Summer Fun: Making Lemonade

We always have lemonade stand on our summer to-do list and usually we get to it.  This year, we arranged to host the stand with our friends Miss B and her daughter J.  Daughter J volunteers for the local cat rescue and so we decided to donate all proceeds to that charity.  We chose a date, made brownies and rice krispie treats, secured supplies (including a new jug with an infuser, which handle broke within the hour, but the store took it back for a full refund), and announced in on FB, only to wake up that morning to one of the rainiest days forecasted.

Still we watched and waited and the sun cleared late afternoon.  We rushed to set up the official stand (a gift from our neighbor Miss K, when her kids outgrew it), mixed up the lemonade--a pitcher of regular and a pitcher infused with defrosting raspberries--and, for two hours, we sold lemonade and treats.  Lots of our friends came by, alerted via FB, and supported the cat cause.  The kids had a great time . . . and raised $100!

We've hosted several lemonade stands now and will probably have another one this summer.  So I don't forget, here are some tips:


Beforehand

• lemonade supplies--we used powdered mix with added fresh lemon slices and, this time, raspberries.  One year, we sold Zinger Punch--Sprite and a few Red Zinger teabags.   The grown-ups liked it.
• pitchers--glass is risky. 
• treats, if selling--brownies, cookies, rice krispie treats--in closed containers, because there will be flies
• cups, napkins, paper towels
• garbage bags
• ice (morning of)
• donation jar
• singles or change, depending on your price points (we usually do $1 for everything--it is charity after all--and then we don't need coins or a price list.  Most people give more anyway.)
• posters, esp if you are donating the proceeds (otherwise, passersby seem to recognize a lemonade stand without much of a sign.)
• folding chairs for the grown ups (set way back--though, I'm usually talking to the parents of our customers)

For the sale:

• Bud really likes our special lemonade-stand gimmick:  a sugar rim!  We dip the lips of the cup in a little bit of lemonade and then into sugar.  Extra-good!  It's something special we can offer our customers.  (You'll need a dish of lemonade and a dish of sugar.)  He happily told everyone about it--and enjoyed making them.
• The trick is that kids either overwhelm a customer or get distracted doing something else.  Remind them beforehand to greet each person and take his or her order with all their good manners.  And then I just sit back and let them handle it. (Well, I don't know how far back I get.  I usually chat with anybody.)
• This year, in addition to posting it on FB, we tagged a number of friends in the area by name as soon as we opened--and all of the available ones stopped by, going out of their ways to come see us!  This was a special treat for us.  In fact, the majority of our customers were friends, not random strangers or even neighbors (boo on our two immediate neighbors who didn't come over, though they saw us clearly.)

Afterwards:

• Clean up (wipe down that lemonade stand!)
• Disperse the leftovers.
• Take out garbage and recycling.
• Count the money and make the donation.
• Post photos of the fun we had!

-=-=-=-=-=-

Our Standard Lemonade Stand Recipes

Chocolate Chunk Oat Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 9” square baking pan.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg, water, and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Stir in the flour mixture and oats; mix well. Stir in ½ cup chocolate chunks. Spread the dough in the pan with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle wit the remaining ½ cup chocolate chunks.

Bake for about 30 minutes or just until the center feels firm. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sesame Street Yummy Cookies: Baking with Kids


Oatmeal Jam Bars

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter
1-10 oz. jar of preserve

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda.  Cut in butter til mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Reserve ½ cup of the flour mixture.  Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.  Spread with desired filling.  Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.

Bake in 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or til the top is golden.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Summer Fun: Birthday Bash

We've had birthday parties (by year):

1.  in the backyard with everyone we knew to thank them for helping us;
2. again in the backyard, this time with bubbles (described in retrospect in third paragraph);
3. at the nature center with animal time, craft time, and playground time;
4. at the zoo, with animals and a craft;
5. at the Aquarium, with a tour and a craft;
6. at the church hall, for Legopalooza;
7. at the invention museum, with a hands-on woodworking project;
8. at the dance hall, for a pop music dance party;
9. and now, at the ice skating rink.

Which means I'm pretty experienced with the "away" party.  I thought I had already written a post about hosting a take-away party, or whatever they're called (I remember there was a name for them), but I never posted it, can't find it, or didn't actually write it.

Still, a few suggestions:

• have a pad of paper to record names and phone numbers of parents who are not staying on site;
• don't forget matches and candles, very few places have them available;
• also remember bowls you might need to serve snacks;
• bring a Sharpie to label the kids' drinking cups;
• I always try to have enough food for seconds and for parents who stay (today, we barely had enough cupcakes for the kids);
• cupcakes travel and serve more easily than sheet cake;
• bring 1-2 garbage bags to carry the presents away;
• money for a tip for the assistant (I aim for 15-20% of the fee);

Today's birthday party at the skating rink was great.  The kids woke up this morning so excited and grew more so when Goo arrived.  They had their skating lesson first--it was Bud's first official lesson--and then helped us set up for the party.  The set-up was pretty minimal--bowls of potato chips, lemonade and water, ice, cups, napkins--and then they began welcoming friends, both from school and from kung fu.  

Most of the kids could skate and Sis helped those who couldn't (with more experience than Bud, she's the better helper.)  We had talked to them about how to be a host/hostess--welcome everyone and explain any details, talk to everyone, buddy up with those who are alone, help serve food and drink, thank them when you say goodbye.  They did a great job and the two groups of kids, strangers to each other, got along well.  

They skated almost 2 hours, with barely a break for pizza; after skating, we sang "Happy Birthday" and ate cupcakes--those wonderful "TARDIS in the Time Vortex" cupcakes that only a couple of people understood.  As the Zamboni cleaned up after public skate, we said goodbye to everyone and cleaned up.

