¿Hablas Español?

I have found my teaching outlet!!  I volunteered to teach Spanish to M's Kindergarten class for 30 minutes once a week.  It is SO FUN!  I have found a lot of great resources, like this, from Pinterest and have also scoped out our local library for books in Spanish.

So far, the kiddos have:

• practiced simple phrases like "Me llamo" (my name is), "Yo veo..." (I see...), "Buenas tardes" (good afternoon), "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?),  "Muy bien, gracias." (Very well, thank you.), ¿Y tú? (And you?), and "Adios" (good bye).
• sung a Buenas Tardes song (Good Afternoon) to the tune of Frere Jacques
• learned color words
• played "Busca, busca para algo..." (look, look for something... fill in with a color word)
• listened to "How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?" in English and Spanish. 

I think they've enjoyed it.  They are a sweet class and seem excited about everything.  They have jumped on board with the singing and love the Busca, Busca game as well.  One little punky stood up the first day and said, "May I go to el baño before I have un accidente?"  She cracked me up and is a little spitfire!  It's been fun to get to know M's classmates as well.  I can put faces and personalities with the names M mentions when she gets home!

Next up... numbers! 

My learning curve

I knew staying at home would be a change for me.  Obviously.  I think the cleaning and organizing have been fine (I did manage to do that while I worked full time, so it's become easier, really).  I've learned I CAN put together a few decent meals, and have been slowly but surely adding to our list of go-to recipes.  Being a taxi driver is also not something totally new to me, but it has definitely increased.  We bought a new van not too long ago and have already put on just a little less than 2000 miles!  Crazy, crazy! 

I feel like the biggest thing I'm still struggling with is time management, probably especially when it comes to meal prep, but I'm also still learning about time travel in our new town.  For example, M has dance at 5:30 on Mondays.  In my head I know we have to be out the door by 5:15 because we live close to the studio.  The problem is it doesn't naturally occur to me that to get to that point, I need to have food READY by 4:45 so she has time to eat and change.  Another possibility, of course is to have a decent snack and eat afterwards, but that would require even better meal prep because I wouldn't be able to START supper after dance.  So, so many first world problems going on there! 

Also, I think it drives JJ crazy, but I am just a slow cook.  For one thing, it's not like I'm just sitting in the kitchen minding my own business.  I also am reviewing the school day with M, trying to give C feedback on his latest soccer kick spinjitzu spin move kick jump, and probably putting a few dishes away or reloading the dishwasher.  But another, I am almost always reading a recipe (which JJ NEVER does) and let's just say my knife skills are not up to par.  (Have you heard my story of 7 stitches in my fingers?)  My solution to THIS has been to do a little meal prep while C naps in the afternoons.  I try to at least chop the veggies, but sometimes I'll even premeasure ingredients or have pots/pans out and ready to go.  I know.  I am THAT weirdo Type A-er that enjoys that sort of stuff.

So what about you?  What are some tips or tricks you've picked up in the area of time management/meal prep??  Keep 'em coming because I need all the help I can get! 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

The weather last week was CHILLY.  While I was meal planning, I was in the mood for soup.  But, we all know weather is not stable, especially where I live... unless you count winter.  Because then it's just freezing cold for like 5 months.  Anyways, this week has been GORGEOUS.  But, since I bought broccoli and a few other necessary ingredients for broccoli cheese soup, well, I dove right in to make it last night.  It's not a HEAVY soup like chili or gumbo that I absolutely have to have in the winter, so it all worked out in the end.  And C ate like 3 bowls full, so it must've been ok!!  I stole the recipe right from Pinterest, so I'm just going to link it.  Mmm-mmm.  It was awesome and super easy to make! 

Pinterest... FAIL...

Cloud Clay!  "No cook recipe!" they said.  "Fastest and softest clay you will ever make!" they said.

With my busy boy and I at home during the day... actually "at home" is sort of a joke.  We are all around town most of the time!  I am starting to rethink these things I set up for times like 9:30 or 10.  With a drop off time of around 8:00 for Miss M, and a good 20 minute drive home... sometimes going home is not completely worth it.  But, where does one take a 3 year old at 8:30 in the morning?

Anyways, I digress.  One morning, we decided we were doing an activity at home.  I got C on board to make Cloud Clay.  The ingredients and directions could not be simpler.  I almost missed the directions in the post I pinned from Pinterest they were so simple:

You need 2 parts corn starch to 1 part conditioner.  I used 1 cup corn starch and 1/2 cup conditioner.  Please note that the brand you use might require a little MORE or a little LESS depending on how much water is in the conditioner.    When you first start to mix it,  it will appear that it is going to be too dry.  But just keep stirring and before long you will have a soft dough formed.  

