This is the time of the year that neighbours are dropping off 'zucchini bread' or 'zucchini brownies'. Everyone is trying to disguise this abundant vegetable (although some may argue that it is a fruit). If there was such a thing as a 'State Vegetable' then zucchini would be it for here in Utah.
Everyone has a thriving garden here (all except me it seems) and everyone plants zucchini. There is nothing unusual about opening your front door to find a bag full of zucchinis that some kind neighbour dropped off as they went for their morning walk.
So what to do with them? Yes the bread and the brownies are lovely but I think I have hit on a real winner here. I found a recipe for...wait for it...Zucchini CANDY!!! So being the kind of person who tries different or interesting recipes at least once (Vinegar Pie and Velveeta Fudge for example) I tried it.
These are such a huge hit in my home with my teenage sons that now I am going to have to plant a garden next year and grow my own zucchinis.
Showing posts with label teenagers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teenagers. Show all posts
September 1, 2011
July 27, 2011
July 9, 2011
Homemade Cereal and teenage boys.....
I get a real kick out of making my own things. A few months ago I tried my hand at a recipe I'd had sitting in the bottom of the recipe pile for some time. You know the 'one day I'll try this' recipe pile. After trying it I found my teenage sons loved it and actually told me not to buy cereal anymore.
Well...we made the big move from Australia to USA and I haven't made it because I don't have my grinder yet...but soon I will and I look forward to making it again for my boys.
Grape Nuts
- 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I sift the flour I grind myself but I reckon you could leave the wheat germ in it)
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 t. cinnamon (this is optional but I added it this time and the boys really like it)
- 2 c. sour milk or buttermilk (you can make milk sour by adding a T. of vinegar to it)
- 2 t. vanilla
A few notes: I grind my own wheat but using store bought whole wheat flour will still work fine. Someone who makes this recipe also tried adding some dried TVP (textured vegetable protein) through the grain mill and added a cup of that to the grape nut recipe. Then increased the milk by 1/4 c. "This built in some extra protein which some of my young athletes-in-training need for breakfast." I haven't tried this but it is worth a try. TVP makes me shudder but because it will be dried it will have the same texture as the 'grape nuts' and should be fine.
What homemade items have you made that you get a real kick out of? (ie: laundry detergent, shampoo, etc)
January 17, 2011
Helping a Hoarder
Yesterday I was out and about with three of my four children (#4 has an arm in a cast) helping with the flood clean-up effort. It was Sunday. Our Sabbath. We are Christians. We go to church every Sunday and love it. The mess that this flood has caused made me think of a few scriptures:
Ox in the mire
In the service of your God
So with those verses in mind we set off in the morning to help in someway.
My husband had worked in an area on the Saturday that he said was in a bad way. That would be our starting point then. We had been watching the TV for hours everyday so we'd seen the destruction....or so we'd thought. People who spoke about the mess, always mentioned 'the smell' so I knew there'd be a smell to it all. We were not prepared for what we saw. Being on the ground and seeing things first hand and up close and all I can think of is complete devastation. And oh the smell. It hits right away. I had smelled this smell before but for a little while couldn't place it. Then it hit me. This was the smell I'd smelled as a child when I'd go to the dump with my father. It was a 'dump'. It wasn't a 'transfer station' or a 'land-fill'. It was a plain, simple and stinky, dump....and it wasn't pleasant.
These first images are what we drove past on our way to help someone.
There were cars everywhere and really no place to park. There would be no parking on the shoulders of the roads because they were mudpits. So people were parking beside the shoulders...which was pretty much...the ROAD.
We were going to the RSL (Returned & Services League of Australia) because we knew someone who would be working there. However, there was no where to park so we had to continue driving. We kept driving for a few more blocks until we came to a road that we could drive down and actually park. We got out of the car and headed to a house where there were people working. I asked if they could use us...they could.
The first house we helped at was this beautiful big Queenslander. It was situated right across the road from the river so it was hit hard. I noticed the water mark was over a metre on the top level.
As we started working I quickly came to realize that this was a home of a hoarder. Underneath the house was completely FULL of stuff. The owner was on the lawn instructing what was NOT to go on the dump pile. It was already a big pile. They had maybe been working an hour before we got there. At one point I had counted thirty people forming three different chains emptying the stuff from under the house. I do not know how many people were upstairs. Every now and again a man would come down with a laundry basket FULL of STUFF for the keep pile and others upstairs would come out and throw stuff over the landing into a wheelbarrow that we'd empty into the dump pile.
After we'd worked there for about 2 1/2 hours they didn't need us so we left the other workers to it and went to find someone else who could use us. On the way back, 4 1/2 hours later, we passed the 'first house' and found the pile of stuff to keep, had exploded to the front of the fence. The 'keepers' extends the length of the fence line on the inside of the yard, and now is on the footpath.
