Notes From the Cookie Jar

Nablopomo Day 7: Reflection [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:53:56 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:18:00 +0000

On the way back from Vancouver via BC Ferries, after a day of shopping.

Herbed Chicken Breasts [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:59:51 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Chicken Cashew Stirfry [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:58:34 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Kindred Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Every Friday without fail, I meet a friend here for coffee and we enjoy the view until the sun sets and the stars come out. It is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the week and I am blessed beyond measure to have a friend like her. Time slows, worries of the week fade, and I come away feeling full.

We often share some food, but being with her by the ocean feeds my soul.

Coffee by the Sea [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:07:57 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Every Friday, I'm here with a kindred spirit, sipping coffee. It's my favorite part of the week, hands down.

We're on JONES! [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:28 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

A photo I took was chosen to be printed on Jones Orange and Cream soda! Whoo hoo!

How to Make Your 13 Year Old Think You are Super Cool

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Guess what?!?

Over the summer I submitted some photos to Jones, in the hopes that one would be chosen to grace their bottles of soda. One of my photos was picked and will be printed on their sodas that are distributed all across the USA and Canada. If you see this label on an orange and cream flavor, it is MINE! Cool!

Now we just have to find some so we can buy a few bottles.

Nablopomo Day 4: Trip to the Optometrist

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Today Jake had an appointment at the optometrist. He wasn't too thrilled that I whipped out the camera and tried to get him to pose for pictures.

"No! Go away! You're being weird!"

"Seriously, Mom this is strange! What, you're going to post this on your blog? Like, isn't that just a bit embarrassing?"

"Oooo, what's this? It's shiny. There's a computer over there that I think might be broken. And what's this lens? Ooo and there's an EYE! That's my optic nerve, and the blind spot, and that's the retina......"

*sigh* And people wonder why I'm often tired.

Nablopomo Day 3: Road With a View

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:24:00 +0000

When we lived on Vancouver Island I had to drive on a busy highway 100 kms round trip to work. Would you believe it was the highway that Final Destination 2 was filmed on? That highway accident scene where a logging truck loses it's load was created right on the very on ramp I took every morning. Needless to say, I gave logging trucks a LOT of room after that.

These days, I'm driving on a windy, leaf strewn road that takes me by the ocean and past lakes, and at first I wasn't sure I enjoyed the commute. I complained about it to almost everyone who asked.

Some days, though, I notice the color of the trees, the way the morning fog makes the trees look ghostly, how the light plays off the water, and I'm entranced. Not only is it beautiful, but for a full half hour I get to just drive, listen to music, and enjoy. Somehow looking for things to take pictures of every day has made me stop and really look for the beauty that previously I may have passed by. Maybe a commute, which forces me to slow down a bit and think about things, isn't so bad after all.

What is your commute like?

Recipe Tuesdays: Apple Oatmeal Crumble Topped Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, I do realize that this muffin has no crumble topping. Blame it on the person in the house who has to watch their sugar intake. I skipped the topping part (which I'm sure would take this muffin into over the top sugary goodness), but you don't have to!

The muffin itself is chock full of tender pieces of apple, and the addition of whole wheat flour and oatmeal can make you feel like you are reviving your body after all that Halloween candy.

Click here for the recipe...

Manic Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:07:00 +0000

What? You were expecting something artsy and wonderful? Mondays are busy for me. They usually mean work, a quick grocery shop after wards, a late dinner, and maybe only after that do I get to relax for a bit before I'm throwing in laundry or cleaning something. See, this is why I plan my menus because otherwise I think my head would explode.

Tonight's dinner was a chicken stir fry and brown rice. Hubs and Jake exclaimed through the entire meal about how much they loved it, which struck me funny. I hadn't made the recipe in years because the last time Hubs picked through the veggies, Jake wouldn't eat the cashews, and generally they told me they hated it.

Tonight? I made it because it's quick and easy, and I liked it. So if they didn't, they were going to suffer because for once I was making something that I thought was yummy.

They loved it! They sang my praises about how delicious it was and polished off every last morsel.

Families can be so weird.

What are your Mondays like?

NaBloPoMo..in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:31:00 +0000

I've tried to do National Blog Posting Month-really, I have. Every year something threatens to thwart my plans, and every year I end up bowing out. This time I'm making it easy on myself-instead of trying to come up with a post every day (which, let's be honest, is NOT going to happen), I am going to take a picture of something. Daily.

It will be sort of like my own version of project 365, but just for a month. Every day I'm going to post a picture, and they will all be complied over on my Flickr photo stream as well.

