Cool Suppers

Yet another link from Chow!  I know I link to them all the time, but they have such yummy-looking recipes that I can't resist.  This collection is all about making dinner on a very hot evening when you don't even want to look at the stove.  That cucumber and grape soup looks especially tasty. 

A Mooooooving Experience

The other evening we were all coming back from a hike, and so we were tired, hungry, and more than a little grubby. Our route took us past the local Hindu temple, and I noticed they had a huge inflatable cow set up right next to the street. Drawing the baby's attention to it, she was looking up just as we passed by. That thing must be two stories tall. The look on her face was first fear, then amazement, and finally excitement. Then she frantically tried to figure out which baby signs would mean "bring back the huge inflatable cow."

Back-to-School Wardrobe: You

Many women, myself included, would far rather dress the kid than have anything to do with their own clothes.  Nevertheless, we must attend to ourselves lest our kids and husbands be ashamed to be seen with us.  Besides, even mommies deserve a little sprucing up!  If you can, go shopping without the kids (first day they're back in school?) and try to enjoy the experience.  You don't have to spend tons of money to freshen up your closet.  I am BY NO MEANS a fashion maven, but there are a few trends that I've noticed in my magazines and on the web:

1. Flowy, blousy tops  (As long as they aren't too over the top, this can be very wearable)
2. Velvet! (Woohoo!)
3. Menswear (Tux jackets are for dressier times, but anybody can appreciate an oxford)
4. Peplums (This is the cute shaping to jackets and shirts that gives you a great shape if done right)
5. Cargo (pants or skirts, but with less volume than before)
6. Lace (be careful this can go to far so easily)
7. High-waist, wide-leg pants (I know, I know, but times change.  Just get the pair that fits)
8. Skinny jeans (I know, I know I hate them too!)
9.  Leather (When does this ever go out?)
10. Stripes! (Think more French and less Nautical unless you live on the shore and have a yacht)

Please, please, please don't buy or wear any of those nasty furry vests from last year.  It was a bad idea then, and it is an even worse idea now.  Maybe you can save it and turn it into a bear costume for Halloween.

Waving Bye-Bye

Being nearly eighteen months old means that the baby is very nearly grown up (or so she claims), and that equates to doing many more things on her own. She wants to feed herself no matter how messy she gets, she wants to climb into the chair by herself no matter how many bumps this may entail, and she wants to make her own choices about all sorts of things. The problem is how to express yourself when your vocabulary is all of maybe twenty words. This is where you have to get creative.


Getting people to do what you want is always though. Often she uses the sign for "more" to mean "do this service for me." For instance, she uses that sign when she wants you to open the door, lift her up, open something, or even take her around the hippie fair so she can listen to more music. The problem comes from not knowing which service or item she wants at a given time. I spend a lot of time saying "do you want x?" then she will shake her head "do you want y?" and so on. At least she knows specific signs for books and hungry, so those most important topics are covered.

Then there's also the problem of saying when she doesn't like something. The "all done" sign works for some things, such as finishing food, but it doesn't really cover everything. After quite a bit of frustration she's settled on waving bye-bye when she wants something to be over. Thus she will listen to music in the car and then wave "bye-bye" when she wants me to change the song. It's quite the sign that she's never waved at Mr. Darby or Caspar Babypants. She waves at things that are scary or boring or just not her style. I'm guessing that as she gets older, the opinions will only get more strident.

Back to School Wardrobe: Kids

Back-to-school shopping is obviously something I did as a child, but I've also been on the adult end of things too.  When I was in college, I was a nanny for a family with three kids.  The parents were extremely busy with work and hobbies, so I did a lot of the jobs that you might not expect.  I took the kids to most of their doctor and dentist appointments.  I did sports practices, monitored homework, and sometimes even met with teachers.  Often I was also called upon to take the kids shopping.  If they needed something, it was much easier for us to run out after school than for the parents to try to find time in their very busy weekends.  As a result, I did more than one back-to-school shopping trip. 

