I’ve been super busy this week getting ready for The Littlest Apple’s class Valentine’s party.  I’ll share the craft and snacks  after the party tomorrow, but today I wanted to tell you about the cute favor I made to send home with the kids.  Homemade crayons!!  I know this is not a new idea, but this was my first time making homemade crayons.  It was so easy!

First step, peel your existing crayons (I used a combination of old ones and new ones) and break them in to small pieces.  This was the hardest part, and I still have a sore thumbnail from the bits of crayon that got wedged under my fingernail.

Next, sort by color.  I put the reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows in one bowl, and the greens, blues, and purples in another.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.  I used a silicone heart-shaped pan and greased it with non-stick spray.  (Ok, I may have gotten a little carried away with the nonstick spray.)  I filled each cup about 1/3 of the way up.

I melted the crayons in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they looked mostly melted.  I cooled the crayons outside for another 10-15 minutes before popping them out of the pan.  I still can’t believe how great they turned out!  It so neat to see how the different colors swirled together.  This is definitely a project I’ll be doing again!

I need your opinions!! (Some of you have weighed in on Facebook, but I’d love to hear from more of you!)

Is it better to be the oldest or youngest kid in the class?

The Littlest Apple’s birthday is August 31.  The school cutoff here is September 1.

I knew that I was going to have to make a decision about whether or not to send him to kindergarten or hold him back when he turns 5, but I thought I had a few more years to make that decision!

Right now, The Littlest Apple is right in the middle of the age range for his Young 2’s class at Mother’s Day Out, so I didn’t have to think about it at registration last year.

But now I DO have to think about it.  It’s registration time for preschools and Mother’s Day Out, and his birthday is on the cutoff.  I’m exploring a couple of different schools, and I have one school telling me that he needs to be in the Older 2’s class.  Another school is telling me that he belongs in the 3 Year Old class.

I’m not sure what to do.  I know I should be primarily considering his emotional and intellectual readiness, not his size.  I don’t ever want to hold him back just because of his size, because he can definitely hold his own in the room.  But he IS really small, and I know it will be an issue for sports, especially since he’s a boy.

I had a summer birthday (7/31), was always one of the shortest kids in the class and I did just fine.

I know this has been a big topic for debate (the idea of “redshirting” your kids before they even start school, and the ideal age for kindergarten).  I also know that so much of it depends on the child, and that every situation is unique.

But what do YOU think?  Is it better to be the oldest or youngest kid in the class?

We wound up getting invited to a Superbowl Party, so we’ll be having The Picky Apple’s requested Superbowl meal for dinner tonight since he doesn’t have his usual Monday night meeting (Yay!!).  I feel like our menu this week is extra heavy, so I’ll be offsetting that with extra salads, veggies, and light lunches!  I’m making some special brownies for Valentine’s Day using some new dark chocolate peanut butter that we absolutely adore.

Monday: Hot Dogs, Chips and Queso, Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Steak, Green Beans, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Wednesday: Beer Braised Beef & Onions (new recipe), Baked Potatoes, Broccoli

Thursday: Chimichangas or Quesadillas using leftover beef from Wed and Homemade Tortillas

Friday: leftovers or sandwiches, Butternut Squash

Saturday: Buffalo Chicken Nuggets, Rolls, Carrots, Apples, Peanut Butter Ribbon Fudge Brownies

I’m sharing this post with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie

…the letters C and O fit on toes!!

It was a slow week.

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague: I bought this book as a Christmas gift, but then had to get a copy for The Littlest Apple, too.  He’s REALLY enjoyed all of the dinosaurs books so far.  (We’ve also got How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon from the library right now.)  This one is just perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I Love You So…, by Marianne Richmond: I bought this one for Valentine’s Day last year, and we keep it in regular reading rotation. It is such a sweet book: “I love you as bright as each sparkling star and as way out as space, I love you that far.”

Hush Little Baby, illustrated by Marla Frazee : The surprise hit of the week.  An illustrated version of the classic song, depicting family life in Appalachia in the 1800s.  There is something about these illustrations (the crying baby, perhaps?) that really drew The Littlest Apple in.   He asks for this one again and again.

