Tuesday's Toddler Tornado #3: Protein Snack

I love, love, love this book and have found so many wonderful ideas within its pages. Most recently, I served up one of the snack ideas it mentions and it totally hit the spot!

The book calls this snack, "Peanut Butter Pinwheels" but I think a better name would be "Goopy Protein Roll-ups".

Ingredients:

• peanut butter
• granola
• honey
• flour tortillas

Spread the PB, sprinkle the granola, and squirt the honey onto the tortilla shell, then roll. Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve. I made these during Little Bit's nap and chilled them until she woke up so that they would firm up a bit, thus cutting down on the gooey factor.

The first thing she said after trying them was, "More?" Which is always a good sign! However, these little bite-sized morsels of goodness are very filling and oh-so-very sweet. So, don't think you need to make a bunch at one time. I could only eat about two of the pieces before feeling like I'd had enough. I made two tortillas and it was more than enough to go around.

Enjoy!

 

Do you have any tips for parents of babies and toddlers, or even preschoolers? Parenting lessons you'd like to pass on? Snack ideas your just itching to share? Or a product you think every Mommy and Daddy of little ones should know about? Post your link here every Tuesday and check to see what others are doing!

 

 

The Crafty Crow

Need some interesting new craft ideas for your kids? Go check out The Crafty Crow! This is one of my new faves. I found it while clicking around on Craftzine.com and I've been hooked ever since.

And...toot-too-la-looo...sound the bugles! Right now the Edible Finger Paints project that we did recently is being highlighted there! Go check it out and see what other fabulous ideas you come away with. I guarantee you'll be back again!

Earth Day Round-Up!

Since the '70s, Earth Day's environmental significance has continued to grow. While it's true that "everyday should be Earth Day" sometimes we need a little reminder to stop for a moment and take a mental inventory of what we're doing to help .

Over the past few weeks, we have tried to engage in activities that would instill in Little Bit an appreciation for the natural beauty and wonder that surround us.

We:

• gave some of our birdies a yummy snack.
• enjoyed a laid-back nature walk.
• learned how to plant seedlings here and here.

We also read this very sweet Little Golden Book:

Aside from it being a little wordy at times, this book perfectly explains to little ones that everything we see around us is a gift from God.

Simple activities like such as these can have lasting impacts on our children.

Did you do anything with your family to commemorate this day? If so, please feel free to post your link to share with others!

Mountain of Pillows

Here's a little boredom buster that we do around here sometimes.

Collect as many pillows from around the house as you can.

Put them in a big 'ol pile in the middle of the room.

Then let the kids go at it!

It'll wear your little one out and buy you a few minutes until you can think of something else to do!

Have fun!

Fun with Food

We had a blast doing this week's Unplugged Project. I was so excited about the theme, food! There were a ton of projects that I wanted to do with Little Bit, but ultimately I decided on painting with edible finger paints and making an ice cream cone bird feeder. I know, I've done painting in the past (here also), but it's fun, so why not?!

Pudding Paint

I saw the edible finger paint idea here and I thought it was the perfect trifecta: easy, messy, yummy!

What you'll need:

• Vanilla pudding
• Food coloring
• Paper plates
• Bowls for mixing colors

First I mixed the vanilla pudding with food coloring.

Then I stripped Little Bit down and let her start painting. She painted some...

and ate some...

 

and painted some more...

and ate some more...

 

and by the end she was strangely reminiscent of McCauley Culkin in that one movie:

But, she had fun

and created a masterpiece!

 

Ice Cream Cone Bird Feeder

This was actually one of our Earth Day projects, but it fit in perfectly with the food theme so I'm posting it here.

For this project you will need:

• Ice cream cones
• Peanut butter
• Cheerios
• Bird seed
• String (we used zip ties)

First I spread the peanut butter onto the cone.

Then I put the cone onto the plate of Cheerios and bird seed. I love Little Bit's expression here! It looks like she's pleading with her Daddy to please get her out of another one of Mommy's wacky projects.

But, she was a good sport and helped get the bird food onto the cone!

With a little bit of my help, we ended up with this:

I can't wait for the birds to catch wind of the sweet treats hanging from our trees!

