Friday Faves

A new feature here will be 'Friday Faves.' This will give a few links to some of my favorite articles this week from the blogs I read.

7 tips to maximize your child's health from Confessions of a Dr Mom. Many of these are common sense (like trying to eat as a family) but they are great reminders.

Science at play by Modernparentsmessykids.com. As a former science teacher, I love seeing ideas for how to incorporate science into my everyday life with the kids. 

Bragging rights by Momastery. Her writing is always insightful, but this one really struck me. Is it OK to brag about our kids? When? How? 

Food 'porn' from npr. They are wondering what's up with all the sharing of everyday eats? Are all these sites and tweets helpful? As someone who posts recipes on my twitter (parentinginpdx), I found it an interesting question. 

Ice cream sandwiches from smitten kitchen. This is a recipe link that I'd love to try. I also love that it includes links back to previous posts with recipes for such everyday treats as graham crackers. 

Happy Weekend!

A Day in The Life -- Mom

What do I do all day? Seriously, I wake up and feel like things are pretty much the same when I fall into bed. Yet I feel very busy. all. day.

Thought I'd try to document it! Here we go:

4:45 am: Wake up. Not on purpose. Couldn't sleep. Lie in bed restless.

6:30 am: Get up, check email, facebook, twitter, blogs

6:45 am: House is still asleep (which is really abnormal--for the kids). Decide to start getting ready.

7:15 am: Kids wake up.

7:25 am: Head downstairs. Unload dish drainer. Make breakfasts. Argue over just how incorrect my preparation really was (my son asked for strawberry cream cheese then changed his mind after the toast was made). Sit and eat with the kids while scanning the paper and having the Today show on the background.

7:55 am: Convince kids to try to go potty again. Get my son dressed.

8:10 am: Negotiate which show to let the kids watch, but only a half show today because we're tight on time. Decide on second half of WordWorld. While show is on, get dishes done, start one load of kids laundry, get backpack packed, make modifications to shopping list, clean table and counters. Quick facebook and twitter check. Recharge my dead iPod. Vacuum office rug.

8:40 am: Potty attempt again for the kids. Get shoes and coats on.

8:45 am: Leave to drop son off at school. Return library books on the way.

9:00 am: Arrive at school.

9:10 am: Depart school. Head to the grocery store. Do weekly grocery trip with my daughter who amazingly didn't need a potty break partway through the trip.

10 am: Back home. Unpack groceries. Start second load of laundry.

10:10 am: Show my daughter Fresh Beat Band so I can clean the bathrooms.

10:35 am: Start writing this post while her show finishes up.

10:40 am: Return to kitchen. Realize the food wasn't quite all put away yet. FINALLY SOME DOWN TIME (= snack for my daughter and me, starting to plan summer camps for the kids).

11 am: Facebook and twitter check.

11:10 am: Potty break for daughter. Leave to pick up son from school.

11:45 am: Return from school. Unpack car. Make lunches. Let dog out. Potty breaks for kids.

noon: I sit down to eat.

12:07 pm: Get up to fold laundry, help with the potty, clean up lunches, take some pictures

12:35 pm: Start nap routine for my daughter (read books, convince her to go to bed)

12:50 pm: Read my son some books

1 pm: Give son medicine, get set up for our quiet time (put out art supplies, find a place to read my book)

1:35 pm: Conclude quiet time with some talk-time with my son

1:40 pm: Start Blue's Clues for my son. Catch up on facebook, twitter, email. Do my Portland State University work.

2:10 pm: Update this post. Check laundry. Start second Blue's Clues. Get swim bag ready for my son's swimming lessons. Text some friends. Eat a snack. Watch some of Finding Your Roots.

2:40 pm: Son's show ends. Continue prepping for swim class. Give him a snack. Watch a little more of my show with him.

3:10 pm: Wake my daughter. Kids go potty, get shoes on, leave for swim.

4:25 pm: Exit swim. Play on playground. Leave swim center.

5:00 pm: Arrive home. Go through mail. Wash out swim clothes. Daughter falls--ice her head.

5:15 pm: Husband home. Update this post. Quick facebook and twitter check.

5:25 pm: Get ready for symphony and dinner with my dad.

5:40 pm: Leave home to meet my dad.

