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Anything is fun!
Case in point, I held the worst yard sale in the world this Sunday. The winds were blowing at 30+mph and I think we had four people all day. It took us three hours to figure out that we could open the garage door to have some shelter INSIDE the garage (vs. being blown away on my front patio.) We made very little money, but both had a really great time! Why? How? Because we were together… doing nothing other than chatting and visiting for 5hours. How often do us busy moms get to do that? For me the answer is, not often enough.

In retrospect… here’s a few yard sale tips for you that I didn’t think of till after my disastrous sale:

- Have your sale on a Saturday, not only on a Sunday (and expect to make any money.)

- Put up an ad on Craigs List. My friend suggested this and I didn’t do it because I didn’t want my address on it. Only later did it occur to me that I could have just put the street name and city. DUH!

- Check the weather. If it’s going to be really windy, save yourself the headache (my "like-new" Karaoke machine was blown right off the table and busted.) If there’s wind, cancel… ditto for rain.

- Check you local schedules. I didn’t realize the college was on Spring Break. Not that I get a lot of college students anyway, but it does decrease the chances of people being in-town.

 
Of course my last tip is if you do have a yard sale, invite at least once friend to share the pain with you. You just may end having a great time and not caring that no one wants your junk.

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Nature is in full bloom and all these colors on display turn my thoughts to art. There are so many fun activities you can do with your child at a very young age to whet their appetite and passion for color, line, shape, form, etc… Here’s a few ideas to get you started this weekend.

- Springtime Collage

Buy a cheap disposable camera (or use an old digital camera.) Give it to your child! Take them on a short walk (or even just around your backyard) and tell them to “Take pictures of Spring!” Develop (or print out) the pictures and sit down as a family. Talk about them. You can help your child make them into a book, or even a photo collage (with child-safe scissors and a glue stick.) Attach them to an inexpensive blank canvas (even Wal Mart sells these in the craft isle) for a unique, personalized piece of art!

- Pressed Flowers

Go for a nature walk. Pick flowers. Press them between sheets of wax paper in heavy books. Wait a week. Show them to the children! You can even layer them between contact paper (w/ or w/o stickers) to make beautiful spring bookmarks. Or used the pressed flowers in your “Springtime Collage” (see above.)

- Nature Painting

Collect some “nature items” (leaves, flowers, grass, whatever strikes you.) Set out some child-safe paint (not acrylic) and paper. Let them children use the nature items rather than brushes! Again, you could even do this on canvas rather than paper. Using only primary colors (red, yellow and blue) add to the learning and fun as they mix their own green, orange and purple!

- Blown Eggs

For school aged children, poke a little hole in the top and bottom of eggs. Blow egg goo out into a bowl (you can later make scrambled eggs and eat them!). Let the children paint, color or decorate the eggs in any way they want. A fun alternative to just “dying” eggs and they’ll last!

- Outside Fun!

Of course, art and the outdoors go together like mac and cheese! Here’s a few things to do outside…

-Bring a blanket outside and do play dough!

-Sidewalk chalk your whole driveway (or sidewalk) Done? Then get it wet and draw with wet chalk (the colors will be more saturated in hue.)

-Use gathered items to make a “fairy house.”

-“Paint” the house (or sidewalk) with a bucket of water and real house painting brushes and rollers. (The Dollar Tree has both of these items.)

-Take “messy” painting outside. Let your child finger paint. Layer paper, foil, tape and other objects over their art as they create. When “done” peel off and see what you have!

-“Paint” with squirt bottles of diluted water color on paper. You can also place found objects on the paper, then spray, and you’ll have only the outline left (a good science project that show’s object resistance and solidity!)

Have a wonderful weekend full of play, discovery

and memories!

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While planning a graduation party for my son, I was thinking back to how far he’s come these 15years and what a huge roll I’ve had to play in that. People always tell me “If it weren’t for you, man-cub would never be where he is today.” I brush it off with a smile and know that’s not exactly true. Of course many people have helped mold him and teach him, loved him and cared for him… not just me. I will take credit however for trusting my intuition and finding answers when I just knew something was up.

I knew my son was different almost from birth. He cried very little, slept through the night at two weeks (and took a 4hour nap every day) and as soon as he was old enough to get on all fours, he would rock. Rock endlessly. Rock till he gave himself blisters and stripped the screws right out of his crib. I tried to talk to our pediatrician and find answers. I knew this wasn’t “normal” and something was going on. I was given no answers, a pat on the head, told I worry too much and to just go home and enjoy my baby. Of course I enjoyed him! Suspecting something was different didn’t mean I wanted an exchange for goodness sake. What I did want was an explanation. What was going on and why did I have to wrap my baby’s (new) crib in velvet to cut down the friction so he wouldn’t give himself blisters from all the rocking!

