Happy New Years!

My child is probably too young this year to understand that there is anything special about New Year's Eve; however I found some cute ideas online that I thought I would share with you to try with older children or save for years to come:

• Decorate for a New Year's Party (Be sure there are funny hats and noisemakers!)
• Have something fun for supper like make your own pizza's or order out for Chinese food.
• Dress up in party clothes
• Explain the concept of New Year's resolutions to your children. Ask them if there is anything they would like to accomplish in the next year.
• Pick a favourite movie and make it an annual New Year's movie tradition... like Wizard of Oz or a Harry Potter Marathon
• Lay out sleeping bags in the living room and have a 'slumber party'
• Make fancy  'fuzzy' drinks and serve in champagne glasses for a toast

I also saw a neat idea called "New Year's at Nine," a party designed so kids who can't (or shouldn't) stay up so late, don't miss the New Year's celebrations. It is an early evening party for adults and children to enjoy together with food, games, and a 'countdown' at nine o'clock instead of midnight. It sounded like a lot of fun. The people who do this party include outdoor activities like a marshmallow roast and hot chocolate and backyard fireworks, but I am sure everyone can come up with their own way to celebrate and make a party like this fun no matter if you are inside or out. I might try this for next year. It seems like it would be an awesome tradition to start with family and friends with young children.

Favourite things

I am no Oprah, but here are some of my favourite things for toddlers from the past year:

J. Crew's Union Suit for kids - cute and Christmassy

Cinnamon flour tortilla's and yogurt dip (see recipe here)

Squish 'ems apple sauce - easy and healthy travel snack

MEC winter hats and neck gaiters - they are warm and they stay put

Tuffo Rainsuit - available locally at Coo Chi Coo - awesome for outdoor play in wet and muddy weather

LL Bean Roll neck sweaters - cute and easy to get off over the head. The value of the Canadian dollar is so high now the barriers to US shopping are minimal.

Wooden race track and cars - available locally at Toys R Us or elsewhere from several brand names

Plan Toys - Imagination and creativity building eco-friendly toys especially the food and kitchen ware

Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender for making sneaky smoothies (Carrot and orange for example)

Sufjan Stevens Christmas album

Any children's book by Julia Donaldson - especially the Fish Who Cried Wolf

Have some favourite things to share? Email me or leave a comment.

Toilet Training

I am contemplating toilet training in the new year so I thought I would share some resources I found and I would love to hear from you if you have ideas, experience, or resources that helped you through this challenging time.

Potty Training Entertainment - Do these books and videos actually work? Thoughts? Comments? Seems kind of weird to me.

American Association of Pediatrics Articles


Elimination Communication - Diaper-free babies. This is something I haden't heard of before, what do you think of this?

Potty Train Your Child In Just One Day 

Puppet Show at the LSPU Hall

Details are here.

Broccoli bites

Another great recipe to try from Babble ...

Broccoli Cheese Emerald Nuggets

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
2 eggs
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup italian breadcrumbs

Place thawed broccoli and eggs in a blender. Blend until pureed. Pour puree into a large bowl, and stir in the cheese and salt. Spread half of the breadcrumbs onto the surface of a large cutting board. Press puree on top of the breadcrumbs, pressing it down until it’s approximately 1/2″ thick. Spread remaining breadcrumbs on the top of the broccoli-cheese mixture. Use a pizza cutter to slice nuggets into diamond shapes. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

St. John's Baby and Toddler - The Magazine

o09-

A new local magazine for families of children 0-3 years old.  You'll see an article I contributed about surviving winter in St.John's, but at this point I am wondering if those plans should have included building an ark!

Check out the first issue online or pick up a hard copy free around town. See the Facebook page here.

Sneaky Smoothies

As you might remember I am not a fan of the 'sneaky chef' approach to feeding children. However, I have been making my child smoothie or 'milk shakes' lately with yogurt, fruit, and milk or soy milk and decided that given how much he loves these why not try to include some veggies to maximize their nutritional value.
Frozen fruit makes them nice and cold and I use plain or flavoured yogurt depending on what other ingredients I am adding. I always tell him what's in the milk shake. I use the opportunity to get him familiar with the vegetables names so when they appear on his plate he'll know he's eaten them in a tasty smoothie before and just maybe won't object to them quite so strongly.

I have been putting together combos like:

• Carrot juice (store bought) and orange or mango yogurt
• Chocolate soy milk and bananas (A homemade funky monkey)

And of course the internet is full of smoothie recipes!

Merry Christmas!!

Make sure you take the time today amid the wrapping paper and food preparation to enjoy your family because that is what Christmas is all about.

