TGIF-Halloween

Halloween Safety:

-Buy glow bracelets for your children to wear around their wrists and necks. These can also be wrapped around stroller wheels and put on dog leashes to help increase visibility.

-If you have reflectors or blinking safety lights (often used for exercising) place on your coat or hat to increase visibility.

-Stick to sidewalks and walkways whenever possible. Walk towards traffic so that people can see you coming, and so that you can see them coming towards you.

-Wear sturdy shoes that offer good traction, like sneakers. Avoid flimsy, slippery shoes that could cause a fall.

Perfect Fall Outing For Kids:

Check out the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. These sprawling gardens offer much to do for people of all ages. There is an atrium, nature center, paths to hike, various shrubs and flowers to see, a Butterfly garden and an interactive tea garden for children where kids can sit in the bat cave, have a tea party of explore the dirt by digging in the small garden.

In the Fall the colors are exceptional and this is a stroller-friendly place that has a winding paved path all through it. Kids can run around and explore and get some fresh air while learning about nature, plants, seeds and shrubs.

There are also picnic tables on the premises so that you can picnic after your exploration.

Check it out at:

http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php

Baby Einstein is NO Genius

Baby Einstein is not going to make your baby a genius....try to deal with the shock of TV failing as an educator.....for more information about  the topic and for tips on where to return your DVDs for a refund, check out this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html?_r=1

Next, they will tell us that pregnancy and parenthood ages you and takes years off of your life, oh wait, that is true, but not yet proven.........I am diligently working on that as we speak.

Hang in there mommies, you are doing great. Don't stress over the DVDs and at least return them for a refund-put the money towards this year's holiday gifts, because I hear Santa is on strike due to the recession and all....

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

This weekend was all about letting my kids be kids. Daddy was not working, which was a treat, so we lined up lots of family time with activities designed to be fun for all. Unfortunately, fun was the goal and was often just out of reach.

Saturday's plan was to take the kids to the Air and Space Museum ( the good one out near Dulles). What a perfect rainy day activity, right? Lots of room indoors to let the kiddies run and play and lots to look at. 

We successfully made it outside the beltway without my husband going into shock (he thinks anything beyond Falls Church is basically the boonies) which was a great start and both kids happily ate lunch in the car so we could save time. 

Once we entered the parking lot at the museum things began to sour on us quickly. As we were getting Bruno out of the car, a huge airplane left Dulles airport and the noise completely scared him so he began to cry and whine. Once both kids were successfully loaded in the double stroller, it started to rain cats and dogs. Of course we were about a hundred miles away from the entrance, so I started to jog while pushing the kids in the stroller (uphill) while my husband attempted to shield the children from the rain with our one uncooperative umbrella. 

The umbrella kept flipping inside out and the rain guard was basically useless as it kept blowing off. As we all got drenched the kids both began to cry and scream, making the unpleasant outing to the museum that much worse. Fortunately, the dry museum and all the airplanes lifted everyone's spirits just enough to get us home in time for their naps.

The next day was Sunday and the annual Halloween parade in our neighborhood-an absolutely awesome event and one of the few times each year I actually let my children skip their naps. Since the parade is in the middle of prime napping hours, my husband and I always feed them early, skip their naps, let them eat too much sugar and let them enjoy being kids for the day, knowing that they will both crash and burn and go to sleep by 5:30 p.m-Yes, even the 2.5 years old.

Everything went according to plan-fed the kids an early lunch and amazingly, got them both into their costumes with no goading and no tears-YFM (Yeah For Mommy!). It was a perfect fall day with just the right amount of sunshine and breeze, so we all happily headed off to the parade. Both kids loved the parade and we all enjoyed cookies and lemonade at the finish. Our kids ran around on the beach with the other Barcroft kiddies and my husband and I actually got to catch up with some neighborhood friends.

As planned, full-on kiddie meltdowns (times two) went into effect promptly following our arrival back at home around 4p.m. The sugar high that had given added spunk to the kids- without- naps had sent them careening into crankyville. 

4 p.m is too late for a nap and too early for bed, so my husband and I had no choice but to endure. Our little ones that were so happy just an hour ago were now screaming messes. Our plans to be indulgent parents who do all these great festive things with ours kids had backfired, leaving us stressed out and the kiddies tired and overwhelmed. We knew they would crash early, but 4 p.m was about an hour ahead of schedule.

