End of Week 2 trackout Friday, November 20

Today was the end of the second week of trackout! The kids had fun this week, but my camera broke!

We went to Chuck E. Cheese, for a couple walks, and to friends houses. Next week is not only the last week of trackout, but also Thanksgiving!!!

The kids are also looking forward to the big move!!! As of today, there are about 20 days left before we move!

Caramelized Onion & Cornbread Dressing/Stuffing

 

Super easy and inexpensive side that will be great for Thanksgiving dinner or any night.

You'll need...

2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make...

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl.

Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey.  OR You could spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey.

Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Cool craft idea: Stained Glass Leaf Mobile

 

You'll need...
construction paper or felt in autumn colors
poster board or cardboard (I recycle boxes from Costco for this)
scissors
white school glue

brown buttons

hot glue gun

 ribbon

 

To make...

Create the leaves, by tracing your child's, or the entire family's, hands on colored paper or felt. Then cut several hands in a variety of colors.

Cut the wreath ring shape using poster board or cardboard.

Glue the felt or paper hands randomly around the wreath, until the cardboard is covered. Make sure they overlap a bit and have the fingertips fan out from the wreath.
Attach buttons, or nuts in a cluster with a glue gun; a job for a grown-up. Glue your ribbon to the back to hang on a doorknob or hook.

So long North Carolina! I will miss you :(

So as of last night it is official...after 3 years 4 months in North Carolina, we are moving BACK to NY. This is a day I actually never thought we would see. It took 2 days to get down here in July 2006. I loved it here from day 1! I did/do miss family and friends up there,, but thought this was our new, permanent home. Two of our children were born here. I joined the most AWESOME mommies group EVER before coming here, and made some great friends along the way.

I will bring back to NY with me, some great memories! Moms nights out, craft night, movies with friends, karaoke, drunk guys hitting my friends that are obviously pregnant, birthday parties, TM birthday bashes (3 to be exact) holiday parties, great fun, food, CAKE and more!

I know I have great memories where we are going, and will make more, and I will miss my friends here. I hope we stay in touch!!!

My kids have changed SO much since moving here, it is amazing to see the change!

Here is Nick when we first moved here:

And now:

Michele then:

And now:

Wyatt was born 7 months after we moved here:

February 2007

And November 2009

 Such big changes in my babies!!!!!!

Of course, Evan was also born in NC...

June 2009

And November 2009

What change in only 4 months!

It will be amazing to see the changes once we are in NY again, 3 years from now. I can only imagine what they will look like, and what my friend's kids here will look like.

I will miss the births of a few friend's babies, but I know I can share in the joy on Facebook and on Triangle Mommies!

As you can see, I am both happy and sad. Happy to be near family again, near grandparents who missed the first 2 years of Wyatt's life and the last 3 of the older two, as well as not being able to see Evan.

Sad I will be leaving such awesome friends here! (you know who you are: Katy, Lisa, Faith, Susie, Aisha, and many more!)

I am hoping to have a party to say goodbye to all my awesome friends and their families!

I am sure you will all see many posts when we get back...

I will miss you NC!

Top Five Ways for Parents to Protect Children

The likelihood of a child getting abducted is one in 347,000 or .0003 percent, but if it happens to your kid, it's 100 percent. Dr. Phil counts down the five most important things you can do to keep your children safe from predators.

5. Prepare Your Children without Fear

You don't want to make your children paranoid, but you must prepare them. Talk about safety openly and without fear. Go over the dos and don'ts with them.

Don'ts

• Never get in a car with a stranger.
• Never go to a second location with someone you don't know.
• Never let someone swear you to secrecy.

"The child has no decision to make, because there are clear nevers," Dr. Phil explains. "That way, they will be cautious, they will be careful to not let someone put them in harm's way."

Dos

• Stay with a friend.
• Let parents know where you are.

You need to make sure your children understand that they are loved, and they need to love themselves.