It was an interesting experience to see what made it to the 'keep' pile. This owner had some beautiful things that's for sure. Beautiful antique furniture. Would I have kept them having been caked in this thick, (some things had up to an inch of slimy mud) stinky, mud? I don't know. I doubt it. I think I would cry...sob...and say goodbye.But then there'd be things come down from upstairs and I'd think 'why??'. Like the M&M statue made it to the keep pile when the photos in frames did not.
Towards the end of our efforts, the lady was in her car driving off somewhere when all of a sudden she stops, in the middle of the road, jumps out of her car yelling something and waving her arms all about. She had spotted a chair in the dump pile that she wanted in the 'keep' pile. So, even though it was broken, we took it off and put it in the correct pile. I'm glad to have made her happy.
At one point I was taking a wheelbarrow of stuff over to the dump pile when I slipped on the mud and fell straight on my already sore knee. That was pretty much the end of me for the rest of the day. It hurt but I could live with it if only I don't have to walk too much (and defiantly not in the slippery stuff). Of course there was no where to sit down so I just stood and watch my children work with the many others.
While working we had countless number of people, clean people, coming up offering us food and water. People who out of the goodness of their heart, purchased and prepared this food and drink with their own money. Our hands, along with the rest of us, were filthy. We'd take the water or can of drink and ask if those with their clean hands could open it for us, which they did. Oh the goodness of people is overwhelming to me.
We were told that there was a street around the corner that could use some help. So off we went.
This is a spiderweb that had been hidden behind the TV unit but was now a work of art on the wall. I thought it pretty in amongst this tragic mess.
At this house (our second) it was a lady and her two daughters who had been stuck out of town and only now able to make it back to the house to start to demolish it. They didn't know what to do. We didn't know what to do. Thankfully there was a guy and his partner show up who DID so they got stuck into the work.
Where the plasterboard was taken off is the height of where the water came up to. I didn't take a photo of the kitchen but the water covered the countertops.
This scene is played out over and over again. House after house.
House #3
This husband and wife team only had each other...until my kids came along and helped them move items out then demolish the house as they had the previous one.
You can see on the open fridge door the line of mud as an indicator of where the water came up to. This was about 4 houses from house #2 and the water level was about a foot lower. About 4 houses up from this one there was no water damage at all.
The gentleman in the white was in the area to help his mum and dad out. After he had finished with their house he went house to house with his expertise telling what had to be done and how to remove it. Then with his trusty tools he proceeded to cut the walls and jimmy the skirting boards....and everything else.
The Energex (electricity company) were out and about checking every house on the street and all the power boxes. They are working hard to get power back to the houses where it is safe to do so.
This was a group of guys from the armed forces who were also doing an INCREDIBLE job around the place. Some of them even working shoulder to shoulder with us at house #1.
A house we saw on the way out of the suburb as we made our way home. This house should be white. It is obvious it was entirely under.
You can see the water level on the freeway as we drove past an overpass. It's hard to imagine that it was so far over our heads only days before. So much water. So much damage.
This is under the overpass.
Muddy feet of a hard working 15 yr old boy, on the way home. A job well done. A well deserved rest to follow.
What did I learn from this? Things could be so much worse...STOP COMPLAINING!! and belongings are just things....'let it go' (which I also learned from my time helping out at a service provider for adults with disabilities some months ago.) I also learned that wearing out in the service of others is a WONDERFUL thing...as my children would also attest to.
Ox in the mire
In the service of your God
So with those verses in mind we set off in the morning to help in someway.
My husband had worked in an area on the Saturday that he said was in a bad way. That would be our starting point then. We had been watching the TV for hours everyday so we'd seen the destruction....or so we'd thought. People who spoke about the mess, always mentioned 'the smell' so I knew there'd be a smell to it all. We were not prepared for what we saw. Being on the ground and seeing things first hand and up close and all I can think of is complete devastation. And oh the smell. It hits right away. I had smelled this smell before but for a little while couldn't place it. Then it hit me. This was the smell I'd smelled as a child when I'd go to the dump with my father. It was a 'dump'. It wasn't a 'transfer station' or a 'land-fill'. It was a plain, simple and stinky, dump....and it wasn't pleasant.
These first images are what we drove past on our way to help someone.
This is where the water would have come from and less than a week ago would have been beautiful and green. I don't know that the plant life is dead (yet) but for right now it's brown because it's caked in mud.
There were cars everywhere and really no place to park. There would be no parking on the shoulders of the roads because they were mudpits. So people were parking beside the shoulders...which was pretty much...the ROAD.
We were going to the RSL (Returned & Services League of Australia) because we knew someone who would be working there. However, there was no where to park so we had to continue driving. We kept driving for a few more blocks until we came to a road that we could drive down and actually park. We got out of the car and headed to a house where there were people working. I asked if they could use us...they could.
