It’s the little things

This evening after dinner I remembered our charcoal in our mini grill was still hot!  And not wanting that to go to waste I asked the girls if they would like to roast some marshmallows.  It was also quite warm here today – a high of 21 Celsius.  The evening was still warm when the girls placed marshmallows on their wooden skewer sticks.  We headed out to the balcony to enjoy the evening and our treats. The marshmallows turned out perfect and the girls loved the chance to cook their own dessert.  I know it looks a little dangerous but we were there coaching them along. I think we might just do this again. 

What’s cooking?

This recipe is sweet and simple.  For all of you non-bakers out there, this one is for you.  I had a jar of nutella in my cupboard that we just couldn’t bring ourselves to spread on bread.  This is one Bavarian custom we have not become accustomed to, so I began a search for a recipe to use it up.  I found these no-bake nutella cookies and thought I would give them a try.

The recipe was simple in number of ingredients, simple in method, and delicious too!  So I must share it especially as the weather warms up and we are less inclined to “fire up” our ovens.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup nutella

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups rolled oats

Method:

Over medium heat bring the butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk to a boil and then remove it from the heat.  Now add in your nutella and peanut butter and mix until they are melted and well combined with the other ingredients.  Finally add your oats and salt (some coconut might taste nice as well) and mix until everything is put together.  Mix to a consistency where you can drop tablespoonfuls on a cookie sheet and it all stays together.  (I hope that makes sense).

I dropped mine on with a tablespoon onto parchment paper.  Since I have a small European fridge I took mine outside on the terrace to cool, but I also left a batch inside to test the difference once they were cooled.  I will say I liked the cookies cooled outside better as they were a little firmer but it is up to you.  If you have a large North American fridge you can probably cool them in your fridge and even store them in there too!

Enjoy!  These are so simple and delicious.  I would venture to say you could freeze some and take them out when you like.  The recipe makes so many that we shared them with our neighbors.  They were a lovely accompaniment to my earl grey tea in the evening and the oats made me feel a little less guilty about eating them.

 

a good read

Tags

children

Zoe received a new book for her birthday and it has been a favorite for all of us so I thought I should give it a good review on my blog.  The book is The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo).

This is a lovely story written in poetry.  I love the story and the illustrations.  It highlights characteristics like authenticity, bravery, and teamwork.  It also reveals a sense of adventure and someone small making a big difference.  Our girls love the illustrations and all of the places the snail and the whale visit.  They also love the victory in the end.

So, if you have a child, grandchild, niece or nephew and you are looking for a suitable gift, please consider The Snail and the Whale.

peer pressure

Tags

authentic, children, confession, faith, God, Mothers, parenting, peer pressure

I had took great pleasure in visiting Edmonton and catching up with some old but good friends recently.  I especially enjoyed chatting late into the evening with one of my friends about all aspects of life: faith, marriage, parenting, our children, health, education etc… It never quite seems long enough when we have time to talk and she always encourages me and opens me up.

One of the highlights of our conversation was talking about peer pressure.  We were sharing how it is sometimes frustrating when our children don’t want to adhere to what we think is normal or proper.  She shared that it really bothers her when her almost three year old daughter doesn’t want her hair combed especially before ballet class.  And then she shared something so important – life changing in fact! Claire told me that she said to her daughter something like, “but all of the other girls will have their hair in ponytails for class” and Claire identified that she was already using peer pressure to convince her child to comb her hair.  This may not seem like that big of a deal but it made me reflect on my conversations with my children and how I also use peer pressure and fitting in to convince them of how they should act, dress,  or look.

Becoming cognisant of this has been difficult.  I feel horrible for having used this to convince Zoe or Selah to do what I want them to do.  I know that my motive is to have them fit in so they don’t feel like the odd one out – but if they do, there is a greater lesson in life to learn then just to fit in. I also realise that I am guilty of asking them what their friends or peers thought about their show and tell or their new clothes before asking my child how she felt about it.  I am setting them up for always wanting to fit in and do what others want them too.  I am not sure why I started doing this or even how.  When I think about my children I really want them to be strong, unique, and authentic individuals.  I desire them to be true to themselves and their gifts.  I want them to be confident in sharing their feelings and thoughts without worrying about what everyone else thinks.  This is especially important with my oldest daughter as we already see she seeks affirmation and wants to please others.

