After teaching for 6 years, I have met many children who have security objects. Many have blankets or animals that they are attached to. I never really understood this attachment until my 3 year old developed one. My oldest daughter never had an object to sooth her. I was her security object. I would have to lay with her for her to go to sleep or when she was sad or scared, she would come to me. Before Maya was born, she was given a lamb blanket. It has the head and arms of a stuffed animal and the body is a blanket.   This blanket animal later earned the name of BaaBaa. BaaBaa was in Maya's crib from the day she was born. Her attachment did not develop until she was 16months old when she started day care. For the last 2 years Baa Baa has become Maya's best friend. BaaBaa has also become part of our family. BaaBaa goes everywhere with us and Maya often refers to him as her best friend. He makes going to bed so much easier and makes the scary events so much less scary. BaaBaa has received so much love from Maya even though he now only has one eye as the result of too many baths int he washer and one ears as the result of an amputation from our dog who later threw the ear back up which now is in a safe spot but not sewn back on. We have misplaced BaaBaa before always to find him under a couch or pillow. We have gone one night without him when he was left at daycare and not found until the next day but that was in the early days when the attachment was just developing. We have even left BaaBaa at a store every now and again but have always gone right back to find him waiting for us. We thought BaaBaa was gone forever last night. We retraced our days events and searched high and low for BaaBaa. Maya feel asleep with tears in her eyes snuggled up to her big sister. Maya joined me in bed at some point in the night and she woke up a few times calling for BaaBaa. I searched every nook and cranny in our house, tore our car apart, sent Daddy on a mission and called all the places we had visited yesterday. BaaBaa was no where to be found. I fell asleep wishing and praying that BaaBaa would appear in the morning. Maya woke up with a smile on her face and didn't instantly ask about BaaBaa. Ella woke up and instantly asked if I found BaaBaa. I realized at this point that losing BaaBaa was traumatic for the entire family. BaaBaa has become part of our family and not Maya would not have it when she gets older and he all of a sudden is no longer a a part of our life. There is a sadness to it. I have always envisioned BaaBaa on Maya's college bed and then in a box with all of her fond childhood keepsakes. Now we just have stories. 

Remembering we saw BaaBaas twin this summer, I called Grandpa to send him to get another one. Maya thought it would be ok to have a new sparkly two eared two eyed BaaBaa. It wouldn't be the same but close enough. Maya got so excited at the mission we put Grandpa boo up to. 

This morning we got a knock on our door and the real BaaBaa came home. He spent the night in our neighbors garage. While looking last night, he was scanned over but was spotted this morning. The best friends have been reunited and all is good in our house. That was the longest night and our whole family felt the impact. I now completely understand the significance of security objects and impact that BaaBaa has on our entire family! 

Lunch Time

Now that we are back in school, it's time to think about school lunches again. This is always an interesting topic to me. Kids love to buy school lunch, much of it gets thrown away, most aren't very healthy, there is so little tome to eat lunch during lunch time, it's expensive to but but it is also expensive to bring. As a mom and a morning kindergarten teacher, I am spared of the lunch dilemma for another year. Today, my class went on a tour of the school and we went through the cafeteria. I have no idea what was for lunch but it did smell good! Everyday when we leave school, Ella proclaims that she is starving as we walk by the cafeteria and wishes she could be in full day to have lunch at school. I know I avoided the dilemma of buying or bringing for this year but will have to face it next year. I have always been dead set against school lunch for many reasons. I don't have fond memories of eating it as a child. I remember throwing much of it out. As a teacher, I have never bought school lunch. Seeing the nutritional information of the containers behind the scenes has always turned me off. School lunch has a really bad rap for its nutritional value these days. I know there are always healthier options provided if your child decides to choose them but that decision without a parent can be very hard to make. I already know this will be a battle next year. Ella will want to buy hot lunch and everything inside of me will tell me not to let her. She is a picky eater but it seems that many school lunches are "kid friendly." Nuggets with several names like patty and popcorn and bites and fries and strips- all chicken nuggets though. And Dominoes pizza. Lots of pasta too. I truly think I could pack a better lunch for less money too. However, there is some fun and sense of freedom to carry a tray and tell the lunch clerk your name as you stand at the register. And to do this with friends.
I remember the days of buying lunch being the cool thing to do and also the years of bringing lunch being the cool thing.
I am excited about some schools taking the initiative to provide healthier school lunches. I found this article from our local news station. It is very interesting. I taught at a school that looked at Revolution Foods and opted not to use them because it was too much work. As a parent, I would love the option to buy a healthier lunch and know that my child is getting something with nutritional value. I would pay a little more for this. Would you pay more for a healthier lunch?
As a teacher, I always think that for many kids, a school lunch may be the best meal they get on any given day. I see many kids come to school without breakfast or eating junk for breakfast. I truly do believe it effects their academic ability and behavior. Many times packed lunches are full of empty calories as well. Maybe the hot lunch choice could be a better option.


http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=122184

Half or Full?

I have decided to give you my 2 cents on half day kindergarten vs. full day kindergarten. It is great that we have a choice today. Sometimes I think we have too many choices which make things difficult though. We can choose what school our children can attend and can even change schools every year if we are not happy or just feel like it. As parents we think we know what is best for our children and sometimes we do. But we are also influenced by our society and peers with these decisions. Our educational system may seem a little scary right now. So much energy is spent on standardized test scores, money is being taken away from schools, and all the focus is on the negative.
With all that in mind, us kindergarten parents have the decision to make about putting our child in full day or half day kindergarten. Is there a right answer? Not necessarily. I have perspectives on this topic from a teacher's stand point and also from a  mom's stand point. Ella entered the magical world of kindergarten this year. She was originally signed up for full day kindergarten and more than ready for it. At the last minute, we put her in the half day program. It was  a hard decision to make because of all the expectations and pressures. We chose half day at the end because it was more convenient for us and made sense.  Full day is a great option. It is the cheapest day care in town for working parents. If students are older and are able to be in a structured setting for an entire day it works well. Full day kindergarten is not so time crammed and has more flexibility with projects and fun stuff. Although, some people cringe when you tell them your child is in half day, half day students are required to meet the same academic standards as full day. I have taught full day kindergarten and half day kindergarten. At the end of the year, full day kindergarten may know a little bit more but not a significant amount. All standards are met and students are ready for first grade no matter the program. I have also taught first grade. At the beginning of the year in first, you can tell the half day kids from the full day kids. The half day kids are not used to the long day. Academically there may be some differences but usually in a month they are all leveled out- always by January.
I am a strong believer in kids being kids. They have to spend so much time in school and we don't have the choice after kindergarten. It is great to give them the freedom to play and be kids outside of school after spending their mornings there.
So which is better. Neither. The answer really depends on your child and you. They are both great options and what is right for me may not work for you. My daughter was more than ready for a full day being older and having a passion for everything about school. However, she is extremely happy to come home for lunch and still have down time. I see many kids that thrive in the full day program and it is wonderful for working parents. When making the decision, I just ask that you think of your own personal needs and your child and pick what is best for you not what you are pressured into. Also, make sure you give it a fair chance. If full day was chosen and you are second guessing yourself because your child is so tired and cranky. Give it a fair amount of time for them to adjust and get used to it. They will adjust and thrive. The greatest thing about kindergartners is they are adaptable and sponges. THey will do well when given a fair opportunity and exposure!

