February 10, 2009

Alternative Parenting

Brian has his own unique way of dealing with tantrums, meltdowns, and general refusal to cooperate. His number one tactic? Absurd humor.  He will suggest things like eating toilet paper, riding a yak, or standing on your head.  Within moments a potential stand-off turns into fits of little girl laughter and quick cooperation.  

This was his solution to Sizzles' refusal to get in her car seat and buckle her straps - to install her upside down into her car seat.  Luckily, I had my camera with me and she was kind enough to hold still and quit laughing long enough for me to document the nuttiness that Brian brings to preschool problem-solving.  And yes, he put her in properly before we started the car.  

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September 17, 2008

She's Got Potty Power!

100_1957 Wham, bam, thank you ma’am!  This little one has mastered the potty, and in 2.5 days.  To be honest, this kid has been interested in using the potty since she was about 18 months.  But, well, we have been blowing her off.  We had the Tahoe trip on the horizon and the Linneville trip too.  We figured it would be too much on her (and ahem, US) to deal with potty training with so much travel planned.  As soon as Tahoe was behind us, Sticky-Butt started taking her diaper off and asking to sit on the potty. 

We finally focused our attention on this endeavor, last Thursday.  We go cold turkey around here, and so we spent a lot of time cleaning up messes on Thursday.  She had about a 50% success rate.  On Friday she went to school and stayed dry all day.  We were still holding back on night time potty training but on Saturday we took it all on. 

Unfortunately, Saturday was a wreck, with lots of pottying happening everywhere, except the potty.  There was even a pee-fest in my lap, during story time!  We were seriously depressed.  Then Sticky-Butt asked to wear her new Totoro Dress. 

Her Auntie Woo Woo (check out her Etsy shop on my side bar) had made her a dress and embroidered a little Totoro on it.  If you don’t know what a Totoro is, check out this movie and you will fall in love.  Anyhow, as we slipped the dress on her head, we reminded her, “We don’t want to pee pee on Totoro.”  And let me tell you folks, she didn’t.  In fact she hasn’t had an accident since.  She has even been dry overnight and through nap time.  Today is Wednesday and she is going strong.  And even wearing other outfits besides her super-fabulous Totoro dress.  ;)

This kid has potty power! 

Nothing like controlling your bowels before the age of 2, to make your mama proud.

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August 17, 2008

Moving to a Toddler Bed

Well, it has been a week since we put together the toddler bed.  Sticky-Butt had been throwing her leg over the railing of her crib.  And, although many parenting books said to wait until the age of three to leave the crib, we decided to toss aside the expert opinions and make the move before the not-yet-two-year-old busted her head.  


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HUGE mistake.  My brazen children are under the impression that they are part of The Rolling Stones and can trash their room into the wee hours of the night, as if they were partying in some swanky London hotel room.  

Observe, the next picture, taken IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, when they are supposed to be SLEEPING.  
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Caged toddlers, good; free-roaming toddlers, bad.
Did I mention, she took all the wet wipes and diapers out of the packaging and threw them across the room, like a Mardi Gras float rider tossing out some shiny beads to drunken college students?

Nice.

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August 13, 2008

Perspective


"Make the best of circumstances.  No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow."


Upon picking Sticky-Butt up from her new classroom (Toddler 2) today, my husband learned that she pooped and peed in the potty today.  She won't be two until October.   Although she has expressed interest in sitting on the potty, when we place her on the seat there has been no pee or poop.  I was so excited to hear she had made the leap, but while I finished up the whirlwind of getting dinner on the table and Brian out the door to go to a colleague's going away party, a sad thought materialized.  I had missed her first success on the potty.  

I quickly called Brian to share my sorrow.  He immediately helped me to focus on the positive.

"Well, we got to see her first smile, her first words, the first time she crawled and the first time she took a step.  I am okay with her school teacher getting to see her first bowel movement."

He went on to point out how lucky we are that I can work part time at a job that pays well and is substantive.  He pointed out that we both have flexible jobs.  He even noted that some military fathers miss the birth of their children because they have to leave for war.
Right.

Crisis averted.  

As Sizzles says,
"Go Daddy! Go Daddy!  Go Daddy.com!"

