Breakfast saver

Ok all of you parents who have sent your kids back to school, can I get a yee-haw? It's a bittersweet time for sure, for some more sweet than bitter or vice versa. But now you may find yourself deep in the throws of the morning chaos. If you are a well-oiled machine in the morning, you need not read on, but for those of us who could use some help or assistance, I have been introduced to a wonderful new breakfast option that may save you some time during the a.m. rush.

I am borrowing these recipes from a wonderful blog site called The Yummy Life. The blogger, Monica Matheny, has some wonderful tips and recipes, she's well worth checking out when you get an opportunity. www.theyummylife.com 

My new go-to breakfast is an overnight, no-cook refrigerator oatmeal. You will need a Mason jar with a lid and a great imagination! I found some awesome rubber Bell jars with lids at Menards, but I'm sure they can be found in various other stores. This is packed with nutrition and makes for a great grab and go option if need be. You simply fill the jar about with about a half cup of old fashioned oats, not the quick or steel cut variety. Pour a bit of milk over the top, any kind will do. Then add greek yogurt, I love the plain Chobani, around a half a cup, but add more or less to your liking. Then simply fill in the rest with whatever concoction sounds good to you! Yesterday I mixed raspberries and a bit of vanilla extract. The second jar had blueberries and maple syrup. The last jar I used almonds, honey and some cinnamon. Then you simply shake or mix well, cover and set in the refrigerator to enjoy in the morning! The oatmeal soaks up the liquid and you have a wonderful, hearty breakfast. My kids each picked a flavor that they liked and devoured it! It's such a great thing to prepare the night before and know that one extra step is complete for the morning.

Share your favorite recipe, there are so many to try! Enjoy.

Another chapter ends

Well it is truly that time of year again, when the days are getting a bit shorter and the kids a bit antsier. 

That's right, the end of summer is just around the corner. Sprinklers will be jumped through just a few more times, Kool-Aid and lemonade stands will be flipping their closed signs over until next season. Soon the days of sleeping in and staying up late will be over, replaced by frantic mornings rushing out to catch buses and race into school. All over the city parents are checking their back-to-school lists and checking them twice. 

It seems that this summer was on super warp speed for some reason. I think it had something to do with the weather, and summer arriving so late after such a rainy spring. Then when it hit, it hit with a force and it continued on at a frantic pace. About a week ago I was lamenting the fact that I would be sending my kids back to school so soon, and I wasn't ready. 

Then another week went by, and the whining seemed to amp up to an almost unbearable level, and suddenly, school cannot start soon enough! I'm sure I'm not the only parent feeling this way! Kids are tired of the same old same old, and I'm ready for some routine to enter back into our lives. Brains need to be challenged and bedtime routines reestablished once more. Now I would feel so much better if those dang school lists were complete. Can anyone tell me where I can find the elusive skinny dry-erase markers? 

Ah summer, you will be sorely missed. Come back soon, and thanks for all of the wonderful memories.

Embracing Summer...

After enduring a cold, unrelenting winter and a wet, dreary "spring," we have finally made it to summer! I know my spirits are lighter and brighter seeing the sunshine and feeling the warmth of the sun again. Everything in our area looks so fresh and green, and pops of color are adorning our streets and doorsteps! We have so much to experience living in an area that truly gets all four seasons. It is fun to see how everyone embraces or rejects them, as the case maybe.

In our house, summer is welcome with wide open arms. Socks and shoes are shoved aside for the feel of bare toes and flip flops. The change in season also brings the end of a school year for the kiddos. With that comes the added schedule change and activity planning. I've written before about the fine line in keeping your kids busy and involved in activities, but also trying not to over schedule and allow them free time, *and gasp* a chance to be bored!

My friends and I have discussed how we would play outside from sun up to sun down, rarely breaking to eat. Sunscreen was never a priority and neighborhoods were our domain to explore. Although times are a bit different, and the importance of sunscreen is a big priority, it's still wonderful to let your kids be kids. Drink from the garden hose when you get thirsty, set up a lemonade stand and charge a quarter to all your neighbors who may stop by. Lay on a blanket and watch the clouds, just because you can!

Sure summer camps and organized play are great, and essential for this mom's sanity, but I am trying to have less "organized" and more figure it as we go time. I'm devising a chore chart so we don't steer too far off course, but I'm remembering to embrace summer because as we know it is far to fleeting in this part of the world. So go forth, put tassels on your bike handles, swing on a swing, drink from a hose and stop to smell the roses! Hello summer!

