Ahoy!

'Tis Halloween tomorrow. And we managed to whip together 3 pirate costumes with things from around the house! Only spent $6 on a couple of plain scarves that can be reused after the holiday. I even picked up a parrot costume for the baby on clearance for $7! Was going to make one, but couldn't pass on that deal.

Also turned the wagon into ye ol' pirate ship with an old box and some duct tape. Excited to post some pics and further instruction on how you can turn yourself into a pirate for cheap! Alas, 'tis bedtime for this matey. To be continued.

Argh,
-J

Sick kids, tired mommy

Anyone with kids knows the dread of that first sniffle. No, please don't be sick, please! Hoping against hope, that maybe it's just allergies. With the first kid, it's definite anxiety. When you add a second (or third or sixth), it becomes level 5 panic. Maybe if you keep them apart, disinfect everything, wash hands every five seconds, it won't spread. Yeah, good luck with that, because inevitably, the older kid will sneeze right into the baby's face and then wipe the extra snot on you.

I hate colds, regardless of the severity. What bothers me even more is the parents that send their sick kids out unnecessarily to infect the rest of us. They say, "oh, but it's just a cold", or "little johnny just has allergies", what's the big deal?

Well, the big deal is that some of us have kids that have compromised immune systems. Maybe they were born early, or have a medical condition that makes common illnesses take a bigger toll on them. Little Bear spent 5 days in the hospital last March for RSV, brought home no doubt from Monkey's preschool.

But your kid is healthy and so you don't see it as a big deal. Take your kids to the playground, the mall, the library. Send them to school snotting everywhere. Who cares? Well, I'm that weird mom that leaves the playground when there's a kid hacking up a lung all over the slide. I keep my son home from preschool when he has so much as a sniffle, let alone a runny nose. 

Don't get me wrong, we definitely don't live in a bubble. My kids play in the dirt, we visit plenty of playgrounds, restaurants, hospitals, etc that are literally crawling with germs. I just get frustrated when it seems like things are all running smoothly and then I hear that first sneeze. Nooooooo! That, compounded with not getting any sleep for the past 3 nights have probably contributed to this whiny post. So, on that note, good health to all and goodnight!

Hugs (and sneezes),

-J

Peaceful Parenting Miracles

My sister-in-law is what I would consider a full hippie mama. She is the real deal, and I look to her when I need some hippie tips. She runs a free school in Virginia that follows the unschooling model. She is always sharing tips and articles she finds on 'peaceful parenting'. Of course I read them, but never bookmark or save anything. So, while I get the general idea of it all, I will by no means try to portray myself any kind of expert.

Now that the disclaimer is out there, I can share my experience. :)

One of the general ideas is that we, as adults, need to control our tempers and our emotions as we are responding to 'behavior issues' in our children. If we can react to situations calmly and with empathy, our children will usually respond better than when we get wound up as well.

Example- After asking Monkey for the 5th time to please sit his butt in his car seat so that we can get to the appt that we're already running late for, I'm likely to get frustrated and react negatively. Whether it's barking, "GET IN YOUR SEAT, RIGHT NOW", or threatening some sort of punishment, "If you don't get in that seat, we're not going to the park later", I'm not helping the situation. Monkey doesn't magically listen. In fact, if I have taken the barking orders route, it usually just results in tears (for both of us). Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.

Solution- What has amazingly worked, is just talking to him about why he doesn't want to do (or is currently doing) desired/undesired behavior. I say amazingly because I was 100% skeptical that a 3-4 year old would have the attention span and communication skills for a meaningful conversation when they are clearly upset.

In the example above, I take a deep breath and 9 times out of 10, we have a conversation like this-
Me- "Hey, what's going on? Can you talk to me for a sec?"
Him- "I don't want to go to X."
Me- "Why not?"
Him- "I was playing with my train." or "I'm hungry", "I have to go potty", "We were just in the car 15 min ago", etc
Me- "Well, I know it's fun playing with your train, and I'm sorry you had to stop. But we have an appt with X, and we need to leave now so we're not late. I promise when we get back you can play with your train."
Or- if he is especially hysterical about it, I may even suggest we bring the train, or whatever the item is.
Him- "Ok." *climbs into car seat nicely*

*Angels sing!* It's a miracle. I'm telling you though, it works, just try it.

