I'll fully admit: our six year old is a handful. His teacher deserves a very special award after this year, and we should problem prep next year's teacher well.
He's not a bad kid. But he's an excited kid. A curious kid. An energetic, implusive, active, funny, charming, mesmorizing, magnetic, leader of a kid. And did I mention he's smart? First, in a discipine situation he can and will call out your irrationalities and offer a more logical solution. Seriously. You can't flaw his logic at time. And school wise? He's reading third grade books and well beyond his class in all other subject. Execpt for keeping quiet, sitting still, and not keeping his hands to himself.
I'm sure you can imagine where the school is pushing us on this one...ADHD-ville.
I'm not going to say he doesn't have it. I don't know. But I do know that at 6, its really not possible to diagnose him. He doesn't know who he is or how he "fits" into this school. But clearly, there are some issues.
I've been doing a lot of research and I found that magnesium deficiencies can cause these symptoms. I don't know about all of you - but I was scractching my head: what gives us magnesium? As I went down a list of high magnesium foods lightbulbs started going off. The list consisted of nuts. Peanuts. Legumes that are not safe for my allergy boy (things like chick peas and legumes very close to peanuts).
Could his food allergies be hurting his ability to function? It possible. I'm on a mission to get other good veggies into him and to cut artificial colors, dyes, and unneccessary sugars. The best part? My boy is on board. He's so smart, he sees the issue, understands how food affects his body, and is gung-ho. I hope this works.
No matter how smart though, he's six. He hate broccoli, spinach, and other leafy greans that could be helpful. Basically, if its not corn, he's not interested. I've stayed strong over the years to offer other things and not "cave" to his corn - but he still wasn't GETTING those things. So I've started working with the Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfield and playing with purees. Our first attempt has gotten rave reviews, and I don't think either kid knows they're getting carrots!
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Applesauce Muffins with Carrot puree - from Deceptively Delicious
TOPPING
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (I RECOMMEND DARK)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I'd do 1 1/2-2 teaspoons next time)
2 tablesppons soft tub spread, melted
BATTER
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I'd to 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons next time)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (next time, I'll use natural applesauce for a little flavor)
1/2 cup non fat milk
1/2 carrot puree (could use butternut squash puree too)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (I recommend dark)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
- Pre heat oven to 400, prepare 12 cup muffin tin with spary or muffin papers.
- combine topping ingredients together and mix well to crumble on top.
- Combine flour, oats, baking poweder, baking soda, and cinammon in a bowl. In another bowl, combine applesauce, milk, puree, sugar, oil, and egg. Combine with the dry ingredients - mix it up, but not too well, its going to be lumpy.
- Divide the batter between the 12 cups (I'd say about 3/4 of the way full)
- Sprinkle with the topping (do it pretty well, you'll want that crunch and flavor).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick is clean when poked in.
- Allow muffins to cool and serve them up!
These are great for breakfast, snacks, or on the go!
Next? Spinach in our son's BELOVED cheesy shell's recipe. Here's hoping!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
"Get your socks out of the crockpot!"
Seriously, I had to scold it today. I never, ever, ever imagined that'd be coming out of my mouth.
Where's the book for the things you'll REALLY need to know and look out for in motherhood?
I don't think that's in there anywhere.
I'm adding this to my list of other "did I really just that's?" incuding gems like:
- I don't care if you weren't caught, we do not practice karate in the library
- Do not use your sister's head as a bongo. No, I honestly don't believe she likes it.
- I'm sure your sister is NOT good at backflips, but how did YOU find that out?
What else you got for me? :) Leave a comment!
Where's the book for the things you'll REALLY need to know and look out for in motherhood?
I don't think that's in there anywhere.
I'm adding this to my list of other "did I really just that's?" incuding gems like:
- I don't care if you weren't caught, we do not practice karate in the library
- Do not use your sister's head as a bongo. No, I honestly don't believe she likes it.
- I'm sure your sister is NOT good at backflips, but how did YOU find that out?
What else you got for me? :) Leave a comment!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Not my mother's daughter
I like to think I was an easy child for my mother. I tell her often that I'd love to have a child that was as well behaved and listened as well as I did.
She usually hangs up the phone then. I'm sure its to grab my baby book and reminisce about the glory that came with raising me in her own private manner.
