learning the fine art of chess

We have learned a lot from Y care. Someone at Y care taught my daughter how to braid her hair. Someone else taught her how to tie her shoes. And another person taught her chess. She gets a lot done in those afternoon sessions!

Chess is not a game a play. My brain doesn't work like that! However, my daughter loves strategy games. She plays Stratego, TinTin, and now chess. It seemed only fitting that we get a new chess board for Father's Day so my favorite folks can strategize together. 

There's nothing better than hearing, "Want to play a game, daddy?" She tried to hold her own. She definitely did better than I could have done. I got to watch and be the cheering commity. That works for me! 

Long gone are the 92 games in a row of CandyLand or Go Fish. Now the whole family can enjoy all the fun together. There are only a few games we haven't taught her to play yet. With that brain of hers she will have them down in no time! We definitely love games in this house!

showing dignity through disparity

When you get evacuated from your home for a minute, it really puts some things in perspective. We only ordered from or ate from local dining establishments. Always support local! We relied on local friends and news sources for help and/or information. We put our faith in local community efforts to support the town that we know and love.

I saw this post and was reminded of the ripple effect. Think big, act big. Shop small, save all. Do good, help the hood (fine, I just made that up but it's funny!) There is a lot to be said for being the bigger person. Acting like the champ. Leading by example. 

We experienced so much in my tiny little town this week, but we made national news, welcomed the EPA and other government agencies, and tried to save face. All I was reminded of was to save grace. Don't be a fool. Take a deep breath. Collect yourself. 

We had so many options for our family. I felt blessed that we could have camped, found a hotel, or bunked in with family. Despite ALL that, we decided that no matter what happens next, we will proceed with dignity and grace. We will support local businesses also dealing with this matter. We will recommend local to people asking for help to choose a restaurant or a shop. We will show dignity and grace when we stick our heads up to proudly proclaim where we are from!

Be the ripple! Demonstrate a ripple! Keep your head up against all odds!

you're never too young to cook and bake!

I love to bake and my husband loves to cook. Between the two of us, we are setting a pretty good example in our house for independence, hobbies, good eating, creativity... The rules are simple

 You have to try a food before you say you don't like it. You have to clear your spot at the table. Sometimes you help with dinner. 

My daughter has started preparing little meals for us. Last Thursday we had homemade pizza with macaroni and cheese. Have you ever looked into homemade pizza crust? So simple- flour, yeast, oil, water, sugar. Cheap and easy. 

Last night we had macaroni and cheese with breakfast cookies for dessert. She has aprons, measuring equipment, kid cookbooks, and interest, so why not?! Breakfast cookies are high protein, egg-free cookies that are actually really good. We split up meal cooking so we aren't stuck with only Kraft based choices ;)

Giving her a little freedom and trust has gone a long way. She wants to help. She is learning fractions and math skills through measuring. She has to help clean up, so every which way I win! And she gets to try new things, so we all win. I truly hope the art of cooking and baking is always her passion! We have so much fun with it!

What to do with a half hour???

 We had a half hour to kill before bed. Being a girl mom is the BEST! Thirty minutes is plenty of time for fun! I offered painting canvases, bracelet making, baking clay beads, games, or I said we could just fill a basket with stuff we don't want. And out of all those choices, what did she choose??? Fill a basket. 

I was kidding, by the way. How does a kid NOT want to play with all of her own stuff and do artsy fartsy fun with mom? So we got a laundry basket and started upstairs to work our way down to the basement. We now have a box of stuff to get rid of. We even have a pile of fun started for summer break!

I am definitely proud of this kid. She knows what she likes and she is honest about the stuff she doesn't like. Since art stuff never goes bad or goes out of style, we can constantly find new ways to have fun and be creative without just staring at a TV all summer or doing the same thing everyday. Next time we get bored or have free time, I may just offer up doing dishes or brushing the dog instead of filling a basket and see what she says :)