A Toothy Grin - Fun for children!

Eating healthy...the battle of the ages!!

  It is amazing how quickly our little ones become addicted to that sugary treat,

as opposed to the fruit that we start feeding them as babies.  

I saw both of these treats on the internet, and immediately thought,

"Oh I wish I had some little ones to make these for".  

But I thought of all the mothers of young children in blogland,

and decided to make them anyway.

As I finished inserting the last of the "teeth" my 18 yr old walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, can I have one of those," she said. 

I gladly shared my "toothy grins" with her, and for just a second 

she was that little toddler with the great big grin and chubby cheeks again!

Sometimes they find it just as hard to "grow up" as we do to " let them"!!! 

 

Apple slices, peanut butter and mini marsh mellows 

*****

This next snack is just as easy and healthy!

 I do not eat peanut butter due to a severe allergy to any type of nuts.  Recently, I have started eating Soy Butter.  I really like it, and hubby tells me it tastes the same as the "real thing", except it is made from soy beans. In our area, some schools do not allow any nut products in the children's snacks and lunches, due to children with the same allergy as I have.  This is a perfect option for those children who love PB & Jelly!

Apple, Apple
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Apple, apple on the tree,
I know that you are good for me.
You are fun to munch and crunch
For a snack and for my lunch.
Apple, apple on the tree,
I know that you are good for me. 

When my children were small we used to like printing off coloring pages from the internet.  It was a new coloring book every day!  Check out these apple coloring pages.

Joining:
Delight Me Tuesday
Permanent Posies Link Party 
Passionately Artistic 
Whole New Mom 
Rednesday

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School Days....

All through my preschool years of having children I dreaded the days of all my kids going to school. I assumed I would sob for days, WEEKS even, when my first child toddled off to school. It wasn't easy the first day...but imagine my surprise when I was fine after ohhhh...one day. The same went for my second one.

I could never understand those mothers who rejoiced at the end of summer...that would NEVER be me. NEVER. Then, at the end of this summer, before 2/3 of my children headed back to school, I felt a twinge of something....I was ANNOYED. Summer just needed to be over. I don't care what anyone says, by the end of the summer, vacations are over, day trips are done and kids are bored. I started to look forward to the beginning of school...WHAT?? I swore that would never happen! But I was looking forward to routine, and for my kids to have one too...they needed one! Now my youngest has started nursery school two mornings a week. That means two mornings of alone time. At first I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of it...what in the world would I do? Two hours alone? Unheard of! As someone who had three kids in four years...I haven't had a scheduled amount of alone time in some years. I was sure I would dread it. HOWEVER, by this morning...day two....I am starting to realize I will look forward to those two mornings immensely. Instead of dreading school days I am starting to embrace them. I came home and stared blankly. Then I washed my curtains. Of all things! Motherhood is such an emotional and unexpected journey. The things you thought you would hate...you love...and the things you dreaded the most you find out just may not be so bad after all! Although I don't look forward to saying good bye to my last one, when she goes to school full time next year....I am starting to realize it may not be so bad after all. Who knew?

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Clean up, clean up.....or not....

It starts off so innocently. Deciding that, although it's summer, this mess has to be dealt with before we do one more thing. "Kiiids!" I call in my sweet mother voice, "We're going to spend some time cleaning up today." And then, in same sweet voice start singing that good old clean up song: "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere..." What? It seems to work fine in nursery school. My 7 year old instantly drops to the ground crying, holding his head in his hands. My 5 year old smiles sweetly and says, "Sure, I LOVE cleaning. Cleaning is my favorite thing EVER." My three year old doesn't need to be asked twice and instantly goes upstairs and cleans her entire room in under five seconds (did I mention she's a GIRL?). After that here's how it goes:

-Give 7 year old two options (in sweet, patient voice): Clean room or no Wii.
-Give 5 year old explicit instructions on what to clean, knowing that if you don't it won't get done AT ALL.
-15 minutes later. Remind 7 year old, in semi-sweet voice of his two options. Ask 5 year old sort of nicely to please stop playing with toys and actually clean them up. Send 3 year old GIRL downstairs to start working on playroom, since room is done.
-15 minutes later. Try and encourage children for the 1 cm of floor space they have cleaned...but remind them that my patience is wearing out and for heaven's sake just clean it all.
-5 minutes later: Rush upstairs after hearing "I'm bleeding, something got me!" only to find a small pipe cleaner injury.
-5 minutes later: Reassure 7 year old (who is now the only one cleaning even though his 5 year old brother LOVES cleaning SOOO much) that yes, his brother would have to clean his share of the room as well.
-2 minutes later: Ignore 5 year old who is insisting his finger is broken and is therefore unable to clean. Try to also ignore growing rage inside yourself.
2 minutes later: Tell 3 year old, who has now cleaned her entire room AND playroom, what a stellar child she is. Give out popsicle. Ignore other children's pleading to be done and have one too.
2 minutes later: Run upstairs after hearing the sound of a frisbee banging against the wall. Unleash rage. Give speel about coming up here with big black garbage bag, how parents aren't slaves, etc, etc.
-4.7 seconds later: Retreat to room, frantically playing computer games while singing the clean up song in a crazy voice to yourself, wondering why you have ever started this fiasco. Ignore children staring at you in doorway..then eventually slinking away.

And that, my friends, is my explanation on why my house remains half cleaned and also why my Bejewelled score keeps improving. ;)

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