Routine

Put it on your calendar, a reminder in your phone...Take a Nap this weekend.

Greenbelt Patch: Instilling Thankfulness in Children

It's a struggle for every parent to instill in their children thankfulness and gratitude. Every year before family arrives for a birthday party or Christmas dinner I have to have the pep talk with my children that goes something like this,

"Even if the gift you open isn't something you really wanted you must smile, look the person in the eye and say thank you."

I have this talk because my oldest son, L, is on the Autism Spectrum and one of his unique qualities is that he doesn't have filters. He doesn't have the ability to lie, he can't comprehend the little white lies that we all say in order to make other people feel good—"It's exactly what I wanted" or "I love it, thank you!"—instead he's brutally honest.

I was chatting with his teacher afterschool one day (she knows that I am a yoga instructor) and she mentioned that she started going to the gym and was going to try the yoga classes offered there. L overhears our conversation and inquires, "are you going to the gym because you are fat?"

TO CONTINUE READING CLICK HERE

Adventure Time: Finn Hat

My son's school has a storybook parade on Halloween day. Children are encouraged to dress up like their favorite character from a book. Though Finn from Adventure Time is technically a character from a TV Show, my son when asked what storybook character he wanted to be held up a comic book and insisted comic book characters count too.

It is reading after all.

Luckily finding a pattern for a Finn hat is pretty easy to find after a google search. I had no idea Finn was so popular in the indie arena.
I used this pattern and white felt fabric with Velcro tabs under the chin. It was an easy project to complete and seeing the joy on my son's face made it completely worth it!

Routine

Need I say more?

Eternity Birthday Scarf

My mother is a lover of knitted and crochet items. She's a thrifty knitter, buying most of her yarn at Joann's Fabric Store or Michael's Craft Store. She hardly ever splurges and purchases "expensive yarn", as she refers to it.

She was the one who taught me how to knit several years ago. Recently while shopping at a local yarn store, A Tangled Skein, I saw this cotton/bamboo blend that I knew my mom would love. The colors remind me of the beach, one of our shared favorite vacation spots and while the winter wind blows the seaside colors will instantly remind her of sandy beaches.

All of my knitted projects, I cast on and begin. I don't follow a pattern, I allow the yarn to spark my own creativity and inspire the piece.

Zen knitting! Give it a try.

Routine

You deserve a break.

Go ahead... pour yourself a hot chocolate and ENJOY!

Greenbelt Patch: Avoid DC Crowds and Head to a Baltimore Museum

For parents with kids on the Autism Spectrum, there are many experiences that we have to miss out on due to large, loud crowds. Children on the Autism Spectrum can be over stimulated easily and being put in an environment with a lot of people can lead the child to having a meltdown. My oldest son is on the spectrum and though the meltdowns have become fewer as he’s gotten older, instead over stimulating environments effect his attitude. He becomes “snippy”, short tempered, quick to argue with his brother in other words not pleasant to be around for the rest of the day.

We don’t take advantage of the museums in DC as much as we should mainly because of the crowds. Recently we discovered a hidden gem in Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum. This museum is fantastic for a child on the spectrum, don’t get me wrong it’s great for all kids but for children who are on the spectrum it’s pretty amazing. Here is why:

TO CONTINUE READING CLICK HERE

Homemade Granola

We are trying to make better choices around our house when it comes to food. Instead of grabbing the low-fat granola bar in it's individual wrapping, I'm choosing the Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of granola.   I'm enjoying the change and, dare I say, I actually look forward to this afternoon treat. I used Recipe Girl's recipe but tweaked it slightly.

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted without salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit (I used raisins)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place butter and syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat until the butter is melted. 
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir together until mixed well.
4. Stir the butter- syrup mixture to the oat mixture; mix until moistened. Spread the oat mixture into the prepared pan and pat down.
5. Bake on a lower rack for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to move the granola around and expose pieces that were underneath. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the granola is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
6. When cooled, store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Organizing My Thoughts

As the saying goes...."I have a lot of irons in the fire."

