Fall Art

Well on Tuesday the first day of fall I was only able to get two kids to complete the prepared Art project. It hasn't been feeling much like fall as we have some days of it reaching 80 degrees. I got the idea here. My Arty Friend, the Diva, was all over this.

Later, I was able to convince Big E this was a good idea.

The Universe Speaks

These signs spoke to me yesterday. (Pretty Weird, huh)

Tiny Chef Strikes Again

Chef E was at my house on Tuesday and he whipped up these delish chocolate chip mini muffins

All Food Styling was done by Chef E.

Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine first 5 ingredients. In a small bowl beat egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 4000 degrees F for 18-20 minutes for mini muffins 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

These were great when they were first out of the oven. Reheating them might help. They aren't super sweet.

14 years

Thank you Honey for 14 years. I am the luckiest gal to have you. Here is to many many more.

Tape Self Portraits

I saw this idea and knew I needed to try this with the kids. KIDS LOVE TAPE! I even got into the act. Note to self: The dollar store blue tape is really junk and doesn't tear.

I think they all turned out cute.

Unidentified Flying Object

This picture is for my Dad. I was driving on Friday night and saw this in front of a junk/antique store and I knew I needed to come back to take a picture. Who would believe me that I saw a UFO without photographic proof? This little gem cost a mere $3,900.

Coffee Decor Goodness

I have slowly been changing my decor in my kitchen to coffee. Coffee is king in the Pacific Northwest. I have been talking about this cute red coffee pot I saw in the local junk shop. I think I talked about it too much as my Mom fronted me some of the money and my hubby purchased it for me. I guess everyone was sick of hearing about my lovely red coffee pot. I think it looks adorable up there with my chicken and dollar store chalkboard. Thanks Mom and Giant Man Child.

You ROCK!

Happy Birthday Pappy !!!!

ADHD Awareness Week

This week is ADHD awareness week. There are some great links there. I don't blog about this topic much but ADHD has been at our house for a while and definitely not as a welcomed guest. ADHD is right up there with breast feeding in polarizing parents. The thing is that a child breast feeds or bottle feeds for a short time and no one can recognize in 1st grade whether the child has been breast or bottle fed but everyone can see ADHD. Nothing will get you judged on your parenting faster than having a child that has behavioral problems. As a parent of a ADHD child, I have been judged, shunned, and offered unsolicted advice. There is a certain school in my neighborhood that I literally get a panic attack when I walk into their office. I can only imagine how that feels for my son. I still have nightmares about 3rd grade for my son. I don't know what is worse the ADHD or the way people react to a kid with ADHD.

Things I would like people to know about this unwelcome guest ADHD

Try not to judge parents(this is a biggie) I have found that parents with ADHD kids have exceptional parenting skills but they are facing a uphill battle . It usually isn't a lack of parenting skills that are causing the ADHD. These people are in the trenches. Cut them a break.

Teachers can help by actually communicating with the parent. I don't need to find out a misdeed days after it happened. Chances are the child isn't the best reporter on their behavior. We got to work together. You got to give me information so I can make good decisions for my child. I do really need all the information. I don't need you working behind the scenes to undermine me. No one wants to hear bad things about their child but glossing over the problem doesn't help. Can you tell this a pet peeve with me? This actually deserves it's own post.

ADHD is not a free ticket to misbehave or not live up to your potential. Bad behavior is bad behavior and unacceptable whether or not you ADHD or not.

School won't solve ADHD. I read somewhere that for a child with ADHD that school is the worst place for them to be. Schools are not set up to deal with kids outside of the box. That is where parents have to be great advocates for their kids. ADHD is often accompanied by learning difficulties, bipolar, depression, and anxiety.

ADHD can only be managed there is no cure. There is no medication, therapy, nutritional supplement that can cure ADHD. What works for one child who has ADHD may not work for another. That is the crazy subjectiveness of ADHD.

Don't go this journey alone with your child. You need great support. I was lucky to have a great friend who help me start on this journey(thanks Carol), exceptional advocate OT, a fab 4th grade teacher who led us to a great program for our son, a psychiarist who really gets it, family that listened, and countless others who have cheered us on.

I am so lucky to have my ADHD child in my life. I learned so much about myself both good and bad. My kid has great gifts that I really hope someday others will see too.

It is the little things

Yes, Chuckles is really in a dog kennel. There isn't a reason. Yes, he put himself in there.

We are going mach speed as we head into the fall. It so easy to get caught up in all that. These are just a few of the things that have been making me smile and I really appreciate the little things. ENJOY!

This shrine is sitting on a fire place grate. It is over by my Mother in Law's house and it always strikes me as funny. I am not sure what the deeper meaning is. If you need a laugh here is a funny blog post. This lady just cracks me up. This exercise post also cracks me up. I so have these weird thoughts when I am out walking. I believe when I was walking with Mrs Respiratory Therapy I frequently requested an ambulance.

Just a few books

I think my family thinks I like to read. Above is my little stack of books to read. I was gifted these books from my sister, Mom , and Mother in Law. Now if I just had time to read. I read a lot and just about anything. The book club I belong to is reading Bobbie Faye's (Very Very Very) Bad Day by Toni McGee Causey. I haven't got to that yet. I probably should get to it soon as the meeting is next week. Whatcom Reads also announced it's book for 2010, " Old School by Tobias Wolff." I definitely want to read that. I participated in 2009, too. The book was, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian ." I love they choose somewhat local authors that can come and speak.