The first picture?

This is our leftover Halloween candy. Usually I get 100+ kids at the door, including a pile of teenagers, but this year it was very sparse. No teenagers! Despite the fact that I piled huge handfuls into the last few children's bags (you should've seen their eyes, it was so cute) I am still left with a lot.

What to do? I'm going to try throwing some of the chocolate bars into cookie dough or using them to top brownies, and the gummy candies I'll use to decorate cupcakes or other treats. The single bag of Cheezies you see sitting on top of the pile was from Jake's haul. After a really bad Cheezie/hot dog/cream soda encounter when Jake was five, nobody in our family has been able to look at them the same way again.

Do you have a lot of left over candy? What are you going to do with it? Is there anything that nobody in your house will eat, either? What gets gobbled up first?

I'm not sure those Wunderbars are going to stick around long enough to be baked into cookies...

Pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Yesterday morning I took Jake to the dentist office bright and early; and as we were getting out of the car, I noticed a nurse letting herself into the Health Clinic right next door.

"So, um, when can kids get the swine flu vaccination?" I asked. "He's 13 and has asthma..."

"Today." She unlocked the door and motioned for me to come inside. "Follow me, I'll give you the information."

I had been on the fence about having Jake get vaccinated for awhile. Sometimes, I think, in the world of media and the Internets, we're flooded with almost too much information. There's people arguing a case against vaccinations, some arguing for, and we parents are left to sift through it all and try to figure out what to do.

For me it took one story. One. A 13 year old boy who seemed to have caught a cold on a Friday-the VERY Friday that Jake became sick with some congestion as well. By Monday, the 13 year old boy was dead. My son was back to his usual self, complaining that he had to go to school and scarfing down half the contents of my fridge.

I took one look at Evan's Frustaglio's picture, heard his Dad's heartbroken voice about how quickly his son passed away, and that did it.

Luckily, both Hubs and Jake qualified for the first doses of vaccine that was rolled out in our community, so yesterday we trekked off and stood in line with what seemed like a hundred people. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. Whatever, it was a LOT. It was a bit surreal, really. You could almost feel the worry in the room. If someone coughed, a path practically cleared for them, like the Red Sea parting for Moses.

"What about you?" Jake suddenly turned and looked at me with worry in his eyes. I work in a school, which is pretty much ground zero for the spread of viruses. The nurse looked at me and furrowed her brow.

"I don't qualify as high risk, Jake."

"But..." he looked at the nurse, back at me, then back at the nurse. "What if you..."

The question hung in the air, but I knew what he was asking.

What if YOU get it? What if YOU die? What if?

"I'll be fine," I answered breezily. "I wash my hands, I don't go near the kids who are sneezing. Really Jake, I'll be okay. I'm healthy and strong. I can get the vaccine in a couple of weeks."

I'm not sure if he believes me.

The panic is rising, bit by bit. I can hear it in people's voices. Every time I turn on the news, headlines scream about more deaths. Debates over whether or not to get the vaccine rage on Twitter, and perfect strangers have stopped me in the store to congratulate me on sneezing 'properly' (into my elbow, as health officials have suggested). I see people using sanitizing wipes on shopping carts before they touch them, and it seems like hand sanitizers are everywhere.

Panic is rising around me, and I'm fighting to keep it at bay. Somehow it's easier at home, where I have control over the cleaning and can sanitize everything in sight. Cleaning gives me a purpose. A job. I've shut off the news and stopped reading Twitter for awhile, because I just can't stand hearing about it anymore.

Things are okay, I keep telling myself over and over as I'm scrubbing the counters for the zillionth time. The two most important people in my life are vaccinated and will be safe.

Right?

Now if I could just quit feeling like I'm walking around with a giant bulls-eye on my back....

Support the Humane Society Pet Project

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Did you know that out of the 8 million pets that are in shelters each year, 3 million of them are euthanized? Three MILLION? Three million perfectly adoptable, healthy, adorable bundles of fur just waiting for someone to give them a home?

The Shelter Pet Project is a PSA campaign trying to let people know that those cute bundles of fur in the shelter are just as lovable as the ones from your local breeder or pet store, and they need homes just as badly! On their website, furry friends encourage you to send an adopt-a-gram, look through pet personals, and ask the adopter network a question.

If you are going to adopt a pet sometime this year, please consider getting a shelter pet. I admit that I don't have a pet or any experience with shelters, so I hit up my Twitter peeps for some input. I talked to @ajsouthern of The Southern Family.