Now, I know to a lot of parents, this may seem like spoiling or catering to their kid's every whim and creating a monster. But I'll tell you, I've seen the exact opposite. Instead of turning into a demanding brat, I've noticed Monkey's eyes sparkle when he sees that I'm genuinely concerned with what's bothering him. He becomes calmer, more willing to cooperate, and I am by no means bribing him. Although, I still think there's a time and a place for the bribe. ;)

In many situations, he just wants to express his frustration and is having trouble using his words. Think about us as adults. How many times are we frustrated with someone, like a boss, spouse or parent asking us to do something we didn't want to do. Do we always have a nice discussion with them about it? No. Many times we bottle it up, pretend like nothing is wrong, take it out on someone else later. Or maybe we send a nasty email, slam a door, you get the picture. We're not perfect at controlling our emotions, so why should a preschooler have it mastered? Now in the same scenario, what if the offender sensed your frustration, and talked to you about it? Doesn't that usually make you feel better? Like your feelings are validated? It's the same with our kids. They want to feel validated, appreciated, RESPECTED. Just like we do.

What reminded me of this today, and believe me, I use this strategy daily, is that today I was really tested. Monkey has a little bit of a cold, and he was in a FOUL mood today. I know you've all been there before. Everything was setting him off. He wanted yogurt, but not with that spoon! He was trying to stack kitchen items, but they kept falling (end of the world). We rented a video (that he picked out), but on the way home it's the wrong video. And on and on and on, all day.

Today, it took every ounce of control to keep reminding myself, he's sick, cut him some slack. Usually, I can anticipate and diffuse meltdowns, and there are only 1 or 2 minor occurrences a day. Today was full tilt. The above technique, worked to some degree, but when a kiddo is sick, all bets are off. I think what saved my sanity though, was truly understanding what he was going through. He just doesn't feel good. Simple as that.

I hope this story can help my fellow moms out there, who are struggling with their own negative reactions and looking for other alternatives.

Hugs,
-J

Struggles with Baby 'Food'

Little Bear is really starting to take off with his eating. For the most part, we practice 'baby-led weaning', which is essentially letting him eat whatever we're eating, but I am mixing in some purees as well. He loves just gnawing on a chunk of broccoli, and does get little bits off that he actually eats.

As a matter of fact, this kid loves to eat pretty much anything you put within his reach. His appetite is growing, and I'm starting to run into some problems.

Problem #1: Snacks
When we're out and about, which is a lot, I struggle with what to give him. Most parents give their tots 'puffs', the ridiculous snack that for some reason, includes sugar. I have searched high and low for an alternative to these, and found the Happy Baby and Plum Organic brand, but even those have cane syrup.

Why the sweetener? What is the deal with putting sugar in baby foods? I mean, really, is it necessary? Does a baby's brand new palate only accept sweet foods? NO.

Problem #2: Allergies
Aside from having difficulty finding appropriate snack items for baby, I also struggle with allergy issues. Hubby and I have no food allergies. None. My sister and his dad have severe allergies, food and otherwise. So there is a family pre-disposition, and boy was it ever passed on.

Unfortunately, Monkey is allergic to bananas, avocado, kiwi, mango, eggs and latex. We also are avoiding nuts until age 5 because of the family history. So far, it looks like little Bear is allergic to sweet potatoes, but I'm also avoiding all the other foods that Monkey is allergic to just in case. I also have a suspicion about apricots, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

Now guess what are the easiest/most nutritious foods to start baby out on? Bananas, avocado, sweet potato.  Some of hubby and my favorites as well. Ugh.

Best part- the main flavors of the 'puffs'? Banana, sweet potato, and strawberry, (which is a high allergen and should be avoided until age 2 in allergy prone families).