Since this sobering realization I have been trying something different.  This week was Zoe’s birthday party and after her friends left I wanted to ask her if she thought her friends had fun but instead I asked her about her feelings.  This really opened up the conversation.  She shared favorites and dislikes and some struggles.  And again today she brought cupcakes to kindergarten for her  birthday.   When I collected her from school I was careful to ask her about her thoughts and feelings about the morning.  I totally abstained from asking what her friends thought about her cupcakes and new birthday shoes.

I am so grateful that I had this discussion with Claire and realized this early on.  I can see this morphing into something awful as Zoe and Selah grow if I don’t change this now.  They will have enough peer pressure from their peers as they continue on their journey. And so this is a confession of struggling through and learning as I go; praying that God will give me an open and teachable heart and protect my children from my mistakes.

Time Away

Tags

children, family life, home, Mothers, parents

Tonight I am trying to prepare things for my family because I am going away for nearly 9 days back to Canada to visit with family and to fulfill work obligations.  I shared this with our neighbor a few days ago and he said, “you need that time.”  Do I?  Do I really need that time away.  I am already lamenting that I will be away from my husband and girls for nearly nine days.  I feel teary and anxious and I am hoping it goes really fast.

I don’t like to be apart from my family.  Yes, I appreciate it when Lorne takes the girls swimming for the afternoon or I get a day to go peruse around the city and cafes on my own.  But I don’t like being so far away from them.  I like to be home at the end of the day and to wake up with them in the morning.

Recently Lorne sent me on a little retreat to go and visit a friend for a weekend and have some “me” time.  It felt so strange to travel without them.  I think I may almost prefer the hectic travelling with my young children to travelling alone.  I also had a difficult time sleeping at night.  I did enjoy my solitude when I went for a walk and relished in my extra reading time, yet I longed for my family.

There are  some days when I am not enjoying every moment of being a parent and I think “I need a  break!”.  Now, when the break has come I only want to be home with them.

I suppose it may sound strange and I know we do need a time to rest too.  I don’t begrudge those mothers who can go away for the weekend and really detach – but do they?  A good friend of mine with four children always says, “I don’t like it when my children are away from me.”  And I don’t like it when I am away from them.

It’s the little things

There were hardly any valentine  choices here in Regensburg since it is a North American holiday and not widely celebrated in Germany, so we went home made this year.  I tapped in to my creative side and my kids’ craft supplies and made valentines for my love and my two lovely girls. Another perk, they were budget friendly. 

What’s cookin’?

Tags

children, cooking, dinner, easy, home, omelette, vegetables

Usually one night a week I try to take it easy and cook a simple meal that doesn’t take much time.  Usually this is on Sunday because I just want to enjoy spending time with my family and I don’t want to be in the kitchen all day.  I usually make breakfast for dinner on these evenings.  I want to keep it a little exciting even though it is breakfast for dinner.

Last Sunday I made this omelette and it was so delicious I just had to share it with you.  It was easy and innovative as I just took bits and pieces from my food stores to make it.  Everyone loved it and I was pleased my little ones were gobbling up so many vegetables and protein.  The omelette was served with McCain hashbrowns (because they love them) and some fruit. Vegetarians can omit the ham and this meal may even fit the bill for Gluten-free folks.

The ingredients and method are loosely defined because I literally just threw it together on the fly but my hope is that inspires you to look in your fridge/food cupboard and see the potential for a great meal.

Ingredients:

6 eggs beaten

about 1/4 cup milk

salt/pepper to taste

1/4 onion diced

1/4 red pepper diced

5 mushrooms sliced

fresh basil chopped to taste

1 ripe tomato sliced

grated cheese – we used white cheddar

1 thick slice smoked ham cubed

Method:

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Saute onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a little bit of butter and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until soft and set aside.

Brown the smoked ham and set aside with vegetables.

Now pour your egg/milk mixture into a heated pan and start cooking about medium heat.  Add a large handful of shredded cheese to let it melt into your omelette.  Let this cook for a few minutes until the base of the omelette is becoming solid.  Then sprinkle the cooked vegetables and ham evenly over the egg and cheese base.  Let this cook so the eggs cook up around the vegetables and ham.