Show someone you care!

Was your house been bombarded by red and pink like mine last week? Are your kids bouncing off the walls from the sugared hearts and sticky suckers they received in their Valentine exchanges at school? Did you spend hours creating the perfect Valentine for them to give or the perfect "Mailbox" to house all of their sweets? 

It is a fun holiday, and with the winter that we have endured it has certainly helped add some color and fun into our rather cold, white world! My kids were so excited for all of their parties at school, and to give their teachers the special treats they prepared, or rather their mother, prepared! 

Some consider it a Hallmark holiday. I say bah humbug to that! What better excuse do you need to send a fun card to your favorite aunt or special grandparents? My kids were racing to the mailbox all week to see their cards come with only their name on it! Brighten up your niece or nephew and send them a giant card like my sister did! Seeing the excitement that a gesture like this brings is worth it! And I haven't even mentioned the opportunity to indulge a bit in some chocolate, perfect! So forget your bah humbugs and remember to celebrate those you love. It doesn't take much to show that you care, and bringing a smile to someone is well worth it, on Valentine's Day and every day!

The magic of Christmas

We are only young once, and boy does that seem like a long time ago! 

I was struck yesterday by the magic of youth, and how wonderful it truly is. Our kids are eight, six and three. They believe one hundred percent in the magic of Christmas, in Santa, his elves and all the wonder that this season brings. 

Well our elf on the shelf is back for another season of mischief and fun. Jingle Bells, as he is very appropriately named, arrived the day after Thanksgiving and has been delighting the kids each morning with his antics from the night before. 

Well, as you can see from the picture, this was how the kids found him this morning. They stood in awe at his predicament, but debated whether Jingle Bells had used his magic to tie himself up, or if the Lego guys caught him and were tired of him causing trouble and so they tied him up for us to see! 

It was a wonderful, magical conversation and our 8-year-old was completely convinced that his "guys" woke up and caught JB in sneaking back into the house. Not only do they believe in the magic of one stuffed little red elf, but that their toys are also alive and well. I hope a bit of this belief will rub off on me, and I say to all kids everywhere, whether old or young, hang onto it, the act of believing is the true magic of the season! 

Stay tuned for more Jingle Bell escapades!

The monkey bars won!

On Friday my phone rang, the dreaded call from the nurses office at school. 

Our third day into kindergarten and it was 5-year-old vs monkey bars. The monkey bars won. 

We took her as swiftly as we could to the ER and found out that she had broken her elbow and would require surgery and two pins, which earned her an overnight at the hospital! If this wasn't bad enough, the poor kid turned six two days later, and we had to cancel her party with her friends for the following day! 

There is NOTHING worse than seeing your child in any sort of pain, but to have her undergo such a dramatic injury, I wish I could have traded with her. As a parent we try our best to keep our kids safe, but we cannot protect them all of the time. 

She handled the situation so wonderfully. She was far braver than I ever would have been. In fact, she didn't shed a single tear once we left school. Even after hearing the news about her party, receiving several X-rays, exams and an IV. Wow! 

So while this wasn't exactly how I had planned on kicking off the new school year, one very positive thing has come from this. When something bad strikes, we realized how blessed we are to have the people we do around us. The outpouring of support and love certainly helped this momma feel better, but also helped ease our daughter's pain too. 

There is no way to prepare for something like this, but I will say that we felt like we were in great hands with all of the professionals at Gundersen Health System. The nurses even threw her a birthday party in the hospital, complete with a wrapped gift and a cupcake with a candle! 

So now that she is rockin' her hot pink and purple cast, we are back into the swing of things at school. She is handling the cast and change of doing things left-handed so wonderfully. Although we didn't begin exactly as planned, our school year is now well under way and moving forward nicely. 

 We are just hoping the only monkeys we encounter from now on are at the zoo.

It's back-to-school shopping season!

Are you all set for the kids to go back to school? 

Have you purchased their supplies, double checking the list and making sure all of their number two pencils are sharp? 

 This year I am sending all three of my children off to school, the youngest for the first time! She will only attend three mornings a week, but it's a big step for all of us! I'll suddenly find I have a few extra quiet hours in my day, some extra time to devote to errands or other chores. I can hopefully volunteer a bit more in my kid's classrooms, or run an extra mile! The possibilities seem endless at this point, however I know the time will fill fast and furiously. 

