I love the word "grow".  It can have so many meanings. Children grow into adults. Our food grows from the earth. The heart grows fonder. "Grow" almost always has a sense of stretching and reaching past current boundaries associated with it. Sunday was a day of growth for me, on many levels.

A gathering of the Local Growers Guild from various places in Southern Indiana took place in my small town Sunday afternoon. Some members of the guild graciously traveled from the Bloomington area south to meet at The Center For Community Empowerment and enjoy a garden tour. Let me tell ya- this garden is amazing! The amount of botanical growth that has taken place over the last couple months is incredible. What started out as a yard just blocks from downtown is now this beautiful, peaceful sanctuary capable of taking your breath away by merely stepping foot onto the rich soil and breathing in the aroma of plants I've never even heard of. Those who have built and tend this garden are reaping far more than vegetables and herbs. There must be some sort of unseen bank to which their good deeds for the Earth are deposited. 

I have always had an appreciation for artists of any capacity, but even more so for those who can do what I cannot. Mr. Krapf's ability to paint a picture using words was truly inspirational for me. I love receiving a bit of someone else's passion, especially when they themselves are the one to pass it along. This truly is his passion. He made that evident in the intimate discussions our group participated in following the reading. I learned a lot about the people I spent the evening with and a lot about myself. I couldn't be more thankful for a better evening.


So a big thank you Mr. Krapf and his genuinely sweet wife Katherine for coming back to Jasper and providing us with a truly unique experience. And thank you to the Local Growers Guilt for the pleasant company and for the good work you do.

HI!
Just wanted to share this super-fun, super-easy Messy Kid lunch idea with you. We got it out of our Sesame Street cookbook, which is incredibly adorable. 



Get your own copy of "C Is For Cooking- Recipes From The Street" at Amazon.com!

. Prep Time:10 min    Cook Time: 15 min    Yield: about 24 fish sticks

You will need:
1/3 Cup  tartar sauce
1/4 Cup  lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 tsp.  salt (i used sea salt)
3/4 Cup  dried bread crumbs (plain or flavored)
1 lb. cod fillets (i used tilapia)


1. preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. In large bowl, mix together tartar sauce, yogurt, and salt.  Spoon half the mixture into small bowl to use as a dip.

3. Spread bread crumbs onto large plate. 

4. Cut the fish crosswise into 1/2" wide sticks. Add the sticks to the large bowl with the mixture and stir gently to coat. Roll the coated sticks in the  bread crumbs until they're covered on all sides. 

5. Place breaded sticks on baking sheet.

6. Bake until opaque (solid white, not clear), which takes about 15 minutes.  Serve with a small dollop of yogurt/tartar mixture from the small bowl.

I just have to share this with you all. I discovered this musical duo through a friend several months ago and fell in love. I purchased Renee & Jeremy's It's A Big World album after hearing their song Powder Blue on my friend's website, and have had the joy of listening to their music practically everyday since. Then in November, I purchased a second copy of the same album to give to my best friend and her husband and 2 boys for Christmas. They LOVE it!

My kids and I love this album because it's mellow and singable. And I cannot stress enough the difference in sound, style, and content from typical children's music. A review I read called Renee & Jeremy's music 'family music' rather than children's music, which is perfectly fitting. The songs speak just as much to me as a parent as they do to my kiddos.  Somehow this pair has managed to jump directly into my heart and mind and verbalize my thoughts and feelings for my own babies. When I hear these songs, I feel like I am right there in the nursery watching a mama and a daddy love on their sleeping baby.

Renee & Jeremy have a new album out called C'Mon. The new songs are more upbeat than the the songs on the previous album, making it great for playtime, while  It's a Big World is still our favorite lullaby or calm time CD. I can't say enough good things about their music. I love the way their music makes me feel. I love idea they create that say love is not complacent, but rather proactive. I love that I can feel the bond between parent and child just by listening to them sing.  I love that my own kids crave this music. My 18 month old daughter wants me to sing Powder Blue to her all the time. In fact, we no longer listen to the radio in the car (which is fine by me- it's all garbage anyway). Our trips across town involve me singing Powder Blue or Free to my smiling shorties in the back seat.  And ya know what, I love the art on the album covers!

Being a photographer, I spend a lot of time on the computer. I have created a new routine since finding Renee & Jeremy's music. While processing my images from a shoot, you can bet that I am playing the It's A Big World album on my laptop. It is the perfect mood music. It pushes my creativity and keeps the parent/child bond at the forefront of my mind, which is what I strive to focus on in my photography. I am thrilled to have enjoyable music that is child-appropriate to help keep me in the right mindset while I work. Renee & Jeremy get a perfect 10 from me and my kids!

