Beat the Summer Slide

Okay let me just drag out my little soap box for a moment.  I'm being the public school teacher instead of the mom for this post.  Ahem. 

Parents (and grandparents and nannies, and everybody else who looks after kids) please, oh please be aware of the summer slide.  No, no I'm not talking about something kids play on at the park.  The summer slide is the information and skill loss that occurs in school-aged kids over the long break.  Elementary-age children lose as much as two months worth of educational progress when they have a summer that does not involve cracking a book or picking up a pencil.  This loss can, of course, be corrected when they return to school, but it will take time.  That means your child starts "behind" and has to catch up.  Not so much fun.

Not only that, but studies show that the loss is cumulative.  Therefore, a child who always has summers truly "off" ends up one to two years behind some of their peers by the time they reach high school.  Could this be part of the reason some kids are so ready for advanced classes while others struggle with the basics? 

Luckily, it is very easy to combat the slide.  You do not have to drill with textbooks for hours every day.  Here are a few ideas (mostly targeted at elementary-age kids, but some are adaptable) for beating the summer brain blahs:

1. Read! read! read!  Together, separately, picture books and others.  There is no substitute for the power of reading practice.  Join a summer reading program at your library (get down there TODAY!) or just make up a "book club" of your own with a few friends.  Make reading a fun habit, and be sure to show your kids that you read for fun too.

2. Write! write! write!  Physical practice is especially important here.  Muscles quickly forget how to form letters, so it's great to keep them flexed.  Write letters to Grandma, Daddy or Mommy at work, or even just friends.  Have them write your grocery list.  Draw pictures or write stories together.  Point out any time that you use writing in work or daily life.

3. Think about numbers.  These activities depend on the age of the child, but math is everywhere.  Simple counting tasks are fun for little ones; while older kids might calculate budgets or figure sports stats.  You can even ask for help in figuring tips and sale prices from your older child.

4.  Solve problems.  Building tasks are great for kids of all ages, and the activity can get more complicated as the child gets older.  A giant cardboard box (think fridge or stove) is a wonderful start.  Allow kids to plan, mark, cut (as appropriate), paint, glue, and otherwise modify their project.  Planning and carrying out a task are very important thinking skills for younger kids.  At the end ask them to reflect on how it went, and how they might do things differently next time.

5. Interact.  Playing with friends is a great way to keep social skills from getting rusty.  Practice sharing, taking turns, thinking of others, and using polite words and behavior.  Again, talking about their interactions can help them see what might need work.

6. Explore.  You probably already spend the summer getting out and about.  Rest assured that those trips to the zoo and the park are good for growing brains.  Perhaps a trip to the local museum (art? history? science?) would be a good idea too.  Think museums are only for serious (and quiet) grown-ups?  Think again.  Most museums have special kids hours or programs where they can be themselves while still getting the benefits.

7.  Go outside.  Again, this may be something you do all the time, but turning off the TV and getting outside is fabulous for young minds.  The backyard and the park are good, but can you go further?  Is there a wilderness area you might visit?  Are you close to a state or national park?  Camping with kids is great fun too.  Perhaps they could even write a little ghost story before they go?

You DO NOT have to do all these things by any means.  Do NOT run yourself ragged.  You really don't have to exhaust yourself.  Just take one or two little things each day (hey anybody want to listen to a chapter of our book before bed?) and you will get big results.  Keep it fun, keep it easy, and they won't even know that you're keeping their little brains fit and ready for the fall.  Their teachers will thank you!

International Food Month: The Round Up

I know it must look as though we gave up on the whole concept after only a few attempts, but I am glad to say that this is not the case! While I am a lame and slow blogger, we are much better at being adventurous cooks. We completed all but about five or six countries on our list, and we had a great time learning new recipes in the process. Since writing up each meal didn't seem to work out (cough, lazy, cough) here is a quick list of the countries whose recipes we tried:


