tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77219907077894156882012-02-03T06:51:54.868-08:00Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.comBlogger1831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-74095013933541770312010-07-23T08:05:00.000-07:002010-07-23T08:13:18.098-07:00

I've modified this recipe slightly, and it's even better!1) I removed the brown sugar. Honestly, it's sweet enough with all the honey. With the brown sugar it was too sweet.2) I've added (drum roll) - cocoa powder!!!! This meant removing other spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.) to avoid flavour clashes.3) I've added sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and chopped walnuts.Next I'm going to try replacing the

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-63003727191350547602010-06-16T18:29:00.000-07:002010-06-16T18:45:57.784-07:00

So I thought I'd try making some. Just because, well, why not? The cereal bars that you buy in the store are pretty expensive, and not really that nutritious.Here's the recipe I followed:4 cups rolled oats1 cup flour1/2 cup each of flax, coconut, quinoa, wheat germ, raisins, chocolate chips1 tsp cinnamon1/2 cup oil1/2 cup honey1/3 cup brown sugarBasically you mix everything together, pack it all

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-80069543907320771202009-10-29T10:41:00.000-07:002009-10-29T10:58:09.338-07:00

Aaaand it's stopped.Alyssa no longer eats the healthy part of her lunch - just the yummy carbs (oh and the cheese string, which I suppose I can't totally complain about). Should I skip the carbs so she'll be forced to eat the fruit and veggies? I suppose I could, but she's pretty darn lean. I don't need and "feedback" about her being underfed.Instead I've stuck with carbs (along with the fruits,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-78668052893836965202009-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:002009-09-25T09:58:04.455-07:00

I was at parenthacks.com (love that website :) and came across this post and video...http://www.momversation.com/episodes/video-games-violent...where three moms discuss their boys' video games habits. I myself also know several moms who have sons who can't get enough of this electronic entertainment, and who are fixated on it to the point where nothing else matters to them.I worried about lil' J

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-84646224689427818252009-09-22T07:13:00.000-07:002009-09-22T07:22:05.000-07:00

So far so good!! Lil' J is loving Kindergarten and A is happy in Grade 2. Meanwhile I am happy for another reason:I have no idea why, but Alyssa is eating all of the healthy food I've been putting in her lunches. Who is this child? What have they done with my daughter? They look the same, but... I've struggled with her from day one of her school career to eat healthy food at lunch. No matter what

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-8115993127471608952009-08-25T08:45:00.000-07:002009-08-25T08:56:06.653-07:00

...thanks to "Ironkids Gummies". They're like little ju-jubes, each one containing 50mg of Omega 3 fatty acids. My daughter LOVES them. I don't blame her - every time I open the bottle and smell them I want to devour a handful myself. They're like little tropical flavoured chewy candies. (Fyi - I found them at Superstore).I'm a little skeptical because at least with the Smart Squirts (which my

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-85773940210627514832009-08-07T23:23:00.001-07:002009-08-07T23:35:16.455-07:00

At LEAST an hour, by the time we do snacks, teeth brushing and flossing, stories, pyjamas, and on and on. Is it me, or is that nuts?It helps to know the time, though. I've been trying to move back their bedtimes in preparation for the impending arrival of the return to school (yes, I'm proactive about these things ;) and am mystified every time when I miss my mark. However when I think in terms

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-52349255268200760162009-08-02T15:03:00.000-07:002009-08-02T15:11:04.092-07:00

Summer = time outside = dirty kid feet. My two have spent a lot of time lately on the bathroom counter with their feet in the sink, cleaning up a bit before they come inside to play.Today they were outside riding their bikes, which meant they had shoes on. Shortly after we came inside, I noticed Lil' J walking around with bare feet, the bottom of his pant legs soaking wet (yes, he put long pants

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-33719726033457101412009-07-24T12:30:00.000-07:002009-07-26T22:47:28.881-07:00

Ahhh!! The "monkey see monkey do" phenomenom worked for me today with the DHA and Lil' J.I was taking a gel cap myself, and he wanted it. He wanted the adult sized, must swallow whole if you don't want to chew on fish oil, capsule. He insisted he could swallow it. He begged me for one! Hmmm. I actually briefly contemplated letting him have it but reconsidered, since it's been awhile since my

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-91685084140118121232009-07-09T15:36:00.000-07:002009-07-09T15:43:46.705-07:00

THIS is why you have more than one child. Right now, I'm finally seeing it. I had this (and other reasons too) in mind back when we were trying for our second pregnancy, but now it's coming to fruition. Finally (just when I thought it was never gonna happen!!!), my two kids play nicely together more often than they fight with each other. They have fun together, help each other, co-operate, you

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-13793227581483208582009-06-20T21:09:00.000-07:002009-06-20T21:24:10.856-07:00

I'm always looking for goodie bag ideas, so any time my kids come home with one, I'm eager to see the contents. Candies, toys, hair ties, pencils, gum, lip gloss - you name it, it's been there.My daughter brought home a goodie bag today from a party, so as usual I peered over her shoulder as she inspected the contents. There were things you could eat, wear, write with, and so on. And then there

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-16254428422035859872009-06-19T11:41:00.001-07:002009-06-19T12:16:02.375-07:00

Back to the fish oil, and my thus far failed attempts to get it in my kids. Neither one of them are fond of Smart Squirts - the chewable orange flavoured gel caps made especially for kids. Nope, not my kids. I came up with somewhat of a solution yesterday, if you can live with the idea of orange flavoured powdered Gatorade. My husband buys it for drinks for his lunches at work. I had said no to a

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-30537575951595541562009-06-14T11:06:00.001-07:002009-06-14T11:23:20.636-07:00

