Wordless Wednesday: Oregon Magic

Was it just three weeks ago we were at the Oregon coast?  Yesterday we were in the hills behind our house (Umpqua National Forest).  Yep, we got it all here in Oregon...

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WFMW: Menu Planning

Esmé's Mommy here.

I have this love/hate relationship with cooking.  When I'm in the groove, I enjoy trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen.

More often of late, though, I find myself cringing in the kitchen, gritting my teeth and forcing myself to come up with some sort of meal.  Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding on to my sanity.

I'm not sure what it is.  The hard, hot labor.  The fact that my daughter will hardly eat anything, no matter how much thought or energy I put into it.  The repetition of it - having to come up with something every couple of hours.  And unlike cleaning, where you can enjoy the results afterward, after I've cooked I feel fat and have a mess to clean up.  It just seems like a no-win situation with no end in sight.

I've done all the pep talk - how I'm blessing my family and all that.  It doesn't work.

I've tried several menu-planning sites, including Menus 4 Moms (with some free options) and Saving Dinner.  And they are both great, especially for jumpstarting my menu planning and giving me an easy grocery list.  In fact, I still look at the Menus for Moms options every week.

But not all of the recipes work for us.  We're vegetarian, with vegan preferences.  We need EASY.  And FAST.  And I have a very picky daughter.  Plus, we're not home every day of the week, so if I go straight off the shopping list, we have TONS of food and it starts to go bad before I get it all cooked.

And the planning part is what I enjoy of cooking!  It's the execution I hate.

I've tried doing a simple menu.  Rice one night, pasta, the next, soup on Fridays.  Boring.

So here's what we're doing now that seems to be working:

• I keep a shopping list on my iPod touch (ShopShop) and keep it updated as we run low on staples (including routine breakfast items) that I know we use all the time.  (I don't have a master list of staples, because, you know, I just KNOW what I use.  If I had a master list, I'd have to take time to do an inventory of staples all the time, and I need another task like a hole in my head.)
• I've got four (different-colored) plastic 10-pocket folders.  One folder for each week of the month.  The idea is to use the first 7 pockets for 7 menus.  The last three pockets have excess dessert, entree, and side dish recipes.
• I'm signed up for a few recipe mailing lists, so I'm regularly viewing new recipes.
• As I see recipes I want to try, I print, copy, or cut them out.  I find a "reasonable" spot for each recipe in one of the folders.  (For me, reasonable is having one balanced meal per day, no more than 3 desserts per week; not having soup two days in a row, etc.)  If there are no openings for the recipe, it goes into one of the back three pockets.
• Each week, the day before I go grocery shopping, I pull out the next week's folder.  I make sure there is a balanced menu in each of the first 7 pockets - if I'm not going to be home every day, I'll skip a few days.  If I need more recipes, I'll look through the back 3 pockets and/or look up more recipes.
• I do a quick scan of each recipe and add all non-staple ingredients to my shopping list.  It REALLY DOESN'T take long.  I just have to make myself do it.
• I'm flexible with the recipes.  I may do them in different orders, make one meal for lunch and one for supper, etc.  Or I may make something entirely different, just using the same set of ingredients.
• If we love the recipe, it goes right back in the pocket for next month's rotation.  I make personal notes on it for the next time.
• Some recipes are worth keeping but not necessarily something we want each month.  So I'll stick it in the applicable back pocket to rotate in another month.
• If we don't like the recipe, I throw it out.

So we've got a personalized menu plan!  It's customized based on what WE like.  It's sort of organized.  It lets me incorporate all those new recipes that add a little spice to my monotonous cooking chores.

Review: The Animal Boogie

Hi!  My name is Esmé. I am two-turning-three, and I got a new favorite book to tell you about today!  AND, it comes with a CD!

Here are the details:

Title:  The Animal Boogie
Author/Illustrator:  Debbie Harter
Sing-along CD singer:  Fred Penner
Genre:  Children's book - ages 3-7
Publisher:  Barefoot Books
Physical Description: 32-page paperback picture book with CD
List Price:  $9.99
ISBN:  978-1905236220
For More Info/To Purchase:  http://store.barefootbooks.com/the-animal-boogie-6.html
Twitter handle:  www.twitter. com/livebarefoot
Facebook URL:  http://www.facebook .com/pages/ Barefoot- Books/3399298471 5?ref=nf 

Synopsis:

Can you boogie? Down in the Indian jungle, the children and animals are learning about actions like leaping, stomping, shaking and flapping while meeting different jungle creatures. 