• I run a mobile yoga studio, teaching yoga classes to kids and adults all over the Maryland and Washington DC area, 
• I'm a  portrait photographer, 
• I write a parenting column for Greenbelt Patch, 
• I occasionally write on this blog, 
• I'm in the process of writing a book,
• I'm a member of the PTA (not as active as I once was...), 
• and I'm on a community committee to market our cool neighborhood to prospective buyers. 

My plate it pretty full.
So in order to keep my mind clear I need to be organized. Otherwise it will feel like everyday is a panic race to the next item on my calendar, spending way too much time looking for a small piece of paper only to discover it on my mousepad....

You know this drill right?

Here is how I organize my thoughts and notes. I carry around a spiral notebook with me everywhere I go. Nothing fancy, just the spiral one subject notebook that you can get really cheap when the back to school sales are going on. (That is when I stock up!)

If I get an idea for the next chapter of my book I always have pen and paper ready, my to-do list, ideas for blog posts or sequencing my next yoga class are in this notebook.
At the top of each page I write the subject matter really big :BYF (Bee Yoga Fusion), CM (CocktailMom), PTA, etc.
And then once I use all the pages in the spiral notebook I sit down and go through page by page and rip out the pages and put them in a three ring binder.
Several of the pages are recycled, to-do lists for example.
But ideas for future business marketing is stored in its correct divider in the three ring binder, which lives on my desk so that I can refer to it when needed.

How do you organize your thoughts and ideas?

Don't take life so seriously!

I didn't watch the Oscar's last night, I wasn't feeling well and decided to go to bed early. Listening to my body and giving it what it needed much needed rest.

I love the Oscars even when I haven't seen every movie nominated, I end the evening with a wish-list of movies to add to my Redbox desires. In previous years I've thrown Oscar night parties, one year guests dressed up in their ball gowns, another year kids and adults wore their pajamas and we had pack-n-plays in every available bedroom so that the adults could stay up and "party".

So last night I missed the Chicago reunion that everyone on Facebook was talking about this morning, I missed the major trip up the stairs by Jennifer Lawrence. And I missed making my list of movies to see.

When a friend posted this video on Facebook (Thanks Sara!) I cracked up laughing. I love how honest Jennifer Lawrence is and it's a great reminder for all of us to not take life so darn seriously!

Math Power Towers

During a parent teacher conference with one of my son's teachers it came to my attention that the children who are the hands-on type of learners don't often get to tap into that skill. I'm a hands-on learner myself and often as a child wished that I could learn by doing in school. Our ideas are often formed by our own personal experiences and when it comes to learning I try and create games that are not only educational but FUN and that don't involve sitting and writing because I feel like my boys get enough of that during their day in school as it is.

If you haven't seen Teacher Tipster videos, go there directly after reading this. He has some awesome videos on teaching children place values, time, and this is where I got the idea for math power tower.

I purchased the dixie cups from Costco and on the bottom of each cup you write a math fact, I made addition and subtraction sets for my younger son and a multiplication set for my older son. Inside each cup is the answer. The idea is that the child reads the math fact and if he/she answers correctly they can build a tower with each cup. What kid doesn't love building!

I've now made sets for both of my son's homeroom teachers so that the teacher can incorporate it into their classroom learning environment. To store the cups I used tennis ball containers but you can also use a Pringles can. I picked up the labels for the cans from this blog, she offers a free download.

Of course these towers can also be made using sight words too! And while you make one for your kids, make a set for your child's classroom as well- the teacher will be thrilled!
P.S.- Pajamas are optional.

College Park Patch: A Leader Among Them

On a beautiful fall day, I notice a group of children discover a dead squirrel lying in a parking space on the side of the road. I've seen these children playing together on the corner playground after school each day, their age’s range from kindergarten to third grade. At first they stand around the squirrel talking about it, staring intently.

