This is a list of kid skills. It is a good list. Great summer project. Great family time.

I enjoy Amalah very much

Ground turkey/migraines. And the gummy fiber pills.

A couple months ago I had ground turkey (extra lean ground turkey) burger, and then I got a migraine.

A few weeks later, it happened again.

And I thought I remembered it happening other times in the past. Like I had vague notion it was a pattern in the past too.

I called my husband and told him I thought I was now (freaking) being triggered by extra lean ground turkey.

And a few hours later he said he had looked it up and the ingredients were turkey and rosemary. Did I have a history with rosemary?

I was not sure I had ever had Rosemary other (evidently) than when I was getting it with the ground turkey. I don't even have Rosemary in my spice collection.

He said he did not think ground turkey was causing a migraine but we should try it again on a day that nothing else was likely to cause a migraine (my cycle, a storm, stress, etc).

So we tried it a few days later. NO migraine.

We tried it again a week or so later, no migraine.

So what I think was happening is that on a day a migraine was possible, I was feeling the first tell tale migraine line of pain, I craved a burger.

Now I want to add that I have had other things where I ate them for years and then one day I could not eat them any more (cantaloupe, cashews, beets, etc). So I do watch for patterns. Patterns are important for both migraines and asthma.

But I have found other things that I was subconsciously picking up on body cues and then reacting.

An example of this is gummy fiber.

I thought it worked for me.

I was not taking them at a regular time. I was taking them more impulsively, but every day.

And each time I took them, I pooped within a short interval.

But one day it occurred to me that I might be attracted to the sugar. And I might be taking them when I was subconsciously picking up on body cues.

So one day I THOUGHT about taking them, but did not take them, and I still pooped a short time later.

AHA!

Very interesting.









I have been meaning to note (all that) for a while. What brought it to mind today, was a post in Amalah's archives about gummy vitamins and cavities.

http://alphamom.com/parenting/toddler-parenting/toddler-toothbrushing-wars-continued/

I am against gummy vitamins in general. I think kids need to take big pills and little pills and shots just because it is something you do. It is a life skill. Sugar (and cheese) does not have to go on everything . . .

And if you start brushing teeth very early, the kids just don't know any different. And going to the dentist can be eased.

(Amalah writes she uses a brush that goes on the finger and brushes her kids teeth after nursing/bottle as part of going to bed routine. She writes a lot about not nursing/bottle to sleep, but instead nursing and then brushing, rocking, singing, book and THEN bed starting by about six months. And she writes about no bottles at all after 12-13 months. I have no pacifier or bottle experience, but it is still interesting to read. Because yes, I have seen 3-4 year olds with one of those many times).

Ditto with showers, water on face, going under water. (Yes, I know that sometimes an incident can create a fear of something they have always done). But if it is something they have just always done, you do not have a four year old freaking out about putting their face in the water at swim lessons.

The story of the Halloween Costumes

We, my husband and I, are not big on Halloween. When middle left for college, we (husband, youngest, and I) decided to go dark on 10/31 each year. Outside lights off, no house lights showing from the front of the house. Really happy doing that. The doorbell is hard on me. We do not like giving kids candy. We do not like having candy in the house.

If we had grandkids, different story. If middle was home on 10/31, different story. Middle is big on Halloween. I am sure her kids will be too. Youngest would dress and participate if she had something to attend, just is not big on answering the door on Halloween.






The story of the costumes goes back many years.

I happened by a good quality costume rental place going out of business, many years ago. I bought cowgirl and Indian for middle.

Later, we found a 60's girl from a Goodwill. We added princess dresses. Penguin. Swiss Girl.





Then last spring I happened on a series of baby/toddler dinosaur costumes, in really great shape, like new, at different garage sales. Just a few dollars each.  I bought them. They washed beautifully.

