Revelation of sorts

Sometimes what seems like a great idea can in reality be not such a great idea. When I began doing the Wednesday world wonder night at my house it was very successful because I had time to invest in it. Don't get me wrong I really love sharing this idea with you all. I'm glad I gave you the examples and tools to create your own family evening. I however never realized how time consuming it was for me to not only prepare for my family evening but write a blog and do the research! In only a week I hit a wall. I am exhausted and our beloved World wonder night became a chore for me. My son said to me several times "YOU are always typing" or "Mom? Why aren't you listening to me?" and that made me feel pretty hypocritical. The purpose of family time is to be as a FAMILY. I love to teach but the greatest gift God gave me was my writing ability. I believe the purpose of a blog should be to share and write diatribes about everything. I believe blogs give people the ability to share their experiences and wisdom. Its a safe zone where no one can interrupt you or your thought process. Its an online journal. With that being said I am going to take a step back and utilize this blog to share my thoughts and worry less about deadlines. I really hope that I have inspired you to continue forward with family themed evenings.

So this week has been overwhelming as I mentioned before. I learned one major thing I am NOT Martha Stewart of parenting. I'm more like JK Rowling of parenting. I am a story teller. I love to create but to combine the two it takes a very organized less scatterbrained individual. I was flattered by the success of my blog but shocked that my Facebook page only had 75 likes. Ridiculous right? By ridiculous I mean the fact I am upset about 75 likes. I should feel happy but I wasn't. I became obsessive. I felt like giving up. That's when I started thinking "Why am I consumed by this? Why do I feel like my self worth and success lies with each facebook page like?" (I also had to slap myself with the reminder its only been over a week.) In this day of Youtube instant celebrities I feel that we put too much investment in social networking. I have watched friends and family crumble publicly through a simple status update. I have lost friends both real and cyber because of disagreements. I have unfriended a person and received a message 5 minutes later asking why I had deleted them. Do we really hold that much value in a social networking site? I have over 450 friends. The most likes I have received on a status was 67 and that was because I had a melt down over politics. I am guilty of the public verbal vomit. I am definitely not perfect. I have done the "vague-booking" status update. I have posted random quotes to make myself feel better. I have wrote responses to comments that have snowballed into chaos. I was friends with an individual that always started the status update with "I don't want to stir the pot but (insert touchy subject here)" I had to unfriend them simply because they made my blood pressure sky rocket. When your birthday rolls around you start counting how many happy birthdays you are going to get on your wall. We post vanity pictures, we cut down on ourselves, we stalk exes, we laugh at how fat our enemies from high school are, we debate politics, we share urban legends as truths etc etc. Social networking is what is consuming our time. "Oh I'll just check Facebook real quick" actually turns into 3 hours. I envy those who have never been into social networking. I wish I didn't rely on it so much. In my industry we use it as a marketing tool. If you don't have a webpage or facebook page you might as well not even exist as a business.

Truth is I am at fault for my own actions. I can't blame the duckface pictures or cat memes. It is all on my shoulders. Just like anyone with an addiction I need to take responsibility for my actions. I am proud of one thing. I am the same person away from the computer as I am behind the computer. I don't know how great that is to others but I am pleased that I don't have an "online persona".  The same things I type here I would say to anyones face. Hey I'm in the industry where you have to be honest or else your female client leaves with a mustache and unibrow. They say honesty hurts because its the truth. I feel honesty shouldn't hurt and that it should inspire and motivate. I think where I am going with this rant is we all are special. We all have amazing gifts blessed upon us. "Be the Change you want to see". Deep inside I feel that I am destined to help the world. I know that I am meant for bigger things. I definitely now know they have nothing to do with my Facebook community page or personal page. I am here to guide my awesome child through life not worry about how many likes someone needs to finally get a puppy so they can meet Justin Bieber.

