Wholly Macaroni!

My kids love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Who doesn't?!?! The stuff has to be laced with crack or something, it's delicious! But with an ingredient list like this (taken directly from Kraft's website)...

ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID); CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, GRANULAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, CREAM CITRIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CELLULOSE GEL, CELLULOSE GUM, BETA CAROTENE [COLOR]).

...I don't exactly feel great about feeding it to my kids.

We are trying our best to eat only real, whole food. Things that were once alive- fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and eggs. It's a gradual process, and while pasta isn't on the list of approved foods, I can at least find a way to make mac and cheese using all ingredients I can pronounce and know what they are. I mean, seriously, what is cellulose gum?! No thanks.

On my quest for tasty real food recipes I found this one on Pinterest and it looked great. Basically, it's pasta, evaporated milk, a can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup, and shredded cheese. I set out to buy the ingredients and give it a try, but came across one road block. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup? There are 59 of them!

water, cheddar cheese, wheat flour, food starch modified, margarine (soybean oil partially hydrogenated, soybean oil, water, salt, soy lecithin, natural flavor, mono and diglycerides, beta carotene added for color, vitamin a palmitate) contains less than 22% of salt, sugar, cheese enzyme modified (milk, water, milk fat, sodium phosphate, cheese culture, salt, acetic acid), apocarotenal added for color, butter, butter flavor (butter oil, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, calcium chloride), corn oil, cottonseed oil, cream powder, disodium phosphate), butter enzyme modified, cheese cheddar enzyme modified (enzymes, flavors, guar gum, lactic acid, butter oil lipolyzed, milk non-far dry, oleic acid, soybean oil partially hydrogenated), sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, vegetable oil (water, xanthan gum, vitamin a palmitate)

So obviously that is out! I figured I'd leave that out and just wing it. Here's what I ended up doing-

1 16 ounce box of small shell pasta (indredients- duram semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
4 Tablespoons butter (pasteurized cream, natural flavors)
1/2ish of a 12 ounce can evaporated milk (milk, less than 0.5% dipotassium phosphate, carrageenan, vitamin d)
8 ounces, more or less, freshly shredded cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, annatto (color))
seasoning to taste

Boil the pasta, drain it and leave it in the colander. Return pot to burner and turn heat down to medium. Melt butter. Add evaporated milk and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta, combine. Season to taste.

I've tried making homemade mac and cheese using a rue before (melted butter and flour) and never was happy with the way it turned out. This was SO much easier! It came out nice and creamy without the flour taste or waiting forever for the sauce to thicken. Just as easy as box macaroni, but half of the ingredients!

Here's Josh giving it a sniff. Naturally, he's wary of anything posing as macaroni that hasn't come out of the blue box-

After a few bites though, he gives it the thumbs up! Success!!!

Here's Bug's attempt to give it a thumbs up, he hasn't quite figured that one out yet.

His smile and messy face show his approval though!

This time around I used sharp cheddar cheese (because I love it and that's what we had), so the sauce had that sharp cheddar bite to it. Eventually the kids caught on to it and started giving their bowls the stink eye. Next time I think I'll use a mild cheddar. Josh suggested colby, his favorite, and I think that would work really well too. For grown-ups something like a smoked Gouda would probably be delish! There are so many possibilities! Enjoy!

Whistle While You Work

Today was a really great day. One of those days when everyone is in a great mood, and everything seems to be going right. The height of this really great day came when I was cleaning up Bug's room for the night. We've made picking up all his toys part of his bedtime routine. I sat down to pick up his train tracks, singing the clean up song, (I'm sure you all know it...) and there was my 18 month old singing along, picking up his trains.

For a second, I just sat there and soaked up the moment. Then I got to thinking about all the other things the boys do without a fight, things that are stereotypically battlegrounds between parents and kids. Picking up toys, brushing teeth, doing chores. I wondered what we were doing differently that gave us a different reaction than the norm.

Its all about attitude!