So on Saturday, when my mom said "Want go shoe shopping and out to lunch?" I looked at my 1 year old daughter and knew she'd be angelic. Just like I had been. Of course we'd go.
My mom said she'd be over around 11:30. So at 11:30 we were ready. And my precious daughter politely yelled for the door - she wanted outside. Fine. We stood in the driveway for 10 minutes while she hollared for her dad (who had gone to work for the afternoon). Its great how much she loves him.
We got in the car, drove 5 minutes downtown, and as we opened her door to let her out of the backseat she smiled, opened her mouth, and puked. My mother jumped back - HER daughter had NEVER done anything like this. I sighed. Time to fess up: I'm not raising my mother's daughter.
"What happened!?"
"She puked!"
"Now what? You want to go home?"
"No. She needs shoes and I want lunch. I'll change her outfit."
"Here!? In this parking lot?"
"Yes, hold her coat."
And I did it. Calmly, I cleaned the raisin filled puke, thankful she'd kept it mostly on her dress, and reached into her diaper bag for another outfit (I always have 1-2 on me - this isn't the first time I've changed her in a parking lot if you recall my Feb 2011 post). She dropped her binky on the ground and while the nipple didn't hit the ground, in true second child form I popped it into my head to "clean it", only to have to announce to my mother:
"This thing is covered in snot, gross."
My mother gagged. And we went into the store.
My daughter screamed the entire time we were in the store. Until finally, my mother asked her what she wanted. And thanks to that sign-language from her daycare she glared at her grandmother and signed "FOOD."
My mother looked at me and I calmly informed her that at OUR house, it would take more than a little vomit and ingested snot to get us to turn down the promised free lunch. We headed to the car, drove the restaurant, got out and felt my girl start to gag.
"Mom, back up - she's going again." Clearly - her VERY runny nose/cold was upsetting her tummy a bit. I leaned her over to save us from changing in ANOTHER parking lot, my mother stood in awe, and when she was done we headed in.
"That's it? She's just ok now?"
"It's puke mom. My kids are pukers. She's fine - but probably hungry"
"My girls were never pukers...I'm so glad."
I bet you were, mom. We made it in for lunch and it took my girl nearly an hour to eat 1 chicken finger and a handful of fries. She was too busy coloring, signing, chattering, and playing games with her grandma. She sweetly signed "please", and asked for "more food". She asked for a cup, then expressed she'd wanted "milk" and not water. Not with screaming but with her carefully executed signs and a couple rough babbles (she's only 15 months afterall!)
"Now THAT is cool. My girls never did that," my mom was pretty impressed with what she could do.
Definitely not raisng my mother's daughter, but that's not all bad either.
She usually hangs up the phone then. I'm sure its to grab my baby book and reminisce about the glory that came with raising me in her own private manner.
So on Saturday, when my mom said "Want go shoe shopping and out to lunch?" I looked at my 1 year old daughter and knew she'd be angelic. Just like I had been. Of course we'd go.
My mom said she'd be over around 11:30. So at 11:30 we were ready. And my precious daughter politely yelled for the door - she wanted outside. Fine. We stood in the driveway for 10 minutes while she hollared for her dad (who had gone to work for the afternoon). Its great how much she loves him.
We got in the car, drove 5 minutes downtown, and as we opened her door to let her out of the backseat she smiled, opened her mouth, and puked. My mother jumped back - HER daughter had NEVER done anything like this. I sighed. Time to fess up: I'm not raising my mother's daughter.
"What happened!?"
"She puked!"
"Now what? You want to go home?"
"No. She needs shoes and I want lunch. I'll change her outfit."
"Here!? In this parking lot?"
"Yes, hold her coat."
And I did it. Calmly, I cleaned the raisin filled puke, thankful she'd kept it mostly on her dress, and reached into her diaper bag for another outfit (I always have 1-2 on me - this isn't the first time I've changed her in a parking lot if you recall my Feb 2011 post). She dropped her binky on the ground and while the nipple didn't hit the ground, in true second child form I popped it into my head to "clean it", only to have to announce to my mother:
"This thing is covered in snot, gross."
My mother gagged. And we went into the store.
My daughter screamed the entire time we were in the store. Until finally, my mother asked her what she wanted. And thanks to that sign-language from her daycare she glared at her grandmother and signed "FOOD."