This fall, looking for classroom stuff for middle, I happened on a house with five costumes hanging on a rack - dinosaur/dragon, bear, lion, tiger, frog. Toddler to younger grade school sizes. When I asked the garage sale guy he said they were gone, a woman had said she was coming back for all of them. I asked if she had paid. When he said "no", I left my name and number and said if she did not return, to call and I would be right over. She was a no show. When he called at 8:30pm, I went flying out the door with a hoodie over my pj's and youngest in tow. $6 each. Had never been worn. Really happy.

I found a Lady Bug at GoodWill a couple weeks ago. The costumes at GoodWill are usually very used looking. This one was like new.

I am picking ones where sweats/major clothes can be worn under them.

Over the weekend, our little 6 year old wore full clothes, and a raincoat under the tiger (same tiger costume pictured above) and was very happy. The costume showed, the raincoat was under, umbrella was over. Costume got a little wet, child stayed dry and happy.

When they got home, middle's boy set up a fan in the garage and put the tiger on the (pool duds) drying racks. He went out every so often and flipped the costume so all sides dried.







When middle saw all of them, each time I found them at sales, she was really pleased. The week of the baby/toddler dinosaurs, they were lined up, on hangers, in her closet drying. The week of the jungle animals, they were hanging in the kitchen.

Middle said - are you going to keep collecting?

I said yes.

She said -  so we will never have to do costumes? We will be able to say - go to grandma's and pick out what you would like?

Yep, that's the idea.

Very, very fun.

Kids' church bag and story of my paternal grandmother's purse

Added later - this is my follow up post with my own church quiet bag and the Baptism gift that followed.

We have sat in a pew in front of a desperate dad, with a grouchy toddler, and only one toy in the diaper bag which happened to jingle.

Last week we were at mass with our six year old who wrote notes, attached star stickers and passed them around (there were 7 of us in pew/together).

Neither one of those particularly bothered me. But I NOTICED.

I am collecting stuff for a Kids's church bag as I see it.

The rule on my bag is only one thing at a time. If you want the next great thing, have to put the first great thing away (no passing).

And all my things will be pretty silent.

And if they can be church related, that is preferred.

Board religious books (with great pictures, maybe no words) are the first thing to come to mind.

Other ideas please?




Story of my paternal gradmother's purse.

I remember my grandmother well. But actually I do not remember this "magical" aspect/fact about her purse (at all).

My mother has always said, very fondly, that my paternal grandmother could easily, quietly passify many children with her sort of magical purse.

My grandmother had a sixteen year spread between between the oldest and youngest of her own four children. And her first grandchild arrived when her own youngest was about 4-5. So I think she never got out of "mom thinking". Her head stayed in the game.

My mom said magical things would appear out of grandma's purse and be passed down the pew or across the table. Colored pencils, bits of fun paper. I am not sure what all. I do not think any of this would have been purchased for kids. I have a feeling she kept her eyes open and picked up samples and bits and simply stuck them in her purse.

My mom did not actually do a lot with kids. She really never got IN the game, so I can see how obvious things in a purse would seem magical to her (and normal to me as a child).

And if she was somewhere with a fussy child (and had nothing) and her MIL always had an answer in her purse, it would seem great.




To this day, and starting very, very young, my own kids ALWAYS bring things with them. A book, homework, earbuds/music/audio book, something.

I do not care for a fidgeting, bored kid. We are a busy family. Sometimes there is a wait or delay. Sometimes one thing leads to another. They all have learned to think ahead, bring a sweater, wear the right shoes, bring a water Kanteen and perhaps a snack, and something to do.

College Prep

With each kid, we learn a little more.

We are on the third kid.

The year before middle started high school, the oldest sat down with her and mapped out classes for four years of high school.  That class plan changed very little over her high school years. She also took one college class per semester her junior and senior high school years (at a local college). She knew where she was going to college and that she would be duel early childhood ed (ece) and early special ed (espce) major. So, we were able to coordinate between the two colleges to be sure the local college classes counted toward her long term college requirements.