Turn the broiler on in your oven.  Sprinkle the basil on top of the omelette. Next chop the tomato and sprinkle the pieces evenly on top of the omelette.  Finally sprinkle everything with a small handful of cheese.  At this point I put the whole pan in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes to ensure the top was cooked and the cheese melted.  This makes it more like a frittata.

Remove from the oven and slice up to serve.  Hope you aren’t disappointed!

It’s the little things

Tags

change, children, culture, faith, family life, God, heart, love, Mothers, parenting, parents, prayer, school, thankful

first day walking to kindergarten

When we moved to Regensburg we enrolled our eldest child, Zoe, in the kindergarten down the street.  She started school about one week after we arrived (just enough time to get over jet lag).  When I went to meet the head mistress and see the kindergarten I loved it instantly.  The atmosphere was warm, the garden was large, the children looked happy, the teachers appeared genuine, and Zoe also seemed to like it too.  Ahhh, a perfect fit and something to give routine to our weeks.

Zoe had a lovely one week honeymoon at kindergarten and quickly attached to one of her teachers.  The second week was not so lovely.  She fell out of love with her kindergarten.  She sulked and cried when we were getting her ready in the morning.  Her kindergarten experience was a full immersion into Bavarian language and culture.  Only one other child in her class spoke a bit of English and her main teacher’s English no better than my German (schrecklich!).  I wrestled with my thoughts and my feelings as I took Zoe to school knowing she didn’t like it and didn’t fit in.  But, as hard as it was, we realized as parents that this was the first big hurdle in our child’s life and we felt sure that we needed to help her overcome her fear and acclimate to her new school. This experience was building character in all of us.

About the third week of kindergarten I had been spending much time in prayer asking for wisdom about how to help my child feel more comfortable at kindergarten.  A simple idea came to mind and I decided to try it and see if it would help Zoe.  Zoe eats her lunch at kindergarten and in her lunch bag I started to write her simple love notes.  Simple enough for one of her teachers to read them to her.  Simple messages to convey our love and support for her, to encourage her to keep going.  Messages like, “we are so proud of you, have a good day.”  and “you are a sweet girl, we love you so much.”  I decorated them with stickers and cut different shapes out of paper.

After a few weeks Zoe started complaining less and talking more about the things she was doing a kindergarten.  She made a friend who showed her the ropes of a German kindergarten.  The lunch love notes continued.  One afternoon I was picking Zoe up from kindergarten and the head mistress pulled me aside to tell me that the notes in Zoe’s lunch were wonderful and how much Zoe enjoyed reading and looking at her note during lunch time.  My heart leapt and I thanked God for the idea.  I also thanked Him for helping my child overcome her first big battle in life.  I know my notes contributed such a small piece to this triumph but they did make a difference.

I still write Zoe love notes and we have saved nearly all of them.  I think I will do this as long as it is possible; to reassure of our love, our support, and to encourage her a little each day. And Zoe is now speaking and understanding German better than myself.  She comes home singing German songs she has learned in school and sharing her expanded German vocabulary with me.  She enjoys her teachers, activities, and the friendships she has made and my mother’s heart is so happy and proud.

Taking on too much

Tags

children, family life, home, Mothers, priorities, relaxed, routine, stress, tidy

Some days I feel like the lady in this picture.  With 2 kids, keeping a house, planning meals, school, activities, shopping, a husband, and a job (thankfully I have a break from that this year) it can all get to be too much sometimes.  I admit that the fault is sometimes mine.  I am wired to push myself to the limit and I get to the point where I need to step back to see the bigger picture and decide what really needs to be done.  Yes, prioritize, that is what I need to do!  It seems so easy when I am working a shift at the hospital but when I am home…

This morning started out pretty good because Lorne made the coffee (that always helps).  But then after making oatmeal for everyone, packing Zoe’s lunch, and getting her off to school I did the morning tidy (beds, dishes, etc…) and tried to decide what to do next.  Mondays are my shopping day.  Our fridge and cupboards are pretty depleted by Monday so off to the supermarket.  This does take energy because we don’t have a car in Regensburg so this means extra planning with my list, reusable shopping basket and layering Selah for -20 celsius temperature for our short walk to the bus.  Grocery shopping went pretty well and 2 hours later we were home.  I glanced at the clock and thought, “oooh, I think I can fit a workout in before we pick up Zoe.”  That was the mistake.  I worked out, got Selah lunch, took a shower, and then I realized the time crunch: only 25 minutes left to get dressed, blow dry, and get Selah re-layered to walk to school.  We ended up being a few minutes late leaving and then I was grumpy.  I wanted Selah to ride her balance bike like an adult and not a two-year old.  I felt the pressure of being late to pick up Zoe and I wanted to get there as quickly as possible.  We made it to kindergarten (late) and the girls played in the garden.  No one seemed to mind except me.  On the way home I was still a little cranky and already thinking about what I need to do next: laundry, more dishes, plan dinner, a little baking, wash the kitchen floor, and the list in my mind goes on.