And now, after opening all the wonderful presents from generous friends at home, the kids are off to the movies with Mama and Goo, after a big sushi dinner.  I'm home alone, resting and rejoicing . . . and writing it all here.

Packing Up

With it being Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial beginning of summer (even if at 50F, it feels like spring), 'tis the season for packing up and going on short weekends away.  Just like we did last weekend to Long Island.  And each time we go away, we start a new list for prepping, so here's an attempt to get a general list.  Compared to our England or Disney World prep, it's a cinch.

To Pack

For each family member (1 x # days gone + 1 extra each)

o   shirts

o   skirts/shorts/pants

o   underwear/undershirt/bras (when applicable)

o   socks

o   pajamas

Toiletries

o   toothbrushes/toothbrush/floss/mouthguards

o   nail clippers

o   moisturizer/lotions

o   hairbrush/combs/hair clips

o   deodorant

o   children's painkillers/Benadryl
o   Benadryl gel (for bug bites)/neosporin

o   thermometer

o   prescriptions

o   sunscreen

o   bug spray

o   earplugs

Miscellaneous

o   water bottles

o   snacks

o   audiobooks/car activities

o   camera

o   chargers—phone, camera, UP

o   first aid kit/ice pack

o   activity-specific gear (swimwear/goggles, ice skates, etc.)

o   SQUIRT books

o   other entertainment (DS? Cards?)

o   loveys like Shirt/Bunny/Mr. Big

o   brace for Mommy

o   special pillows
o   hats (mittens/scarves if winter)
o   jackets (rain, etc.)

To Do

Beforehand

o   check house for plastic (for cats)

o   alert friends/mail itinerary

o   get gas

o   charge all batteries

o   clean cat water fountain

o   clean litterboxes

o   pack car

o   straighten outside (toys, etc)
o   arrange mail pick-up or cat-check, if necessary

Day of

o   take out garbage

o   bring in trash cans

o   feed and water cats

o   scoop litterboxes

o   close windows and curtains

o   adjust thermostat
o   adjust lights

o   pack batteries and chargers

o   secure trash can cabinet

o   open doors like basement for cat

Other (as needed)

My Quirky Party To-Do List

I haven't hosted a party in years.  When we talked about it, we guessed it had been about three years--a couple of moms' parties (Wildtree, I think, and a Christmas party that came two days after Newtown, where we all came together and supported one another) and one big family party, probably Applepalooza, some fall after my second back injury (2010?  2011?)  So it's been a long time and I've missed them greatly.  See, we used to do a big outdoor fall apple-extravaganza called Applepalooza and a much smaller, winter, indoor Groundhog Day brunch.  There would also be the kids' summer birthday and for a few years anyway a moms' December cookie swap.  Which meant, I was hosting a party seasonally.  And I liked it that way. One, it reinforces the bonds of our own little community across social group lines (meaning church friends, neighbors, and playgroup/school friends get together).  Two, it allows us to offer hospitality and generosity to our friends.   It also provides the kids with valuable hosting/entertaining skills and opportunities.  Finally, it's a deadline for house projects that we just ignore!!!  And I'm not actually kidding about that.  Nothing gets your butt in gear like 20 people coming over.

Anyway, with snow and such, plus the Super Bowl, the Groundhog Brunch didn't resonate this year.  And as we were ordering our annual family King Cake for Mardi Gras, I struck on the idea of hosting a Mardi Gras party.  I can cook New Orleans food, thanks to dear Miss Betty, who used to host, along with my mom (casually or even unplanned hurricane parties), many of the neighborhood gatherings I remember so fondly as a child and aspire to for my own kiddos.  Gumbo.  Muffalettas.  Red beans and rice.  King Cake.  It was a party!

The hardest part for me is choosing a guest list, which I type even now knowing that several of my local readers weren't on it.  But our house is small and winter makes available space even smaller.  And so I limited it to only playgroup friends this time, the friends at other schools whom we hardly see anymore.   Many of us remarked how much the kids had grown since those gatherings so long ago--taller, talking, not under foot, no diapers, no sippy cups, no Cheerios, actually even playing together, on other floors, without direct supervision or guidance.  We all had such a good time that we'll be having more!

And when we do, here's a list of "how."

The Invitation

• Send out invitations a month-plus in advance, knowing that people, especially families, commit their calendars early.  And knowing, beyond that, that people still won't RSVP until a few days in advance!
• If I send out an Evite, also send a follow-up email.  Evites go to spam a lot.  :)
• My general ratios of invitees to guests:  20 people invited, 17 will RSVP, 14 will come.   Approximately.  It's somewhat more than half.  Still I always over-invite.  I hate to leave people out, even though I should also hate to crowd them into an overstuffed party.  We have definite groups--old church friends, new church friends, playgroup friends, neighbors, school friends, "other" friends (those who don't fit in the above categories), and that's just our local townspeople, not our further afield CT friends or even further NJ/NYC friends--and our house is just too small in the winter to accommodate more than about one of those groups.  I think that is why I like Applepalooza--it's our fall party, which can be held outside, and I can invite 40 people!  Look for your invitation in September.  For the first time, the kids really wanted school friends, most of whose families we've never had to the house before.  And I wasn't envisioning that kind of party (less comfortable, a lot more people.)  So, instead, they were reacquainted with old friends . . . with a promise to invite everybody to birthdays and Applepalooza.  And it worked really well.
• I love potlucks and open houses.  It means help with the food (which then relieves me of worrying that I have enough) and a wider swath of guests able to fit the party into their schedule than if it were a more time-specific dinner party.  Plus, I always get to try a few new recipes.  
• Speaking of recipes, as you know, I often post them after a party.  This time, I printed out my three NOLA recipes and passed them to guests.
• I like themes--apples, Mardi Gras, brunch.  And I try to announce what I'm serving and ask people to bring desserts, or the flexible "nibbles."  I've started mentioning "drink of choice."  We don't drink alcohol for the most part but not because of any moral high ground.   And I'm fine if people want to bring beer or wine.  As long as they'll drink it out of plastic cups!!  (I don't have wine glasses . . . well, I might have 2.  Somewhere.) 
• Okay, so you might say this is less like a party that I'm hosting and more like a gathering I'm facilitating, with the work spread around.  Probably true.  But it's the only way I manage to have parties and people seem to be pretty comfortable.  And that is my goal.  I'm not trying to impress with china (don't have any!), silver (ditto), linens (ditto),  flowers (cats will eat them!), or menu.  I like happy, relaxed people enjoying conversation with each other and a variety of tasty dishes, without so much work on my part that I am a). discouraged from giving parties or b). injure my back in the process so that I can't enjoy the event.   If I can distract their kids with an activity so that they can relax a bit more, all the better!  

