JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Coax 'Em Towards Bedtime -- Tub Fun

Eli has always been our guppy, enjoying baths since his very first one...

 

But now that he's a tot, we depend on those baths.  It is our "bridge activity," helping to make a smooth transition from post-supper fun to bedtime.  As anybody who's stayed up too late watching The Late Show knows, it is hard to end a fun day.  Tots often feel that way too, and coaxing with a tired toddler into pajamas when you're a tired parent can be a recipe for disaster.  Nope...  Prevention is always the best strategy.  Also, Brian has had a lot of late worknights lately, and Eli really misses him in the evenings.  For all these reasons, I love ways to make bathtime an activity Eli is happy to abandon his toys for and a "carrot" for getting tooth brushing over with.  "Let's get this done and you can get into the tub!"

Some decent bathtub toys are key, but I already wrote about that.  (Click here to read that post.)  The occasional gimmick, rotated so it doesn't become stale, can really help too.  Some of our favorites...

Colored Ice Cubes --  I found this idea on the web, and it really is cheap, goofy fun.  Eli chases them around in the water, races them down the sides of the tub, and uses them as an ingredient in "Bubble Soup."  If he's starting to balk at going upstairs for bed, often all I have to say is, "Hey, Eli, what color of ice cubes do you want tonight?"  Then I let him pick three.

 

The Outdoor Bath -- On warm nights, Eli is enchanted by taking a bath outside in a big bucket using just a squirt or two of biodegradable soap.  Can't say I blame him.  Some of my fondest early memories from my grandparents house are of bathing in a big galvanized washtub near the back pasture.

 

Tub Tints -- Who wouldn't love a sky-blue bath?  Eli's favorite seems to be yellow, which is a bit comical.  The most common brand of tint tablets seems to be Crayola.  If you use just one tablet for a bath, a canister lasts quite a while.

 

Bubbles! -- Once a week or so we offer Eli his choice of bubbles -- tub bubbles (California Baby bubble bath) or flying bubbles.  For the latter, if you've never tried the Gymboree bubble pipe and Bubble Oodles solution, you're in for a treat.  This duo makes clouds of tiny bubbles that seem to last forever.  On chilly nights when we run the space heater, the bubbles swirl all through the bathroom in an amazing fashion.

 

Critter Capsules -- Easy to find in dollar stores or the Dollar Spot at Target, one dropped in the warm water of the tub makes for tot excitement.  Slowly, slowly the foam sponge critter breaks free of the melting gelatin capsule to reveal itself and then becomes a good tub toy. 

I haven't had a chance to try them with Eli yet, but here are some things my nieces and nephews used to love when I babysat them:

• Let them stamp all over themselves with stamps using a washable, kid-friendly stamp pad then take a bath to watch their "tattoos" disappear. 
• Use suction cups and yarn to make a low clothesline, then let them handwash their baby doll clothes.  You can even get tiny wooden clothespins at the craft store.
• Bath paint!  That stuff is expensive, but here is a recipe that may work.
• Playing with shaving cream (as long as they are old enough to understand it will sting if they get it in their eyes)

Do you have any tricks for making bathtime exciting?  Do tell!

El Cerrito Splash Park

Odd.  This Georgia girl still doesn't understand living in a place where September is hotter than July.  We've had something of a heat wave the last couple of weeks, but Eli and I have made a fun go of it thanks to the El Cerrito Splash Park.

Surveying the wonder of it all...

 

See the kid on the right looking up at the colored buckets? 

 

Those buckets slowly fill with water and periodically tip to shower the kids below.  Eli was pretty quick to figure out how it works and makes a point to stay out from under there.  But one time he spotted a kid playing with a cool water toy and forgot all about the buckets.  Sure enough, a huge splash landed on Eli's head.  Little Guy was shocked and instantly ran for dry ground, scanning for Mama as he ran.  He threw himself in my arms and buried his face in my lap for a couple of seconds.  Then he started to giggle...then to laugh...then to belly laugh.  "LOTS of water," he sputtered, and then ran back into the play zone.

  

 

The big grin says it all!  