Solutions?
Here's where I'm hoping for some help from all the moms out in the blogger/twitterverse. Fortunately, this kiddo gets plenty of breastmilk and is growing great, so I'm not overly concerned about nutrition yet. In the long run though, I need to figure out some alternatives to the generic/processed/sugary crap that's out there now.

Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks.

Hugs,
-J

The only thing to save me has always been music

Can you name the title quote?

Tonight's blog was meant to be a reflection on what music has meant in my life. Alas, the wee one decided to wake up and now I'm too tired.

So I will revisit this another time, but leave you with another goodie. One of my favorites of all time.

"If you hold on tight to what you think is your thing, you may find you're missing all the rest." -Dave Matthews Band

BTW- title quote is Beasties if you're still trying to place it.

Hugs,
-J

Fresh Air

Our weather is finally cooling down, I heard the weather person say that the 100+ days should be done for the year. My sanity thanks you. The kiddos and I can resume our daily trips to the park, and we can go any time of the day! Not just at 8AM before it 'heats up'. Backyard play has resumed as well, and I think the fresh air has been good for everyone.

One thing I've been dying to get, for the 8 years we've lived in this house, is a metal security door on the front of the house. For those who don't know, these are regular screen doors on steroids, and a common feature on Arizona houses. Somehow, the only window on the front of the house that opens, is in an upstairs bedroom. Downstairs, there aren't even any functioning windows on the side of the house. How does that happen? Security reasons?

That means that even with the back door and downstairs windows open, there is no crossbreeze. For a girl who moved here from a craftsman house in San Diego with no A/C and windows open all the time, this is a soul killer. I need my fresh air.

About a week and a half ago, my father-in-law was in town and graciously purchased (and offered to help install) the security door for us. Unfortunately, we found out when we brought it home that our doorstep would need to be built out, or we'd have a huge gap at the bottom. Hubby and father-in-law thought it would be a better use of time and money to let an installer do it.

A shady installer came out yesterday and tried to upsell me on a bunch of stuff he would do 'on the side', outside of the Lowe's contract. Our door frame wasn't plumb, etc, etc. Hubby decided just to go back to Lowe's and have them re-assess what the issue was. Thankfully, they sent out a new installer, ironically named Jesus. He did a fabulous job, and despite our door frame indeed being messed up, he was able to get it installed without rebuilding the entire front of our house.

So I now have my screen door, and my cross breezes, and my fresh air. Thank you, Jesus! You have saved us. I think God is winking about this one. ;)

View from inside

View from outside

 Hugs,
-J

Learning about money from a giant elephant

On a recent trip to Costco we came across a display with giant stuffed animals. Monkeys, lions, giraffes, elephants, etc. Another little tyke was holding one of the giraffes and my Monkey asked to look at the elephant. Normally, I'm ok with this, because he usually looks at or holds said toy, but happily gives it back when I tell him it's time to move on. This time was different. He insisted on keeping a tight grasp on the elephant throughout our shopping trip, and I expected his interest to wane before we left.

I was very wrong. He kept a tight grip on this thing, 'showing it' various items throughout the store. Towards the end I started preparing him for letting go of elephant. I finally convinced him to put it down, but he wasn't happy about it. Realizing that he was intent on buying this elephant, I offered a solution. How about we use some of that birthday money he just received and he could buy the elephant? He thought this was a "great idea!" as he likes to say. Unfortunately, his wallet was at home, so I promised him we'd come back another day.

Here's the thing about this wallet. He's never really used it, although we've talked about it, and how things cost money, and how daddy works to make money. At my mention of his wallet and using his money, he became very excited. Attention diverted. In the back of my mind, I thought he'd forget about the elephant before we made it back to Costco.

Wrong, again. This morning I pick him up from preschool, and on the way home he talks about how much fun he had. We pull in the driveway and BAM, out of nowhere, he declares, "I miss my elephant!", with tears. He mentioned it a couple times over the weekend, so I knew he was still slightly interested, and I was planning on bringing his wallet with us on the next trip to Costco, but seriously?