The first house we helped at was this beautiful big Queenslander. It was situated right across the road from the river so it was hit hard. I noticed the water mark was over a metre on the top level.
As we started working I quickly came to realize that this was a home of a hoarder. Underneath the house was completely FULL of stuff. The owner was on the lawn instructing what was NOT to go on the dump pile. It was already a big pile. They had maybe been working an hour before we got there. At one point I had counted thirty people forming three different chains emptying the stuff from under the house. I do not know how many people were upstairs. Every now and again a man would come down with a laundry basket FULL of STUFF for the keep pile and others upstairs would come out and throw stuff over the landing into a wheelbarrow that we'd empty into the dump pile.
In this second photo you can see through to the neighbouring house. When we got there you wouldn't have been able to. It was filled from the ground to the roof, with STUFF.
It was an interesting experience to see what made it to the 'keep' pile. This owner had some beautiful things that's for sure. Beautiful antique furniture. Would I have kept them having been caked in this thick, (some things had up to an inch of slimy mud) stinky, mud? I don't know. I doubt it. I think I would cry...sob...and say goodbye.But then there'd be things come down from upstairs and I'd think 'why??'. Like the M&M statue made it to the keep pile when the photos in frames did not.
Towards the end of our efforts, the lady was in her car driving off somewhere when all of a sudden she stops, in the middle of the road, jumps out of her car yelling something and waving her arms all about. She had spotted a chair in the dump pile that she wanted in the 'keep' pile. So, even though it was broken, we took it off and put it in the correct pile. I'm glad to have made her happy.
At one point I was taking a wheelbarrow of stuff over to the dump pile when I slipped on the mud and fell straight on my already sore knee. That was pretty much the end of me for the rest of the day. It hurt but I could live with it if only I don't have to walk too much (and defiantly not in the slippery stuff). Of course there was no where to sit down so I just stood and watch my children work with the many others.
While working we had countless number of people, clean people, coming up offering us food and water. People who out of the goodness of their heart, purchased and prepared this food and drink with their own money. Our hands, along with the rest of us, were filthy. We'd take the water or can of drink and ask if those with their clean hands could open it for us, which they did. Oh the goodness of people is overwhelming to me.
We were told that there was a street around the corner that could use some help. So off we went.
This is a spiderweb that had been hidden behind the TV unit but was now a work of art on the wall. I thought it pretty in amongst this tragic mess.
At this house (our second) it was a lady and her two daughters who had been stuck out of town and only now able to make it back to the house to start to demolish it. They didn't know what to do. We didn't know what to do. Thankfully there was a guy and his partner show up who DID so they got stuck into the work.
Where the plasterboard was taken off is the height of where the water came up to. I didn't take a photo of the kitchen but the water covered the countertops.
Three of us after the first house. Muddy, hot and stinky but couldn't be happier that we were able to do some good for someone.
This scene is played out over and over again. House after house.
House #3
This husband and wife team only had each other...until my kids came along and helped them move items out then demolish the house as they had the previous one.
You can see on the open fridge door the line of mud as an indicator of where the water came up to. This was about 4 houses from house #2 and the water level was about a foot lower. About 4 houses up from this one there was no water damage at all.
The gentleman in the white was in the area to help his mum and dad out. After he had finished with their house he went house to house with his expertise telling what had to be done and how to remove it. Then with his trusty tools he proceeded to cut the walls and jimmy the skirting boards....and everything else.
The Energex (electricity company) were out and about checking every house on the street and all the power boxes. They are working hard to get power back to the houses where it is safe to do so.
This was a group of guys from the armed forces who were also doing an INCREDIBLE job around the place. Some of them even working shoulder to shoulder with us at house #1.
A house we saw on the way out of the suburb as we made our way home. This house should be white. It is obvious it was entirely under.
You can see the water level on the freeway as we drove past an overpass. It's hard to imagine that it was so far over our heads only days before. So much water. So much damage.
This is under the overpass.
Muddy feet of a hard working 15 yr old boy, on the way home. A job well done. A well deserved rest to follow.
What did I learn from this? Things could be so much worse...STOP COMPLAINING!! and belongings are just things....'let it go' (which I also learned from my time helping out at a service provider for adults with disabilities some months ago.) I also learned that wearing out in the service of others is a WONDERFUL thing...as my children would also attest to.
November 23, 2010
Role Model Parenting
Role Modeling:
I tell my children, clean-up their room and they look at my garage. I tell them not to drink and they look at my eyes when I come home from a party. I tell them to be honest, I have an escort radar scanner in my car and my tax return shows 'zero' income for the third straight year. And so there are those who leap all over the place pulling hair from their head and the employers tell their employees and the leaders tell the children to 'look at their parents'.