 

One Mama's Two Cents:
I was a little surprised that the park hours are short and broken into two sessions.  (Click here for more information.)  But the park is such a fun and easygoing place for toddlers that it is worth fitting it into our schedule.  Seats for adults on the sidelines are few and in full sun, so I bring a picnic blanket that I can tuck into one of the shady spots around the edges of the landscaping.  The grass gets soggy, so a waterproof blanket is better than a towel.  Also, I found Eli gets tired of water-only after about fifteen minutes, but he'll play for hours if he has some water toys -- buckets, tot watering can, and the like.  The place sometimes gets crowded, especially if a daycare shows up, so I usually bring a stack of clean dollar store unbreakable cups that we can share with all the kiddos without worrying about collecting every single one of them again. 

A Night at the Opera

Earlier this month, Brian and I had the pleasure of an evening out.  A very adult evening out!  We went to the San Francisco Opera to see Heart of a Soldier, a story about Rick Rescorla who saved the lives of many before losing his own life in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

My friend Sara is a talented soprano for the opera, so we got to enter through the stage door and get a behind-the-scenes peek.

Sara in the dressing room...

 

Makeup...

 

Wigs for various female roles...
(Those are some long locks!) 

 

And the gents get a little help looking just right for their roles too...

 

Costumes, Orderly and Ready for Each Change...

 

 

Sitting Down in Our Seats and Getting Ready for the Show...

 

It was a magical night!  We enjoyed the performance very much.  I had just finished reading the book Heart of a Soldier by Pulitzer Prize-winning author James B. Stewart, so it was very interesting to see the story transformed with music.  The sets and backdrops were amazing; it is quite the art form that can successfully take the audience from England to Vietnam to New Jersey to the 9/11 World Trade Center with a few quick changes.  What also moved me was that Rick Rescorla's widow and best friend attended the performance the same night we did.  As I watched those characters on stage, I knew the real people who had lived through those experiences were viewing the opera right along with me.

It was a magical night I'll never forget!

September Apples

September is like clicking up that first big hill of a roller coaster.  Anticipation.  It isn't autumn full yet, but it is the slow and sweet beginning.  All the lovely things about autumn are soon to come.

On the first day of September, I celebrate the first touch of autumn by pulling out familiar old wooden apples and placing them in a bowl.  

 

 

I find myself missing the mountains of Georgia and Tennessee even more than usual as autumn draws in.  September in that part of the world always meant a quest for fresh mountain apples and as well as muscadines and scuppernongs.  And just that peacefulness that settles in the southern woodlands in the fall.  

Living here in Northern California, I go searching for reminders...   

  

 

 

I struck autumn gold this year with a new recipe found on the web.  Apple Cider Caramels.  It isn't just the spicy apple taste combined with the warmth of caramel.  It is the whole process.  The first step is to reduce the apple cider, steaming away the excess moisture so that it becomes more concentrated.  A few drops on a spoon are downright glorious.  And the whole house smells like an orchard.

These treats are a joy to cook.  Autumny-colored liquids.  Bubbling pots.  Browned sugar sweetness with the cidery snap hiding underneath.  Cutting the buttered candy into squares and wrapping the bite-sized confections in autumn finery to share with friends.

  

 

  

 

 

Here's the recipe:  http://blondiescakes.blogspot.com/2010/12/apple-cider-caramels.html

My first batch was good, yet the caramels were hard.  If you know about See's lollypops, that's what they were like.  I prefer a softer caramel, so I did some research.  The second time you heat the sugar mixture, take the temperature to 244 degrees rather than 248.  Four little degrees, but it makes all the difference in texture!  My second batch was heavenly chewy.

Happy Autumn!  Next stop, pumpkins....

Hill

Grass.  Sunshine.  Hill.  Boy.

Run.  Hop.  Flop.  Roll.

 

(And it looks like time to get out the OxyClean!)

Kaffee und Kuchen und Ici

A little while back I was reading Confections of a Closet Master Baker:  One Woman's Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado (Sandra Bullock's little sister).  One of the mini essays in the book is about "Kaffee und Kuchen," the traditional German break every afternoon for coffee and cake.  Bullock-Prado wrote about how different it is in Europe where almost everyone puts work aside each day to chat with friends and enjoy a few peaceful moments.  The idea is to eat healthy all day but splurge regularly for something homemade and genuinely wonderful so you never feel deprived.  I think about how different that is from vowing to be "good" and then breaking down to grab a diet soda and a semi-stale "treat" from a vending machine.  