Youngest is a sophomore. She and I sketched a four year plan for high school classes when she was in 8th grade. She made several adjustments to that plan last year, looking forward to her next three years. Earlier this week, we adjusted that plan again, looking to her junior and senior years. We also have a call into the same local college where middle and oldest took classes (while in high school) to talk about possible classes for her senior year. It looks as if she will be half days 3 classes at high school and 2-3 college classes each semester her senior year. The college classes count toward her high school credits, so planning is required to make sure all high school requirements are met.

We have learned to really plan ahead, looking at college as they are in high school.

An example of learning the hard way -
Oldest did not take calculus in high school and it bit him in the butt. It was difficult for him to do well jumping into required calculus class at the college level. He ended up using a tutor for the entire semester. He knew it was going to be tough, so he hired the tutor before the class even started. He also attended all study tables organized by the calculus class teaching assistant. He passed with an -A. He didn't retain much. But he passed with a good grade. The skills from calculus do not apply to his current doctorate work. So that class was simply all about doing what he had to do for his GPA.

Middle did not need calculus as ece/espce major.

Youngest might need calculus at college level. We don't know. We are prepping as if calc will be required at college. So we talked to the high school math department head (summer before her freshman year) to make sure of which math classes she needs each of the four years. Youngest rechecked with that same teacher (who she happens to have for honors adv algebra this year) to see which level of calculus she should take junior and senior year. If you have not been around high school in a while, there are several levels for many classes. So for example her teacher suggested pre-calculus/trig (honors) her junior year and then depending on how she does will determine what level (there are two levels of AP) of AP (advanced placement) calc/trig she takes her senior year. There is also a college level calc/trig available to her senior year, but we suspect that might be too stressful. We think it might be better to take two years of high school calc and then take it in college (if required).


When we looked at high school classes when youngest was in 8th grade, she was not sure what she might want to study in college. She also did not know what college she might attend. Now she thinks she is interested in some type of computer degree. And she probably will attend one of three catholic colleges.  So we reworked her high school class plan to allow her to take computer classes offered there.

When we meet with the local college, we are asking what computer classes might be available there.

Oldest took English comp, business, psychology, and maybe a history class at college, two per semester, his senior year in high school, while going half days to high school. I think all these just counted toward his electives at college. He did not know his major in advance.

Middle took psychology, eng comp, speech, and one other class, one per semester, her junior and senior year in high school. She went to high school full time her junior year but had one study hall. She went half days her senior year. At the Christmas break her sophomore year in college, she was a junior (class credit wise). She takes 17-18 hours, easily, deans list each semester, at college.

Yes, college classes are offered at high school (now). But I think being in an actual college classroom, with a college professor, prepares the kids for college better than a college class at high school. It is just not the same.

Even if the college credits (earned while in high school) did not count toward their college (not all credits transfer to every college), the experience of doing the college level work is really valuable to their long term success.

Youngest has talked to oldest repeatedly about high school class choices, local college class choices, potential future (4 year) colleges.

My husband and I both went to college and each earned a BA. But we were not smart about it. We would have done many things differently if we had known. And this is not hindsight speaking. This is the fact that we did not have guidance at the time. We certainly did not have parents or older siblings planning with us. I have no older siblings. Husband has one of his three older sibs who actually could have been a mentor, but wasn't. All four parents were no help at all.

There are a lot of things we could have planned better for oldest, but for the first kid, we did not do too badly. He is in a doctorate program (and doing well, knock on wood) after all. But yes, we know and he knows there are smarter choices we could have made.

And as I said, even though he is far away on the east coast, he is very involved with the girls.

He was coordinating with middle's new car all fall. He told me she needed a Garmin and which one to get too (he was right, and actually I went and got it without arguing, I trust his judgement).

He is coordinating with high school/college planning with youngest all these four years too.

I think that is important for the girls (he is a wealth of information, if something happened to my husband and I, they would be used to counting on/coordinating with oldest already) and also important for his growth as a man (men should love, honor, serve the women in their lives).