(picture used with permission)

This is Jack. Adopted at 12 weeks, @ajsouthern commented that "all I did was really pay his vet bill. He was mostly potty trained, and fee I payed also included neuter- it was a great deal."

Seriously, isn't he the cutest? He's a schnoodle. Looks just like Jake's favorite childhood stuffie.

When I asked if he had any "issues" that one might think that a dog from a shelter would have, she replied," He was fine-I don't feel that way at all. Just a pet that needed a home! We would totally do it again. I rescued 3 cats as a youngster. Loved all them too. They come potty trained. And needy for love. :) those worth it!"

I think that pretty much says it all, don't you?

If you can't adopt a pet, perhaps you could help out your local animal shelter by donating some pet food, time, or even a bit of money. Jake and I occasionally visit ours to play with and pet the cats, who just love to have a human's undivided attention.

Recipe Tuesday: Boo! Ghoulish Halloween Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

The other day I was wandering through the grocery store, wracking my brain about what I was going to feature here for a quick, cute, easy Halloween goodie. As I walked through the bulk food section, these yogurt covered pretzels caught my eye and suddenly, I didn't see pretzels. I saw FACES!

Best on a pan of One Bowl Brownies and chocolate glaze, these salty but sweet additions make for a fun (and OH so easy) Halloween treat. I loved how they all appear to have different expressions, don't you? Get all the details for how to do it over at Recipes From the Cookie Jar.

A Taste of October 23-30, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:03:00 +0000

With cooler weather and Halloween coming, what better time then to resort to a few homey favorites and some easy ghoulish treats? Here's a taste of this week's meal plan over at Everything Mom.com...

-Ghoulish brownies (@ Recipes From the Cookie Jar-goes live Oct 27)
-Lamb/hamburger soup
-Veggie Tortellini Bake (featured recipe @ Everything Mom.com)
-Chocolate chip Halloween Cookie Pops (@ Recipes From the Cookie Jar)
-Baked Egg Rolls
-Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
-Apple Buttermilk Pancakes

Happy Cooking!

Nestle, You RUINED Smarties

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Few candies evoke childhood memories for me like Smarties. When I was little, I'd dump out a box and immediately begin separating them by color:

Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue (not a traditional color but I grew to love it)
Purple
Pink
and of course RED! Because you have to eat them LAST!

(Edited to add: For you American readers, Smarties in Canada are candy coated chocolates similar to plain M&Ms. The candies that are called Smarties in the USA are called Rockets here in Canada.)

Today I opened a box of Smarties to make Halloween cookie pops to feature here on Notes From the Cookie Jar. I dumped them into the bowl and...what?!?!

What the hell is with these technicolor candies? They look like Skittles!

These weren't Smarties. They were impostors. Gone was the green and blue, and why was the normally pastel purple and pink now so bright they blended with the red? And why are the brown ones black? They looked like cheap, bulk bin wanna-be Smarties. Surely there must be a mistake, so I ate one.

The verdict?

I almost spit it out.

Nestle, I'm trying to be fair here, but the new Smarties are just absolutely gross. Maybe you thought you were giving people what they wanted by introducing "No artificial coloring" Smarties, but come on-we're talking CANDY here. Candy! It's not supposed to be healthy.

The irony is that by making a product without artificial coloring, the end product is something that has a gross, artificial, chemically after taste to it. Especially the most iconic color of all..RED!

Your site says that they taste the same, in fact...better!

I strongly disagree. The non-artificial color stuff tastes AWFUL.

I HATE THEM.

YES. HATE. THEM.

Did you hear me? Should I say it again? Or how even plain M&Ms, which I've never really liked, taste BETTER?

For years, I used to say how Smarties were SO much better than M&Ms, and pitied my American friends for having to go without. I used Smarties to decorate cupcakes, in cookies, trail mix, as snacks, in ice cream, on brownies, and to eat just because. Once my screen name was even Red_Smartie. I was going to feature them here in the Cookie Jar and rave about how wonderful they are because Smarties were one of THE favorite candies in our house.

Now? Now I'm just disappointed and sad. Sad because you took a perfectly good product beloved by MILLIONS of Canadians, and you ruined it.

RUINED IT.

The true test came when my 13 year old wandered into the kitchen, saw the Smarties sitting on the counter, and reached to sneak a few.

"What the HELL is wrong with these Smarties?" he sputtered, making a face. "They taste NASTY!" He pushed the bowl back on the counter and refused to touch them. There they sat, for two whole days, and not one person in the house would eat them.

I ended up throwing them away.