Prep Time

• I like food you can prepare the day before, which means shopping a few days before, which means menu planning up to a week in advance.  Though, really, I know the menu before I send out the invitation.
• Cleaning.  There are always cleaning projects at my house.  And I'm not talking minor clutter removal.   For instance, before this party, we had 400 books stored on the enclosed front porch looking for a good donation site.  We'd thought about selling them to a local bookstore, but their buyback was complicated . . . and off-season.  We were hesitant just to take them to Goodwill, because many were academic tomes.  The local book swap opportunities fell through.  So at the last moment, I made a deal with our old church to take them all as donations for their book sale.  Whew.  Similarly, with our bad backs, we move things in stages--numerous, heavy Christmas boxes had been relocated to the basement but not stacked in the storage area.   They had to be moved.  So, I have to give Mama and me plenty time to do these projects, though, regardless of warning, we still do them the night before.
• As I mentioned, I like themes.  In the past, we've had a few designated activities for the kids--coloring, pin the stem on the apple, paper bag groundhogs.  This time we skipped the activity.  The kids are older and didn't need our input, so they had a snowball fight outside, played dolls, played on our various instruments, built with Legos, and, at the very end (and with permission) looked at Minecraft together.  But, if there is an activity, pull it together and pick the spot the night before.
• Night before:  
• bathroom cleaning; 
• litter-box change; 
• finalize food prep; 
• pull out all tableware and serving dishes (we use disposable--it's not green, but we don't have dishes for more than 8.  Besides, glass and kids don't go well at these things.)  
• If winter, put drinks on front porch to chill!!  And always, always there is that last run to the store (followed by another last run the morning of!)  
• We let the kiddos hide a few select things that they can't bear sharing, be it beloved Lego sets or stuffed animals; they didn't feel the need to this time--and were really evening keel when some Lego things were dismantled.  It's also the first time that the kids had their own rooms to play in, so they straightened those the night before.  It's been so long since our last party that I think the kids were all mostly underfoot and needing to be within view of parents, which meant everybody was squeezed into our first floor.  (Well, except for the time they went downstairs and one girl cut another's hair with the supposed hair-safety scissors.  We all still laugh about that.  And the cutter was here on Saturday!)
• Day of:  
• put kitties in locked room with food and water so they can't escape out the front door (or be terrified by children); 
• sweep kitchen; 
• rearrange tables for food service (this generally means taking our small family kitchen table out of the kitchen and putting it on the porch and bringing up our 6' long plastic table against the back wall of the kitchen for a buffet); 
• put Sharpie pen next to drinks so we can at least pretend to keep track of cups;
• scatter chairs around house (and put away all the extra pillows, blankets, and bean bags that make it cozy.)  
• Keep the kids from making new messes as they pass the slow time before the party.
• Ice.  The ice maker never makes enough ice.  I just need to remember to buy ice.  Every time.  I always send Mama out halfway through the party, but, by then, people think there is not enough ice and so don't use anymore.  
• Ask for help.  And accept gracefully.  I have a few dear friends who know I like parties and who go out of their way to make them happen here.  You know who you are.  This time, one of them came and helped cook the day before.  Without them, I'm not sure I could host.  Thank you!
• And order pizza. Do not bother cooking dinner the night before--there are other things to cook AND then you'd just have to clean.  

Party!

• This is really the easy part.  Greet everyone at the door, find a place for coats.  Let them take off their shoes or not (not required.)  Direct them to the kitchen while describing what's on offer.  And really, before we even get that far, we're distracted with other people and greetings and hugging, etc.
• Mama doesn't enjoy socializing in large groups like I do, so she is in charge of food refills, mid-party ice runs (see above), checking on the cats, taking out garbage if it fills up, and keeping an eye on wayward children.  She will absolutely enjoy talking one-on-one to whomever seeks her out while she's doing these things.  We both try to clean up discarded plates and cups.  Especially with kids, there are always strays.
• Music.  With kids and a small space, music here sometimes compounds the noise.  It just depends.  I think we had Preservation Hall Jazz on this time, but I'm not sure anyone could hear it until most people were gone.

After-Party

• I always find forgotten and unlabeled dishes that people kindly brought food over on--and I have the darnedest time returning them.  There are four in my house right now.  Nice dishes, one ceramic and three glass.  It will be weeks, I know, before I get them where they go.  Please, please either label your dishes, remember to take them home, or use disposables.  I hate hoarding your stuff (and now I sound all ungrateful).  I got three pie plates one year that way from Applepalooza and everyone I asked said they weren't theirs!
• I try to give away as much food as I can.  Always have containers on hand for this purpose.
• Do the basic level of clean-up (meaning food storage and trash pick-up) and leave the chairs and tables, etc., for later--relax, watch a movie, and eat leftovers!
• Start talking about the next one . . . .we've tentatively scheduled an end-of-school backyard ice cream social and Applepalooza!!!

