Happy Halloween!

Image courtesy of Dover.Pin It

Ready for Halloween

This morning I went and got the final missing piece for C's costume - rubber boots. Those boots were more than I paid for the costume! Hopefully they will get a lot of wear since he loves the puddles. He will be a fireman and A will be a monkey. Here's a photo of them from a few weeks back.
Pin It

Have you seen this photo?

I have to admit that I haven't been paying too much attention to the California wildfires. Here is an amazing photo from NASA.

Pin It

Hip, hip, hip, hippopotamus!

My son has been learning this song at preschool since the first week. Almost every day he would say, "we sang the hippopotamus song again." It wasn't clear if he enjoyed it or was getting tired of it. :)

His preschool open house was last week. He was *so* excited about it. We went to the pumpkin patch that same day and he was very concerned that we make it back in time. Well, we did, barely. I dropped off J and A and then ran home to get clean clothes for C since he stepped into a huge mud puddle at the farm.

A was so proud to show off his artwork and his classroom to Daddy and Mommy. His class sang the hippopotamus song for the families. I was very proud of A and his participation - singing and doing the hand motions. Other times when he has been in front of a crowd he has frozen up.

Here is a fun photo. Sorry about the lighting and blurriness. My son is on the right hand side in the dark blue t shirt.
You can listen to the song here. Beware - it may get stuck in your head for a while. It is a fun, sweet song.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - ending mealtime boredom

To end mealtime boredom this is what I do - calendars. Calendars, you say? Yes, I print out a blank calendar every month from this site (I use the monthly vertical ones) and write down what meals I make every day. I only write down supper so that's how it fits in that little space. :) That way I can say, oh, we haven't had salmon in a couple weeks, let's do it again. This helps so much when I plan my meals for the week. I also make small notes such as "the boys loved this" or "not a big hit" so I will remember. I staple the calendars together and keep them with my recipes. I can look back at October 2006 to find recipes that fit with the season. This works especially well in the summer when I don't want to turn on the oven and I'm trying to remember what I can make that is summery.

For more great tips, see Shannon's blog - Rocks in the Dryer.Pin It

Boys are so uncomplicated.......sometimes

I took my boys to the park this afternoon. The weather was warm (for a change) and it wasn't raining (for a change). Also, C, hasn't been getting to sleep until 10 or 11 (seriously) so I want him to get as much exercise as possible in hopes that he'll conk out earlier.

So, my oldest was playing with another boy who was approximately his age. They both went down the slide, copied each other, etc. They were having a great time. (A welcome great change from the demon children I sometimes encounter at the park!) So, this boy wanted A come over to where he was. They hadn't introduced themselves (why ever not? smile) and so this boy didn't know A's name. He called out "Best Friend!" and then "Friend, come here!" It was soooooo cute! My son later said that the boy was his best friend. Ah, the fleeting relationships established on the playground. I would've introduced myself and exchanged phone numbers if this boy had been accompanied by his *mother.* His dad was with him. "Nuff said!Pin It

Menu plan Monday

This week we'll be having:

- Bratwurst Stew - recipe from Taste of Home

- Fusilli with yellow squash - recipe from Everyday Food

- Quinoa Chili

- "Bats and Cobwebs" which is actually sausage, bowties, cheese and tomato sauce - recipe from Everyday Food.Pin It

Colouring pages for boys

I found this website today. My boys are loving it.

Tonka colouring pages.Pin It

Children's book Monday - Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes

Bear and Bunny both decide to grow tomatoes. Bunny takes some seed throws it on the hard, weedy ground and turns his attention to fun and relaxation all the while expecting to reap a harvest of colossal tomatoes. Bear actually works - he carefully prepares the soil, plants the seeds, waters and weeds and scares away pests. Of course, Bear reaps a healthy harvest of tomatoes and Bunny stands in a forest of weeds wondering what happened.

This book is a terrific way to teach little ones about gardening and the importance of patience and hard work. It is very funny, too. My 4 year old especially enjoys it.

For more great children's books go to Elise's blog - A Path Made Straight.Pin It

Planting tulips today

I planted 24 bulbs today. The weather was gorgeous (sunny and warm) and my boys were sleeping most of the time.

Hopefully they will look like this:
and this:
Here's to hopes of spring beauty!Pin It

Book Review - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See way back in August while on vacation. It was on the list for my bookclub. Here is a synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends (laotong, or "old sames") Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See (Flower Net) adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding ("Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace"), the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province ("My writing is soaked with the tears of my heart,/ An invisible rebellion that no man can see").

What I liked about the book
- learning about life in 19th Century China.

What I didn't like about the book
- the foot binding. A big "ick" factor. I can't believe how long this horrible practice continued in China. Centuries! It reminds me of female circumcision.

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Like I Capture the Castle, I had high expectations of it. I expected to *love* the book but it was just a good read.Pin It

Apparently I'm not working hard enough

Last night it was way past C's bedtime. He was in bed with the lights out but not asleep. He called out for Daddy/Mommy. I went upstairs, talked to him for a while, tucked him in and then he said, "you need to do laundry." I guess he's losing sleep about the laundry backlog.Pin It

Who needs to go to sleep?

Tonight, my son A had already gone to bed and was listening to music. My hubby went in to check on him.

A said "Teddy wants to listen to the music, but he needs to go sleep. I want to listen to the music."

Apparently, Teddy is not getting enough sleep.Pin It

Preschool milestone

A had his very first "show and tell" at preschool today. He brought Teddy with him. Oh how I wish I could've been a fly on the wall for that!

He seems to be loving school. One thing that I'm surprised by is that A has an *increased* need for structure since starting school. I thought that it would be the opposite. In the afternoons he asks me "what can I do now?" "what are we doing after nap?" It's a bit draining. He used to be quite content to find his own activities. I'm not big into structure and planning. I suggested a craft (that I wanted to do) today but he didn't want to do it. Time to make a crazy can, I guess.

p.s. The crazy can idea is from this book.Pin It

I changed my name!

Well, of my blog, that is. I've been unhappy with the name for a long time and today was the day. I asked for suggestions and received many great ones. I decided to go with Dodging Raindrops while holding little hands. Thank you, Jennifer, for the fantastic suggestion!

Welcome to my new blog. Now I just need a fancier background.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - backwards edition

Today is Backwards Day at Works-For-Me Wednesday. Instead of sharing a tip that has worked for me, it's time to ask for advice! I couldn't think of any problem to ask about that was simple or straight-forward. :)

Then, I got an idea. I've been thinking of renaming my blog for ages but haven't come up with a catchy title. It seems that all the good ones are taken! So, here's my question, can anyone think of a better blog title? One I thought of yesterday was "Dodging Raindrops" since I live in a very rainy place. I'd love any and all ideas. If you think I *shouldn't* change it, tell me that too. I just think my blog name is too long.

For more advice-giving opportunities, visit Shannon at Rocks in my DryerPin It

Children's book review - Max's Words

I can't remember where I heard about this book but it is a winner with my 4 year old. Max's Words by Kate Banks is about a boy who has 2 older brothers who have collections. One collects stamps and the other coins. Max wants a collection, too. He decides to collect words that he cuts out. He collects enough words to create an exciting story. His brothers are intrigued and eventually give up something from their collections in order to get a word from Max. My son loves to read so this book was right up his alley.Pin It