A and J have new bikes. I'm shaking my head wondering where they'll ride them, since we live close to some very busy roads, neither my husband and I have bikes of our own at the moment, and they're too young to use the bikes on their own as transportation. Still, it's a life skill - gotta learn how to ride! Once you do, you never forget. Right now they're both very dependent on training wheels

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-54782337499181234312009-06-11T09:25:00.000-07:002009-06-11T09:42:15.962-07:00

He finished the kids` toast this morning, which I had sneakily spiked with fish oil. Now before you get visions of gutted salmon hanging in my kitchen, let me explain further...I bought some fish oil softgel caps to increase our Omega 3 & DHA intake. The adult variety cost about $6 for 120 caps containing 1000 MG each. According to the dosage recommendations on the label, this is enough for one

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-50530388586574606982009-06-07T17:47:00.000-07:002009-06-07T17:52:23.351-07:00

I'm referring to the kid's IQ test on this page:http://www.funeducation.com/Tests/My 6 year old is into tests and games (it's her Mommy nerd DNA - I'm so proud!!) and we had some fun with it. It takes about an hour, depending on the age of your child and the number of interruptions, etc. Luckily I didn't say anything to her about "results", because they don't tell you (until you've spent an hour

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-75165077152481570792009-06-06T16:35:00.000-07:002009-06-06T16:40:27.564-07:00

At the moment, my six year old is reading to my five year old. My son's relentless queries of "What does that spell? What does that spell?" are being answered by his sister, while I sit in (relative ;) peace and type this.They're even laughing together! Reading and laughing, and having fun. (Is there a full moon?). Oh my goodness... A just told J to go get another book to read!w00000000t !!!! (

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-5820620802739186102009-05-29T22:38:00.000-07:002009-05-29T22:47:11.875-07:00

What happened to Grade One?Seriously! Didn't it just begin? What do you mean there's only four weeks left? That can't be right!! What about... Christmas and Valentine's Day and Easter and Mother's Day, and... (oh). OMG.Hang on, though... my son was JUST BORN. What do you mean he starts Kindergarten in 102 DAYS???!!!(And yet... I'm not getting any older ;) Heh heh____________________Return to Fine

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-37893419962594547242009-05-12T17:04:00.000-07:002009-05-12T17:15:15.643-07:00

... or should I say my daughter, Hannah Montana, and YouTube. At the moment, I'm being assulted by a strange and unpalatable blend of "Best of Both Worlds" (Alyssa) and the Wii Fit tightrope music (Joseph). Ahhhh. (sigh)We've spent a lot of time outdoors lately, so that's good at least. As the spring and then summer establish themselves and the weather gets better and better, hopefully Alyssa

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-46961663620161306152009-05-01T16:12:00.000-07:002009-05-01T16:28:45.153-07:00

Can you believe that we've had so much sun lately that my six year old, when I picked her up from school today, informed me that she didn't feel like having a playdate - all she wanted to do was "watch Wall*E, and can you make popcorn? And spread out a blanket on the floor so we can have a picnic? With pillows?"At the moment it's actually cooler in our house than it is outside, and since the kids

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-30436601542301090692009-04-19T23:14:00.000-07:002009-04-19T23:32:23.203-07:00

Aw, lookit that Gerber Graduates commercial mom playing dragon slayer with her little boy!!!I suck.OK I'm not that bad, but I'm definitely not the FUN parent. No Barbies or Hot Wheels for me. If it doesn't have some kind of educational component to it, then I'm not interested. Hmmph. So there.Whaaat? I feed you, don't I? I teach you stuff, read to you, hug you ALL the time, clothe and bath you,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-1099272717648383052009-04-14T09:28:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:42:41.518-07:00

This morning I was thinking about Victoria Stafford, the eight year old Ontario girl who went missing after she left school on Wednesday, last seen walking with an unidentified woman.Who is this woman? What was Victoria doing walking with her? This got me thinking about my 6 year old girl, who's finally gotten over the paralyzing shyness that was the signature of her toddler years. I decided to

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-45168825831619728562009-04-13T14:49:00.000-07:002009-04-13T16:40:55.514-07:00

My 4 year old: "What did you say punk?" (accompanied by giggles and smiles, with his world famous cutest ever dimples).Me: "Where on earth did you hear that?"DS: "Spongebob!!"I suppose it could be worse. He was saying the F word a few weeks ago. That wasn't cool.But this "punk" thing... is it wrong of me to think it's cute? I swear I have a wound on the inside of my cheek from biting it, trying

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-3912643347201477402009-04-05T10:42:00.000-07:002009-04-05T11:18:43.128-07:00

I know it's only April, but I'm a big believer in being proactive when it comes to my kids' education.Big sister A is happy and thriving in French Immersion, and Lil' J is signed up to start in September. In an effort to get him prepped and keep up with the English side of things at home, I'm creating simple puzzles and exercises for him to do.These days there are so many wonderful published

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-44348339866742993662009-04-03T14:29:00.000-07:002009-04-03T14:41:51.232-07:00

Here are three that stumped me, as asked by my daughter. There are some things that a six year old just doesn't need to know!!How would you have answered?"Mommy are (army) tanks real? What do they do?""Mommy, I understand why bums are private 'cause poop is yucky, but why are boobs private?""But Mommy, how does the sperm get to the egg to make the baby?"For the tanks question I clumsily stammered

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-70052373773004765462009-03-28T08:34:00.000-07:002009-03-28T08:57:50.450-07:00