Finally (I guess I am a little slow) it hit me.  I am grumpy because of the pressure I have put on myself today to be this wonderful woman who does it all and makes it look easy.  But the truth is, it isn’t easy.  Sometimes it feels like a balancing act.  I probably could have pushed the workout back to the afternoon and I don’t think I will do that laundry today.  Dinner is going to be simple tonight and I am going to enjoy the afternoon with my daughters.  I don’t need to have an immaculate home in case the unexpected guest pops by.

I have a friend that doesn’t keep an immaculate house and she told me that she asked her children if it bothered them whether or not the house was always tidy and they said “no”.  She says if it did bother them, she would be more adamant about keeping it tidy.  I admire and applaud her ability to take it a bit easier and be sensitive to her children.

It is a balancing act.  Some days there are many things to do and we do them because we have to and then we drop dead.  I don’t want everyday to be like that though – not fun for me, for my kids or my husband.  So as we are balancing all of these things, I guess it is important to step back and separate the “musts” from the “would be nice”.  It is okay to push it occasionally but this shouldn’t be the norm.  We will still be tired at the end of the day no matter what because we are mothers and our work is tiring but we can reward ourselves by taking it easy and in the long run we will reward everyone around us.

 

Let them grow

Tags

children, food, gardeneing, growing

our window with fresh herbs in Regensburg

It is February now and when I go into the larger grocery stores and see the planters to start seedlings for the gardens, something churns inside of me.  I love growing things and so do my children.

I really long for a full garden one day like The Edible Garden featured on the BBC a couple of years ago.  I love the planting, the maintenance and reaping the fruit when it is full-grown.  I did not always dream of a garden but since I have had children this dream has come to life.   Although, I think my mother may have something to do with this.  She is an avid gardener and she has always had large gardens of flowers and a large vegetable garden as well.  She can also boast of several successful fruit trees and a lush grapevine.  I remember working in the garden with my mother as a child.  Those carrots and cucumbers tasted so good! One day…

I love the wonder and the excitement my children express with plants.  When we lived in Cambridge we had a few strawberry plants and tomato plants in pots.  We also had a little lettuce patch and pots with zucchini and cucumbers.  At that time our youngest was just a babe but Zoe, a toddler, was very keen to water the plants and watch them grow.  When the strawberries and tomatoes ripened she nearly ate them all.  I managed to steal a few tomatoes for our salads.  She would water the lettuce patch and then pick some and eat it outside.  She was so proud of her vegetables and fruit.

We do not have a garden of our own here so we are growing several herbs.  Both of the girls help to water them and know them all by name.  They will trim the herbs for me to add to salads and other dishes in the kitchen.  They like to pick a basil leaf and munch it as they color a picture or smell the rosemary and declare, “we should add that to our chicken!”.

I hope we can put a few pots on a small balcony this spring too.  Perhaps some strawberries again, those are always fun.  Although their favorite gardening will be when we visit my parents at the end of the summer.  My mother whom they call “Mimi” will give them large baskets to go pick vegetables for our dinner that night.  They love pulling up the carrots and picking the beans.  My mom will even wash them for them outside so they can snack during their harvest.  They love watering all the plants in their yard too.  Good bonding with their Mimi and such fun for the girls!

I love gardening for so many reasons: it is beautiful, it is rewarding, it is peaceful.  I also love showing my children where food really comes from (not just the supermarket) and it also provides so many good object lessons about good growth.  It is a good way to help picky eaters overcome their fear of those vegetables they wouldn’t otherwise try.

All this to say, let them grow!  Even if it is just a pot with a strawberry plant or a few herbs in your kitchen window.  You’re children will love it, it will increase your patience (it can be messy!) and you will reap some wonderful benefits.