 So first of all, I realized that in the move our food coloring completely disappeared.  We must've decided it was not worth the move... or they are in a random storage area.  I would not be surprised by either one.  C was "ok" with making white dough for now and getting coloring later.  We DEFINITELY opted out of glitter.  With Big Sis in the house, enough glitter gets spread everywhere as it is. 

I got out the cornstarch and conditioner (some conditioner I had leftover from a trip to MN when I accidentally bought two things of (really cheap) conditioner instead of one conditioner and one body wash... oops).  And with my helper by my side, we measured out the 1 cup of conditioner and 1/2 cup of corn starch.  Are you with me?  Do you see where I already went wrong?!  I inverted the two ingredients.  There were TWO things to keep track of...  C had great fun playing with the sticky, sticky blob that ensued.  But, we decided to remedy the situation.  We ran to the story and got more cornstarch and food coloring. 

I added 1 1/2 c of corn starch and well, it just never formed.  We even added a cup to start, but that was still sticky so we added the rest of it, and then it was just a weird crumbly mess.  C was ok playing in that awhile too, but we were both bummed we didn't make the amazingly awesome fastest and softest clay EVER. 

Good thing C is quick to forgive and that we have plenty of playdoh on hand to last him awhile!  :)

Friends...

I shared that M has made a bestie (F) in the previous post, and this is just such wonderful news!  We needed school to start so she could start getting to know other kiddos her age.  Church just wasn't cutting it yet either because we were gone a few Sundays, other friends were taking trips, etc. and while she enjoyed her time in Sunday School, she still wasn't really connecting with anyone. 

One time this summer, as we were talking (yet again!) about not being so bossy and clingy with her cousin, who happens to be 5 years older than her - a tricky age span, we talked about how to be a good friend and what might happen if she keeps up this kind of behavior.  She sputtered, "I DO have friends, Mom!  I have a million friends.  And they all live in KANSAS!"  Oh break my heart why don't you?!  Now you and I both know that M has what some might call a flair for dramatics, but there was real hurt in her heart.  I'm so glad that she's both continued to send sweet notes and pictures to her friends in KS, because really, she does have wonderful friends there, BUT also, meet new friends here.

So yes, we have F, who is as cute as a button.  Plus M has started getting to know some girls from Church -- and Sparkies will start up next week (can hardly believe we have a Sparky AND a Cubby this year!).  She has a "best friend" in dance class, too, who apparently wears a black leotard because that is all M wants to wear now too!  And life would not be complete without her play time with C.  They really do get along well (most of the time) and I'm so blessed by that!  

So, we have a Kindergartener...

School started!  Yippee!  This really is happy news for all of us!  I may or may not have teared up bringing her in for her first day, but I assure you (as I assured her the night before in anticipation!) they were happy/proud tears at the beginning of a new chapter.  Our big girl is really growing up!

That first day, and for the next several days, M preferred to have C & I walk her into the school until the kids were dismissed from the cafeteria.  But, soon enough she made a bestie (F) and just yesterday wanted us to just drop her off in the carpool line.  She made this big plan of she would walk to the front doors and give us a thumbs up that she had gotten there.  It was just about the cutest thing ever watching her exaggerated thumbs up to make sure we saw it and knew she was all good.  Today, not even a thumbs up.  C remarked that she was too busy talking to her friends.  The school bus had just gotten there as well and M saw one of her buddies get off the bus.  She said, "Oh hey!  There's B.  She looks cute today!"  The girl talks like she's at least 15, I swear.  Also, every time we pick her up.  Every. single. time.  She is sad because she wants to ride the bus.  I know it must be novel and exciting, but after a few rides, she'd be over that I'm sure of it!  

M is learning all the SOCIAL stuff that comes along with school.  That hidden curriculum stuff that we sped teachers know all about because we have to give "our" kids direct instruction on it.  M's sensitive little heart is showing through.  She feels crushed if a teacher comments that the class lined up too loudly or if she hasn't gotten a reward sticker just yet.  (I know you won't believe this, but she even said the words, "I'll NEVER EVER get a sticker, until my birthday, but then EVERYONE gets a sticker on their birthday.  AND my birthday is a hundred and eighty-two twenty days away!")  Wouldn't you know that just last Friday she came home with not one, not two, but THREE stickers?!  She even shared that when the teacher put a sticker on her folder, she told her teacher "thank you" and her teacher made a big deal about it to the class.  Also, on the flip side, it is apparently the BEST DAY EVER if her teacher tells them they were the best behaved class at Chapel.  :)

Selling MACHINE!