Christmas eve

To help your toddler and preschooler make it through the endless anticipation that Christmas eve can bring here are some suggestions:

• Work together on your wish lists to Santa and then find a magical way to 'send it.' For example, when we were children we used to throw the envelope in the fireplace and the smoke would carry the words to Santa in the North Pole.
• Put together Santa's snack and some for the reindeer too like carrots and grain (bird seed). Then once all the Littlest Whos are in bed you can make sure it appears that Santa and Rudolph got to take at least a bite of their treats before they continued their journey.
• Choose a special Christmas special or movie to watch each Christmas Eve. Pour up the egg nog and eat some treats under a cozy blanket. Ours has always been "It's a Wonderful Life," but now with a toddler we'll be picking something more appropriate for his age.
• With preschoolers and older children play a family game or do a Christmas themed puzzle. Our family has been doing a puzzle over the holidays for years and years. Each year we purchase a new puzzle and pull out an old card table that becomes the puzzle table until it is done.
• Go for a drive or a walk in your neighbourhood to look at the Christmas lights. Bring along cups of hot chocolate and play carols on the radio to really put you in the mood. (Tip: put the kids in their pajamas and do this close to bed time if your kids fall asleep in the car and can be moved into bed without waking!)
• Open one present at bed time or open your stocking. This might be enough to take the edge off. We were always allowed to open a gift sent to us by far away grandparents or cousins before Christmas Day.

Too cute cookies

Aren't these cookies cute? Read more about them here.

Christmas Music

I like Christmas music. There I confessed. Not singing cats or Justin Bieber, but real Christmas music like the Charlie Brown Christmas Album, the Rat Pack Christmas Album, Verve presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz... you know Christmas music that is soothing and nostalgic rather than irrating and sachrine. In the meantime, my children's music collection is lacking. The only kids album we have is Raffi and I am not impressed. It is kind of solemn. Any tips on great children's Christmas albums?

Potato Nachos

Sick of Christmas food already?  Try a twist on Mexican!

This looks like a great way to introduce a variety of foods and flavours to your kids or introduce them to nachos without the fat of fried chips. See original recipe and photo here.

POTATO NACHOS
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning blend
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
¼ cup rinsed and drained canned black beans
¼ cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup sliced black olives
¼ cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons canned diced green chiles
Salsa, guacamole and sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges.

2. Place potatoes into a medium size bowl with the oil, garlic salt and Mexican seasoning. Stir well to coat potatoes with oil and seasonings.

3. Transfer to a large baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring several times, until crisp and golden brown.

4. Top with cheese, beans, tomatoes, olives, onions and chiles.

5. Bake for 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

6. Serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Temperamental twos

My toddler is experiencing a new and challenging phase. We have been referring to him as 'sensitive' and temperamental. He can be going along cheerily and then all of a sudden his mood turns and he is cranky; shouting and crying in frustration about the smallest thing. I suspect the cause to be a combination of the chronic preschool cold, the accompanying lack of sleep, and of course the fact that he is two. That last-fact, according to the books, is not about the age so much as it is about developmental stage. At this age toddlers are becoming aware that they are separate and independent people from their parents and are testing the theory by taking contrariness to confusing new heights.

He can be shouting "No bananas!" at the very moment he reaches for one. He looks at me sideways, grinning and waiting for a reaction when he does something he knows he shouldn't. He does what we refer to as his "G20 protester" move when he doesn't want to be picked up; his whole body goes limp, you can't find a shoulder or an elbow to get a grip on to lift him, he's just a 30-pound shouting rag doll. 

How maddening it must be when you realize that you are an independent person, but your life is not your own. Imagine what it must be like when someone else tells you what to do and when to do it for almost every aspect of your life. You don't decide your meals, you don't decide where to go and when, you don't get to decide when it is time to sleep... practically your whole life is run by those dictators calling themselves parents. The only thing you can control is how and when you use the bathroom...  Hmm...I guess that explains a lot about toilet-training challenges now doesn't it?

At this stage toddlers are also more intellectually sophisticated than they are physically dexterous so their bodies are not always up to executing their imaginative ideas. My toddler likes to stack things on top of each other, but his touch is not always gentle enough to manage the precarious balancing of small objects. When the towers inevitably come falling down he loses it! Of course he won't let you help either. Sigh.

If this sounds familiar here's some advice.

I have really found that offering my son simple choices helps reduce the battles over most things. As well, starting the stacking projects together and offering help before the frustration begins seemed to resolve that problem. But of course nothing is fool-proof and each day there is a new challenge to my parenting skills.