6:00 pm: Dinner

8:00 pm: Symphony

10:30 pm: Home

10:45 pm: Good night

Good News

Good News:

The author of one of my favorite blogs is going to publish a book! Have you read Momastery? You should. 

Another one of my favorite blogs, Ain't No Mom Jeans, featured a great spread on spring fashion for budget-challenged, real moms. Have you read it? You should. 

Finally, how CUTE are these rainbow cards from Jennifer McGuire Ink? Very cute. 

Why do I mention these? Well, it's been a tough week with my overly emotional kids and I thought some good news might just cheer everyone up. 

Parenting in Pdx

parenting in pdx: a group powered by parents for parents

Membership is open to any Child's Way parent.  This group is intended for parents just like you!

Parents will meet to discuss and problem-solve everyday dilemmas involving their kids. The dilemmas to be discussed will be brought by the group members themselves.

Topics of discussion could be (but not limited to):

    o   Sleep

    o   Diet

    o   Potty-training

    o   Child relationships

    o   School experiences

    o   Screen time for kids

    o   Short articles/texts of interest

The power of these groups will be the diversity of topics discussed because they are what the members want. The above are only possible examples.

The group will be facilitated by Jessica Baker using modified protocols (from the 'CFG' system). Jessica has extensive experience running similar groups with high school staff. Jessica is excited to adapt this structure for parents and elicit productive conversations from them.

TIME COMMITMENT: Each group will meet once a month for about 2 hours from September through May. Members of each group should be consistent from meeting-to-meeting.

Jessica will be able to run groups on Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings during the pre-3's class. The possibility of evening groups is still to be determined.

COST: For fall, membership will be FREE.  

Jessica will be looking into a membership fee starting in January to cover supplies and logistics for the remainder of the year.

CONTACT: Jessica Baker, bakerville@comcast.net to sign-up

We're all in this together.

Social Hierarchy on the Playground

Oh, bark chips. Yes, they cushion the falls of kids while playing on playgrounds all over the country. How many of us have said, "No throwing bark chips," on those playgrounds at one time or another?

I had a thought-provoking experience on our playground this afternoon. My four-year-old and some 10-minute old friends were playing with the spinning saucer. Do you know this newish feature of playgrounds? It looks like a teacup from Disneyland, but it's slightly askew. And it spins. So when your child is in it, and someone turns the cup, WHEE, the child gets dizzy. I talked about this with another mom last week. We decided that since they have removed all the 'dangerous' toys like merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters, all that's left is the opportunity to simply get dizzy.

Anyway, my son and three other children were grabbing mounds of bark chips and filling up the saucer. Now, as mentioned, my general rule is that we don't play with bark chips. However,  they weren't throwing them. No one seemed to want to spin. They were having a great time. Plus, my son was the last to enter the game. The other moms hadn't shut it down. So I deferred.  

Next, a different mom came up to the group, said something to them I didn't hear, and proceeded to shovel all the bark chips out. Wow. The faces of the moms of the boys in question probably looked just like mine: did she really just do that? Wasn't the group consensus that we had cleared this activity?

The truly interesting part was that none of the moms and I had said a word to each other. I didn't even know them. Yet, there was a clear feeling that the social code had been broken. And afterwards, all of us were much more picky about the kids playing with the bark chips.

It just made me realize just how much we learn on the playground--especially my kids. Not about how to climb, jump, and play although this activity is greatly valued. It's the social stuff too.

This brings me back to an article I saw today from Parents Magazine online: half of preschoolers don't get to play outside! To think of all they are missing, bark chips and all.

Egg Salad

I was late to the egg party. I admit it: they have never been my favorite. Add to that the Atkins diet I participated in 10 years ago (I know) and the bazillion eggs I ate for it. I don't think they ever will be my fave. But I try.
I ate a deviled egg at Easter yesterday (and was pleasantly surprised), sometimes have them scrambled, and I do love some post-Easter egg salad. 

I studied biology in college and it ruined lots of foods for me. I can't get my brain to stop thinking about their function. I'm not a big fan of meat either. However, thanks to the compromises that are so important in marriage, I make it a few times a week for dinner. However, it's in the very un-Michael-Pollan forms of boneless-skinless chicken or ground beef. Sometimes sausage. Don't get me started on eggs though. They need to be far from their raw state for me to handle them. I think I'd be vegan if I could but it would make my husband so sad.