What good does it do to preach to someone
when the children look at their parents and say
"I'd rather watch a sermon than hear one, anyday,
So please my loving parents let your life show me the way
For I am but a mirror of how you live today.
Dad, I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there is no misunderstanding of how you act and live."
Hey mum. Hey dad. Hey manager.....
I'd rather watch a sermon then hear one any day."
What were you going to tell us dad about the psychology of winning? I replied 'Nothing, I was going to go clean the garage." I don't tell my wife to tell people on the phone I'm not in. No more 'National Enquirer' for me. No fad diets, gossiping, etc.
Author: Unknown
Author: Unknown
If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again:
I tell my children, clean-up their room and they look at my garage. I tell them not to drink and they look at my eyes when I come home from a party. I tell them to be honest, I have an escort radar scanner in my car and my tax return shows 'zero' income for the third straight year. And so there are those who leap all over the place pulling hair from their head and the employers tell their employees and the leaders tell the children to 'look at their parents'.
What good does it do to preach to someone
when the children look at their parents and say
"I'd rather watch a sermon than hear one, anyday,
So please my loving parents let your life show me the way
For I am but a mirror of how you live today.
Dad, I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there is no misunderstanding of how you act and live."
Hey mum. Hey dad. Hey manager.....
I'd rather watch a sermon then hear one any day."
What were you going to tell us dad about the psychology of winning? I replied 'Nothing, I was going to go clean the garage." I don't tell my wife to tell people on the phone I'm not in. No more 'National Enquirer' for me. No fad diets, gossiping, etc.
Author: Unknown
The Little Chap Who Follows Me
A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me,
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the selfsame way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries;
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine
The base in me he must not see,
The little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer's fun and winter's snow,
In building for the years to be
The little chap who follows me!
A little fellow follows me,
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the selfsame way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries;
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine
The base in me he must not see,
The little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer's fun and winter's snow,
In building for the years to be
The little chap who follows me!
Author: Unknown
If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields, and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.
Diana Loomans
Diana Loomans
November 22, 2010
Erma Bombeck wisdom
The other day I was going through a lot of papers I have as we are making a move from Australia back to the US very soon. I came across a folder of papers I was just going to toss out because they aren't relevant to my situation anymore but they were too helpful to just throw out to never been seen again. They are papers I found helpful as a young mother. I gleaned ideas of fun things to do with my children. I found them particularly helpful during the long breaks from school.
With that in mind I have decided to transfer the information to my blog in hopes that others will find it useful.
The first paper I pulled out to share with you was an article by the dear Erma Bombeck.
Treat Friends, Kids The Same
On TV the other day, a leading child psychologist said parents should treat their children as they would treat their best friend...with courtesy, dignity and diplomacy.
"I have never treated my children any other ways," I told myself. But later that night, I thought about it. Did I really talk to my best friends like I talked to my children? Just suppose.....our good friends, Fred and Eleanor, came to dinner one night and......
"Well, it's about time you two got here! What have you been doing? Dawdling? Leave those shoes outside, Fred. They've got mud on them. And shut the door. Were you born in a barn?
"So Eleanor, how have you been? I've been meaning to have you over for such a long time. Fred! Take it easy on the chip dip or you'll ruin your dinner. I didn't work over a hot stove all day long to have you nibble like some bird."
"Heard from any of the gang lately? Got a card from the Martins. Yes, they're in Lauderdale again. They go every year to the same spot. What's the matter with you, Fred? You're fidgeting. Of course you have to go. It's down the hall, first door on the left. And I don't want to see a towel in the middle of the floor when you're finished.
"Did you wash your face before you came, Eleanor? I see a dark spot around your mouth. I guess it's a shadow. Do, how are your children? If you ask me I think summer school is great for them. Is everybody hungry? Then, why don't we go into dinner? You all wash up and I'll take up the food. Don't tell me your hands are clean, Eleanor. I saw you playing with the dog.
"Fred, you sit over there and Eleanor you can sit with the half glass of milk. You know you're all elbows with it comes to milk. There now, your host will say grace.
"Fred, I don't see any cauliflower on your plate. Have you ever tried it? Well, try a spoonful. If you don't like it I won't make you finish it, but if you don't try it, you can just forget dessert. And sit up straight or your spine will grow that way. Now, what were we talking about? Oh yes, the Gerbers. They sold their house. I mean they took a beating but....Eleanore, don't talk with food in your mouth. I can't understand a word you're saying. And use your napkin."
At that moment in my fantasy, my son walked into the room. "How nice of you to come," I said pleasantly.
"Now what did I do?" he sighed.
Erma Bombeck
How close to the mark is she? Do we really speak to our children as we should?
Of course we need to teach our children not to speak with food in their mouth and to leave muddy shoes outside, but can't we do it in such a way as to not crush their spirit at the same time?