We have a song we sing when we pick up toys, or we get baskets and make it a hunt or a race, or playfully toss things into their buckets. We have a song for brushing our teeth. Just about every time I brush my teeth, Bug sits on the bathroom counter with me and brushes along. I've never ever MADE him do it. He WANTS to do it. He enjoys doing it, because he sees it is something that I enjoy.

I LOVE our new house, LOVE IT! And I really do enjoy taking care of it and keeping it clean. I think the boys pick up on that attitude and follow suit. Just yesterday Josh was so excited to go bring the trash bins in from the curb. I didn't ask him to do it, HE asked ME if he could! Today we made a list of one chore to do each day to keep the major housework in check. Tuesday is "clean the bathroom" and guess who was right there with me scrubbing toilets? Josh. Yep.

The point I'm trying to make here is this- When we act as if housework, or any work at all really, is drudgery and put forth the attitude of how much we hate it, how can we expect our kids to act any differently? When we take pride in our work and enjoy taking care of the things we have, we teach them to do the same and to really appreciate everything we are so lucky to have.

I LOVE TedEd!

One of the reasons we are unschooling is because we don't want to boys being forcefed a ton of facts for them to regurgitate on command. We want them to be able to think critically about facts and connect the dots to see the bigger picture.

One way to encourage and test this is to ask them what they think about things. Or to have them "teach" us something they have learned. Being able to effectively communicate your thoughts and explain ideas is SUCH a valuable life skill.

All this ranting to bring me to my real point. I LOVE TedEd! I mean, honestly, what an amazing resource for homeschooling! You can go to the website here and register for an account. They have thousands of videos which are recorded lectures from nominated teachers which have been animated by nominated animators. After each lesson there is an optional "Quick Quiz" of 5 multiple choice questions, a "Think" section of short answer questions, and a "Dig Deeper" section of links for supplemental information.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the short answer section. I'm not a big fan of multiple choice questions because that is exactly the fact regurgitation thing I was talking about earlier, but by having Josh answer the "Think" section questions I get real feedback about what he absorbed from the video, and what we should revisit or clarify.

The first video we watched today was about Speeding up Chemical Reactions (Josh's choice!). It totally went over his head, understandably. Next we watched one about Just How Small Is an Atom? He answered all the multiple choice easily (he wanted to, I didn't ask him to do that section) but he had to sit and gather his thoughts for the short answer. I LOVED seeing this. I typed out his answer exactly as he said it to me. Here it is-

Describe the size and scale of an atom. Explain the relative size of the nucleus in relation to the size of the entire atom.
"The atom is invisible so the nucleus, if they're both the same size then the nucleus would be invisible too. If you had a blueberry then blow it up to the size of a football stadium, and you can get inside of the blueberry and the nucleus would be as small as a marble compared to the blueberry."

He's getting it! I'm so proud! After answering the one question he felt like playing with Transformers instead of continuing, and that's just fine.

I can't wait to see what else he learns from this awesome resource. Heck, I can't wait to learn more myself!

Making Progress

When making the change from a schooled, authoritative parenting atmosphere to that of an unschooled, peaceful parenting lifestyle there is a transition period. For Josh, this is a time for him to learn how to be self motivated and take charge of his own time and learning. For all of us, it is a time to learn how to solve our problems peacefully and respectfully.

Making it through this transition is hard. Just yesterday Josh wanted me to unpack some of his moving boxes to play with his things. I told him I wasn't going to do that and he got really upset. He started yelling and crying at me about how unfair that was because those were his things and he wanted to use them. Old authoritative parenting Mama Bear would have gotten angry and yelled right back, or responded in some other mean way because "how dare he act so disrespectful toward me!?!"

Peaceful parenting Mama Bear was actually happy with his reaction though. Not that I want him to be yelling when he gets frustrated, but I can see that we're making progress toward peacefully resolving issues and effective communication. How can I see that? Because in the past Josh would have taken my answer and silently dealt with it, bottling all his frustration up, not communicating his feelings.

Now he is feeling comfortable enough to open up. He's not afraid to get angry and upset in front of us.  He's learning he won't be yelled at or scolded for displaying his feelings. He's standing up for himself. He's seeing that what he has to say is important and that I care enough about him to listen. If he's courageous enough to stand up to me and Papa Bear with his thoughts and opinions, how much easier will it now be for him to stand up to other people?

