Tag Archives: children

Mother’s Day Musings

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Happy Mother’s Day weekend, dear readers!

I’m excited to celebrate my first official Mother’s Day with my family. We were planning a picnic and a trillium/morel hike, but 40 with a chance of a “wintery mix” is more than enough to send me and my babe back inside. I am not suffering on Mother’s Day; I will be no weather martyr this weekend. So there. Do you have any big plans, lovelies?

In honor of all the Mammas who make the world go ’round out there, I wanted to share one of my favorite poems by Billy Collins. It makes me laugh and cry. Always a winning combination in a poem, I think. You? Enjoy!

Lanyard

The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

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Birthday countdown!

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Happy Monday to you, lovelies. A bit scattered and restless (yet sleep-deprived) in our nest today. How ’bout with you? Did you have a good weekend?

’tis less than a month until our sweet little birdie turns one, woot woot! And I’ve been thinking a lot about her birthday, her party, this past year… whew. Chris and I keep mentioning how it’s so strange that the time with a baby is oh-so-ultra-vivid and amazing to us and yet she won’t remember a minute of it. Humans, you are so strange and perplexing. Oh! Here’s something silly about little humans that I wanted to share with you too. I better write it down now before I forget… It’s funny how so many little kids have said that Wren is still zero until she’s a year old. I want to get inside their heads. These are the same kids who say they are four and three quarters, thank you very much. Or five and one half. Since when did children become so exact? Love those little people and their big ideas, don’t you?

I’m thrilled to report that I was able to check one thing off my birthday party list. I finished the birthday banner! I had been pondering it for a while and finally got around to doing something about it. Actually, I owe it to my friend, Linda, because she suggested that we have a birthday banner day and work on them together. Brilliant! If it hadn’t been for that kind of deadline, I’d probably still be sewing the damn thing heirlooom a few hours before the little birdie’s party. And, you know what? I’m really happy with how it turned out. There are some things I would do differently next time around, but overall (don’t look too closely…), I think it’s lovely and I’m proud to hang it up in our nest.

Next? Invitations. Against my inner procrastinator’s wishes, I’m loosely following Martha’s party-planning timeline. And I’m already a tiny bit behind, but hey, I’m no Martha. I have a love/hate relationship with Martha, but I’ll save that drivel for a future post… I digress.

Speaking (err, writing) of invitations. I HATE e-vites. Yes, they’re eco-friendly, cheap, easy and everyone uses e-mail, blah blah. But I love getting a real invitation via snail mail, don’t you? I want to feel it and post it up and look at its loveliness every time I pass by it. And RSVP the host and the whole tradition of it all. You? So anyway, that’s next on my list. I’ll work on the design sometime this week and hope to pop them in the mail the first week of May (or so.) That’s optimistic, Pollyanna me talking. I’ll let you know how that goes… If it’s anything like my own wedding invitations, which I designed and hand-letterpress printed (a former life of mine), they didn’t make it in the mail until a couple weeks before the event. Oops!

Is it too early to worry about the weather for Wren’s party? Sigh. Would you like to be on the weather committee and take care of that for me? Let me know. Thanks.

Have a great day, dear readers. I’m off to clean up one of the many (many) disaster zones in our nest thanks to the 19 pound teething cyclone…

Best!

Cash for stroller clunkers!

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As if I needed another reason to love Sweet Pea, the lovely baby/kids/Mamma store in downtown Traverse City. But they gave me one more reason to be a devoted shopper so I had to share it with you, dear readers and fellow bargain hunters…

Bring in an old stroller and they’ll give you $25 toward a new one!

Now that’s something to smile about on this rainy day, eh?!

Family Wisdom Conference!

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What are you doing on Saturday, April 17? We hope to be checking out the Family Wisdom Conference in Traverse City. There are so many interesting sessions that it’ll be difficult to pick which ones we’ll go to… music, yoga, finger plays, oh my! Register by April 13 to secure your complimentary lunch from The Dish. Let me think about it for a minute… um, ok!