With that in mind I have decided to transfer the information to my blog in hopes that others will find it useful.
The first paper I pulled out to share with you was an article by the dear Erma Bombeck.
Treat Friends, Kids The Same
On TV the other day, a leading child psychologist said parents should treat their children as they would treat their best friend...with courtesy, dignity and diplomacy.
"I have never treated my children any other ways," I told myself. But later that night, I thought about it. Did I really talk to my best friends like I talked to my children? Just suppose.....our good friends, Fred and Eleanor, came to dinner one night and......
"Well, it's about time you two got here! What have you been doing? Dawdling? Leave those shoes outside, Fred. They've got mud on them. And shut the door. Were you born in a barn?
"So Eleanor, how have you been? I've been meaning to have you over for such a long time. Fred! Take it easy on the chip dip or you'll ruin your dinner. I didn't work over a hot stove all day long to have you nibble like some bird."
"Heard from any of the gang lately? Got a card from the Martins. Yes, they're in Lauderdale again. They go every year to the same spot. What's the matter with you, Fred? You're fidgeting. Of course you have to go. It's down the hall, first door on the left. And I don't want to see a towel in the middle of the floor when you're finished.
"Did you wash your face before you came, Eleanor? I see a dark spot around your mouth. I guess it's a shadow. Do, how are your children? If you ask me I think summer school is great for them. Is everybody hungry? Then, why don't we go into dinner? You all wash up and I'll take up the food. Don't tell me your hands are clean, Eleanor. I saw you playing with the dog.
"Fred, you sit over there and Eleanor you can sit with the half glass of milk. You know you're all elbows with it comes to milk. There now, your host will say grace.
"Fred, I don't see any cauliflower on your plate. Have you ever tried it? Well, try a spoonful. If you don't like it I won't make you finish it, but if you don't try it, you can just forget dessert. And sit up straight or your spine will grow that way. Now, what were we talking about? Oh yes, the Gerbers. They sold their house. I mean they took a beating but....Eleanore, don't talk with food in your mouth. I can't understand a word you're saying. And use your napkin."
At that moment in my fantasy, my son walked into the room. "How nice of you to come," I said pleasantly.
"Now what did I do?" he sighed.
Erma Bombeck
How close to the mark is she? Do we really speak to our children as we should?
Of course we need to teach our children not to speak with food in their mouth and to leave muddy shoes outside, but can't we do it in such a way as to not crush their spirit at the same time?
October 15, 2010
Embarrassing my kids
I was asked the other day by my soon-to-be 15yr old son:
A: "When did you decide to be an embarrassing parent?"
Me: "Ohhh...long before you kids were born."
So there you have it. I'm an embarrassing parent....and dang proud of it I might add.
I thought I'd share some of the embarrassing things I have done, or do, in case I can 'inspire' other embarrassing parents around the globe.
I will start with the fact that I grew up with my own 'embarrassing parents'. My mother would openly sing while we'd be walking around the shops. At one time I was in a little store with my mother while she was singing. We were the only two there along with the lady behind the counter. I told mum to "Shhhhh...don't sing". I must have been 15 at the time. Mum stopped singing and the lady behind the counter said "Leave your mother alone and let her sing." I never again told mum to "Shhhhh".
My mother also likes to use words other than the correct ones. For example: instead of asking for the 'instructions' she'll ask for the 'destructions'. It's not a 'knife', it's a 'Kah-nife'. It's not an 'avocado' it's an 'Ah-vock-a-do'. One of my greatest fears about getting pulled up by the police for speeding or broken headlight or something, is that I'll say "Yes ossifa" because I heard it so much growing up.
My father wasn't exempt either. My father would randomly go and open the front door of the house and YELL "I LOVE MY WIFE!!!". He was well known around the place for his rendition of "The Three Little Pigs". It was just him up on stage without any props or costumes. Ohhhhh everyone would be in fits of laughter. If only we had a recording of it so I could share it with my own children now. There was also the time when we were playing Blind Man's Bluff one FHE. My father always thought it funny to pretend to be and pretend to sound like mum to throw the person who was blindfolded, off. This one night he went even further and went and threw on one of mum's nightgown's so that if he was 'caught' he might be able to confuse the person even more and they really might think he was mum. But wait, there's more....the room we were playing in was the front room by the front door. Beside the front door was a window so we could see who was at the door. This meant whoever was at the door could see us. On this particular night dad decided to be even funnier and climb on top of the filing cabinet, in full view of said window, while wearing my mother's nightgown. We were in full swing of the game and didn't hear the first knock at the door but we surely heard the second one. Yup....someone from around the neighbourhood had come to speak to dad about our dog. We were all in fits.
I'm thankful for my 'embarrassing parents' and the wonderful memories they have created for me. With that in mind, of COURSE I wanted to be counted as one of them when my own children started coming along.