I calmly acknowledged his frustration. I conceded he was right, the things in the boxes were his to do with as he pleased. I explained why I did not want to unpack any boxes and how the next few weeks were going to be frustrating for everyone while we move. I gave him some examples of other ways he could have communicated his feelings instead of yelling.

After we talked he decided to help me pack up more of his room instead of unpacking things. :)

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do...

As you probably know, we're moving to a bigger house in about 2 weeks! Currently the four of us are living in a two bedroom, approximately 800 square foot condo. Squished doesn't even BEGIN to describe our situation. We all cosleep in the larger bedroom, we've made the second bedroom into a playroom for all the boys' toys, and even still at least 1/3 of the living room has been taken over by toys. We have no area outside for the boys to play, and cabin fever is a major issue.

The new house has 3 bedrooms, is approximately 1600 square feet, and sits on a fabulous 1/4 acre lot. Everyone will have their own room for their things! The boys will have a huge yard in which to play! I'll be able to line dry Bug's cloth diapers and have a garden! Very exciting times!

At first Papa Bear and I were planning all the new things we'd like to buy to fill out all the new space we'd have. But then I got inspired by my friend over at The Gnome's Mom who has been posting about clearing out their home down to the bare essentials. Our society is all about consumerism. Buy things to fix your problems, keep you entertained, make less work for you. We don't want that for ourselves anymore, or for the kids. Instead, let's focus on creative thinking and problem solving, finding ways to entertain ourselves that involve time together making memories, and feeling the accomplishment in a hard day's work.

I looked around our house and saw all the things we have that we never actually USE. They sit there taking up space, collecting dust, needing to be cleaned and moved around, creating stress. Most importantly, the more things we have, the more things Bug can drag out around the house. It's his favorite pastime.

So this weekend we set to work. Our first project to tackle was the bookshelves in the living room. Formerly home to tons of dvds, books, games, toys, piles of paper, and photo albums.

First we went through our dvds. Our goal was to keep only 10 each. When that proved to be difficult, we exempt all our series (Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, etc) from the rule, and then only kept 10 each. It was really painful! How silly, right?! I can't remember the last time we actually sat down and watched most of those movies. Heck, some were even still in the original packaging!

You can see from the pictures above, the shelves still aren't completely sorted and packed. These boxes are the things so far we are NOT keeping. That big box on the bottom- FULL of dvds. Sad right?

We're going to ease into our new minimalist lifestyle. Our ultimate goal is to each have only 100 things. Wish us luck as we tackle the rest of the house! And be on the lookout for a huge garage sale!

Review of ISR Lessons

A few months ago I was hanging out on one of my many Facebook Mommy groups and heard talk of ISR swimming lessons. Someone had posted this video and I found it absolutely amazing! Have I mentioned how much I love social media as a means to spread good ideas? It's greatness. I found some more information about ISR from their website here.

While I was researching I came across some really negative reviews. People speaking of how terrible it was to torture children by making them cry through lessons, throwing them in the water, simulated drowning, all sorts of crazy things. Having now completed Bug's lessons, I want to set the record straight on some of these negative comments, and share my experiences. Please understand, I am only sharing my observations and am not speaking for ISR in any way.

As with any situation where you are trusting another adult to work with your child, it is so important to find someone who fits with your parenting style and personality. If you've been reading this blog at all, you know we're all about peaceful parenting. I used ISR's website to find an instructor in our area and sign Bug up. She was fantastic. If anyone in the Dallas area would like a recommendation, please let me know and I'll get you her information. 

ISR lessons are not your typical swimming lessons. The focus is on teaching kids water survival skills. Bug went to lessons every day Monday through Friday for ten minutes each day. It took him 7 weeks to complete the course. It was huge time commitment, and they were on the expensive side, but completely worth every minute and penny.