When our little girl, a.k.a. The Hair Diva, announced that she wanted bangs "like everyone else in the family", DH and I were skeptical but agreed that at age 6 she could certainly decide something like that for herself. I made an appointment, and we chopped about 4 inches off the back (it was down past her waist, and yes it's been cut before! Hence the nickname), and cut bangs.She has a

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-74660656750209069692009-03-27T01:00:00.001-07:002009-03-27T01:11:44.124-07:00

Why do I watch these shows about obese children? Why? I know what my reaction will be before the show even starts.In this case it's the Oprah episode featuring the "Half Ton Teen" Billy and his Mom, who enabled his obesity by over spoiling him with unhealthy food. Now I understand that she lost her first son at a very young age, but wouldn't that make a mom more concerned about the health of her

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-55417297926045916712009-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:002009-03-25T11:57:13.937-07:00

My daughter is thriving in Grade 1 French Immersion, so it's only fair, I think, to give her brother the same opportunity. I recently purchased a board book, "Mon Petit Livre Bilingue" with this in mind. Basically it's one of those little kid books with pictures of common items and their names, only this book has the names in English and French.(Hey! Helpful for me, too ;)The first time I read it

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-50463770499983906062009-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:002009-03-24T08:27:33.221-07:00

I'm shaking my head after having just watched a segment on Canada AM about a Health Canada warning, urging parents to not let their infants sleep in car seats. Tragically a couple of babies have died this way.I shake my head because while they refer to sleeping on their backs in cribs as being the safest, on the news segment they showed a sleeping infant with a head band on (strangulation) in a

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-70441894045252611812009-03-20T10:27:00.000-07:002009-03-20T11:27:13.359-07:00

I never got bad grades so I never feared report card days, but I can see where it would cause stress for some kids. I say this because even with Alyssa's near perfect report card (on Friday the 13th ;) I still felt myself transform from Calm Mommy (ahhhhhh) to Type A Mommy.Now in my own defense, I don't think it's a bad thing to examine your child's area of weakness (in her case "oral", as in:

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-84260681770321315292009-03-13T09:47:00.001-07:002009-03-13T09:50:39.611-07:00

I'm not superstitious... well ok, maybe just a bit, but more in fun that anything (it is fun to be wary of a calendar date, right? just checking ;)The amusing thing about this particular Friday the 13th is that my daughter brings home her report card today....____________________Return to Fine Grind

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-73388427936381129572009-03-10T08:07:00.000-07:002009-03-10T09:50:10.747-07:00

I try not to judge other parents too harshly (like I did before I had kids, lol) but sometimes you see something that makes you feel a bit better about your own parenting.I'm certainly flawed myself. I don't think I spend enough time playing with my kids, and I go through phases where I kind of give up fighting to get veggies in them (although the "give up" phases usually don't last too long,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-33317456806160255092009-03-09T16:28:00.001-07:002009-03-09T16:36:34.877-07:00

More Wii, and shouting. This time the offender is Alyssa, but instead of the Big F Nasty, she is saying "darn" (or should I say shouting it with enough force to shatter our relatively new windows).Lil J, not wanting anything his sister does to be swept under the rug, defiantly says:"Maw-mee!!! Lyssa said the F word!!!!"He hasn't said the word since his time out yesterday, and clearly he remembers

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-88668173601850768432009-03-08T11:06:00.000-07:002009-03-08T16:11:21.900-07:00

With Alyssa, it only happened once. As an innocent 3 year old she blurted out the F word in front of her Dad, Grandparents and me. My stunned response was:"WHAT did you just say??!!", at the top of my lungs. I succeeded in embarrassing her beyond belief, and she hasn't said it since.Lil' J is in time-out at the moment, for his second infraction. He said it a few moments ago while he and A were

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-13418070048265842192009-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:002009-03-06T13:41:48.180-08:00

I just cleaned my 6 year old's room, and am still recovering (never mind a "thanks, Mom!" - I deserve a two week vacation in the Bahamas for that).There were some things I was able to get rid of, and some things I was able to move downstairs, but for the most part, I did a lot of rearranging. She has the larger of the two kids' rooms, and by FAR the most stuff.I bought 2x2 cube organizers (see

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-9294381335674805382009-03-05T17:08:00.000-08:002009-03-05T17:15:43.512-08:00

This is a drawback to vacuuming - you find these things. This one could have been much worse. At least it was white gum (on a grey carpet). I can even pretend I didn't see it for a day or two ;)I know you "anti-gum" parents (and the pro-carpet ones, too ;) are probably shaking your heads at me. That's ok, I don't mind. I have a clear conscience because it wasn't me who started the whole gum thing

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-62779388413384309932009-02-28T10:31:00.000-08:002009-02-28T11:00:40.585-08:00

Alyssa wants her ears pierced. She's asked several times now, and other than the fact that it's a teeny peek ahead to her young adulthood when she'll leave me (sob), I'm pretty much OK with it.Now that this subject is on my mind, I'm curious as to what your experience is/was? Do you have a child with pierced ears, and if so, how old was she (or he :) and where did you get it done? Do you have any

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-47813883221761490552009-02-26T10:09:00.000-08:002009-02-26T10:17:25.597-08:00

OMG look!!! Alyssa would FLIP. The things I find when I browse on Amazon, lol.It says in the description that the locket will hold two Sea Monkeys for up to 12 hours. I'm assuming that this is because it's air-tight - it would have to be sealable to be wearable. Sea Monkeys need oxygenated water, so if there's no fresh air they'll die eventually. The tanks that come with the initial purchase have

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-81330108115131155932009-02-24T17:24:00.001-08:002009-02-24T18:20:17.593-08:00