SO-  here's the deal. I bet you would like to know what this music sounds like, huh? I have a couple of options for you. You can go hang out at Renee & Jeremy's website and listen to their albums online. Also find them on Facebook and fan them!

OR.....you can get your own free song download by clicking one or both of the download buttons below. ENJOY! (oh, I know you will!)

Well, it has happened....


My little boy had his 4th birthday party. And although he isn't technically 4 until January 23rd, he swears he already is. To prove this to me he 'measures' his height as his little fingers climb from toe to head while counting to 26, then says "See mom, I'm 4."


Saturday was a big day for us all. We had a 3-way party for Kai, who turned 4, and my twin sisters who turned 7. Yes, that's right. Aunts and Nephew sharing a party. We do it every year and it is great fun! We have our party at our local gymnastics gym where the kids can run wild and enjoy themselves, despite cold January weather.


We ate pizza, had cake, and Yoda Soda (lime sherbet and sprite), opened presents, jumped on trampolines, tumbled on an air track, and had a pinata.  Here's a couple pictures from Kai's big day:

I recently had an online discussion (thanks facebook!) with a friend who has a toddler the same age as my daughter. She had posted  just a few of the terrorist actions her spirited little guy had taken against her already that morning. As soon as I read her laundry list of reasons to sigh, I noticed that the things he was doing fell neatly into categories. (I love having a background in Early Childhood Education!)


Behaviors she mentioned:
Dumping a bag of chips, a box of cereal, and 2 bowls of cereal 
emptied the tea cabinet
aggressive behavior toward his older brother including hitting, pulling hair
plugs and unplugs power cords
empties the movie drawer
climbs the boxes in front of a book shelf
climbs up onto the table
pulls lamps off end tables by pulling the doily


I am sure a lot of these behaviors sound incredibly familiar to those who have or have had toddlers. These are all things that toddlers do. Does that mean there is no hope for relief? No, not at all!. If you find yourself in a situation like this, your best bet it to understand WHY your child is doing the things he/she is doing and then provide them with an appropriate activity that satisfies the need they are displaying. 

In the case above, the first thing i noticed was this little guys desire for physical 'input.'   A child's muscles, bones, joints, all parts of them cry for 'input.'  Their bodies need physical stimulation. This is how they learn. Often times, especially in winter, it becomes hard to get that physical input they normally get from running and jumping outside, so they resort to climbing, pulling, hitting, throwing, etc.   So to prevent these undesirable behaviors, make sure to offer several gross motor (or large motor) activities each day.

Gross Motor Play ideas:

• An indoor collapsable tunnel- the kids all love this. They love to chase each other through the tunnel and race back to the other end.
• Tricycles- if you have a big enough area to bring in a pedal car or tricycle, do it! Attempting to pedal a bike not only satisfies physical needs, it also stimulates their brains as they try to figure out the pattern of movement.
• Music & Movement Time- As much as I hate them, The Wiggles are great for this! All of their songs are easy to dance to. So clear a space in the living room and pop in the CD! Another good artists for kids is Laurie Berkner. I find her much more tolerable. lol
• Animal Actions games- make up your own rules... use moevement such as jumping like a frog, waddling like a duck, galloping like a horse, etc. Older toddlers may be ready for a Simon Says or Follow the leader type format.
• Weighted Vest- sounds crazy, I know. This really works and you can make one yourself. By hanging some evenly distributed weight on your little one, it provides them with that sense of input and generally created a grounded, calming effect on them. Use this technique during times when the toddler needs to play calmly/quietly, but shows a need for physical input. Coupling the weighted vest with dimmed lights can greatly reduce rambunctiousness in kiddos.

The other thing i noticed in the behaviors my friend mentioned of her spirited little guy was that he loved Cause/Effect. This is most likely why he dumps things from bowls of cereal to bags of chips. In doing so, he is learning that his actions cause a particular effect, and often times our reaction attributes to an increase in frequency of these actions. They like to get a rise out of us...we all know that's true!  Another concept he is exploring when filling and dumping containers is spatial reasoning. He is learning about the boundaries of space and volume. The plugging/unplugging and the pulling items off tables is probably a need to use fine motor skills. These are all great things when looking at it from this point of view! Unfortunately a worn out momma looking at her trashed living room finds it difficult to view in that light sometimes! 