If you only knew how much this house adores chocolate, and especially Smarties, you'd realize just how BAD they must be for us to throw them away. Normally they would not have lasted longer then 5 minutes. Did you know that we have bought a box of Nestle favorites every single year for Halloween almost as long as Jake has been alive? Or that we'd give away all the Aero and Coffee Crisp bars to trick or treaters, specifically so we could eat the leftover Smarties?

Today, as I stood in the candy aisle and contemplated my choices for candy to give for Halloween, I did something I have never done before.

I bought Cadbury treats instead.

You RUINED them, Nestle.

Halloween Cookie Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:42:00 +0000

Looking for a sweet way to say trick or treat to friends and family? Try baking up a batch of Halloween cookie pops for those who aren't going door to door!

You'll find the whole how to and recipe over at Recipes From the Cookie Jar.

Panic

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:59:00 +0000

When news about the Swine flu began trickling out, and the hype about a PANDEMIC! began sweeping through the USA and Canada, I was a bit blase about it. Sure, maybe there's a flu, but you know it doesn't look that bad. You know media, they hype it up a bit. Maybe I'll get the shot, maybe I won't. Besides I don't know anyone who has had it, so I think I'm okay so far.

Now it's getting increasingly hard to ignore when the headlines look like this:

Young Mission Mom Who Died Sunday Had H1N1

BC Being Hit Hardest With H1N1!

60 Kids With Flu At Emergency Per Day as Swine Flu Takes it's Toll on BC Healthcare and Schools!

I still managed to ignore much of it until yesterday, when Hubs and I went over to Lion's Gate hospital for an appointment.

The minute we walked through the doors, something was different. Were those...metal detectors? Nope. Big red signs loomed, telling us to stop and sanitize our hands with some kind of alcohol foam. Ah, must be because of H1N1, I thought as I dutifully used them.

Hubs and I were early, so we sat in the cafeteria and enjoyed a coffee, toying with the idea of just having lunch there after his appointment. The food smelled pretty good, and looked much better then the limp, tasteless salad that I picked through over at St. Paul's the week before. Eventually we wandered down to the ultrasound department and settled in the waiting room, which filled up quickly. As Hubs was taken in for his appointment, I went back upstairs and nonchalantly bought myself a bag of chips from the vending machine.

It was then that I noticed a sign; a different sign, posted near the machine.

A sign that stated that some of their patients had been sick with vomiting and diarrhea, and how visitors needed to wash their hands, not visit sick patients, etc.

Wait a sec. I looked around, suddenly taking in the scene with different eyes. Those signs were plastered everywhere. Why didn't I noticed them when we first came in?

Vomiting? Diarrhea? Are those symptoms of Swine Flu? Or is that something else, like Norwalk, which is also highly contagious? Is that why they have signs about washing your hands and hand sanitizer every few feet?

Can someone suddenly become a germaphobe in the span of a few seconds? I ask that because I swear, that is exactly what happened. Suddenly the very idea of eating in the cafeteria repulsed me. Every surface; every chair, magazine, table, wall, were suddenly looming with icky germs just waiting to pounce. Go to the bathroom? You have to be kidding. It's a germ party in there!

I sanitized my hands again (twice!) and perched on my chair as if germs could seep through my clothing and infect me, refusing to touch anything but my chip bag. The chip bag must be okay, I rationalized. I just won't touch anything else. If someone sneezed, I moved my chair; and pretty soon, I was sitting by myself off in the far corner away from all the people.

Forty-five minutes later, Hubs emerged from the swinging doors of the ultrasound department, cheerfully unaware of the dangers present in the rest of the hospital.

"Hey let's get lunch here," he suggested, "The cafeteria didn't look too bad." I shook my head forcefully and began pushing him towards the exit.

"Hell no! Are you nuts?! I'm not eating here. I'm not even going to the bathroom here. Let's go."

"What the hell is your problem?"he started batting my arms away in irritation as if I were a pesky small child.

I dragged him to the nearest sign and as I dramatically read aloud, emphasizing vomiting and diarrhea, his face contorted in horror. I didn't even need to finish before he began pushing me.

"Go. Go, go, go, go, GO." We quickly made for the nearest exit, stopping only to sanitize our hands twice more for good measure before we left.

As we finally made it to the car, we both breathed a sigh of relief. Safe at last. Back to our little home, far away from hospitals and infected people, where so far everyone is pretty healthy and there is nothing to worry about.

This morning I sat in my pjs with my coffee, content that all was right with my corner of the world when Jake appeared at my side.

"I have a sore throat," he announced, before he began coughing all over me.

