Kid Quote Friday

When discussing if we should make stew for dinner, my 5 year-old daughter said,

"No! I had a bad experience with stew today."

(Apparently she did not like her pre-school's turkey stew lunch. We made something else.)

Missing Purple

Missing Purple

I know I should be thankful

There's no snow upon the ground.

But brown and gray, every day,

make me sad, profound.

I miss the color yellow,

and green, red, and blue.

I miss the orange poppies,

and every other hue.

But what I want to see the most,

that harbinger of Spring,

is a tiny purple crocus,

that sets my heart to sing.

(Photo credit: Iceland Photoblog)

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Tree

Soon we'll be taking down our Christmas tree and putting away the ornaments and lights for another year.

So here's a final picture of our pretty 2011 Christmas tree.

(If you look closely, you can see one present, up front, wrapped in two different kinds of paper. That's because our cat shredded one end of the wrapping paper. Since he doesn't have claws, it's unknown how he accomplished this feat.)

Chocolate Chip Scones

I admit it. I'm not a very good cook.

It's not so much that I can't cook. It's more that I don't cook. I didn't have a big cooking role-model growing up. And I just didn't gravitate toward it as an adult. Luckily for us, my husband cooks and bakes.

I want my daughter to learn how to cook and bake. I want her to have the skills and interest, so that she can make more than Mac & Cheese when she grows up, unlike me.

So, I got her an awesome cookbook for Christmas.

Teens Cook, by teenage sisters Megan and Jill Carle, seriously ROCKS! It has good food that teens (and adults) like to eat. It does not include ingredients such as: anchovy fillets, beef neck bones, calimyrna figs, and edible gold. It's much more basic. And it's delicious.

How do I know the recipes are delicious, you ask?

I know because my daughter made Chocolate Chip Scones today!

Her scones were so delicious that they tasted way better than the scones from our fancy, neighborhood bakery!

The recipe makes a dozen scones. We ate three right out of the oven.

My daughter told me they were easy to make. Then she described what she had to do. The steps included curdling milk, adding eggs, cooling the dough in the fridge, and whatnot. It didn't sound that easy to me.

But I'm soooooo glad it was easy for her! NEXT: Baked Potato Soup.

Writer's Workshop - You Know You're a Mother When . .

I hate barf.

I really, truly hate vomit and vomiting. I can count on one hand how many times I've actually throw up in my lifetime. Even during pregnancy, when I was nauseated all 9 months, I only vomited once.

I have almost total control over my vomiting reflex. And I expect everyone around me to control their vomiting as well.

That is until I became a mother.

I truly knew I was a mother when I held my 3 year-old daughter in my arms and said, "It's OK to throw up on me. Better out than in."

Never in my life prior to having a child would I have uttered, or even thought it possible to utter, those words.

You know you're a mother when your child vomits on you and you're so concerned about your child that you don't even notice, or care, about the barf.

Christmas List Roundup

Here's some representative items from the Christmas lists of each person in our household:

Husband

- Button down shirts, plain color, twill, not dressy

- SmartWool socks

- Fingerless gloves

- Lock-pick set

* My poor husband needs warm socks and fingerless gloves because his home office is freezing. And what's with the lock-pick set? Does he want to become a criminal in his spare time?

Daughter, age 13

- Hoodie sweatshirt that says, "Zombies were human too."

- Wall charger for i-pod.

- Speakers for i-pod.

- i-tunes gift cards

- One pound chocolate bar

* Music, and apparently zombies, are a theme on my daughter's Christmas list. And why the one pound chocolate bar? Is chocolate more delicious in one big bar vs. several small bars?

Me

- Cozy, fleece throw blanket

- Fleece jacket from Wintergreen

- Warm cardigan sweaters

- Ice cleats that strap onto boots

* As you can see I HATE being cold, thus all the fleece and sweaters. I also hate ice. Two winters ago, I slipped and broke my tailbone. I want those spiky ice cleats so I never fall again . . . hopefully.

- And jewels.

* My husband still owes me something sparkly for the time I got in a car accident and he asked about the car before asking about me. Show me the bling, Honey!

Christmas Shoplifting

Today I was shopping at a well-known store that sells designer items at discount prices.

I was looking for a pair of men's boots. Our church "adopted" a family for Christmas and the last item we needed was a pair of size 9 men's boots.