Extreme Couponing for the healthy?

We get the Sunday newspaper every week. I always look through the coupons and will find a couple of things that are actually healthy that we can buy. The majority of the time, it seems like the same items week after week have coupons and not too many of them are healthy. Lots of canned and processed foods. I know there are ways to get coupons from companies and different websites but it seems like coupons are hard to come by for healthy and non-processed foods.
This afternoon, I watched a bit of Extreme Couponing for the first time. I was amazed! How can you buy $3000 worth of food for $100? What was even more amazing was what she was buying and the time it must take. I can see how watching this can motivate someone to use more coupons and play this game. But as a mother of 30 who takes all 3 children to the grocery store 90% of the time, it just seems like too much work. It also seems like you just start buying things because they are a good deal. Sure I like free things and items on sale but do I really need to turn my garage into a pantry with 5 years worth of laundry detergent?
I am impressed by the hard work and time that these people put into getting the best deals. We all know that the price of food has sky rocketed and takes up the majority of our budget. After watching this, I will strive to find a few more deals and maybe actively look for coupons from manufacturers for healthy foods. However, I will not buy 60 cans of spaghettios because they only cost one cent.
Might I add, while watching this show, Morgan went to the grocery store. I was feeling pretty good because I gave him a handful of coupons and one was even for a free cliff bar. When he got home I looked at the receipt and he spent $55 and save $8. I guess we still have a lot of work to do!

Fair Time

Earlier this week, we visited our local county fair. Fairs and summer go hand and hand and I have many fond memories of visiting fairs as a child. It is so much fun to see all the animals, look at the exhibits and then of course the ride and the food. I think it is important that children get agricultural exposure that fairs provide. It has always been a dream of mine to have a little farm. I know my daughters have the same hope and dream. We are very lucky to live in an area surrounded by farms and fields and know many people who live on these farms. Although we don't have a farm, we can at least visit them. We are very fortunate for that.
The favorite part of the fair for us is looking at all the different animals. We think they are adorable especially when they are freshly bathed and squeaky clean. Even the pigs.
When I was growing up, a fair trip was not complete without getting some fried dough. I remember when they came out with the fried Twinkie but I have not ever tried one. This year we had a discussion that we were not going to get anything to eat because we had just eaten. It was great taking in all the smells and to my surprise, we didn't even get asked for a treat or hear any I'm hungry's.
We did find a Stonyfield Farm stand. This was one of my favorite spots. There were giving away yogurt tubes, greek yogurt, baby yogurt, and yogurt shakes. The girls were happy to have some yogurt and Tate even drank a shake. This stand was fabulous, The girls got to plant seeds, make a flip book featuring themselves, and eat yogurt. They were also giving away many coupons and freebies.
I grabbed a magazine called Chop Chop which features "kid recipes." I have not heard of this magazine before but absolutely love some of the recipes and want to share.

Lemon Honey Sparkle
1 cup club soda or sparkling water
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pour ingredients into sparkling water- stir and drink

Twice Baked Potato
potatoes
ricotta cheese
milk
shredded cheddar cheese
Bake Potatoes
Cool and cut in half
Scoop out insides of potato
Mix potato insides with ricotta cheese milk and cheddar cheese
Scoop back into potatoes
Bake another 20 mins

Bolder Tuna
2 cans tuna
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup minced celery
1 apple cored and chopped
2 teaspoons chopped pickles
3 tbsp greek plain yogurt
1/2 tsp mustard.
Mix all together. can be served as sandwich, with crackers, or on lettuce.

Cream of the Crop

This is one of my favorite times of year. All the goodies in the garden are popping up like crazy. If you don't have a garden, the farmer's markets are a great back up plan. There is something about fresh vegetables. They just smell and taste so much better than the store bought ones. This year, when we were planting our garden, we gave the girls their own area where they could plant what they wanted and take care of it. Now that the veggies are growing, I often find the girls outside picking them and eating them straight from the garden. Maya absolutely loves the carrots straight from the ground. Ella doesn't care much for them. She thinks they taste different which I agree they do and have explained they taste fresh and crisp. Peas are like candy to the girls. We also have lots and lots of strawberries and raspberries that I dream about making things out of, however, they never enter the house. The girls have made it part of their daily morning routine to check for berries and eat them. We have so many squashes and zucchini. I find myself experimenting with different recipes for zucchini bread and try to find creative ways to use the squash. Spaghetti squash seems so be a symbol of summer. It always surprises me how filling and tasty it is. We use it just like we would use pasta and the girls gobble it up.
Fresh veggies are delicious. I think the process of growing them and picking them is just as great as eating them. My goal this summer is to try to find creative ways to use all the vegetables we get. We have a decent size garden but did not grow everything we wanted to . So we do visit the farmer's market to supplement.
I encourage everyone to buy local this time of year and enjoy all of the freshness! I would love to hear some creative ways to use the veggies as well!

WHITE HOUSE HEALTHY MENU FOR KIDS

Last week while I was at the gym working out, I caught a clip on the Today Show featuring the chef from the White House. She was challenged to make a healthy picnic lunch for children. I really liked some of her ideas. I have tried some and also made my own versions of some things.

Here is the segment form the today show-http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43845364/ns/today-food/t/white-house-chef-shares-healthy-salad-pie-recipes/from/toolbar

I really liked the idea of putting the grapes into the green salad. I think kids generally like foods better if they can find a subtle sweetness in them. I really love the fruit pocket pies. What a simple healthy version of a junk food. We have always made sweet potato fries and have never really fried them-we just bake them and do not bread them at all. We just slice up sweet potatoes, season them and then bake them.
After being inspired about eating right from the garden, I realized we had a surplus of zucchini and decided to make zucchini fries. It was a total experiment. I soaked the zucchini slices in egg, then in spelt flour, sauteed them and then baked them. They were good when dipped in marinara sauce. I have not tried the carrot drink yet but really want to.

I love the direction the first lady is going in with the emphasis on healthy eating and childhood obesity. I hope it makes an impact on our nation and more and more people have a desire to eat healthier.

He has a big shirt to fill!