Dog Day Morning

The Diva (7) with dog card

Last Tuesday morning when I had the Diva here we worked on some Dog art. She made a couple of really cute dog cards. Directions are found here. We couldn't for the life of us get the boys interested. What I love about the Diva is that she is always up for a good craft. The Diva has a dog at her house for the first time. He is really cute and named George. We also worked on drawing a cartoon dog. The directions are found here to learn to draw a dog. These step by step directions were great and even I managed to turn out a cute dog.

The Diva's Dog Drawing

I saw this neat Lego storage idea on this blog. I totally copied this idea from Groovie Mom's blog. It is basically a Stanley tool box. I spent to long on Friday organizing the Legos. I did some by size/type and the rest by color. It is a sickness I tell you. Chuck was so excited when he saw this. He was very interested in how the Legos were organized. Maybe there is hope that the Lego's will stay organized.

Sept 11

I wrote this in a child development class I was taking on 9-11-01. We were asked to journal about our feelings and this is what I wrote on that historic and horrible day

This makes me feel solemn. The days events come flashing back. On some level, the events seem unreal. Whenever someone says the World Trade Center, I am going to see the plane crashing through that building. These tragic events tie all of us together as Americans. It sickens me that terrorist think they can control us with these random acts of violence. What kind of sick person would put this terrorist plan into action. How do we explain to our children why others harm each other? It is hard to teach peace when we live in such a violent world. Why can't we all just get along? It makes me scared and sad to see this kind of violence all around us. We have turned into a mad, mad, world. It is no wonder our kids act out.

Back to School, Back to Work

Goose bump Pumpkin

picture by the Big E

Yesterday was more first official day of work. I am lucky to have a unique work situation. I do before, after, and occasional child care and Jill of all trades and master or none type of jobs. My hubby's work schedule is intense with long hours and variable schedule. I love the variety of my work. Yesterday was no exception as it involved artwork, Wii bowling, petting a pig(seriously),



baking, waiting for a repairman, and after school care.

Chef E

Reading Games

Today is International Literacy Day!

Reading Games not to be confused with Reindeer Games. OK, that wasn't so funny but I just had to put it out there.Last Friday, I took my 1st grader to a make and take on reading games at his school. I wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect quite frankly. I am way old school and from the school of "why can't just do a flash card drill to learn the sight words." We did try out one of the games at home . Even the Giant Man Child admitted it was kinda fun. We played I have , Who has. This game is used to reinforce the required sight words.

Players are given cards that have I have ____. Who Has_______? or Player's choose the cards they want

Any player can start

The 1st player chooses a card and reads: "I have (sight word) Who has(sight word)? from the front of the card. When a card is read, it is then placed in the center of the table.

example: card says - I have my. Who has fly? player who has card that has the card that says, I have fly. Who has sky?, responds.

The player with the named words reads from the card with the named word on it.

Play ends when all words have been returned to the center of the table.

That is about as clear as mud. I don't know if this games will replace the SWEET deal that Chuckles and I have of for every flashcard you get right you get a minute of Wii time.

Experimental Cooking

On Saturday night, I decided to try my hand at making zucchini and feta fritters. I have had a jumbo zuke sitting on my counter for a good week.

I come from a long line of experimental chefs. My grandmother was probably the most notorious for experimenting. I think these turned out really delicious though a little prep heavy. I even got both kids to try these of course bribes were involved.

Ugly Plant Collection

Hi, my name is Heather and I have a house plant addiction. I have over 25 plus house plants. It is a sickness, seriously. Now that I have cats, I have had to move most of my plants from the main living area into my bedroom and bath and guest bedroom. These areas are off limits to the cats. Not only do I have an overabundance of plants but apparently they are delicious to cats. You should see the teeth marks and ripped leaves. I decided due to the icky rain gloomy weather to rearrange plants. These above didn't really make the cut. The picture doesn't really do justice to the situation . I am not sure what to do with them. I am calling these ugly ducklings my ugly plant collection. I am going to give them another couple of months to try to recover and then I may have to pitch them.

Pencil Vase

This vase is inspired by the start of school and the over abundance of cheap school supplies. The sunflower is from my garden. This is simply pencils lined around a straight drinking glass and held on with two hair bands. this type of glass

close up

I am sure rubber bands would work as well and would be more in the theme of "back to school." I of course couldn't find two rubber bands so I used hair bands.

1st Day of School

Today was the first day of School. I have a 1st grader and 6th grader. Did I mention yesterday was a full moon because that probably would explain all the crazy behavior that accompanied yesterday? The doctor at my #1 son's physical asked him what sport he was going to play this year and he said lunch. I prayed a lot for teachers today. My day was a little chaotic as I rushed between two schools, talked to a speech therapist who was concerned my son wasn't on her list, watched a sick child, dealt with a transportation problem, ate lunch with my best friend, and celebrated that my son indeed was going to get to ride the BUS! I am ready for a long nap or at the very least an early bedtime.

Swetsville Zoo

Can you stand another vacation post? We visited the Swetsville Zoo near Ft Collins, Colorado on our vacation. My sons were intrigued at what kind of zoo we were taking them too. I think this stuff is amazing made from everything from car parts, tractor parts, and industrial machine parts. This place is the ultimate in Eco-Art or recycled art.

Proof I was there!