"Go away! Cough into your elbow! Don't touch me!" I recoiled in horror-had it followed us home somehow? Were we now infected? Maybe I should've worn a mask....

Halloween How To: Make a Mummy Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Costume making doesn't need to be expensive. One year where we just couldn't afford any 'extras' in our budget, I made Jake the best and cheapest costume ever. I wish I had pictures to show you, but my scanner is broken!

Jake did get a whole slew of compliments that year, and he loved that he could move and play in his costume without wrecking it.

What did we need to do it?

-a white sheet (picked up at a local thrift store)
-hot glue gun
-an old pair of jeans
-an old sweatshirt
-roll of gauze
-face paint

Seriously! That was IT.

1. Cut the sheet up into a bunch of strips. I made them about 2 inches wide, and the length doesn't really matter because you will trim as you go. Leave them fairly long.

2. Wash the strips in the washing machine. This frays them somewhat and that's what you want. Mummies rarely look neat.

3. Lay out the sweatshirt and starting at the top, begin hot gluing the strips of fabric to the shirt. I worked my way across the front going from left to right, layering them and gluing only the top of the strip, then putting the next one underneath but slightly lower. (kinda like shingles) Make sure to keep it fairly loose as the glued on strips will keep the shirt from stretching when the child puts it on.

Work your way around the arms and down the back. When you are finished, get your child to try it on. You will see places that you have failed to cover and can add strips there as well. When I did this with Jake, there were some places that couldn't stretch and I had glued too tight. I just ripped that part of the strip off, or cut it, and then added some other pieces to cover up where the sweatshirt was showing through. Don't worry about it looking perfectly neat-it's not supposed to!

Continue with the pants.

5. On Halloween when you are helping your child get dressed, just get them to put on their completed pants and sweatshirt. If it's cold, a white turtleneck under the sweatshirt adds warmth and goes well with the costume. Wrap your child's head up with the gauze, under their chin and around their head, leaving their face showing but covering up all their hair.

If the child is a girl, you could try putting her hair into a high ponytail and spraying it with greyish hair paint, teasing it all wild, and adding spiders or other creepy crawlies. Wrap the gauze around their head but allow the ponytail to stick out.

6. Paint their face completely white, with black under their eyes and red lips, plus use some of the red on the gauze on their head to make it look like they are bleeding a little.

Trick or treat!

Recipe Tuesdays:

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I had something all planned, baked, and almost ready to go for today. Really! But then I had to go and bake a pumpkin pie, and before I knew it I was taking pictures while the light was good.

By the time I realized I didn't take pics of my ghoulish treat for Tuesday, the light was gone. Oops.

But the pie? It was delicious.

Ghoulish treats later in the week, I promise! Honest! Unless you'd rather have pumpkin pie, that is.

Halloween at The Cookie Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend we went to Vancouver. I admit I wasn't that thrilled with the prospect, but I had promised Hubs months ago that we would visit tool heaven and he could go buy himself a new toy to build furniture with. The only thing I insisted on (besides trying to weasel a $1500 Canon SLR camera. Drool!) was stopping at Michaels so I could pick up some crafty-ish stuff to entertain myself with. My sketchbook is full of ideas for Halloween treats, and I needed the supplies to pull it off.

Bakerella, it's entirely your fault. Really. I saw something on your blog once about edible ink pens, and just had to have some. I had wanted a whole set, but had to settle for just the orange and black that were available.

See? They are very cool-I can't wait to try them! The second we were in the car Jake asked if he could try them out on his tongue. Did I mention that teenagers are weird?

Another thing that made it into the bag was this package of green candy melts. You can't get candy melts where I live, so this is my very first time using them. That's right, I am a candy melts virgin. Be still, my spatula.

Those are being used to create a fun cupcake that I have all designed and ready to go.

Last, but not least, I found these great sticks to make cookie pops. I've made them before with popsicle sticks, but these are much nicer looking.

Oh, you're wondering what cookie pops are? I'll be whipping some up this week so make sure to check back! The Cookie Jar is going all Halloween-ish over the next few weeks.

See, here's the difference between me and Hubs. He has a hobby, it costs him $2000 to get toys. Me? I drop $15 at a craft store and use my free blog to write about it.

I think I need to make him a deal on that $1500 camera.

Taste of Mosaic October 16-23

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:36:00 +0000

Taste of Mosaic October 16-23, originally uploaded by Scatteredmom.

This week's Meal Plan over at Everything Mom included a yummy, spicy Black Bean soup that is fantastic topped with tortilla chips and cheese. Need the recipe? Click on over....