Fortunately, Costco is only a couple miles away, and I needed to get some pictures printed anyway. We headed up there and he was bouncing with energy about his purchase. He picked out the elephant, we made our way to the cashier, and I tried explaining the process to him. "Wait for the cashier to ring up your elephant. Then, he'll tell you how much it costs and you give him the money."

I had explained in advance that the elephant cost $13, so that he'd be prepared. Funny enough, he had a $20 bill in his wallet, and tried to wrap his head around it being 'twenty' dollars. "This is only one." I wished I had thought ahead and exchanged his $20 for ones, so that he could count the $13 out, but maybe next time.

He couldn't wait for the cashier to ring it up. As the bagger was pulling the cart up, he yells, "Here!", and shoves the $20 at the bagger, who can't help but smile. After the cashier rings it up, he proceeds to give Monkey the change, all in ones. We were suddenly in a music video. Monkey is fanning and flashing his cash all over the place. Of course, being 4, he's also dropping it in the cart, so I'm trying to explain that if we lose it, it will be gone forever.

I finally get him to put it in the wallet, which then goes into Bear's diaper bag for safe keeping. On the car ride home, he holds this giant elephant in his lap, and seems as content as could be. His little head is currently snuggling on the elephant, now named Kayla, after the elephant in Curious George.

So for a mere $13 of birthday money, we got a giant elephant, and a lesson in money. Totally worth it, in my opinion.

Hugs,
-J

Cinnamon Baked Sweet Potato

Trust me. You're going to want to try this recipe. Even if you aren't a big sweet potato fan (like me). Hubby is doing the Whole Life Challenge, so he's been on a strict diet. Me, not so much. We both have sweet tooths, or would that be sweet teeth? So he's been on the prowl for 'desserts' that follow his diet rules.

He's mainly been eating frozen bananas with almond butter, or pineapple with cinnamon, but he's been experimenting with other combinations. A couple nights ago, he came up with this-

Cinnamon Baked Sweet Potato

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 pat of butter
• dash of salt
• sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400. Pierce sweet potato with fork, and place on baking sheet into pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut open and scrape out flesh of sweet potato into a bowl.
3. Mix in butter, salt and cinnamon.
4. Enjoy!

Despite the amount of cook time, this dessert is so easy and ridiculously delicious. That's saying something coming from me. I omit sweet potatoes whenever possible from my Thanksgiving meal plan. This recipe is definitely going on the menu this year!

Best of all, I plugged the info into my 'lose it' app, and it comes in at only 120 calories!! Plus, sweet potatoes are actually nutritious, unlike most 120 calorie 'desserts'.

I apologize for the lack of a pic. Hubby eats it too quick, so I haven't been able to get a pic yet. I'll try to add one later.

Hugs,
-J

Ducks, to feed or not to feed?

Today we took advantage of our slightly cooler weather (only 92) and went out to Canyon Lake for a scenic nature cruise. I had purchased a groupon for The Dolly Steamboat, and we were all excited to explore the canyon from this great boat.

The cruise itself was fabulous. The captain and crew were very knowledgeable about the canyon, the history of the area, the cacti, and the wildlife. We saw bighorn sheep, and stopped long enough to watch the dominant ram chase around another smaller ram. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone who will be visiting the Phoenix area. Canyon Lake is like a mini Grand Canyon. For those of you that don't know, *ahem* like my bff *ahem*, the Grand Canyon is in Arizona.

The Monkey had a blast, although an hour and a half boat ride is clearly way too long for a four year old. I would say maybe 30 minutes would have been better. I think my favorite thing about the trip was sitting upstairs with Bear and hearing the captain on the intercom. "What's your name? Oh, Monkey? Well, hello Monkey. Everyone, Monkey would like to ring the bell. Go ahead." Daddy had taken Monkey downstairs and he was dying to ring the bell, so Daddy told him he had to ask the captain.