About the Author:

Debbie Harter has brought life to many of Barefoot Books' most successful early learning books, including Walking through the Jungle (1997), Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon (1999) and A Dragon on the Doorstep (2005).  As a child Debbie would "lose herself in books (as long as they had pictures)" and hopes to continue doing so until she's very old.

Here's what I've got to say about the book (Mommy's words in bold):


What do you think about this book?  Should people buy it?  No!

Really?  Why not?  Because it's MY book!
Ah...  Well, should they buy their own book, just like this one, from the store?  Yes!
What do you like best about this book?  I like the elephant!  The PURPLE elephant?  Yeah!
Let's listen to it again!

What Mommy Likes:  There is so much to like about this book!  For starters, Esmé wants to read it over and over.  That's a good thing!  And I can just put the CD in so my voice doesn't go hoarse.  And it's repetitive enough that she's starting to figure out how to turn pages on her own, so I won't even have to help her with that!

The CD is a must, though a musical score sheet is included.  The Indian flute intro gets you in the zone.  The tune is catchy; we found ourselves singing randomly afterward, too.  You can play it with Fred Penner singing, or you can just play the sound track and sing it yourself.  I personally think Fred Penner does a much better job than I would ever do.

The illustrations are fun and colorful.  Who wouldn't love a purple elephant?  With red toenails?  The kids with each animal have similar colors and patterns on, so a fun color-matching game is to match each kid to his/her animal on the combined-cast page.

I loved the different ethnicities of the kids, and especially the little girl in a wheelchair.  Not the focus of the book, just naturally done.

And you can loosen up with the boogie woogie oogie refrain!  Lots of hand motions and fun to be had.

Not to mention the science lessons as to how animals move.  As we were singing afterward, I tested Esmé on which motion went with which animal.  She checked me on all of them!


What Mommy Doesn't Like:  I read this to Esmé the first time through without using the CD.  Bad idea - very boring for me!  First of all, I didn't know the tune, so it just seemed like a lot of repetition.  And there was no real storyline, and things didn't even rhyme perfectly.  Esmé didn't seem to mind, but it would've killed me to read it over and over.

Add the CD, and everything changed!  Now I could focus on the pictures, the actions, the little details, while Fred Penner did the reading.  It became fun, even for me!

I do read music, but the score sheet just wasn't doing it for me until I heard the CD.  So I strongly recommend getting the CD if you get this book...

Summary:  A fun book that will get kids learning without even realizing it.  Get the book!  With the CD...  Your kid will thank you!

In the meantime, here's the video (not a book trailer - an actual animated video!) to get you moving...

And a bonus link - another Barefoot Books video: Driving My Tractor.

Thanks to Barefoot Books for the review copy of this book, and to Mama Buzz for organizing the tour.



Still here?! Then let me tell you more about Barefoot Books. Barefoot Books is an independent publisher, with offices in Cambridge, USA and Bath, UK , that specializes in carefully crafted books, gifts and digital content that help children on their journey to becoming happy, engaged members of the global community. Since 1992, Barefoot Books has published more than 400 titles that use timeless stories and captivating illustrations to tap into the wisdom of many cultures, while never forgetting that childhood is a time for fun. Barefoot Books are available online through booksellers, and its community of Ambassadors. Visit www.barefootbooks.com. Check out the mom-oriented history of Barefoot Books, as well as the Ambassador direct-selling opportunity to earn income or fundraise.

Review: Where Do We Go?

Hi!  My name is Esmé. I am two-turning-three, and I got a pretty book to tell you about today!

Here are the details:

Title:  Where Do We Go? 
Author:  James F. Weinsier
Illustrator:  Cliff Beaman
Genre:  Children's book - up to age 10
Publisher:  Wondrous Publications L.L.C.
Physical Description: 44-page paperback picture book
List Price:  $12.95
ISBN:  978-0-615-23805-0
For More Info/To Purchase:  http://www.fivestarpublications.net/wheredowego/, http://www.wondrousbooksonline.com/

Synopsis:

The award-winning book, Where Do We Go?, delicately explores the theme of death in a comforting, child-friendly fashion with reassuring, thought-provoking text and cheerful illustrations. Its non-secular approach compatibly blends with any religious, spiritual or nondenominational framework, opening a pathway for a discussion about the hereafter. Weinsier conceived the book after his tragic loss of three immediate family members over a nine-month period. As he lovingly responded to his young grandchildren’s questions about their loved ones’ fates, the book naturally evolved, becoming an invaluable tool for parents, caregivers and other adults challenged with talking about death with little ones. 