So there I was in the Men's Shoes aisle looking at a pair of $70 boots wondering where the big "discount" was supposed to be, when I noticed a young man looking at the same boots. I felt like saying to him, "Can you believe how expensive these boots are?"

Just then, he started pulling his baggy jeans way down. His back was to me and I could see his entire pair of red plaid boxer shorts. I thought, "I've seen low hanging jeans, but that is a new low."

He started messing with the front of his pants. For a split second, I seriously thought he was peeing in the store aisle. Then I figured it out.

He reached over and dropped those $70 boots down his pants.

HO, HO, HO!

Nothing like a little Christmas shoplifting to get you in the mood.

So, I casually walked over to a store employee and mentioned that the young man in Men's Shoes had just dropped some boots down his pants.

She said, "Thank you," and went to find reinforcements, I assume.

As I walked away, I happened to glance back at the young man. He was looking right at me. He knew, or guessed, that I had ratted him out.

I thought it best to leave the store.

Needless to say, I found a pair of size 9 men's boots at another store. And they didn't cost $70.

My cat loves boxes

Our tree is up and decorated.

Wrapped presents lie beneath.

An empty box stands alone.

Inside, there is a Cheech!

Our cat - Lord Chee-Chee el Estomago von Schnitzel - (aka. Cheech) loves boxes.

He also loves bags.

And lying on tables.

And on stuffed hamburguesas con queso.

And underneath horses.

And in sinks.

Our cat is strange.

Lutefisk Dinner

Today I'm linkingup with the Writer's Workshop over at MamaKatsLosinIt. I'm writing in response to the prompt: "Describe your least favorite meal growing up."

Every year, the holiday season brings up memories of cutting down Christmas trees, putting up lights, opening gifts, and eating delicious . . . . Lutefisk?!

Yes, my family is of Scandinavian origin. My maternal grandmother was 100% Norwegian. My paternal grandparents were also Norwegian. Thus, the tradition of eating Lutefisk on Christmas Eve was upheld on both sides of the family.

Lutefisk, for those of you not in the know, is a gelatinous, white fish served with butter (in our family). Some people apparently put cream sauce on their lutefisk, but my mother says that's sacrilegious.

(Courtesy www.whatscookingamerica.net)

Lutefisk starts out as cod. Then it's put through such a monstrous process that it becomes something entirely different. The fish is soaked in LYE. That's right, lye, a "corrosive alkaline substance," often used in soap, oven cleaner, and drain un-cloggers. And Lutefisk preparation.

After the fish is soaked in lye, it's soaked over and over in fresh water to get rid of the lye. At that point, the fish is white, jelly-like, and ready to cook and serve.

(Courtesy wikipedia.)

People of my generation and younger love to make fun of Lutefisk. It smells nasty and looks like mucus.

But, my parents' generation, and all the generations before them, revere the stuff.

I once asked my mom if she likes it so much, why does she only eat it once a year. She answered, "It's a Christmas tradition only."

And that's what it's all about. Tradition. Fortunately, and unfortunately, it's a dying tradition.

The only people who still eat Lutefisk in my family are my mother and uncle. When they are gone, no one will be left to eat Christmas Lutefisk.

That's OK with me.

We still have many Scandinavian food traditions, like Lefse and meatballs, which are delicious.

Lefse - a thin potato bread served with butter, cinnamon and sugar.

(Courtesy www.cuisinecapers.com)

So this Christmas Eve, like every Christmas Eve that I've been alive, we will serve Lutefisk along with our meatballs, potatoes and lefse. Some of us will enjoy eating it. The rest of us will avoid looking at it, smelling it, and generally pretending it's not around, so that we can enjoy the rest of our wonderful Scandinavian meal.

My Students, My Kids

It's been over 13 years since I was a full-time, high school English and drama teacher. My former students are now turning 28 and 30 and 32 years old. They're obviously adults now. Some of them have kids. But in many ways, I still think of my students, especially my advisory students, like my kids.

The school where I taught was built around the advisory system. Your advisory was like your family. It was a way to be especially connected to one teacher and a small group of kids within the larger school setting.

I'm Facebook friends with lots of my former students. I love keeping up with what's going on in their lives. Their updates are usually cause for celebration. Way to go! I knew you would do awesome things!

