARGE UTILITY TOTE

Words of Wisdom

I don't know what brilliant mind wrote this, but it is 100% true.  So today I want you to realize none of us are perfect, especially the person looking down their nose at you.  Forgive yourself for the screw-ups, if they are that bad make a plan of attack to avoid them, and continue on.

If you are in a place where you can't figure out how to dig yourself out of a hole, you feel like you are constantly messing up.  If you are crying, sad, can't sleep, frustrated, yelling a lot, wishing you could run away more often then you are thankful you are there, realize you need someone to talk to.  Women feel this need to be perfect, and more so to have everyone else think we are perfect.  I am here to tell you, at any given point my house has dishes in the sink, my bathroom has dirty clothes on the floor, my living room needs to be swept (three cats, two dogs, eight people...), my kids eat fast food, I turn in late homework assignments, and instead of paying all my bills I postpone the unimportant ones so I can take my kids to the movies because it buys me two hours of peace and quiet and shows them I love them.  None of us are perfect.  But if you can't get past it, talk to a professional, because along with being perfect we internalize our stress.  Which puts us in a higher risk category for heart attacks, and depression issues.

Your kids love you!!!!  If you're reading my blog, it means you are trying to be a wonderful mom and you're kids appreciate you!!!!  So love yourself, and realize you are doing the best that you can.  Now go give your kids a squeeze and tell them you love them.  Right before the tickle monster comes out.

Lunchbox Silliness

Are you trying to find something a little extra to put into your kids lunchbox?  Maybe their standardized testing is coming up, or you miss them, or maybe you're doing it just because.  Here are a few ideas:

• Jokes (these can be shared and have an entire table laughing)
• Special edible treat
• A note telling them how proud you are of them
• Homemade fortune cookies
• A quick note explaining big plans that night (Chuck E. Cheese, a movie, picnic...)
• Inspirational quote from their favorite movie
• Picture you have drawn

All of these things can be made very quickly, yes even the fortune cookies, and the impact will last all day.  In fact I bet they will remember it when they have kids.