Best,

Sandra

Camping was a blast. Our Coleman stove was useless because we purchased the wrong sized tank. We managed to cook everything over the fire including chili, hot dogs, burgers, soup, oatmeal, hot chocolate and coffee.

The twins are back to school and the silence is somewhat shocking so I play music more than usual. I like it though. It’s kind of nice to have some time to myself again. My eldest daughter moved out and my stepson moved back in but he’s no bother.

I truly thought we were set for the most part on the back to school supplies but of course that was wishful thinking. It turns out binders must be certain measurements for some classes. Besides that there were no big surprises but I’m bracing myself for more and keeping a float in the bank.

Kitten Adventures

We have two new kittens we have named Squirt & Chester. Squirt is the runt of course and he’s mellow but he’s a suck. If he wakes up and he’s alone, he starts mewing away and running around looking for company. Actually the kids call him Eddie but I think his nickname Squirt will stick.

Chester however has given me grief. i fetched him out of a heat vent one day but then he almost hung himself getting caught in a stroller wheel. i have no idea how he fit his head through but there was no way it was coming back out.

I called the humane society and a guy showed up, shook his head and called the fire department. He took a pic too so I should request it but was too stressed to think of it then.

This is a pic of Chester anyway. He’s a lot prettier than he appears here but he did not like getting his picture taken. He likes to lie on my laptop case if I leave it out.

Anyway, the fire department showed up and so did every kid in the neighborhood. They had to use a hacksaw to widen the hole and get him out. He just sort of shook himself off and walked away like nothing happened. I guess he’ll fit in here because the boys in my family are basically the same. I just hope he stops the crazy stunts soon.

Camping: Fred Green

Our family has been preparing for camping next weekend and collecting supplies. This round we’re bringing tarps for the floor and sleeping pads and foam. My back isn’t what it used to be and I want everyone to be somewhat comfortable.

Everyone is excited. The kids are looking forward to swimming, I’m looking forward to hiking and my husband is looking forward to fishing.

• Mosquito repellent is an important thing to remember to bring. Believe it or not my concoction made with a couple spoons of lavender essential oil mixed with almond oil works but I don’t know for how long. We’re bringing the stronger stuff for back up. I came across the idea to use lavender one day while googling citronella candles because I was making some.

• We’re stocked up on hot chocolate and tea and I must bring a French coffee press. Coffee is one of the few vices I have left and with a press you can make an excellent brewed cup of coffee without electricity. Of course we’re going to need water. I have a twenty liter jug with a spout that we can refill once we use it.

Camping food: I have been thinking about this for awhile and wrote an article about campfire cooking ideas back in June.  I’m looking forward to the baked potatoes with vegetables wrapped in foil.

Because almost every time we go camping it rains, this time we will be better prepared. We have rain ponchos & umbrellas for everyone. Sitting in a tent and listening to the rain has always been one of my favorite experiences. I don’t know why but I find it cozy and comforting especially if I have a good book to read. Still hoping it doesn’t rain for the kid’s sake.

]]> http://www.parentingunderthestars.com/preparing-for-camping-with-kids/feed/ http://www.parentingunderthestars.com/rainy-day-summer-crafts/ http://www.parentingunderthestars.com/rainy-day-summer-crafts/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:39:04 +0000 Sandra Williams http://www.parentingunderthestars.com/?p=361 It’s been fun in a crazy busy sort of way having the kids around full time. We made colorful popsicle stick picture frames, rolled beeswax candles and tie dye t-shirts last week.

The tie dye t-shirts were my favorite but I think I was having more fun with it than they were. All we did was mix some water with a bit of clothing dye in squeeze bottles, tied up the t-shirt a few times and squeezed different colored dyes on the sections.

We even tie dyed a baby’s t-shirt and a pair of socks. It can be messy though so wear old clothes and gloves. I didn’t wear gloves and my hands were stained for a couple days.

The candles were super easy. You just cut the beeswax sheet diagonally and roll the wax around the wick. A medium cotton wick seems to work the best.

Luckily I have loaded up on supplies because there will be more rainy days. Even when it’s not raining you can only stay out in the heat for so long before it gets to you.

Our next project will be some pretty patio stones. I have stencils so we’ll put some cute quote on it and stick it near the garden.

The flowers I planted in the section where the hose is are gone but that shouldn’t surprise me. I have no idea what I was thinking when I planted geraniums there. Maybe we will just make a path of patio stones to the hose.

We did purchase a new hose since it appears someone ran off with ours. There were a couple kids creeping around our back patio a couple days ago looking at our bikes as well. My son spotted them and the next day I heard another kid had his bike stolen.

We filled a couple kiddie pools up with the hose and jumped in once in awhile and that seemed to help. The water doesn’t last long in there though because half the neighborhood showed up to fill up their water guns.

It’s important to remind kids to drink a lot on hot days. Sometimes I forget to drink enough myself and end up with a headache, although that could also be caffeine withdrawal. We keep stocked up on freezies because that’s a good way to make doubly sure they’re getting enough fluids.

Does anyone make their own freezies? We do sometimes because it’s healthier and of course cheaper. Those plastic handled things are a pain in the butt in my opinion but I like putting real juice in them.

Freezie Recipes

• Good Thymes has a great summertime smoothy fruit freezie recipe with bananas, strawberries, orange juice and pineapple juice. Yum. I don’t have half this stuff in the house but sure I can improvise. It appears that they simply used a cup with a popsicle stick in it. Good thinking.

• This mango smoothie/freezie also sounds yummy from Barbara Northwood. I like the simple ingredients such as mangos, orange juice, milk and ice cubes.