He did cry. The first week he cried the entire 10 minutes of each lesson. It was hard for me to watch at first, but I knew he was safe. I am confident that crying through the lessons was not traumatizing for him. He excitedly got dressed in his swim gear every morning. He ran out the door to the car when I said "let's go swim!" He was all smiles headed into his instructor's back yard, and watching the other students while waiting his turn. Sometime during the second week he stopped crying when he first got into the pool. He had mastered the skills he'd been working on and was confident. From that point forward he only cried when he started learning the next skill, which is completely understandable. Learning new things is hard work, and he has no other way to express himself. Besides that, his lessons were early in the morning, and who wants to work first thing after they get up?!

He was NEVER thrown in the water. His instructor started by teaching him to hold his breath, and then to open his eyes under water. Once he had those skills mastered, she taught him to hold himself up on the steps of the pool. Then to swim a short distance to reach the steps. Lessons progressed in the manner. He was shown his goal, then worked backwards from there so he always knew what he was working toward. Only during the last week when he was testing out did his instructor simulate different situations he may encounter in an accident. These were all done in a gentle manner, after he had all the skills he would need to confidently "save himself".

Watch the gentle way in which his instructor simulates different situations here.

Simulated drowning. These negative reviews just make me shake my head. First of all, I believe it is ISR policy that no child is ever under the water for longer than 7 seconds. When Bug was learning to float on his back, he was never just let to sink under the water for any amount of time. His instructor worked with him until he was able to float with her supporting his head only, then on his own for a moment, then longer amounts of time. If he would lose his float, he would go under briefly, and he was given the time to try to correct it himself. If he couldn't, his instructor was right there to help him fix it. The point of these lessons is for children to have the skills to save themselves in an accident. They need to know what to do if water gets in their mouth, or on their face, or in their eyes. Much better to learn safely under the supervision of an instructor than alone and in real danger.

The last week of Bug's lessons he "tested out". Having mastered the necessary skills in his swim diapers, he would now do everything fully clothed. What is the likelihood of a water related accident occurring while a kid is in their swimsuit? ISR instructors don't want the first time a child experiences water in clothes and shoes to be while they are alone. One day Bug wore summer clothes- shorts, t-shirt, sandals. The next day he wore fall clothes- long sleeves, pants, socks, shoes. The next day he wore winter clothes- pants, shoes, long sleeves, coat, and hat. I cannot stress the importance of these simulations. Bug was really thrown off at first by the weight of his clothes and shoes. I am so thankful his instructor could help him tweak his skills for each situation. The day of the winter clothes, Bug was really thrown off by his hat and figured out how to pull it off so it wasn't hindering his float. Each day his instructor simulated different events, falling in face first, backward, upside down. Even getting caught in a pool hose, floating near the wall, and waves in the water. No, he didn't enjoy it, but it was 10 minutes out of his day and taught him skills that could save his life.

You can watch Bug's entire summer clothes test here.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under 4, and second only to auto accidents in children under 15. There is no substitute for constant supervision and safety precautions. ISR has not made Bug drown-proof, but it has given him the skills to buy precious moments in an accident which could save his life. Have you done everything in your power to keep your children safe?

Happy Bug with his graduation fishie!

Ah-ha Moment

Throughout all the struggles of our transition to peaceful parenting and unschooling, I encounter several "ah-ha" moments. Moments which show me we are making progress, and unschooling really is working.

This afternoon I had such a moment at the library. Josh wanted the next Wayside Stories book.  He sat down at the card catalog computer, logged on with my library card info, got to the catalog and asked where to go from there. I said, "Well if you know the author's name you can look it up that way" and he just chimed in "Louis Sachar". He even remembered how to spell it. He then went along to find the book, check it out, and we headed home.

He started reading as soon as we got in the car. He was so immersed in the book, he didn't even notice me snap this picture while we were at a stop light.

Josh hadn't read his other Wayside Stories book for at least a week, and even when he was reading it Papa Bear and I never called attention to the author's name. This goes to show, when kids are allowed the freedom to read and learn things which are interesting to them, they retain the information because it has meaning to them. Also, my heart swells to watch him develop a love of reading for pleasure.