Sorting and Tweezing

Adventures with Nick and Sally, Turning off the TV No Responses »
Mar 062012
 

Somewhere along the way, I figured out that Nick and Sally needed to learn skills like sorting and tonging.  Many activities that involve life skills as well as dexterity are good for the kids.  Since Nick isn’t going to preschool until September, I’ve been trying to spend more time on various activities and projects to help him learn skills.

My husband, Stephen is very much into electronics.  He writes a blog at www.skywired.net.  Since circuits and radios have been a hobby of his for many years, we have quite the collection of pieces and parts in our basement.  Lately, he’s been working on sorting, purging, and inventorying them.

Stephen came up from the basement yesterday and asked me if Nick could sort this box of capacitors for him.  I knew this was a perfect exercise.  I was also glad that I could tell Nick that he had a job to do for daddy.  We used a muffin tin for sorting.  It worked like a charm.

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I don’t know much about capacitors, but they sure come in many shapes and sizes.  Soon almost every spot in the tin had at least one type.

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Meanwhile, we also had a bag of misc. capacitors that were destined for the trash.  I decided that these would make a good tweezing activity for Sally and Nick.  Sally didn’t quite grasp the concept of the tweezers at first, but she ended up understanding it by the end.  It will take her some practice to actually use them.

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Nick was anxious to try the tweezers.  After a few minutes of sorting capacitors, he was having a blast picking up the little pieces parts with the tweezers.

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I think I’m going to start a running list of activities that I can do with the kids to help them practice skills.  It’s hard to think of them on the spot when they are needed.  This tweezers activity is definitely a keeper.

Orchid Mania at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens

Adventures with Nick and Sally, Family 3 Responses »
Mar 032012
 

Many times on Saturday, I am happy as a clam to stay home and clean while Stephen takes Nick and Sally out for a couple of hours.  But, we also know that we need time doing things as a family too.  We decided to head to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens for their annual orchid show.  I’ve never really paid attention to orchids before.  I remember getting a corsage at Easter from my grandpa.  I’m pretty sure they were usually orchids.  I also know that orchids are expensive.  I didn’t know that they came in so many shapes, sizes, and colors.

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At first, I wasn’t very impressed.  There were a couple of displays in the hall and Clark room.  There was also a big display in the main lobby.  It was very busy.  It turns out that today was vendor day, so there was a room set up where you could buy orchids.  It was hopping.

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We made our way to the children’s area.  Sally quickly got to work at the store.  We also checked out the kitchen garden.  I never knew that vanilla came from an orchid.  I have a greater appreciation for them now.  There was a display about making your own vanilla.  I think I’m going to try that this year.  I’ve heard that it takes from 2-6 months.  So, if I start it this spring, it should be great for holiday gifts.

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Nick really liked the baking section.  He and Sally enjoyed the costumes.

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After a break for a quick lunch, we headed to the Glasshouse.  I am so glad that we didn’t skip this part.  We didn’t see butterflies since we didn’t go up to the second level, but we did see a few gorgeous birds.

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We also quickly realized that the Glasshouse is where most of the orchids were.

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There were displays everywhere!

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My favorite orchid find were the ones that looked like daffodils.

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We had a great time and will probably try to go again with friends before the show ends on March 25th.

The Duck Pond

Adventures with Nick and Sally No Responses »
Feb 272012
 

It was a beautiful day today.  We decided that we would head to the duck pond after Sally took her nap.  It was forecasted to be around 48 degrees by then.  Unfortunately, it was only 41 and it was super windy.

We headed to the North Chagrin Nature Center anyway.  Nick and Sally are both fascinated with maps of all kinds.

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We started inside where Sally immediately posed on the frog.

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Soon after, the puppet show began.  Both Nick and Sally are in a high imaginative stage.

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Despite the cold air, I talked them into a walk around the pond.  I told them they could run if they were cold and we’d get done sooner.

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It was super sunny and they both were interested in watching their shadows.

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We also got to see a few ducks playing around.

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It was nice for everyone to get some fresh air.  It’s also hard to believe that it’s still February.  It’s been a really crazy winter.

Rolling the Dough for Homemade Tortillas

Adventures with Nick and Sally, Recipe No Responses »
Feb 262012
 

We enjoy making our own whole wheat tortillas at home.  We like to use the recipe at the 100 Days of Real Food website.  I like this recipe because it uses all whole wheat flour and only has 3 other ingredients (water, salt and oil).  We usually have all of the ingredients for them on hand.

Yesterday, we had decided on fajitas for dinner.  Homemade tortillas were in order.  Stephen ran to the store with Sally and Nick stayed home to help.  We mixed up the dough and left it on the mat to rest.  When it came time to roll the tortillas, Nick wanted to help.  I’ve let him use the rolling pin to “help” me before, but this time was different.  He rolled out all of the tortillas.  I helped him with the first couple and then he just went to it.  I was so excited for him.  It worked out well since I had to cook the tortillas and it was so much easier to have someone rolling out the dough.  The tortilla dough is easy to roll and both the thickness and shape are forgiving.  The only requirement is that they fit into whatever pan you are using to cook them.