How I Visit a Friend in a Nursing Home

I went to see my dear Miss S at the nursing home earlier this week.  She was thrilled with my surprise visit. (I have stopped calling in advance because she gets garbled on her dates and times.)  We chatted for more than an hour, mostly about news of people we know and also the NYTimes, which she reads cover to cover everyday.  I'm sure her memory is slipping, but it wasn't very obvious; though, I wasn't testing her either.  She says "that" and "it" for nouns and pronouns for people she can't remember.  And she nods and says, "I know," a lot, even if she probably doesn't.  Still, she knew me on sight and that is still better than I thought it would be.

As I was talking to her, indeed through many of my nursing facility visits with her and my hospice patients, I've made up a mental list of advice.  So here are some informal tips for visiting a nursing home or assisted living facility (for lists aimed specifically at families, see here and here for examples):

• Dress in layers--many facilities are overheated for the comfort of their cold-sensitive residents.
• There's almost always a sign-in folder, sometimes a tag to wear.  The receptionist can point you in the right direction, especially because there is something confusingly labyrinthine about even the most straightforward-looking of these facilities.  I always get lost going in and coming out the first few times.
• Yes, it stinks.  Oftentimes of cleaners, sometimes of soiled diapers and illness.  Take a deep breath before you enter the space and then try not to think on it.
• And yes, it can be depressing.  People's bodies and minds are in various states of deterioration, which we don't often see because they are in facilities like this.  It can be overwhelming.  It can also seem callous, with numerous residents lined up in hallways, staring off listlessly or moaning or talking to thin air.  The staff is always overworked, shorthanded, and probably underpaid and undertrained, which is just as depressing.  With our current state of medicine, which allows people to live longer lives, even with illness, past the point of when they can remotely care for themselves or be cared for by non-professionals, and our cultural norms that hide away illness and death as well as our societal structure that is dominated by two-person working families (also, there are older parents with younger children who have young children--the sandwich generation!) who can't (and don't have the skills) to care for people at home, these places are a(n oftentimes unpleasant) necessity.  But by visiting, I'm taking a little bit of light and happiness to one person.
• Locate the public restrooms because it can be awkward or even difficult to use the restroom in the resident's room (rooms are often shared and there is usually medical equipment inside.)  Sometimes the public restrooms are locked and you need to get the key from reception or the nurse's station.
• Take something to discuss or share--books, magazines, photographs (I find my smartphone is good for that--we can look at several photos together.  I also read or sing from it with patients.) 
• **Take a small gift--a magazine, hand lotion, snacks (but only if you know that's ok--some residents have restrictions or are on thickeners to avoid choking), seasonal decoration, homemade artwork/pictures for the wall.  I avoid flowers because they need to be cared for/watered and they can die so quickly.   And I always ask at the end of the visit if there is something particular I can bring the next time.  (**This is mainly for my friend, not my hospice patients, though hospice has lotions and blankets and such for us to distribute.)
• Knock on the door, even if it's open.  And announce yourself.  So, (knock-knock) "Hi friend, it's Jamie!"  If there is a roommate, say hi.  
• I never wake a sleeping patient (regardless of what Jessica Tandy says in Fried Green Tomatoes!)  I will wait in a common area for awhile, or even sit next to them (good chairs are SO hard to find, just like parking spaces--WHY do they build these beautiful new facilities WITHOUT enough parking???), but often that means I'll leave without a visit.
• I always ask if it's ok before I sit on the edge of the bed.
• If a nurse needs to attend to the resident, step outside while assuring them you'll be right back.  Note: don't go too early in the morning--that's get up, breakfasted, and dressed time.  I usually aim for after 11 ish, which gives them time to rest from the morning's brouhaha.  Oftentimes, depending on the health of the patient, after lunch or afternoons are hard because they're tired.  I try not to go at mealtime, though, at my friend's current place, if I'm there anywhere near lunch, they bring me a tray, too, without charge (this is not standard; and I never eat during hospice visits.)
• It might just be me, but I never hesitate to turn down a missing roommate's tv (which are always on when the roommates are out of the room!!!)  Nursing homes are noisy enough.
• If possible, get them out of their room--go for a walk, go sit in the common areas, attend an activity together.  Sometimes this takes a little coaxing.  It's also ok just to stay in the comfort and safety of their rooms (especially if you are unsure about their mobility.)
•  If you run out of ideas for chatting (my friend loves to gossip, but I only ever have so much news!), talk about their pictures or knick-knacks, items on their bulletin board (most rooms have them), community calendar, what they had for their previous meal, what I did last weekend, what the weather is like outside, the last holiday, etc etc etc.  Of course, sitting in companionable silence or even watching tv together as a last resort is just fine.  I don't correct or argue, especially if they misremember or are misinformed about something; I want the visit to be pleasant.  And I just nod and smile when a story is repeated  . . . again and again.
• I usually aim to stay about an hour (which is too long for many, and too short for some!), always giving a 10-15 minute warning.  Of course, I'm prepared to leave if they're not up for a visit.  Goodbyes are hard and I always feel guilty about leaving them alone again.  My friend is especially lonely and always walks me all the way to the door.
• BTW, some doors especially on dementia floors have security codes to leave--ask at the nurse's station.
• I find it's easier to greet with words or a smile everybody I pass, especially other residents--so few of them get outside visitors.  Sometimes they want a quick chat, which is fine.  If they seem confused or won't stop talking, sometimes I have to excuse myself.  If I can't completely understand them, I just smile.
• If in doubt about anything, ask the staff.  Nicely.  Unless you are the legal guardian, they won't be able to give you privacy-protected medical information for the patient.  But, you can always ask the staff how the resident is doing that day or alert them to any (really pressing) concerns you have. Otherwise, unless it's really important (or falls under my hospice work parameters), I try not to interfere with the care.
• Go.  When in doubt, go.  Time passes so slowly . . . and so lonely . . . at nursing homes that most residents welcome company and attention.
• Unless you are sick--meaning any symptoms, not just confirmed fever or flu--gastro and respiratory illnesses spread like wildfire in these places.  Sanitize with alcohol rub or handwashing on the way in and the way out.