Now of course I know that’s a 100% classic sign of Autism. What I want to know (and never did find out) is why our pediatrician didn’t know that! None of them did. Every symptom I would bring up with concern at our checkups was a classic symptom of Autism. It wasn’t until my son was 3 ½ and in speech therapy for his stutter that the word finally came up (from his speech therapist of all people.) I took him to a pediatric neurologist where he was diagnosed “PDD-NOS.” This means “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” (aka: He’s somewhere on the Autism Spectrum, but too verbal to really be full Autistic.) “Not Otherwise Specified” (aka: They don’t know.) I felt angry. Angry that the medical system still had no answers for me. Angry that I had been talking to blank faces and deaf ears for 3 ½ years. Angry at the countless specialists who told me “He’s just brilliant and gifted! Why are you worrying about it?!” Angry at my husband who agreed with them and thought I was just “Looking for something wrong.”

Fast forward now 12 years, countless sessions of Speech Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, Occupational Therapy, IEP meetings, and more money than I care to think about and you will see my son… “Man-Cub” for who I always saw him as. Brilliant, handsome, funny, clever, kind, and unique. No, there’s nothing “wrong” with him, but yes, his weaknesses and challenges have a name. Call it PDD-NOS, High Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome, all it means is that he sees the world a little different than the rest of us. Some things (like non verbal communication) will be difficult for him for the rest of his life. Other things (like creative writing) will come naturally and be a tool for him. I will also agree that without me “knowing” something was up and challenging the medical and educational system, he would be labeled full Autistic. I would have lost him to his own world in his head and it would have been too late to do anything about it by the time the “professionals” all played catch-up.

My point is this, if you suspect for one second that there is something going on with your child that may require further investigation, or early intervention, run with it. Don’t second guess yourself, don’t brush yourself off and most importantly, don’t listen to the people telling you that you’re inventing things to worry about (even if that person is your partner.) Mama knows when there’s something up and no medical professional in the world can replace a mother’s intuition.

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If I had to give myself a superhero name, I’d be “The Replacer.” Replacing toilet paper with a single hand! I’m suspecting there are more “Replacers” here then just me. Toilet paper, paper towels, light bulbs, batteries, worn out socks and underware. I replace things around the house that my family doesn’t even know about. I’m starting to wonder if Target was named thusly so that even men can find it… “Just drive till you find the red bulls eye honey!”

Seriously! How many of you share your home with other “Replacers?” I’m guessing none-to-few. There’s usually only one “Replacer” per household (not quite sure why.) I’m also convinced that the other people in the home aren’t even aware that the person is a “Replacer,” because they do their job so well. There’s just mysteriously ALWAYS toilet paper in the bathroom, or new socks and underwear appear overnight, or the batteries in the remote are ALWAYS good! Hah! The “Replacer” strikes again!

What do you think? Are you the “Replacer” in your home?

Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to be able to attend an Early Childhood Conference in Davis. The headliner of this conference was Lisa Murphy, the"Ooey Gooey Lady." If you've never had the thrill of seeing Lisa in-person, all I can say is... poor you.


Lisa Murphy - The "Ooey Gooey Lady"

I have always been a big advocate of multi-sensory stimulation through hands-on learning in young children. You may know it simply as "play." Lisa and I both agree that play has become a dirty word and parents want their little children "learning" instead. Rather than slap them upside the head and scream "THEY ARE LEARNING! PLAY IS HOW CHILDREN LEARN!!!" Lisa travels the United States educating parents, educators and administrators on why and how to have fun with the children in their care.

If there is any doubt that this woman knows how to have fun (like her apron isn't proof enough)... just check her boots!

Lisa's message is this. We (as parents and educators) have lost our way. We are so consumed with teaching children about apples (for example) through pictures, dittos and conforming to test scores that we don't remember the best way to teach, is through fun. Don't print out a ditto of an apple for the children... don't even teach the preschoolers how to spell A-P-P-L-E. Bring in REAL apples! All colors, shapes, sizes, smells. Let the children explore them through their senses. Cut them open, talk about them, toss them in the air, paint them, discuss their differences and similarities. Which class do you think will learn more about apples? The teacher who brings in a bushel of apples, or the class who colors their ditto apple red?

A big reason for this switch away from play is state standards. In an effort to have "no child left behind" they've all been left behind. Teachers are afraid to really teach and don't have enough money in their budget to provide the kind of experiences and materials that teach the most. It doesn't help either when a parent enters the room, sees apples all over every surface and asks "why is my child playing! What did they LEARN today?"