4. Set Up Their World for Safety

• Never leave your children alone, even for a moment, particularly when they're young. 
• Have strict procedures on such things as going to and from school and where to go after a dance or sports. If your child is a latch-key kid, make sure he or she knows the procedure you want in place for when he or she gets home from school, like keeping the doors locked.
• Your children should know their home telephone number, their parents' cell phone numbers, their home address and how to call 911.
• Children should never wear clothes displaying their name.
• Set up a code word with your child in case of emergency and test it. If you send a friend or family member to pick your child up, the child can ask him or her for the code word. Your child will know it's safe to go with the adult if they can repeat the code word.
• Create a map of your neighborhood so children know where to go if they're feeling uncomfortable. Point out safe houses, fire stations or a trusted neighbor's home. Your child should also know where to run or drive in case the situation calls for that action.

"They need to know where things are if they have to make decisions on the spur of the moment," Dr. Phil says.

3. Listen and Look

• As parents, you need to be extremely tuned in to what's taking place in your child's life. Listen to your children to see if they’re talking about anyone who doesn’t belong in their world.
• When you pick your children up from the mall or school, scan the landscape and notice if there are people lurking or located where they don't belong.
• Most abductions are not completely random. Even if it's a stranger abduction, they tend to target children for a period of time before they abduct them. Many abductees are girls and teenagers.
• Be sure to look and listen to what your child is doing while on the Internet. Know how to monitor the computer. Get in game and figure out how to check for access, passwords, lockdowns and where they’ve been surfing. Predators will try and groom a childover the Internet and then try and set up a meeting in the real world. 

2. Have a Plan

• Make sure you have up-to-date pictures of your child from every angle. Be sure the images are easily recognizable.
• Get your child fingerprinted. Many local police departments offer the service free of charge, so your child can be entered into a database.
• Have a list of emergency contact numbers easily accessible. The first number on your list should be 911, and the second should be for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: (800) The Lost, (800) 843-5678. The first few hours after an abduction are most critical.
  

1. Teach Your Children to Self-Protect

Teach your child to recognize danger: who, what and where.

• Who: Somebody they don't know or don't  trust asking them to do something they don't want to do. Strangers are not only the creepy looking men in trench coats. They can be anyone. Many kids are abducted by a family friend or acquaintance.  
• What: Adults do not ask children for help. That should be a warning sign that something is wrong. Your children should also be aware of anybody who asks them to get in a car or go somewhere with them, or anyone who crosses a boundary, such as touching them or invading their personal space.
• Where: If someone asks your child to go to a second location, that should set bells off in his or her head. If your child is alone and an adult approaches him or her, that is not a good sign.
• The Buddy System: Kids should never be alone, even for a minute. They should always be with a friend or two, because there is strength in numbers.
• React: Children must also know that it is OK for them to say no. They shouldn't worry about being polite. If the feel they are in danger or something is not right, they should move in the opposite direction, yell, scream and ask for help. Rehearse this with your children by asking them how they would react in certain situations. Don’t tell them how to react. For example, ask them what they would do if they are at bus stop and a car pulls up offering a ride. 
• Communicate: It's imperative that you establish a line of communication with your kids about anything they don't feel comfortable talking about.  

Trust your instincts; if it feels wrong, it probably is wrong. These tips can save your child's life.

Baby/toddler sign language: classes , videos, or both?

We LOVE our Signing Time videos! Even my 10 and 6 year old love to watch them with the almost 3 year old. You can really learn a lot, for the most part, and they an keep them entertained while you make dinner. These are some great videos! But what about taking a class as well? Many people say that their child learned a lot of signs by watching these videos. But did they learn anything else?

What can you get out of a baby/toddler/preschool sign language class that you can't get out of a video? Don't get me wrong, I have been known to pop in a video once in a while, not that my kids ever sit through a whole one!

Let's compare:

Videos: Signing videos have great songs, a lot of signs, and music that will stick with you all day. They are great in the car, or when you need to get something done around the house. And you will notice your child producing some signs. But look at the above statement...what is missing? For the most part, when you or your child pops in one of these videos, they are in a trance for the entire 30 or so minute that the video is playing, staring at the TV, usually not interacting with anyone. They may end up signing along, and signing, but where is mom or dad? Look again...they are usually doing dishes, making dinner, or doing other household chores, and so on.

Baby/toddler/preschool sign language class: You are in a room with other parents and children. Your child is learning what is and is not acceptable in a social situation, and they are making friends. The children are getting face to face time with the teacher, children, and their parents. (Now you know the answer to the question above, about what is missing) During the 45 minute (or more) class, you are singing songs, signing to songs and books, playing a ring around the rosie game, and more, with/to your child.