Big Snow Post

It's another snow day here, with 7" added to our previous 5" all covered with sleet and ice.  It'll be pretty when it freezes overnight, except it will be as slippery as a greased pig.  I'm betting a delay or another cancellation depending.

Between baking, sewing, playing games, building with Legos, shoveling/snow blowing outside, walking on my treadmill, watching Doctor Who, and working from home, we're having a pretty good day.  Even if it means going to school until practically the end of June.  Again.

And so, I thought to compile all of my previous posts with tips on snow days plus some new ones.  Here you go....


Getting ready before the snow:

• Purchase any supplies you need for activities, including unusual items like sweetened condensed milk, water balloons, food coloring, etc.  Don't forget the obligatory milk, eggs, and bread, even if you don't usually eat those!!  Don't forget pet food and batteries. 
• Put the bowl out to collect snow for ice cream.
• Do whatever else you do--re-align cars, put up windshield wipers (if you like that), bring in outside toys, get sleds out of garage for easier reach, check on gas in the snowblower, put shovels nearby so you don't have to crawl through snow to get to them, get propane tank and stove onto porch for cooking if power goes out.
• Hard part:  act like it's a school night unless you know it's not, meaning do homework, pack bags, regular bedtime.  
• also see Adult Prep, for snow novices, with tips about pipes and shoveling etc.

SNOW DAY
Food--one of the big distractions of the day; here are some of our favorites.  I also love a big breakfast then a pot of soup with some homemade bread ready for grazing during the day.  

Snow Cream
1 gallon or big bowl of clean snow (if you like, you can put the bowl outdoors to collect it as it falls)
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the ingredients together and eat the snow ice cream. Yummy!

Chocolate Snow Ice Cream
1 cup of half and half
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of dark chocolate syrup.

Stir until mixed and then go outside and add 4-6 cups of snow, a cup at a time, until frozen.

It was tasty. And then we added chocolate chips 
T.F.N.


Maple Syrup Snow Candy
1 cup maple syrup (Grade B tastes better)
½ tablespoon butter

Combine maple syrup and butter. Heat to 260°F (hardball stage). Watch carefully because syrup scorches at this temperature. Remove from heat.
Pour into a ribbon onto snow, lift, and eat. For non-snow areas, pour carefully onto a cookie sheet. Make any pattern you want.
Store candy in a dry and tightly sealed container.

Circle Round

Hot Cocoa

1/2 cup suga

1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

Dash salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (my addition)

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups (1 qt.) milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream(optional)

1. Stir together sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

2 Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings.


MICROWAVE SINGLE SERVING: Coombine 1 heaping teaspoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa, 2 heaping teaspoons sugar and dash salt in microwave-safe cup or mug. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk; stir until smooth. Fill cup with milk. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Stir to blend; serve.

Hershey's website

Popcorn Balls

5 cups popped popcorn

1-10 oz bag of marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

Melt butter and marshmallows in pot on the stove. Stir in popcorn until coated. Scoop onto waxed paper with ladle. Wait a bit to let them cool some. Shape into balls with hands sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

the back of Buddy's advent calendar

Meringue Snowflakes

4 teaspoons meringue powder

4 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon flavored extract (they chose vanilla)

2 tablespoons colored sugar

Preheat oven to 200F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

On high speed, beat meringue powder, water, and cream of tartar until frothy (3 minutes) and then until glossy (3 more minutes, approximately.)  Add powdered sugar a tablespoon or so at a time, incorporating each, until mixture is stiff (about 5 minutes).  Add extract and beat until incorporated.

Take large zipper bag (or pastry bag), nip the corner, and fill with meringue.  Pipe designs onto paper-lined baking sheet (we put an outline of a snowflake underneath.)  Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake until dry, about an hour; do not brown.

Carefully move paper to wire rack and allow to cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

adapted from Spoonful (they use 2 egg whites instead)

Outside Activities--get them out early and often!!
Dressing well is the secret to withstanding the wet and cold for longer--snow pants are wonderful for this (I love mine!).  Second in importance--warm and waterproof mittens or gloves. Plus hats, boots, warm socks, heavy coat.  They never seem to want or need scarves.  Best to zip up, pull hoods over hats, and tuck pants in boots and mittens in sleeves to keep snow out of necks, wrists, and ankles.  Be sure to hang everything up to dry afterwards so it'll be ready if you want to go out again.  An advance thin application of Aquaphor prevents chapped lips and painful cheeks.

snow ice cream--1 can sweetened condensed milk in a big bowl (5-10 cups) of fresh snow (leave bowl out overnight). Note: some people add vanilla; another friend just mixes snow with a box of lemon pudding!

snow candy: boil 1 c maple syrup and 1/2 T butter on the stove + pour into clean snow in ribbons (or bring it inside on a cookie sheet if possible) = candy when it cools

ice "eggs":  fill water balloons with colored water; freeze hard; remove balloon--voila!

ice bubbles:  blow bubbles into the deep cold--will freeze, deflate, frost, and break

flake photos:  try photographing snowflakes, best against a sheet of black paper or the sleeve of a dark coat.  See here.

actually, take lots of photos (and when you go inside, email them to people!)

snow slushie: more clean snow + your favorite soda = an icee

snow painting (mix food coloring with water in spray or squeeze bottles)

snowmen (start with a small snowball and roll it across the yard to make it bigger; if you can't make a snowball coalesce, it's not the right snow). And people are just the beginning!