 It is scary to shop for school supplies for three kids. I read that the average family spends over $600 getting kids set for this milestone! That is A LOT of number two pencils and crayons! We had a tradition growing up that my mom took my sister and I up to Minneapolis and we shopped for a day for a few special back-to-school outfits. We had a blast doing it, at least my sister and I did. I remember how excited I was to shop for brand new things, then carefully selecting what I would wear for the first day of school! 

 My son could really care less about what he wears, but my daughters are starting to form very strong opinions already! Jeans? No way! Buttons, forget it! So while this is a bit frustrating, it poses a challenge and one I am up to facing. So I'm almost done packing up the folders and markers, washing and organizing all of the clothes so the kids are all set. Now there is just enough time to savor the last few weeks of summer vacation before our new school year journey begins.

Paying it forward

I read a post on my Facebook page from a fellow mom blogger who took her three young sons to a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game. In front of her sat a young twenty-something man and his girlfriend. The lady told of how her sons were so excited, but did not exactly sit still. 

She said the man turned around and engaged her son during the game, running him down between innings to see the field, trying to snag a ball. He was delightful to her kids, and the mom was super grateful! 

At one point he promised that he would get her child a baseball. At the end of the game he took him down to the side to try to get a ball from the players and coaches, but they returned empty handed. She said her son started to look sad, when the man pulled a baseball out from behind his back and handed it to the little boy! He then whispered "I promised you a baseball, and I always keep my promises!" 

At some point during the game he had gone and purchased a baseball for her child! The mom went on to say that this was the highlight of the entire day for her young son. He talked about it non stop on the way home and even went to sleep hugging his baseball! 

 She sent this story out because she wanted to properly thank this young man, and to remind all of us that even a small act of kindness can make all the difference. He touched this family and through the story she told, it seems like he has brightened the lives of so many others! I loved reading this, and will try to remember that it doesn't take a big gesture, sometimes holding a door open for a stranger, or maybe plugging a meter that has run out for someone, can really say you care. And when we pay it forward, we all win in the end.

Favorite, easy summer meals

What are your favorite, easy, summer meals? When the thermostat rises, we tend to eat less and I tend to crave lighter dishes with fresh ingredients. One of our favorite "go to" meals includes chicken lettuce wraps. They are a simple, no fail meal that always satisfies. I love to take a head of iceberg lettuce or bib, and these become the wrap. In a bowl I toss together some cooked, shredded chicken. I usually buy a rotisserie chicken and only use about half of the bird, reserving the rest for another meal. Then I add whatever produce I have on hand, some examples are shredded carrots, snap peas, green peas, water chestnuts, chopped cilantro or parsley, purple cabbage, diced celery. Just add whatever you like. Then to this I tend to mix in crushed peanuts, and for seasoning some fresh minced garlic, some soy sauce, ginger, either fresh or powdered, and some red chili paste, add this to taste. Mix all up and serve with your lettuce wraps. We dip ours into store bought peanut sauce! Voilà, dinner is served!

 I am also a huge fan of anything salad. Whether it be pasta or green, a great salad is so satisfying and can be made ahead to save time. Sometimes these even taste better the next day. A recent favorite is an orzo pasta salad that can be found on the chef Giadia De Laurentiis's website. It adds dried cherries, feta cheese and fresh arugula and spinach. With the crunch of some toasted pine nuts, this salad has been a crowd pleaser on more than one occasion this summer. I highly recommend checking it out! 

And lastly, a salad I tried last week was the following:

GRILLED CORN, AVOCADO AND TOMATO SALAD
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
2 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

HONEY LIME DRESSING
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS
Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool. Slice the tomatoes in half. Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn and honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the avocados. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Enjoy.

Sun Safety

The battle has begun. The battle of sunscreen versus squirmy children and an insistent mother.

"Stand still or you will get it in your eyes."

"Rub it in, you missed a spot!"

"Mom, it's cold, stop!"

All of these and more, are frequently heard in our house, morning, noon and night. We have started our summer activities and the sun has finally reappeared--so has the infamous white cream. I have started to do more homework on the type of sunscreen that I choose to use. There is no shortage of options--sprays, lotions, sticks, foams.