When you take a class (and not just signing, around here, we LOVE our Kindermusik and Music Together classes!) your child is learning how to interact with adults and children, something they can not learn from a  video. One of the most important things they are learning, is how to produce a sign correctly. After all, you ARE teaching your child (and learning yourself) a viable language!

During a class, you can ask questions. If you want to know how a sign came to be, you can find out. What a joy it is to see your child laugh and play with other children while they are learning so many things (as I mentioned, social skills, manners, signs, songs, what to do in social situations, and so on) and having fun as well! You can't do this with a video.

What you also can't get from a video is the excitement of your child excitedly asking if today is a class day! That excitement in their eyes as they enter the room and see their new friends, and run to hug their teacher. Babies require face-to-face interaction to learn. They don’t get that interaction from watching TV or videos. In fact, the watching probably interferes with the crucial wiring being laid down in their brains during early development. (Despite years of warnings by pediatricians to the contrary, parents still believe that the content of programs aimed at babies is good for brain development)

Never has it been more important to take time away from screens, engage with family and friends and focus on living life, not simply watching others via an electronic screen. The more time we spend watching and the less time we spend doing, the less experience we have in what it takes to be a full fledged human being. Also, many studies have shown that the more videos young babies and kids watched, the fewer words they knew. Pretty scary, if you think about it!

Babies and young children will learn SO much more from us and others, then they will from a video. Yes, there are many parents who will sit with their child and talk about what is going on, sign along, etc... but the general consensus when it comes to videos, is that it gives mom and dad a "break" from their kids...to me, this sends out a very negative message...

So remember, more face to face time and less screen time. The years from birth to 5 are the most important in forming brain synapses and helping develop skills needs later in life. What parent DOESN'T want their child to reach their FULL potential?

So start today! Turn off that video, and start interacting with your children...they will thank you for it later!

Track out week one November 13, 2009

Woo hoo Friday the 13th!!!!! Here are some pictures from our lazy Friday.


New format next week: End of the week summary! 

Testing

Testing from the iPod


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Track out week one November 12, 2009

Playing with a friend! I gave the kids the camera and let them at it!!!

Track out week one November 11, 2009

Today was a very rainy and cold day! A friend of mine said she was going to Chik Fil A, so I decided to join her!

Here are some pictures from our trip! The rest of the day as spent staying warm! :)

Track out week one November 10, 2009

Today was a lazy day! We watched some TV, and the kids played great together, both with toys and video games. Wyatt loves helping with the video games!

We saw a friend today, and the kids had some fun with her 2 kids. They even got to eat McDonalds...which wont happen probably again until next Thursday or Friday!

I love having my kids home for track out! I miss them when they are in school :)

My camera card broke, so the pictures I got are lost :( But I will take more tomorrow with just the camera!!! Mama is a picture happy person, but I have 4 great subjects!

Track out week one November 9, 2009

Today was the first day of the kids (possibly last) track out. Evan started the day by playing with his toys, watching Nick and Michele play Wii Party!

Then we decided to go for an afternoon walk! I am glad we did, I got to see my friend's new lil man! (not pictured)

The kids had pizza for lunch and promptly made a mess of the living room! (Which I promptly made them clean up!)

They had a fun day!

Other things we did today:

Triple stacker (wooden stacker with 3 different stacks)
Blocks
Stories
Drawing
Had some treats (candy)

I am hoping to have a more fun day tomorrow!

Chronicles of...shoes

So, three times now (well, 4, but the camera wouldn't turn on!) I have stumbled upon shoes put into interesting...patterns? Thanks to my awesome little man age 2 1/2!

So each time I find them, I grab the camera. I am not sure what makes him want to do this, but I think it is the cutest thing!

Here are the 3 I have found and were able to take pictures of!

I will have to keep an eye our for more "creations" and continue the chronicles of shoes! :)

Craft time with the moms!

So last night was craft night for the Northeast Wake mommies! We had a quaint little group of 5 awesome mamas. We made jars for Thanksgiving, to put little slips of paper in it, writing on them what we are thankful for, to be read at Thanksgiving dinner.

