Things To Do, Food Too.

That last post was getting too long and these little mundaner things belong on their own in my opinion.

Getting back to the golden days of preschool parenting, I need a reminder.  There have been so many excuses these past months for not doing things with my children and handing over and ipad or slapping some play dough on the counter while I do my own thing.  No more!  I'm finding I'm missing the groove I had in Oak Park.  I knew it was so awesome to have a conservatory, giant parks (1 at the end of our block, 6 within easy walking distance) pool with water slides, quaint shopping, and our adorable perfect library.  The truth is, while I took advantage of those things, we did a lot at home.  I got good at finding simple meaningful ways to spend our time.  I need that list written out!

Sensory activities - even for the girls these have not grown old.  Shaving cream on the counter, homemade finger paints and pudding paint, playing with warm soapy water in the sink, rice and beans in a big container on the floor, flour in a sided baking pan.

Easy (low mess!) crafts - though I used to never shy away from a mess I've gotten a bit more anal as I've aged.  The thought of setting up and cleaning up messy projects on a daily basis just seems horrendous to me these days.  Still there are many ways to craft with minimal set up and clean up.  Watercolor painting, cray pas on black paper, stringing beads on pipe cleaners, simple embroidery, finger knitting, hand sewing (dull big needles and yarn through well washed styrofoam meat trays is a favorite!), magazine and construction paper collages.

Cooking and Baking - I've gotten worse about this too as three kids in the kitchen equals lots of squabbles and mess, but with our new big kitchen we all fit and I'm determined to rekindle my love of cooking with them all!  I let the girls help make dinner at least one night each a week and we usually bake something all together at some point.  Muffins have been big lately for school snacks and of course cookies and treats on the weekends are always appreciated.

Learning - I've struggled with this so much since Ainsley started elementary school.  That girl FIGHTS homework like mad and I know those little bodies have been sitting and listening and learning for 7 hours a weekday so to make them do anything more at home just seems a bit cruel most days.  Though so much of day to day life involves learning and needing to know how to write and read well.  I find I can slip in a bit here and there without too much fuss.  Letter writing, journaling, dictating a story, reading a recipe, writing a grocery or wish list, drawing and writing about nature, making still life drawings, skip counting songs, helping teach Felix letters and numbers to reinforce my big girls' knowledge, simple math with household objects, scavenger hunts to count the number of certain items in the house, sight word hunts with post its.  Each single thing only takes a few minutes and just doing one or two things at some point after school is helpful for us all I think.

Easy Outings - this is the category that has most changed. Gone are the days of walking one block to the park or walking out the front door after texting neighbors and having 5 little friends right there, though I'm finding most things can translate to our new home, in their own way.
Outdoor play, mud kitchens and yard work, fairy houses and fun.  The greenhouse up the street with fairy gardens galore! the library, not as great as Oak Park's but it'll do! Caribou for a $2 hot cocoa, the great independent bookstore in Excelsior, the yarn shop, open skate at the ice arena, the indoor playground and pool at Williston Center, cousin play dates! We've also found a great church and have really enjoyed getting active there.  Ainsley loves choir and they have so many fun events.  It's helped us meet a lot of people in the community and keep busy in a positive way.

My cooking - I feel like we've been in a free for all with food since we found out we were moving in October.  That plus holidays plus new places to explore/food to eat equals way too much spent, consumed, and eaten out.  This week I feel I really hit the nail on the head, spending a mere $111 on groceries for the week and eating well and simply every meal.
Tacos, Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup Cauliflower Cheese Pie, Baked Frank and Beans and Salad, Peanut Noodles with Baked Chicken Drumsticks and Green Beans, Chicken Fried Rice, Potstickers, Meatloaf and Tater Tots and Peas (capitalizing makes it feel important right?)
I'm really getting into marinated meats again.  Having a gas grill hooked up to a gasline is going to change our lives.  The weather now is mild enough to use it often.  That and simple sides like roasted sweet potatoes (really roasted anything) is all we need.  It's glorious. That plus one or two bigger meals for leftover eating throughout the week and we are set.

I'm feeling like we're so close to normal here.  Learning to live with a pang in my side for the things loved and left in Oak Park, and revving up the excitement we feel about being here, finally home.  I'm not sure when I'll be done talking about this transition.  8 years in Oak Park and I never quite got to 100% there.  It may be a long ride!