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February, 2013

  1. The Tinkerer

    February 28, 2013 by admin

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    Our Bluey has a strong tinkering disposition that we gladly embrace.  Ever since a baby,  he has been interested in the way things are put together and taken apart.  We don’t believe this interest is inherently due to his gender.  Tinkering runs true in both girls and boys, if they are given the chance to freely explore.IMG_1053

    Legos and Duplos are a safe entry into tinkering for any age and gender.  The only downside is that most of the toy sets are sold as a kit with pictures and directions that lead your child into a very specific design.  Our practice is to make the manufacturer’s creation the first time out of the box.  And then we store the directions in a designated box.  Once the original design is broken down, we only retrieve the directions at our children’s request.  And that doesn’t happen very often.

    We’ve quickly moved beyond Legos in our home.  Now, our kids break down and reconstruct old sewing machines, mixers – just about anything they can get their hands on.  Bluey’s tinkering is such an inherent part of his personality that we’ve had to discuss that some objects are off limits.  He recently tried to take apart our alarm clock!

    You can purchase toys designed to simulate the experience of taking apart a machine, but why bother when the real thing is readily at hand!

    IMG_2737Thrift stores and garage sales are a great place to pick up tinkering items.  And don’t throw out that toy or electrical appliance that no longer works.  Save it for your child to take apart and explore!  You never know, they might even manage to fix it!

    Tip1:  Be absolutely certain that the toy or appliance you give your child has NO batteries or magnets!  Always remove these bits prior to allowing tinkering.

    We let our children use real tools while tinkering.  Obviously, you know your child well and can judge what they can and cannot handle.  We don’t allow Bluey to have a hammer or saw unless we are directly supervising a project.  And we never allow direct electrical current for any project with either child.

    Tip2:  Cutting the plug off the appliance helps ensure that it will never be plugged in!IMG_1593

    We encourage you to let your children explore their world!


  2. Dipsy Doodle

    February 26, 2013 by admin

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    In our quest to improve the health of the TR family, we’ve begun trying to limit the amount of salty snacks and sour cream based dips that we consume.  These snacks are especially enjoyed by the TR adults after the kiddoes have trundled off to bed.  So we’ve been searching for ways to continue the fun of a late night snack, without as much added fat and carbs.

    Voila!  We turned to yogurt-based dips complimented by raw veggies, and a few pretzels, for a delightful little snack.  After some trial and error, we landed on a tasty dip that comes together in about five minutes.  Here is our first recipe.

    Yogurt Dip

    1 ½ cups plain yogurt  (there are several organic/ non-hormone brands available in most grocery stores)

    1/3 cup crumbled feta

    2 T diced fresh cilantro

    1 t Ground cumin

    1 sliced scallion

    Mix well.  Add a pinch of black pepper or chili powder if you wish for a bit more Ooomph.

    Serve with sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, fresh pepper slices, and/or pretzels.


  3. You Are My Flower

    February 24, 2013 by admin

    IMG_0722We fell in love with the indie band, Ida, in the early 1990s.  The core members, Elizabeth Mitchell and Dan Littleton, pen incredibly heartfelt songs with amazing harmonies and creative musical accompaniments.  Littleton and Mitchell are married and have a lovely daughter, Storey.  Ida’s last album came out in 2008.  We’re hoping they continue to tour and release as Ida.

    In 1998, Mitchell put forth her first children’s album, You Are My Flower on her own label. She has continued releasing children’s albums on Smithsonian Folkways ever since.  Most of Mitchell’s music consists of  re-working traditional melodies, along with covers of some more recent songs.  Mitchell is joined by Littleton, and now Storey, on the song arrangements and when on tour.

    It is quite a task to find children’s music that doesn’t make an adult want to run from the room, as most of what you’ll hear is either insipid or cloying.   But Mitchell has a talent for picking tunes that resonate with young and old.  Couple her song choices with a gorgeously simple delivery, and Mitchell’s lovely voice, and it is a complete win.