If you're still interested in my egg salad recipe (found in The Oregonian newspaper 3 years ago), and I hope you are because it's great, please enjoy.

Curried Egg Salad with Apples

6 hard-cooked eggs
2 T diced red onion
1/2 medium tart apple, cored and chopped (about 1/2 C)
3 or 4 T plain greek yogurt
1 t dijon mustard
3 or 4 T lemon juice
1 t curry powder
1/2 to 1 t salt (to taste)


Peel eggs, place in medium bowl and roughly chop with a fork or pizza wheel. Add onion and apple and mix. Add yogurt and mustard and mix. Add lemon juice and mix. Add curry powder and salt and mix well. Adjust curry powder and salt to taste. Serve on toasted rye bread with lettuce. Yield: 4 sandwiches.

Family Roots

I've gotten hooked into the recent genealogy shows "Finding Your Roots" and "Who Do You Think You Are." Granted, part of the appeal is the way the shows create suspense and surprise as they reveal the family trees of famous people. However, it makes me think about the bigger questions regarding our nation's history, racial relationships, and the amazing system of documentation that exists if a person chooses to pursue it.

I think, "Wow--I'd LOVE to do that." However, for me it gets more complicated because I am adopted. I know almost nothing about my birth parents (not even their names).

Where do our true roots lie? In our blood ancestors or in the people who raised us and their families? Interestingly, each time I watch a show, I think about how I can't quite claim either for a family tree. Would I need to research both lines to feel I have a complete picture of where I come from? Despite being very comfortable with having been adopted, it has caught me by surprise how apart I feel from the people on these shows. How jealous that they can claim these family trees and I can't. I also wonder if other people who are adopted feel the same or is this just me?

Still, I can't wait until tonight's episode.

Body Image and Mommy Wars

I read quite a few blogs. Wait. I scan quite a few blogs. Rarely to do I read every word unless the topic resonates with me. I have dozens of blogs on my personal list and keep them because each has resonated at some point or another.

Today, there were TWO posts I read carefully.

First, a post from Mom-101 about body image. As a woman who now has a daughter, I'm hyper-mindful about what I teach her about how I view my own body. I try desperately not to pass on my own obsessions and issues to her. The link provides insight about what many of us are thinking--how do we teach our kids to be healthy and not unhealthy about their weight. Eat right. Exercise. Moderate. Allow treats. Forgive.

The second was from The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking about the ever-present mommy-wars. I think we all do what we do because we think it's right. However, we judge because we are insecure. We only realize that alternate methods to not threaten our own parenting once we overcome that insecurity. It takes time--more time that I have spent parenting so far! However, as I already mentioned, we need to forgive ourselves and other parents. We're all just doing the best we can.

Kids' Book Resources

Ahhhh....books. If I'd won that mega-millions, I had great plans for how I'd use some of the money to purchase then donate all sorts of amazing books. Alas, we only got one number.

Anyway....

I'm perpetually on the lookout for great books for my kids. We frequent the library at least once a week and have found many favorites through sheer luck.

Recently, however, I found THIS blog (Building A Library...). It's written by a guy who is a former publishing editor. We've read many of his recent picks and loved. every. one.

Useful Protocols

Check below to find links to the common protocols we use in our groups. Note that your facilitator will make the language more appropriate for our parenting model (these originals were used in school settings).

Protocols involving dilemmas:
Consultancy
Tuning

Why Activity
Success Analysis
The Slice
Microlabs
Charrette

Protocols involving text:
Text-Based Seminar
Text-Rendering
Three-levels of Text
Save the Last Word for ME
Making Meaning
Final Word

Other useful protocols:
Connections
Goal-setting

This link gives you access to ALL the protocols. 

Kids' Activity Level

I came across this article today--it's everywhere on Twitter.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/03/why-are-parents-less-likely-to-take-little-girls-outside-to-play/
The idea is that kids aren't getting outside enough. Girls are outside playing less than boys. Interestingly, lower outdoor activity rates seem to fall along racial lines with Asian parents spending the least amount of time at parks. Weird. And sad.
The one bright spot was that physically active moms (activity equalling least 4 times a week) seem to get their kids outdoors more. 
What does all this mean? Take advantage of some good upcoming weather and hit the playgrounds! Here's a link to the wonderful variety in the THPRD system.
http://www.thprd.org/parks/parklist.cfm
Get out and play!