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Recipe of the Week

Archives of Recipe of the Week

  • Cranberry Pumpkin Energy Bites
    * 11.5 oz box Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola * 1 cup of dried craisins * 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon * 1 cup Lundberg Farms Brown Rice syrup * 1/2 cup creamy soynut butter Spray a 11x7 inch pan with nonstick spray. Stir together granola, cranberries and spices into the bowl; set aside. Bring brown rice syrup to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan. When bubbles start moving from the outside of the pan to the center, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly stir in soynut butter. Immediately pour over granola mixture and stir well. Press into prepared pan and let cool completely before cutting in squares. Store in airtight container.
  • Watermelon Pie-sicles
    Take a large watermelon and cut it in half. Then cut each half into two pieces.
  • Take one of the smaller pieces and remove the melon from the rind.
  • You can either cut the melon into smaller chunks or simply proceed to the next step using the huge hunk of melon.
  • Place the melon in a fine strainer and place the strainer over a large bowl.
  • Using a potato masher, smoosh the melon until there is only pulp and seeds left in the strainer. The juice will drip into the large bowl under the strainer.
  • Using the back of a wooden spoon, push the remaining pulp against the bottom of the strainer to get the last bits of juice out of the watermelon.
  • Pour the juice in a store-bought popsicle contraption or a do-it-yourself popsicle contraption.
  • This should make about 4-6 small popsicles, depending on the size of your container.
  • Freeze for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight
  • Remove from the container. If the popsicles won't come out, place the holder in a bowl of warm water and try again. 6/10/08 12:58 PM
  • Beach Pasta - Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Brie
    From the cookbook, "Seaside: Pastels & Pickets"
  • 4 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves, cut into strips
    • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
    • 2 zucchini, sliced, broiled
  • 1 eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces, broiled
  • 6 quarts water
  • 1.5 pounds linguine
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Combine tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, chicken broth, white wine, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, zucchini and eggplant in large bowl; mix well. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours. Prepare the pasta as directed. Toss linguine with sauce in bowl. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Serves 6.
  • Popeye Pasta
    1 pound of bow-tie pasta
  • 3-4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch of asparagus chopped into small pieces
  • 1 small bunch of lacinato kale leaves chopped rather small
  • 1 small or medium vidalia onion
  • 8 oz. of whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan
  • 2/3 cup of toasted pine nuts
  • big pinch of coarse salt
  • lots of fresh ground pepper
  • tiny pinch of thyme

    • Place a little olive oil in a large pan. Once the oil is warm, add chopped onion. Cook for about 4 minutes and then add asparagus. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue saute on medium low heat until your pasta is done, making sure not to burn the vegetables. In the meantime, bring a large pot to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling add 4 large pinches of salt, then add the pasta. Boil the pasta for 10 minutes or according to the package instructions: After 8 minutes of boiling the pasta, throw in the chopped kale. When the pasta is done, drain the whole pot (pasta and kale) in the strainer.

    Toss the pasta into the large pan with the asparagus and onion.

    Add ricotta, parmesan and pine nuts. Toss and serve with more parmesan cheese.

  • Patty-Cake Lemon Bars
    For the crust
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter, frozen, plus more for the dish
  • 3/4 cup of confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoons coarse salt
  • For the filling:
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups of sugar
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp coarse salt
  • 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup whole milk

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish, and line with waxed paper.

    Make crust: Grate butter on a cheese grater with large holes: set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; stir with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture looks crumbly.

    Transfer mixture to prepared dish: press evenly onto bottom with your hands. Freeze crust for 15 minutes. Bake until golden, 16-18 minutes.

    Meanwhile make filling. Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and milk. Pour over hot crust.

    Bake at 325 degrees until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Lift out; let cool completely then cut. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

  • Cast-Iron Cookies
    Cast Iron Cookie Adapted from the blog My Messy Thrilling Life

    • 2 cups of flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 3/4 cup butter softened
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 3/4 cup brown sugarr
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp. whole milk
    • Lots of chocolate chips

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Bake for 35 minutes. p>

  • Cowgirl Cookies
    2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups of fresh granola (fruit and nut; Bare Naked or Great Harvest fruit version are good substitutes)
  • 1 cup raisins OR dried cherries
  • 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

    • Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

    Beat on medium-high speed the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

    Reduce to low and add flour.

    Stir in oats, granola, dried fruit and chocolate.

    Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. 4/27/08 6:44 PM

  • Strawberry Bread
    Strawberry Bread

    Adapted from allrecipes.com (Ellen Rainey)

    • 3 cups of fresh strawberries, smashed
    • 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
    • 1/8 cup wheat flour
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 1tsp salt
    • 1tsp baking soda
    • 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    • 4 eggs, beaten

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans
    Sprinkle smashed berries with some of the sugar.
    Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl and mix.
    Blend oil and eggs into strawberries.
    Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, until just moistened.
    Divide batter in half into pans.
    Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes on wire rack. Turn loaves out and cool completely.

  • Rainbow Rice
    Open a ziploc bag. Place several drops of food coloring inside the bag. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to the bag. Place two cups of rice into the bag. Seal the bag and squish the rice around the bag until all the grains are colored. Pour the rice on a cookie sheetl, spreading it out into a single layer of grains. Bake on 200 degrees for 30 minutes.