Truckery Rhymes, by Jon Scieszka: This is a daily (or multiple times daily) read for us!  Many classic nursery rhymes are included, but the words are changed so they are about trucks.  For example: Pop Blows The Diesel,  Rumble Rumble Monster Max, Three Loud Trucks, Rock A Bye Mixer.  Perfect for the little truck lover in your life!

Disclosure:  Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links, which means I MIGHT receive a tiny compensation from Amazon if a whole bunch of people click on those links and order books. (Hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon.)  I have not been asked to review any of these books.  These are just some of my favorites I wanted to share!

I feel like I need to write this post, even though it won’t make sense to many of you.  I’ve been in a MAJOR funk this week.  Sulking around the house.  Sighing all the time.  Uninspired to do anything at all.  Snapping at my husband and child (who is being particularly trying this week, but that’s no excuse for the snapping).  The occasional tear or two.  I’m a big ole Gloomy Gus right now, and I can’t seem to snap out of it.

Why the funk, you ask?  Well, this is the part where I’m going to be a little vague.  You see, a great opportunity was present to our family.  An opportunity that would take us way outside our comfort zone.  I was very much AGAINST said idea at first, and fought it tooth and nail.  It caused more than a little worry.  But as it seemed more and more likely to happen, I decided to get on board and be excited and supportive.  So I dove in 100%, with all my heart.  I got excited about it!  I got attached.  We were expecting to get some really great news last weekend.  I mean, it was pretty much a done deal.  Until it wasn’t.  Instead we got news that it wasn’t happening at all.  Not now.  Not ever.  Never.  So now my heart is just a little bit broken.  I’m having trouble letting go and moving on.  I’m moping and sulking, and just generally feeling blah.

But I’ve moped enough, and I really think it is time to move on now.  Life is happening all around me, and I’ve been missing it because I’ve been too busy wishing for the thing that wasn’t meant to be.  I need to make the most of the life I have NOW.  Which is pretty great, as it turns out.

Pita bread is yet another thing that I have always wanted to try making myself.  While restaurant pita is usually pretty good, the store-bought pita varieties almost always taste like cardboard.  I’m not sure why I waited so long to try this!  Yes, it has yeast, but this really isn’t difficult to make.  And the results are WELL worth it.  Homemade pita bread is delicious, and goes great with dishes like Greek Chicken or Indian Spiced Pork Skewers.

Pita Bread

recipe from Brown Eyed Baker via Annie’s Eats

Yield: 8 pitas

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour, plus 1/2-3/4 cup more as needed
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. sugar or honey
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups water, roughly at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, vegetable oil, butter or shortening

Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar.  Add the olive oil and 1 ¼ cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon.  All of the ingredients should form a ball.  If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.  As the dough is mixing, continue to add flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky.  (I add a significant amount of flour, so don’t be afraid to keep adding more until you reach the right consistency.)

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the dough around so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it will be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while it is preheating. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between ¼ – 1/8” thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary.

I’ve been waiting impatiently for February 1 so I could switch out The Littlest Apple’s Winter Sensory Tub to this new Valentine’s theme.  For February’s sensory tub, I included lima beans, red, pink, and clear hearts, and some small heart shaped boxes.  The Littlest Apple LOVES this sensory tub so far.  His favorite part is the heart shaped boxes, which he opens and fills up with beans.  He’s played with his Valentines sensory tub for 30 minutes to an hour each day. (And there aren’t even any trucks, wahoo!)  I also love how easy it is to clean up.

A new month, a new grocery budget!  I’m continuing last month’s Eat From the Freezer/Pantry Challenge, but you sure couldn’t tell from my grocery list today which was very long indeed.  The new challenge for this month will be cutting back the Dining Out Expenses, so our grocery expenses may be a little higher to reflect that.  (I didn’t spend any more than usual this week, however).  This week’s menu includes some old favorites, a couple of new recipes, and The Picky Apple’s requested Superbowl Sunday food.