When my oldest was in grade 7 (schools over here go 1-7 and 8-12) and lined up with her entire grade level to go on a field trip I did what I though all parents would do and YELL out from across the road "Have fun S!! 'Member mummy loves you. Have a good time. Love you. BYE....."
When my children have gone on camping trips or conferences of any length (anything from three nights to two weeks) I generally run along side the bus waving and blowing kisses while pretending to cry that I'm going to miss them. Yes, even when my son went on his grade 12 ski trip. Of course when they get home and off the bus I'm there again yelling their name while running up to them telling them how happy I am and how much I missed them.
When my daughter was in grade 8/9 she begged me NOT to beep the horn or yell out when I dropped her off at school. Which of course meant ALL of us in the car wound the windows down and yelled out to her. It wasn't long after that when she said it didn't bother her anymore because all the other kids around, had parents too. It's a good thing because for her 16th birthday I printed off photos of her as a baby as well as a couple of recent ones, and plastered them on the fence across the road from school so EVERYONE would see them when they came out. There were balloons and streamers as well.
When my oldest son M started high school (which is grade 8 over here)I told him that if he didn't kiss me goodbye when I dropped him off at school I would go after him. He tried it one day in his first year. He knew full well I couldn't keep up with him. He jumped out of the car with a huge grin on his face and took off. I got out of the car and walked in the direction he ran. He and his friends would bob their head from around the corner of buildings and give me a huge grin before taking off again.
I proceeded up to the office and asked them where his first class was. I made my way down there where he realized he'd been foiled. He tried to get past me. I said to him "You can either kiss me on the cheek HERE or I'll go to the front of the class and tell everyone why I'm here." He knew I'd do it...so he gave me my kiss on the cheek and ran into class.
While in his last year of school he tried it again. I was wearing mismatched clothes, a robe and slippers to drop him off. He knew I wouldn't walk around the school grounds to find him dressed like that. He jumped out of the car with a grin on his face. I knew that he was gonna take off.....only this time he jumped the fence. I jumped out of the car and YELLED as he ran through the throngs of kids mulling around the front of the school..."M......... C........ YOU GET BACK HERE AND GIVE YOUR MOTHER A KISS!!!!!!!!!!" He just kept on running and grinning. We had a good laugh about it when I picked him up. He told me all about the comments the kids at school were making about it.
One day while I was up at school I walked past a child's classroom. He was in grade 4 at the time. I knocked on the door and the teacher asked "Can I help you?". I said "No. I just wanted to tell everyone that I love Ch....." He grinned and shook his head.
Not all children can be as accepting to these kind of actions. I have one child who I can not be so bold with and I know the boundaries. Use your 'embarrassing skills' wisely and not in a hurtful way.
I have found on the internet that there are sites dedicated to us 'embarrassing parents'. One site suggests a list of things that kids find most embarrassing:
A: "When did you decide to be an embarrassing parent?"
Me: "Ohhh...long before you kids were born."
So there you have it. I'm an embarrassing parent....and dang proud of it I might add.
I thought I'd share some of the embarrassing things I have done, or do, in case I can 'inspire' other embarrassing parents around the globe.
I will start with the fact that I grew up with my own 'embarrassing parents'. My mother would openly sing while we'd be walking around the shops. At one time I was in a little store with my mother while she was singing. We were the only two there along with the lady behind the counter. I told mum to "Shhhhh...don't sing". I must have been 15 at the time. Mum stopped singing and the lady behind the counter said "Leave your mother alone and let her sing." I never again told mum to "Shhhhh".
My mother also likes to use words other than the correct ones. For example: instead of asking for the 'instructions' she'll ask for the 'destructions'. It's not a 'knife', it's a 'Kah-nife'. It's not an 'avocado' it's an 'Ah-vock-a-do'. One of my greatest fears about getting pulled up by the police for speeding or broken headlight or something, is that I'll say "Yes ossifa" because I heard it so much growing up.
My father wasn't exempt either. My father would randomly go and open the front door of the house and YELL "I LOVE MY WIFE!!!". He was well known around the place for his rendition of "The Three Little Pigs". It was just him up on stage without any props or costumes. Ohhhhh everyone would be in fits of laughter. If only we had a recording of it so I could share it with my own children now. There was also the time when we were playing Blind Man's Bluff one FHE. My father always thought it funny to pretend to be and pretend to sound like mum to throw the person who was blindfolded, off. This one night he went even further and went and threw on one of mum's nightgown's so that if he was 'caught' he might be able to confuse the person even more and they really might think he was mum. But wait, there's more....the room we were playing in was the front room by the front door. Beside the front door was a window so we could see who was at the door. This meant whoever was at the door could see us. On this particular night dad decided to be even funnier and climb on top of the filing cabinet, in full view of said window, while wearing my mother's nightgown. We were in full swing of the game and didn't hear the first knock at the door but we surely heard the second one. Yup....someone from around the neighbourhood had come to speak to dad about our dog. We were all in fits.