One of my magazines says that this is the perfect time to start over with kids' clothes.  Just throw away the ratty undies and socks, and donate everything else to charity.  Now buy everything new!  I won't name the rag because I think this is a terrible idea.  Not only is it wasteful, but you run the risk of mutiny.  My three charges would have been most offended if I'd just tossed some much-loved clothes.  "Pruning" is an important activity, but be sure you don't get rid of anything precious to the child or they might try to go to school naked in protest.  How much you actually buy depends a lot on how much useable stuff you already have, but use this list as a general rule of thumb:

-Socks (14 pairs in cotton.  Avoid synthetics since they make most people sweat)
-Undies (10-14 pairs. Get different styles or colors for each kid or the wash will be confusing)
-Shirts (5 in 100% cotton.  Short sleeves make a great base layer)
-Pants (3-4 pairs in sturdy material.  Leggings are fine for girls, but watch the school rules on these)
-Shorts (hopefully you still have these from summer, but if not...)
-Skirts (1-2 if she likes them, but be careful that she's always able to run and play comfortably)
-Sweatshirts (2-3 in different colors and styles)
-Coats (1 for cold and 1 for rain)
-Shoes (1 pair of athletic and 1 pair of dressier, but still comfortable, ones)

Old Navy and Target are great places to buy new items, but consignment shops are really a wonderful option.  Using the weekend ads in the paper, I estimate that this shopping list could easily cost more than $300 for just one child!  If one only buys the shoes and underthings new, and gets the rest at the resale shop, the total price could come down to as little as $100.  That's still a lot of money, but much easier to swallow in the family budget.  If you can, spreading out the purchases is another great way to go.  Wait to buy the coats, for instance, until the cold weather is actually about to happen.  This way, you and your child will feel good about the way they look on the first day of school.

Basic Back-to-School Supply List

It's that time once again!  Moms are starting to get edgy, teachers are running around like mad, and kids are mostly just plain old excited.  The time to think about autumn and school has arrived at last.  I always hate to see summer go, but once I accept the change, I love fall too.  If you have not already done your back-to-school shopping, now is the time to start.  If your child's teacher doesn't publish a list in advance, you can go with the basics and fill in the gaps once she gets to school.  Here's a basic supply list:

-Glue sticks (buy several, and don't skimp here, the cheap ones are a pain)

-Colored pencils
-No. 2 pencils (Yes you really do need these NOT MECHANICAL. Only these work on tests.)
-Scissors (Be sure these are age appropriate, and tie ribbon on a handle to mark them)
-Crayons for elementary kids
-Ballpoint pens (washable please)
-A pencil sharpener (hand-held with a top to collect shavings)
-A big pink eraser (Again, mark these with your child's name)
-Small pencil cap erasers (extend the life of the pencil)
-Washable markers (broad tip for little ones, and fine or extra fine for older kids)
-Classic white glue
-Spiral-bound (with micro-perf pages)
-A three-ring binder and plenty of binder paper

Add to that a large, comfortable backpack (say "no" to messenger bags which are bad for young backs) and a functional lunch bag, and your child will be all set for the big day.  Okay, I guess there's still the question of clothes to deal with, but that's another post.

Family Calendar

I'm trying out a new family calendar website called Cozi.  It seems like a fairly slick little bunch of tools for managing that hugely busy family schedule so many of us seem to have.  Even with just one small kid, I often fear forgetting our commitments.  The calendar part is fairly simple.  It's sort of like google calendar in that you can share between all members of the family.  Shopping lists and task lists are available too which is nice for those moments when you wish could remember why you went into the store in the first place.  I like the little journal too, though I know my husband will make fun when he notices.

Thus far the only downside I can see is that they don't have an app to let you view the calendar for the windows phone.  Let's remember that no everyone's brain has been colonized by Apple!  Then again, that's another story.