This week marked Tate's 6 month mile stone. With that comes his well check up at the doctor. The first thing the doctor did was review Tate's growth chart. She was alarmed because his weight dropped from the 25th percentile at 4 months to the 10th percentile now at 6 months. Before the doctor even examined Tate, she started talking to me about the concerns she has because of this. I listened to her but it really didn't concern me because I felt Tate was 100 percent healthy. I figured after he was examined the concerns would be put to rest. The examine went well. Tate seemed to be where he needed to be developmentally hitting his 6 month mile stones. Sure he may be a little wobbly while sitting independently and no he is not crawling yet but he is just 6 months.
So after a successful examine and the observance of his thunder thighs, I thought we were both on the same page about his weight. Sure he is not gaining at the same rate but he is healthy. This is when the doctor decides to sit down and express her concerns again. She wanted to know what and when I was feeding him. At 4 months she suggested I go full on with solids so I did and Tate was now eating 2 meals a day of cereal and fruits and veggies. And I nurse him about 7 times a day. Seems like a lot to me! The doctor recommended that I feed him 3 meals with snacks even if that means I nurse less. This didn't sit well with me because that went against everything I have ever heard, read, or been told in the past. Good thing Tate is my third child because I would have been really confused with this information if he was my first.
So now we are referred to a nutritionist. After talking with many friends and questioning my parenting and Tate's eating, I felt that he was completely fine. As one friend said maybe he will have a runners body instead of a line mans body. So be it as long as he is healthy!
Off I went to the nutrients with an open mind. Before she could begin, I told her I really wasn't concerned at all and felt Tate was completely healthy. I explained that I compared Tate's growth chart to his two older sisters which is mirrored. THey were in the 50th percentile at 4 months and dropped to the 20th at 6 months and then I warned that the girls dropped even more at 9 months so for her to expect the same. I also mentioned that no body was concerned when Tate jumped from 30th percentile at birth to 75th at 2 months. He is a roller coaster on the chart of standards. Yes, they are just standards and he is another statistic on the chart. After this lovely discussion, the very nice nutritionist agreed with me! She felt 2 meals were sufficient and to nurse as often as I could. After examining Tate's weight gain more closely, she realized he was in the average range of daily weight gain. Perfect! I can add a little oil in his food if I would like to give him some fat. So oatmeal mixed with olive oil and breast milk is his meal of choice. He is Italian after all!
I found this as being very interesting to me as we battle childhood obesity today and base so much on charts and standards and not on individual cases. I am very aware of the presence of childhood obesity in our society. I think it is funny that nothing was said to me by the same doctor when Tate jumped up into the 75th percentile drastically. I also thought it was interesting that the doctor told me to continuously offer him food and try to "encourage" him to eat. He loves to eat but I can't force him to eat when he is not hungry or an hour after he just ate. I am a strong believer that eating habits are established at a very young age. I will continue to introduce new foods to Tate and slowly increase his food intake when his appetite grows.

Until them I am at piece with him not being a rolly polly baby and possibly having a body like me instead of his dad. 

Active under 5

I wanted to share this article that I recently read on fighting obesity and the importance of physical activity in children under 5. The article talks about the importance of exercise in children under 5 even if the kids are not yet walking. I remember hearing people wondering what it would be like to mimic a child's movement all day long. Following most children, that just sounds exhausting. It seems like I have to beg my children to sit still for more than 5 minutes. However, in a child's typical day, 3 hours can be a long time to be active if you include sitting at a desk in school for 6 hours, meals, homework, and driving. Those are all activities that happen on a daily basis but can't be avoided. Our busy hectic lives as parents has trickled down to our children. With this being said, as a teacher I know the importance of incorporating movement into my classroom. I find that children behave and learn better when they are free to move around and get wiggles out. As a parent. I understand the importance of taking walks or bike rides after dinner. Even park play can be very physical. If anything, I think we need to be aware of this and try our hardest to incorporate as much physical activity into our days as we can. Not only for our children but for us to. Obesity can be a huge struggle that is very hard to overcome.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/207458/188/To-fight-obesity-even-babies-should-exercise-

The first of many...

Last night we reached a couple of milestones at our house. Ella had her first real sleepover at her friend's house. All summer long, she has been asking to go on a sleepover and we have discussed that she is too young and needs to be invited on one. Yesterday, she got the invitation and I felt that it was the right time and with the right people. So off she went. Before leaving us, Ella was realizing she had never been a night a part from us. But she was brave and had the time of her life. I realized that she is growing up way too fast and this was the beginning of sleep overs. Seeing the smile on her face when we picked her up and hearing the excitement in her voice while telling stories of her sleepover make me so proud and happy for her! It made me think back to my childhood friendships and sleepless sleepovers. To be a kid again...
With Ella being gone, we thought it was important for Maya to have a special night as well. She had a dinner and a movie date with her best boy friend as she calls him. We had breakfast for dinner at our house and then they ran across the street to his house for a movie. Maya thought that was the coolest thing and she enjoyed not being in her sister's shadow- even if it was just for a night. Tate enjoyed the undivided attention of two parents for one of the few times in his life.
While going to bed last night, Morgan asked me if I ever wonder what our children will think of us when  they are grown ups. Ya know how we all have ideas of how our parents raised us. Why did they make us do that? Why didn't they let us do this? Why in the world did they let us leave the house wearing that? There are the endless questions and I think children are probably the harshest critics of their own parents.  I told Morgan it was nights like last night that I hope my children remember- us giving them the freedom to be kids and have fun as well as us giving them endless opportunities and exposure to new things. I think we do  a pretty good job recognizing the whole child and each of the three as individuals. I know we aren't perfect parents but we try and love them each and thats all that matters. Hopefully that will be what they reflect on 20 years from now!

You CAN have your cake and eat it too!

We have been doing this gluten free-sugar free diet for awhile now. It is much easier than I thought it would be! I feel much better, I know I am eating much better, and it is fun exploring different recipes and food. I have experimented with different types of flours and have found favorites for different recipes. Morgan loves promoting this life style to other people and thinks this way of eating is the greatest. Maya pretty much eats a 100% gluten free diet and Ella probably eats a 75% gluten free diet. Both of them eat a very minimal amount of sugar. When they are at a friend’s house or event, I try to encourage them to make good choices but I do give them the freedom to have what they want. Ella sometimes gets a stomach ache after she splurges which makes her more conscience the next time.
Morgan's favorite recipe that I make is a sugar free-gluten free chocolate cake recipe. For this recipe I use spelt flour. I know spelt flour is controversial whether it is gluten free or not but I use it because I know many people that have gluten allergies and are able to tolerate Spelt. I also make strawberry preserves. I top each slice with a bit of the preserves and it is delicious!
Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups Stevia
1 3/4 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1 cup boiling water

Mix it all together and bake for 30 mins at 350
degrees

Strawberry Preserves
16 oz strawberries
1 lemon
1/4 cup agave

Cut the strawberries into small pieces add the juice of the lemon and agave into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat for an hour.