Which is best, which is safest? We want a broad spectrum, protecting from both harmful UVA and UV rays. Guidelines recommend an spf rating of 15- 50+, but do not forget to reapply and reapply often. A higher spf tends to make people believe they are protected for longer, which is not true. In short, ingredients matter. Avoid any sun product whose label says retinyl palmitate, retinol or vitamin A. Look for ingredients zinc oxide, avobenzone and Mexoryl SX. These protect us from harmful UVA radiation. Avoid the sunscreen chemical oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that penetrates the skin and can disrupt the hormone system.

The best sun protection is to use common sense, cover up when you can and seek or create shade. Color on our skin does not mean healthy. This is such an important message to teach our children, especially teenagers. So while the battle rages on in my house, and many others, it's such an important one. Be sensible, and proactive, and if you can, practice your wrestling moves! It's helped me, and ultimately we will do anything to keep our kids safe.


Sun Safety Tips

Birthdays!

In our household April is birthday month.

Tomorrow it is my husband's birthday and I dare not disclose his age!

Every year is important, but this particular birthday isn't a "big" one. It occurs midweek, so dinner, cake and ice cream should complete our agenda. A special dinner has been requested, tortellini with meat sauce and a big salad. Sounds like a celebration to me!

One week later our son celebrates his eighth birthday! A VERY big deal to him and his little sisters. We have been discussing the details of his special day since Christmas ended. I'm not sure if it's the idea of a special party or turning one year older that excites him most. He has picked the venue, Shenanigan's it is. The invites are out and we are making plans for the party.

At what age do you stop having the kid parties? I think I was around nine or ten and birthdays were more about just one or two friends, maybe a sleepover, and dinner out. I know it's different in every family. It's so fun to get caught up in the enthusiasm of turning one year older, until you don't want to and dread the coming of your birthday! So we are getting caught up in the excitement and rocking out those birthdays, complete with two cakes, a pile of gifts and lots of laughter.

ME. In a nutshell.

I wake up, it's 6:15 am, I am in this moment, a wife. We say our good mornings a quick smooch, he jumps in the shower. It's 6:32, I am me, alone for a few quiet moments of solitude.

It is 6:34, my youngest child, accompanied by her ever faithful, furry, four-legged brother, climbs/jumps into bed. I am a mother, listening to the tales of my 3-year-old's dreams, snuggling up to her warm, pj-clad body.

Out to the kitchen, rousing the other two children, on full force mommy duty.

Husband emerges, we grab sips of coffee in between rushing kids out the door to school, he to work. Roles merge, I am chaos director, wife, mom, short-order cook, dog walker.

Kids arrive at school, all but one still home with me.

Time is 8:12, off to the gym. Drop remaining child in child watch.

8:18: Alone, I am gym-rat extraordinaire. Work up sweat, chat with a few fellow friends, enjoy a bit of me time. I am me. Alone for awhile.

10:20: Pick up child, resume mommy duty.

Head to grocery store - grab necessities, plan dinner in my head, buy food.

11:10: Pickup child number two, head home. Prepare lunch for kids two and three. Mommy in full force. Play with girls, dog, clean up lunch, laundry.

1:12: Nap number three, bit of TV for number two.

1:32: Jump in shower - ahhh- me time for a few blissful minutes.

3:02: Rouse youngest from nap, load up car with girls and dog, pickup child number one. Listen to son tell about his day, return home, make snack. Check email, referee kids, homework, laundry.

4:46: Prepare dinner, chef hat officially on!

5:36: Set table, gather kids.

5:42: Greet husband- roles merge again. I am wife/mother/cook.

6:45: Prepare for bedtime routine- full mommy mode--baths given, books red, bed.

7:22: First tucked in. Only two trips back to get her settled.

7:34: Second child in bed. First trip a success.

7:46: Sit down with husband and kid number one, I am mommy/wife.

8:08: Last child down for the night.

8:12: Ahhh--wife mode--chat with husband, make tea and watch a bit of television.

9:36: Let fur-baby out (mommy mode still on!).

9:48 Head to bedroom--grab book of the moment--ahh a bit of me time!

10:27: Husband snuggles in--out for the night.

10:34: Kick dog off the bed, NOW, out for the night, ALL ME TIME!

Please? And thank you!

As a committed writer for this blog I made a promise to myself when accepting this job. I would try my hardest not to use it as a platform from where I preach my morals and beliefs onto you, the unsuspecting audience. But I do have something I would like to get off my chest, vent about, blow off some steam. That is specifically what has happened to our manners? 

