The Battle With The Broccoli

by Michelle on August 9, 2010

So another school year starts again, and with it comes the desire to make school lunches as nutritious as possible, but still edible!

I’ve heard all of the tricks in the book… make it fun, puree and hide it, blah blah blah… It just doesn’t work for us!

So I’m on a mission to find a way to incorporate the “green stuff” (and red and orange, etc.) into the daily grind, with minimal complaint, oh, and no puke!

So far we have been uber successful with pureeing squash and pumpkin, and adding it to our baked goodies!! It is not detectable, even with my 6 year old, Captain Bloodhound! I also like to add pureed beans and peas to our pasta sauces… a highly guarded secret in my household, and if you tell my kids, I’ll have to kill you… ;) .  100% fruit juice in their  thermoses tends to round out the day. We do applesauce, bananas, but as a whole, my boy is not a big fan of fresh fruit either. So you can see my conundrum… all of this gets boring pretty quickly!

In doing some research about packing healthy lunches for kids, I found that most articles are repetitive, and useless (in my case anyway!) “Send your child with foods like nut butters, tuna and eggs”… has any one of these “experts ” been in a classroom lately?  There are least three kids posted on each classroom wall, a list of their allergies following their picture.

While I found most sites lacking in original ideas, I did find a few recipes that I would like to share…. “Cocoa -nut” Bananas…. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cocoa_nut_bananas.html , and “Cinnamon Oranges”  … http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cinnamon_oranges.html .

I hope these will spice up our lunch boxes for a while. I am soooo looking forward to you  sharing your quick, easy, healthy snacks. It takes a village, right~!

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Back to school is almost here!

by Jackie on August 2, 2010

So back to school is almost here and I am having mixed feelings about the process! I am thrilled that my days will once again be free of children, but am horrified by the schedule flip for my special needs child.  We have not heard from the Board of Education about the Learning Disabilities (LD) class. So my guess would be that no spots have become available for my child, which means he will once again be thrown into a class with kids who are now about 4 years ahead of him, and we will continue to “patiently” sit on the waiting list! When back to school starts so does the “morning chaos of Michael”. The crying, the hitting and kicking, the refusals, and of course the classic “Meltdown”! I don’t know how many times I walked Michael out to the bus stop last year, with no shoes, glasses, hat, socks, and a lunch container that is leaking because he decided to pitch it across the road in a fit of anger.  My best answer to the fight is consistency! But on top of consistency I have found some items that I have added to Michael’s “back to school list” that have helped! There is also the list of items here that all kids need for back to school :)

Kindergarten - Grade 3

  • back pack
  • package of pencils
  • crayons
  • pencil crayons
  • ruler
  • markers
  • glue sticks (5 or more)
  • lunch bag
  • shoes with non marking soles for indoors
  • white paper 1 package (i usually wait to see if the teacher spacicficly asks for this on the first day)
  • lined paper 1 package (i usually wait to see if the teacher spacicficly asks for this on the first day)
  • erasers
  • pencil case
  • scissors

 Grade 4 - Grade 8

  • back pack
  • pkg of pencils
  • pkg of pens  blue or black (they usually ask for erasable pens)
  • pencil crayons
  • indoor shoes with non marking soles
  • 8 duo-tangs all preferably different colors
  • 2 duo-tang folders with pockets on the inside
  • lined paper
  • white paper
  • graph paper
  • ruler
  • calculator
  • lunch bag
  • gluesticks (2 or 3)
  • highlighters
  • scissors
  • erasers
  • 1 red pen
  • pencil case

Special Needs things that have helped me in the years

  • MP3 player because it helps him focus better and keeps the sound of the other kids to a minimum (must be discussed with principal and special ed teachers first)
  • a ball of plasticine, which is used as a stress ball but makes his fingernails look horrible (which he knows is kept in his pocket)
  • another extra pair of shoes because Michael will definately step in that puddle or have an accident … nothing worse than having a shoe full of pee! 
  • an extra set of clothes… as accidents still happen!
  • extra socks
  • headphones because he doesnt like the noise of kids coming in and out at recess (also must be discussed with school)
  • extra markers he loves to color :) teachers use it as a calming tool when he is having a bad day!
  • a fridge magnet “schedule” with pictures so the day is predictable and scheduled *no surprises* becuase that will throw him off for the rest of the day
  • I also noticed the “Goodbyn Lunch box” at work which is going to be a definate must for this year… easy cleaning so it doesnt stink and durable plastic so it wont crack if he decided to throw it in a fit of anger
  • Stickers! these are a good motivational tool (and some times we use M&M’s)
  • I also use “treats” which usually come from the dollar store… if he has had a good week (no notes home) then on friday we get a treat!
  • oh and dont forget your fabric marker/perminant marker to write your childs name on everything!

So these are the things that my kids have needed and my Michael has found useful. Feel free to comment if you think of anything I may have missed or any great ideas for special needs kids.

Jackie

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The Invisible Boy

July 30, 2010

 I am a boy. If you take nothing more from this story, please take that. It is what I need you to understand. In the simplest terms possible…I am a boy.
 My name could be Thomas or Alex or William, it doesn’t matter.Very few people seem to care. They call me “son” or “he” or “him”. [...]

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Rough Days… A Working Mother’s Prayer

April 22, 2010

“O Lord, since I must now entrust my precious child into the arms of another so that I may go forth to earn bread for our table, accept my offering of tears and deep regret.
Take my child, Lord, and my aching heart, and lay them together in your dear Mother’s lap, where both may rest [...]

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His name is Aidan…but you can call him Jackie Chan!!!!!

April 9, 2010

Funny little story to pass along… I don’t know how many of you have taken the kiddies for allergy testing, but I am fairly sure most of you are familiar with the process, and if not, here you go… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_allergy_test .
 Knowing the process, I thought it best to pass along as little information as possible to [...]

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Are Kegel Exercises Worth It?….Depends…

March 31, 2010

Well those who know me know that I am not afraid of sharing my embarrassing experiences, and I think that this one is worth sharing, given that I know I’m not alone in it!
The pregnancy test was positive.  My breasts were achy and my appetite was..well ferocious!  But, the moment that it truly “hit” me that [...]

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Stella Ella Ola…..

March 29, 2010

 So I’m an aunt again!!!!  Little Stella Mulder was born March 17th 2010. So what , you say?  She is the first girl in a series of eight grandchildren, and long awaited…. that’s what!!  Hehehehe. I am totally in love with her, for some reason a girl baby is very different than boy babies ( [...]

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Yes, we’re working together….

February 24, 2010

[Laura Jane]  So, as many of our in-store shoppers know, I am one of the full-time faces you will see.  The other….Michelle.  Working with Michelle is….an adventure.  We most definitely have very different styles, which is great for customers to have the resources of two different experiences and approaches to things.
[Michelle] It has recently come [...]

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I am THAT MOM…..

February 22, 2010

 

   I can imagine that we have all been shopping at one point or another, and come across the family with the screaming child. We may whisper, sigh loudly, or even be as bold to comment loudly on THAT MOM’s parenting skills.
 
   Well, I am THAT MOM. Most people do not take the time to  consider that perhaps THAT [...]

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Help A Girl Out…

February 18, 2010

 Hey everybody, it seems like I am the one usually giving out advice, but this time I need some help in a big way. This entry will not be witty , wordy , or funny , just  straightforward and to the point.
 My five year old is a vomiter….. he has been this way since birth [...]

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