Cause & Effect Activities

• Magnets- Please be sure these are age appropriate and safe. Little ones will love to see how magnets attract one another. Use the magnetic wooden trains to show them how they can make one car attract another. 
• Lids in a Can- a huge hit with every child I have ever cared for has been baby food jar lids inside formula cans. Find someone you know who uses formula and babyfood and ask them for their lids and cans. (think green! reuse!) The babies/toddler love to fill the can with lids and then dump it out. 
• Cause/Effect Toys- There are several out there. Keep your eyes out. Tali has a toy that is a tower with 4 holes across the top in which 4 balls sit. When the balls are hammered into the holes, they drop into a zigzag slide and out a hole in the bottom of the toy. She watches closely as each ball follows the course.
• Colored Water- Let them help you squeeze drops of food coloring or paint into a tub of water (also helps get unwilling bathers in the bathtub!). Watch the color swirl in the water. You can also let them drop a couple of those Crayola Tub Tin pellets into the bathtub.
• Knocking Blocks- easy as it sounds. Stack blocks. Knock them down. Classic, simple, love it! You can also use 

Spatial reasoning Activities

• Lids in cans- yep, fits here too!
• Balls in a Tube- reuse those wrapping paper tubes (go green!). lay one end against the couch for example and roll balls into the tube. Your little one will be surprised to see it come out the bottom!
• Stacking cups- One of the greatest classic toys ever invented. Your child will be amazed at how stacking them one way creates a tower while stacking them the opposite way creates a nest. 

Fine Motor Activities

• Insert Here Game- Both my kids loved this one. Use an empty wipes container. The huggies ones with the little rubber flaps under the push-button lid work great! Find small (but not too small), flat object to insert into the opening. Tali prefers to use baby food lids and large white resin dominoes. She can spend hours manipulating the dominoes to get them in the slot and then dumping them back out.
• Coloring- It requires the use of the small muscles in the hand to hold a crayon, even if they don't hold it properly. give your kiddos a big piece of plain white paper and let them get creative!
• Eggs n Spoons- Stick some of that obnoxious easter grass in a plastic tub (like an old dish tub or foot soak tub). Toss in some plastic easter eggs and hand your toddler either a spoon. For younger kiddos, I'd try a huge serving spoon first. Older kids can attempt a regular tablespoon. Let them scoop and balance the eggs on the spoons. 

There's so many activities for young kids. If you need more activities to keep your rambunctious one busy and engaged, email me using the contact form on the website portion of this blog (click on the Home tab). Check back regularly- there are more posts to come that will be full of ideas! 

Messy Times-
Jaime

Thinking green today....I know a lot of people end up with mountains of trash from parties and family gatherings from the holidays. Here's a fun idea to reuse some of those plastic bottles you are thinking about throwing away. Sensory Bottles!


For younger kiddos, like infants and toddlers-
Wash and dry any size plastic bottle, such as a Gatorade bottle or Coke bottle. For the little kids, I like the smaller sizes, like 12-20 oz.  Be sure the bottles are thoroughly dry inside before starting (although some of these will have water in them). 


Main idea- place items inside the bottles and glue lid shut. Some ideas that are big hits:
little jingle bells
colorful art feathers
toothpicks
fun foam collage shapes
glitter
beads
rocks
golf tees
uncooked beans or rice
sand


Placing some or all of these items in a dry bottle will create a shaker in most cases. These are typically fairly light weight and babies love the noise! To create a 'wet' version, place certain items inside the bottle. Then fill the rest of the way with water. while twisting on the cap, give a slight squeeze to get rid of any air bubbles.


things that work well in the wet bottles:
glitter
coins
1/2 colored water 1/2 baby oil
beads
food coloring or paint


My favorite sensory bottle for little kiddos involves a very small amount of white Karo syrup and those tiny black plastic ants from halloween decorations.  Put just enough Karo syrup in the bottle to coat the inside walls. add as many plastic ants as you'd like. glue the lid on. When this bottle is turned, the ants will slide down the wall, giving the appearance of crawling! This one is SO COOL!


For Older Kids:
Again, be sure the bottle is drier than dry for this one...and a larger bottle, such as a 2 liter, will work best. Find random objects that will fit in the opening of the bottle. One i made today had a blue lego, a red rubber dinosaur eraser, a penny, etc. Be sure to use at least 5 or 6 items for a small bottle and 8 or 10 for a 2 liter. Stick the items in the bottle and write down what you put in there. then fill the bottle with uncooked rice or dry sand, leaving an inch or so of empty space for movement. Laminate the list of objects and punch a hole in the corner. Tie the object list to the neck of the bottle. Now you have an "I Spy" bottle for older kids to enjoy! Have them turn the bottle and search for the items on the list! Great for long car rides!