 Where have all of our pleases and thank yous gone? I know there are some uber polite folks out there, kudos to all of you, keep it up! But the rest of us (yes, I too am guilty of occasionally missing a please or thank you) we have no excuses. 

We all have bad days and don't feel like saying thank you or being polite. But that is not the person behind the counters fault, they don't know that. A simple hello, a quiet thank you or even a nod carries a lot of weight. What kind of example are we showing our children? 

Now, as a family, we are admittedly pretty adamant our kids says please and thank you. But they are kids, and they need almost constant reminders to do so. We have had several proud moments where we have been complimented on how polite our child was (when we weren't even there to remind them!) I think our hard work aka nagging, maybe working! But come on, this isn't a hard thing to insist our youth do. Yes, it may take a bit of prompting, a polite nudge now and again, but we all should do it. 

And yes, I do feel better. Please, and thank you.

P.S After finishing writing this piece, I left the coffee shop and waited in the snow to hold the door open for a woman walking in. She never thanked me! I should have slipped her the link to this blog!

Benefits of good manners
Manners and morals of today's children and teens

Tradition!

If I had to describe a family tradition we do every year, without fail, it would be coloring Easter eggs with my grandparents.

My father's father was born in 1919 and one of this man's greatest joys comes from dunking many dozen hard-boiled eggs into little cups of color. Each and every year, through moves and new houses, my parents, grandparents and now my kids, get together and color seven or eight dozen eggs.

There is the discussion of the proper way to boil the eggs, are they peeling well this year? How does the color look? Which crayons work best to write the names on the eggs? My husband just laughs and can't really understand our love for such tradition. But we've managed to do this every year, without fail, for the better part of thirty five years.

No one gets a bigger kick out of it than my PaPa. He positively beams at my kids as they dunk their eggs in each cup to get the perfect color. He's the first to enjoy a cracked egg, always remarking at how it peeled or didn't peel. At 94 he's slowed down a bit. But nothing dampens his love for coloring eggs. And I say to my husband, the look on my grandpa's face as he looks around the table at his family is reason enough to keep up this tradition.

Wet! Wet! And more wet!

If I had to pick a theme for my life from the past week I think I'd keep it simple and call it "WET."

From my constantly wet, dirty floors, to the damp snow pants, hats, mittens, etc.

We get the swim stuff from swimming lessons and swim team, to the constant sneezing happening with all three kids. Then there is the giant dog who resembles a 100-pound woolly mammoth with snowballs instead of paws. He likes to come in from outside and rub all the snow off onto the furniture, so not only are the floors wet, so is the sofa and all of the chairs too!

Wet.

My vehicle is caked in yuck, both inside and out. I'm terrified to clean it, what's the point? I'd just have to wash and repeat again tomorrow! So to combat this, I've taken to looking the other way at my floors, until the end of the day when I can stand it no longer and Swiffer them until they gleam! The sneezing will eventually run its course, and except to totally shave my dog, he's going to continue to enjoy the snow and bring it in for all of us to enjoy too, in one form or another. And I say, "Van Schmann," it looks like everyone else's car right now anyway! That's why they call it spring cleaning right?

So I'll just turn on the fireplace and curl up with a hot cup of something, try to find a relatively dry spot on the couch, and roll with these wet winter punches.

Winter quiet in the north woods

My family and I were fortunate enough to escape for a long weekend to a cabin up near Hayward. It's a beautiful area full of lakes and wilderness.

We try to make a point to go at least once during the summer and once during winter. My husband prefers to go in the dead of winter, and takes great comfort in the quiet and solitude that a cabin in the woods provides. The kids enjoyed exploring the frozen lake, looking down while standing on black ice is pretty intimidating!

My 5-year-old's wish for the weekend was to see the northern lights. So we bundled up late one night, and with only the moonlight to guide us we went out onto the lake and looked up. While we didn't see any sign of the aura borealis, we did get a front row seat to a beautiful sky full of stars. It's so nice to be able to check out from the rat race of everyday life and slow down together.

We even managed to put together a 1000 piece puzzle! I cannot tell you the last time I did a puzzle, and what great pleasure we took to work together to see it through.

It's not everyday that we get to have time to watch a movie in the middle of the day, or just play a board game. You don't need a cabin to do these activities. But there is something a bit magical about getting away, wearing comfy clothes all day, and just taking pleasure in being together doing little things.

Who knows, maybe next time my little girl's wish will come true and we will get to see those northern lights after all.