"One for one" Christmas tree policy

Toddlers and Christmas ornaments can be a tricky and even dangerous combination. For the second year in a row I have resisted putting my glass ornaments up on the tree and used decorations that, if not exactly child-proof, are at least not dangerous. I have also instituted a 'one for one' policy. Which means that my child is allowed to hold and play with the ornaments, but only one at a time. He must 'trade' the current one in hand back to the tree if he would like a new one. I shared the policy with all of his caregivers (grandparents etc...) and I guess due to consistency and standing our ground he has not protested the policy. He just says "Want to put this back on the tree?" and then gives the ornament to us. he then proceeds to ask for another one.
So far so good.

Insects at the Geocentre

Incredible Insects!


January 2011

The Johnson GEO CENTRE and the Newfoundland Insectarium are pleased to once again present Incredible Insects! This exciting exhibit will be on display from January to April 2011. Featuring new displays and live animals, this exhibit is sure to thrill visitors of all ages.

Crispy Chicken Fingers with Apple “Fries”

This sounded interesting, after the holidays I think I will give it a try. I found this on Babble.

Crispy Chicken Fingers with Apple “Fries”

Apple Fries:
2 cups apple cider
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. coarse salt (optional)
4 tart but firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges (per apple)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme


Crispy Chicken Fingers:
1 cup crushed corn flakes (or crushed whole grain flakes)
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced into strips
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce (or buttermilk-enough to dip in)

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, boil cider until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes (it should have a syrupy consistency). Remove from heat and whisk in butter and salt.
Preheat oven to 400 F. In bowl, toss apples with 2 Tbsp. of the glaze and 1/2 Tbsp. thyme. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
In bowl combine corn flake crumbs, salt and parsley. Set aside. Dip chicken strips in sweet chili sauce and then coat with corn flakes. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.
Place chicken on the top third and the apples on the bottom third of the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn chicken, drizzle apples with remaining glaze and switch baking sheets so the apples are now on the top third of oven. Continue to roast for 10 minutes and remove chicken from oven. Let chicken fingers cool while apples finish caramelizing, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
Sprinkle apples with remaining thyme and additional salt if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: about 220 cal, 18 g pro, 5 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 25 g carb, 2 g fibre, 55 mg chol, 780 mg sodium. %RDI: iron 10%, calcium 2%, vit A 8%, vit C 15%

Shopping with toddlers and preschoolers

I thought this was a cute idea, but not sure my child would actually keep holding on. This is a reusable shopping bag with a handle strategically located for children to hold on too. I am sure an older child would love the feeling that they were helping out and it gives mom or dad a spare hand too! I spotted this at Chapters the other day.

The Case for Play

I read an article about this book and thought I would share it as it seems fitting just before the biggest toy buying holiday of all, Christmas. The book talks about the importance of play and imagination in a child's intellectual and emotional development and how that is being stunted in our current commercialized environment by all kinds of trends and factors. One of these factors is a toy industry that develops toys based on TV and movies. These toys limit children's play and imagination as they use the toy to reenact the movie and TV plots.

I have a few of these toys around myself, Thomas the Train, characters from the Cars movie and In the Night Garden. You don't realize how many toys are connected to TV and movies or even a form of cross-marketing for books until you really start to look around the playroom with this in mind.  It is hard to resist when your child's face lights up at the sight of them and when you peruse the toy store or toy section you'll soon recognize the majority of toys are part of marketing campaign for children's media so it is easy to end up with them in your cart.

One poignant moment that happened to me was when a friend's child held up a doll to me that they had just unwrapped at their birthday party and asked "What does it do?" I guess most of the toys they had came with an assigned activity like "Dancer Barbie" or "Giggling Baby."  If I had been on the ball at the time I should have answered "Anything you want!" But I am not sure what I said.

Whether you agree fully with the opinion that these toys can be harmful to your children or not it is probably good to balance your playroom with toys that will allow your child to imagine and create their own worlds and characters like building blocks, toy kitchens, play dough, and animals.

Here are some tips and things you can do to de-commercialize the holidays and encourage your children's imagination.

Martha's Cookies

Martha Stewart I am not. I made some 'simple' sugar cookies this week that took three days of process. I made the dough one day and as per the recipe I chilled it overnight. Then I rolled and cut and chilled again and finally baked the dough on day two. Then I iced the cookies on day three. They look like a five year old iced them. Sigh. I don't think the kids will mind though. They still taste like a sugar bomb and that's what we care about anyway isn't it?

Write a letter to Santa

This seems like the perfect, quiet activity for a December afternoon when your child's anticipation of Christmas is running high and shrill!