For a snack, we purchased a bucket of popcorn from the snack bar. We always bring our own snacks, but they didn't permit outside food on board. Daddy and Monkey had been admiring the ducks before we boarded the boat and I made the mistake of telling Monkey that we could feed the ducks whatever popcorn was left. He immediately declared that we were all done (after a couple handfuls), and should save the rest for the ducks.

He couldn't wait to get back to shore, and as soon as those ducks saw us coming with that popcorn bucket, they made a beeline straight to us. Monkey (and Daddy) had a blast feeding the ducks, and there were even some HUGE fish popping up to get their share.

Now on to the point of this posting. I clearly remember reading somewhere about how bad it was to feed ducks bread. Which makes sense, because it doesn't really seem to be doing us any good either. Just check out 100 Days of Real Food or any of the many whole life/real food blogs for more on that. Although I thought I remembered that popcorn was ok for some reason. So, I decided tonight to google it, just so I'd know in the future. Turns out, that popcorn isn't as 'bad' as bread, but still not the top choice to feed to the ducks, if anything at all.

I have very fond memories of feeding the ducks at the local lake when I was about Monkey's age. I don't want to deprive him of those same memories, but at the same time, I don't want to damage the ducks' health either. Thankfully, I now know what is appropriate to feed them, and you do, too.

• Cracked corn
• Wheat
• Barley
• Oats
• Milo
• Birdseed
• Grapes (cut in half)
• Frozen peas or corn (defrosted)
• Earthworms
• Chopped lettuce
• Vegetable trimmings or peels (chopped)

List courtesy of http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/whatduckseat.htm

Is this going to change the way you think about feeding wildlife in your area?

Hugs,

-J

Wagon Rides

Monkey's first wagon ride was Halloween 2009. He was a little over a year old, but still not sitting unassisted very well. Our neighbors had a wagon, and we put Monkey in with their little girl. He loved it so much, that Grandma got him a wagon of his own for Christmas. He was super excited and the wagon's gotten a lot of use when the weather permits.

I've looked forward to eventually pulling two kids in the wagon, but wasn't sure if/when that would happen. Thankfully, sweet little Bear came along last December, and I've been counting the days until he was big enough to sit up in it.

Today was the day! I asked Monkey if we should try to put brother in the wagon and go to the park. He lit up like a Christmas tree. Completely ecstatic.

Bear loved it, too. He did really well, and made it all the way to the park. Monkey was a great big brother and kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't fall over. He kept saying, "mommy, brother likes it."

I look forward to many more wagon rides to come.

Hugs,
-J

Cuddle Time

Monkey loves to cuddle.  Especially since Bear (little brother) was born and started cutting into his one on one time with mommy. Since he no longer naps, sometimes he'll ask to cuddle when he's tired and just curl up to rest. It's one of my absolute favorite things.

Lately, he's been wanting to cuddle when it's time for Bear's afternoon feeding/nap. So we'll throw a blanket on my legs, and Monkey will curl up on my legs while I'm nursing Bear. Apparently, I was running behind schedule today, because he informed me, "Mommy, I think brother needs to eat now. Can we cuddle?"

I love how little minds connect things like that. Instead of just saying, 'I'm tired'. So, we had a nice cuddle for a few minutes until Bear decided he wasn't sleepy and instead wanted to spit up on our blanket. Monkey reassured me and said, "It's ok, mommy. We can clean it." Something about these moments that I just love.

Take every opportunity to cuddle your little ones while you can. I have a feeling that before too long, they'll be 'too big' to cuddle.