Aside from giving teachers the ideas, inspiration and tools to improve their lesson plans and teaching style for young children, she also informs teachers how to talk intelligently about what they do (to validate their choices with parents, administrators, etc...) Which one would you rather hear more about? "I'm a preschool teacher!" or "I'm an Early Childhood Development Specialist?" We are creatures of language and sad as it is, the second one will glean more attention (and funding) than the first.

Here are a few pictures I took after Lisa's "Ooey Gooey" workshop. Yes, it was as much fun as it looks!


Chemical reactions with every day items.

Painting with kitchen scrub brushes (and primary colors only.)

My PERSONAL Favorite...
A primary color of water (yellow), shaving cream and another primary color on top (blue.) What do they make!? What a great, fun, unique way to teach color to small children.

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I'm not Catholic, nor do I go for the whole "St. Patrick" myth... however, I do love to wear green on St. Patricks day and always always always make Shepard's Pie for dinner. Call it "green day" or "Irish Day" (my personal favorite), or even "Everyone's Irish Day!" I hope it is a happy one for you.

I leave you with a wink, pinch and my recipe for amazing Shepard's Pie.

You'll need:
-2 packs Instant Real Mashed Potatoes (or mash about 4 large potatoes if you're feeling crazy)
-1lb ground turkey
-3 cloves garlic
-1 onion
-salt & pepper
-1/2 bag frozen veges of your choice (I like corn and edame)
-1 cup pre-shredded Italian cheese mixture (or just shredded Cheddar)

Step 1: Prepare your mashed potatoes. I like to use Vege broth or Chicken broth rather than the water called for. I also toss in about 3 whole cloves of garlic to the boiling broth, but pull them out before adding the dehydrated potatoes. You get all the flavor, with no big chunks in your pie.

Step 2: Layer the bottom of a pan (whatever shape you wish) with 1/2 of your mashed potatoes. Reserve the other 1/2 for later.

Step 3: Heat about 1tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Dice and brown your 1 onion. When slightly brown and translucent, add your ground turkey. You may season this however you like. I actually like to add about 1tsp. of A-1 sauce to mine for a kick. You can add a little BBQ sauce, or just salt and pepper.

Step 4: When your meat is cooked through, drain and reserve. Add your frozen veges to the pan you just used for the meat, adding more oilve oil if you feel it needs it. Cook just till no longer frozen, it's ok if they're still cool to the touch.

Step 5: Mix your vegetables and meat together in a large bowl.

Step 6: Add mixture to the pan you smeared with mashed potatoes.

Step 7: Cover evenly (as evenly as possible) with remaining mashed potatoes and then top with cheese (about 1 cup.)

Step 8: Cook at 350 for 30min.

It will be a little messy to dish up, but so worth it! Serve up with some fresh berries on the side and you hit all your food groups for the day.

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If I had to pick just one gift for myself, I think it would be to have a crystal ball. I’m not kidding! How many of us have stressed out about the future for our families (especially now.) I met with an expectant friend of mine on Sunday. Her husband just passed the bar exam and is an attorney, who can’t find a job. She’s finishing up her certification program to become a therapist, but will be very pregnant when she’s done. They rent a tiny place where there’s no room for baby and the future is very hazy for her. I feel her situation is very common right now for a lot of people.

When I was 4months pregnant both my husband and I were laid off from our jobs (we worked for the same company.) We were on unemployment together for the next 4 ½ months. Maybe it was the hormones, but I honestly didn’t worry that much about it. I had faith that my husband would find a new job in time and one that would be even better than our last and allow me to stay home with our baby. He did by the way, just two weeks before our son was born. In the meantime, we enjoyed spending as much time together as possible before our life was consumed by this new person.

I shared this story with my friend and it did seem to alleviate some of her anxiety. I told her that she just needs to eat, drink, rest and make this baby. I just hope her husband can find employment soon to take some of the stress off her shoulders.

There have been countless times where I feared the future and the unknown, second guessed my choices and decisions and wished I had that crystal ball. Looking back now I honestly can’t remember a time where my fear and hesitation was founded. Like an old mountain goat I can traverse these craggy cliffs of life with my head held high certain that I’ll make it to the top just fine (pulling my kid along behind me.) I’ll leave you with a great quote that my therapist told me on Friday.

“If you live with one foot in the past, you’ll be depressed.

If you live with one foot in the future, you’ll be anxious.

If you live with one foot in both, you’ll piss all over yourself.”

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I love to learn new things. My husband claims I’m always reading “boring books.” That is, books full of interesting information, or “how to” books. Not kissing and swooning books.