Breakfast Options: Oatmeal, Yogurt and Granola, Smoothies

Lunch Options: leftovers, turkey sandwiches, quesadillas

Dinner

Monday: Dinner with Mom and Dad

Tuesday: Lasagna Soup, Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Garlic Bread

Wednesday: Zangy Skillet Chicken with Broccolini (new recipe), French Bread

Thursday: leftovers or sandwiches

Friday: Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Salad

Saturday: Chicken Fried Steak, Green Beans, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Sunday: Hot Dogs, Queso, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Brownies

I’m sharing this post with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie

The Littlest Apple is 29 months old.

Our TotSchool activities have been rather sparse lately.  The Littlest Apple had an ear infection, we went on a road trip to visit family, and he just hasn’t been interested.  (Oh, and we’re potty training, but I think that deserves a whole post of its own.)

The Littlest Apple has been really resistant to many of the Tot School activities that I have presented lately, and I’m not sure exactly what the problem is.  Honestly, I feel like maybe I’m doing something wrong.  He definitely prefers activities that are more physical.  I get that.  This little boy has got lots of energy and wants to be DOING.  (Although he does sit still for TV as long as it is on, and begs for more).  He used to enjoy arts and crafts much more, and liked to create stuff with his hands.  That’s not the case now.  He really doesn’t want to do anything art related.  I offer the activities, demonstrate the activity, then let him do it or not do it, as the case may be.

The Littlest Apple has an amazing imagination, and when we’re at home, his first choice of activities is playing construction or fireman in the living room with the same trucks, day in, day out.  I don’t want to discourage the free play and use of imagination, but I would like to do some other TotSchool activities too!  I’m trying to incorporate his love of trucks and physical activity into my TotSchool stuff, but even that doesn’t always work.  Any suggestions?  Anyone else having similar issues?

We spent some time assembling these construction puzzles that The Littlest Apple got for Christmas.  They are still too difficult for him to do on his own, but but I assemble the outside and he puts the pieces in the middle.

I presented 3 locks and keys to The Littlest Apple.  The idea was that he would match the key to the proper lock.  (Idea from Chasing Cheerios).  The Littlest Apple tried it once, then proceeded to bring them to the living room and bang the biggest metal lock repeatedly on our side table…we still have the dings to prove it.

We’ve done this once before and it was a huge hit:  Oatmeal Transferring.  I put a bowl full of oatmeal at one end of the kitchen and an empty bowl at the other end, then handed The Littlest Apple a measuring cup and a spoon to transfer the oatmeal to the empty bowl.  In theory, I do it too, and we “race,” but that didn’t really happen this time.  After transferring the entire bowl of oatmeal back and forth twice, he moved the bowls closer together and just went to town playing with the oatmeal.

After the oatmeal mess (and several other times throughout the week) The Littlest Apple helped me to sweep.  He’s got several small brooms and dustpans, but he prefers the big feather duster.  Also, he likes to wear a hat while he dusts.  The firemen have to keep the fire station clean, you know.

I saw this marshmallow snowman outline activity on A Mommy’s Adventures and thought it would be a neat craft for The Littlest Apple.  All he wanted to do was eat the marshmallows.  (All of the marshmallows seen here were assembled by me).  Just wanted to share this activity since I STILL think it is a good idea.

Another activity that didn’t go over:  Using Dot Paints to outline a rectangle (the shape we are learning). Does anyone else’s kiddo hold their other hand out/up while painting/drawing/everything?  The Littlest Apple does that ALL the time.

We colored with some new markers.  We haven’t used markers in a while, so this kept his attention for about 10 minutes!  The Littlest Apple also made me draw him a cement mixer to color, but then he wanted me to color it for him.  Silly boy.

This Recycling Center color sorting activity was featured just a few days ago on No Time for Flashcards.  Since The Littlest Apple is obsessed with all things trash and recycling, I thought this was a no-brainer.  He didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked, but he did enjoy sending the blocks down the conveyor belt in the middle and sorting to the appropriate bin for a few minutes.