A nation in mourning

As I pondered what to write for my entries this week, I had several ideas, especially with the holidays approaching.

But all of that went out the window the moment I heard of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred in Connecticut--26 innocent people who won't be around to see the holidays, sensely taken before their time.

When I read about the school shootings, as a parent, I fought every urge not to drive directly to my kids' school just to hug them as hard as I could. I'm sure I'm not the only one, and maybe many parents did just that.

It's impossible to try to reason or make sense of this violent act. I've read words of wisdom from leaders in the community and struggled with how to handle discussing this with our children. How can we expect them to comprehend something so awful if we, as adults, can't? I didn't want to scare my kids or put unnecessary thoughts in their heads, but I know that they will hear about it at school. We allowed them to watch some of the news coverage and had a discussion where they could ask any questions they wanted.

As the weekend winds to a close, the start of a new school week begins. I am certain that the thought in every parent's mind is the safety of our kids as they enter into their school and start their Monday. How do we let them go without some reluctance?

There is no good way to write about such a situation. I want my kids to have a carefree, idyllic childhood. I will do anything I can to try to see that they do, including sending them to a school they love. I will hug them extra hard on Monday as I drop them off, and I may arrive extra early to greet them as they are dismissed.

As a mother, I will keep the families of Connecticut in my thoughts and prayers and hope that they know they have a nation of parents who are grieving with them. They are not alone, and they will never be forgotten.

J. Bells is still watching! Where is he now?

Our elf, Jingle Bells, has struck again.

He's been a bit more mischievous this year, much to the delight of our kids!

He's been spotted high on top the Christmas tree, suspended from a door lock in a pair of undergarments, and hidden in a potted plant. The other morning he was on the kitchen counter covered in flour and had made a snow angel!

It sure has been a terrific way to see the kids get excited for Christmas. Every visitor to our house gets to see where Jingle Bells showed up that day. We get to listen to the kids tell the tales of what the little elf has been up to, and how he is full of magic!

We have seen the kids behavior improve when they know Jingle Bells is watching, so who knows, maybe he is magical after all! The time of holiday magic is so very brief. Before long the kids will be doubting Santa's existence, a thought so very sad to imagine. I'll do anything I can to keep the holiday spirit, even if that means helping Jingle Bells cause trouble the month of December!

Bedtime Book Bash is a smash!

We all know the saying "it takes a village."

Well I think this is especially important in today's world.

At my kid's elementary school this week they had a Bedtime Book Bash. This is an annual event where local community "celebrities" come in a read a book to the children.

We rotated between three rooms for fifteen minutes each. We listened to a book being read by the fire chief, and got some great fire safety information on top of it! We listened about princes and princesses from a grocery store executive in another. Our final stop was in a room with a volunteer dog and his person. The person did the reading, but all of the attention was on Odin, the yellow lab. We learned about adoption from the Humane Society and the pooch got a lot of extra loving!

All of this was done with the kids wearing their pajamas and being in a safe and comfortable environment.

The members of the community volunteered to come in and do this, I think the volunteer list included more than fifteen people. It was fun to watch the kid's expressions as they listened to the book or got to ask a question. We ended the Book Bash with a snack in the cafeteria with all of their friends. My 5-year-old thought it was especially exciting to drive home in the dark, with her pjs on. When she whispered "That was super fun!" I wished I could have recorded it to show the volunteers what a great thing they had just done.

It does take a village, but sometimes it doesn't take much to make a big impact! My gratitude goes out to all of those who helped make this a special night.

Flu season has arrived!

Well the season of cold and flu has officially descended and decided to make a stop in our house.

We have had a terrific year of almost perfect health, so you knew it had to end!

Our youngest came down with a cold over the weekend and as the week progressed it turned into a dry, barking cough. One trip to the pediatrician confirmed she had croup. Add to that a low-grade fever and one round of vomiting at 1 a.m., and you can imagine how the poor kid feels.

With a sick child at home every schedule is turned upside down and things get set aside until all is well. One of the main reasons is I have zero energy to tackle much more! After fighting round one of the cold and flu season, it drives home the point to make sure to get your flu shots. Two of our five family members have had theirs, but we need to wait until we are all healthy to get the mist, our preferred method of delivery.

Gundersen Lutheran makes it easy to get vaccinated. There are flu clinics everywhere, and it's a fast and painless way to try to avoid a week like I've had! Take it from this exhausted mom, run, don't walk to go get yours!



http://www.gundluth.org/flu