My mother looked at me and I calmly informed her that at OUR house, it would take more than a little vomit and ingested snot to get us to turn down the promised free lunch. We headed to the car, drove the restaurant, got out and felt my girl start to gag.
"Mom, back up - she's going again." Clearly - her VERY runny nose/cold was upsetting her tummy a bit. I leaned her over to save us from changing in ANOTHER parking lot, my mother stood in awe, and when she was done we headed in.
"That's it? She's just ok now?"
"It's puke mom. My kids are pukers. She's fine - but probably hungry"
"My girls were never pukers...I'm so glad."
I bet you were, mom. We made it in for lunch and it took my girl nearly an hour to eat 1 chicken finger and a handful of fries. She was too busy coloring, signing, chattering, and playing games with her grandma. She sweetly signed "please", and asked for "more food". She asked for a cup, then expressed she'd wanted "milk" and not water. Not with screaming but with her carefully executed signs and a couple rough babbles (she's only 15 months afterall!)
"Now THAT is cool. My girls never did that," my mom was pretty impressed with what she could do.
Definitely not raisng my mother's daughter, but that's not all bad either.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Getting serious for a minute
There are a lot of definitions surrounding forgiveness and the word forgive in general. At Easter time, the definition of "to forgive someone for (something wrong)" rings truer than ever. I would be lying to say I don't tend to think about this word around this time of the year. I know over the last 5 years I have grown much closer to God and his forgiveness for all my sins. I've definitely kept him on his toes ;)
But this Easter, the word hit home in a different way. I'm not dragging things out and airing my dirty laundry but I just want to say I was a really bad friend to someone who was trying to help me and be my friend 6 years ago (notice the coincidental time lines here). I said things no friend should ever say under any circumstance. Ever. And for the last 5 years I've felt sorry, guilty, remorseful, and embarrassed by what I did. I wanted to reach out but I couldn't imagine someone forgiving me and being willing to talk again. And, I was mortified for how I behaved and new that it would have to be addressed. Honestly, talking about that period of life depresses me to no end. I couldn't do it. Even though I wanted to and I missed my friend.
The day before Easter, I ran into my friend's mom and learned my friend, my 31 year old full of life friend, has been battling breast cancer and is facing a double mastectomy this week. I felt sick and scared and even worse that before. She was struggling and dealing with scary stuff and I couldn't swallow my pride to admit my wrong doing and ask for forgivness. I was selfish. And wrong. Again. And thanks to an ill-timed grocery store visit, on the day I NEVER go to the store, I had some serious decisions to make.
I reached out to her, scared that my good friend might be gone and I'd missed out on having her in my life - because I was embarrassed. And I learned a very true lesson in forgiveness. While she admits she doesn't understand, she forgives me. She's still my friend. And I honestly think that God and his lessons in forgivness and love that have been touching me for months led up to this moment.
When I met my friend, we were in 5th or 6th grade (I don't fully remember). We were partnered, as two girls that didn't know each other, to sing a Michael W. Smith song "Friends". I've been listening to it again lately and its hitting home.
Friends ARE friends forever, in the Lord's the Lord of them."
Say a prayer for my friend. She's strong, she's loving, she's forgiving, and I'm thankful to God for slowing rebuilding my life and my relationships through him.
But this Easter, the word hit home in a different way. I'm not dragging things out and airing my dirty laundry but I just want to say I was a really bad friend to someone who was trying to help me and be my friend 6 years ago (notice the coincidental time lines here). I said things no friend should ever say under any circumstance. Ever. And for the last 5 years I've felt sorry, guilty, remorseful, and embarrassed by what I did. I wanted to reach out but I couldn't imagine someone forgiving me and being willing to talk again. And, I was mortified for how I behaved and new that it would have to be addressed. Honestly, talking about that period of life depresses me to no end. I couldn't do it. Even though I wanted to and I missed my friend.
The day before Easter, I ran into my friend's mom and learned my friend, my 31 year old full of life friend, has been battling breast cancer and is facing a double mastectomy this week. I felt sick and scared and even worse that before. She was struggling and dealing with scary stuff and I couldn't swallow my pride to admit my wrong doing and ask for forgivness. I was selfish. And wrong. Again. And thanks to an ill-timed grocery store visit, on the day I NEVER go to the store, I had some serious decisions to make.