 

We have so much fun doing these projects. To see what others did with this week's food theme, visit the Unplug Your Kids blog.

Earth Day 2008: Activities for Toddlers

April 22 is Earth Day! What are you going to do to introduce your toddler to this very important day of awareness?

Here are a few activities that we're thinking about doing!

Sort Recyclables

One of the skills that Toddlers continue to improve upon is sorting, so why not give them some more practice? Depending on your child's ability, offer him several of two or more categories of items such as cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. Of course, you'll want to ensure that all items are safe and clean.

For the littlest sorters, keep it on the simple side with two types of items. For example, toilet paper rolls and empty water bottles. For older kids, try providing a more varied selection.

Build a Birdhouse

Birdhouses can be a great way for youngsters to see how nature is working right in their backyard. Build a house worthy of nesting and your tot might even get to see eggs and, later, baby birds! (Of course, you should not tamper with bird eggs or babies).

You can make your birdhouse from recycled materials such as a milk carton, a coffee can, a juice container, or a gourd!

Make a Bird Feeder

While you're providing a cozy home for your backyard birds, why not give them something munch on as well?

You can use everyday household items to make this bird feeder.

Or use some of your toddler's favorite foods...Cheerios and peanut butter! (but don't forget the birdseed ;) ) You can find instructions for this feeder here.

Plant Something

The rewards of growing live plants are far-reaching.

Plant a tree with your child and explain to them that as the tree grows it will provide shade for us and a home for birds and squirrels.

Grow any kind of edible plant: a tomato, some cabbage, or even a few herbs. Once the plants are grown, your toddler can then experience the satisfaction of eating the fruits of his labor!

Plant some flowers! Flowers are especially intriguing for our young ones simply because of their aesthetically pleasing qualities: they are colorful, often fragrant, and have interesting textures to explore. Or, take advantage of the Spring bulbs that are popping up this time of year. Give your toddler a daily peek at the flowers and anticipate their "grand openings." We just had some lilies shoot up and every day I would explain to Little Bit that they would soon open into beautiful flowers. When they finally did open, she was overwhelmed with excitement as she brought me to the patio door to show me!

Go on a Nature Walk

Little Bit is always excited to walk as opposed to being strolled or slung. She always finds things she wants to stop and look at, but usually I'm in too much of a hurry to let her.

For your nature walk, try to let your little one set the pace. You can bring along a checklist of things to keep an eye out for, or bring along a camera and snap shots as your child makes new discoveries on her own. Later, you can print the photos and make a nature catalog for your youngster to peruse.

Put on Your Green Shoes

Get some plain white tennies and die them green! Then slap them on the kiddos and play music from the 1993 CD Put on Your Green Shoes. Here are the lyrics to the title track (by Cyndi Lauper):

Gather 'round children and you will hear
The sound of a cricket crying in your ear
That's Mother Nature, she's crying out loud
This old earth needs some loving now, so

Chorus:

Put on your green shoes
Put on your green shoes
Mother Nature, she's calling to you
To put on your green shoes

Put on your green shoes and walk with me
We'll go around back and plant a tree
Help it grow and you will see
The way the world was meant to be

Chorus

Wonder how the world would be
Without the shade of a redwood tree
Without all the fish, the birds and the bees
Springtime would be lonely, so
Chorus

I may wait another year or two to do this one, but my nieces did it a few years ago at school and I just loved the idea. It was a great way to get the kids in the spirit and music always has a way of leaving a lasting impression. Plus, every time they don their flashy green kicks they'll remember the importance of taking care of the environment!

Read a Book

Here are some titles we'll be keeping an eye out for at the library and bookstores:

This Is the Earth That God Made

I Love Our Earth

The Earth and I

The Whole Green World

Baby's Book of Nature

I'll post our projects as we complete them then do a round-up of them all on Earth Day. And, if I can figure out how it works, I'll try to post a Mister Linky so you can join me in sharing your Earth Day activities! (If I don't figure it out, you can still share your ideas in the comments).

Nature Vs. Nurture: The Chicken and the Egg

Summer, over at Mom is Teaching, posted on a topic that I really got into. Her post stemmed from a discussion on wether boys are inherently different from girls, and if their education should be approached differently. She also touched on the nature vs. nurture topic. I do not homeschool and I have two girls. However, as I began writing what was turning into an epic comment, I decided to explore the topic in more depth here.

