Make a Tornado

Make a Tornado

I love used book sales!  I came across one at a local church and all the kids book are 50 cents!  Since my daughter loves thunder storms, I picked up the book Storms by Seymour Simon



And it was really great at teaching her about all the different types of storms and what causes them, and also covers safety in various scenarios.  As my husband read to her about tornados, I remembered a simple activity from when I was a kid...making a tornado in a bottle.

I think this might work better with a smaller water bottle, but we happened to have this 2 liter of diet coke from when my father in law was here (he loves it), it's a little too big for J to easily whirl around to get the tornado action, but every morning this week she still runs over and starts playing with it trying to get the tornado going.

To make a Tornado in a bottle, just fill an empty clear bottle 2/3 the way full.  Add in some glitter or confetti.  Screw the lid on tight, turn up-side down and then move the top in a circular motion as fast as you can and watch a tornado form.  The glitter or confetti makes it easier to see the swirling motion and you can point out that the glitter/confetti or whatever are like all the things that a tornado might pick up like bikes, lawn chairs, cars, etc.

Bedtime Blessings

Bedtime Blessings

100 Bedtime Stories and Activities for Blessing Your Child

by John Trent

We've been doing the Book Bedtime Blessings with our 4.5 year old before bed and it has been so enjoyable and something we both really look forward to each  night.  The stories and activities are short and sweet and each activity ends with a related blessing for your child.  Tonight was maybe one of my favorites, the activity was for her to write a letter to God and here is what she dictated for me to write down

Dear God,

Angels protect us.  I'm Jordan and you can send me email God.  God, thank you for giving lots of dress up clothes and please, God, help me be brave.  I love you God thanks for dying on the cross.  God, thank you for my lipstick I got for Christmas. Thank you for my butterflies that hang on my tree and protect me. Thanks for my beautiful room. Please bless that I can have a life with you God.  Thanks you for my wonderful church dresses.  Thank you for art I can do.

I LIKE Green Eggs and Ham!

Green Eggs and Ham 

or in this case bacon

What you'll need

Eggs
Ham/bacon
Blue food coloring
Bowl
Fork
Frying pan
Non-stick spray/vegetable oil
Spatula

Depending on your child's capabilities, you can let them help a lot or a little but this is a fun one for them to make

Place a frying pan on the skillet over high heat, once it gets real hot, reduce to medium heat (I do this so the eggs don't stick to the stainless steel...we don't use non-stick frying pans, they are a no no but you can read more about that at end of post).

Let your child help you crack the eggs on the edge of counter or side of bowl and carefully break the eggs into the bowl.

Let them put a few drops of blue food coloring into the bowl with the eggs.  If you have the wilton food coloring in the little jars, dip the tip of your fork in the food coloring to get just a tiny amount.  Use your fork and stir the eggs up in the bowl, mixing in the food coloring.  (if kids are going to stir the eggs, use a bigger sized bowl so prevent them from spilling over the edge)

Lightly coat the frying pan with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Pour green eggs into skillet and cook, folding and chopping with the spatula to make scrambled eggs.

When green eggs are cooked, remove from skillet and serve warm.

As for the ham part, you can either take some deli ham and cut into small pieces and stir into the eggs before cooking or you can make a side a bacon like we did.

And DON'T FORGET to read them the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

We got our 4.5 year old Green Eggs and Ham for Christmas and I'll never forget the first time I read it to her that night.  She had no idea what she was in for when it started, and as we got into the book, her eyes widened, filled with delight and she rose up higher and higher on her knees 'till she was no longer laying down but bouncing in her bed as the story went on.  We have to read the book at LEAST two times in a row, then we have to act it out 2 times, taking turns being Sam I Am and the guy who doesn't want the Green Eggs and Ham.  Dr. Seuss has just acquired a new fan...and today she requested Green Eggs and Ham for lunch...and of course I had to be Sam I Am when serving it to her...."You do not like them so you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say."  