1. India --- DNF :(
2. South Africa --- vegetarian bobotie (M. is a wizard) I give it 9 on the Mmm scale
3. Morocco --- Chickpea stew and tomato salad was a 6/10
4. France --- Cheese souffle (M. is a mad genius) was a 10 out of 10 on taste, but very rich
5. Mexico --- DNF :(
6. Greece --- Spinach pie with phyllo was an easy and tasty new recipe worth 8/10
7. Turkey --- Falafel was actually a recipe I've done before and got 8/10
8. Spain --- Paella did not turn out! I screwed up, but I know not where 3/10
9. Italy --- Polenta with mushrooms turned out very well 8/10
10. Canada --- M. had to make poutin and it was good 9/10
11. Germany --- Veggie brats, sauerkraut, potatoes, and slaw. What's not to like? 9/10
12. Japan --- Gyoza, miso, and cucumber salad were mostly pre-made foods so I won't rate
13. Indonesia --- Coconut tempeh curry was so tasty I will make it again 9/10
14. Kenya --- Peanut soup was rich and creamy without too much actual fat 9/10
15. Cuba --- Black bean soup was okay, but not very exciting 5/10
16. Ireland --- Vegetarian shepherds pie was delicious, but a bit intensive 8/10
17. Sweden --- Beets, mushroom soup, potatoes and greens were tasty indeed 9/10
18. Jamaica --- Ital peas and cabbage stew were underwhelming with the recipe I found 5/10
19. Russia --- DNF
20. Costa Rica --- DNF
21. Vietnam --- Noodles with tofu, herbs, and pickled veggies
22. Mozambique --- Vegetable stew over rice 6/10
23. Egypt --- DNF
24. Libya --- Lentil salad and veggie soup were good if simple 7/10
25. Azerbaijan --- DNF

I have not given up entirely on the list, and I may try to find a few more recipes when the summer rush is over. One thing I did enjoy was the process of finding new recipes in books and on the internet. By the way, we have no illusions about the authenticity of the meals. I'm sure there are dozens of inauthentic elements to our recipes and we don't even realize it. However, the purpose of the exercise was to me us go out of our comfort zone, and it has certainly succeeded in that. I also enjoyed learning a few things about the countries I was cooking. For one thing, I'm trying to appreciate our luxurious access to food.

When I was researching recipes from Mozambique I happened to read that one third to one half of all the citizens of that country are considered malnourished on a regular basis. Thus if we really wanted to get a "feel" for that culture we should have nothing at all for dinner. Perhaps a donation to the World Food Program is in order? Anyway, it was a very rewarding experience, and I will certainly be making many of these dishes again in the future. Anyone know a good recipe for vegetarian paella?

Baby Visits the Aquarium

A few months ago, I finally got up the courage to take the baby to the Seattle Aquarium. Why courage you might ask? Because driving through downtown and along the waterfront in Seattle can be quite a challenge. Then there's the parking puzzle. Without other grown-ups to help me, I had visions an hour in bad traffic, struggling into a tiny parking space, hardly being able to get the baby out, and then having to stroller her through more heavy traffic for miles before getting to the venue. It turns out I'm just a huge worry wart.

Even though it was the latter end of morning rush hour, we made it into the city without any trouble. We were on the waterfront in no time, and we actually got parking directly across from the aquarium! I think it helps that we arrived just before it opened. Maybe we just got lucky. It still cost a pretty penny, but that was okay. Once we finally made it inside, and we could see the diver in the huge tank in the entry way, I knew it had been worth the trip.

Our girl was silent and riveted on all the fish, on the swimming man, and then on the huge eel that swam past. She didn't seem worried, just really, really interested in it all. Then the diver actually waved at her! I think she would have been fine just to stand there the whole day, but there was so much still to see. We were there with our baby group, so we snapped a quick picture of all the moms and babies (and the diver too!) and then headed out to see the rest of the animals.

First came the touching pools that were supposed to represent the tide pools around Seattle. The variety is amazing. The colors on the sea stars and nudibranch is impressive, and you'll find huge purple monsters "holding hands" with smaller, finer fingered, orange ones. Delphinium didn't actually get to touch yet (I know I'm an over-protective mommy!) because there must be lots of people germs in there even if they've somehow sanitized the fish.