The Great Outdoors

We had the wonderful experience of camping as a family last week. Going into the camping trip, I had many emotions. Most of all, I thought I was a bit crazy to be attempting tent camping with a 5 month old, 3 year old, and 5 year old. In addition to that, we really didn't have sufficient supplies. I came to peace with knowing I would not get much sleep and I went into it with no expectations. To my surprise, it was a great experience for everyone and I was the only one that lacked sleep. 
I think camping is a wonderful experience for children. Today, we are used to having technology at our fingertips and many means of entertainment. It was nice to be outside for 24 hours. Neither of the girls complained or were bored at any point of the day. The day was spent fishing, exploring, swimming, and eating. We all stayed up late and woke up way too early. As a parent, I got such satisfaction out of how the girls were able to entertain themselves and not once complain. It brings me back to the philosophy that less is better. At home, we can't go through a day without many arguments and statements of boredom. This didn't happen once while camping.
It was a lot of fun just having each other without any interruptions. This experience will be a great memory for all of us and will definitely do it again.
My favorite memories I will take from this camping trip are:
Morgan's perseverance to catch a fish. We were surrounded by fish. We could see them jumping and we had 3 poles in the water all day. However, we also had children throwing rocks in the water, wading in the water, and 2 labs sloshing through the lake.
Sitting by the fire staring at the stars with Ella.
Maya not throwing one fit.
The bird parents that had a nest right above our picnic area. I never knew baby birds ate so much and am very happy that my own children don't eat constantly like that even though it feels like they do!
And most of all uninterrupted family time.
We were very fortunate to go on this adventure with friends. Our experience was so much richer and happier because of that!

You can't just eat one!

I came across an article on potato chips today that I wanted to share. The article is about the effect that potato chips have on weight gain and even goes on to say that potato chips are worse than soda, candy, and ice cream. Much of the reasoning behind it is portion control. Who can really just eat one chip? I have found myself saying, "wow, this must have been a small bag of chips," or "They really don't fill these bags up anymore." When I grab a bag of chips, half of the bag can be gone in minutes. When we buy chips, we buy "healthy" chips but I believe at the end of the day they are still chips and the bag can be devoured in one sitting easily. When we pack a lunch, I will bring Pirates Booty and the girls will polish off that bag instantly. I have never really had a sweet tooth but I have always loved chips and have found them to be a weakness. I buy the baked all natural kind and even veggie straws but we eat way more than the portion. It is very hard to have portion control when eating chips and such. Who really counts out their chips and eats only one handful?

For those of us who are disciplined, the article says eating a serving a day of about 16 chips will lead to a weight gain of over 1 and a half pounds in 4 years. Now I may not eat chips daily but I do eat them and usually eat more than a serving. This really made me think. I do believe there are healthier choices out there in the chip department. Plain old potato chips are much worse than pirates booty or veggie straws but in the end avoiding chips might be my new goal! 

I find many other things in the article interesting. I like how it looks at the effects of diet over a time period. 

At the end of the day cutting out the processed foods and eating the fresh stuff is the big secret to maintaining weight over a long period of time! Who would have thought?

Below is the link to the article! 

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_diet_weight_gain

Happy Father's Day

This father's day I have reflected on my relationship with my own father and also the relationship of my husband with his own children. I am very lucky to have a father that I can look up to in my life and I am even more lucky that my own children can do the same with their own father. My husband and I are surrounded by dysfunctional family relationships. We love for our children to have positive role models and loving relationships with as many people as they can. I am proud to say that their own father and my father are two of these people!
Growing up, I don't remember being super close with my dad. He spoiled me rotten and I loved to work with him at his store. We spent quality time together and he did his best to support and encourage my brothers and I. As I grew older, I felt that I became much closer with him and really learned to respect him. My dad taught me to respect myself and that I could do anything and have anything as long as I wanted it bad enough and worked hard enough for it. It seems like my fondest memories of my dad will be the later memories that we have recently made. I love seeing him as  a grandfather to my own children. I get many laughs out of the things the girls say about him and how he reacts to them. I laugh when he gets irritated with them and sort of yells at them. It was the same way he yelled at me so many times and I think it is hilarious now. I love that my children think they have to yell as loud as they can when they talk to him so he can hear them . I love how he has multiple deserts for them to have and he allows them to bend the rules. I will never forget him giving them dinner of smartfood and pie on his bed while he babysat them.
My dad has always been a runner. This is something I picked up later in life and has become my passion. Over the last few years, my dad and I have been able to go for runs together when we visit. Every time we go for a run he points out that this may be the last run we are able to go on together. I have always sort of laughed at this statement. I understand he is getting older but at the same time I don't. On our last visit with my dad, Ella got to go on a run with him. That was a very special thing to me. Ella has become a running partner to me and I am glad my dad got to experience a run with her. Ella said her walk keeps up with Grandpa's pace but they still were able to experience it together. I was also able to run with him. For some reason I cherished this run a little more. These are just a few of the moments I will remember. I wish my father a very happy father's day and I thank him very much for being my dad!
I hope one day my own children are able to reflect back on their memories with their  dad. I couldn't have picked a better father for them and he makes my job of being a mother so much easier! Happy Father's Day Morg! You are amazing with the girls and Tate!

Activity and recipe

I have never been known as one to sit and relax. I have always lived my life on the go and have a hard time forcing myself to stop every once in awhile. Our summer has started off more hectic than I could ever imagine. We don't plan for it to be but it just happens that way. I know a lot of it is because of my personality and then my children have grown used to it as well so they want to constantly be on the go. Now that we are 3 weeks into our summer break and we seem to have not taken any time to just sit back and relax my activity this week is to find time to do just. We are such an active family and love doing just about anything that keeps us on the go. However, I am now realizing that it is just as important to have a day of doing nothing and going no where. I am going to try my hardest to dedicate one day a week this summer to doing nothing at all. I know it is going to be extremely difficult but think we will all benefit tremendously. I was talking to Ella about this yesterday. I told her we need to just relax and not do anything for a little bit. It then turned into a  game of what relaxing means because she doesn't like to just do nothing it is boring. We decided that on our "off" days it is still ok to play in our yard, play with our neighbors, go the the neighborhood park, and things around the house like bike ride and go for a run. So I guess an off day is just not getting in the car and going somewhere but it's a start for us!

Recipe

One of our favorite things to have for dinner are stuffed peppers. The other night I made them but didn't have any brown rice so I made them with Quinoa. We all loved them.

I boil my peppers for about 10 minutes to soften them up then I set them aside until the stuffing is ready.

For the stuffing I brown ground beef, and saute mushrooms and onions. I season with red pepper and garlic. I boil the Quinoa and then add that to the pan of meat. I add a little marinara sauce and mix it all together. Then I stuff the peppers and top with a little cheese and back until the cheese is melted and they are warm all the way through.

The girls aren't a big fan of the peppers but love the stuffing.

Packed Lunch

Now that summer is here, it seems like we are almost always packing our lunches for picnics here or there. Our summer days are full of adventures and we are always bringing lunches along whether its eating at the park, the pool, zoo, or on a hike. We get sick of packing the same thing over and over again so I wanted to share some of the things we bring along. The girls get sick of having sandwiches everyday so we try to mix it up as much as possible. Here are a few of our favorites.