So I'm singing "Deck The Halls" (yes I know it's February 24Th) and Alyssa says to me:"Hey, how do you know that song!!"Aw, aren't you the cutest thing.Just like the time you came home from school and told me about Remembrance Day, like it was something brand new from this year. Never before heard of, must tell Mommy. Or the time you informed me what the school library was for (just in case I

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-11127021625757385372009-02-23T14:03:00.000-08:002009-02-23T20:43:32.733-08:00

Teenage boys, coming off the Field. My four year old son and I, walking home.We had the stroller with us. Why the bleep not. It's good up to 60 lbs (50 for child and 10 in the basket), and J is about 40 1/2 pounds. Most of the time he walks anyway, which is what I want, but I am ALLERGIC to carrying crap, and this way I can toss his back pack in the stroller basket. On the odd occasion when he

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-59943514208570460452009-02-22T12:29:00.000-08:002009-02-22T12:44:00.237-08:00

Husband: "Hey, can he (4 yr old) play at the computer while you're in the shower? I have to leave for work."Me: "Um, NO!! He clicks on stuff he's not supposed to!!"Husband: (laughing) "Whatever. Computers are bullet proof these days."You can see why I drink wine.(anyway)He (the 4 yr old, not the 44 yr old), cannot be trusted unsupervised with a mouse (computer, not rodent). Take today, for

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-84716934064359211692009-02-21T12:39:00.000-08:002009-02-21T12:46:39.777-08:00

'K, done. The computer has been moved upstairs. We went shopping last night for a desk and here's what we ended up buying:I LOVE it, although it was a little more than what I was hoping to pay (we bought ours at Staples for $199 CDN). The reason I went with this particular one was because it is more decorative than "office functional", which is important because it's sitting in a corner of our

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-23440434635104463842009-02-19T16:57:00.000-08:002009-02-19T17:19:04.951-08:00

(The "change Mii" music drones on in the background as I sit here. For the uninitiated, a "Mii" is your player on Wii, which you can customize. My four year old thinks this is as amusing as any of the games, and spends a lot of time changing his Mii. Hence the music. I hear it in my sleep these days.)Tomorrow the cable guy is coming to move one of our outlets, so that we can move our computer

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-38619670681050018422009-02-08T20:33:00.000-08:002009-02-08T21:10:10.693-08:00

The occasion: a friend's birthday party. The competition: musical chairs. Let the child personality analysis begin!Lil' J got knocked out about half way through, and obediently sat out for the rest of the game, along with the other early departees. His mellow response in the face of rejection was in keeping with his "whatever, it's just a game" temperament. Live and let live. Peace, man. Have a

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-50879770338576024542009-02-06T17:37:00.000-08:002009-02-06T17:51:31.314-08:00

Ah, Spongebob!! How I love thee!!! Thanks to you, I can vacuum, do dishes, do laundry, take out garbage, clean bathrooms (wait, hang on. Maybe I don't like Spongebob after all ;)Whaaaat??? I don't use the TV as a babysitter ALL the time. Just enough so that I can get through a day with my sanity intact. And I have been know to turn it off, under much protest, and drag my children against their

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-78578169130531149442009-02-06T16:48:00.000-08:002009-02-06T17:18:11.232-08:00

It's certainly not because they're camera shy!! lolI'm kind of protective of their privacy. I carefully ponder each topic before I post about it, and I leave out many things that I think might embarrass them if they were old enough to care that people they don't know are reading. It's a personal choice. So many bloggers out there have lots of gorgeous pics of their kids on their blogs, and reveal

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-58316244870988669502009-02-01T17:13:00.000-08:002009-02-01T17:24:40.415-08:00

Me: "What do you guys want for dinner?"A: "Kraft Dinner!!!"(should I have even typed that? revealing the fact that my kids even know what Kraft Dinner is?)sigh.Here's what we did, which I could live with (kinda ;)I took one pouch of Easy Mac (ooh!!! revealed that we have THAT in our house... gonna have to stop blogging soon) and divided it into 3 portions (one for me - 80 cals each, btw). For

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-83840839408002379552009-01-29T19:14:00.000-08:002009-01-29T19:24:11.273-08:00

Gettin' big!!! They squirm and zoom away when they bump into each other now. Some of them are distinctly faster swimmers. I'd say they're just over 2 mm in length (some are still smaller).Alyssa started a list of names for the ones in her tank. I'm not sure how she can tell them apart, but who am I to argue...Return to Blog Scene By Jeanne

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-18500395933871066352009-01-29T07:21:00.000-08:002009-01-29T07:43:15.285-08:00

I was awoken this morning at about 4:30 by my son."Mama look what's on my pillow!"He's prone to nightmares, night terrors, sleep walking (to the toilet and then back to bed, thank goodness ;) and any and all assortments of sleep disruptions imaginable. He has even had night terrors about things on his pillow (poor lil' dude).So when he referred to said pillow, I was reluctant to get out from

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-66094861299300512882009-01-18T11:26:00.000-08:002009-01-18T11:39:11.793-08:00

Awwww, they have... three eyes?? (Oh my!) I was going to say "how cute" but I'm not sure we're there yet. (Fyi - still under 2mm in length).Return to Blog Scene By Jeanne

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-45587319064730742342009-01-18T09:39:00.000-08:002009-01-18T09:58:42.292-08:00

Here's a quick and easy way to get some wheat germ and flax into little tummies if they want toast, instead of a cereal type of breakfast (such as porridge).I make cinnamon toast, which they find irresistible. I toast whole grain bread, then add butter. I sprinkle each slice with about 1/2 tsp of brown sugar (you don't need much, surprisingly), and before I add the wonderful, flavourful and