About the Author:

Born in New York City in 1945, James Weinsier was raised on Long Island. He received an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences from Nassau Community College in 1964, followed by service in the U. S. Navy. Upon completing his tour of duty, he resumed his education at the University of Miami, graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. He is now retired and lives with his wife, in Fernandina Beach, FL.

Here's what I've got to say about the book (Mommy's words in bold):

Is this your book?  Yeah!  See - I wrote my name on it!

Uh, right.  That would be your name, but the last E is backwards...  What did I tell you about NOT writing in books?  Oh, OK.  Sorry.
What is the book about?  Heaven.
Wow - look at all these fun things you might be able to do there!  What looks like the most fun?  There - that one!  Playing in the snow and building a snow man?  Yeah!
What about swimming in the pool or at the beach?  I like the snow one better!
Look - there's a mommy pushing her baby!  She has pretty pink shoes!  Do you want pretty pink shoes in heaven?  Yeah!

What Mommy Likes:  It doesn't focus on grief and death.  Let's start by saying that I started reading this book to Esmé without knowing exactly what it was about.  It seemed to be imagining all the many wonderful possibilities of heaven from a child's perspective, so that's how we took it.  It was only later that I saw the subtitle:  The Good Grief Book, that I realized it was intended to deal with the subject of death.  And that did explain a few things in the book, like the last words:  "Because 'forever you live' here in the hearts-of all those who love you!"

The rhyming text is easy to read and filled with fun kid-related imaginings, like shooting hoops with stars, shelves with video games (that you can juggle), bubbles playing follow-the-leader, dancing balloons at pizza parties.

The illustrations are also fun!  Colorful, full of little details like pink shoes, they match the text perfectly.

This book is a good starter point for this Bible text below that we've begun studying...  Let's imagine, and have fun with it!

What Mommy Doesn't Like:  This is a book that tackles what I see as a theological subject ("What Happens When You Die?") in a non-secular, but also non-theological way - full of questions and not a lot of answers.  It is vague enough that you can probably adapt it to whatever belief you have on the subject, which makes it more universally appealing.

I paraphrased a couple of sections (such as "I'm sure all our pets will be there with us" - since I'm not entirely sure about that...) and included a discussion about God and the timeline of death and resurrection and the earth made new.

I personally would prefer a book that refers to God, rather than to a reindeer sleigh.

Summary:  A fun book on a serious topic; it may not cover everything you want your child to know about death and life after, but it serves as a good starting point for that discussion.

Thanks to Five Star Publications for the review copy of this book, and to Mama Buzz for organizing the tour.

Spin Cycle

Busy.

Dizzy.

Whiz.

Spinning faster and faster but


going nowhere.

Collapsing in a heap


of giggles?

or sobs?

My choice.

WFMW: Bible Story Animations

Esmé's Mommy here.

I'm always on the lookout for Bible story video clips to illustrate whatever Bible story we're studying.  It's nice to introduce the story through several different mediums.

So I was happy to discover this link to a bunch of 3-5 minute Bible story animations at GraceLink.  And they're free!

I'd used GraceLink before to print out quality Bible stories with great illustrations in pdf format, so be sure to check those out, too.  The Beginner lessons are great for tots...

Tot School: Mail

Are we destined to always be behind in our Tot School posts? Mommy was wondering if she should just schedule this post to publish in time for Valentine's Day NEXT year...

Anyway, this is our tot school from the 2nd week of February. So once again, you'll find lots of Valentine's stuff. Our color was pink and our shape was heart. Our theme book was Seven Little Postmen by Margaret Wise Brown.  No animals in it - what is Mommy thinking?!  But we did do lots of fun activities...

Other books we read (including Valentine's books):

• Dear Annie by Judith Caseley.  A nice book about letters from Grandpa.
• Special Delivery by Valjean McLenighan.  Mommy says this Sesame Street Muppets book might not be a classic, but I had lots of fun with it!
• Valentine's Day Is… by Gail Gibbons.  I always like the nonfiction picture books by this author - there are lots of cool pictures in them!  A nice overview of the holiday.
• Valentine's Day by Anne F. Rockwell.  It's all about friendships and making Valentine's cards...
• The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting.  Finally - a book about animals (bears)!  And they can really talk!
• In My Heart by Molly Bang.  About how I am always in my Mommy's (or Daddy's) heart.  Mommy's note:  Especially good for work-away-from-home parents...
• Love Your Heart by Tim McGraw & Tom Douglas.  Pretty dresses and crowns - definitely my kind of book!  A sweet book about a relationship with dad and the talent of being kind.
• Close to You: How Animals Bond by Kimiko Kajikawa.  A sweet and simple book about animal relationships.
• A Valentine for Fuzzboom by True Kelley.  This was a silly kind of book!