Rice cakes with peanut butter or jelly
Cheese and meat rolls- sandwiches without the bread
Sweet Potato Sticks- Cut raw sweet potatoes into slices- Kinda like carrots- crunchy and yummy
Tuna and crackers- we make tuna salad and brink crackers to scoop it with
Ants on a log- celery with peanut butter and raisins- we skip the raisins
Apples and peanut butter
noodles with Italian dressing and veggies
veggies and hummus
chicken salad- I use leftover chicken from dinner and add different things every time depending what we have.
corn chips and avocado slices or guacamole
almonds
trail mix
hard boiled eggs
cheese cubes
Odwalla smoothies

We kind of rotate through this list and try to keep it different every day. These are some of our favorites though and alternatives to chips and sandwiches. For a treat, I pack my homemade cookies or dark chocolate squares.

The Grand Ol Buffet

While vacationing in Florida, my children were exposed to buffets. I remember as a child, my favorite restaurants were buffets. I am not sure why but when it was my turn to pick a restaurant, I always chose a buffet. We had a buffet in town called Bonanza. You could order a meat entree and then get the buffet with it. There was a salad bar and pasta along with many side dishes and desserts. I remember going there with my grandmother and she would always take a couple of pieces of bread home in her purse for later. Then when I moved to NY, we had a buffet called Ponderosa. The kids in the family would take turns picking a restaurant when we went out to dinner. I always picked Ponderosa and remember my brothers always getting mad that I chose there. Ponderosa was along the same lines as Bonanza. Then there were the chinese buffets. I have always loved chinese food so give it to me in a buffet and that was my ideal meal as a child. Reflecting back on this, I am not quite sure why I liked them so much. I actually forgot how great I once thought they were until my 5 year old was introduced to them and fell in love with the idea. My memories of buffets came back to me and for a child they are the perfect dining options.
On our first day in Florida we were all hungry after a day on the beach. Maya wanted chinese noodles so my dad suggested we try this great chinese buffet. Morgan and I agreed thinking we could eat rice and still follow our gluten free/sugar free diet. My dad took Ella up and Morgan took Maya up while I waited with Tate. I was soon joined back at the table with two little girls that had the biggest smiles on their faces. Ella said this is the greatest place. There are so many things to pick from and you can try it and not eat it if you don't like it and then go back and get more. When she said that, I realized exactly why I loved buffets growing up. There were so many things to pick from. You didn't get in trouble for wasting your food. You could go up there as many times as you want and try so many different things and eat lots of your favorites.
Later on that week, after spending a day at the museum, we were starving again. This time we went to the Golden Corral. Now this was a place I had never been to before but went upon much pushing from my father. I had a lot of laughs while experiencing this buffet. My husband ate 2 plates of fruit, I had 1 plate which consisted of a salad, Ella had some pasta and fruit, and Maya ate fruit, hard boiled eggs, and olives. I laughed at my daughter's choices. I did not put limitations on them and walked through the whole buffet line with them. They could have had fried chicken, french fries, pizza, mac n cheese and so on. But no they choose plain noodles and fruit.
While I was grunting and groaning at the food selections, my dad told Morgan this is probably the first and last time he will experience this restaurant with me. Yes, that was very true!
My dads argument makes sense though. The buffet is very economical. For a family of 5 to eat there it cost $30. If you are disciplined and have self control it is a great choice. The problem is it is so easy to over indulge yourself and make bad choices when everything is limitless and at your finger tips.
So on the last day of our trip, we let the girls pick where they wanted out go to eat. Maya wanted to go to the place where she could have Chinese noodles and fruit and Ella wanted to go to the place where she could try a few things and then go get some more if she wanted. So back to the Chinese buffet we went. My children will probably not visit another buffet until we visit Grandpa again. In fact Ella doesn't even think they exist in Colorado and that is ok with me.

Colorado or Florida

We are very grateful to be on vacation in Florida! Being here makes me remember all of my years spent here and makes me think what it would have been like if we decided to stay in Florida and raise a family instead of moving to Colorado. We have spent every day at the beach. It provides endless hours of entertainment. We build sand castles, collect shells, go on walks, swim, float and my all time favorite- go for bare foot runs. I think I could run for days straight if it I were bare foot running on the beach having the waves chase my footsteps.
We really enjoy it here and the activities and it is fun to be here with the kids. I find it a lot harder to eat healthy here. The grocery stores do not have the healthy variety like they do in Colorado and food is more expensive here. There is a lot of fresh fish and seafood and many fresh fruits. But you have to really look for things. In Colorado we can go to the local grocery store and get pretty much anything we are looking for. If we can't get it at the local grocery store there are a few health stores we can go to that aren't completely out of our way. Here the local grocery stores don't have much and there are very few health food stores.
It makes me realize how lucky we are in Colorado. Colorado is one of the healthiest states to live in and now I see why just comparing it to Florida. I do love Florida but I also love Colorado. I miss the mountains and the hikes and the cool evenings in Colorado. I have always said Colorado is an amazing place to live and the only thing that would make it nicer is if there were an ocean!
I am very happy to call Colorado my home but Florida will always have a special place in my heart. I wonder what other states are like compared to Colorado and Florida? I have never really taken the time to think and food and fitness in others states before and how it compares to what Colorado has to offer.

Flying Food

Yesterday I traveled by plane for the first time as a mother of three. We flew from Denver to Tampa with a layover in Dallas. I was a bit nervous to travel with all three. But I must say that I have no complaints at all. All three kids behaved tremendously well and were happy. Our travels had us eating out 2 of our meals yesterday- breakfast and lunch. Breakfast took place in Denver. We didn't have too many options there. There was a McDonalds with a line 100 people deep and not much else. We found  a little grill and decided to see what we could get there. We got two omelets for the four of us to split which cost $20. As we were eating them, Morgan and I looked at each other and realized how difficult it is to eat gluten free and sugar free while traveling. We did pack man snacks but needed to eat meals. We had apples, bananas, dried fruits and nuts to get us through. Our next stop was Dallas where we had 2 hours to kill. We were on a mission to find a healthy lunch and also get the girls some exercise to get their wiggles out for the next flight. I was amazed to see all the people just sitting and it was really interesting to watch all the people eating and see what they were eating. Of course there was another McDonalds with a mile long line, there was a Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut and Chinese. Amongst the traveling kids, McDonalds was the most popular choice. While eating, many people were plugged into their electronics killing time.
We were very lucky and found a Red Mangoes. A friend had told me about this place but I had not had a chance to try it out yet. I was so happy to see it and that was lunch for everyone. We all got a frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. If you have a Red Mangoes near you, I highly recommend it. The girls thought they were getting such a treat and it was very satisfying to us all.
We decided to spend our two hour layover exploring the airport. It seemed like we walked miles. We stopped in stores and looked around and we played Simon Says to get some wiggles out.
Traveling does require people to eat on the go. When traveling by car, you are able to pack a cooler and bring your own food. When traveling by plane, you are limited as to what you can bring and can't pack meals for a day. We did well with our snacks but I do wish there were healthier options available. I was very happy to have the Red Mangoes. Next time I travel, it would be great to see a few more places to get something healthy and satisfying!
Now we are off to entertain ourselves with beach activities for a week!!!!