    Tip:  Check out some other kid friendly tunes that we also recommend previously.

    Our kids have been raised with Mitchell’s music.  One of her concerts was Bluey’s first experience with live music when he was under 1 year old.  We just can’t recommend her enough.  Now if we could only get Mitchell, and Ida, to come back to Madison!


  4. Moving Away From Soy

    February 22, 2013 by admin

    Soy is the center of hot debate in many circles.  You hear it critiqued for everything from its effect on the environment  to its effect on your health.  And then you have the folks that simply can’t stand how it tastes.

    In our ongoing move towards better health, we have decided to dramatically decrease the use of soy in our recipes.  We will significantly cut back on consuming edamame and IMG_1574tofu.  But when we do add it to our meals, we will search out the certified organic products.

    We have discovered that there are soy-free alternatives to the typical fake meat offerings.  Right here in Madison, at the Willy Street Co-op, you can find the Sunshine brand . And, of course, you can make your own veggie burgers with everything from chickpeas  to sweet potatoes.

    This particular move is one that we take with a bit more trepidation than other dietary changes we’ve implemented.  Tofu, edamame, and fake meat products have been players in our recipes for as long as we’ve been vegetarians.  It certainly requires a conscious change in lifestyle to make this switch successful- like when we decided to forgo canned foods and most plastics.  But as with every change we make in our TR household, slow and steady usually wins the race.

    This move away from soy will require us to find and create new recipes for our family meals.  When we find the ones that work, we’ll share them with you!

    What are your thoughts on soy?


  5. Bring in Spring!

    February 20, 2013 by admin

    Bulb1  By Brenda Winter Hansen

    Are you and your wee ones getting cabin fever, wishing the world warm and in full bloom? Well, not even Punxsutawney Phil can make winter shorter, but with only a few special ingredients, you and the kids can bring your own personal spring inside.

    Bulb3Forcing bulbs has long been a gardening tradition, and was all the rage in the 1800’s. It works by chilling flower bulbs for a few weeks, then bringing them into a warm environment to force them to bloom earlier than they might have outside. Seeing plants grow before your eyes in the dead of winter is fascinating at any age, and the payoff of a beautiful flower with a heady perfume to freshen up the air is a memorable thrill. Kids love helping out, and will probably ask for it every year. Just make sure to put down newspapers if you’re going to use potting soil.Bulb4

    You’ll need bulbs first. If you’re like me, you probably have some in your garage that you never got planted in the fall. I’ve had the best luck with paperwhites (a.k.a. narcissus), daffodils, hyacinth, and crocus, though amaryllis and tulips are also fine choices. Amaryllis are often sold in drugstores already potted and ready to force. They are pricier, but the fanciest of flowers to force. If you don’t have any bulbs on hand, ask neighbors if they have any they didn’t get planted. If they do, make sure to make a forced bulb garden for them too. Assuming the ground isn’t frozen, you can also dig them up, if you remember where they are. Local hardware stores or nurseries are also likely to have inexpensive bulbs that have been chilled long enough to be ready to force.

    Many resources say bulbs need to be chilled at a specific temperature for a specific number of weeks, but I’ve never paid much attention to those claims and have had great luck with late winter blooms. Once you have bulbs, it’s time to find containers. Narrow necked vases (called forcing vases) are perfect for paperwhites and hyacinth, but you can use old jam jars too. Narrow ones are good, but use some rocks, or several bulbs, to prop each other up if you use a wider jar. Wide shallow bowls, can be filled with rocks, pebbles, and just enough water to come to the top of them. Then, nestle a bunch of bulbs into the rocks (root side down, pointy side up!). The last way to force flowering bulbs is too find a shallow wide pot and sandwich the bulbs between two layers of potting soil, but make sure the points are just poking out of the dirt. The soil should be damp, not sopping wet.

    bulb2For all of these methods, leave the bulbs in indirect light until the first bits of green are poking out a bit. Otherwise the poor flowers might try blooming before it has much of a stalk. Once there is a stalk, give it a little more light and turn it a little everyday so the stalk grows straight. This is a great time to introduce phototropism to your offspring! Keep the kids interested by having them take notes and draw pictures every few days and you’ll have another fine example of art marrying science. Enjoy!