Hugs,
-J

Black Bean Turkey Chili

One of my family's all time favorite recipes, this black bean chili is perfect for a fall (or winter) day. Hubby loves it so much, I end up making it in the middle of the summer, too. I prefer to cook mine in my slow cooker, and I can't say enough about what a difference the proper slow cooker makes. I was so frustrated with things always burning to the sides in my old slow cooker, but this one is a lifesaver! Also, I usually use fresh basil, since it grows in my garden, but I don't have oregano yet.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1.5 pounds of ground turkey

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 3 (15 oz) cans black beans (regular, not low sodium), undrained

• 3-4 diced Roma tomatoes*

• 1-2 jalapenos, diced and seeds removed*

• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Slow cooker method-

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and ground cumin and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Transfer turkey/onion mixture to crock pot.  Stir in beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, basil, bay leaf and vinegar. Cook for on low for 4 hours or more, until flavors are well blended.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

Stove top method-

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and ground cumin and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, basil, bay leaf and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.  Remove bay leaf before serving.



Enjoy!!

*Time saver substitution- for tomatoes/jalapeno use 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chili.

Hugs,

-J

Witch Luminaries

Craft time! Who loves Halloween? I know we do. Last week (in the pic), we created a witch landing zone with a bale of hay, a broom, and a $5 witch from the craft store. Monkey was super excited about it.

Tonight, while scanning hulu plus, I noticed a Martha Stewart Halloween channel.  I happened to pull up an old video from her first season, where she makes paper luminaries. They look awesome!

Here's all you need:

Brown paper bags
Colored paper bags
Sand
Votive candles (you can use these rechargeable electric ones if you're concerned about fire)
Xacto knife
Witch silhouette

I already have all of the items sitting around my house, thanks in large part to saving every craft supply ever. A great thing about these luminaries is that even though they are just paper, you can save them and reuse them again, as long as you store them with care.

Here are the instructions:

1- Google 'witch silhouette' or any other creature. Cat, ghost, spider, skull, etc. Find an image you like and print it out to fit the size of your bag.
2- Place colored bag inside of brown bag and attach silhouette print out.
3- Use exacto knife to carve out areas around the silhouette.
4- Place sand in bottom of bag to weight it.
5- Place/light votive candles.

Simple as can be! Can't wait to make some witch and cat ones to accompany our witch theme.

If you're having trouble visualizing, here's a link to Martha Stewart's page with the instructional video.
http://www.marthastewart.com/926630/how-make-halloween-luminaries

*NOTE- in the video, she mentions that you can download the templates on her website. However, this video is very old and I couldn't find them anywhere. Fortunately, google saves the day, as usual. If you find the templates, let me know!

Enjoy!

Hugs,
-J

Perspective

My eyes are practically bleeding, I'm so exhausted. However, I wanted to leave this one thought for the day.

Today, we went to the zoo (grandpa is still in town). Rode the merry-go-round, safari train, saw a baby zebra, pet the goats, played on the splash pad, watched a family of tree monkeys acting ridiculous, and overall had a fantastic time.

At dinner, we asked Monkey what his favorite thing was today.  His response? "Tickling little brother." Which happened this morning, while I was in the other room, getting ready for the zoo. Sometimes the best moments happen when you're getting ready for something else.

Priceless perspective from a four year old.

Hugs,
-J

Farewell, old friend

Today we said goodbye to an old friend. Our Jeep. We bought it 11 years ago, to this month. It was used, our first car purchase as a 'couple'. It has taken us from California, up the Oregon coast, and finally to Phoenix.

For the past 6 years or so, it has primarily been Hubby's car. He worked from home for many years, and now his office is only a mile away, so it hasn't gotten much use for a long time. Honestly, I think the only time I've even driven it in the past year was to go pick up a used picnic table I found on craigslist. Other than that, it's been great for hauling home our Christmas tree, and trips to the hardware store (or Ikea).

It had become the bane of Hubby's existence. It was black, and the A/C went out every summer, despite being 'fixed' 4 or 5 times. The power door locks have long been broken, there's a dent on the front passenger door that makes it 'pop' every time you open it (thanks hit and run driver), the front bumper literally just fell off (no joke), the windshield is scratched to the point of being dangerous, the transmission continually has problems, and that check engine light loves coming on. He seriously HATES the Jeep.

