When Children Break Things

After having my first little one, I became very aware of how easily things break or get wrecked. At an early age Monkey would tear books, break toys and managed to destroyed most things he got his hands on. Even these days it seems like something gets broken on a regular basis.

At first, I felt frustrated. Yes, I believe that we shouldn't attach ourselves to material possessions (Matthew 6:19-21). However, we should still take care of what we have and teach our children to do the same. In our throw away materialistic culture it becomes too easy to be careless about our possession because everything is easily replaceable. We often don't think about the environmental impact of throwing away broken items and buying new one.

To be honest, I struggle as to how I should respond when Monkey wreaks something. Most of the time, he breaks the item "unintentionally". Perhaps he was being careless, curious or too rough, nevertheless something broke. When this happens I try to match my response to his. If he feels upset about breaking the item, we talk about how it broke, how he could avoid such a situation in the future, and how we could fix it (if we can). If he doesn't care that it broke (the more common scenario) then it makes my job a whole lot more difficult.

Over the last three years, there are a few things I've learned that have helped me deal with the reality of children breaking things.

1 - Start by getting good quality, hard to break items. This is especially important for items that are handled on a regular basis by little ones. Think toys. After realizing that plastic cracks much too easily, I opted for wood. Wood is good. It's durable. There are many beautiful wood toys available. Some of our favorites are made by Plan Toys, Soopsori, and Grimm's. The thrift store is a good place to look for wood toys since they can be pricey to buy new. Cloth is good too. Dress up clothes, play silks and nice stuffed toys like these Folkmanis puppets make nice toys.

2 - Fix it. If it breaks try to fix it. Some things cannot be fixed but many things can. Books can be taped back together, clothes sewn, and toys glued. If you can't fix it ask around. Someone you know might know how.

3 - Place special items out of reach. Before having little ones, I didn't understand why you would change your home to accommodate your children. Now I enjoy being inspired by books like The Creative Family and Playful Learning to create areas in my home that allow my little ones to play and imagine. I still think children need to learn how to handle special objects but there is a time and a place for this. There's no sense tempting fate by leaving your beautiful china at an easy reach. I find this true also for toys with many small pieces like puzzles and marbles that can easily be lost or act as a chocking hazard far babies if left around.

4 - Switch it, get rid of it and live without it. When my Monkey gets tired of a toy he starts to find "creative" ways to play with it... usually this lead to its destruction. Once I notice that a toy isn't being used anymore I take it away for another day. Some items that are bound to break, because they aren't particularly durable, are given away to children with a much gentler dispositions than my own. Other items aren't necessary and we can live without them so don't rush out to replace something broken. Wait at first and see if you (or your child) can live without it.

5 - Things will get broken. No matter how durable the toy or how high those china cups are, things happen and stuff breaks. Try to remain calm (I'm still working on this one) and remember that it's just stuff.

What do you do when your child breaks something? I would love to hear your opinions on this topic.

Technology Ruins Roman

Have you seen these videos? I saw them for the first time today.



It gave me food for thought. Technology has made such a huge impact on the way we interact with each other. I've noticed this especially since quitting Facebook. Of course, I know couples who have met online and are now happily married. But I wonder if technology has ruined romance or simply changed it.



What are your thoughts?

A Handmade Christmas

Inspiration has set in, thanks to some fellow bloggers, and I've started thinking about a handmade Christmas. Now, I'm not one of those people that get into Christmas months before the day. No, in fact, we don't set up our tree until a couple days before Christmas and I cringe when I see Christmas stuff invading stores at this time of the year.

But, this year I want most of our family's gifts to each other and to others to be handmade. Handmade gifts will undoubtedly take more time which is why I'm thinking about it now. I've decided to join the Handmade Christmas Craft Along Challenge over at Crunchy Catholic Mama. The challenge is to move away from the mass consumerism of Christmas and to give gifts that are unique and have meaning. For the challenge, gifts can be handmade, handmade by someone else (craft fair, Etsy) or upcycled (thrift store, antique store, garage sale). I'm really excited about this challenge and I will be sharing my ideas of a handmade Christmas as we get closer to the date.

So here is my official pledge :

I, Josee, pledge to:

To take a political stance against mass consumerism of Christmas
To give gifts that are unique, meaningful and full of love

If you are interested in participating in this challenge check out Crunchy Catholic Mama.

