Toy Exchange

Here's a fun, earth-friendly, easy-on-the-budget, wonderful thing to do with your friends: have a toy exchange! I recently did this with the other moms in my Bible study and it was awesome! We each brought a few toys in good condition that our kids don't play with any more. Of course, as soon you decide upon the perfect toy that your kids won't miss, they will fall in love with it again, so the best strategy is to squirrel the unloved toys away after kids are in bed. We compiled all the toys, drew numbers, and took turns picking out "new" ones. I suppose you could do this White Elephant style, too, which would make things a bit more exciting. Having the kids there would make things more exciting too, but probably in a different way. We opted to do it sans kids. I'm wrapping up our "new" toys and putting them under the tree for Titus and don't feel a bit guilty about it - he doesn't care that they were free!

"Project Time"

Man, having 2 kids sure makes it hard to find time to sew! Thus, the introduction of thrice-weekly "project time." I LOVE this and can't believe I didn't come up with it earlier. If there happens to be a time during the day when Titus is asleep and I don't urgently need to be cleaning something, it becomes "project time." Moses and I sit at our huge kitchen table, I at the sewing machine, and he with play dough, markers, or whatever other project he decides to work on that day. It is really fun to have a crafting buddy - we get to spend some one-on-one time together, and I get in some much-needed creating time. Afterwards I can tell that he feels just as refreshed as I do. Hooray for project time!

Imaginating

I know. Imaginating is not a real word. My brother Michael invented it when he was a little boy and could often be found sitting in a sunny corner completely oblivious to what was going on around him, lost in his own mind.

Lately, Moses and I have been doing a lot of imaginating together. It's one of the few activities I can fully engage in while laying on the couch. The latest trend is "making pretend blackberry cobbler." I have literally spent hours over the last few days making pretend cobbler. As it turns out, making pretend cobbler can be a very difficult and dangerous task, as seen in the following excerpt from one of today's cobbler-making experiences:

Mom: "Ok, go pick some blackberries for the cobbler"
Moses: "Oh - I don't see any blackberry bushes!"
Mom: (pointing to the corner of the room) "They're over there."
Moses: (While walking to the corner) "Oh - I can't reach them! They're too high!"
Mom: "Stand on this stool to reach them." (hands Moses a pretend stool.)
Moses: "Oh - it broke!"
Mom: "Here - I made you a new stool"
Moses: "No, you don't have a hammer!"
Mom: "OK, then you'd better jump up high to reach them."
Moses: "Oh - OK. (Jumping) Now we need eggs!"
Mom: "Here are some eggs."
Moses: "No mom. That's not eggs! That's sugar!"
Mom: "OK - you get the eggs."
Moses: "We don't have any"
Mom: "Well, go get some from the chickens."
Moses: "OK. AH!!! (diving to the ground)- A polar bear got me!"
Mom: "I'll save you!" (pretends to pick up Moses)
Moses: "You can't reach me!"
Mom: "Well then run away from him!"
Moses: "He ate off my legs!"
Mom: "then you'd better crawl"
Moses: "He ate off my arms too!"
Mom: "OK - I'll scare him away!"
Moses: "He can't hear you!"

And so on and so on. Who knew imaginating could be such hard work!

A Little Art Therapy

We're both still feeling a bit under the weather, so Moses and I spent most of our day inside with the two best standbys a mom could have: playdough and crayons. God bless the wonderful people who invented these things! It seems my drawing skills could use some improvement, though. Moses kept asking me to draw a chicken, and each time I did, he insisted it was a cat and asked me to "try again." Needless to say, there won't be any ACEO's in my shop any time soon. :)

Christmas Mint Patties

When I think of Christmas baking, I immediately think of making these easy treats, as they were one of my Mom's traditional holiday activities for us. This is a really kid-friendly recipe - there is no baking involved and you have to get your hands messy to make them. I have so many memories of "discussing" with my brothers which ones of us got to knead the "green blob" and who got the "red blob." The end result is sort of like edible playdough. Ironically, my little guy, who is constantly trying to sneak playdough into his mouth, would have nothing to do with eating these. Oh well, maybe next year. Here's the recipe so you can try it out on your little ones...

CHRISTMAS MINT PATTIES

1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

3 cups powdered sugar

A few drops of desired color food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese and peppermint extract. Gradually add powdered sugar until smooth. Knead in the last of the sugar with your hands. Add food coloring (you can divide into as many different colors as you want) and knead until color is evenly distributed.

2. Form into 3/4 inch balls and place on waxed paper. Press each ball with the tines of a fork.

3. Cover mints with paper towels and let dry overnight. Store in tightly covered container in the refrigerator or freeze.