I'm thankful for my 'embarrassing parents' and the wonderful memories they have created for me. With that in mind, of COURSE I wanted to be counted as one of them when my own children started coming along.
When my children have gone on camping trips or conferences of any length (anything from three nights to two weeks) I generally run along side the bus waving and blowing kisses while pretending to cry that I'm going to miss them. Yes, even when my son went on his grade 12 ski trip. Of course when they get home and off the bus I'm there again yelling their name while running up to them telling them how happy I am and how much I missed them.
When my daughter was in grade 8/9 she begged me NOT to beep the horn or yell out when I dropped her off at school. Which of course meant ALL of us in the car wound the windows down and yelled out to her. It wasn't long after that when she said it didn't bother her anymore because all the other kids around, had parents too. It's a good thing because for her 16th birthday I printed off photos of her as a baby as well as a couple of recent ones, and plastered them on the fence across the road from school so EVERYONE would see them when they came out. There were balloons and streamers as well.
When my oldest son M started high school (which is grade 8 over here)I told him that if he didn't kiss me goodbye when I dropped him off at school I would go after him. He tried it one day in his first year. He knew full well I couldn't keep up with him. He jumped out of the car with a huge grin on his face and took off. I got out of the car and walked in the direction he ran. He and his friends would bob their head from around the corner of buildings and give me a huge grin before taking off again.
I proceeded up to the office and asked them where his first class was. I made my way down there where he realized he'd been foiled. He tried to get past me. I said to him "You can either kiss me on the cheek HERE or I'll go to the front of the class and tell everyone why I'm here." He knew I'd do it...so he gave me my kiss on the cheek and ran into class.
While in his last year of school he tried it again. I was wearing mismatched clothes, a robe and slippers to drop him off. He knew I wouldn't walk around the school grounds to find him dressed like that. He jumped out of the car with a grin on his face. I knew that he was gonna take off.....only this time he jumped the fence. I jumped out of the car and YELLED as he ran through the throngs of kids mulling around the front of the school..."M......... C........ YOU GET BACK HERE AND GIVE YOUR MOTHER A KISS!!!!!!!!!!" He just kept on running and grinning. We had a good laugh about it when I picked him up. He told me all about the comments the kids at school were making about it.
One day while I was up at school I walked past a child's classroom. He was in grade 4 at the time. I knocked on the door and the teacher asked "Can I help you?". I said "No. I just wanted to tell everyone that I love Ch....." He grinned and shook his head.
Not all children can be as accepting to these kind of actions. I have one child who I can not be so bold with and I know the boundaries. Use your 'embarrassing skills' wisely and not in a hurtful way.
I have found on the internet that there are sites dedicated to us 'embarrassing parents'. One site suggests a list of things that kids find most embarrassing:
December 26, 2009
Christmas 2009
It's boxing day now but oh what a lovely Christmas we had. The fact that money played a very little part made it even better.
You see, we couldn't afford to buy any presents for each other this year. Sometimes life is like that and that's OK. We've lived through this in the past and survived and I'm sure we'll live through it again sometime in the future. There's many things you can do without money. My clever niece made her husband and her brother a tie made out of duct tape. They looked really good. We could have made something for each other or we could have given coupons but I came up with an idea that was totally 'It's the thought that counts'.
I had the children go through the advertising catalogs and choose things for each other (and mum and dad) that if we had the money we would have bought.
My husband was feeling very bad about not being able to have gifts this year. I kept telling him that the kids are fine with it. He said that they were only fine with it because they had no other choice. I tried to reassure him that our children were not like that at all.
Anyway...Come Christmas morning there were lots of little white envelopes under the tree. There were even some for our guest we had come over for breakfast. As it turns out this will be one of the most memorable Christmases EVER. Aaron (14yrold) gave Michael (18yr old) a pork roast. Well we were in fits of laughter and that pretty much set the tone for the day. Not only did Michael get pork but Sarah (19yr old) gave our visitors pork as well and Michael gifted Sarah Bacon!!! Can you see a theme here?
I got given 'wooden flooring' from Sarah. My kids know how much I'd love to have wood floor instead of carpet. I also got a big screen TV...I mean a BIG screen...along with a new computer with a nice big monitor. All in all we ended up with three big screen TVs (mine was the biggest of course) and three computers. Someone got insect repellent while someone else got deodorant.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." and presents...although very nice....didn't make it 'wonderful' this year. It was so enjoyable I'd be happy enough to make this a new family tradition. Just think of the money we'd save.
May 2010 bring us all more harmony and love.