The Last Day of Kindergarten

As a teacher this is such a bitter-sweet time of year. With only 3 more days of school, I know summer is at my fingertips. I can't stop thinking of all the fun I get to have spending time with my family and all of our summer plans. We will spend much of the time outside hiking, exploring, gardening, swimming, running, and playing. I can't wait for no obligation days and picking different adventures!

However it is also time that I say goodbye to 18 smiling faces that I have become attached to. My little kindergartners will graduate tomorrow. Yes, I will still see them next year but it is not the same. I have to let these little guys go. Even though these children are not my real children, I develop such a strong relationship with them over the ten months I have them. These kids really look up to me and we develop such a bond. We share many tears, laughs, smiles, boogers and germs!

At the end of the school year, I feel as if a chapter in my life ends and a new one is about to begin. I always find this time a great time to reflect on myself as a teacher and as a mother. I reflect on how my year went with my class, and what I need to do differently. As I look forward to my summer break, I focus on how I want to spend my precious moments with my own children.

As a teacher having the opportunity to make a difference in so many lives, I hope my students develop a passion for learning and life. I hope they play outside a little more, take care of the earth and take care of themselves. As a mom, I hope my children develop a passion for nature and being outside.I hope they learn to love themselves and respect their bodies and health!

As a teacher and a mom the only way I know to guide these children is by leading by example. Goodbye my sweet kindergartners! Hello summer adventures!

Great game! Would you like fries with that?

A couple of months ago, a Super WalMart opened up next to a huge park in town. The park is absolutely beautiful and has a great playground and a ton of sports fields. When you drive by the park on the weekends the fields are covered with kids playing soccer, softball, and baseball. The Super WalMart is so super that it even has a McDonalds in it! Today I drove by WalMart and saw a McDonalds banner advertising 20% off for anyone who has a sports uniform on and their guests too. I laughed when I read this and loved the irony in it.
Health critics are so against McDonalds. Their food is convenient and appealing to families on the run and children but it is so terrible for you. I am not a fan of McDonalds but I believe people have a choice in where they eat and what they eat. I personally choose not to eat there and not to let my children eat there. I am not going to rant about McDonalds and their quality.
However, I think it is ironic to advertise to kids and families that jsut finish playing a game. These kids had at least played an hour of their sport and the last thing they need in their systems is McDonalds. I almost want to go stand outside the WalMart McDonalds on a Saturday to see how many kids in their uniforms go indulge themselves with a Big Mac and fries.

This weeks activity and recipe

The other night Morgan decided he was going to make barbecue chicken wraps. Now being gluten free, he figured he would wrap the chicken in lettuce. As he is cooking the chicken, he pulls out a jar of barbecue sauce. As he is pulling it out, I said you realize that barbecue sauce is loaded with sugar and not good sugar. Of course he didn't believe me and looked at the label sure enough to find high fructose corn syrup and sugar in the ingredients. Thinking off the top of my head I knew we had worchester sauce, mustard, and ketchup. I don't know why those ingredients stuck in my head but for what ever reason they did and we began to experiment. We made our own barbecue sauce and loved it. It was a little sweet but really good in a weird way. The girls absolutely loved it.

Recipe

Barbecue Sauce
Mix equal parts ketchup and truvia/sugar free syrup blend. Add a couple of splashes of worchester sauce and some dry mustard, salt and pepper.

I have seen recipes that call for vinegar which would balance the sweetness a little but we didn't have any.  We were also saying that it would be good with a little hot sauce to spice it up. However the above recipe was great and the kids loved it!


After such a dry winter that did not consist of many sled rides and snowmen building because of the lack of snow, we have had a very very wet last couple of weeks. Rain isn't as much as snow but still can be fun to play in. It seems like singing in the rain is just something that has to be done when you are a kid. It is also so much fun to splash around. We have found that the perfect time to play in the rain is right before bath time. We can go outside get wet and cold and then come in to a nice warm bath. On days that I let my boundaries down a bit, we may even play in the mud!

Activity of the Day

Play in the rain! We carry umbrellas, jump from puddle to puddle while singing rain songs. There is something unresistible about a big old puddle when you are a kid. You just have to jump in it!

Pass on the Pasta

I find myself and my entire family very fortunate to not have any food allergies. It seems that just about everybody is allergic to something these days. Gluten is a huge one. I have known many people who have had to eat gluten free due to an allergy. I always felt so bad for these people. What in the world do they eat and boy are they missing out. I have always been a huge pasta and bread eater. Bakeries are one of my very favorite places to visit!
Lately, I have been researching different diets- not diets to lose weight but diets that become a healthy way of life. Everyone that has eliminated gluten from their diets seem to feel better. I have also read some articles on this topic. I thought  a gluten free diet would be almost impossible for me to go on. But I have always liked a challenge. My family is a week and a half into a gluten free diet right now. We have also eliminated all sugars except natural sugars.
I have to say that it is easier than I thought it would be. I find that we are snacking on fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts. Breakfast has been easy with different sorts of eggs. We miss our pancakes though. Lunch has been a little difficult when packing it. I can't just pack a sandwich. I find myself being creative but also eating because I am hungry and not because I want to be satisfied. Dinner has been pretty easy too. We have been making stirfry, tacos, taco salads, and lots of meat and veggies.
I absolutely love to bake. My biggest challenge on the this diet is trying to figure out what flours to use when baking different things. I have found a pretty good muffin recipe that we like with bananas. My homemade pancakes are still a work in progress. I have used gluten free all purpose flour and brown rice flour. I think they taste pretty good but the girls aren't sold on them yet. My favorite thing that I experimented with are dark chocolate chip cookies. They came out really well and the whole batch was devoured in 2 days. I am having a lot of fun experimenting with different recipes and finding what works best.
To my surprise, I have not really missed my pasta and bread. And I do notice a difference in how I feel. I am not always hungry and looking for something to satisfy me. I have had lots of energy and just feel good.

Activity and Recipe

We got a tease with some really nice weather last weekend. We were able to spend the entire weekend outside. With the warm weather comes lots of yard work, gardening, walks, parks, and of course the slip n slide, water balloons, and water guns. After such a beautiful weekend, we had a cold and rainy week. It was hard to get girls out of summer mode and shorts. Since we couldn't transition them to being indoors again, we spent some time swimming at the rec center. We are very lucky to have so many activities at our finger tips. We have so many outdoor pools to choose from in the summer and a few indoor pools for the cold rainy days. Taking the girls swimming tires them out beyond belief and me too. We play sharks and minnows, we throw them around, catch their jumps, and flip through the pool. It is so much fun for everyone.

Activity of the Day

Go for a swim- Inside/Outside In a pool, lake, or ocean.
Get in the water and play around. You will be exhausted as well as your children!