Me, on the other hand, I have mostly fond memories, and so it was tough for me to see it go. It was my primary car when we lived in San Diego, and I commuted 60+ miles every day in it. Ironically, I don't think I ever used the A/C. Windows down for me, please. Every weekend, I used it to take my salty dog to the beach. She destroyed the cargo area of that thing. There is probably still sand in the cracks and crevices. I also remember driving solo to Phoenix, on my first 'house hunting' trip, while Hubby stayed home to work. Blasting Beastie Boys on the CD player (that was hooked up to the stereo via cassette!).  Yes, our last cassette player. Now what to do with all my old tapes? There were camping trips, road trips, oh the fun we had!

Sadly, the kiddos never got to experience the Jeep. It was a 98, so pre-latch, and I never felt comfortable putting their car seats in there. I have a feeling Monkey is going to be asking about why it's not in the driveway anymore. He always wanted to ride in daddy's car.

On a positive note, we are now a one car (hybrid) family. As Hubby's office is so close, he's going to bike it to work every day. Not sure how long we'll last as a one car family, but I like the thought of it. Other one car families have told me it brought them closer.

It will be weird for me for a while though, not seeing it parked in front of the house. Bye, my sweet Jeep. I'll always cherish our sweet San Diego memories.

Hugs,
-J

Build and Grow!

This weekend we had some home projects to work on, so a trip to Lowe's was in order. We've always seen the 'build and grow' projects advertised, but figured Monkey was too small. Now that he's 4, I decided it was time to check it out. We registered him for the 'ghoul bus' project, and showed up promptly at 10am, not sure what to expect.

I have to say my expectations were far exceeded. Each kid is given their own tool apron (for keeps), and an iron-on patch to put on the apron. They get a new patch for each project. They also get their own safety goggles, and the kit to put together. Did I mention it's all free? FREE! I was expecting to have to at least pay for the kit.

Grandpa is in town, so he got to help Monkey and Daddy make the bus. They had kid size *real* hammers set out, and Monkey had a blast banging away (his hammer at home is plastic). It's a simple enough project that even a 4 year old doesn't lose interest. Probably only took 15 minutes start to finish. 

I'm pretty sure they do these twice a month, at all their stores, and you can sign up in advance online to ensure you get a spot. I definitely recommend it! We'll certainly be doing it again.

http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/

Monkey's apron, patch and Ghoul Bus

Limes and Leaves

What a glorious day today.  The weather was beyond perfect and Monkey spent the better part of the afternoon exploring our backyard, while I slaved away in the kitchen making Moroccan Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (recipes to come).  Fortunately, the kitchen faces the backyard and I had the door open, so I could monitor Monkey.  Even with a secure fence around the pool, I still get nervous.

First, he transported nearly every 'toy' to the backyard.  Wheel barrow, baseball tee, jump rope, buckets, shovels, balls.  Then he proceeded to play with every non-toy in the yard.  He delighted in picking limes off the tree, and seeing how far he could throw them.  He also carefully scooped rocks up and put them in an empty trash bin (they were later returned to the yard).

Best of all, he marched into the house, and while I wasn't paying attention dumped a huge pile of 'helicopters' all over the floor.  "Look, mommy!  Leaves!!"  Yes, that's about as close to leaves as we get this time of year.  As slightly annoyed as I was at the thought of stopping what I was doing to clean up his leaves, I was able to appreciate the joy on his face at sharing his discovery.

So, I left them on the floor so daddy could see.  Something worth sharing.

Next time he started to come in with another pile, I gently said, "oh, why don't we leave those outside?  We have plenty in here to show daddy when he gets home."  Worked like a charm with no hurt feelings at all.  I cringe a little when I think of other kids/parents in the same situation where a harsh, "No!", or scolding for dirtying the house would crush that excited spirit.

Lessons reinforced today-

1. Nature's toys always win over plastic ones
2. A creative and happy child is worth more than an immaculate house
3. Gentle redirection can work wonders
4. Share the little moments that make you smile

Hugs,
-J

Welcome Autumn

Living in Phoenix, we tend to get our autumn weather a bit later and slightly differently than the rest of the country. October 1st, we were still kissing 100 degrees, but the summer has finally broken.