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-80779798147643035982009-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:002009-01-15T10:14:21.349-08:00

How are such little people capable of making such big messes??? Yikes. I find it quite interesting, actually, how their little brains seem to just tune out the craziness. Or do they really? Maybe the mess is their secret revenge for all the times we say "no"!! Hmmm. Brats ;-)Gina at Kids And Kiddos wrote a great post about getting her kids to clean up their toys. She has some tried and true

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-26110923209035886132009-01-09T23:30:00.001-08:002009-01-09T23:52:59.253-08:00

Hey!!! You can kinda see something now. They're about 1.5 mm in length, and some of them have long stringy tails. They also appear to have three eyes (three black dots on the front of their heads) although you can't see that in this pic.They swim like mad, and they're still quite small, which makes them difficult to photograph, but I'll keep trying...____________________Return to Blog Scene By

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-83868967328381519492009-01-08T16:15:00.000-08:002009-01-08T16:27:35.108-08:00

For the uninitiated, when you get a Sea Monkeys kit, you first purify the water for 24 hours before adding the eggs. Packet 1 is water purifier, Packet 2 is eggs, and Packet 3 is food.Both kids got a kit for Christmas, and I dutifully followed the instructions and purified the water. Then I put the two little tanks up out of harm's reach, or so I thought.Lil' J: "Mommy look!'Me: "What is it, bud?

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-49848792426646418722009-01-06T09:21:00.000-08:002009-01-06T09:29:27.879-08:00

Ok, Lil' J - you're up next!Hmm. Is my giggly, silly, march to the beat of his own drummer son really ready for The Big K this fall? His father was expressing doubt last night, which started me thinking about the whole thing.It's difficult for me to really tell, because at the age that he is now (4 1/2), his sister was reading and writing simple (4-6 word) sentences. I know that's a little ahead

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-9204034691022860372009-01-05T13:19:00.000-08:002009-01-05T13:28:30.276-08:00

(Reminder to me: pick up French Immersion application from school today for Lil' J.)Kindergarten registration is in mid February, and the deadline for submitting our F.E. applications is about a week earlier. I know it's only January 5th today, but I have notes all over the house reminding myself to get the little man signed up.Ah, laugh at me if you will, but check this out: I heard this story

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-87496772849980027602009-01-05T07:20:00.000-08:002009-01-05T07:24:18.257-08:00

Alyssa said to me last night: "Mommy tomorrow I'm going to get up super early and get dressed right away!!!"I think she might be excited ;-)Lil J doesn't seem to care one way or the other, but I know once we get to his preschool he'll be happy. My biggest challenge today is getting them there in this, um, weather.Speaking of which, my timer is ringing - time to wake them up.Have a great day,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-51227619274778012432009-01-04T12:09:00.000-08:002009-01-04T12:51:06.841-08:00

Disclaimer: at less than two weeks old, they're barely big enough to be seen by my nasty pocket point & shoot wanna be a camera when it grows up one day.Anyhoo, here's a corner of J's tank (his are bigger than A's - not sure why). They're about 1 mm long, and swim like mad!!! You can see them from 3 or 4 feet away now - you don't have to press your nose up against the plastic tank and hold your

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-75031208124100920722009-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:002009-01-03T14:29:05.173-08:00

Lil' J is about to climb on the Smart Cycle (have I mentioned how much I love that thing?)"Mommy, why are dere handles and a seat dere?"(really??? you're 4 1/2)Me: "Um, well, the handles are for your hands and the seat is where you sit."Lil J: "Oh. What are the pedals for?"Me (biting the inside of my cheek): "That's where your feet go."Lil J: "Oh. Fanks!!!"Climbs aboard, starts pedalling.Now,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-87886302362947896202009-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:002009-01-02T16:05:50.877-08:00

Lucky for him he's cute (my son, for those who haven't read the previous post). He just came and asked for a cookie, to which I replied "after dinner, maybe".Our conversation went something like this:Me: "So Bud, waddya want for dinner?"Lil' J: "A cookie!!"Me: "Uh, nope. Pick something healthy."Lil' J, grinning deviously: "A nut!"And yes, he cracked himself one, ate it, and came back asking for

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-62010460051043346332008-12-30T16:41:00.001-08:002008-12-30T17:01:06.696-08:00

OK not really. But at the age of 4 1/2, he can use a nutcracker as well as an adult.(Yowza!!!)"Boy" strength showing up early, I guess. I think part of it might be that he applies all of his wee brute strength with no regard to where the pieces fly, whereas when I crack a nut I try to be tidy and hold back a bit.The end result is that lately he's been eating lots and lots and lots of nuts, which

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-8663902021359984912008-12-29T18:31:00.000-08:002008-12-29T18:43:44.373-08:00

I've been awarded the Fabulous Blog award by Lady Banana (awesome - thanks!!) So now it's my turn to list five of my addictions, and pass this award along to five other awesome blogs. Here goes:Addictions:1) Chocolate!!!2) Sushi3) Twitter4) Blogging5) Good coffeeFive more fabulous blogs:1) Drowsey Monkey2) The Girl With The Camera3) It's All About Me4) Green SAHM5) Blogtations____________________

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-87393704319086216502008-12-28T21:51:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:22:18.682-08:00

Last year, a friend of mine gave me a calendar made by www.leapyearpublishing.com. It was a "family" calendar, and on each month it contained a separate column for each member of the family (it had five blank columns).We love it! It hangs on the side of the fridge, and we can all see at a glance, all four schedules and how they overlap and interact. I went to the website of the publisher today

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-10474243135674026442008-12-22T15:23:00.000-08:002008-12-22T15:42:12.887-08:00