My brother is a pretty frugal guy. One time while he was out visiting, we had a discussion about bars. I think they are a great snack and can be healthy. But they can get pricey as well. He said he looks at the ingredients on the back of them and tries to make them himself. I thought that was a genius idea especially if you like to play with food and experiment. So here is a simple simple recipe for one of my favorites.

Recipe of the Day

Dried apricots
almonds
unsweetened cocnut
agave

You have to play around with the amounts to make the the consistency you want. I start out by putting the almonds in the food processor. Then I take them out and grind the apricots up in the processor, take them out and then do the same with the coconut. I then mix them all together in a bowl by adding a little of each at a time to get it to a good consistency. Then I drizzle them with agave to help them stick a little bit better. I place them on wax paper and cut them up. They are such a  good healthy tasty snack.

Happy Mothers Day

It is hard to believe that I have been celebrating being a mom for 6 mothers days now. On a family run last night, I explained to my husband that running all five of us together on a beautiful night is my ideal mothers day gift. I enjoy spending time as a family and love being outside and active. After saying that, I reflected on my favorite mothers days. A couple of years ago, we went for a hike in the hills and had a picnic lunch. While being outside, it just seems that all the worries of the world fade away and the kids don't whine and fight as much. That day spent outside hiking and exploring was my all time favorite.
I wasn't sure what this year would bring since my husband was working and I was spending the day with the 3 kids. We didn't have any plans. It turned out to be a great day and one that I will always cherish. I enjoyed this mothers day a little bit more than usual because my kids were responsible for everything without their dad here to guide them. Everyone seemed to be in great moods and get along very well. We ate all three of our meals outside on the deck. Since we didn't eat out at all we all ate healthy and weren't tempted to indulge ourselves. We went for an extra long run. Tate slept in the stroller, Maya sang in the stroller, and Ella raced the whole way on her bike. She got tired a few times but didn't complain at all. I felt like I could run forever because I was such a proud mom while running. My children really do inspire me and I hope that providing them the exposure to a healthy fit life will inspire them for the rest of their lives as well.
I hope while my own mother reflects back on her mothers days, she too remembers the ones of us spending days outside wandering in the wilderness.
A very happy mothers day to all the moms out there. I hope you cherish the days with your children and help inspire them for the rest of their lives!

Activity and Recipe of the Day

It is a beautiful morning today! A bright blue sky with no clouds in sight! This morning Maya woke up begging to go for a bike ride. She did not want to sit on Daddy's bike, she wanted to ride her own. It wasn't hard to convince Ella to go for a ride either. We are very fortunate to have a huge bike path in town and there are several throughout the state. Ella has been riding her bike for the last three years and rarely tires on long trips. Maya started riding her bike last summer and prefers to ride herself rather than hitching a ride on the back of Morgan's bike. Going for a bike ride with a 5 year old and a 3 year old is very different than going for a nice "adult" bike ride. We try to keep it as fun as possible and go at the pace of the kids. We also have a rule that any park we drive by, we can stop and play at for a few minutes.

Activity of the Day
Tour de parks via bike
We play follow the leader on our bikes switching out leaders the entire ride. Whenever we see a park we stop for 5 minutes or so and play. Our bike rides can go anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the time we have and where we go. This morning, knowing I have to get ready for work in a bit, we stayed in the neighborhood and stopped at the park down the street. The girls rode about 3 miles and played at the park for 10 minutes.

Since today is Cinco de Mayo, I will share the favorite healthy mexican dish in our house. My oldest daughter has always had pretty bland taste bids but after our rule of making her try everything a couple of times and not making her a separate dinner, she has blossomed a little. This is a dinner that she asks for over and over again!

Recipe of the Day
Healthy Smothered Turkey Burritos
Pound of Ground Turkey
Refried Black beans
yellow onion
green pepper
yellow squash
jalapeno (optional depending on spice preference)
 shredded cheese
whole grain tortillas
green chile

Brown the turkey meat and add in diced veggies and beans. Simmer until the veggies have softened. Stuff the tortillas with the mixture and fold up. Top with green chile and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese has melted. You can top them with anything you would like. We usually just use lettuce and tomatoes and Maya loads hers with black olives!

Parent Traps

The other night, I was watching the news and an interesting segment on childhood obesity came on. It was talking about how childhood obesity is escalating in our country. This has gotten a lot of press recently and I hope everyone is aware of this! The interesting part of the segment was that they explained that parents are doing things to control their own weight but when it comes to their children, they are doing the opposite and contributing to their obesity. I think our nation is starting to figure out they we need to make a lot of changes to be healthier and more fit. We really need to do this for ourselves and for our children.

I started thinking about this and thought about how many  adults diet and buy healthy food for themselves or control calories and sugar. But then they buy "kid" food for  their children which sometimes is loaded in sugar and absolutely unhealthy. I have many friends that are pretty healthy, work out, and watch what they eat. But then they feed their children a separate diet. Walk into any grocery store and it is obvious that their is a whole market geared towards kids. I think there should be an aisle labeled kid foods. So  my question is why would you watch what you eat and try to be healthy but then feed your child "junk"? 

I used to buy separate food for my kids and even cook them kid meals while I would eat healthier. We no longer buy kid foods. Everything my kids eat, I eat as well.We count the different colors in our foods. My kids don't need to love everything they eat or clean their plate but they are encouraged to take a few bites to try it. Our biggest transition has been with snacks. Instead of fruit snacks and chips, they eat yogurt, nuts, and fresh fruits and veggies.

The other half of the obesity factor is working out. As adults, we can go to the gym and burn some calories. We can even take our kids along and put them in the child care which is usually included in your membership. So as we are running on the treadmill, our kids are safe in the same building playing in a  room. It is very convenient but what have we done for our children to get them exercise?  Many of us even workout at home. I have three children so I know how precious time is and how hard it is to work out with them at home. So maybe we plop them in front of the TV or let them play a video game while we get a half hour in on the elliptical.  Again, we are taking care of ourselves, but what have we done for our children?

I have pushed all of my kids in the jogging stroller since they were born so I could get my workout in everyday. I will continue to push them in the stroller but I also make sure they get their exercise daily as well. My oldest now has a choice to run or ride her bike with me when I go for runs. My 3 year old will jump out of the stroller when we are finishing up the run to race me home. After I take my time to go for a run, I will stay outside to give them their time to run and ride around. We will get a ball and play soccer or baseball. What ever time I devote to my own exercise, I also devote to exercise for them.

We need to set good examples for our children and model the healthy life style but we also need to make sure they are participating in what we are modeling.

Kid Recipe and Activity of the Day

One of my favorite things to do with the girls is bake. It has been a few years since we switched from white flour to wheat flour. I have looked wheat recipes up and it seems that most recipes still call from some white flour mixed in white the wheat. When I bake, I just substitute the wheat flour for the white flour in the recipe. I don't even think that Maya has ever had white flour besides while out and about getting a treat every once in a while. I am now starting to play around with oat flour too.
We like to make blueberry muffins. I am all about shopping for healthy food but I also try to stay on some type of a budget, When I buy produce, I try to buy what is on sale and in season. We had a few pints of strawberries so I decided to substitute the blueberries for strawberries. Any berry could be used. The girls really liked them with the strawberries.