By the looks on almost all of their faces, it seems this is the first time that any of them had seen something dead, in real life. I am mesmerized by the children and stand back from the group wanting to see for myself how this is going to play out. It seems somewhat like observing a social experiment.
The children stand on the curb by the side of the road, knowing if they step foot off the curb their parent will call out from across the playground (where we all gather to talk), “Get out of the street." I can tell that huddled together around this dead animal, they are coming up with a plan.

They are determined to get it out of the street and buried. The smallest boy of the group continuously informs the other children, “We need to get it out of the street.” He begins to bark orders to the other children, assigning a few children to find sticks and begin digging the hole to bury the squirrel. And then telling the rest of the group, “We need to pick it up and carry it to the hole”.

Many a “Ewww!!! I’m not touching it!” can be heard from the remaining children. Burying the squirrel seemed like a good idea until there was mention of actually touching it! The bickering on who was going to do it goes on for several minutes.

My oldest son, who is on the autism spectrum, is pacing the perimeter of the playground, as he is sometimes known to do. Today, he is not engaging in the group experiment. My youngest is a part of the group, and remains very quiet, standing the furthest away from the dead animal. While the children continue to argue over the technique to use to get the squirrel over to the hole being dug, the parents hear mention of touching it, and we all shout “DO NOT TOUCH THE SQUIRREL!”

One parent goes over to explain how it could have diseases and it’s never a good idea to touch any animal that you find dead. “Just leave it alone," she says to them and turns and walks back to the rest of us, who are standing on the sidelines talking.

The moment the mom turns her back, the children are back to arguing over new technique ideas that they just thought of, each child passionate and convinced their idea is the one that will solve the problem.

Maybe you’ve seen this scene before, around a conference table at work, amongst your siblings or family members? The ages may be slightly older, but these children are clearly imitating the adults in their lives, negotiating and strategising to come up with the best possible solution.

As the children are arguing, one of the smallest girls leaves the group with determination on her face and a furrowed brow. She is searching the ground for something. The other children call over to her to come back to the group, but she is persistent in her search and eventually finds what she is looking for.

She grabs a big stick and walks back to the group. There is no discussion, she never tells them what she is doing—just does it. She has the look on her face that I’ve seem many women before her wearing, the look that says, “I’m just going to do this myself, so that it gets done!”

The stick is only inches shorter than her and it takes both hands for her to hold it. She ventures off the curb and begins to slide the squirrel over to the curb. It’s a slow process. With each gentle maneuver, the other children scream and jump because suddenly the squirrel looks as if it’s come back to life.
Her courage at times begins to wane, but then she looks at all of the children who are watching her and it ignites her determination to keep going. The smallest boy tries to tell her how to do it, her short curly hair swings when she snaps her head in his direction and gives him a look that says, “Don’t even try to tell me what to do!”
TO CONTINUE READING CLICK HERE

Routine

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."
                -Judy Garland

College Park Patch: Advice for a New Mom

One of my dear friends just had a baby, her fourth. She’s an experienced mom who has gone through the trials of motherhood. She knows the sleepless nights, has mastered nursing in public, and she already knows how to use one hand to feed herself while nursing her baby and correcting an older child’s homework at the same time. None of this is new for her. In a way though, it is. This time the bundle of love lying in her arms is a boy!

As an (ahem) experienced mom to two boys, I have this urge to fill her with advice. I had to stifle myself when I was at her house for a visit to meet the new little one. I wanted to shower her with my words of wisdom, an avalanche on her tired brain.

I grew up in a family of girls; I’m the youngest of five. When I gave birth to a boy, I had no idea what to do with one. I knew how to play Barbies and dress up; not just from my own upbringing but all of my sisters had daughters of their own.

My friend is a phenomenal mother, I watch her with her children and I’m amazed by her patience. But this new gender in her family dynamic is going to shift the way she has always parented. And it’s going to make her notice things in our society about gender, what is expected of her son but not of her daughters. Expectations of his behavior and family traditions that weren’t addressed before he was born will suddenly become important to certain family members.
What would my advice be?
TO CONTINUE READING CLICK HERE

Routine

Some days- this is the hardest decision you have to make.

On other days... remember.... that it is simply a choice.