A book leapt off the shelves at me while at the library yesterday called “Healthy Child Healthy World – Creating a cleaner, greener, safer home.” I didn’t let the fact that it has contributions by Gwyneth Paltrow, Brook Shields and other stars scare me away. I mean honestly, with money like that I’d have an organic Alpacha mattress for my baby too! I thought it might have some good information on how to make your own cleansers and useful tips like that. It did, but it also was stuffed to overflowing with scare tactic statistics.

Like PETA, groups such as these tend to “inform” by making you wet yourself with fear and want to send your child off to school with a kiss though a giant plastic hamster ball. At first, I was very interested in the statistics and like our friend Dwight from the TV show “The Office,” was happily spouting them off to my husband in bed. “Oooo! Did you know that 66% of 139 streams tested in 30 states were found to contain disinfectants!” Or “WOW! Up to 600,000 babies are born each year with IQ damage due to in-utero exposure to mercury from the mother eating fish!” Each page this book would have a “wow” statistic on the sidebar. After a few chapters of this, it was no longer interesting, or frightening, but manipulating.

Yes, they stated their sources and yes, I believe they are accurate. I don’t however think that scaring parents (or pregnant women) is a smart way to make change. I started to feel like too much information could be a bad thing. Actually making us all into hyper vigilant hypochondriacs.

"Healthy Child" is (like PETA), a non-profit agency with a very successful website. I’m sure they honestly do want to help families become more aware of the environment and health, I just think you can do it in a more gentle way. A way that doesn’t make me want to take a Silkwood shower after playing with my child at the park.

Do you think TMI (too much information) can be a bad thing?

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In this tightening economy and with the State giving us all IOU’s rather than a check, how can you make money out of nothing? I’ll tell you how (and it’s not by throwing parties or spending money!)

-Clean out that garage and have a yard sale. I have yet to clean out my garage and have a yard sale where I didn’t make at least $200. They’re not pleasant, but a fast, simple way to make good cash fast.

-Consign it. Have a lot of nice pre-baby clothes you’re clinging to? Give up the cling and go for the cash. Take it into a consignment shop.

-Ebay it. Ebay is better than a yard sale for jewelry or nicer clothes. Especially if you’re plus size. The last time I put items up on Ebay I made the retail price back on everything. A smart way to list is to charge a flat rate for a priority shipping box and tell the people up-front that you will pack as many winning items in 1 box as possible. This really helped my sales (and explains why you’re charging $7 for shipping.) It also ensures they get their items fast (and you get good feedback.)

-Turn that hobby into cash. Do you have a lot of jewelry laying around that you made just for fun? Knit and crochet like crazy, but everyone you love already has a scarf from you? Start your own Etsy store and list them all. For only 20cents per item (and they stay up for 4months) this is a better deal for hand-made items than Etsy.

-Go through your old movies and CD’s. When we were younger and strapped for cash, this was our favorite way to make some fast. Many local music shops (like Dimple Records) will pay cash for your used movies and CD’s.

-Don’t forget the video games! You can also trade in, or cash out your old video games (and systems) at most local game shops (like Game Stop.) Make the kids go through what they don’t want, or don’t play with. Let them trade in for 1 new thing, and pocket the leftover cash!

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On our way back home from vacation last week I told my husband that my favorite part of our trip was the part when people showed good manners. It wasn’t the food at the nice restaurant that made me happy; it was having the chair pulled out for me, the napkin placed on my lap, being served first and the overall exceptional manners you will find in such a restaurant. If only the same could have been said for the diners.

Very few people were dressed appropriately, some were cackling drunkenly (not me) while the table next to us all watched a video on someone’s iPhone (I kid you not.) This restaurant is very renowned and pricy. Not exactly where you would expect to find people oblivious to good manners. The staff seemed really embarrassed by the rudeness of some of their customers and I felt bad for them.

Manners come down to thoughtfulness and respect. I was wondering if the more isolated we become (through technology) makes us more oblivious and un-intentionally disrespectful? How many of us even know that we have bad manners? That we’re being rude or thoughtless? I’m guessing those people at the restaurant were just clueless, not rude on purpose.

Are people being taught manners anymore? I know I was raised with very strict, explicit expectations in this department, and so is my son. One of my favorite things about my husband is his amazing manners (I don’t think I touched a door our whole time in Vegas.) It’s something I appreciate and wish more people would put some effort into.