Next up we did the dark aquariums that are meant to show off the animals who live deep underwater. This was one of the baby's favorite parts since the aquariums are right at eye level, and many of the fish are brightly-colored. As expected the clown fish got a big reception even though she hasn't seen Finding Nemo yet. Her favorite was something called the Devilfish with spiny fins and red and black coloring. Certainly they were very impressive, if not beautiful, and she chattered at them for several minutes.

By the time we hit (not literally of course) the otters and birds and other outdoor animals, the baby's eyes were beginning to get heavy. We admired a few more displays, and then it was time to head for home. With a nap smack in the middle of the day, you can't do any one activity for more than a little while. We will need to head back to the aquarium to finish enjoying all the animals. That's no problem since it's a place I know were going to visit many times in the coming years. Next time we'll have to take Daddy.

I Hate Kool-Aid

May I just say how much I HATE the new Kool-aid ads?  Have you seen these things?  They feature a grid of kids with their tongues sticking out, and each tongue is a different violent color.  Bright red, blue, green, you get the idea.  Their whole ad campaign is based around the fact that they use artificial colors!  Now I know not everyone sees artificial colors as a problem, but many feel that these colors are not good for anyone, and especially not good for children.  I can't believe they would try to celebrate this!  I guess those who give their kids Kool-aid are probably not too concerned about health.

Airfare Sale

I am in no way getting a cut from this, but I thought I would mention that Southwest Airlines is having a really good sale right now.  They are offering some fares for as little as $40 for each leg.  I don't think I'll be able to cash in on this because they don't fly to the city I need (darn it!) but hopefully somebody else can get the deal.  The site just quoted me a total price for Seattle to Dulles for $260 per person including taxes and fees!  The cheap rates only run through tomorrow (the 23rd).  Good luck!

Music With Mr. Darby and Friends

It's been ages and ages since the baby's birthday, but I've been meaning to write about the music at her party. We were lucky enough to have music with Mr. Darby, and it was tops! Our living room was FULL of happy kids who sang along and enjoyed the jokes and animals as well as the music. It was amazing to watch little ones like our wobbler bopping to the beat at the same time as five, six, even eight and nine year olds. We even had to go and find some Mr. Darby shows (he plays in all sorts of places) so we could get our fix. Luckily, we have both of his CD's as well. We would certainly ask Mr. Darby to play for us again in the future!

No Working For Me

I just got the official call from the head office.  There is no position available for me in the next school year.  This should not be surprising given that I asked for a very specific type of part-time (two periods in the morning would mean NO childcare), but I still had hopes that the job might magically appear.  The boss was really excited to be able to offer me a full-time spot at my old school, and then he was quite disappointed that I wasn't willing to take it.  However, I just can't see my child in daycare, at least not yet.  For her sake, I'm thrilled to stay home another year.  For my sake I'm a little sad.  I loved my job, and the thought of doing just under half the usual work sounded dreamy.  Oh well, there are (hopefully!) many many more years in which I can teach.  The baby is only small for such a short time, and next year will be good for both of us.

Fathers' Day '11

HOORAY FOR DADDIES!  Thanks to all the wonderful men out there who really do the wonderful, but also hard, work of being a dad.  Your kindess and caring go much farther than you know, and we just don't know how we would make it without you.  Love from Moms and Kids. 

Restaurant Reviewing with Kids

I just heard about this idea, and it sounds very cute.  It's intended to get kids (say 5-12?) interested in trying new types of food.  The family creates a list of different restaurants they want to try (making sure to slip in some new and different types of food) and then they go around "reviewing" them.  Each kid gets a notebook, and parents can help them to think of categories they might use to rate the experience.  For instance, a kid might give scores for taste, service, ambiance (what a great chance to learn that word!), and price.  If you're lucky they might be so busy with their review that they forget to complain about how the rice is touching the peas or the bread is the wrong color. 

Yes and NO!

The latest round of extreme cuteness in our house is the addition of gestures to the baby's repertoire. Now she can shake her head "no" and also shrug her shoulders in a "?" action. The question is something she clearly understands and uses successfully. For example, when she sees me sorting laundry she points and shrugs to ask "what's that?" Or if you ask her where her bunny is she might shrug to show she doesn't know. Then it's fun to play a hunting game to find him.


