Granola Guy

In my frenzy to make sure Stewart has good life survival skills before he leaves on his mission to Billings, Montana in 15 days, today was learn-to-make-granola day. Cheaper than buying it, filling, you can control the sweetness, and the ultimate comfort food. We used Alton Brown's base recipe, but made a bigger batch. Stewart chose cranberries and coconut to add in.
Oats, oat bran, pecans, sesame seeds, honey, maple syrup, oil, salt.

TIFFANY NEEDS TO READ THIS More Last Thursday Mother's Class results: I took Sam & Roxie shopping with me for a cereal container. Normally, I would have gone by myself, while they were in school. But the play/work class helped me realize I need to teach them how to shop--which is work!

I told them what I was looking for, the features the container needed (plastic, not glass, big to fit lots of granola, pourable spout, ergonomic handle or easy to pour, good use of space and fit in our cupboard, and not expensive.)

We started at Dollar Tree, nothing, and almost walked out, but they had swim noodles in two new colors for our pattern "teach sewing skills" game March 31st post! Then we went to the grocery store. Compared containers, calculated which one was bigger (one was listed as 1.5 gallons, other was 40 ounces. Which is bigger? Math in the grocery isle!). We then went to Ollies, and Dollar General, looking, walking out when we didn't find what we needed. The $8.99 Rubbermaid cereal container at ShopRite seems to fit the most of our requirements, except the cheap part. It took awhile, but I hope they learned how I shop, what I look for, what is important to me (price and function!). We came home and put the granola in ziplock gallon bags, until we find the perfect container!

Tiffany Toys & Work

Last night I crashed another ward's Relief Society meeting. Friend Tiffany of "Likely Stories" taught us about play and work. They can mingle. Children need to have open-ended toys, and disciplined work. And it is up to us moms to share our work. Teach them to be independent of us.

Every two weeks on Friday I clean John's 90 year old grandma's condo. Today, I took Sam with me, because of the lecture last night. He was home 2 hours early from school (because I chaperoned his field trip and checked him out afterwards to come home with me). I had just enough time to run up and hurry & clean before my high schoolers walked home, but had the thought to invite him. Something I have not done before.

Before we got there, he said he wanted to do toilets. Really, I thought? I told him he could use Great Grandma's cool mop, too, after I swept the floors. And asked if he would vacuum. It is always more fun to clean with someone else's tools. I remember loving to do dishes when I babysat, just because their dishes weren't mine.

Thinking that I wanted to monitor how Sam was doing, I made sure to show him how to scrub up under the rim. Made some suggestions on what tools to use, which cleaners. He was really good about reporting back, asking what to do with things. He even found the plug outlets all on his own.

We got done with two people only 15 minutes faster than I do on my own, but he felt good about it, and he learned some new skills (swifter wet jet mop). He even helped me hang up a new jewelry case that had come in the mail for her, sweet Surprise.

The money she pays me helps pay for bills, but she had left out some Easter candy for me to take home to the kids. On the way home Sam bit into a huge chocolate bunny and said he had fun.

It is fun to clean! Fun to go see what mom does? Fun to help, joyful to serve.

So thank you, Tiffany, for a good, inspiring lesson. I wanted to let you know that you helped me think to include him, when it would have been so easy to just do what I normally do. Independent me.

I am re-thinking our whole summer, with Mom Lessons in mind. Remember when Suzu cooked for us for 2 weeks? Planned the menu and everything? Each of the children should get a chance to do that. Learn to make bread from scratch, since Marjorie's grandma did it when she was 4 years old! Cook a big fancy family meal. Go food shopping independently.

The things that I really enjoy doing--I need to share them, the activity doing part of it, not just the end result. Saying, "Here is a quilt" is not the same as teaching them how to do it for themselves. Like fishing lessons, so they can eat for a lifetime, I want to be a better teacher.

More ideas from last night: I am looking for golf tees and a crab mallet to pound into a cardboard box for my next toddler play date! And make Tiffany inspired cardboard wings! And display the children's books the way they do at libraries, front cover showing, not just spines. Declutter some toys, rotate toys, look for more open-ended toys....

We have HISTORY!

I have been taking digital photos of hard copy photos. Feeling amazed at my beautiful babies. Sweet memories and thoughts as I look at these.

I love this shot of Emma and Stewart lying on mini-trampoline with matching picture Books of Mormon. "Abid-ah-buh?" was Stewart's mimic-repeat-after-me of family scripture reading. Kind of sounds like "It came to pass"



Mom made these in Homemaking--sewing boards using shoe laces to go in and out of the holes and trace the pictures she drew. Formative favorite pictures.
Emma baby pictures.


At 4 years I remember thinking I thought this looked like me when I grew up.
Gift from creative friend last year...
..and this year. She knows and shares the creative NEED to make stuff.
I am in an on-line quilting group. We make blocks for each other. This month I made these for Sheryl in DC. She sent me fragments of 4 of her brother's shirts, asked for stars. I used up every scrap I could, including his pocket with initials in the center of the "Churn Dash" star-ish block (it is one of my all-time favorite blocks!)