Never (unless you have money to throw away), leave your pump dispenser of Joico K-Pak Leave-In Protectant on the counter, or your four-year-old could mistake it for hand soap, and decide to clean the sink for you. sigh.____________________Return to Jeanne's Blog List

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-33282052942065549502008-12-21T23:18:00.000-08:002008-12-21T23:33:19.675-08:00

Interesting... watching The Doctors, and there was a Mom on the show who used nail polish to get rid of her son's wart.She used an old bottle that she didn't want anymore (I don't think you'd want to use it on your nails after applying it to a wart), and she covered the wart on her son's foot. A few days later she picked the nail polish off and the wart came off with it - painlessly and

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-56312704839267930692008-12-18T07:59:00.000-08:002008-12-18T08:02:02.371-08:00

A quick post for today as I continue my running like a headless chicken...A & J are on their way to the bathroom to brush their teeth before school. The family dog is devouring A's leftover breakfast.A: "Mommy! Can you please save my peanut butter toast? I want to eat it after school."(oops ;-)____________________Return to Jeanne's Blog List

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-2528444271506863252008-12-14T09:28:00.000-08:002008-12-14T09:53:10.121-08:00

Just discovered these the other day: Mini Honey Mandarin Oranges.Yum! They're sweeter than larger Mandarins, and they fit in the palm of your hand - perfect for little fingers (the pic below is Joseph peeling one of them).Even picky Alyssa agreed to take one in her school lunch, along with the following comment: "Mommy you know that's a language too, right?"Too cute ;-)____________________Return

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-53523354309359290162008-12-13T18:01:00.001-08:002008-12-13T18:07:11.348-08:00

Ohhhhh.... just figured this one out!!Let it dry, then use the narrow plastic vacuum attachment to "scrape" it off. The dried Play Doh gets flaked off the carpet fibres and then sucked up into the vacuum (wahoo!!).This is the best method I've found so far (and believe me, I'm pretty sure I've tried almost everything).Re: staining - I haven't noticed any, and our carpet is light grey. Not sure

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-23489585241207324292008-12-13T07:47:00.001-08:002008-12-13T07:49:49.641-08:00

Just now:Me: Hey! Get out from behind the TV, please.J: But Mommy!!! I can do anyfing I want!! And you always can't!!Glad we got that straight ;-)____________________Return to Jeanne's Blog List

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-45925043879525949682008-12-13T07:37:00.000-08:002008-12-13T07:46:13.086-08:00

Yesterday, walking to school to pick up Alyssa, talking to himself:Normal voice: Hi Grass!!Squeaky voice: Hi Joe!!Normal voice: Grass, why are you so slippery?Squeaky voice: Because of da snow!Normal voice: Can I walk on you?Squeaky voice: OK! It doesn't hurt!(Well that's good at least...)___________________Riding Smart Cycle, with the dinosaurs cartridge:J: "Mama look!!! Look at da Dinosaur!!

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-49494263139109316172008-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:002008-12-11T12:07:28.781-08:00

My son loves this porridge recipe, so I thought I'd pass it on:1 1/3 cup water2/3 cups rolled oats1 tbsp ground flax1 tbsp wheat germ1 tsp honeyHeat ingredients above, stirring until porridge thickens, then remove from heat.Top with:1/3 cup frozen blueberriesCreamIt's nice if the blueberries are still frozen because they help to cool the porridge.This is a quick easy way to get some healthy

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-71703842346834463932008-12-09T20:58:00.000-08:002008-12-09T21:07:29.255-08:00

Here's an idea that a friend of mine just did at her daughter's first birthday: a time capsule!!LOVE it. She just had all her guests write notes to her daughter to put it in the time capsule, but I think it would have been neat to take it a step further: tell your guests about it in advance to give them the opportunity to bring in something to add.Soooo cool.... !!! My kids are past their first

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-43323656805113570382008-12-06T16:17:00.000-08:002008-12-06T16:39:25.832-08:00

Here's an idea for a custom Bingo game that reinforces early reading skills:Supplies:Card stock paperScissorsPenTo make:Use two (or more) sheets of card stock as your Bingo cards. On these cards, draw a grid of squares (4x4 or 5x5 works well). In each square, write simple words that you think your child will be able to read.Cut more card stock into small squares that will fit in the squares

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-18355025926351295482008-12-05T21:48:00.001-08:002008-12-05T22:05:47.070-08:00

I made it into a song.I used a random melody that begins and ends on the same note (so it makes sense to your ear) and sung the address over and over. He loved hearing it, and asked me to "sing it again, mama!! sing it again!!". Tonight as I was tucking him in for bed, out of nowhere he sang it, with the address correct.(awesome)I don't think he'd be able to recite the address without the melody,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-24099006365802562512008-12-05T11:41:00.001-08:002008-12-05T11:52:38.094-08:00

Have you heard? This was news to me but here's a link from a CNN site:http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/04/news/companies/bratz_dolls.ap/index.htmApparently Barbie and Bratz (or the makers of ;-) have been in a legal dispute and the Barbie side has won. After the current holiday season, Bratz dolls will be pulled from store shelves and no longer available for sale.LOL If you were a collector/investor,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-44864076391996237092008-12-05T07:07:00.001-08:002008-12-05T09:17:57.865-08:00

I am not a nurse or a doctor, just a Mom trying to figure out what the right thing to do is. J has had a fever for a couple of days, and has not had his usual energy level (when he voluntarily lies down on his bed instead of playing, you know something's amiss!). He's still a happy little guy, talkative and smiley, and there's been no vomiting - just coughing and a "sniffy" nose. And the