snow forts (just pile up walls, leaving an opening for yourself)

snow angels

snow labyrinth--step out a maze in the snow and follow it around

snow ball fights

snow castles (like sand castles)

snow tunnels (actually, we can't do this one even with 8' mound out front because the snow pockets collapse)

snow furniture--make beds, table, whatever and play house outside

writing/drawing in the snow

build fairie houses in the snow using fallen branches, dead leaves, etc.

put out bird seed for animals or even make little bird feeders (stale bagels with nutbutter/corn syrup and seed)

sledding on cafeteria trays, certain kinds of trash can lids, or the like if you don't have sleds (um, not that there are hills where you are)

identifying animal tracks

identifying people tracks by their shoes

catching snowflakes on your sleeve

taking bowlfuls inside to show/amuse pets or really little ones

Indoors (Or, So it's Your School's 6th Snow Day!):

Some of our favorites (best for elementary aged-kids)

• play games (solitary or group, card or board, even cat's cradle string games)
• bake or cook
• picnic in the living room or on the big bed
• dance party/singalong
• any arts and crafts (think outside the drawing/painting box, with watercolors, yarn, collage, Sculpey, homemade playdough, making a book, flip-book animation, etc)
• science experiments (cornstarch goop, oil and water, baking soda and vinegar)
• favorite toys:  Legos, American Girl, etc.
• circus time:  juggle or magic tricks
• puzzles (jigsaw, "tavern games," Rubik's cube)
• practice piano/strings
• call grandparents and/or email them those outdoor photos you took
• decorate fridge/chalkboard
• write emails/send letters/make cards
• long "play bath" with bubbles and toys
• read, alone or together
• doing hair or painting fingernails
• head, foot, shoulder, and/or back rubs
• dramatic play (used to be hibachi, school, vet; now Doctor Who and Star Wars)
• television/movie
• screen time (Animal Jam, Minecraft, DSi)
• (least favorite:  chores, esp. shoveling!!)

And, truly, bored is okay, too.  It can spark something more.  It won't hurt them.  (It might drive you nuts, though.)

What we don't do:  anything vaguely educational.  No need to do school things or school-like things on a day off; whatever they do is as valuable, albeit differently, as schoolwork.

Plus:  Miscellaneous activities, including coloring flowers, melting colored ice, etc.;

"Surviving a Snow Day with Children" by Dawn Meehan, from Motherlode;
also from Motherlode  comments from readers compiled here. 



Tips for the Staying-At-Home Parent

• You do not have to entertain the kiddos every hour of the day.
• If they get bickery, suggest chores til they figure it out.  They'll figure it out fast. (We have a rule that they can't repeatedly fight/bicker on the same floor where we are!  Which usually means going to their rooms.)
• Take a break from some of the routine--skip cleaning or laundry or the to-do list, so it's a vacation for you, too, unless ... 
• Unless you need a break, and then hide in the laundry room or at the sink--the kids will scatter (of course, if you are too overwhelmed and behind, do your routine if it helps.)
• We relax some of the rules, to make it special--eating in the living room, only jammies (as long as they brush teeth!), more screen time, more snacking, and stranger meal choices (breakfast for dinner; cake for breakfast--whatever!)
• I also like to keep to my treadmill time by myself.
• Make a phone call to a friend.
• Allow yourself some screen time, too.
• Don't worry if it's not a picture-book snow day filled only with beautiful, fun, peaceful memories.  There will be others.  And they're never, ever perfect.

And, finally, some humor.  

Presenting the Hungry Family Circus!

Remember how we saw the traditional, old-fashioned circus a few weeks ago, with one tent of acrobats, trapeze artists, tumblers, etc., as well as other displays of juggling, stilts, etc?   Sis was enamored of the ancient Chinese yo-yo aka the Diabolo and learned how to get it started and keep it spinning, while Buddy was introduced to the rudiments of juggling.

Well, the circus continues.  I got Buddy a set of scarves and he has been practicing arcs and back-and-forth tosses.  And this weekend, a Diabolo arrived in the mail for Sis, who is really pretty good at the basics (and it's much harder than it looks!).  So this afternoon, Bud was juggling, Sis was yo-yoing, and I was juggling, too!  Mama was helping Sis with the finer points of keeping the spin going.  All we needed was some good old circus organ music!

It's like we were channeling P.T. Barnum, who lived around here (and was a Universalist, too!) a century and a half ago . . . .

-=-=-=-=-=-

Mommy Hungry's Tips on Learning How to Juggle:

1. Get three bean bags, koosh balls, or hacky sacks (tennis balls are too hard to catch easily and bounce away when dropped).
2. Practice  tossing one ball back and forth in a nice arc.   If you drop it a lot, practice sitting down.  Also, to keep your arc in one plane, practice facing a wall so you can't throw the ball forward.
3. When you can do that, add the other ball and practice tossing back and forth.  See #2, if needed.
4. Now, put two balls in your dominant hand and one in  your other and continue the back and forth.
5. Repeat, repeat, repeat.  And don't get discouraged because it takes everyone time to learn how to juggle.
6. Best yet, once you learn, like bicycle riding, you don't really ever seem to forget and can surprise and impress friends for years (really, aren't you surprised I can juggle?  I used to be able to do pins for a few tosses!)

OR, better still, buy the Juggling for the Complete Klutz book (with three bean bags!), which is what really helped me learn to juggle (after an initial lesson from my cousin, Frere Jacques) and probably where I got all the above ideas anyway!

And if I can learn to juggle (and successfully teach Mama . . .and maybe Goo (I can't recall)), then you can learn, too!