Preserving Notes

Last year was the first year I preserved a large amount of food using a water bath canner. As I went along, I kept a record of how much was canned, how much it cost, which recipe was used, when we ran out of the canned food and if it was enjoyed or left on the shelf. As I started canning this year I made reference to last year's record on a regular basis. It was extremely helpful to remember that we didn't like apple chutney but that we ran out of pears in the early spring.

This year I focused on canning fruit in simple syrup, jams, salsa, and applesauce. There were some items that we enjoyed last year that I did not preserve this year simply because I didn't come across the right produce at the right time. The cool wet summer also affected what was plentiful and what was not.

A record of what I grew in the garden also made it into my planning binder. Although, the entry was pathetically small. All I could boast about was that we had a lot of borage, parsley, marjoram, thyme and sage. Yep, that's about it.

I also make note of areas we foraged for food, berries in particular. Finding a great patch is wonderful, as long as you can remember where it is next year.

As I made a record of all that we canned, dehydrated and foraged for the last six months, I found myself surprised by what was accomplished, especially considering how exhausted I felt this summer (first trimester woes). I have my husband and sister to thank for all their help. They were there while I persisted to peel mountains of pears and pick rosehips in the pouring rain with my little ones.

Swiftly Moving

If someone asked me what I did yesterday, I would have to think for a while before answering. The days seem to pass quickly, even details of the morning slip away by the time the sun goes down, which is early these days.

One day flows into another and already a week has passed by. In the last week we've had visits with friends and family, some anticipated and others joyfully unexpected. There have been adventures to the park and surrounding forests. There has been sunshine and rain, wellness and sickness, joys and sadness. There has been exciting announcements of births and sad news of friends leaving town.

Some things stay the same. The knitting continues. The latest completed project has been A Noble Cowl and I'm searching for the perfect cowl pin to accompany it. Now that canning has slowed down, quilting has made it's appearance once more. It has been a while since my last quilting project and now I'm hoping to complete a quilt made up of men's used cotton dress shirts. My husband thinks it won't be completed for a least six months so I have a goal of finishing it before then.

My sourdough culture from the spring died. I was too tired to take care of it. Luckily, my mother shared a bit of her culture with me and I started making some lovely sourdough bread again. Cinnamon rolls have also been consumed in unhealthy amounts around here, thanks to the Pioneer Woman and her delicious recipe.

With no shows or movies we've been spending a lot of time reading. Sweetpea has mastered the phrase "Maman, read a book?" while clambering onto my lab with a copy of Time for Bed. Monkey has been captivated by The Hungry Caterpillar and Ten Apples Up on Top. I've just started reading The Help.

The next week will probably move as swiftly as the last, but I thank God for the blessings of each day whenever I can catch my breath.

Enjoying Fall

Summer left much to be desired. With trepidation, I accepted that fall had arrived. Yet, I began to notice beautiful fall changes taking place around me. Right now, the yellow hued trees stand in contrast to the dark green evergreens surrounding our home. It's a sight difficult to miss, it's so striking.

In the morning, the cool fog swallows our street. It's heavy with the sweet scent of the plants rotting. Soon as the sun pierces the fog we make our ways outdoors.

 

The little ones are amazed by the fall changes. Monkey notices the colourful leaves and yellowing grass. Sweetpea tries to keep up to her big brother. We are enjoying fall.

Off The Needles: Ear-Flap Hat

I find knitting relaxing. Most evenings, I spend a little time knitting. Now that Fall is here, my attention has turned to knitting cozy accessories for the chilly months ahead. Recently, I knit a Lyon Hat for Monkey. The hat has ear-flaps which is a must for the chilly North. I used Noro Kureyon yarn and finished it off with lovely wood handmade buttons from The Woodlot.

Feast Day: St. Francis of Assisi

October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. He is one of the most well known saints. Many people, religious or not, have heard of him before. St. Francis was a radical guy. A man of joy, simplicity, humility, peace, and nature, he loved Jesus, and showed goodness towards others (Pope Benedict, General Audience, January 2010).

As a child and youth he was rich and spoiled. Everyone loved Francesco. Francis joined the military and aspired to take part in great military conquests. Things changed for him when he was taken prisoner. During this time he had a dream that God told him that his priorities were wrong and that he should go home. He did return and his life changed radically.