As far as nature vs nurture goes, it really isn't one or the other. Our personalities are necessarily a reflection of both our genetics and our experiences. Thanks to our genes, we are predisposed to certain attributes, but due to different experiences, those attributes can manifest themselves in different ways.

For example, say two boys are born with a propensity to be stimulated by conflict, but they grow up in different households with different experiences. Their respective experiences lead one to join the debate team  while the other makes a habit of getting into scuffles with his peers. They both enjoy the same rush, but one has learned to fulfill his need by engaging in socially appropriate behaviors.

Now, lets relate this to gender differences, but rather than viewing boys and girls as a dichotomy, try thinking about them as being opposite ends of a continuum. We hear about some boys being "all boy" and some girls being "all girl," but we also know of plenty of children who would not fall into either of those. 

I believe this is where genetics comes in. Some children are just born more energized than others--->enter stereotyping--->in boys this energy is viewed as rowdiness. A lot of it has to do with perspective (and, of course, everything is relative), although I do believe that boys tend to have a higher energy level than girls. This is where nurture comes into play.

It's up to us, as parents, to instill in our children the understanding that there is a time and a place for everything. School isn't supposed to just be about academics. In addition to the reading, writing, and arithmetic, kids learn a great deal about social expectations.

When my daughters enter school, I expect them to respect their teachers and fellow classmates by not goofing around. I expect them to exercise self control by waiting until they are out of the classroom to run around. And, I expect them to know that they ultimately bear the responsibilities of their actions.

Children need to be provided with plenty of opportunities to get their wiggles out, but don't they also need to learn the importance of complying with social expectations and finding socially acceptable outlets for their various needs?

***I do not have school-aged children, and I don't have boys. My perspective is based solely on my understanding of human behavior and my views on personal responsibility.

Putting the "Munch" in Munchkin

With fork in hand, my husband aims towards our daughter's mouth. Her nose quickly turns up in the air and his efforts are thwarted with a decisive, "Noooooo."

What is a parent to do? Make separate meals? Cram the food down the poor girl's throat?

Thankfully, neither extreme is necessary. Through a little bit of trial and error, we've found a few tricks that have helped us get through many a meal without a struggle.

1. Hide the yucky stuff. A little bit of chicken can often go unnoticed in the creamy goodness of mac-n-cheese.
2. Do the dip. If our toddler doesn't like what we're offering we'll often try to find something for her to dip it in. Some winners include ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey, and good ol' ranch dressing.
3. One bite minimum. We insist that our daughter try at least one bite of everything on her plate. Only then can she decide if she really doesn't want something.
4. Play distracting games. We like to play Big Bite Little Bite. This works when your tot starts getting antsy and wants to stop eating because it's just plain boring. Being as dramatic as possible helps in this game (think very big and very little).
5. Never surrender. Eggs were our nemesis. Our daughter spit them out every time. But, after many "one bites" and a lot of ketchup, she'll now sit down and enjoy a plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast.
6. Put those little fingers to work. We have found that when we allow our toddler to feed herself she is much more interested in eating what we put in front of her.

Of course we've also found that it helps to sweeten things up sometimes, but that only works if your kid has a sweet-tooth!

Tell me what works for you!

Best Kid-Friendly Carrot Recipe Ever!

My staples of peas and corn have been getting old, so I decided to try to find some new recipes for vegetables that my little girl would actually enjoy.

In my search, I came across a carrot dish that sounded down-right tasty (and I'm not a carrot eater). These carrots hit the sweet spot and had my toddler asking for "mooo" (more)!

Ingredients

10 fresh whole carrots

2 tsp brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp cold butter

water

Cut carrots into 1/4 inch slices. Put in pan with enough water to cover carrots about half-way. Add cinnamon stick, brown sugar, and salt. Simmer until carrots are tender but not mushy. Drain carrots keeping liquid separate. Return liquid to pan with cinnamon stick and continue boiling gently until the liquid has reduced to a few teaspoons (ours was already reduced quite a bit so we skipped this step). Add butter and swirl until combined. Return carrots to pan and toss to coat. Eat 'em up!