Brain Drain

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I'm writing this on a Saturday morning in my pjs while I sip coffee. It's my only day of the week to sleep in, and I was relishing the idea yesterday as I ran from work to visiting with a friend, to picking up groceries and dinner, then baking cookies and meeting a writing deadline.

By 11 pm I wound up practically snoozing on my keyboard.

Why is it that when you really think you want to sleep in, your brain decides otherwise? There I was this morning, awake at 6 am, trying desperately to doze back off.

Brain: Okay so the plan today is you're going to spend the day in the kitchen, cooking up some rocky road cookies, pumpkin pie, soup, and biscuits...

Me: Shut up. I'm trying to sleep here.

Brain: There's laundry too. You did good yesterday, but there's lots of hand washables left. You might want to get to those today. It would be nice to have those things available for work.

Me: Yada, yada, yada...who cares? Just be quiet!

Brain: The bathroom is kind of a mess. Seriously, look at those ridiculously overflowing garbage cans. Try some of those Clorox wipes they sent you, too. I wonder if the lemon ones smell good. Egads, they sure sent you enough of them. Give to family and friends, they said. You don't HAVE that many friends. Oh, and you need to vacuum.

Me: *sigh* roll over

Brain: Don't forget about the bird poop on the hood of the car. Hubs always says that if bird poop sits on the car too long that it wreaks the paint. Better clean that. Mail the bills. Water the houseplants. Clean up the dishes from last night. Write some blog posts. E-mail back those readers who sent you questions and letters that made you cry. You don't want them to think you are too snotty to answer them. Take lots of photos while you're cooking, too. Didn't Hubs want to go for a walk this afternoon? Better plan the day around that.

Do you hear me? Hello??

What are you trying to sleep for? You have too much to do. Besides, your bladder is telling me you need to pee, so just get up. I'd like some coffee, while you're at it.

Geez, my brain is pushy.

No wonder I can't sleep.

Recipe Tuesdays: Rocky Road Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I've been on a real sweet/salty kick lately, and so when I saw the recipe for these over at The Crepes of Wrath, I bookmarked it immediately and resolved to make them. I admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, since the recipe is a little different then what I'm used to. The end result was a chewy, delicious cookie that Jake declared "the best!".

I did learn a lesson making these; don't assume anything and read the recipe the whole way through, because I didn't use parchment paper on my pans and the first few I had to chisel off. make sure to read the directions thoroughly before you make them!

Happy baking!

Dyspraxia Awareness Week

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

This week is Dyspraxia Awareness Week in the USA and UK.

I've written a lot about how dyspraxia has affected our lives; from the struggle to have Jake diagnosed, to realizing how to manage sensory sensitivities, and tips and tricks we learned along the way.

Somehow, as Jake has gotten bigger and things have become more manageable, the posts have become fewer and far between because it's just a smallish part of our life now, not the overwhelming mountain that we felt we were facing in the beginning.

Last week I received an e-mail from a reader at the beginning, and reading her words put me right back at the beginning of our journey all over again. Back when Jake was little and I was a ball of anxiety, trying to figure out what on Earth was going on and what I had done to cause it. We made a lot of mistakes in those days; but as time went on, I have learned that there is at least one thing we did well.

We taught Jake about kids with disabilities, right from day one.

It was easy, for me. I already worked with disabled children, and so it was natural for Jake to be around kids with autism, Down's Syndrome, in wheelchairs, or who used sign language on a regular basis. He learned from the beginning that they are kids just like him, who have feelings and want to make friends. He learned that they could do many, if not all, the things he did and to treat them with kindness and respect.

Over the years as we learned that he had sensory sensitivities and dyspraxia, we began to teach him about his own disability. Why he had trouble with math. Why tying his shoes was so frustrating, and why lights and sounds were overwhelming. It has a name. It's not an excuse, or a cop out to say "I have dyspraxia, this is hard", but rather an acceptance that "yes, I'm trying, but there is a reason why I'm having trouble with it that is NOT MY FAULT."

Why did we do this?

School is often a case of survival of the fittest, where kids are like the birds who peck the weakest in the nest to death. They are quick to point out the child who can't do something, the one who is failing, the child who can't sit at story time or forgets to raise their hand. Kids will zero in on the child who has trouble managing their behavior and call them "bad", especially if they can see that their teacher is frustrated.

I hate to say this, but their parents often think that way too-because somehow if your child is the one that sits quietly, colors in the lines and does what they are told, you get the parent version of a gold star. It's a reflection of your most wonderful parenting ability, isn't it?