    For more info, check out: http://www.oldhousegardens.com/forcingbulbs.asp


  6. U.X.B.

    February 18, 2013 by admin

     

    picture and text from Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild

    picture and text from Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild

    We hate to admit it, but sometimes in the TRHQ…. stuff goes down…buttons get pushed…strings snap.   We do our best to remain calm when situations or conversations aren’t smooth.  But sometimes, like when a third spill occurs while we are still cleaning up spill #1 and #2, we feel very close to the edge of our sanity. 

    You need to be able to defuse most situations without blowing your top.  So we present our guide to Pulling It Back Around:

    Hugs:  Never underestimate the value of a hug.  It reassures the person you are interacting with that you love them.  It calms you down.  It reminds everyone that everything will be OK.

    Sing a Song:  We find that a few lines from The Message, or Nobody’s Perfect, or any other song you enjoy, helps lighten the mood.  Singing can produce some giggles in the midst of a tense situation.

    Switch gears with the person pushing your buttons: Suggest that you read a book together, or find a snack, or go for a walk.  Do anything to move away from the situation causing angst.

    Pins and Needles, Needles and Pins:  Find a mantra, silly or serious, that will help you calm down and remember what’s important.

    Walk Away:  Occasionally, the best thing that you can do is give yourself a minute or two alone.  If all else fails, lock yourself in the bathroom for a few seconds.

    Remind Your Kiddo That You Love Them, Even When They Are Breaking Stuff:

                     -Calvin- So you’re not mad that I broke the binoculars?

                       -Dad-  No.  Pretty soon you’ll be wrecking my car.

    Everyone gets angry at some point.  It is natural.  What matters is what you do while angry and how you discuss it after the heat has settled.

    Breath and Focus: A single incident doesn’t have to make it a bad day- unless you let it.

    A great book that helps capture the experience of losing it and bringing it back around is, Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild, by Mem Fox and Marla Frazee.  Our favorite line from the book is, “Sometimes it happens, just like that.”  And we reference it often when discussing a tense situation with our kids.

    PS-  After all has returned to normal, don’t forget to apologize.  Our experience is that a good apology goes a long way.


  7. The Ian Tilmann Foundation

    February 16, 2013 by admin

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    We can’t begin to comprehend the anguish and pain of a parent when faced with the loss of their child. The Tilmann family found a way to channel their grief when confronted with such a loss, and to celebrate their deceased son, with the creation of a stupendous organization that helps kids and adults all around the world.

    When 28 year old Ian Tilmann died in 2005 as a result of a skateboarding accident, his parents learned that his injuries might have been less severe had he been wearing a helmet.   Marcy and Barry Tilmann decided to find a way to spare other families from dealing with similar tragedies.

    IMG_0787The Ian Tilmann Foundation (ITF) will send you a free skating or bicycle helmet for you or your child.  All you have to do is make a promise to wear it.  ITF will accept any donation you may choose to offer, at any time, to support their foundation.  And they also host skating events and support skate parks!

    We got Plum her first skateboard helmet from ITF in 2008.  We spoke with Marcy on the phone, and we were delighted by her friendliness and the concern she had that Plum would get the best helmet for her needs.  Plum was delighted with her helmet when it arrived and she has worn it with pride ever since.

    We will soon be contacting ITF again to get new helmets for the growing heads of Plum, and now our Bluey.  We strongly support the Ian Tilmann Foundation and we suggest you check them out, too!  There is NO acceptable excuse to not wear a helmet!

    Spring skating and biking season are coming.  Is your helmet ready?