*We only used 5 carrots and we had only enough to feed the three of us, so I doubled the amounts to feed a larger group (or have leftovers).

The Giving Blanket

This is the best baby gift idea I think I've ever seen. Baby gets a warm soft blanket, more than 30 children's organizations receive funding, it contributes to the independence and productivity of the disabled, and it is packaged in 100% recyclable material.

What more could you ask for?

We received a Nanny and Webster blanket as a baby gift from my husband's employer. Upon finding out more about it, I learned that 100% of the proceeds are donated to about 34 organizations benefiting children (mostly in the Bellevue and Seattle, Washington areas, where the company is located).

In addition, the company relies on an organization called At Work for it's packaging. At Work is a nonprofit group whose purpose is stated on their website:

AtWork!'s purpose is to to help people with disabilities learn marketable skills; find and keep good jobs in the community; and earn wages and benefits that help them escape poverty.

What a wonderful lesson in giving this blanket will be to our daughter. She will grow up knowing that her blanket is so special it also helps other little boys and girls. She will know that while it is providing her warmth, it is helping another child heal. And when she has it wrapped around her for comfort, she can also be comforted with the thought that her blanket has helped to provide a better life for children in foster care.

The blankets are generously-sized at 36" X 42" so the receiver of this gift will be able to snuggle up to it for many years.

The Toy Circuit

Interested in having different toys in your house every few weeks without having to dip into your child's college fund?

Start swapping!

We all know what it's like to see a heap of toys sitting around while our toddler seems absolutely bored out of his mind. But we can't just keep buying new toys all the time. Toys are expensive and that would quickly add up to big $$$.

One option to bust the boredom is to rotate toys. We have some toys that we bring out on the weekends, and others that we keep in bins to be changed out every few weeks.

You can add more variety, however, if you enlist some of your friends with young children to join into the rotation with their own toys. You trade your kid's toys for theirs and everybody gets to play with new stuff every few weeks without having to spend a dime!

Please keep in mind however that swapping toys can also mean swapping germs and other goodies, so it's a good idea to establish an agreement among your fellow swappers to clean up the toys a bit before the exchange.

Happy swapping!

Goin' Clubbin'

Butts bouncing. Arms flailing. Legs in a fit of uncontrollable exuberance. This is the stuff baby-dancing is made of.

So what's better than getting to watch your little munchkin groove to the beat of Stayin' Alive in the middle of your living room?

Watching her groove alongside a few dozen other pint-sized disco divas in a baby-proofed nightclub.

Kids love to dance. So combining dancing with bubbles, tents, scarves, and snacks is a sure hit. What more could a toddler ask for in an afternoon?

Baby Loves Disco is a monthly event held at nightclubs in more than 20 US cities. Tickets run $12-15 "per walking human," depending on the location. For a few hours in the afternoon (2-5), the clubs open their doors to families of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Real DJs spin music from the 70s and 80s. Babies dance. Parents reminisce of times gone by.

Recommended Toddler Reading: I Aint Gonna Paint No More

A mischievous child vows never to paint again when his mother discovers he has painted all over the walls. Unfortunately, after having a bath this budding artist quickly succumbs to his desire to doodle. He makes his way to the top of the closet where the paints were deposited and begins painting all over himself.

The story is told to the tune of "Ain't Gonna Rain No More," but what really makes this book exciting is David Catrow's humorous illustrations. The child's enthusiasm is contagious and the book will surely elicit smiles from whomever gets to read this delightful story!

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))

Written by Karen Beaumont.

Paint in the Tub!

No...not with the water in it.

For Christmas some friends of ours got our 19 month old a pack of 10 ct. 2 oz. Bottles - Assorted Color Washable Kid's Paint by Crayola. They explained to us that they let their little guy complete his finger painting masterpieces in the tub before his bath.. that way clean up is fast and easy.

We thought it was a great idea and tried it ourselves. Our daughter painted all over the construction paper, the tub, and herself, and we didn't have to worry about the paint getting everywhere. She had a blast!

Funny Kid Video: Kids and Pets

Kids and animals are always a hoot to watch. Check it out with your volume on!  

I love the ones where you can hear them laughing...too cute!