I know we are not the first to do this fun activity by any means, but it was our first time and it was fun!!!  I was also thinking after the fact, that you could make this healthier by using spinach puree to color the eggs, I'll have to try that next time and see if they still like Green Eggs and Ham!

 *We have thrown out most of our non-stick cookware.  It has been banned in other countries because it is toxic and carcinogenic. When Mary Anne bought a gerbal for one of her kids, the pet store warned them not to keep the cage near the kitchen when cooking because the fumes from non-stick cookware can kill the animal.  We stick to using stainless steel and cast iron for cooking. For more about that, read my Nutrition and Healthy Cooking posts.  

How a Lovey Taught Me Something

This is very random, but I was just rocking my fussy son in the rocking chair, my eyes tired and heavy and just reflecting on the great company we had just had over for lunch.  (A family we just met 2 days ago through craigslist when we bought an elliptical from them!!! crazy huh? They are an amazing family who is going to be moving to plant a church in another state-).  Anyways...that's not even the random thing I was going to say although that was super random.  where was I?  Oh yeah, so I was rocking him in the rocking chair calming him down and he was holding his special blankie.  I don't know why, but this thought came to me all at once out of the blue. But this is that back story... he had this wonderful, cute, soft, cozy blankie that I had been giving him repeatedly to be his security object because he didn't have one for a long time.  This blankie I kept giving him was just so soft and plush, and in my mind, ever since we received it as a gift when he was born, I "knew" it was going to be his special blankie, it was perfect....he just hadn't attached to it yet.  I kept on giving it to him and he was indifferent...then one day we were in his room looking for an outfit to wear and he was trying to get into the closet when suddenly he stopped, his eyes got big...he got excited and then pulled out this little yellow and white blanket that I had put away because it was just one of those  thin blankets you use to swaddle them when they are tiny.  Anyways, he pulled that out and from that moment on, it has been his special blankie that goes everywhere.  He won't sleep without it and he drags it around everywhere like little Linus....I couldn't even keep it away from him at the spray park this summer so he drug it through all the fountains and sprinklers...

So as I sat there rocking him, thinking about other things, I looked down at him cuddling his blankie and had this random epiphany.  Thinking about how he came to have that particular blankey be his lovey rather than the nice, plush perfect one I had thought would be his lovey, it's going to be the same way one day with his future spouse.  We are probably going to have some idea of the person we envision our children getting married to one day and when that day comes, we may be surprised when they just find the right one, and it's not what we had envisioned...but you know what?  Even though it's not the super cool, perfect extra soft blankey we would have picked...it's still a pretty darn cute one... and in his eyes, it's the perfect one.  So my realization (however obvious it may seem but now reinforced) is that I really won't be able to pick my kids future friends, career,and mate just like I couldn't pick out their lovey for them as babies....however...

There's always something we CAN do, even when when it comes to things out of our control...

BUT that doesn't mean there is nothing I can do to help my kids make the right life choices for themselves.  One thing I CAN do is pray for my children (yes, even starting now it's never to early) that they may be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one (II Corinthians 6.14-17)  and trust in God's plan for their lives, as He can work far better in their lives than I can.  I can pray for my children to always seek for wisdom and discernment from Him, and turn to Him for all decisions so s/he doesn't make poor choices, that  to Holy Spirit will influence his/her selection of friends and potential mates and all their relationships with others will glorify Him.

So that is my random thoughts for the day....how my son's blankey turned into a lesson to teach ME something I know I will need to remember down the road...it seems obvious but may not be so simple when the time comes to have to truly let go and respect their choices.

Thinking about this reminded me of this great book I have with beautiful illustrations of children, it's called For This Child I Prayed by Stormie Omartian Illustrated by Susan Rios

It is filled with beautiful prayers that I enjoy reading and praying for my children.  My daughter enjoys this book at bedtime, hearing all the wonderful prayers with her name in them, hearing me pray these things for her.  She always wants me to "do another one".  The first prayer in the book was really difficult for me to understand and do when I first became a parent...It wasn't until pretty recently that I have realized and conceded that yes, parenting a child in the way God would have me to is beyond my human abilities and I need His help, that I truly do want to be partners with Him and have access to his wisdom, discernment, revelation and guidance while also NEEDING his strength, patience and generous love flowing through me.  Entrusting Him with the lives of my children, believing that he has a plan for their life that is good, something far better than I could arrange.

"Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive"

-Matthew 21:22

Meringue Layer Cake w/ Fresh Raspberries and Lemon Curd

Another heavenly recipe that came out of the Cooking For Isaiah Cookbook: Gluten Free and Dairy Free recipes by Silvana Nardone.  The picture of this dessert in the book is actually what compelled me to purchase it over other cookbooks I was looking at.  I could not WAIT to try this!  I made this at my moms house which was perfect timing because we picked the first batch of raspberries from her immaculate garden and they were TO-DIE-FOR!  I never knew raspberries could be THAT good and I'm determined to plant some raspberry bushes at our home next summer!  I give this recipe a round of applause!  The meringue is the kind your would have atop a lemon meringue cake...light and crisp on outside but super soft on the inside.  The only thing I didn't do was sprinkle with icing sugar...it didn't need it.  This gluten free dairy free layer cake is the best summer dessert I have ever had and will be using this recipe again and again!  Although I'll have to find fresh raspberries...I've never had store bough raspberries taste like these.  Anyways, I am still loving this book...maybe one of my most useful favorite book purchases ever! (along with natural baby and childcare)

 Picture of cake is not that great because it was night...by the next morning there was only the piece left in the first picture.

 A snapshot of mom and dad working on their weeds section...getting it ready to be planted with who knows what...they already have everything!

 The Produce Garden is hidden behind the arborvitaes....on the other side their yard looks like this....well...this is just a little peek...

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Gluten Free & Dairy Free

 Now that we are getting a little more settled in our new home, I FINALLY rounded up what I needed to make my gluten free flour blend, a combination of white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, salt and xanthan gum.  I made Silvana's Flour Blend from my new book Cooking For Isaiah which has amazing looking recipes that are all gluten free and dairy free.  These cupcakes were the first recipe we decided to try out.  I was really really impressed and so was J.  She keeps referring to them as the best cupcakes ever in the whole wide world!  These are so tasty with the strawberry puree in the cupcake batter and the strawberry puree in the frosting!  I was also really impressed with the texture, these cupcakes were soft, moist and had just the right amount of density, I was relieved they were not dry, gritty nor crumbly like other gluten free baked goods we have tried.  I don't think ANYONE would guess these were gluten free and dairy free cupcakes. The plan was to make these and freeze them individually so we could take one out for an occasional treat, but these were so good that did not happen.  They quickly disappeared and I have absolutely NO IDEA who is mostly responsible for that....hmmm....not one clue! I SWEAR! 

 

Cooking For Isaiah Gluten Free & Dairy Free Recipes

I'm happy with this cookbook so far! It's my first time using a gluten free cookbook and using a gluten free flour blend.  There are some other books out there that I'm interested in getting, but I picked up this one on Amazon because, for someone who likes to bake, it looked really good and because of the donuts! I can't wait to try making the donuts! And I even lucked out and found a mini donut pan at good will the other day for $2!  

a couple other books on my wishlish I would love to try are

Artisnal Gluten Free Cookbook

Flying Apron

Also, another great gluten free cooking resource is The Gluten Free Cooking School.  There is a gluten free flour blend recipe with accompanying recipes, and a good sandwich bread recipe that my mom has been making and I'm planning to try that out this week!

 

Read for the Record

 

Yesterday was Read for the Record day and we happened to already have a copy of The Snowy Day, so we pulled it out and helped set the record of most people to read the same book on the same day.  Read for the Record is a campaign put on by Jumpstart to help raise awareness of the early literary crisis and raise funds for Jumpstart's yearlong early education program.  If you participated in Read for the Record, make sure to make it official by visiting the Jumpstart website and registering to be counted.