We had a cool rain this evening, and the high is only supposed to reach 77 tomorrow. 77! I know that doesn't spell fall for most of you, but let me assure you, after five months in the 100s, anything under 90 is jean weather.

Speaking of, I wore my jeans today. Granted, it was still with flip flops and a t-shirt, but that's how I like it. Even Monkey wore jeans to school today. He is so unaccustomed to long pants he proclaimed, "I can't climb with these jeans on! I'm sliding everywhere!" Yes, bare knees definitely grip plastic play structures much better.

He might not be a fan, but I am thankful. I don't mind shorts, but I LOVE my jeans. I wear them until they are literally frayed and falling apart. I even still have one hold out pair from high school that I 'borrowed' from my bestie.

Even better than the jeans, the cooler weather means a return to our outdoor activities. I was starting to get a little stir crazy. There's only so much 'indoor play area' a half hippie can handle.

At sunset tonight we enjoyed a family stroll to the mailbox (my favorite thing today). We took our time, admiring all the Halloween decorations put up by our neighbors. Monkey especially loves the scarecrows. We have our own witch scarecrow on our doorstep. He was anxious to go knock on our neighbor's doors, trying to convince me that Halloween could be early this year.

On our way back home, we appreciated another gorgeous desert sunset (thanks storm clouds), and Monkey pulled a newly acquired stick along the sidewalk behind him. First he suggested we could use it for marshmallows, then wanted to bring it inside to show wow-wow. A little heartbroken, he was persuaded to leave it outside. It was a huge stick.

Ahhhhh, welcome fall.

Hugs,
-J

Favorite Things

A fun thing we do every night in our house is talk about our favorite things from the day. This usually happens at dinner, but if we forget, we always remember before bedtime. Often, the monkey (my 4 year old), will bring it up and he really looks forward to it. He'll ask what little brother's favorite thing was, and what wow-wow's (the dog) favorite thing was.

Tonight the monkey's favorite thing was watching Rabbit pop his balloon on the Pooh DVD we borrowed from the library. He literally squealed with glee at this part. It was adorable. Daddy's fave thing was witnessing this when he got home from work.

As for me, I enjoyed watching the monkey tickling the bear (the 10 month old), and the bear giggling uncontrollably. I'm pretty sure that was the bear's fave thing, too.

Looking forward to new favorite things tomorrow!

Hugs,
-J

The Beginning

Here I am, again.  I've tried this blogging thing before.  I blogged when my first son was born, 13 weeks early, and spent 112 days in the NICU.  It was an outlet.  Blogging about it helped keep me sane and it helped keep family up to date.  I continued blogging after my son came home from the hospital, but soon found that I was having a hard time keeping up with him and my blog.  I let it slide for too long, then started relying heavily on Facebook as a means of keeping people updated.

Ten months ago, along came son number two.  I've been struggling to keep my head above water, and I find myself in need of a new sanity saver.  A good friend, the only one aside from hubby who knows my deep dark secrets, recently started an inspirational blog, and inspired me to get my own thoughts out.  Better out than in, as Shrek would say, right?

So what's this blog about?  Only time will tell.  I hope this to be part journal, part information aggregator.  I'll try to post recipes, crafts, good deals, green tips, parenting advice (I'm learning as I go), and just daily thoughts.

I've jokingly called myself a 'half hippie', meaning that I'm a tree hugger when I can be, but have my faults.  I drive a hybrid, don't wear make-up, recycle, buy used as much as possible, eat healthy, and frequent our local farmer's market.  Despite my black thumb, I've also successfully grown a variety of fruits and vegetables in our 'garden'.  However, I also have a weakness for Costco, Amazon, and a wicked sweet tooth.

I look forward to blogging and can't wait to get my thoughts out of my head and onto paper!  Or, this blog, but you know what I mean.

Hugs,
-J