May 24, 2010

Parents Glossary of Kids Kitchen Terms

I have been going through my stacks, and stacks of recipes in order to cull a good many. I came across this list that I must have found when my children were little. I hope it's 'helpful' to others with young children now.

Appetizing: Anything advertised on TV
Boil: The point a parent reaches hearing the automatic "yuck" before a food is even tasted.
Casserole: Combination of favourite foods that go uneaten because they are mixed together.
Chair: Spot left vacant by mid-meal bathroom visit.
Cookie (Last One): Item that must be eaten in front of a sibling.
Crust: Part of a sandwich saved for the starving children of China, India, Africa, or Europe (Check one).
Desserts: The reason for eating a meal.
Evaporate: Magic trick performed by children when it comes time to clear the table or wash dishes.
Fat: Microscopic substance detected visually by children on pieces of meat they do not wish to eat.
Floor: Place for all food not found on lap or chair.
Fork: Eating utensil made obsolete by the discovery of fingers.
Fried foods: Gourmet cooking.
Frozen: Condition of children's jaws when spinach is served.
Fruit: A natural sweet not to be confused with dessert.
Germs: The only thing children will share freely.
Kitchen: The only room not used when eating crumbly snacks.
Leftovers: Commonly described as "gross".
Liver: A food that affects genes, creating a hereditary dislike.
Lollipop: A snack provided by people who don't have to pay dental bills.
Macaroni: Material for a collage.
Measuring cup: A kitchen utensils that is stored in the sandbox.
Metric: A system of measurement that will be accepted only after forty years of wandering in the desert.
Napkin: Any worn cloth object, such as shirt (this includes sleeves) or pants.
Natural Food: Food eaten with unwashed hands.
Nutrition: Secret war waged by parents using direct commands, camouflage, and constant guard duty.
Plate: A breakable Frisbee.
Refrigerator: A very expensive and inefficient room air conditioner.
Saliva: A medium for blowing bubbles.
Soda pop: Shake 'n Spray.
Table: A place for storing gum.
Table Leg: Percussion instrument.
Thirsty: How your child feels after you've said your final "good-night".
Vegetable: A basic food known to satisfy kids' hunger - but only by sight.
Water: Popular beverage in undeveloped countries.

May 15, 2010

Birthdays

When my children were little we wold make 'countdowns' for many things. Whether it was for a school field trip that was coming up or for their birthday. Here are a couple of links for fun ideas for birthdays.

Fun ideas for Birthday fun

A fun Birthday Board

Dangerous things you should let your kids try.

I remember when my first child was born and a dear family came up to the hospital to visit. I let their children hold my baby while my mother-in-law looked on in horror, even to the point of trying to take my baby from me to prevent me from letting the children have a hold.

I remember watching new mothers not let other children anywhere near their precious babies for fear they'd give germs to their little one. Here I was telling kids to come see, touch, and even hold my baby.

I would also notice that when babies would drop their dummy/binky/pacifier, the new mothers would run to a hot water tap to sterilize it or have a clean one ready and waiting. Here I was picking up my babies binky, sucking it off and handing it right back.

I love seeing kids come in from play all covered in dirt. It means they've had fun. Let them pick up bugs...I've even retrieved a few from between teeth.

My husband hated when I'd let my children go outside to play without wearing shoes. When it came time for them to ride bikes he was even more mortified that I allowed them to ride shoeless. When the kids would come home with skinned toes he'd think that proved his point and couldn't believe I'd kiss them, wipe their wound and send them out again without shoes.

The point is...my kids survived. They don't remember the scrapes and the scars they do have my boys think are 'cool'. Here's a link to a blog that talks more about dangerous things we should let our kids do.

Happiness Machine

Here is a video clip of the Coco-Cola Happiness Machine. It just makes me smile every time I watch it. I would have loved to have been a part of something like this.

ENJOY

Hamburger in a can

Don't ask me how I found this. I don't know how I find half the things I find. I simply click on links that lead me from one thing to another. It is exactly how my mind works most of the time.

Anyway....here is a link to a HAMBURGER IN A CAN. Sure sounds yummy doesn't it. It does seem like the perfect gift to get the person who has 'everything'.

The Human Touch

Recently I had some surgery on my eye. I HATE needles. But more than just hating needles I hate that my surgery was to be performed under local anesthetic. This meant that I was going to be able to hear everything that was going on but worse than that was that because the doctor would have to open my eye from time to time, I was going to SEE things. Things like the scalpel coming at me etc. Things I didn't need or want to see. (Before the doctor started I quickly stopped him and told him that I didn't want to see any of this so he made that possible)

As I was getting prepped I had many nurses come up to me and ask me all the questions. I was sure to let everyone of them know of my fear. One nurse came up to me and introduced herself as Lee. She said her job was simply to hold my hand throughout the ordeal.

From the moment I was wheeled into the OR, Lee was there holding my hand. I was aware, though I couldn't see, of everything that was going on. The cutting, the talking/discussing, the stitching, etc. But the thing that was most important to me and what I actually focused on was Lee and her beautiful hand holding mine. To me, the most important thing happening in that operating room that day was that there was someone holding my hand.

As things would get a little more intense, I felt my hand gripping more tightly onto Lee's hand. When she would feel me squeeze she'd give my hand a reassuring little rub. After she would rub my hand a little...and we're talking a second or two....I was able to relax my grip on her hand.

I'm not sure how long the surgery took, maybe an hour maybe more, maybe less. But what I do know is that, even though I'm a 45 year old mother of 4, I learned that when someone asks "Do you want someone to go with you to hold your hand?", I really do!