M has her first school fundraiser.  Ever.  We have these handy-dandy coupon books to sell, and thankfully, they do pretty much sell themselves.  Our goal was 10 by Monday because then M gets a milkshake at school on Friday.  It's a big deal folks!  We signed up to sell books at a local business.  Armed with our blue books, borrowed table & chairs (thanks LJ & AJ!), sweet signs and some coloring books to occupy the kiddos, we set up shop.  M is a little seller from way back.  She would ask people as they walked by if they'd like a coupon book, sing Disney songs (to entertain people, Mom), and just generally entertain the crowds.  At the end of about a half hour, we had sold zip, zilch, nada.  Then we sold 4 and M felt on top of the world.  In fact, she wanted to stay on past our hour.  We didn't know if anyone was coming after us, so we just stayed a little longer, and when the next family did show up, M started pouting.  We packed up and headed home.  I told M that if we ate our supper, I would let her try to sell some in our neighborhood.  That evening I think we sold 4 more with the promise of a few more and several people weren't home (it was a Friday evening after all).  One sweet lady said the book is too big for her - she doesn't eat out much, but M was just too beautiful so she took one.  One lady couldn't refuse C jumping up and down telling her what they were and how much they cost.  Another group of college girls said no at first, but then chased us down and said they'd decided to split one book among them.  My parents said they'd like to buy one, we plan on buying one, and JJ sold two more at work today.  Woot woot!  Milkshake HERE WE COME.  I mean.  For M.  :)

Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken

I have been CRAVING some Green Mill lately.  Spinach Dip and Coconut Chicken Fingers to be exact.  When I stumbled upon this recipe from my SIL's magazine stash, I knew I had to give it a go.  Almost the simplest dish you could ever throw together.  And side bonus?  When I FORCED M to try it, she closed her eyes in pure delight and asked for more.  Yup.  This is definitely being added to our recipe "list!"

Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken
From: Taste of Home

 Ingredients:
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t ground cloves
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts! - about 1 1/2 lbs)
6 T flaked coconut, toasted
Minced fresh cilantro (oops!  I knew I forgot something!  Next time!!)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker.  Pour coconut milk mixture over top.  Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender (JJ said I overcooked ours... but it accidentally went a little longer than 5 hours!).  Serve with coconut and cilantro.  Yield: 6 servings

HAP Journey #8

We thought this was it.  The end of the line.  Two more to check off our list - one at Bonanzaville and one at NDSU.  Done and done.  Or so we thought.

First of all, after a second attempt at Bonanzaville (first one was before they opened, oops), the gal at the museum said the only buffalo they had was a stuffed one... weird.  Pinterest said this should be there:
































We did make it to NDSU for this bugger:

 It was cool because there was wind energy depicted on one side and fire on the other.

THEN!  Then, we got a crazy tip!  Our cousins were driving by an art museum (the same art museum that is home to the Gogh buffalo - yeah, the one that we had just visited!) and realized that the baby buffalo was at the back of the museum!!  The kids had been WAITING to find the baby, so we had to add it to our list. 

We found the baby!!

Speaking of tips... we have since gotten tips of TWO other buffalo!  Soon.  Soon we will be able to complete this adventure!

HAP Journey #7

We tried really hard to complete our buffalo hunt before school started.  About a week before, we practiced getting up and out of bed.  So where could we go after we did get out of bed??  How about a massive hunt?!  We even met up with our cousins for a fun geocaching adventure.  Then the genders split up - girls to head downtown for some yummy Teaberry drinks and boys to a new donut shop!  What could be better?  Well, how about throw in a few downtown buffalo and you've got yourself a date!

Despite a little road construction, we located this interesting fellow - thankfully on the outside of a business since we were there pretty early!

We've passed this guy (Nights in the Valley) lots of times downtown but never actually took our pic with him.  He is definitely worse for the wear... paint chipping and such, but a pretty fellow nonetheless.

We went on a fun adventure walk to find this guy, Diversity.

Check out the texture on this dude.

This is another buffalo we've seen a hundred times, or more.  He is one that started our adventure--knowing there must be several more "out there." 

It took me awhile to figure out the name "Tag You're It."  Duh.  Tagging... graffiti.  When we located the business this buffalo is located in, we stopped in at the front desk and told them our spiel of locating the painted buffalo.  The sweet, young receptionist started to give us directions to the one on Main St. (see above).  See - everyone has seen that one!  It cracked us up - how did she think we ended up at this business looking for a buffalo on Main?!  But, thankfully a coworker pointed us to a different entrance and viola, we found him!