By 5:30 p.m both kids were fed, bathed and asleep, and both parents were drinking wine. Did everyone have a good time during this fun-filled family weekend? Yes and no. At certain points it was fun for all, but at other times it was stressful and hard and rainy and wet, but if there are two things this weekend's events reminded me of its that: 1) I have really good kids. I mean, my kids skipped their naps and only meltdowned after being overly tired and overly stimulated. That's pretty darn good, considering some kids are like that all the time. 2) Life in the parent hood is all about weekends like this. Doing things as a family and never knowing what will happen. That's an adventure and that's what being parents is all about. Children are unpredictable, but that is also what makes this job so worthwhile.

The next time your kids are making you crazy, just think of me pushing a double stroller up a huge hill in the rain, running towards the door at the Air and Space Museum as my two screaming, wet children cry their eyes out and you will smile knowing that being a parent is a job worthwhile and that when you have bad days, you are not the only one. All parents suffer sometimes.

Rainy Day Activities

Ok, I for one am getting really sick and tired of this weather. I mean could it get any colder, its only October? And, enough with the rain already. I know its good for the flowers and grass, but its giving all of us a good dose of cabin fever.

If you are looking for ways to entertain your little ones (or yourself) while we wait out the weather, visit this website, www.jigzone.com. You can do puzzles online in all different categories (nature, dogs, insects etc.) and according to varying levels of difficulty. The smallest puzzles have 6 pieces and can be done by a small child and the harder ones have over 150 pieces.

Just another resource to add to the rainy day activity kit for you mom machines out there.

Fever

Now that the flu season has descended upon all of us-it reared its nasty head in my house last week-I think it is important that we all know how to deal with fevers.

According to my Pediatrician's office, a fever of anything below 104 degrees is considered to be moderate, not high. Nonetheless, I consider anything over 101 degrees to be worrisome, especially when it makes my 10 month old scream and cry. As always, with fevers it is important to focus on hydration. Keep your infant or toddler well hydrated with milk, formula, watered down juice, warm jello or Gatorade. Ice pops also work well if your child is adverse to eating anything.

It is important to keep your child in appropriate clothing as well to help regulate her body temp. Make sure your home is not overly hot or cold, and that windows are not open and blowing cold air on your sick baby. Since virus and infections can sometimes cause skin rashes as well, try to dress your child in clean, dry clothing that is 100% cotton and not abrasive to the touch to maintain comfort.

Luke warm, or tepid baths are good to help relax the child and calm her down before naps or bedtime, but skip the bubbles which can cause skin irritation or dryness. Make sure that the bath is not too cold, because if it is, the child will get the chills, which can cause a fever to shoot up, not come down. If you are fearful of getting water in the ears and possibly causing ear infections or the chills, fill a basin with warm water and sit the baby on a towel in the bathroom in a diaper. Gently swab the baby with a wash cloth doused in the warm water. This way you can focus on the back of the neck, tummy and arms and legs, without having to pour water over the baby's head and risk getting it in her eyes or ears.

Lastly, do not wait for the first virus of the season to hit your house. Prepare NOW. Stock up on juice, Baby Tylenol, saline nose drops, tissues, a bulb syringe, a humidifier and anything else you think you will need to fight the fever or flu this season.

If the flu or a fever do hit your home, change sheets, mop floors, vacuum carpets, dust, sanitize baby toys, pacifiers, and anything else that your baby was around, such as her favorite blanket or stuffed friend. Wipe down all door knobs in the home, the phone, TV remote, car keys, diaper bag and your purse to prevent the spread of infection. 

Above all else-WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!

Fall Recipes

These are two of our family fall favorites. One, the tortilla pie, is a great one-dish meal that is super easy and the other one, Greek meatloaf, is a hearty main dish. Both are awesome comfort  foods and perfect for the fall.

Tortilla Pie:

1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-oz) package of frozen corn kernels, thawed out

1 cup mild or medium tomato salsa 1 (8-oz) can of tomato sauce

6-8 oz of pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas (burrito-size)

1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Step One:

Put oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Step Two:

Stir together beans, corn, salsa, tomato sauce, cheese, cilantro, scallions and cumin in a large bowl. ( Add meat here if you so desire)

Step Three:

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla with oil and fry, turning over once, until puffed and golden in spots. This takes about 1-2 minutes per side.