Nick is flouring the rolling pin.

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He’s so focused!

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Here he’s admiring his work.  He didn’t quite grasp the concept of turning the dough to keep it more round.

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I’m sure we’ll be making these again soon with my new dough roller!  In addition to fajitas, we enjoy these with honey and bananas, jam and peanut butter, and just plain cheese.  The combinations are endless.

Bowling at Freeway Lanes

Adventures with Nick and Sally 1 Response »
Feb 192012
 

Today, we had plans to go up to Wickliffe Lanes to bowl.  We usually just get a party lane.  For a flat rate ($35) on Sunday, you can have up to 6 bowlers on a lane and that includes shoes.  It’s easy and they are good at accommodating groups.  On Friday, when I called to reserve, I had to leave a message.  On Saturday, I didn’t hear from them so I called to follow up.  They didn’t have any lanes available.

So, instead, we found ourselves at Freeway Lanes.  Freeway Lanes was hosting a tournament this weekend, but was to have open bowling at 4PM.  At 4:45PM, we were finally able to get a lane.

It turned out to be a bit cheaper than Wickliffe.  $3 a person per game and $3.50 each for shoes.  The guy at the counter didn’t make the parents get shoes (even though we clearly were going to help the kids).  He also didn’t really have shoes small enough for 2 of the 4 kids, so he only charged us for 2 pairs.  Then, our friends had coupons for 2 free games.  For $13 the 4 kids bowled 6 frames.  Our kids don’t usually last much more than a game, but with the late start, everyone was getting crabby and hungry, so we left part way through the game.  It didn’t help that naps we pretty much non-existent today.

Another advantage of Freeway Lanes was the Bowling Ball Ramp that was available.  I think that most alleys have them available for handicapped bowlers, but they are also common for little kids.

In this photo of Nick, you can see him lining up the ball on the ramp.

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Sally can just about bowl by herself with the help of the ramp.  Nick likes to watch the ball from the ramp view.

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As a parent, I like the ramp because it makes the ball go much, much faster.  That means, the game also moves faster and the kids don’t get so bored between turns.  Some snacks help with the boredom factor, too.

After bowling, we headed to Red Robin for dinner.  It was packed.  We think there were more people out than normal due to the President’s Day Holiday tomorrow.

I’d definitely consider Freeway Lanes for our next bowling outing.

Decorating Gingerbread Cookies

Adventures with Nick and Sally 2 Responses »
Feb 182012
 

A friend from church picked up a box of 3 giant gingerbread cookies for us at an after Christmas sale.  It was so fun that she thought of us!

Nick was excited to try them out the other day.

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Sally and Nick were even more excited when we opened the box.

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We got to work on them.  Of course, the kids sampled the goods.  I was in charge of putting the icing on the cookies.  The kids added all of the fun stuff.

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They added the finishing touches.

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Then, they enjoyed tasting.

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They were a sticky mess when we finished up.

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I’m happy to say that they both still have some cookie left.  They are very hard to eat and they are huge.  We still have one cookie left.  I’m not sure if we are going to decorate it or gift it to a friend.  I have yet to decide.

I was hoping to make a gingerbread house this past season, but we never got around to it.  I’m still hoping to make one before spring.  I bought a kit to use in case my dough doesn’t turn out.  Next year, we are going to look into making one for the WinterShow at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

 Posted by at 8:46 PM

Homemade Marshmallows with Hot Chocolate

Adventures with Nick and Sally, Recipe 1 Response »
Feb 142012
 

On Saturday, as part of Nick’s birthday, we decided to make marshmallows.  He had been watching Good Eats with Alton Brown on the Food Network this week.  He watched the marshmallow episode 4 times and really wanted to make them.  On Friday, we went off to the store to buy the needed ingredients such as sugar and gelatine.  He loved carrying the recipe around the store and helping gather the ingredients.  I had heard lots of things about making them.  Some people said it was easy, while others said that I should prepare Nick in case they don’t turn out.

Stephen joined in the fun to help make them.  He and Nick worked on measuring the ingredients.

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Nick and Sally double checked the recipe.  The recipe is really simple.  In a mixing bowl, gelatine and cold water soaks, while a sugar mixture cooks.  I loved that the mixture needed to cook, but we didn’t need to stir constantly.  We were going for 240 degrees.

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After the mixture cooked, we added it to the gelatine mixture.  Then, the mixer needed to beat on high for 13 minutes.  It was loud and the stand mixer definitely got a workout.

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We were quite excited to see marshmallow fluff in the making!  The last step was to add the vanilla.  The mixer goes crazy during that step.

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Then, we spread it in the pan with the help of oiled gloves and an oiled spatula.  The gloves were GREAT!

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Sunday morning, we turned them onto a cutting board and with a little cutting, our individual marshmallows were born.

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I don’t see us ever putting the mixture into a piping bag for making marshmallow bunnies, but we’d definitely make this recipe again.  They were so creamy and delicious.