  8. Get Your Geek On

    February 14, 2013 by admin

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    Have you been to the Wonders of Physics in Madison?  Or have you checked out Vi Hart’s Facebook page for her latest YouTube video?  Perhaps you have flipped through the book, Math Doesn’t Suck, by Danica McKellar?

    The Wonders of Physics  is put on annually at the University of Wisconsin-Madison within Chamberlin Hall.  Professor Sprott and his helpers enact a “themed” presentation exploring various laws of physics.  It is free to the public, though reserving your tickets in advance is essential as it draws quite a crowd.  During the hour long production, you’ll witness many exciting science experiments and perhaps get to participate in one when they ask for volunteers.  The event is an all-ages, completely family-friendly affair.  Our 4 year old got fidgety only at the very end and our 10 year old was fully engrossed.

    Tip:  A few experiments are quite loud but they are marked as such on the program.

    Vi Hart  puts up simply incredible YouTube videos pondering many mathematical and occasional musical situations.  Her fast pace can leave you a bit breathless as you try to keep step with her brilliant mind.  She will get you thinking about math and music in an entirely different and immensely enjoyable way.   Her content is accessible but requires concentration as it can be complicated.  In our opinion, this puts her main audience around 10 years old and up.

    Danica McKellar (you may remember her as Winnie from the TV show, The Wonder Years) has found a niche with trying to encourage young women to embrace math.  Her tween/teen accessible books  help to give girls confidence in an often male dominated field.  Math doesn’t have to be something to fear, or something that is mastered only by boys.  Unfortunately, the trend of discouraging girls to enjoy and excel at math, and of presenting math to both genders as something to just plod through, continues in our schools.

    The common thread running through of all these recommendations is that they spotlight people that are finding a way to make Science and Math fun!  One of the greatest gifts you can pass to your child is to help them realize that learning is an exciting adventure that should never end.  And as an adult, you, too, should continue to challenge your intellect.

     


  9. Lights, Camera, Action!

    February 12, 2013 by admin

    IMG_1557We greatly enjoy gathering as a family on Friday evenings and commencing our weekend with a movie.  Recently, we all snuggled up to watch, Barbie – The Princess and The Popstar.  It can be hard to find the perfect movie since Plum is 10 and Bluey is 4.  But we do our best and generally find success with our choices.  We utilize Common Sense Media to help us determine if a movie will be one that our family would find appropriate. We find their reviews to be on target about 75% of the time.

    Our rules for movie night are simple:

    • Everyone changes into PJs.
    • Dinner is picnic style on the living room floor.
    • If interest wanes, the movie can be finished up at some later date.

     

    Here is a short list of some movies that we’ve greatly enjoyed since starting our movie night tradition:

     

    We had less success with Ponyo as Bluey found Ponyo’s father to be frightening and the story was a little too esoteric.  Homeward Bound 2 had cheap jokes, was too mean, and had some questionable language.  Toy Story was disappointing as the characters constantly yelled at each other and labeled one another “stupid” ad nauseum.

    What movies do you enjoy with your family that you can recommend to us?


  10. Scallywags

    February 10, 2013 by admin

    OK, scallions aren’t very expensive.  But our TR family is constantly looking for ways to lower the weekly grocery bill, even if it’s by less than a dollar.  We found a way to IMG_1534reduce, or eventually eliminate, our need to buy scallions in the grocery.  We saw this trick on pinterest, and wanted to test it out before we shared it with the world at large.

    The process is so simple, you’ll be surprised you didn’t think of it sooner!  When preparing a recipe with scallions, just use the green tops as you would normally.  But when you get towards the white end, stop cutting.  Take this roots end of the scallion, and put it in a small glass of water on your kitchen windowsill.  A few days later, the green ends start growing again!

    We now have a small collection of green onions growing in water on the windowsill.  Our first foray into hydroponics  met with complete success!  It certainly makes us wonder what other veggies we could grow in water from the roots.  As our kitchen garden expands, we’ll let you know which plants we find the most successful.