How I'm Surviving Back Pain, Or, What To Do If You Ever Herniate a Disc

After herniating the same disc twice, in addition to at least 3 severe lumbar and 1 severe thoracic muscle strains, I've learned a few things about back pain. I'm not a doctor, just a patient, but wanted to pass these thoughts and ideas along:

Immediately Upon Sensing that Something Has Gone Wrong

• Get on your back with your feet up on something--the floor with your feet on a chair, the couch with your feet over the arm, the bed with pillows. Best to get to somewhere you can stay for awhile, even it means crawling on all fours in agony. Second best position: almost fetal, if you can roll over.
• Breathe, slowly. In and out. Don't try to think much. Just breathe.
• Ice it. 15 minutes at a time, at least once an hour. For the first 24 hours.
• Ibuprofen. At least 3. Gel caps are apparently fastest but take whatever you have. I couldn't say how often, but 2-3 times a day (like every 6-8 hours).
• Call your GP.
• Wait. This is the hard part. Distract yourself with tv, the computer, the phone. Don't really think about moving at all for hours; try not to do anything the first 24. Yes, that means using the bathroom is a pain, especially for women (I've never wanted a penis so badly). Think adult diapers. Because you won't be able to walk. Also, wear clothing that is least restrictive--you don't need to fight fabric--I prefer just a big t-shirt.
• It is tempting to want to go to the ER because it hurts so much and you can't move. If you have numbness or tingling in your legs or can't control your bodily functions, call 911. Otherwise, try to stay home. The ER tends to give you morphine and send you home, after an agonizingly long wait. The morphine is good for awhile but doesn't a) treat the problem or b). last long enough. And it's pretty miserable to wait at the ER.

The First Few Days

• After the first 24 hours, think of applying heat via 8-hour thermal heat pad or the like.
• Try to get up a few minutes every several hours. Have someone spot you. It's going to hurt and be scary. Stop if it is too much.
• If you can get one, wear some kind of lumbar brace for those short walking forays. Medical supply stores sell them. Medical supply stores are your new best friend.
• Contact a specialist. You have two options: an orthopedist is likely to operate; a physiatrist is a pain specialist who does not operate. Apparently, only 10% of back injuries require surgery, but non-surgical recovery is slow (6 months to a year, though not all in bed) and not everyone has that luxury. My physiatrist usually prescribes Valium, Voltaren, fish oil, and lidocaine-steroid trigger shots at the injury spot as soon as I can get in the office. He also ordered a much stiffer lumbar brace.
• To get to the doctor, lie down on your side in the backseat of the car, with a pillow between your legs. Best to wear that lumbar brace because it's gonna be bouncy. And take the ibuprofen.
• Line up your support network. Do you have family nearby? Friends who can help? Church or other organization to assist? What do you need most--childcare? meals? rides? errands? Most people will kindly offer "anything you need." Be prepared to have specific requests so they know how they can help. Sometimes, just having people stop by is as important as anything else to my own recovery. There are also websites to coordinate meals or a variety of caregiving (see NYTimes article).
• Magnesium citrate is a gentler way to jump start or keep your system regular.
• Making "life in a bed" easier: a bolster or wedge for your legs because pillows can be wobbly and unsupportive (from medical supply stores or online); I keep a box on my bed with remote controls, books/magazines, my phone, snacks, a bottle of water, my laptop, and paper and pen so I can find everything easily; baby wipes are good for all manner of things from cleaning up after snack to feeling fresh between showers; now I have a medical rail on the bed to help me pull myself up or to help me roll over; there is also an "oh shit" bar in the shower and next to the toilets for the same reason.

Long Recovery

• Follow your specialist's orders re: medicine, heat/cold, rest, and exercise/therapy.
• The psychological battle is now the harder part, as you fear reinjuring your back, self-censor your activities unnecessarily because of the fear, mourn your loss of mobility/independence/strength, become isolated with the cancellation of your usual activities, play "what if?" or "how?". I recommend Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (I use the CD and have a book/workbook, would love to take the course sometime) and meditation, both of which acknowledge the present and the pain but provide a way to come to terms with it.
• An up-side is that you quit taking little things like walking, showering, the restroom, etc for granted, at least for awhile. And of course, you appreciate the bigger ones, like family and friends, medical care and insurance. It's definitely a count-your-blessings kind of experience.
• Pay attention to your body's clues and rest if the area becomes too inflamed or tight. Contact your doctor.
• For safety's sake, I always have a phone on me, even when my back is fine. But I want to know that if it goes out, I can reach help immediately.
• And strangest of all, it gets easier each time, I think.

Tip O' The Day

Inspired by my cousin S's tip about opening foil-sealed container on the edge of the counter, I have a few tips:

• To clean a vase or other narrow-necked container: forget those fancy brushes! Just add some uncooked rice, water, and soap and then swirl around.
• To remove smells in the fridge, put a bag of activated charcoal, which can be purchased wherever fish tank supplies are sold (i.e. Petco), in there. Stays fresh for a long time.
• To pick up lots of bits of paper off the floor without a special vacuum or dust machine, roll a piece of tape, sticky side out, around your hand. Kids love it!
• To keep cooking spray from getting everywhere when you spray a pan or tray, open up the (presumably empty or dirty) dishwasher and spray over the door. It'll be cleaned when you wash it next.
• To clean the dishwasher of crud (which can form when you aren't using petroleum-based toxic cleaners), put 2-3 packets of lemon Kool-Aid (the unsweetened small packets) in the soap dispenser and run the empty dishwasher on a normal cycle.

I know there were others, but that's it for now.

Get Outta There

"So," they asked me, "will we ever be able to leave the house again?"

Sure, have minivan, will travel with 4 kids (and I'm speaking of local outings or day trips here, not overnights).

General Tips

• Never let having (more than one) kids be your excuse for not going out.  It just isn't that much more trouble.  And you both need to get out.  Remember, practice makes perfect.  Okay, you're right, there is no "perfect," but practice does help.