Santa's Address is:

Santa Claus
North Pole
HoH oHo
CANADA

You can also email him!

Musical Birthday Party

I received a note in my inbox about a new birthday party service this week. Given the demand for unique birthday party ideas, I think this will be a hit!

The Munchkin Music Factory

Two Munchkin Music Factory party specialists will bring toys, puppets and instruments to your party and entertain the little ones for 30 - 40 minutes. We write a special song for the guest of honour and invite everyone at the party to sing along with us. We give mom and dad a framed copy of the lyrics as a keepsake of the special day and even leave a small gift for the birthday child!

Our party specialists are certified school teachers and early childhood educators.
 
www.MunchkinMusicFactory.com

info@munchkinmusicfactory.com
709-738-3082

Family Fun at the Rooms!

Make traditional Christmas decorations from everyday objects at The Rooms.
Sunday Dec 12  from 2pm-4pm

Hobby Horse Workshops:

From the Mummerfest web site:
Hobby Horse Workshop 3

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010 - 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Victoria Park Poolhouse
This is not your typical children’s toy—the common horse-head on a stick. No, no, we’re talking about something a bit more frightening. With wandering bottle cap eyes and nails for teeth, the janney’s ‘hobby horse’ or ‘horsey-hops’ is an odd creature. You can hear the jaws of the hobby horse ‘snocking’ loudly as it bumbles around.
The hobby horse is no longer a common sight. But we hope with these workshops to repopulate the province with this most peculiar breed. Come to these sessions, build a hobby horse, and then ride it over to the Mummer’s Parade. We want a cavalry and we need your help!

Christmas Concert at the Rooms

Sunday, December 12, 2:30 pm
A Traditional Christmas Concert with The Dardanelles and Hubert Furey
This holiday season The Rooms is pleased to present the musical talents of The Dardanelles along side the humorous and heart warming recitations of Hubert Furey in a Christmas concert for the entire family.
Tickets for the Christmas Concert are $20 per adult, $15 per student/seniors and are available on a first-come, first-served basis at The Rooms Admission Desk.

Gingerbread houses

I bought a premade gingerbread house at the grocery store to try as a Christmas activity with my toddler. I expect there will be more eating than decorating and I may have to adapt some of the candy as it might be a choking hazard for a child his age, I'll keep you posted when we give it a try. Next year when he's a bit older I might be ambitious enough to try making one from scratch!

Busy Body Contest Do-Over

No one claimed the prize sooooo.... now's your chance!  If you want to enter the draw for a Busy Body Organizer send me an email by Sunday, December 12th.  On Monday, December 13th I will draw a name and post the winner's name here on the site and send them an email. Good luck!

Doctor's Advice: Band-aids and boo boos

Doctor peter Seviour's advise on cuts and scarpes:

Kids cut themselves all the time, and parents are left wondering how to best treat those boo-boos that don`t need to be seen by the doctor.(We`ll all admit that our oldest child makes the doctors roll-call way more than subsequent kids, as we learn to chill a little, and we regain our common sense.)

Small cuts need only to be cleaned gently with water, leaving scrubbing only if there is dirt in the wound. A topical antibiotic cream such as Neosporin is always a good choice, particularly in the first few days. The question of band-aid use frequently arises in my office, and the answer varies with the age of the child. As band-aids are a potential choking hazard, shy away from their use in toddlers, particularly on thumbs in thumb-suckers. If younger children need wound coverage, get some gauze at the pharmacy, use the anti-biotic cream on the wound, and use medical tape to keep it from coming off.


Band-aids are designed for blood absorption and to prevent dirt getting in an open wound. With that in mind, covering a cut for the first few days will allow a scab to start and healing to begin. Having the topical antibiotic on the wound and then covering it with the band-aid is the treatment of choice. Two to three days is usually plenty to have a cut covered, after which, particularly while your child is at home, you can leave it uncovered so the the scab will dry out. Keep in mind that if you child is away from home or out playing, protect the cut with the band-aid, so no dirt gets in. Need to remove a stubborn band-aid? Use a cottonball soaked in baby oil or olive oil, apply for a few minutes, and presto!

As for scars, every parent wants to make sure their child makes it through their rough and tumble years without long term scars as a reminder, so I frequently suggest a product called Mederma. Now, before you look for it locally, you`ll find that it isn`t available yet in Canada. SO, either order it on-line, or bribe a friend travelling to the states sometime to get you some. It`s available there in every drugstore. Moms might also like to know that it is the best product, in my humble opinion, for stretch marks!

Mother Blogger

There's another new Mommy blogger in town and she's writing some pretty humourous and endearing stuff about being a mom in St. John's. Have a look.