I reached out to her, scared that my good friend might be gone and I'd missed out on having her in my life - because I was embarrassed. And I learned a very true lesson in forgiveness. While she admits she doesn't understand, she forgives me. She's still my friend. And I honestly think that God and his lessons in forgivness and love that have been touching me for months led up to this moment.
When I met my friend, we were in 5th or 6th grade (I don't fully remember). We were partnered, as two girls that didn't know each other, to sing a Michael W. Smith song "Friends". I've been listening to it again lately and its hitting home.
Friends ARE friends forever, in the Lord's the Lord of them."
Say a prayer for my friend. She's strong, she's loving, she's forgiving, and I'm thankful to God for slowing rebuilding my life and my relationships through him.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Working momma dinner strikes again!
I am addicted to pinterest. The creativity and great time saving tips I've been able to find are just great. However, it is the recipes that keep getting me. My family thinks some sort of recipe renaissance has exploded in my head....but really, I've abandoned my Farmville crops and shifted my evening obsession to pinning things to make our lives better!
Sometimes though, some of these recipes are still a little more work than a full time working, full time student, mother of two has time for! So I have to make some tweaks, but still get some awesome results.
This recipe started through pinterest from the great blog Iowa Girl Eats (link here: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/30/super-bowl-recipe-week-mini-corn-dog-muffins/) my son saw them on the board (oh yeah, he checks out the pins too) and immediately wanted them. I looked at the recipe and realized "I can be lazy on these!" So I was.
LAZY Corn Dog Muffins
1 - package of hotdogs
2 - boxes of Jiffy Mix Corn muffin
shredded cheese, if you're into that (we are!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut hotdogs into 1 inch chunks
Prepare Jiffy mix and pour into mini muffin tins, about 3/4 full
Push 1 section of hot dog into the middle of each dog
Bake for roughly 10 minutes, until the muffin is golden brown
*you can sprinkle with cheese before baking if you want or get it on thereright as it comes out of the oven.
The end result?
Delish. The kids were so excited I had to start plating right away, no time for fancy pictures - but here's one of the end result. And the pickiest six year old ate six of these!! The one year old packed away FOUR (don't ask me how she did it). It was a hit.
And for my husband who declared I was goin to need a lot more muffins, I made some grown up ones too. Same recipe but in a standad muffin tin, still filled 3/4 full but with TWO hot dog sections in it and then baked for about 10 minutes.
Daddy's plate:
Super easy. Super fast. And SUPER yummy. The reviews at home were great! Welcome to the recipe rotation little corn dogs. This would be a GREAT recipe to get your kid chef involved on too...mine was too busy playing outside to be troubled this day!
Sometimes though, some of these recipes are still a little more work than a full time working, full time student, mother of two has time for! So I have to make some tweaks, but still get some awesome results.
This recipe started through pinterest from the great blog Iowa Girl Eats (link here: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/30/super-bowl-recipe-week-mini-corn-dog-muffins/) my son saw them on the board (oh yeah, he checks out the pins too) and immediately wanted them. I looked at the recipe and realized "I can be lazy on these!" So I was.
LAZY Corn Dog Muffins
1 - package of hotdogs
2 - boxes of Jiffy Mix Corn muffin
shredded cheese, if you're into that (we are!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut hotdogs into 1 inch chunks
Prepare Jiffy mix and pour into mini muffin tins, about 3/4 full
Push 1 section of hot dog into the middle of each dog
Bake for roughly 10 minutes, until the muffin is golden brown
*you can sprinkle with cheese before baking if you want or get it on thereright as it comes out of the oven.
The end result?
Delish. The kids were so excited I had to start plating right away, no time for fancy pictures - but here's one of the end result. And the pickiest six year old ate six of these!! The one year old packed away FOUR (don't ask me how she did it). It was a hit.
And for my husband who declared I was goin to need a lot more muffins, I made some grown up ones too. Same recipe but in a standad muffin tin, still filled 3/4 full but with TWO hot dog sections in it and then baked for about 10 minutes.
Daddy's plate:
Super easy. Super fast. And SUPER yummy. The reviews at home were great! Welcome to the recipe rotation little corn dogs. This would be a GREAT recipe to get your kid chef involved on too...mine was too busy playing outside to be troubled this day!
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