The head shake is much harder to understand. She knows it relates to "yes" and "no" but she still can't quite grasp which is which. Often I ask her if she wants something really good (milk, fruit, to read a book, to go outside) and she will shake her head. Then, when I don't do the thing she's just rejected, she gets quite annoyed. I'm trying to get her to nod her head, but so far we only have the shake. Maybe she can learn the Indian head waggle and call it good.

Much Better Thanks

Our girl has made it back to the land of the well and cheerful, so I am definitely breathing a sigh of relief. We were able to do a normal weekend's worth of activities with Daddy that included the farmers' market, swimming, breakfast out, and a hike. The weather was not perfect, but we did not care. It feels so good to be out and busy! The baby did not protest once when we loaded her into the backpack or stroller because she likes to go, go, go at least as much as we do. Sometimes she even pats the window next to the door, or brings me her shoes to let me know that maybe we should get moving. Yay for a healthy happy kid!

Opening Champagne

Random little tidbit I gleaned from on of my many "how-to" books:  How to open a bottle of champagne without looking like an idiot.  First take off the little wire "cage" around the top.  Then remove the foil.  Finally, hold the cork still and SLOWLY twist the bottle.  This way the cork doesn't come shooting out endangering lives and light fixtures.  Okay I have to admit that I haven't actually tried this since we don't usually keep champagne around the house.  In fact, I don't think I've had any since our wedding, but I do love the idea of being able to pull this off with some finesse.  Maybe I will buy a cheap bottle at Trader Joe's and surprise the husband with my worldy skills.

Bonus:  Did you know that there an old tradition in certain snooty circles of cutting the tops off champagne bottles with a sword?  It's called "Sabering" and my brother learned to do it when he was a bartender in Europe.  He says the pressure of the liquid coming out pushes away any shards of glass.  I think I'll stick with the regular old cork thanks.

On Not Going Mad

The poor little muggins is certainly better than she was a few days ago (no more lavender smudges under her eyes) but she's still not completely well. She tries to be cheerful and play, but she still gets tired quickly, and the runny nose and cough are hanging on. One significant mercy is that we did all get to sleep though the night last night. Now we are to that stage of illness where you're just waiting for things to wrap up enough to get back into normal routines.


I do believe sick weeks are one of the hardest parts of being a mom. This is where you feel the most cut off from the world, and you run out of fresh things to think about. Most of the activities you would usually do to combat boredom are out of the question due to the germs and the sad state of your child. No friends to visit (or be visited) no shopping or classes or playgroups. Then there's the guilt for feeling bored when your little one is feeling so poorly. Grum, grum, grum. Enough!

Anyway, here is my plan to combat the cobwebs:


1. Turn on National Public Radio (for a little mental stimulation)
2. Scrub house (as much as baby will allow)
3. Take baby for a walk (the doc did say cool moist air is good)
4. Cook something interesting (again if baby will allow)
5. Give self and baby permission to break the TV ban on sick days (just a little!)
6. Read and write as much as possible while baby sleeps
7. Reward self for surviving another day by getting drive-up coffee

All Night Long

The night of the ER visit we came home and Charlotte went down very easily since she was so exhausted by all the comotion.  Unfortunately last night was not so simple.  She went down just fine, but she didn't sleep very well due to the croup symptoms.  She was restless so she wiggled out of her blankets, but then when we went in to cover her she would wake up.  I actually got her to lay down with us for a while (which she normally won't do), but it did not last.  Over all it was a very disurbed night, and we are all creaky and tired this morning.  We'll just zombie our way to naptime, and I may have to join her.

Bubbies Pickles

Summer weather has finally arrived (for now!) and this means cook-outs in the yard.  It was so warm and sunny the other day that we could actually sit outside without our fleeces!  We enjoyed veggie dogs, grilled red peppers, and mushrooms, that my husband cooked on the bbq.  As a side I made some classic potato salad.  Of course I used my secret weapon: Bubbies pickles.  I have been a fan of these pickles for many years now.   

May I just say (without any financial incentive whatsoever) that I LOVE Bubbies pickles?  They are real fermented Kosher dill pickles without any nasty artificial colors or flavors.  Sour, spicy, and just he right amount of salty these pickles are so good that you want to eat them on their own (and I sometimes do.)  My brother and I used to argue over which pickles to buy (Mom let us choose) and I always picked these.  If you've never tried them, you must get yourself a jar.

