I Hate To Burst Your Bubble

August 2nd, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (5 Comments)

This is the only time you are ever going to see a recipe here with corn syrup – so this is serious business. It’s time to sit up straight and pay attention.

Karo Corn Syrup for Making Big Bubbles

(aren’t I bossy?)

Actually, if you don’t have kids – never mind. Skip this post.

On second thought – wait. Don’t go just yet.

I suppose if you don’t have kids but are yourself sort of playful and/or laugh a little too loudly/hysterically/obnoxiously with your spouse/partner/friends/dead goldfish when you’ve had just a little too much to drink/smoke/eat – keep reading. This recipe/activity has the potential to be pretty entertaining.  Read more...

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Sprints Are Great, I Swear!

June 22nd, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (7 Comments)

I try to be a model parent.

I eat my vegetables.  I brush my teeth.  I make a genuine effort to not swear in front of my children – or so I liked to believe.

As it turns out, Maxine and I had a very revealing conversation at bedtime the other night while discussing homonyms.

(You know… their/there/they’re, two/to/too, you/ewe, know/no)

Maxine (contributing to our list of examples): Like, sit and sit!

Me: Sit?

Maxine:  Sit like when you “sit down”, and sit like you say when you’re frustrated.

Oh, sit.  Read more...

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Lettuce Procreate

June 6th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (2 Comments)

Lettuce plants and kids have a lot in common.

Lettuce Gets Morning Sunshines

Some days they’re so cute you can’t help but nuzzle your face right into them, and then other days you’re tempted to just bite their little heads right off.

How’s your lettuce container garden coming along?  (It’s still not too late to start one, you know.)  Mine is one month old and has been relocated from full sun in the backyard to part shade on the railing of the front porch.  It now only gets a wee bit o’ sunshine the in the early AM hours and then lollygags about in the shade for the rest of the day – asking for something to eat and then begging me to play Old Maid when I’m done folding the laundry.  Read more...

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Velocimom

June 4th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (8 Comments)

Remember Banana Whip?

YAY! Banana whip!

Well this would be Fruit Whip.  Banana Whip plus some frozen strawberries and blueberries too.

Fruit Whip

And remember that part in Jurassic Park where the scientist dude explains how the Velociraptors systematically test the electric fence by attacking it, trying to find its weaknesses?

Raptor

Well I am the Velociraptor and Maxine is my electric fence.

See, we’ve always loved Banana Whip as an awesomely delicious healthy snack, but of course “we” means everyone but Maxine.  Read more...

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Let Them Eat Cake

March 20th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (11 Comments)

I’d love to be able to tell you that my kids are vegetable chow hounds. I have blog with “vegetables” and “kids” in the tag line after all, shouldn’t it follow that I get to tell tales of my little posse begging for broccoli, beans and beets? Shouldn’t I be writing posts about how easy it is to get your kids to eat fruits and vegetables? I could even use lots of exclamation points!!! I could say “all you have to do is try!!!!”

That’s what some people might like to call “Irony”.  Read more...

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Movie Night

February 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (4 Comments)

Recipe for an hour of peace and quiet.

Ingredients:

3/4 c Arrowhead Mills Organic popcorn
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale

Movie Night

Directions:

Pop popcorn in your ancient air popper from the 1980’s, top with melted butter and salt. Insert Barbie DVD into laptop, plop two small children in pajamas (or not) with popped popcorn on the couch.  Back slowly out of the room to dash up the stairs with your yoga mat in hand.

Serves one mother an hour and twenty three minutes to do as she pleases at the end of a long day.

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You Got the White Stuff, Baby

December 13th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (12 Comments)

This was one of those “Homeschooling Rocks the (Gingerbread) House!” kind of days.

Clipboard

For the third year in a row, the girls and I hit up the annual Gingerbread House exhibit at The George Eastman House – a local museum that hosts this high fructose architectural extravaganza every year.

Gingerbread days of yore, we’ve come to this event with friends – but this year it was just us three Weeds gals, which meant we were all a bit less overstimulated, not quite so bossy and a lot less screamy to boot.  Read more...

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Cash Rules Everything

December 5th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (9 Comments)

My camera has seen better days.

Better Days

And no, taking this picture could not wait even a single second for me to take off my hat or jacket.

Apparently the front cover of my camera lost its lust for life about a month or so ago.  It’s barely holding on here.  I had to resort to rubber bands, hair ties and super glue to hold it together.

These materials were doing a fine job of getting my camera through its tough time – and I was especially appreciative of the fact that they saved me from the snotty “Lens Error. Restart Camera. (You Jerk.)” message it would give me whenever the lens got caught up in the front cover.  Read more...

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I Get Up Early Because I am Lazy

December 1st, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (7 Comments)

I typically get up somewhere in the 6 o’clock hour, without an alarm.  Most people would not call this lazy – but really, that’s exactly what it is.

My kids stay up late you see, and there are different reasons for this fact – some a bit closer to the real truth than others.  It all depends on who’s asking. And while each reason is true, I have one answer for the conservative crowd, one answer for the neutral crowd, and one answer for the other people who have admitted to lazy-parenting short cuts in the past – no judgment.  Read more...

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Barefoot Running Meets Mainstream Media: Baby, I Like It

November 24th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (3 Comments)

I ran out to get a couple of last-minute Thanksgiving groceries last night because it meant:

1.) I was able beat the day-before-Thanksgiving grocery store madness today

2.) I could leave the children at home, which is always reason to celebrate – pre-holiday shopping or not

When I go to the grocery store without children whose DNA resembles mine, I treat myself by:

1.) Bringing my iPod so I can be one of those people who drones out society with the likes of Katy Perry and Enrique Iglesias  Read more...

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