Check it out!

Family Wisdom Conference on Saturday, April 17

Welcoming Words and Slide Show Presentation set to Live Music by Kat Eldred 9:00-9:30

Session I ~ 9:45-10:45

Giving Birth Naturally with Kathi Mulder, CPM. What does a natural, physiological birth look like? Using Midwives as care providers, learn how to plan for natural birth in & out of hospital, including water birth.

Cleansing from Within with Jena Hullman, DC. We strive to clean up our lives, our homes, our cars… what about our bodies? A non-toxic body improves our physical, mental and emotional self. Learn easy whole-body internal cleansing ideas, recipes and programs.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with Jill Donberg, MAcOM. Among the oldest healing practices in the world, Oriental medicine can do more than relieve symptoms. Learn the facts about its uses, benefits, and see how it can teach you about yourself. The session will close with an acupuncture demonstration.

Healthy Foundations: Talking with Your Child About Healthy Sexuality with Janna Deering. Learn about healthy sexuality & development from birth throughout childhood, how to answer sensitive questions, how to teach about appropriate public and private behavior, and how to become an “ask-able” parent or care-giver.

Music Together with Georgia O’Brien.  A hands-on demonstration of Music Together curriculum and classes will be provided for families of young children. Be prepared to move and shake with your kids, because making music as a family is what it’s all about!

Children’s Stories and Fingerplays with Rosie Flickinger. Wigglers Storytime is sharing the love of books and reading through stories, songs, fingerplays and fun. For preschoolers, their families & friends. Storytime lasts about 30 minutes followed by snacks and a craft.

Session II ~ 11:15-12:15

Elimination Communication with Zane Kathryne Schwaiger & Kristen Burgess. Can babies use the toilet? E. C. is a practice used by families all over the world to help babies eliminate out of their diapers. We will talk about our experiences with our own babies and share some helpful tips for successful infant and toddler pottying.

Getting Your Children to Follow Directions with Jerry O’Hearn MA, LLPC. Do you find yourself telling your child to do something several times? Does your comply only when you “yell” at him/her? Jerry will discuss giving Good Directions and demonstrate simple, practical steps that you’ll be able to apply immediately.

Maximizing Your Family’s Potential Through Health & Wellness with Kurt Froese, DC. Learn how simple lifestyle habits such as proper nutrition, exercise, coping with stress, and family unity can have a profound impact upon a family. Maximize your family’s human potential through these simple wellness measures!

The Revolution Has Been Funded. How a Bush Era program provides the funding to act locally and have an impact globally with Bill Watson. Learn more about SEEDS and its 21st Century Community Learning Centers which works with at risk youth and families in ten high needs schools in five counties. SEEDS After School teaches green collar job skills while working to connect disconnected students to the environment, improve academics and provide them with the support and life skills they need to be successful.

Vermicompost for Kids (and Adults!) with Angela Stricker. This session is a hands-on introduction to the world of worm composting. Learn what worms eat and why everyone should have worms.

Yoga for Kids with Kyna Getsinger. We will stretch, move, play and sing with yoga for kids and babies.

Lunch 12:15-1:15. Repeat Performance of Slideshow, 12:30-1:00

Session III ~ 1:15-2:15

Boys, Boys, Boys with Heather Shumaker. Perplexed by the boys in your life? Learn to help active kids—especially boys—channel energy. Learn how to talk and listen to boys. What are the benefits of rough-and-tumble play? Take home ideas to make your home or school more boy-friendly.  This session is focused on the preschool age group, and may benefit parents of girls as well as boys.

Good Weeds…. Medicine in Your Own Backyard with Anne Hughes, FNP. Plants are gentle, yet effective healers. In this session you will learn to identify and safely use plants that grow where you live. With a little advance planning and a few square feet of soil, you can plant a medicine garden for yourself and your family.