We used the Itty-Bitty Bookworm Bo curriculum, and here are some of the things we did...

First, Mommy told me to write a letter.  So I did.  I wrote lots of letters!

She told me there were other kinds of letters, too.  The kind you write TO somebody, and then mail to them.  So I wrote THAT kind of a letter.


After I wrote the letter, we folded it and put it in the envelope.  Then we sealed the back with candle wax!


I licked a stamp to put on the envelope!


Mommy showed me where things go on the envelope.  The From address, the To address, and the stamp.


We stuck the envelope in my Valentine's mailbox.  Then I pretended I was a little postman and I canceled out the stamp with a rubber stamp, kind of like they do at the post office.


We spent some more time reviewing how to address an envelope.

Mommy had me do a number matching activity.  I had to count how many lines were on each envelope, and match it to the mailbox with that number.  There was even velcro to attach the envelope to the mailbox.  I HATED THIS ACTIVITY!

It was more fun pretending to be a postman and weighing mail on Mommy's food scale.

And of course, making edible envelopes from graham crackers, cream cheese, and icing.  Yummy!

I designed my own postage stamp.

And I glued together a postage truck using the shapes Mommy cut out.

We took a field trip to our local post office.  We do that a lot...

We talked about how people mail Valentine's cards to each other.  I played a matching game with Valentine cards.

We kept the Valentine cards in my mailbox.  Mommy showed me how you use the flag to show that mail is there to be picked up.

Mommy showed me how to match up things by rhyming.  Like "moon" and "spoon" get matched up.  She had colored some of the hearts to help me with matching, but I really didn't need that!  I did my OWN coloring when I'd matched them up.

I practiced on my African drums!  I love singing "Humpty Dumpty" to a drum beat!  Did you know that's how people used to "mail" messages to each other?

We made some Valentine cards and stuff with stickers.

Our numbers this month were 13 and 14.  Mommy found some conversation heart remnant fleece fabric - just enough to cut out 14 hearts to use on my felt board.

We looked at actual heart pictures - they don't look quite the same as the heart shape, huh?!  Mommy gave me some conversation hearts to glue to the heart picture.  Notice there are only four conversation hearts glued down, and the bowl is empty.  Wonder what happened to the other conversation hearts?

On the topic of conversation hearts, we did a graphing activity.  I had to sort out the hearts by color and then count out how many of each color there were as Mommy crossed off squares on the graph.  Then I could tell her that we had more PINK hearts than any other color, etc.  That was BEFORE I ate them.

Of course, we had to make heart-shaped sugar cookies.  Here's a trick - if you want to put sprinkles on without using frosting, spread honey on the cookie!

And here's my heart-shaped meal, though the english muffin with cherry topping seems to have lost its shape before the picture got taken.

What week wouldn't be complete without stickers stuck in inappropriate places?  No - I was just creating a valentine step ladder for Mommy!

I still do some worksheets, but Mommy is never sure which ones I'll want to do.  So sometimes she just lays a bunch out for me.  Like this - one where I match and glue letters, one with cutting practice, one connect-the-dots, one do-a-dot, and one where I put a marker on all the "O"s.  Then I pick and choose which I want to do.  I'm really not into tracing at the moment.

Though I've discovered pricking!  Here I'm using a pencil to prick holes through paper along my name.  I've also used a big tack, though I don't always have one available to me...  The carpet works great for this!

We created a Valentine blizzard!  We had one of those dollar packs of Valentine's foam stickers, and we threw them up in the air (over a big towel, of course) for an indoor blizzard.

I did some animal relationship matching.  Very easy and fun!

And I did some Valentine eraser matching, too!  (You can play Memory by hiding these under yogurt cups.)  And I did lots of erasing - I checked out every one of those erasers to make sure they worked.

We went to a sporting exhibition at the fairgrounds.  There was a really cool aquarium with BIG salmon.

And a real live Alaskan grizzly bear that could really WALK!  On his back legs!  Did you know they only hibernate when they don't have access to food in the winter?

Just getting up close and personal...

Of course, I played on Mommy's iPod Touch a lot, too.

After all that fun, I am highly tuckered out.  NOT!  That was all staged... :)

Some other cool links:

• MakingLearningFun - Mail Carrier printables
• Jan Brett's Valentine mailbox
• 1+1+1=1 Love Tot Pack

 And a very cool video clip to go with the week: