18 Days and Counting

We have 18 school day left.  Woo hoo!

The implications of this are huge.

In 18 days, my sweet girl will no longer be a Kindergartner! She will be a first grader in waiting.

How did that happen?

She may be ready, but I am not sure that I am!

Counting Down to Summer Vacation

We are out for Summer Vacation in 38 days.  Then I will be able to breath, clean, parent, and write much better. I can’t wait!

Keeping It Simple

From the day my kids came into this world I have been worrying about making sure they both have everything they need, and creating good memories that will last a lifetime. Well it recently occurred to me that I am trying way to hard. The memories that seem to resonate the most with my kids are the simple times that we spend together being silly.

Pajama breakfast at the local dive.

On St. Patrick’s day morning, the kids and I woke up way too early as we often do (the Ethan Effect).  Maya had been fussing all week about doing something special for St. Patrick’s Day.  Andrew was out of the country and I was tired as *%$#.  Needless to say, when Ethan woke up at 6:15 am, I was in no shape and no mood to make the green eggs and pancakes that I had promised Maya Boo.  I quickly tried to think of an alternative that would satisfy the terms of the promise. As most parents know, it is nearly impossible to back out of a deal with a 5-year-old and live to talk about it.  The best alternative that I could come up with on such short notice was breakfast at a local dive in our pajamas.  This was like scoring a game winning touchdown in the final moments of a Super Bowl, Maya was instantly thrilled. I had dodged a bullet. Maya had recently come into a pair of obnoxiously pink, fluffy slippers that just had to be shared with the world. Ethan was a bit reluctant about leaving the house for yet another meal. He tends to be a homebody. He just wants to be were the toys are close and the food is fast. I slipped into my fluffy Mickey Mouse pajama, really should not be worn in public pants, a warm sweatshirt, and come comfy slippers, and we hit the road. Neither of the kids can tell you what they ate or what they did for the rest of the day, but they loved that we went out in our jammies.  As a bonus, Maya got to go pay at the counter all by herself. You would have thought someone gave her a million dollars.

Late Fall Plantings

At the end of last fall, we were visiting Home Depot and came across some tulip and daffodil bulbs. The kids were instantly captivated by all the endless color possibilities. I was excited about the idea of having a space and the time to plant a garden with the kids. We purchased two or three bags of bulbs. Having never planted bulbs before, I read and checked all the directions and made sure to get the correct sequence of bloomers to make sure that we would have blossoms all spring. We planted the bulbs in nice neat rows and then waited. Winter came and went this year with a record low in the snowfall department.  I was a bit worried about the bulbs because they need that snowmelt and cold weather to grow. Spring arrived and with temperatures swaying from the high 70s to the mid-40s on any given day the kids found a renewed interest in the garden. A few weeks later Maya noticed the tiny green leaves starting to push their way through the soft dirt. It became a daily ritual to go out and check on the flowers. The Daffodils bloomed first. They were not as yellow as some that we have seen, but the kids were still delighted. Next, our Tulips bloomed.  We planted several different color combinations. They looked just like the ones on our “Welcome” flag. The kids still check them daily.

Nature Boy

This as you may guess was accidentally a memorable moment.  I know it sounds bad, but when the boy needs to go, he needs to go.  We were on the way home from soccer practice and Ethan had to go pee pee.  Folks from Minnesota already know that occasionally you may find yourself on a stretch of road that does not have a restroom easily available.  That was our predicament on this particular day.  Andrew and I decided that it would be alright on this rare occasion to let him go pee pee in the “tall grass” on the side of the road.  Little did we know the tall grass would become Ethan’s favorite place to urinate.  Now, every time we get the car, Ethan has a pee pee emergency and can’t possibly keep it in.  Now, without fail, when we are in the car for any amount of time, Ethan’s sweet little voice rings out clear from the back seat, “I need to go pee pee in the tall grass.”

From these experiences I have learned to just let the memories happen.  As the parent, I can set the stage for what I think will be good memories, but I never know what they are going to take from the experiences.

Bunnies

Ethan, Maya, and I were recently watching a family of bunnies from the bedroom window.  They had been running back and forth after each other in what appeared to be a game of bunny tag.  I thought that one of these bunnies may have been the Easter Bunny.  Maya was quick to clear up my confusion.  Apparently none of them could have possibly been the Easter Bunny, he is white and these bunnies were brown with white tails. Silly me!

However, it was the conversation that I had with Ethan that reminded me of just how young and innocent he is.

Me: Ethan, you have to be very quiet.

Ethan: Why?

Me: So you don’t scare the bunnies away.

Ethan: Are they afraid of us?

Me: Yes.  When they hold very still like that, they think we can’t see them.

Ethan: I can still see them.

Mom: We can still see them, but they don’t know that.

Ethan: Why don’t they want us to see them?

Me: Some people hurt the bunnies.

Ethan: Oh no mom, not me. I am very nice.

Pinterest

It has been a while since I have had a chance to sit and do anything, let alone sit and type something that would be of interest to anyone else.  However, I was recently introduced to a highly addictive form of entertainment called Pinterest.  This has to be the Crown Jewel of internet usage for hoarders, collectors, and people like me that just don’t have the space or memory to remember the cool things that we come across on the internet. Now, when I find some picture, idea, or recipe that I just can’t live without, I just “Pin It” to my Pinterest page, and I can admire it when I want.  This also makes my husband happy because I am no longer printing random pictures that ultimately end up in a pile on my desk.  On Pinterest, I can organize everything into pinboards, which are like bulletin boards on steroids.

Check it out!

I will get back on track this weekend and type something of substance.

Wanted!

Tags

Chaska, children, Ethan, kindergarten, little boys, Maya, Minnesota, parenting, Religion, religious education, siblings, wanted

This past week I had yet another glimpse into the thinking of my children, as it relates to religion.  I think Maya and Ethan were debating who made people.  Maya voted for God, and Ethan voted for Jesus.  I didn’t try to correct Ethan at that moment.  Besides, how would I have explained that whole situation to my three-year-old and five-year-old.  Anyway, it still seemed like a good time for me to ask some questions.

Me:  So Maya, if people come from God, where did God come from?

(Ethan jumped in and answered before Maya had a chance.)

Ethan: God comes from Arizona.

Maya: He does not, he comes from America.

I did my best to not laugh as I often have to do.  I may still have let out a little chuckle though.  I did however, give up on asking additional questions after that.

This got me back to thinking about the religious education, or more accurately, the lack of religious education that is happening in our house.  The kids are obviously interested in it, and I feel more strongly than ever that I may be doing them a disservice by not presenting them with much background.  So, I guess the next thing is to consider where to start.

I am thinking about placing the following personal ad in Parade Magazine.

Young family seeks a light hearted religious establishment that is able to provide multiple views on various world religions, interactive learning opportunities for all ages, and positive social interactions for families. This institution must like children (without being creepy), must be community service oriented, and have a good sense of humor about itself.  It must also be tolerant of young children with limited attention spans, and grown children with equally limited attention spans.  Minimal financial commitment is a plus. Organizations with a history of violence, secrecy and the use of fear tactics in the name of the greater good, need not apply.

Wise Acre Eatery – Shameless Plug!

In our house, we love to eat.  With the exception of Ethan, we especially love to eat out.  Dining out does not appeal to my little man.  He does not like to sit still in a booth, he does not like that he has to use table manners, and he does not really eat a full meal right now.  He would much rather graze on yogurt, fruit, and crackers throughout the day and take over the world one action figure at a time.

Since we have been here in Minnesota, we have often found ourselves looking for that perfect little “go to” restaurant. The one that you visit when you don’t feel like cooking, or when you did feel like cooking but despite the effort, the end result was not as appetizing as it sounded. Sorry, am I the only one that happens to?

Anyway, a new genre of restaurant that we have learned about since arriving here focuses on using locally grown organic foods.  Most of the produce and meats are grown using farming techniques that allow the farms to remain sustainable and eco-friendly while still producing high quality healthy foods.  This really appealed to Andrew and me.  When we moved here, one of our goals was to eat cleaner foods and create a healthier lifestyle for us and the kids.  Let’s see, where does Mc Donald’s fit into that picture?  Don’t tell Ethan, but we are phasing it out completely.  Not having one on every block has helped tremendously!

One of the best restaurants that we have found is called Wise Acre.  This little garage turned restaurant is packed every night, yet when I ask people about it, nobody has ever heard of it.  This is a small place with great atmosphere.  The bar serves beer, wine, foo foo coffees and lattes. They even make a great mug of hot chocolate.  Wise Acre is on Nicollete in Minneapolis.  It is about a twenty-five minute drive from our house, but worth the drive.

Wise Acre serves fresh creatively paired produce and quality cuts of meats.  The small menu offers something for everyone.  Meat lovers and vegetarians alike are delighted with the selection of dishes that are offered.  The menu changes often and is based on the season and availability of ingredients.  Wise Acre harvests much of the produce and meats used in their dishes from their own farm, Tangletown Gardens Farm near Plato, Minnesota.

Did I mention that Chef Beth Fisher is a creative genius when it comes to pairing foods and flavors? I recently had wild rice and ricotta fritters served with a smoked paprika and orange aioli dipping sauce!  Currently, the menu includes a dish called “Hog on Holiday (hogs gone wild).” This little treasure is made up of coconut caramel braised pork, long noodles, purple cabbage, and a roasted jalapeno cream sauce.  Then to finish it off, it is garnished with sesame, cilantro, and mint. Deliciousness in a bowl!  Keep in mind that , although I love to try new places, I am typically not all that creative in my food choices when I get there.

The kids like Wise Acre for the corn dog, slaw, and frozen custard.  Kiddos that have clean plates get a cup of Wise Acre frozen custard.  I still can’t believe that Maya loves the slaw so much.  It’s a mix wild rice, carrots, red cabbage, and a yummy dressing!

For us older kids, Wise Acre also offers several dessert options from homemade cookies and bars to sundaes and floats.

Check out the menu at http://www.wiseacreeatery.com/menu.php.

I am thinking that if I were a food critic, I would give Wise Acre a 5 carrot rating!

Posted to Oblivian – Me vs. Windows Vista

So I wrote a great (I’m biased) post about a book that I recently read and I wanted to share it with you all. I guess it was not meant to be for tonight. After about an hour of typing, I tried to change the picture that I had in the post. Somehow, I fixed the picture and lost the text. Apparently, Windows Vista does not have a clipboard with a memory. I Googled it and found some good leads, sadly, after a wild goose chase on my computer I finally gave into the fact that it was gone.

The book is called “Heaven is for Real.” I think the book is worth sharing, so I will rewrite my post again this weekend.

My Mind is a Scrambled Egg!

So much has been going on that I hardly know where to start.  Apparently my brain while teaching is similar to the brain on drugs scenario, scrambled.  I hope you can follow my craziness.

Work has been going well over all.  I do miss being home and I feel like I am a brand new teacher all over again, learning the ropes  and expectations of a new school, the curriculum of a new grade, and the standards of a new state.   All the while,  Andrew is holding everything  together at home with the love and patience of a true friend and partner.  He has picked up the slack (cooking, cleaning, and taxi service) ever since I started shadowing the teacher I replaced, back in January.  I will say that it has been refreshing to see a school that is so deeply involved with philanthropy.  They do one fundraiser each year that supports two major school events.  Other than that, they fundraise for charity. Since I started in January, the school has participated in two major fundraising events.  The first, United Against Hunger, is a program that packages meals for starving families in third world countries.  They come into the school set-up stations and the kids measure, weigh, seal, and pack the meals.  Each package feeds a family of 6 for 1 day.  This year the kids filled nearly 2500 bags and raised some ridiculous amount of money.  The second philanthropy they support is The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.  The school historically collects about $10,000/year in a fundraising effort spearheaded by the Student Council.  They have been receiving awards for their efforts for years.  So far, our class has collected $350.00.

The kids are both enrolled in activities and realize that I am not home  as much, but seem relatively unphased.  Maya continues to impress us everyday with her sense of humor and her love of life.  That, combined with her fiery personality, makes everyday an adventure.  Ethan brings home fun new facts from school all the time.  Most recently, he told me that Jesus didn’t take [Ehtan’s] his sins away.  After I had asked him three or maybe four times, why anyone would want to take his shins away, I finally realized what he was saying.  When I asked why he still had his sins, he said that he punched somebody, so he still had his sins.  It may be time to reconsider the Lutheran School situation.  Although, he said that he likes Jesus on the cross too, maybe he is just really confused.    We will have to do some soul-searching on this one.

http://mn.sy.llsevent.org/OAKPOINTINTERMEDIATESCHOOL

youthink.worldbank.org/issues/development/united-against-hunger

You can visit the The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society to donate at the attached link.  Make sure you put in Oak Point Intermediate as the school and Dolan/Davis as the teacher.  That way our class gets the credit for the donation.

Love That Quinoa Burger!

Reblogged from :

• 
• 
• 

QUINOA BURGER

So yummy!  If you want a change of pace that’s meat-free, yet full of protein, fiber, and very filling…this might be for you.

I like it with Tzatziki on top (my recipe is in this post), or  a little “fry sauce” (what some drive-ins call that wonderful mayo/ketchup combo), and with a thick slice of tomato, avocado, onion and lettuce, as a burger should be, it’s fab.

Read more… 317 more words

Andrew is going to make this tonight!