But sometimes, they're sad. And I feel sad, not just because it's sad hearing anyone's bad news, but because I still feel a parental kind of connection with them. It might sound strange, but my advisory kids were my kids (before I had an actual kid of my own and stopped teaching to take care of her.)

I still care about them and how their doing and if they are happy in life.

- - - - - - - - - -

Today I'm feeling especially sad. I'm thinking about one particular student. She was one of my advisory kids, and one of my favorites.

She has a life-threatening disease. She had it back then. She missed school sometimes because of it. But, I was always hopeful that she would beat all the odds, or the doctors would make new discoveries, and she'd be cured.

That hasn't happened. Yet.

We are Facebook friends and I love to read her posts. She has a great sense of humor and is a good writer. (She always has been.)

Lately, her posts have been more serious. Her illness has been unkind this past year or so. She recently had to make the heart-wrenching decision to leave a job she loved because she is too sick to work full-time.

This is very hard for a young woman to go through. It's hard for her former teacher too.

Even though she's almost 30 years old, and clearly a grown woman, I want to hug her like a mom and reassure her.

But, I can't. And I won't.

I will send her messages, though. And when my family visits the area where she lives, you bet I'm going to get together with her, take her to dinner, she how she's doing.

- - - - - - - - -

When I first started teaching, it took me awhile to figure out that I couldn't "save" all my students. It was a hard lesson to learn. I wanted to wrap up all my kids and save them from whatever ailed them.

I still want to do this sometimes.

But, I can't. The best I could do then, and now, is try to be at least one caring adult in each kid's life.

Hopefully, that was, and will be, enough.

Show me the Money! - Kids and Allowance

Today I'm talking about kids and allowance. Many parents are stumped when it comes to allowance. When? Why? How much?

Here are Two Easy Steps & some Real Life Examples to help you form your own Allowance Plan.

Step 1 - Allowance Philosophies:

There are three main philosophies regarding kids and allowance.

1. Kids get an allowance. They do chores because they're members of the family. Money and chores are not connected.

2. Kids get an allowance. They do chores because they get an allowance. Chores not completed = no money.

3. Kids do not get an allowance. "You're 8 now. Go get a job, Punk!"

Since I only know families who follow the first two philosophies, that's what I'm focusing on today.

Step 2 - Details:

Once you figure out your Allowance Philosophy, next you need to figure out two details:

1. At what age your kids will start receiving an allowance.

2. How much.

I polled some friends about their different approaches to allowance. Here are some Real Life Examples for inspiration.

Family A

Philosophy - #2 (Kids need to complete their chores to receive their allowance.)

Age - Began between 5-8 years old.

Amount - Kids receive the amount of their age each month. (ex. 12 years old gets $12.00/month.)

Pros - Money is a good motivator for kids to complete their chores.

Cons - If chores aren't done, kids may complain about not receiving their cash.

Extras - If kids want extra money, they can do special jobs around the house.

Family B

Philosophy - #1 (Kids get allowance. Kids do chores. Not connected.)

Age - Began allowance when oldest was 11 and youngest was 6 years old.

Amount - Kids get half their age per week. (ex. 12 year old gets $6.00/week.)

Pros - Easy system. Same amount every week no matter what.

Cons - May need to nag kids to do their chores more than with Philosophy #2.

Extras - No option for earning extra dough.

Family C

Philosophy - #1 (Kids get allowance. Kids do chores. Not connected.)

Age - Began between 5-8 years old.

Amount - Kids get their age divided by 4 each week. (ex. 12 year old gets $3.00/week.) Plus, kids earn % 5.00 compounded interest/month when they keep their allowance in the "Bank of Dad." They are able to withdraw and deposit their money whenever. Dad keeps track of it all on a spreadsheet he created.

Pros - Kids can earn a lot more money with the interest. (%5.00 compounded interest is better than a regular bank.)

Cons - It may take an Actuary to figure this system out.

Extras - Kids can earn extra money for bigger chores around the house.

Family D

Philosophy - None

Age - Unclear

Amount - Undetermined

Pros - Good for Mom. Doesn't need to remember allowances each week.

Cons - Kids say, "Show me the money, MOM!"

Extras - Mom buys them stuff anyway.

That's it! That's all a parent needs to know to create their own Allowance Plan. And in case you're wondering, we follow the same plan as Family B except we do give extra cash for some larger chores like raking, shoveling and cleaning the cat box!

Writer's Workshop - Oh, the Snow!