Best Ever Muffins
1 3/4 cups wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar ( I use a sugar substitute)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup non fat milk
1/3 cup oil
Mix it all together adn then add 1-2 cups of berries. I tend to put more in.
bake 400 degrees for 25 mins

It was a beautiful day out and we spent a lot of it outside.  This year we have dedicated a portion of our yard to the girls to have their own garden. They have a vegetable and flower garden planned out. They are responsible for these gardens.

Activity of the Day
Gardening
The girls pulled weeds and planted peas. I told them for every weed they pulled, I would give them 5 cents. Ella counted by 5's for every weed she picked and earned herself a dollar. She got a little confused and when she got to 100 she thought I owed her 100 dollars. Then they planted 2 rows or peas and watered all of the flowers and trees. We had so much fun playing in the dirt! The girls can't wait to plant some more!

Whats for Lunch?

We were visiting with family friends this weekend and it came up in conversation how the 3 teenagers that are in high school drive ten miles at lunch time to get lunch. Now they have about half an hour for lunch. By the time they get in the car and get to a fast food restaurant they have just enough time to race back to school while eating their lunch and driving. This really made me think!
Growing up, I was forced to eat school lunch many times. Many of the meals were memorable because of how unidentifiable or gross they were. I remember being in elementary school and just moving the food around on the plate. Then came high school. I was not lucky enough to have the option to leave campus to go out to lunch. We had to stay at school and bringing your lunch in high school wasn't really the "cool" thing to do. We did have a salad bar option which was a plus. However, many times I remember skipping lunch all together or buying a juice and a cookie.
I asked my husband what his memories were of high school lunch and he too left the school to find something "better" than what was being served in the cafeteria. He was on a tight budget and only got enough money each day to buy the school lunch. However, he opted to venture out and see what he could get for his money. His lunch consisted of 7 eleven nachos many days.
School lunches have gotten so much attention lately for their lack of nutrition. But what is better? If you get a school lunch you may get a fruit. The 7 eleven nachos might have jalapeno peppers if you are lucky.  I am not a fan of school lunches at all. But I don't think the off campus fast food option is any better. It really interests me to think about what is being offered to students and children and what they are eating.
My oldest daughter will be in full day kindergarten next year and will have the option to buy lunch. As a teacher, I still get to see what is being served on a  daily basis and also what is being thrown out. There really isn't one thing that I would eat from a school cafeteria. I would never let my child eat it either no matter how convenient.
As I watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I really hope more school systems open up to the idea of making a change and serving our children healthier tastier lunches. Maybe when the schools change their menus, students won't be forced to drive their entire half hour lunch to find a tastier but equally unhealthy lunch.

Kid recipe and Activity of the day

I have always been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am always baffled when I ask children what they had for breakfast. Its hard to believe that children as young as 5 are responsible for getting their own breakfast; usually on the go; and always loaded with sugar. Breakfast is a favorite at my house and most recipes are super easy to make. This morning I made homemade whole wheat 'bunny' pancakes (panpacks in Maya's world) with fresh fruit and agave instead of syrup. The girls devoured them and it only took me 10 minutes to make a whole batch. What a great way to start the day!

Whole Wheat "bunny" Pancakes with Fruit and Agave

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups non-fat milk
3 table spoons truvia (natural sugar substitute)
1 egg
...1 Tea spoon salt
1 Tea spoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon butter
Mix together and shape bunny heads on skillet ( oval head and pointy triangle ears)
Make face with berries and add Agave instead of syrup.

It was a rainy morning at house. Instead of going outside to get our daily run in, we decided to exercise in the house. I try to exercise daily and try to get the girls to as often as possible. The girls love to do it and it is a great way to spend time together. I try to always make it fun and let the girls set their own limits. 
Activity of the Day

Do each workout for 45 seconds, resting 1 min in between. (my 3 year old and 5 year old successfully completed this work out.)

Superman/Banana ( lay on back with arms and feet off ground/lay on belly with arms and feet off ground) 10 seconds each before switching
lunges
wheelbarrows
mountain climbers
jumping jacks
...kid push ups ( on knees)
Squats
And finish it up with a fun game of hide and go seek!
Remember to make it fun and let the kids determine their limits!!!!! A simon says version is great!

I am so thankful to have the quality time with the girls and also the opportunity to introduce them to being active.
Following up on my television challenge- 2 out of 18 students have made it since Monday without watching any TV. This is scary. But in all reality this is our reality! We are so dependent on technology-specifically the TV. So I challenged those students again. It was a beautiful day outside and I asked my students to go home and play outside for a little while before watching a show. It is very sad to hear some of their responses. One student said his parents did not let him go outside by himself. Well I don't let my children go out either. But I will go out with them any time they ask me to. I suggested he go home and ask his parents to take him for a walk. Sadly he said he gave up asking them because they never do. So not only are these kids not getting fresh air, they are not getting exercise, and are eating very unhealthy, but they are watching TV!

Turn the TV Off!

This week is Turn off Your TV week! What a great concept?! As a mother, I challenged my own children to go the entire week without watching TV. Maya's first words when she wakes up are, "Put my shows on please!" We can do this as a family...I am sure! We have successfully made it to Tuesday with many art projects and outdoor activities...even family house cleaning. I start to question my sanity with this challenge.
Since my own children were up for the challenge, I decided to take it one step further and challenge my 18 kindergarten students. I have never seen stranger looks from my class when I asked them how long they thought they could go without watching tv. We then entered into an interesting conversation. One student told me her mom would not like it if she didn't watch tv. I thought about this for a second and realized what a great babysitter/entertainer/teacher the television can be. There are shows that teach students how to speak Spanish without them even realizing it. And then when your kids are engaged in that show, you can have a few minutes of clalm quite time to yourself. Yeah, your parents may not like this but challenge them as well! Another student added, "What will I do if I don't watch TV?" I suggested reading. Nope she doesn't like to read. How about jump roping or riding a bike? Nope she doesn't know how to ride a bike or jump rope. Maybe if we shut the TV off for a bit she can learn! Oh that is a fabulous idea! So all 18 kindergartners accepted my challenge. Upon acceptance, I encouraged them to not drive their parents crazy with their new free time! 24 hours after accepting the challenge, I was thrilled that 5 of them were able to carry it out. We discussed some more and reaccepted the challenge again today! I am anxiously awaiting the results tomorrow!
Reflecting on this TV free week (one day in) I am truly enjoying the undivided attention my daughters are giving me when I am talking to them and asking them to do things. It is amazing how much more they listen and understand me when not trying to listen to Daphne on Scooby Doo.
So I challenge you too! Can you go the week without TV? What could you do instead of watching a show?