In the spirit of Kaffee und Kuchen....  One of my favorite local spots is Ici gourmet ice cream shop and confectionary.  You walk in the door and Ici is noticably different.  Peaceful.  Aesthetically pleasing.  Memorable treats made on site from fresh ingredients.  Just thinking about it calls to mind such creations as lavender-lemon ice cream, mint marshmallows, basil meringues, and strawberry-rhubarb macaroons.  "Ici" means "here" in French, and I think the place is aptly named.  When you are at Ici, it is easy to feel present, enjoying the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip for Little Guy and Pluot Raspberry Sorbet for me. 

  

  

  

 

 

Once his own scoop was gone, that small boy was buzzing around my cup like a bee... 

  

 

Taking home a treat for Papa... 

 

Just looking at the photos again felt like a mini-vacation.  And the images also remind me of Willene, the person I know who best embraces the spirit of Kaffee und Kuchen.  Willene, here's wishing we both had a piece of your Edna Cake and a quiet moment to catch up....

Ardenwood Farm Historic Railroad Fair

The days are slipping away and I haven't written about one of our Labor Day Weekend adventures.  We went back to Ardenwood Farm, this time for their Historic Railroad Fair.  They had a couple of small steam trains going and we had a great time riding the rails.

 

Porter Tank Steam Engine, Antelope & Western No. 1  (1889)

 

Lining up at the station to ride the passenger cars...

 

Porter 0-4-0 Tank Steam Engine, Ann Marie (1890)

  

 

They had an old-fashioned calliope playing...

 

There were model railroads to enjoy...

 

But I think our family's favorite was a ride on a hand car.  

Like something out of a Road Runner cartoon or The Apple Dumplin' Gang, there we were pumping ourselves down the track...

 

Eli hung on tight to the side and did a good bit of happy whooping...

 

Much of the farm and train fun of Ardenwood is available year round.  The upcoming Harvest Festival is certainly tempting.

Colorbox Game

At Eli's coaxing, he and I played Chutes & Ladders preschool board game several times this summer.  I can't say I enjoyed it.  I don't think Eli actually enjoyed it either.  The spinner is a little hard for small hands, the board is cluttered, and the game goes on too long (even if you fold the board in half).  Eli counts and recognizes most numerals, but he still needs a lot of help.  Right now it isn't a game, it's a task.  No thanks.

Then last weekend we went to visit Eli's Uncle Mike and his family.  Aunt Kathy kindly brought out some things she thought Eli would enjoy, including a board game she had when she was a girl.  Bunte Ballone (color balloon) is a german board game that is wonderfully simple.

 

In turns, each person rolls a color dice to earn cardboard circles of each color to cover the balloons on their board.  If you already have the color you rolled on the dice, you wait until the next turn to try again.  The first person to cover all their balloons wins.  Eli could play with very little nudging.  More importantly, he really enjoyed it and so did the older players. 

Once we were home again, I searched the Internet for a copy of the game.  Alas, except for a Curious George version marketed in the 1950s, it really is strictly European.  I couldn't justify paying for an expensive import.  But the concept is so simple...

Here's our version.  We named it Colorbox.

 

Instead of cardboard circles and balloons, we have dollar store craft puffballs that go into corresponding colored .39 cent Amac boxes from The Container Store.  You can buy color dice on Amazon, although school supply stores probably have them too.  Heck, you could make your own using a regular dice and dot stickers.  I decided to buy a cheap game called Roll-a-Rainbow off eBay that has six color dice.

 

It's a success!  We all have fun playing Colorbox and Eli is self-sufficient.  He's learning about taking turns, being patient, winning/losing, and sportsmanship.  He also brushes up on his color words and matching skills while the small boxes with lids also give fine motor skill practice.  It can be a nature game too.  One morning this week we took the dice outside and played the same game using berries and autumn leaves as the colored items we were trying to win.

Thanks, Aunt Kathy!

 

Hi Ho Cherri-o and Candyland are the other popular store-bought tot board games in our country.  We don't have either yet, although I know from working at the daycare that the latter is based on colors rather than counting.  That will be our next step.  But Bunte Ballone/Colorbox is short enough to make it a perfect first game.

D'oh! You Just Made a "Kid Pas"

In French, "faux pas" means "false step."  You broke convention, acted with bad manners, or otherwise got yourself into a fine kettle of fish socially -- usually without meaning to do so.  