Momma-Baby Bellydance with Kim Barnes. New moms & moms-to-be connect to your growing & changing body in ways that empower and make you feel good about yourself. Improve balance, coordination, muscle tone and have a great time while preparing for or recovering from your own personal birthing experience.

Resources for Living with Food Allergies & Other Restricted Diets with Nessa Butler. Restricted diets due to allergies or other issues can be frustrating and expensive. This session will provide some basic info about discovering allergies and food intolerances in your own family, and what to do once you know what to avoid. We will focus on recipes; ingredient sourcing, breastfeeding the allergic child, and helping kids cope physically, mentally and emotionally.

Why Music? with Susan Raguse and Traverse Community Music. Susan and her team of teachers and students will discuss the personal and educational value of music lessons, answer audience questions and demonstrate various instruments in an interactive ” musical petting zoo” that children will be able to see and “try”.

Creative Dramatics for Children with Mychelle Hopkins. Traverse City Children’s Theatre Director, Mychelle Hopkins, will lead participants in some creative dramatic exercises and theatre games. Information will be given on various youth and family-friendly programs offered by TCCT and the Old Town Playhouse.

Session IV ~ 2:45-3:45

Mothering the Mother: Benefits of Doula Care with Megan Rizzo, Melissa Waterstripe & Sairy Franks. Three local doulas will discuss the benefits of doula support for women, their partners, and families during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. If you are pregnant, you deserve a doula and we’ll show you why!

Cooking From Your CSA Share with Jennifer Welty. Grow your culinary talents! In this session you’ll learn easy techniques to prepare delicious meals using fruits and veggies from your CSA share or other local food source. Learn the basics of food preservation through freezing, pickling, drying, canning and jelly making.

Homeopathy for Family Health with Heidi Kistler. This session will cover a brief overview of Homeopathy, which includes the Homeopathic principles and how Homeopathy works. It will also include descriptions of some of the more widely used remedies and how they work with certain conditions.

Free & Low-Cost Family Outings in Northern Michigan Panel with Jenika Burden, Kristi Weadock, Pam Darling & Ethan Scott. Representatives from Traverse City Kids, TART Trails, & Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will provide a variety of practical & engaging activities for children to experience in the Grand Traverse region.

How to Draw Animals Using Simple Shapes and Letters with Russ Ryba. Kids will learn how to draw funny-looking cartoon animals using simple shapes and letters. Children as well as adults and parents are welcome. Materials will be provided. Clear space on the refrigerator to show your amazing creations when you get home!

Kid’s Fitness for the Mind & Body with Brandi Johnson. Children discover exercises they enjoy by experimenting with movement. Learning health habits can be simple and playful!

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9!

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As if I really needed a good reason to mix up some butter and sugar…

But a new number-shaped cookie cutter set inspired me! Won’t these make cute cookies for a wee one’s birthday party? So here’s my question for you, dear readers. Should I just make cookies in the shape of the number 1 this year for Wren’s first birthday, or all the numbers? I know, I know, deep thoughts. Sorry, but this Mamma doesn’t get enough sleep for quantum physics. Sooooo I decided to do a test run today using my favorite Orange Cardamom Cookie recipe adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious.

Orange Cardamom Cookies

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen cookies

Active Time: 1 1/2 hr
Total Time: 3 1/2 hr (includes chilling dough)

ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest*
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom*
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
*I’m a bit heavy-handed with these. Be liberal — you won’t regret it!

preparation

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, zest, cardamom, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Quarter dough and form each piece into a 6-inch disk, then chill, wrapped separately in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into an 11-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Slide dough in parchment onto a tray and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Cut out as many cookies as possible with cookie cutter (chill dough again if necessary), reserving and chilling scraps. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.

I almost forgot to mention! Remember that woodland creatures cookie cutter set I got at Ikea a while back? I decided to use those too. How cute are these?! Of course the squirrel got me, but I’m surprised by how much I love the snail. A snail cookie? Awwww.