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-91113978675314556162008-12-02T09:25:00.000-08:002008-12-02T09:51:10.112-08:00

My son (the lil' hammer dude) is like most kids - impressionable and teachable. (I see this as an upside to having kids, because if you don't censor your own bad behaviour, they pick it up!!).note to self - hide the candy wrappers better so my six year old doesn't see them in the garbage and get upset when I won't let her have anyAnyway, more about Lil' J. He has learned to talk about his anger,

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-6059190813177026942008-11-30T11:24:00.000-08:002008-11-30T11:35:20.631-08:00

I don't usually complain, and I try and see the educational upside to everything, but sometimes....(OMG)J has a toy tool bench that came with a hammer, which understandably I hid for awhile. Today I came across it and gave it to him, to see where he's at with that sort of thing.He immediately started to hammer the wall. Since he had lost another hard plastic toy for several days because he had

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-36401521819553600232008-11-27T18:43:00.000-08:002008-11-27T20:21:06.381-08:00

I've figured out the secret (for my son, anyway). Brace yourself, 'cause it's not, um, palatable...Add Ketchup!!!To anything... I just add a squirt on the side of his plate and he dips, or mixes, or whatever. Somehow it ends up in his stomach. I'm amazed his poo isn't tomato coloured.Tonight, for instance, I served him a plate of pork roast (slow cooked with rosemary, salt and pepper... mmmm!!),

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-80837264913125232422008-11-26T14:40:00.001-08:002008-11-26T14:46:58.346-08:00

I just thought I'd pass this on while I'm thinking about it... for anyone looking for a gift idea for an expecting family:When I was pregnant with Alyssa, one of my gifts was an Eddie Bauer diaper bag. It was like any other diaper bag - it came with a changing pad and all the necessary compartments for baby gear. The thing that separated this bag from others that I've seen is that it is mostly

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-1849040649200141032008-11-25T20:37:00.000-08:002008-11-25T20:58:26.478-08:00

I'm lucky that Alyssa loves to read, so getting her to practice is no struggle. Still, the more fun we have, and the more ways I can "sneak it in", the easier it is. Here are some things that have worked for us:1) Word search puzzles. You can find children's word search books at places such as Chapters, or you can always make your own. This is what I did initially - I used graph paper, filled in

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-64177451700533601112008-11-22T16:29:00.000-08:002008-11-22T16:45:31.726-08:00

Seriously...I'd like to, um, find and give my two cents to the person who came up with those little metal twisty things that hold toys captive in their plastic and carboard packaging. C'mon. Quit spoiling their fun. How are they supposed to have their "middle of the night in the deserted store toy parties" when they're tied down like that?Then there's those little bitty need a microscope to see '

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-79739275701024708882008-11-20T10:18:00.000-08:002008-11-20T10:24:04.401-08:00

We did it!!! J and I both survived :30 on the ice without any lasting ill effects :-)My back was a bit sore, mind you, from leaning over his chair (which he did NOT want to get out of). I spent 99% of the time bent over pushing him around (it was one of those little kid chairs).Twice I managed to get him out:"It's Mommy's turn to sit!!""Nooooooooooooo!!!! I wanna stay in da chair!!!!"I'd somehow

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-67514684906930704522008-11-19T07:15:00.000-08:002008-11-19T07:27:52.248-08:00

Ohhhhh boy.Lil J's preschool class has skating today (they do this twice a year) and each child must be accompanied by an adult. My husband is at work, so that leaves... um... me!I can't skate. I seem to be in the minority - most people I know can slap on a pair of blades and glide around without looking too foolish. Not me. I need a chair, or a cone, or the boards or something. So J and I will

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-68247959023780533012008-11-18T12:26:00.000-08:002008-11-18T12:34:37.949-08:00

I have a big bag of Cheetos and a big bag of Ruffles on my table, plus a flat of juice boxes, ready to take to A's birthday party. Apparently I've been too busy blogging to hide them.Lil' J: "Mommy can I have some cheeeezeees?"Me: "Not today Buddy. You'll have them at Alyssa's party."Lil J: "Pweeeeeeeze Mommy? Pweeeeeze?"And on it goes. He wasn't happy with carrots as an alternative ("but they're

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-70821782870026644262008-11-15T09:31:00.000-08:002008-11-15T09:41:55.580-08:00

I found what I was looking for at another dollar store: I was able to get enough pencil cases for the boys and the girls. I've stuffed them with candy and trinkets (pencils, erasers, stickers, etc.).I like the contents to be useful, and as a parent any time I can promote writing or drawing I try my best. With that in mind, I don't think I've ever done a goodie bag that didn't include a pencil/pen

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-6347921248077845002008-11-14T11:03:00.000-08:002008-11-14T11:34:16.716-08:00

Yesterday:Hubby (talking about Lil' J, who's 4): "He's on your computer. Whatever, he seems to know what he's doing." ...wanders off to the bathroom.Um, 'scuse me? It's not the computer I'm worried about - it's everything else in my office. I went downstairs and extracted him from potential complications, only to find him down there a few hours later with his sister, who is five.Alyssa: "Mommy I

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-17263096143880377942008-11-13T07:04:00.000-08:002008-11-14T07:06:59.461-08:00

A friend of mine used Oriental Trading for the goodie bags for a theme party she threw for her daughter last year. She was very happy - they were affordable, and very prompt with their shipping. She said she'd use them again.Just thought I'd pass that on...(Hey, this is my 100th post!! Wahoo!!)

