Ease Up on the Moms!

I thought people would be interested in reading this article at salon.com.
When you can spare a moment while caring endlessly for other people you might find it interesting.

I live in the neighborhood mentioned, often the focus of very derisive comments about moms.

And for the record, yes, I do have a Maclaren. But it's far cheaper than a car.

Scooting by Numbers

We've been spending as much time in the afternoon outside as possible, even as the days are growing shorter and colder.

Kiddo loves scooting to the park but sometimes has a tendency to scoot a bit far. If I need him to stay a bit closer I give him a house number to find, he scoots up to it and waits until I reach him and can give him the next number. It's a bit like a treasure hunt for him. He loves it and I can keep up.

Plus, he learned evens and odds!

Required Reading:
Missing Mittens (MathStart 1)

Retroactive

Happy Birthday to me.

Is it normal to feel 17 even though you are 37 and have 2 kids?

State of the Trains (Transportation Tuesday)

Obsessed with trains? Can't get enough of the states?
Allow me to introduce The Train of States
Complete with trains! states! facts! dates! and birds (looks like we'll be doing some bird-themed activities soon).

Unplugged Project: Thanks

The theme of this week's Unplugged Project is Thanks. While I didn't plan the following activities to actually be an unplugged project, when were were engaged in them, we gave thanks that we have enough to eat and more than enough stuff with which to play and learn. I look forward to making these an annual tradition with Kiddo (and New Kid).
At the farmer's market this Saturday, City Harvest was asking shoppers to "Buy a Bag." They give you a bag and you fill it with produce so that a family can have fresh food this Thanksgiving. Kiddo found that lifting the full bag was quite challenging: fall produce is heavy! City Harvest "rescues" edible food that would otherwise be discarded from restaurants and markets in order to help feed the city's hungry population.

I found out about Operation Christmas Child from Julie's blog and lo and behold there was a drop off location in our neighborhood! At first I wasn't sure that Kiddo would really get what we were doing, but then he started telling the store clerks we were buying the stuff for other kids who "don't have moms and dads." That was a variation of how I told him they were for kids who "have moms and dads who can't buy them presents." Kiddo was obsessed with the gum I decided to buy for the box. He kept telling me that "the kid will love the gum." It must have been confusing for him because in the past I have spewed vitriol about the evils of gum. Personally, I find gum one of the more obnoxious habits. Once I was sitting across from this woman on the subway who did not close her mouth once while chewing. I wanted to scream, "Close your mouth! You sound and look like a cow! Euw! Euw! Euw!" It was probably a good thing I kept my mouth shut. I hope I haven't offended anyone.

Weekend Bonus Post of Random Tidbits

In case you care, here are some tidbits I have been thinking about and haven't blogged for various reasons.

1. I am planning on decorating my Christmas tree entirely with compostable or recyclable decorations. More on that in a later post.

2. I know a lot of homeschoolers read this blog and I love to read homeschool blogs, but in fact, Kiddo started school this year. His first leaf on his thankful tree was "school!" The second was "the school bus!" Why am I not a homeschooling mom? I am a firm believer in my own sanity. Although you could certainly call all moms homeschooling moms.

3. I am loving the blog eensies. Lots of easy-to-implement educational tidbits.

4. I am really into pies right now. I think I should give up sugar.

5. I rarely buy books. Not only am I cheap frugal but I have no space to keep them. (I have been known to renew library books continually for a year!) However, I recently ordered Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids from the local independent bookstore. Look for more posts on this in the future. And yes, I checked, but the library doesn't have it.

6. I love that we took the TV out of the living room and put it in the "spare" (though how you can have a spare room when you only have 3 is complex) room. Now no one wants to watch it.

7. I've been unhappy with my blog's look for a while. I know I could figure out how to fix it but I am not HTML-savvy enough to be able to do it quickly and I really don't want to move all my posts to a new platform. No time! No time!

8. In a completely random tidbit: Jon Stewart's research team is awesome.

Marking it Up

Kiddo's markers have been running a bit dry lately. Usually I would let them run all the way out before getting new ones, but on the way home I passed the oh-so-tempting neighborhood art store and stopped in to get a new box because I knew it would buy me at least a half an hour of peace and quiet.

I was right about the peace and quiet but after buying them I started thinking about markers and their environmental impact. So much plastic just to end up in the landfill or the ocean. Ugh. And I don't even want to think about all the chemicals which spew out during the manufacturing process.

Is there a good alternative, or do we just switch over to crayons (which you can recycle, btw, or find soy and beeswax varieties) and colored pencils? A quick google search found this regarding reusing markers (so at least they will last longer before going to the landfill), but it is a less than satisfying solution. I'm sure there are good eco-friendly (a loose term, to be sure) art supplies out there. Any recommendations?

Sneak a Peek

Originally this blog was about ways to get my kid to give me a short break. With New Kid I am once again finding myself in the position of "how can I get my kid to let me go to the bathroom?" It's not easy, people! I can usually steal a moment or two if I give him the Slide and Peek! book. He loves to move the slide and, of course, the studied look on his face is so adorable I almost forget I have to pee.

Peter and the Wolf for the PreK Set

We had a great trip into Manhattan on Sunday to see In The Wing's production of Peter and the Wolf (with Brian Blessed!) at the New Victory Theater. The New Victory is now 3 for 3 (see here and here). The first act of this terrific production was a new prequel to the story in which Peter and and his classmates visit the woods and Peter meets the animals for the first time. While I liked this innovation, Kiddo's reaction to the original 1936 music and story in second act only served to confirmed why Prokofiev's piece is such an appealing classic.