You see, we couldn't afford to buy any presents for each other this year. Sometimes life is like that and that's OK. We've lived through this in the past and survived and I'm sure we'll live through it again sometime in the future. There's many things you can do without money. My clever niece made her husband and her brother a tie made out of duct tape. They looked really good. We could have made something for each other or we could have given coupons but I came up with an idea that was totally 'It's the thought that counts'.
I had the children go through the advertising catalogs and choose things for each other (and mum and dad) that if we had the money we would have bought.
My husband was feeling very bad about not being able to have gifts this year. I kept telling him that the kids are fine with it. He said that they were only fine with it because they had no other choice. I tried to reassure him that our children were not like that at all.
Anyway...Come Christmas morning there were lots of little white envelopes under the tree. There were even some for our guest we had come over for breakfast. As it turns out this will be one of the most memorable Christmases EVER. Aaron (14yrold) gave Michael (18yr old) a pork roast. Well we were in fits of laughter and that pretty much set the tone for the day. Not only did Michael get pork but Sarah (19yr old) gave our visitors pork as well and Michael gifted Sarah Bacon!!! Can you see a theme here?
I got given 'wooden flooring' from Sarah. My kids know how much I'd love to have wood floor instead of carpet. I also got a big screen TV...I mean a BIG screen...along with a new computer with a nice big monitor. All in all we ended up with three big screen TVs (mine was the biggest of course) and three computers. Someone got insect repellent while someone else got deodorant.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." and presents...although very nice....didn't make it 'wonderful' this year. It was so enjoyable I'd be happy enough to make this a new family tradition. Just think of the money we'd save.
May 2010 bring us all more harmony and love.
November 18, 2008
Joys of parenting...
The house is lovely and quiet right now. It's not even 6am. It's my favourite time of the day. Sure I have a splitting headache but hopefully the medication will kick in anytime now.
Last night didn't go as planned. FHE was going to be one that I knew I wouldn't hear groans and complaints about. I just KNEW it. Everyone was going to be happy, participate AND enjoy it.
We have been asked to sing a couple of songs for a friend's work party this coming Saturday. We are NOT great singers (well maybe I speak for myself....I can NOT hit a correct note to save my life) but we did have fun singing at a couple of church activities. What we sang made people laugh and that was our aim.
So anyway...for FHE we were going to practice the songs. Cheers were heard all 'round. They were happy and I was once again 'RIGHT'....which by the way, I usually am.
So we practiced our song through once. PERFECT family harmony (not so much the singing but the getting along). We sang the song through again and yet again. FINE. Everything was going smoothly. "Ok...one more time!" I got greedy.
We were facing towards a window and I could see one son, a recent teenager, acting foolish behind me. I informed him that he needed to stop what he was doing. He came to stand by me and we started our 'one last time' again.
That's when it began! He was standing between me and the other teenage male in the home. That was my first mistake. Their arms touched at one point and the "Don't touch my body!!!" drama began. Only it's worse as they get older and bigger. And it's at that point that the practicing of that song ended. One stormed off to his room and the other just refused to put any effort into anything else we might do.
We decided that my husband and I would practice our song, have a treat and call it DONE!
As we sang our song and did the actions our children were laughing (except for the one up in his room) and my husband cracked up too. This is a good sign.
Maybe after this performance the hole in the bucket will FINALLY be fixed.
Last night didn't go as planned. FHE was going to be one that I knew I wouldn't hear groans and complaints about. I just KNEW it. Everyone was going to be happy, participate AND enjoy it.
We have been asked to sing a couple of songs for a friend's work party this coming Saturday. We are NOT great singers (well maybe I speak for myself....I can NOT hit a correct note to save my life) but we did have fun singing at a couple of church activities. What we sang made people laugh and that was our aim.
So anyway...for FHE we were going to practice the songs. Cheers were heard all 'round. They were happy and I was once again 'RIGHT'....which by the way, I usually am.
So we practiced our song through once. PERFECT family harmony (not so much the singing but the getting along). We sang the song through again and yet again. FINE. Everything was going smoothly. "Ok...one more time!" I got greedy.
We were facing towards a window and I could see one son, a recent teenager, acting foolish behind me. I informed him that he needed to stop what he was doing. He came to stand by me and we started our 'one last time' again.
That's when it began! He was standing between me and the other teenage male in the home. That was my first mistake. Their arms touched at one point and the "Don't touch my body!!!" drama began. Only it's worse as they get older and bigger. And it's at that point that the practicing of that song ended. One stormed off to his room and the other just refused to put any effort into anything else we might do.
We decided that my husband and I would practice our song, have a treat and call it DONE!
As we sang our song and did the actions our children were laughing (except for the one up in his room) and my husband cracked up too. This is a good sign.
Maybe after this performance the hole in the bucket will FINALLY be fixed.
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