Bake until edges are golden-brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.

Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll only once) on cooled freshly lined baking sheets.

They looked great and tasted delicious, but they needed something…

Chocolate! Could you see that coming? So I threw some good dark chocolate in the microwave and drizzled it on the cookies.

Lovely AND delicious! So I’m still not sure what exactly to make for Wren’s birthday party… Maybe all of the above? Tell me what you think, dear readers. What gets your vote?

Happy Friday to you! It’s sunny, but chilly here today. Good thing I didn’t put away those mittens yet. Whew.

Best!

baby talk.

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If Wren could talk in clear adult language, she would say on a daily basis…

“bib? schmib!”

“spoon? schmoon!”

“bottle? schmottle!”

“yogurt? schmogurt!”

“sleep? schmleep!”

She often gives me a look, which I take to mean “who are you trying to kid, crazy Mamma?”

Yes, it’s just another one of those days…

hopscotch!

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Don’t you love the game hopscotch? Pretty soon the sidewalks in our neighborhood will be clear of snow and impromptu games of hopscotch will commence. Yahoo!

Fun facts about hopscotch… for when you’re on Jeopardy. When you win because of your amazing hopscotch knowledge, will you please give me $50?

  • I had no idea there was such deep meaning to such a simple game. According to the French Canadians… “The player hops along, pushing a marker that represents the soul. If he wobbles, it is because his soul is weak and he must work at purifying himself to get to heaven. After avoiding hell, and earning different merits, the player reaches heaven, picks up the marker (his soul) and places it under his arm or on his head, symbolizing the re-merging of soul and body. The aim of the game is to avoid stepping on the lines dividing the boxes, symbolic of keeping one’s life free of uncertainty.”  YIKES!
  • According to Wikipedia, “there are apocryphal stories of hopscotch being invented by Romans or Chinese,[2] but the first recorded reference to hopscotch dates back to 1677. In an entry of Poor Robin’s Almanack for that year, the game is referred to as “Scotch-hoppers.” The entry states, “The time when schoolboys should play at Scotch-hoppers.” The 1707 edition of Poor Robin’s Almanack includes the following phrase… “Lawyers and Physicians have little to do this month, so they may (if they will) play at Scotch-hoppers.”[3]
  • Hopscotch was/is called Potsy in New York City. Potsy? Now that’s funny!
  • Those crazy French. A French variant of hopscotch is known as Escargot (snail) or “La Marelle Ronde” (round hopscotch). It is played on a spiral course. Players must hop on one foot to the center of the spiral and back out again. A player marks one square with his or her initials, and from then on may place two feet in that square, while all other players must hop over it. The game ends when all squares are marked or no one can reach the center, and the winner is the player who “owns” the most squares.

When’s the last time you played hopscotch, dear readers? I love it when we go for walks in our neighborhood and come across several different hopscotch games. I can’t help but join in. You?

Until then (it IS still mid-winter after all)… for all the kids and all the kids at heart, enjoy this great hopscotch rug!

Snuggle bags.

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Who doesn’t need something soft and cozy to snuggle up in? My three nieces and their matching American Girl dolls do! So I made them these fleece snuggle bags (three big, three little), which were *sew* easy and fun to make.

These are great for traveling or just lounging around the house. For simple directions on how to make these snuggle bags, click here. I also added a ribbon detail to the bottom of each so they could easily tidy them up a bit. Simply roll and tie!

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My sweet Wren has her 9-month well visit this morning. We will find out just how big she’s gotten in the last few months. Gambling types, want to place a bet?

Best!

virus.

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Breaking news from our nest….

So I feel really bad now because Little Miss Fussy Pants has a really good reason for her visit, other than her pearly new whites. A virus! The blasted thing has her spiking a 102 fever. Poor baby Wren.

We’re playing the nurturing waiting game now. Lots of Wrest and Wrelaxation. And a few cookie bits.

Send some good antiviral karma into the world, will ya?