We took them to Nick’s family party on Sunday and served them with our version of Alton Brown’s  homemade hot chocolate.  We did make a couple of changes to his recipe.  We only had 1/2 cup of Dutch Process High Fat Cocoa and used it along with 1/2 cup of Natural High Fat Cocoa.  Both of these were from Penzeys.  We omitted the cayenne pepper, but added a teaspoon of cinnamon.  Our powdered milk was non fat.  We combined all of the ingredients in the food processor to help the mix have an even texture.  It worked great.

This was the best hot cocoa and marshmallows that I’ve ever had.  Nick can’t wait to make them roasting!  I guess we’ll be having a fire this summer.

 Posted by at 7:17 PM

Nick’s Birthday Weekend

Adventures with Nick and Sally No Responses »
Feb 132012
 

Nick’s birthday was on Saturday.  We started the morning with waffle making.  After breakfast, we let him open his gifts from his Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle.  He got a new Richard Scarry book.

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He also received a set of tube pipes that match his Saxoflute pipes from a couple of years ago.  He got busy building.

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He took a time out to admire the 4 inches of snow we got overnight in honor of his 4th birthday.

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After I walked to the gym and we got the driveway cleared, we headed to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  The roads weren’t so great on the way down, but we ended up with about 45 minutes there.  Nick enjoyed the Discovery Room by playing with these dominoes and doing the Balto puzzle.

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We stopped at Wendy’s for a quick lunch.  Then, we stopped to pick up some CSA items.  Our goal was to meet up with friends at Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream around 12:30PM.  Nick enjoyed strawberry.

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He also enjoyed a few gifts.  A set of Thomas puzzles and a Dr kit were both big hits.

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After nap time and dinner on Saturday, we set out to make homemade marshmallows.  One step is to run the mixer on high for 13 minutes.  It was a little loud.

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The birthday celebration continued Sunday evening with family at great grandma’s house.  We enjoyed hot chocolate and marshmallows along with birthday cake.

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Nick had a great birthday and the whole family had fun, too!

 Posted by at 8:46 PM

The Case of the Missing Raisin

Adventures with Nick and Sally No Responses »
Feb 062012
 

On Fridays, we go to the J on the late side.  On Fridays, Teacher Debbie comes to Kid Kare at 11:15AM for a half hour.  She has stories, songs and games for the kids.  All of the kids at the J love her.  So, in order to follow Kid Kare’s 2 hour rule, we try to arrive right at 9:45AM.  Recently, Kid Kare stopped allowing snacks due to allergy and kosher issues.  We used to bring a snack, especially on Friday, since by almost noon, my kids are starving.  So, when I picked them up at 11:45AM, both Nick and Sally were super hungry.

We left Kid Kare, made our way upstairs to the lobby, and sat on a bench separated from the Subway by a low wall.  I brought raisins for the kids. I’ve been putting them in a little plastic bowl with a lid.  Nick was almost done when he turned around to look into the Subway restaurant to check out the happenings. Then he dropped a raisin.

It’s not out of the ordinary to drop a raisin.  We take care to pick them up and throw them in the trash. This was different.  He dropped the raisin from his hand onto the Subway side, just like a kid dropping a raisin into a neighboring booth at a restaurant.

Nick wanted to find and throw away the raisin.  I told him not to worry about it, but he persisted. The table where the raisin dropped was occupied by a gentleman working on his computer. Nick wanted me to come with him. We walked around to the opening for Subway, and told the man that we were looking for a raisin that Nick dropped because he wanted to throw it away.  The guy was super nice and moved his computer bag from the floor to a chair so Nick could look around.  We couldn’t find it and Nick started to cry. Then it went beyond crying into the start of a full-blown tantrum, all over a lost raisin.

With some help from the computer guy, I convinced Nick to leave for the car. He kept crying and was really, really upset.  He screamed and carried on. At one point, Teacher Debbie passed us and could not believe that sweet, happy Nick was so upset.  I told her about the dropped raisin, and that Nick wanted to throw it in the trash but couldn’t find it.  She said that melted her heart.

For a minute, Nick was happy and calmed down, but as soon as he thought again about the raisin, he started bawling again.  I remembered that I had a raisin in my coat pocket. I’m sure it’s from when one of the kids dropped a raisin the other day.  Sometimes, I pick them up on our way out, and they don’t make it into the trash can right away.

I hid the raisin in my hand and reached down to Nick’s shoe. I put it carefully on his shoe near the Velcro as if it was stuck.

“Nick, look, there’s the raisin.  It must have fallen out of your hand onto your shoe!”

He liked that at first, and then said, “But Mommy, my raisin couldn’t have fallen on my shoe because it fell out of my hand onto the other side of the wall.”

I said, “Well, maybe the raisin fell from the man’s computer bag when he moved it and landed on your shoe.”

“Yeah, Mommy, that’s what happened.  I’m happy now.”

And so was I.

Note: I’m not advocating being untruthful to your kids, but sometimes, it’s worth a story or two to calm a tantrum.

 Posted by at 2:24 PM  Tagged with:
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