Before the show started we had a snack in one of the new pedestrian zones in Times Square. I love that people can now sit in the middle of it all. Afterward we had sandwiches at our favorite après-theatre sandwich place and watched the ice skaters in Bryant Park. New York is Awesome.

But back to Peter. Kiddo was no stranger to Peter and the Wolf, but to prepare for the show we not only listed to the music, but we read a fun Peter and the Wolf Pop-up Book as well as Chris Raschka's fantastic book Peter and the Wolf. The text of this book perfectly conveys the rhythm and musicality of each character as well as placing the action of the story on a stage. I recommend reading this book after you have introduced the music to your kids to get the most out of it.

I'm curious, have you seen this production? Have you seen other stage versions of Peter and the Wolf? I am hoping we can make Peter and his friends a regular holiday season tradition.

Kiddo playing the take home memory match game provided by the theater:

My Little Alarm Clock

The time is 6:15 am.

"Mom! Mom! I have a booger on my finger! I have a booger on my finger!"

Unfortunately, my snooze button has been broken for nearly 5 years.

Skip Counting

I like manipulatives that I can either compost or repurpose. Pennies, of course, fit the bill. I cut little squares for skip counting by 5s and Kiddo counted out the pennies. Being the number-lover that he is, this was great fun for him. He also did variations, such as taking away the 5s and counting by tens. He wanted me to ask him math questions (I know, he's weird), so I asked things like "If you had two groups of 10 and added 1 more group of 10, how many would you have?" etc. This went on for quite a while... but he also just liked playing with the pennies by himself, too.

Required Reading:
Leaping Lizards (MathStart 1)
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Leaves of Gratitute

It seems everyone and their mother has a thankful tree this month. Here is ours back on the first day. We each hang a leaf before dinner and I also try and read a Thanksgiving book at the same time (see below for some decent ones). I hunted in the park all of October to find the perfect branches, but it wasn't until after a big wind storm that I found some good ones. I was going to use real leaves at first but then I remembered that one of our cats ate a leaf display I put out one year. I love using that little bowl on a pedestal for the leaves-in-waiting. My great-grandfather made it.

Reading Assignment:
In November (my favorite)
Thank You, Thanksgiving
Thanks for Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving Door
The Ugly Pumpkin
Thanksgiving With Me
Setting the Turkeys Free

Kid-Friendly (sort of) "Pumpkin" Pie

In case you are wondering, I am aware that my posts have been a little bit meh lately. I sometimes wonder if I should try to post everyday even if some of the posts may be uninteresting, or should I do fewer posts and try to make them more fabulous? But then sometimes posts which I think are great get no comments and the ones I think are meh ones get tons of comments. There's no science to it.

Anyway, back to the pie. It's kid-friendly in the same way my apple pie was kid-friendly: no dough rolling. Plus, the recipe uses heavy cream instead of condensed milk from a BPA lined can. So, lots of saturated fat and white sugar, but no toxins... theoretically. It's "sort-of" kid friendly because there is a lot of waiting (read recipe and you will see what I mean). And it's "pumpkin" because, in fact, I used butternut squash. To me, it has way more flavor than pumpkin. I guarantee that if you substitue butternut squash for any recipe that calls for pumpkin, it will be yummier.

The recipe is from the Nov 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living.
Shortbread Crust:

4 T. unsalted butter, softened
3 T. sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt (I don't think you need this much)

Stir together butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in egg yolk. Add flour and salt, and stir until mixture is dry and crumbly. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. (This is the part you kid will love!) Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake crust just until crust turns golden brown, 20-22 minutes. Cool completely in dish on a wire rack.

Filling
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin --I used Butternut Squash Puree. Much yummier!!
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground allspice
2 large eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together all ingredients in large bowl. Pour filling into crust.

Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is just set and slightly puffed but still a bit wobbly, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Transportation Tuesday

Dado Squares as tunnel.

Leaf Pile at Wave Hill

This past weekend we visited the beautiful Wave Hill. They had some leaf arts and crafts for the kids. But Kiddo was totally uninterested. Instead, he spent all his time in the gigantic leaf pile.
I love that Wave Hill had this activity for the kids. Apartment dwellers don't have their own leaf piles. If you live in the area and haven't visited Wave Hill, you are missing out. If you have a yard and haven't raked a pile of leaves for the kids, what are you waiting for?

Dominoes for Babies

Don't tell Kiddo, but I let New Kid play dominoes so I can have my daily dose of caffeine.

Going Dotty

We love our "dot-makers!"

Required Reading:
The Dot
One Red Dot
Ten Black Dots

The Little Weasel (Transportation Tuesday)

I have long been a fan of mamaroots' charming handcrafted wooden figures. And guess what? I won this little weasel in a giveaway! Hooray! Upon his arrival, I placed him among our autumn bounty. However, he soon weaseled his way onto the N Train. He's been joyriding ever since.

Thanks mamaroots and Herbal Roots Zine!

Leaf Art

You've seen lots of leaf art on kid activity blogs lately (see below for some good links). Why should you be interested in ours? I don't know, except that we took an ultra simple approach. All you need is some glue, paint, paper and, of course, some beautiful autumn leaves.Since New Kid was snoozing, I was able to get in on the action. I may have had more fun than Kiddo. Required reading:
Leaf Man
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
Autumn Leaves
Other Not-so-complicated Leaf Art Projects:
Beautiful Leaf Lantern at 5 Orange Potatoes
Leaf Garland at Frugal Family Fun Blog
Preserve Your Leaves at mama smiles
Fall Colors Suncatcher (it reminds me of falling leaves!) at Superheroes and Princesses
Paper Bag Fall Leaves (okay, this one's more complicated, but so cool!) at Creative Kismet

Enjoy the Autumn leaves before they leave! (so cheesy, I couldn't resist)