If you’re a visual learner or just want to see a video on how to make a smoothie, see this Mom’s Mango Smoothie by dietition Janice Newell from MealMakeOverMoms.com

When your children are both striving for their independence and heading towards puberty it can become more challenging. It’s important for twins to have their own individuality and separate interests and talents should be praised and encouraged.

• Often one twin will excel in one thing while the other has a weakness in that same area. This is particularly true of fraternal twins, which are from two separate eggs. I have fraternal twins and their personalities are like night and day.

If one seems to be struggling to try to catch up or compete with the other, attempt a diversion into another strength that they do have. Of course this is a sensible approach for any child and not just a twin.

For example, one child might enjoy and excel in something like soccer and baseball, while the other may be more musically inclined and creative. Even if the musically inclined twin doesn’t like sports, they may pressure themselves to try to be as good as the other. If their own talents in art or music are pointed out, praised and encouraged they’re not as likely to feel competitive or left out.

Other twin challenges:

It can be difficult with twin tweens to maintain the same rules for each child. One is sometimes more responsible, so the tendency could be to allow one more privileges or responsibilities. In some instances, this can’t be avoided and separate rules have to be given in fairness to the more responsible child.

Friendships are another challenge, especially if the twins are the same sex. If it gets too vicious then you must intervene, but generally children tend to sort friendships out themselves.

Even if they seem like enemies one day they may all be best friends the next. Parents often forget this when they get too involved with children’s squabbles. Sometimes parents are still feuding long after the children have resolved their issues.

I have witnessed this countless times with parents in our neighborhood. Holding grudges long after children have made up doesn’t make a lot of sense and it’s not showing them a good example about how to resolve conflicts.

This was adapted from an article I wrote for Suite101.

Yesterday was Canada day so there were fireworks everywhere. July 1st is a national holiday here and it is the 141st year since Confederation.

The day before that we went on a hike and a picnic in the park. First, we got a little lost in the woods and took the long way to reach our destination. It was fun dodging tree trunks, mud puddles and rocks anyway.

My sister brought strawberry shortcake and it was sooo good with angel cake, whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

I am a sucker for sweets so I also brought a tray of butter tart squares. We worked it off with all our running around.

Kids Crafts

If your kids want to make their own fireworks, consider this fun Noodle Fireworks Craft from Sherri Osborn on Family Crafts. It’s a great idea although requires some patience since you have to dye the noodles first with food coloring and then wait for the design to dry.

Another fun craft I found there was the Canada Day Noise Maker Craft. These are fun to any time of year and very easy to make. All you need is paper plates, crayons, beans and glue. Streamers are also a fun touch.

Summer barbecues

Yesterday we purchased a new barbecue. I swear it took a couple hours to put it together. All the wingnuts, bolts and screws were making me dizzy but I did help direct and prevented something from going on upside down.

We had delicious shish kabobs for two nights in a row and the whole family helped make them. We put cherry tomatoes, chicken, onions and peppers on the skewers.

This time I soaked the bamboo skewers long enough so they didn’t catch on fire and we seasoned them with lemon pepper & barbecue sauce. Yum.

Next time I will grab some mushrooms and baby corn so they can really shake it up. If you haven’t tried making them, give it a go. The kids seem to enjoy the food so much more when they help make it.

So far, we haven’t had any complaints and the basketball police haven’t bothered us. I wonder how long that will last. Speaking of complaints, I was reading about a six-year-old girl who was busted for drawing in chalk on her front stoop. (Brooklyn Paper: New face of vandalism?)

What next, bubble blowing, yo-yos, gum chewing and hockey bans perhaps? I suppose hopscotch is no longer an approved game if you have to draw it with chalk. It seems too nit picky to me and insane to criminalize children for something they have been doing for years. There are more serious issues people could be stressed out over.

Check out this gorgeous sidewalk chalk art. It is from Justin Rudd’s fourth annual sidewalk chalk art contest held on Long Beach. Here’s a slide show of some wild sidewalkchalk art . Amazing what those kids grow up to create.

In case you haven’t noticed, we have been having server troubles here on the network. We have been assured that they will be fixed soon. Sometimes I can get on and sometimes I can’t. Within a week or two, we’ll be back in business.

In the meantime, I’m feeling rebellious so going to draw hopscotch for the kids. Maybe I’ll even rig up a net so the kids can throw a ball into it.

The hygiene hypothesis is that exposure to germs can actually strengthen our immune systems, while being overly sanitized can contribute towards more allergies and health problems.

The gist of it is that when children are exposed to things such as strange foods and germs, their immune system overreacts because it doesn’t have enough previous practice.

It’s sensible to wash before handling food or eating but there does seem to be more hand sanitizing going on than there was in the past. It is coincidental that allergies have increased. Could less dirt mean more allergies?

We now have immunizations for major diseases but the trade off has been an increase of allergies like hay fever, food allergies, asthma and eczema.

Pets boost immune system

Simply having a pet can make your immune system stronger according to a study at Warwick University in Coventry. They tested 138 children and the ones with pets had higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, giving them a stronger immune system.

Other factors that contribute towards a stronger immune system are the size of your family and/or exposure to other children. It makes sense because when they’re exposed to other children and germs, it can help them build up antibodies for bigger things.

Pets will definitely expose you to more germs around the house but maybe that’s a good thing. See BBC News, Pets boost children’s health for more information.

I mixed the cooked ground beef with some onion soup mix, about a cup and a half of water, a spoon of cornstarch and a can of tomato paste.

The next layer was cream of corn, which nobody likes on its own. The final layer, mashed potatoes of course. I put a lot of milk in them because otherwise they’re too stiff to spread over the top.

A few days ago I blended some onion soup mix with orzo pasta and mixed vegetables and they acted like it was some great gourmet meal. Maybe I’m just catching them when they’re really hungry or they’re just relieved that I’m making something different.