Another strange thing I noticed while on vacation was women dressing as shlumpy men for comfort. I watch What Not to Wear, so I thought I was aware of this popular train of thought. However, I really saw it taken to the extreme in Vegas. Ladies, you don’t have to look like a bum… OR a hooker for vacation. Everyone wants to be comfy on a plane, but you don’t have to wear old sweats to be comfortable! I’m sure all the moms here already are aware of that fact, but I was really shocked by the number of ugly man tennis shoes, hoodies and nasty jeans I saw (especially at the airport.) Trust me when I say that a cotton jersey dress and mary janes are just as loose and comfy as that nasty track suit.

Learning how to dress for your body and lifestyle AND MANNERS can be a family activity. Make it fun and practice what you preach. You’ll be doing your children a favor, and making the world a better place for us all.

Quick Manner Tips for the WHOLE Family

-Learn how to shake hands and teach your children
(firm grip. Not too firm and no loose wrist.)

-Teach boys to open doors for ladies
(especially those older than them.)

-Teach children to hold doors open for the person behind them
(not just walk through obliviously.)

-Teach and learn how and when to turn the cell phone off
(meals, movies, plays, etc…)

-Teach children how to eat at the table
(which silverware to use, how to use a cloth napkin, boys to pull out chairs for girls, etc…)

-Teach manner “language”
(yes please, no thank you, Mr. Mrs. Mam…)

-Teach and practice etiquette
(to bring a hostess gift, write and send thank you notes, etc…)

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Dear (insert your name here),

You work tirelessly day in and day out caring for everyone but yourself. Focusing on the mistakes of the past and worrying for the future. You are a shoulder to lean on, arms to carry every and anything and a lap that’s even better than a chair. You are a police woman, mediator, professor, chef, organizer and pediatrician. When was the last time you gave yourself a break? Cut yourself some slack? Did something wonderful… just for you… just because? Yes, the economy sucks, but worrying and taking care of everyone and everything around you won’t fix the world. It will just cause you to want to buy stock in hair dye prematurely and curse your HMO for not covering Botox.

Today is what matters and you matter most of all. Without you, what would your family do? So let the past, be the past and let the future take care of itself. Today won’t wait and you shouldn’t wait to be kind to YOU.

I took my own advice to heart this week and purchased a "message ring" for myself off Etsy. For only $15 I got a lovely little sterling silver reminder of the importance of TODAY (as that’s what I chose my ring to say), and helped out the economy a little. The designer was Creations By Cat Jewelry. It came in the mail yesterday and I’m feeling like a million bucks already. Perhaps it will bring me luck in Vegas?

I’ll be back Saturday. Live for today you wonderful, amazing mothers you!

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Our family spent a thrilling Saturday night transported visually and musically into the world of video games. We saw a concert called Video Games Music Live as a birthday gift to man-cub.

I’m very aware of what a “bad rap” video games have gotten in the past. “They cause violence! Decrease grades! Make kids unable to pay attention!” But today I’m sharing what my son has gained from video games.

- To try-try again. Failure is a huge part of almost all video games. To solve a puzzle, it takes many tries. Each time you get closer to the answer, just like real life.

- To think “outside the box.” For many games, the answer isn’t the most obvious one and you really have to use trial and error to get it right. Again, just like life.

- To work hard for what you want. In many games the “hero” has to go through many perilous adventures to get to the end. Life isn’t easy and neither are your goals. Anything good is worth hard work (or fighting for.)

- To prioritize. You can’t just walk through the locked door. You first have to find the guard, talk to them, get the key, light the torch and un-lock the door. This thought process actually translates to school work and life very well. You need to know the steps to take to get to the “answer.”

- How to navigate. My son’s been studying maps in game guides since he was very little. Through these maps and playing, he’s learned some complex real-life navigation skills.

- An appreciation of music. Video game music is no longer simple bloops and bleeps of our childhood. It is a full symphony (often with a choir) to create a multi-sensory environment. My son has an appreciation for classical greats that he would never have without exposure through video games.

- Legitimate career experience. By playing games his whole life and attending such summer programs asID Tech Camp, my son has gained some legitimate real-world career building experience. Video games are no longer for “nerds” and “geeks” but for people who can possibly someday make a generous living in the industry.

Of course, all things must be done in moderation and with supervision. Man-cub never plays games we don’t know about, has time limits and rating limits. Playing with friends is even better still (as you then gain other skills like sharing, turn taking, etc..) We also play as a family. Such games as Mario Party or Wii Sports are excellent for family time. There are also plenty of games on the market right now with no “winners” (such as Animal Crossing, a personal favorite of mine.)

So try not to roll your eyes the next time your child wants to hop on the console. Everything in moderation is good, and they’re gaining some real-life skills and lessons by enjoying a little down-time. Just make sure it's not Grand Theft Auto they're enjoying!