One of the nice things about being a new parent is that you don't have to worry about faux pas around wee ones.  You can let it all hang out.  Ahhhh.  Months go by.  You get really used to being able to say whatever you want.  Then one day something you said to your tot or around your tot lands you in parenting purgatory -- usually something completely innocent.  Congratulations.  You just committed a "kid pas."

1.  The Potty Mouth -- A car swerves into your lane.  "&*%$#$!!!" you blurt out.  And from the backseat of the car you hear that same word echo back to you in a tender, sweet little voice.  D'oh!  Then you start chanting in your head, "Don't react!  Don't react!  Don't...."  If you can just act nonchalant enough, your toddler may forget.  With older kids?  Don't bet on it.  One day while my brother was working on his car in his driveway, he hit a snag and let loose with a blue streak.  Moments later he looked up to see wide-eyed neighbor girls and their parents staring at him.  He had to buy cases of Girl Scout cookies to buy his way back into good graces.

2.  The Information Leak -- If you're really lucky, this one is just your kid spilling the beans about what gift you bought Grandma.  But then there was the little girl who arrived one morning at the daycare where I worked and cheerfully announced, "Mommy said Daddy is a son of a b*tch!"

3.  The Broadcast -- Your child loudly repeats what you whispered.  For example, at Six Flags we watched a lady struggle to squeeze into a kiddie ride beside her child.  She ended up having to wait on the sidelines and Eli asked why.  I leaned down and explained quietly that she couldn't fit in the seat.  "SHE COULDN'T FIT IN THE SEAT!" Eli repeated.  He pointed for good measure.  

4.  The Treat Reveal -- You announce a vacation the family will be taking four months from now yet have to daily hear, "When are we going?"  One morning you mention the raspberries are off limits for breakfast because you're using them in cupcakes for tomorrow's party.  Then you have to hear several times each hour, "Is it time to make cupcakes yet?"

5.  The Treat Letdown -- "We'll get that takeout you love on the way home," you tell your child.  Then the favorite restaurant is closed.  All morning you kept your toddler going through 1,001 errands with the promise of watching the construction trucks when you're done -- only to round the corner and find the project done, the trucks all gone.  You always tell yourself that glitches help your kid get used to normal disappointment in life...but does it have to be today, right now when you're both so tired?  At the twentieth rendition of "But, Mama, you SAID...." you could smack yourself on the forehead for mentioning any sort of plan.

6.  The Sanctioning Laugh -- A split second after you laughed at something your kid did, you realized you should have frowned.  Now they know they did something funny and will repeat it.  And repeat it.  And repeat it.  (I'm a little better at this one now, but I was really bad about this as an aunt!  When you're not around kids every day, you get out of practice.)

7.  A Thousand and Once Exceptions -- My father-in-law told of a long car trip when my husband and brother-in-law were kids.  Two little boys in the back seat and one of them just had to ask why animals can't talk.  After mile upon mile of discussion and parental explanation, they pulled into a rest stop...and there was a parrot.  "But you said...."  It's gonna take another twenty minutes to talk your way out of this one.

8.  The Rabbit Hole -- Like Alice discovering that the small tunnel opens up into a wide new world, one explanation opens up umpteen new questions and concepts.  Driving next to the bay, your tot asks, "What is that?"  "A drawbridge," you say cheerfully.  Bam!  Suddenly you're trying to navigate highway traffic while explaining bridges, boats, captains, signal lights, shipping lanes, bridge construction, and maritime weather in small sentences and age-appropriate vocabulary.  Whew!  You get through it.  There's a three second lull before the little voice from the back seat asks, "What is that?"

 

My favorite goofball...
Pull-Ups aren't just for bottoms anymore!

Supermom: Of Sailing Ships and Cheese Bunnies

During graduate school I started working for the same public library that I visited with excitement and affection all through my growing up years.  One day during my lunch hour, I went on a mission.  There was one children's book that I deeply loved in my younger years yet could recall neither title nor author.  So even though I knew it was a long shot after all those years, I started at "A" and went though shelf after shelf of picture books.  Unbelievably... thankfully... I struck gold in the "H" section.  There was the familiar, beloved cover art of Irene Haas' book, The Maggie B.  