First ER Visit

It seems that we just can't catch a break when it comes to illness. Only one week after conquering the nasty tummy bug, it seems that a virus has come to call. Last night we had to take our poor little girl to the ER because she was not breathing well. When she coughed it sounded just like the barking of a seal. Not a nice sound to get through the baby monitor! M was working late, but I called him to come home, and we took her in just after mid-night.


The doctor and nurses were very nice to us, and we did get to go straight in with no waiting, but Baby was not happy. First, where are we? Second, what are these strange people doing with all their poking and prodding? Third, why did somebody just stick my toe, and what is that thing now attached? Last, but most important, what are we doing up in the middle of the night? The only bright spot, as far as she was concerned, was the new teddy the nurse gave her.

After getting the croup diagnosis, and the reassurance that it was not the end of the world, we were released. Now it was time to hit the all-night drive-through pharmacy. I feel for the poor lady who has to do that job, but we were glad to see her. The only hitch was that there were five orders in ahead of ours, so we had to go drive around (if you drive, the baby sleeps) for half an hour. M took us on a scenic tour of the area, and then we were back again to get our meds.

You might think that by the time we got home at 2:30am the adventure would be over but no. We still had to convince the baby to eat something so she could take her prescription before going back to sleep. Luckily she loves toast, so there we were sitting around the table, bleary-eyed and exhausted, eating toast with almond butter. We did get lucky in that the baby enjoyed the taste of the liquid meds, so it was easy to get her to take the dose. Finally we all headed upstairs to get some rest.

Everybody slept well, but it did make for a very short night. I think the adults got about four hours of sleep, and the baby made do with maybe nine (she usually prefers eleven). I am happy to say that she does seem better today, and she is actually managing to catch up a little on her sleep. Let's just hope the seal decides to vacate our house sometime in the very near future.

Work?

Hmmm I got a most cryptic email from my principal the other day. I'd emailed him a few weeks ago to ask if he knew anything about my working (part-time) back at my old school next year, and he responded that nobody knew anything yet because there was no state budget as yet. However, he said, he did not think there would be a place for me. Fine, I thought, I wasn't sure I wanted to go back anyway, so that makes the decision really easy if there isn't a job. In fact, I'd gone through a bit of letting go, and began planning stay-at-home-mom things for next year. Then, just a couple of days ago, I got another email from him saying that the state budget was done, and he would know his own numbers by this coming week. He promised to let me know by then. Now this could mean that he's just being polite and keeping me in the loop. However, he's not usually that thoughtful. Hmmm and hmmm again.

Baby Vs. Snail

Over the long weekend, we were able to spend quite a bit of time in the back yard with the baby. She loves to toddle around out there admiring the flowers and picking up pebbles. We always point out the birds (mostly crows), squirrels, bunnies (if we're lucky), and other fascinating creatures who inhabit the yard, and she waves and babbles madly when she does see one. I was very excited to point out a beautiful stripey snail who was making his stately way through the grass. Without so much as a smile or a nod at the snail, the baby swooped in and grabbed him out of my hand. Then she came within an inch of popping him right into her mouth before I recovered enough to snatch him back. I chalk this up to latent tendencies inherited from her French grandmother.

English Breakfast

Over the holiday weekend we had the chance to make what we call English Breakfast.  Now probably many an English person would tell me that I've been smoking something (I NEVER smoke things!) because it's nothing like what they're mom used to make.  However, this is what we do based on meals my brother had when he was working over there:

-Fried eggs cooked to taste (I like mine over-hard so I can share with the baby)
-Tomatoes split and cooked for a minute or two on the frying pan cut side down
-Mushrooms sauteed with garlic
-Veggie bacon (we love Morningstar Farms) done on the cast iron skillet
-Asparagus done on the skillet after the bacon
-Baked beans
-Toast

I know it sounds like a lot, but since so much of it is veggie, it doesn't feel quite so heavy.  Also, we try to avoid using butter to keep things a little healthier.  Most importantly it tastes fabulous, and it's the perfect basis for a hike or a day of gardening.