It's easy to teach our kids to be compassionate to the child in the wheelchair. The kids with the invisible disabilities are often judged as lazy, bad, or annoying instead. If you look closely though, you'll find that these kids need compassion just as much as the child with the obvious disability because these ones are acutely aware that they are different.

If their peers understand them a bit better, they would understand that sometimes, "it's the dyspraxia talking", as Jake says. Instead of making fun of him when he wipes out in PE playing dodge ball, they can genuinely laugh WITH him, because Jake has learned to laugh at himself.

He knows dyspraxia will always be there, but damn it, he won't let it WIN. Teaching him gave him the self confidence to teach other people, and to stand up and say, "Ya, this is part of me-but it's not ALL of me."

The other day Jake came home from school and shared that a friend of his has a specific diagnosis. We discussed how difficult it is to live with that disability, and how it must be very hard for his friend. After a bit of silence, Jake looked at me thoughtfully,

"I guess I just have to remember when he's being annoying that sometimes, it's the _____ talking. Just like me."

Exactly like you.

What is dyspraxia?
What are the symptoms?

Fabulicious Friday: Toy Shopping!

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Are you thinking ahead to Christmas yet? Crazy, I know..it's not even Halloween! These toys have caught my eye in the store lately, and I just knew readers would want to have the inside scoop on what's coming up for the holidays!

1. Pull Along Snail by Plan Toys (9 months +)

Totally reminding me of Snail from the Franklin series of books, this pull toy is really cute. He's durable, well made, and colored with vegetable dyes instead of paint. Kids and adults can barely resist playing with him! Plan has tons of really great things to choose from. I especially like their line of musical toys. (banjo, drum, xylophone) I love that their toys are made from wood!

2. Klutz books (ages 8+)

It's a book! It's an activity! These are the coolest books ever. With everything from science experiments to crochet, clothespin dolls and travel activities, these books are loads of fun. Jake loves his copy of the Encyclopedia of Immaturity. The one pictured above is the version we have, but there is a NEW one out that looks equally fun. Perfect for the wild and crazy boy in your life (yes, and that could include your husband).

3. Melissa and Doug puzzles (various ages)

If you have a child with special needs who has trouble gripping things, these puzzles with jumbo knobs are a perfect idea. Melissa and Doug have a great selection of brightly colored, cute, durable wooden puzzles that are reasonably priced.

What I really love by this company is this table. It's nicely made, super durable, and has a great little drawer for all those tiny bits that tend to get lost. Plus it's so reasonably priced-if Jake was small I just buy one!

4. Schliech dragons (ages 8+)

Part of the World Of Elves line, Schliech has come out with some amazing looking collectible, hand painted dragons. The one pictured above is named Faraun. The detail on these is amazing, and for the older child who would like to have something to display as well as to play with, these are a fantastic idea. Pair them up with a book such as The Fire Within, a series by Chris D'Lacey about a girl and clay dragons that come to life. Jake loved the books!

5. The Yo Yo Ball by Big Time Toys (Age? I still play with them)

I really have no co-ordination when it comes to yo-yos, and bought this when I was about 10 to play with. LOVED it. Glad to see they are still around for people like me who can't get a real yo-yo to work! They come in all sorts of colors and are a great toy for $10 or less.

Pay Back's a Bitch

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

"I feel like I want a chocolate bar. You want one?"

The day was finished, and I'd had a craving something chocolaty all day long. We had to stop at the store any way, so I thought Jake might enjoy the offer of a sweet for himself.

"Oh, I'd like pop. AND a chocolate bar," Jake grinned hopefully. Leave it to him to try to get the most bang for his buck, but today I wasn't buying into it.

"Nope. Just pick one thing. You don't need both today."

Begrudgingly, he chose a bottle of pop in the store, even though he made the point of standing in front of the candy display and eying what was available.

Soon we were onto another store, where he chose to sit in the car while I picked up what we needed and grabbed myself a Snickers bar. On the way back to the car, I unwrapped it and took a bite, savoring the peanutty chocolate goodness. Jake looked annoyed as I sat down in the drivers seat and took out my keys.

"Fatso," he muttered.

"WHAT?!" When I turned to face him, he began to stammer.

"I was..um..just kidding, I didn't mean..."

"Kidding? You were kidding? I just bought you a pop and now because you couldn't get a pop AND a chocolate bar you are calling me fat? Okay, fine. Next time, I won't buy you anything."

We drove home in silence.