I didn't remember why I loved the book, so the quest was a little bit about trying to touch base with who I used to be.  Psychologist Carl Jung felt that we long remember certain childhood experiences because they resonate with our most authentic selves, with who we are meant to be.  As an adult reading The Maggie B, it was so obvious that I had to laugh.  Heroine Margaret Barnstable wished on a star at bedtime and woke up with the sort of life I want most.  

The Maggie B is Margaret's ship.  It has a farm on the deck including a goat for milk, chickens for eggs, vegetables, and fruit trees.  Down below, she has her own cozy kitchen and sleeping quarters.  She has her baby brother for company and her day goes by in "a joyful hustle-bustle."  Margaret sings and goes fishing and cooks and plays with the baby.  She even takes time to be creative, setting up an easel so she can paint.  Later, she plays the violin.  A big storm comes up towards evening, but she valiantly takes care of the sails then goes below knowing she's made her ship secure.  While the rain lashes above, she's baking peaches with cinnamon and honey.  

What a story!  The ocean is huge and wild, but the setting is pared down to one sturdy boat.  Margaret is off on adventures, yet she has her snug home, animal and human companions, and nature with her.  She is competent when danger comes.  But I think what I loved most of all about the story is that Margaret took joy in her everyday tasks.  Sweeping, washing dishes, and (above all) cooking are peaceful, happy, wide-awake undertakings.  Margaret is organized, proficient, but also definitely mindful.

 

Flash foward a few years.  (Okay.  Quite a few years.)   I have my own home, my own kitchen, my own child.  Yes, we're living in a rental house due to short term assignment and I'm often suffering from "mama brain" due to being tired, yet I have many days that feel decidedly Maggie B-ish.  Despite the double handful of crazy and frustrating things about being a mom to a toddler, I'm really happy not just because it is worthwhile, but also because it suits me.  And the days when I'm the happiest are the ones when I slow down to mindfully do household tasks and childcare while still leaving some room for creativity in one form or another.  Thank you, Margaret.   

Because I have a big Margaret Barnstable affinity, I worked at a daycare for a while in college and even took turns being their substitute breakfast and lunch cook.  I got both a bachelor's and master's in Art Education, specializing in K-5.  I moved on to a career in archives but soon was serving as Education Coordinator for the state archives.  I spent as much time as I could with my ten nieces and nephews, even baking goofy, elaborate birthday cakes whenever I could.  

To me, it was no stretch at all to put in extra effort when it was my turn to bring snack for my son's playgroup.  It was near Easter, so I got cute napkins and cups.  I heard the tip that coffee filters make great kiddo snack containers, so I brought those to hold the strawberries.  I found whole wheat mini bunny-shaped crackers.  Then I dipped into my admittedly huge cookie cutter collection to cut bunny shapes out of sliced cheese, adding raisins for the eyes and nose.  Shopping took a little longer because I made sure all the snacks were organic and healthy.  But it was fairly quick and easy as well as fun.

 

"Ugh.  You raised the bar, Supermom," one of the other mothers said sarcastically.  The edge to her voice sounded genuine.  Her kid was bouncing in his seat with excitement over his cheese bunny, but she was worried about having to make more effort when it was her turn.  "Kids are happy with anything edible," I said lightly.  But there's part of me that wishes I would have said...

Margaret Barnstable would have understood.  I didn't make cheese bunnies or buy fun napkins to make anybody feel bad or to compete.  I did those things because it makes my kid and your kid happy.  In addition, it makes me happy, brings creativity and aesthetics into family life, turns a chore into something enjoyable. Little touches make each day special.  Little touches help me to be who I was meant to be, even with all my failings and my stumbles.

There's nothing wrong with finding snacktime and cute napkins boring.  And lots of moms -- especially working moms or moms with more than one kid -- are too busy to put priority in the details.  No problem.  Loving and supporting your kids are the basics while fun snacktime is just a detail.  You have other gifts to give, other talents to share.  I stink at math and maybe you're naturally set to help turn your child into a math whiz.  Maybe you can share the gift of music, help your child be bilingual, or teach them to grow up into a financial mastermind -- things I can't do.  Maybe you're not that great with wee kids but will hit your stride when these kids are teenagers and I'm pulling my hair out.  Motherhood is for the rest of your life, so you'll get your chance to hit your stride, bless you.  Please.  Sit back, clam up, and let your kid enjoy the cheese bunnies!

 

 

This video about "mompetition" cracks me up...