• Choose your location carefully those first several trips. Some criteria:  easy to locate, clean bathrooms with changing tables; ready supply of food and/or drinks; kid-friendly atmosphere, i.e. not completely breakable, where they can walk around independently; not too quiet; other children and adults to see; contained, safe space.  My suggestions:  a friend's house; church; Target (join the 8 a.m. mommy brigade getting out for coffeee and companionship even with strangers; we all did it).  Parks are iffy because of the bathroom and food situation, but more importantly all that open space and strangers.  The latter is true of malls--so easy to lose a quick kid.  

• Go over the rules in advance.  Ours are:
  

1.  inside voices
2.  stay together
3.  walk
4.  don't touch anything without asking (esp at store)

5.  hold-hands-in-parking-lots rule--if not my hand, a sibling's hand, or part of my clothes or cart.  

We've also started identifying what to do if we get separated.  Stay where you are.  Find someone in uniform (guard, cashier, employee, police) or a mom with other kids.  We've been practicing first and last names, plus our little address song.

• Keep their schedule in mind.  Don't go out right before a meal or nap, if you can help it.  My favorite time to go somewhere is first thing in the morning when they are at their best. And I'm at mine.  For us, that can be 8:30 or 9.    
• Keep it relatively short and sweet.  For us, more than 2 stops on any outing is an invitation for trouble.  Not that 3 stops don't happen sometimes, but I had better have saved the best for last.  Even now, our trips to NYC (or Massachusetts) begin at 8 a.m. and end with us heading home around 3 p.m.  Longer than that and it doesn't go well.  
• Finally, be prepared to cut any outing short if it's not going well (because of tantrums, unmet expectations, whatever).  There is no lesson in dragging it out on principle.
• Other tips:  dress in similar colors so you can recognize your brood from a distance by shirt (sometimes all you might spot is a moving sleeve . . . ).  Carry a cell phone in case you and your co-parent split up.  And, finally, if we go somewhere special with a gift shop (like AMNH or the Met or Mystic Seaport), they can have approximately the equivalent of their admission price to spend (but usually only the first time we go to that place,not everytime).
  

How to Pack
When you have kids, it helps if you travel with their stuff.  We're teased about how seriously we take this, but I'd like to think that we are rarely unprepared.  For instance, when Bud threw up during a recent car trip, we had:  wipes to clean him up, paper towels for the car, bags to put both the waste and his dirty clothes in, a change of clothes for him and me (because he hugged me and got me messy too), water for him to drink to feel better, snacks and items to distract Sis while we cleaned him up, and a towel to put both under him and in his lap for the rest of the ride just in case.  No problem.  Well, except that he was carsick in the first place.  

Here's our working list:

• change of clothes in season for everyone
  
• towels/blankets (2-3)
  
• wipes and paper towels and kleenex
  
• water and snacks
  
• a few books and little toys
  
• plastic bags
  
• portable potty
  
• meds (tylenol, saline) and first aid (bacitracin, bandaids, aquaphor, sunscreen, thermometer)
  

Until they were older (probably about 2), we carried a variety of this with us in the diaper bag along with diaper stuff (diaper cream, diapers, wipes, bags).  Now we are bagless, for the most part, and just keep it all in the back of the minivan (which, by the way, makes for a great changing table or place to put the portable potty--just put the plastic baggy in the potty and let them go.  I hear cat litter works well too but we haven't gotten around to carrying that with us.  Yet!!)


A few words on shopping:  All that said, I prefer not to shop with them.  Not serious shopping anyway, like the weekly run to the grocery store.  And with preschool, a babysitter, and Mama who will go during church or at night, I don't have to take them shopping.  It always stressed me out and bored them when I needed to go on a long shopping trip--"don't touch," "no we can't," "when we get home."  Blah.  I know I'm lucky.  If you need tips for the grocery store, there are lots out there.  I know snacks and giving them something to do (i.e. a list to look for, counting, a cart toy) are key.  But I know I am faster, make better choices, and spend less money when I go alone.  We will go together for a few items--Target is still one of our favorite haunts--but not for more than 30-45 minutes or so.

A few words on eating out:  Practice early and often so that they get used to the atmosphere.  Go to a variety of similar places.  Go over the rules as you enter--we pretty much use the same ones for any outing (see above).  Go at off hours--like 11:30 for lunch or 5:30 for dinner to avoid waits, crowds, and slow service.  I'm less self-conscious about anything that might happen from loud voices to spilled water when few other people are around.  We now carry or get crayons and draw on the back of placemats.  Yes, you will pretty much be eating at places that have paper placemats and give out free crayons.  We used to carry cheerios to munch on before the meal--appetizers weren't necessary and they wouldn't be starving and miserable.  High chairs are great while the kids fit--keeps them contained but gives you a free hand.  Booths can also keep them contained, but now Bud likes to lean/sit/crawl on me.  We let them order what they like, within reason, giving them suggestions.  Yes, it's mainly chicken tenders and fries.  Almost anywhere. Sure, I'd love them to have varied, sophisticated, adventurous palates--but I didn't at that age (or even at 20 + their age)--and I don't want food to go to waste that I've ordered just to impress them, myself, or others--then I'd just have to feed them at home again anyway (and that would be after a scene in the restaurant).    But at Mexican places, they start with chips.  At the pizzeria, they might try salad.  Avoid that restaurant whose raison d'etre is ice cream.  They just don't eat their meals.  Go to that friendly place as a dessert treat sometime.  Wherever you are (and yes, we all go to the golden arches sometimes), they'll make a mess; we at least try to pile it on the plates at the end so the staff doesn't have to touch everything. We haven't had too many behavioral issues at restaurants but our fallback should it happen would be that the upset child would first be taken to the bathroom to calm down and then out to the car for a bit if that doesn't do the trick.  Tip well.  

I think all the practice (and stuff) has given us the confidence to go almost anywhere.   And we have, for the most part, spent most Saturdays of their lives out doing something somewhere.  They are adaptable, flexible, relaxed little outing-takers.  And we all have a good time.  Home is great, but sometimes you need to get out so you can love coming home again.