Finally, we pull into the driveway, I park, and he begins to gather his things. He hands me his bottle of pop to hold while he organizes himself. As his hand extends back for his drink, I give him an evil grin. Should I? Maybe?

I raise the bottle to my mouth as if to take a drink, but at the last minute, stop and run my tongue over the entire mouth of the bottle. Slowly. Painfully. While he watches in utter horror.

"OH! GROSS!" he squeals, "You're going to give me your cold! Why did you do that!?" he snatches the bottle back and wipes the top on his shirt. I just smile sweetly at him.

"Never, ever, call me fat, sweetie. This mama believes in payback."

Days of Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Quite a long time ago, I joined Grace in Small Things. If you aren't sure what it is, make sure you check it out. From there I went along my merry way, sometimes forgetting to post about it because life was just so amazingly wonderful that sheesh, you think I can put everything down?

This past month has been pretty dramatic and suddenly, I'm back to looking at the small things that I'm grateful for. Nothing is escaping my notice as I'm trying really very hard to slow down and live in the moment-this moment, because thinking too much about things is going to make me crazy.

Just moment by moment. Like these ones:

Every Friday, a friend and I meet at little cafe/store by the ocean for coffee. Well, sometimes it's coffee, yesterday it was a delicious croissant sandwich and tea. We sit in the sunshine, overlooking the ocean, and chat about our week. I look forward to that moment, all week long. It's so nice to have a friend to do this with, and over treats, too? It just feeds my soul.

Calls from long lost old friends. Good books. Flannel pjs. A fuzzy afghan and cup of tea.

My new jobs have kept me busy, and financially right now they have been a great benefit. I work with amazing people, and have great bosses. At a time where people are finding it hard to get work I had not just one job, but two tossed in my lap! I love doing both of them and right now they are a god-send.

Hot showers, clean crisp sheets, fall sunshine. Pumpkins. Jake and a friend running through the yard, wrestling and squealing while Hubs and I double over with laughter.

I live in Canada, where we don't have to worry about health care. Right now, if I had to worry about how to pay for all the testing and stuff Hubs is going through in the next month, I think I would lose my mind. Lose. Entirely. All we have to concentrate on is getting him better, and for that I'm so, so grateful. There are no bills, no wrangling with insurance companies, just getting him to a doctor. For that I am hugely grateful.

Whispered conversations with Hubs late at night. Warm hugs. The smell of chocolate chip cookies.

Lastly, I'm grateful for each and every one of YOU. Kind words, e-mails, comments, heart felt Twitter conversations late at night, every single on of my readers and followers who have taken the time to get to know me, listen, give me a little boost when I need it. You are all amazing.

Thank you!

Win A Smart Car! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:45:35 PDT

Take ICBC's "dirty driver" quiz and enter a contest to win a smart car! Open to residents of BC, Canada

Canada Moms Blog: Streetproofing Your Kids in 2009 [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:38:16 PDT

Such a sad story-but the information is very valuable.

Deep South Moms: Passing Judgment on a Teenaged Driver [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:23:37 PDT

What would YOU do?

Kait's Plate: Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Focaccia [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:26:44 PDT

Try not to lick the screen

'Rrroll up the rim' prank leads to accusation of fraud [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:39:57 PDT

This sounds kinda fishy to me..I mean, you'd be able to tell a 12 year old's 'fake' cup from a real one, and how did they 'accidentally' get switched if the guy was drinking a coffee?

Indian dad avoids washing for 35 years [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:48:30 PDT

He was told if he doesn't wash, he'll have a son. If he doesn't wash, what woman would want him?

goat Canucks goat! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:19:40 PDT

I love this! Cheer on the Canucks and buy a goat for a family in Africa!

Free Coffee At McDonalds for Two weeks! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:14:39 PDT

Starting yesterday, McDonalds has been offering free coffee at breakfast time, no purchase required. It will continue for 2 whole weeks!

"Where The Wild Things Are" Cake! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:54:14 PDT

You just have to see this cake. SO COOL!

Did You Know Your Veggies Could Make You Sick? [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:41:13 PDT

Great tips on how to avoid food borne illness from your produce.

50 Great Photoshop Tutorials for Clever Beginners - Psdtuts+ [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:28:16 PDT

Hey! Some great tips here

S'Mores Dessert Squares [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:26:47 PDT

These look really, really yummy

Bakerella [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:13:40 PDT

Omg! So cute! Would feel cruel to eat them.

Electrolux vacuum explodes, causing third-degree burns - Yahoo! Canada News [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:32:57 PDT

Yikes! Are you kidding me?