Last year at this time, there was a whole lot of snow! With around two feet of snow on the ground, it was hard to find important things like stairs, cars, etc. Here's my tribute poem to the snow.

Oh, the Snow!

Oh where, oh where has my garden gone?

Oh where, oh where could it be?

The bird bath is full, and the bushes are bare,

There's snow where the stairs used to be.

Oh where, oh where is my husband's car?

Oh where, oh where can it be?

We've run out of milk, and the chocolate is gone,

I'll have to walk to Speedy.

Oh why, oh why, is the snow falling down?

The dogs still have to go pee.

If I walk them now, they won't find the ground.

They'll squat in the snow and they'll freeze.

Oh where, oh where is the snow this year?

Oh where, oh where can it be?

There's only an inch of it, down on the ground.

Is that how this Christmas will be?

Memories of Summer

In August, I took my daughter and her friend "Up North" to a cabin near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota.

Here's a photo of the lake from our dock.

One day we went into town and met my Dad for lunch. This is the town of Grand Marais.

In the "olden days," there wasn't a harbor in Grand Marais. People had to wait out on the rocks for the ferry. While people waited, many of them carved their names into the rocks. The signatures are still there today.

Here's a signature carved by a Mr. Scott in 1902.

Sick Day Schedule

My daughter was home sick today. This is exactly what she did all day.

Sick Day Schedule:

6:20 am - Alarm rings. Juliana says, "I feel sick." Father "harasses" her to get up for school. Mother takes Juliana's temperature. It's normal, but Mom still overrules Father. Juliana gets to stay home. But the agreement is she MUST go to school tomorrow.

6:24 am - Juliana goes back to sleep.

8:00 am - Wakes up, moves pillow and blanket to living room couch.

8:10 am - Begins reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Finishes Chapter 1.

9:00 am - Makes toast.

9:05 am - Watches first 10 minutes of Once Upon A Time on TV. Becomes bored.

9:15 am - Switches to watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on TV.

11:30 am - Father makes her french onion soup for lunch. Juliana asks him to strain it so it's basically onion broth with no "bits."

11:40 am - Watches more TV. This time Top Gear, an upscale car show on BBC America.

2:00 pm - Mom arrives home from work. Juliana and Mom talk.

2:30 pm - Reads Deathly Hallows.

3:00 pm - Friends are home from school. Texts friends.

3:30 pm - Reads more Deathly Hallows.

5:00 pm - Eats dinner and watches The Closer on TV.

6:00 pm - Mom takes Juliana's temperature. It's almost 101 degrees.

Oh no! Juliana will need to stay home again tomorrow (despite this morning's agreement) and follow this Sick Day Schedule all over again!

Junior High Fashion Week - Day 5

It's Friday and the last day of Junior High Fashion Week!

I want to make a note about all these clothes, that have to be paid for somehow. Since I have only one child, and I like clothes, I tend to buy her a fair amount of clothing. But, she also gets an allowance and is expected to help pay for certain things.

Next week, I'll be highlighting different approaches to allowance. Stop by and add your "two cents."

Friday's Fashion: "Ahh, it's almost the weekend. Time for yoga pants and slippers."

T-shirt - Hollister

Cami - Aeropostale

Yoga pants - Pink

Slippers - Target

Here's the back view.

Last night we went to a high school information night. How did this happen?! How is my baby ready to look at high schools? Next year, I'll be doing a High School Fashion Week. But that's a long, long time from now. Right?

Junior High Fashion Week - Day 4

It's Day 4 of Junior High Fashion Week and it snowed this morning in Minnesota. Does that mean putting on a sweater? No! Juliana still wears short-sleeves. Brrr.

Thursday's Fashion: "It's almost Friday. Time to be creative!"

This shirt was creatively altered by my daughter. It was a "boy cut" t-shirt, meaning too big and baggy. So, she cut the sides of the shirt and tied them back together, for a more fitted, fun fashion.

Here's the side view.

Shirt - From church ("improved" by Juliana)

Cami - Target

Jeans - Hollister

Converse shoes - Lady Footlocker

I love how she'll wear her "cool" Hollister jeans (which were purchased on sale, by the way) with a t-shirt from our church with the name of the Vacation Bible School band, "The Dead Sea Squirrels." (It's like the Dead Sea Scrolls, but it's Squirrels. Get it? Get it?)