- Did you know about Spaghetti squash? I hadn’t, but there it was in the produce section of Albertson’s. Again, a good idea by my neighbor Jennifer! Cook this handy, cheap summer squash in the oven, then fork it out like noodles, and serve with tomato sauce. My kids thought it was pretty cool, and had fun “tricking” their grandparents into thinking it was noodles. (Sh! Don’t tell them it’s a healthy veggie!)
- Recently, we watched a summer storm come in from the garage, even splashed a bit in the rain for “family play”, and when the hail started, MJ continued his play…watch the video, and get some ideas for storm songs: rain and hail play!
- MJ whines like an annoyed teenager in the car after Mommy bursts into a bicycle song upon seeing a girl riding her bike, “Mommy, when are you going to stop singing about everything you see?” Don’t tell me my kids are already starting to feel emberassed by my music-teacher-mommy ways! They’re not even in grade school yet! But then, just a couple of minutes later, I overhear him singing a made-up song about how flowers and trees come from seeds in the ground as he looks out the window.
- The neighborhood kids come over for lunch on a lazy summer day, and we send them into the driveway with sponges and buckets of soapy water. They work as a team to wash Daddy’s car while the moms and I chat. I reward them each with a quarter.
- MJ and I started reading a new chapter book, Ramona the Pest. We had an old copy from when I was a little girl. I had forgotten how funny these books are, and MJ really seems to enjoy it since he is the same age as Ramona, and can relate to her perspective in many ways: her feelings of frustration with grown-ups, her viewpoints about the world, her interactions with other children, her sense of mischief and wonder…it was insightful for both of us as we laughed outloud together! It would be a great book to read to a new Kindergartner since it tells of Ramona’s first year in Kindergarten.
- I recently ended a “Family Fun Day” by telling MJ that I have too many good things to name! He agreed.
- One night s I was snuggling with both kids in MJ’s bed, I made up a story about Ellie turning into a cat and MJ turning into a dog. After the story as Ellie was playing with her own spittle, she made as astute scientific observation: “You know when you spit, it makes cat poop.” My kids teach me something new everyday!
- It was just TOO HOT for National Backyard Camp-out day on June 23rd, but the kids made a blanket tent in our play-room. The fun lasted for several days - reading books in the tent, kids doing ongoing “repairments” on the tent, sharing the tent with a friend during a sleep-over, and Mommy making up bedtime stories in the tent. But when I finally cleaned the tent up, and put all the blankets and pillows away, I did wonder why the tent had to involve lots of feathers and coins as decorations?
- On the way to swim with GareBear and Beffa, Ellie made a strange series of comments, very matter-of -factly: “I hope GareBear and Beffa stay safe. I hope they are not crying. I hope they are not dead.” Uh, me too. (I’ll need a child psychologist to help me figure that one out.)
- After serving yummy basilica cocktails to mommies at my Meetup gathering recently, we left the “bar” set up on the kitchen counter for a few days, and I served a couple of mommy neighbors who came over after our kids were all asleep. I guess MJ had heard me using that word “cocktail” because he proudly made his friend Mitchell a “kiddie” cocktail for a play-date. Hmmm…not sure what to make of that.
- The kids and I discovered a great open location for riding scooters! Lake Highlands Town Center is a big parking lot with pathways, fountains, an ampitheater, and no buildings or cars yet! (Wear your sunscreen!)
- While having MJ set the table for supper, I discovered that he loves doing math problems! “If the Welch’s came for dinner, how many forks would we need?” He used the chalkboard easel in the kitchen to write down the numbers, and ran to get the colorful abacus to help do the math. I didn’t know he knew this stuff! ”We went to the store and bought 6 bananas, but Ellie ate 2 on the way home! How many did we have left?” Later in the week, he disappeared at a play-date at someone’s house, and I found him writing his own math equations on some paper with a crayon. (Daddy the math major was very proud!)
- My kids finished 2 weeks of swim lessons at the Lake Highlands Recreation Center, where I discovered a great deal on group lessons! We enjoyed swimming and splashing there every day, enjoying the diversity of the families and children at the public pool. I am so proud of MJ who went from crying and screaming at having to put his head under to sorta-diving and swimming and having fun doing it! And the best part was he was proud of himself, too! Watch MJ and Ellie taking the plunge!
- I have done a few cheap water aerobics sessions at the same rec center recently, lowering the average age by several decades. It’s actually very relaxing and great exercise! Anyone care to join me?
- I’m currently enjoying a long weekend in Chi-Town getting to help with my new niece, Poppy, while my kids have a weekend with Daddy! Twice after putting her down to sleep in her crib and walking out of the nursery, my hand automatically reaches up to fasten my nursing bra. Wait, I didn’t feed her. I’m not wearing a nursing bra. Funny how my body subconsciously remembers that movement.
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