This was actually my first time utilizing a hot glue gun! Yes, me, the one who has worked in child care for almost 20 years has never touched one! I may have to go get myself one! Luckily, the hostess of our craft night gave me a 50% off coupon, and said there is one there for $2.00!

I was quite proud of my little jar!!

I even made a little bag to put the cards in!!!

This was a fun way to get out of the house and have some mommy interaction and to bring out my creative side!!

Pondering...

Three years ago July, we uprooted our family from Delmar, NY, to move to Morrisville, NC. We left on a Saturday morning, around 5am, and got to our new house on Sunday, around 5pm. We stayed in a hotel one night in Richmond, VA. It was raining the whole way from NY to NC. Luckily, when we finally pulled the truck in front of our new home, the rain stopped. The kids did wonderful all the way down, and I was newly pregnant with Wyatt.

I also joined Triangle Mommies before moving here, so I could make some friends and learn my way around. In fact, I think in the last 3 years, I have traveled around the Triangle 98% more then Chris has!

Chris's new boss brought some people to help us unpack the truck, and it was done in record time! The setting up, however, seemed to take years! (Ok days, but still!) The new house looked so nice!! When we decided to go to dinner, we somehow found the Red Robin in Raleigh. I went here once before, a long time ago...not this location, but a Red Robin none the less...so we stopped here. We were quite pleased!

A few weeks went by, and we went to the beach here for the first time, at Falls Lake. It was so nice to sit and watch Chris swim with the kids...and to also go in myself! It was hotter and muggier then what we were used to, but we loved it! We went once more when Chris's parents came to visit a week or so later...for some reason, that was the last time we went! (That was August 2006) I am not sure why exactly!

Our first Halloween came and the kids had a blast. I stayed home and handed out candy...we got A LOT of kids! We got a lot in NY as well, so I was prepared! Nick was Darth Vader and Michele was Dora. We went to our first Triangle Mommies playdate/Halloween party.

Four months later, Nick became a big brother...again...and Michele a big sister. Chris was telling me that Michele kept asking "is he here yet" over and over...so excited to meet her new baby brother, Wyatt! They finally met him, and loved him from the very second they saw him! (Nick DID lol, but alas he is MY son!)

We first visited NY in August of 2008. We made the drive starting at 4am, and got in about 6pm that night. The kids, once again, did awesome....even Wyatt at all of 18 months old!!! We stayed one week, though it went way too fast! We also went one day to Albany, to see old friends. We stayed at the cabin...we LOVE the cabin, and Nick loves to fish and ride the paddle boat. It really is a beautiful place to stay!

The kids enjoyed the trip to the Albany area, which was, technically, Wyatt's first trip there! Nick and Michele were SO happy to see their old friends!

The kids enjoyed seeing grandparents and their Uncle Jason. My grandparents had not seen Wyatt since he was 3 months old, and Chris's grandmother was meeting him for the first time.

It was also Wyatt's first time meeting Uncle Jason!

A little while after we got home from our trip, Michele started kindergarten! I could not believe my little baby girl was starting kindergarten!! She loved school from the start! She did very well, though she was, and still is, one of the quietest kids in the class! (Too bad they can't see her at home!!) I can not believe she is already in first grade, on the honor roll, and one of the smartest kids in her class! (ya mama brag there lol)

In October, we found out I was pregnant with #4. This was a total surprise, but very welcome, of course! Towards the end of the year, in March 2009, we moved to a new house. This was in Raleigh, about 40 minutes from our old house in Morrisville.  The kids loved all the room they had to play and the yard.

Three months after we moved, our 4th baby arrived. Evan Michael was born on June 23, 2009. All 3 of the kids were very excited to meet him. Even Wyatt, no matter that he was the baby for only 28 months! He loves his baby brother very much!!!

Now here it is, 3 years and 4 months after we trekked  from the state of  New York, where Chris, myself, Nick, and Michele were born, to the state of  North Carolina, where Wyatt and Evan were born. And now, we have a decision to make. On the 12th of November, we may have to make that decision. I am so torn, between friends and family in NY and friends made here in NC. Between school stability, and my kids being reassigned every couple years. Just to name a couple.

This time 3 years ago if I had to make this decision, it would have been simple! But now, it is not as simple. My heart and my mind are at a conflict as to what I really want. I guess we will see what happens in a week and 2 days.