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-91001944092224496802008-11-12T17:12:00.000-08:002008-11-12T17:21:01.367-08:00

So Hubby is off work and was able to stay with Lil' J and A while I ran up to the dollar store on my quest for goodie bag stuff...I like to give something that will last, and fill that with trinkets. I think I mentioned in my last post some of the things I've used (i.e. fanny packs, etc.).Today my trusty ol' dollar store came up short. They had tube shaped pencil cases that I liked - Disney

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-63972296687479403892008-11-11T18:14:00.000-08:002008-11-11T18:33:08.139-08:00

It's that time again... A's birthday is in a few weeks and I need to make goodie bags for her party.The party doesn't really have a theme - it's being held at a local indoor play centre, and there are quite a few kids coming. My approach with goodie bags has always been to get them something useful and fill that with little things, rather than just give little things wrapped in a plastic bag.

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-40334075709033911692008-11-10T18:51:00.000-08:002008-11-10T18:56:40.739-08:00

Ah yes. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!For those parents out there dealing with the perils of "age four" for the first time, take heart in knowing that it does get easier. Alyssa is turning six in a few weeks, and is soooo much easier than when she was Lil' J's age (4 1/2). At the moment he is a holy terror ;-)I remember back when A was that age, I thought to myself "she's difficult

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-48542042577021126742008-11-06T10:05:00.000-08:002008-11-06T10:18:30.498-08:00

You know how it is... when you have nothing to blog/talk about, there's always the weather ;-)Today we have a heavy rainfall warning. We get those quite often where I live (the south coast of B.C., Canada). Yup, heavy rainfall.This meant that my daughter had no choice (because Mommy is the Dry Clothes Warden) but to wear her rain boots and then change into her shoes when she got to class. It also

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-2513030746130356072008-11-03T12:57:00.000-08:002008-11-03T13:03:50.226-08:00

Alyssa went to a friend's birthday party the other day and they had a pinata. Her Mom had an idea for filling it that I'd never seen, and I thought I'd pass it on.We've had pinatas at our kids' parties in the past, and endured the mad scramble and ensuing madness as all the kids try and grab as much loot as they can. For the less aggressive, there can be hurt feelings if other party goers end up

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-61943017443171945352008-11-02T18:18:00.000-08:002008-11-02T18:26:49.813-08:00

Never mind them... the effect on me is that bedtime is an hour later!!!!!OK, I'm a grownup. I can handle it. I think.It hasn't been too bad - there has been only one crying episode so far today, and at the moment they're both playing nicely. Not bad considering if we hadn't set the clock back, lil' J would be asleep by now.So far so good, and only ten minutes or so left until I can whisk The Boy

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-22227545418980557822008-11-01T08:54:00.000-07:002008-11-01T09:07:02.144-07:00

I'm always looking for ways to sneak nutrients into my kids' food, and here something I tried the other day that worked (good thing they don't read my blogs ;-)I sprinkled some wheat germ into their peanut butter sandwiches.Victory!!The idea is to not go overboard or they'll notice. Better to have them eat sandwiches with a little bit added each time, rather than have them reject them

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-52398803580401012312008-10-31T07:04:00.001-07:002008-10-31T07:14:08.654-07:00

Our niece, who's petite, can wear her ten year old's shirts. A friend of mine has a twelve year old daughter who, at 5'7", towers over her and borrows her clothes. Being the Mom of a four and five year old, I'm still a few years away from this.Or so I though ;-)I was out of socks this morning, and starting digging in the clean hamper for whatever I could find. The last time I was at Zellers I

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-65975673084366181752008-10-30T13:33:00.000-07:002008-10-30T13:41:10.664-07:00

Hey!!! Who put wheat germ in there???Seriously. I'm going to try it. Why not? Kids and Hubby never read my blogs, and with all the taco seasoning that goes into the meat, they'll never notice.Wish me luck.Now if only I could get them to east salsa, then I could puree some fresh tomatoes to add some lycopene (do you think they'd notice the tomatoes mixed in with the grated cheese instead? Yes?).

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-69626180536950535212008-10-29T22:23:00.000-07:002008-10-29T22:48:32.177-07:00

I was scouring the net just now looking for some new ideas for my daughter's school lunches... it seems like I pack the same things for her day in and day out, and I want to add some new items.Then it occurred to me that other Moms might be doing the same thing, so I thought I'd post my list in case it gives someone else some new ideas :-)The following are some things I have packed for my

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-78879220405529590512008-10-28T17:29:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:42:02.181-07:00

My daughter has hair down to her waist.Kind of.Now she has two mid-cheek length fringes on either side of her face. The layered look? Yup. A hair dresser? Nope. She chewed it that way herself.That's right, she chewed her hair. Chow down, baby... and pass the ketchup.It was cute for a couple of days - you know, kids and their weird and endearing habits - until I noticed that some of her hair has

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-13345603636792645352008-10-25T08:20:00.000-07:002008-10-25T08:42:24.870-07:00

What? You think I know?Hubby works shift work, and I think the poor man has given up on having a quiet house to sleep in.The kids mean well (when they remember). Asking a four and five year old to remember something for longer than 30 seconds is like asking me to stick with a diet.Anyway... at the moment my Dad is visiting and sleeping in our basement, the sleeping area of which is located

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721990707789415688.post-88474190814889823202008-10-22T07:07:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:23:16.508-07:00

Here's a quick tip for saving money on all the birthday gift madness your kids inflict on you...(I haven't learned the art of saying "I'm sorry but - insert child name - won't be able to make it, but thanks for the invite".)This is what a friend of mine does. Her daughter is only ten months old, so she can get away with it, without being hounded by her own child. (Me? I'll have to wait until A

Jeanne Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12096040179637686179noreply@blogger.com3