Today, our home is going to remember and celebrate this "giant of holiness". I've taken out a selection of books about St. Francis to read with the little ones:

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures by Katherine Paterson
The Song of Francis and the Animals by Pat Mora
The Song of Francis by Tomie dePaola
Saint Francis and the Wolf by Richard Egilski

Francis also had a deep respect for nature and animals so tonight we are bringing one of rabbits to church for a blessing. It should be fun.

For more ideas on celebrating the life of Francis check out Catholic Cuisine for food ideas of Shower of Roses for crafts and such.

Pears: Canning and Memories

As a child, I have distinct recollections of eating canned pears that were preserved by my mother. Sweet, soft and totally irresistible. I am always amazed how food can affect emotions and stir up memories. When I began canning, naturally I started with pears. Store bought tinned pears do not compared to a jar of preserved pears put up with care at home. As I've journeyed through canning these last few years, canned pears continue to be the the star of the canning show. They aren't fancy, only canned in a simple light sugar syrup, but sometimes the simplest things are the most delightful.

Yesterday, it was a beautiful day. I wanted to spend the day outside enjoying the Fall colours. Instead, I spent the whole afternoon peeling and canning perfectly ripe pears. At first, I felt a little annoyed at being indoors on such a lovely day. Of course, it was my own fault for buying over fifty pounds of pears. As I started peeling the pears, their smell reminded me how they will bring shouts of glee and happy thoughts during the cold winter months. Soon I found myself humming Christmas carols... strange, I know. With the help of Hubby, I managed to put up twenty-seven quarts of pears. What a success but what a lot of work!

Bodacious Beet and Cabbage Soup

The last time I made borscht was during my university days. I can't remember what inspired me to make the soup but it tasted awful. Hubby claimed it was wonderful and ate the whole pot. We were newly married. Since that fateful pot of borscht I have never tried to make it again... until recently that is...

Last week, I opened the fridge and found cabbage and beets. Borscht came to mind, but the thought of making borscht made me nervous. I checked the internet for ideas. This needed to be a soup packed with flavour. The Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup on allrecipes.com became my source of inspiration. I chose to cook my soup in a slow cooker because it was a busy day. The smell was tantalizing but I remained cautious. Before serving the soup I had a taste to adjust the seasoning. It tasted pretty good. We had some guests unexpectedly drop in, my sister and brother.  To my surprise, the soup was a hit and I became a believer in borscht.

This soup uses many vegetables that are making their appearance at the farmers' market in the Fall: cabbage, carrots, potatoes and beets. Try to select the freshest ingredients you are able to get.

Bodacious Beet and Cabbage Soup
Serves 4 - 6 very hungry people

2 large fresh mild Italian sausages, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbps. tomato paste
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 large carrots, grated
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 large beets, peeled and grated (grating beets by hand is messy business, check your face for beet juice before going out)
1/4 (large) or 1/2 (small) head of cabbage, thinly sliced
3 (or more) cups chicken stock
3 (or more) cups beef stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
sour cream to serve

Putting It Together:

You can cook this soup on a stove top or in a slow cooker. The choice it yours. The directions here are for a slow cooker but adapting the recipe to stove top shouldn't be difficult. 

1 - Start by heating up a frying pan on medium heat. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the pot. Break up the meat. Toss in the onions. Cook until meat it browned and onions are translucent. Toss in garlic and tomato paste. Stir until garlic smells fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add canned tomatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes. Add mixture to the slow cooker. Turn slow cooker on high.

2 - Add a splash of olive oil to pan and fry up grated carrot until slightly tender. Add some chicken stock to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping off the bottom bits as you go. Toss the carrot and stock into the slow cooker.

3 - Add a splash of olive oil and fry grated beets and cabbage until cabbage starts to wilt. Add some beef stock and bring to a simmer, scraping off the bottom bits as you go. Toss the beets, cabbage and stock into the slow cooker.

4 - Toss cubed potatoes into the slow cooker. The slow cooker might be quite full, depending on the size of your cooker. Add the remaining stock until you like the consistency of the soup. You might need more than 6 cups of stock. Season with salt and pepper.

5 - Cook on high heat for 2 - 3 hours or low heat for longer... 4-6 hours? I've only cooked it on high heat so I'm not sure how long to cook it on low heat.

6 - Taste. Adjust seasoning. Serve with sour cream. Enjoy!