Step Four:

Place I tortilla in the bottom of a well-oiled 15 by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then spread with 1 1/3 cups of the filling. Repeat the layering twice, then place the remaining tortilla on top and press to adhere to other layers.

Step Five:

Bake the tortilla pie for 12- 18 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Transfer the pie to a platter, then cut the pie into wedges and serve with Sour cream or salsa on the side.

For variations:

Use different cheeses-I blended cheddar and pepper jack and that was great.

Use tomatillo salsa for a different flavor.

Add chicken, chorizo or other meat if you so desire. I precooked the chicken and mixed it in with the other ingredients and it was great. My friend also tried it with chicken chorizo (which is precooked) so she added it as another layer.

Greek Meatloaf:

1.25 pounds of  lean ground beef

1/2 cup of feta cheese

3 cloves of fresh garlic-finely diced in a food processor

1 yellow onion-finely diced in a food processor

1/4 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of fresh or dried dill

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One:

Diced garlic cloves and onion in the food processor and add ground beef to the processor at end to chop into fine bites and to help mix with garlic and onion.

Step Two:

Remove meat and garlic and onion mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix meatloaf with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Step Three:

Spray a glass or metal loaf pan with Pam or cooking spray and form the meatloaf into a loaf or spread evenly throughout the loaf pan.

Step Four:

Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, boiled or roasted potatoes or garlic bread.

YUMMY!

The Incredible Edible Egg

These are really quick and easy omelets and the best part is that they are fun to make so kids love them. Also, you can make a lot of different kinds of omelets all at the same time when using this method, which is perfect for a brunch buffet or bridal shower luncheon when you need to cook 10 different omelets all at the same time! 

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed, you will be amazed.

What you will need: ( These ingredients and supplies make one omelet)

2 eggs, or egg substitute

1 quart sized Ziploc freezer bag

Assorted omelet ingredients-veggies, cheese, herbs, meats etc.

Instructions:

1. Write your name with a permanent marker on the outside of a Ziploc freezer bag.

2. Fill the freezer bag with two cracked eggs, close the bag and shake it to combine the eggs.

3. Add as many ingredients as you choose, and close the bag and shake it again to mix everything together.

4. Open the bag and get all of the excess air out and reseal it.

5. Place all Ziploc bags into a pot of boiling (rolling bubbles) water for exactly 13 minutes. One large pot can cook 6-8 omelets at a time. If you are cooking more than 8 omelets, use an additional pot.

6. Remove bags after 13 minutes and open the Ziploc bag. Your perfect omelet will roll right out onto the plate for you to enjoy!

Fight the Flu This Season

5 For Fighting: Tips For Preventing The Flu This Season:

With our children back in school many parents are concerned about germs and how to fight the flu this season. Along with good hygiene practices these five not-so-common tips can help you protect your loved ones this flu season.

1. Remove shoes as soon as you enter your home to reduce the amount of dirt and germs that you track throughout the house. Leave a basket by the front door or in the front hall closet to encourage shoe removal.

2. Change children’s clothes when you return home from a park, public area or play date. Although this will increase your laundry slightly each week, it prevents foreign germs from entering your home and settling in. Also, if you were at a park and you come home and change your child’s clothing before his nap, he will sleep in a clean bed, germ-free.

3. Wash stuffed animals, snuggies and blankets. If your child has a favorite cuddle blanket or stuffed animal that he sleeps with, do not forget to wash these items as much as possible. Germs lurk in the fur and corners of blankets, which kids often put in their mouths and near their eyes. 

4. Clip nails. Make sure you are diligent about clipping your child’s nails on a regular basis. Longer nails provide a place for dirt to hide, which can be a nice home for germs. Short nails are more sanitary so it is best to cut them short and straight across. If you cannot clip nails easily, try using a brush to get under them when your child is in the bathtub or when he washes his hands before meals.

5. Wash feet. If your child is still enjoying the lingering warmth of summer by wearing sandals, crocs or other open-toed shoes, get in the habit of washing his feet as well as his hands when you return home and come back inside. I sit my son on the side of the kitchen sink and wash both his feet and his hands thoroughly before he has lunch. Feet are extremely porous and a warm place for germs to attack. This will keep him clean before his nap and prevent the spread of germs within your home.