So here is my challenge for you. Declare a Facebook free day for yourself. Walk away from it. Stop relying on cyber likes and reconnect with society the old fashion way. Go to coffee or lunch. Take your kiddos to the library for story time. Go to a matinee by yourself. Take the kids to a museum or park with a disposable camera and let them take the pictures. Laugh and be silly. Let the people around you wonder why you're laughing. Try the newest trend place all your cell phones in the middle of the table. The first person who checks theirs picks up the tab or you can utilize it for family time where instead of paying for the meal they do the dishes. See the world through clear eyes. Hold hands with your child and just go for a walk. Talk about the stars and put glow in the dark stickers on their ceiling. Make couch forts. Eat peanut butter and jelly from the jar. But during that time be true to the moment and avoid any social networking. I wont judge you if you don't update your status.
Laura

Russian Wednesday World Wonder Night

So after a very busy weekend I am finally able to sit down during clients to write this! I hope you all have gained some extra ideas to apply towards your family time. I am overwhelmed by the response and am blown away when I realized my blog has had over 1000 views! I'm positive 850 of them are mine but still this is awesome.

Lets recap what Wednesday World Wonder night is:
1)A family dinner themed around a specific country or culture
2)Family participating in a great and fun new way to explore cuisine from around the world
3)Educational, creative and fun activities

There are lots of other reasons but those are the main focal points. This week is Russia and I hope you have started to do some research for it. If not do not fret I am here to guide you along the way.

Lets start with the bare bones of it:

Menu for Russia
I have an obsession with Borscht its not everyones cup of tea per say but I absolutely adore this traditional Russian soup. You can opt to not include this if you feel your gag reflex HOWEVER remember your kiddos learn by example. If you are not willing to try new things they too will follow suit.

Here is the Borscht recipe for those who enjoy cooking fresh from scratch http://www.food.com/recipe/russian-borscht-169711
For those of you on a limited time schedule substitute canned beets for fresh. Be careful not to over cook the canned beets or they will turn to mush. I do recommend making this the night before. The longer it sits the better it is as with most soups. Also do include the sour cream topper thats what makes this soups flavor stand out!

I'm also making Piroshki which are basically Russian hot pockets! You can fill these with beef and cabbage or potato and cheese etc. Here is the recipe for these http://greek.food.com/recipe/piroshki-a-savoury-filled-pastry-76375 or allrecipes.com/recipetaylors-piroshki  I know the food.com one says greek food but I assure you they are Russian. As we know most cultures have some for of a "pocket" food. If you don't want the hassle of making the dough simple get a can of biscuit or breadstick dough. Make sure you do the egg wash to give them that awesome golden glow.

Other recipes to consider are Stroganoff or Chicken Kiev
http://www.food.com/recipe/beef-stroganoff-from-the-old-russian-tea-room-30862
http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-chicken-kiev-21080

*A common misconception is that Stroganoff is served over noodles. I found it fascinating to learn that Russian recipes do not commonly use pasta. They use rice.

For dessert I chose Russian Apple pie. It is done completely different from our traditional pie. Instead of the crust being the framing of the pie its the apples. This recipe sounds very simple and I look forward to trying it! http://www.ruscuisine.com/recipes/desserts/n--38/

I think I  may keep the beverage simple and serve black tea over a thin slice of apple with sugar and lemon on the side. This technique is amazing and is fun for the kids because you can eat the apple after the drink is gone.

I hope this helps you plan your menu out and overall its very simple. Tomorrow get the kids prepped and ask them to start researching table decorations. The nice thing about Wednesday World wonder night is you can do all your research the day of if you'd like!

I will post another blog tomorrow and give some links to some sites for kids to do some safe research. Remember to share this blog and facebook page with your friends and family! Thanks
Laura

Friday Family Fun Night!!

My older sister had a crash course into parenthood recently when she became guardian of my 5 year old nephew. She created Friday Family fun night to give my nephew something to look forward to and also give him a quiet comfort knowing this now was his home. We adopted it in my household to give my son a sense of family unity and best of all its his guilty pleasures night. This event is so very simple and many of us do it without even realizing the routine. My son knows this is the night we play board games or watch a movie as a family. No exceptions. This means I can't slough off my mommy duties onto Grandma even as tired as I am. My boyfriend is even expected to be there. My son stresses the importance of ALL of us being there because that's what families do.

Being together as a family can be difficult especially with today's economy requiring us to seek out employment with unconventional work schedules. Here in good ol' Wyoming 90% of families are employed in the energy industry. This means majority of parents primarily dads are gone for work for a large portion of the month. I notice that most of the stay at home moms I know are oilfield widows. They are actually some of the most crafty and organized ladies I've met. However when "dad" gets home these ladies go crazy. Not only are the kids excited to see dad all of the sudden routines and schedules go out the door. Everything they know is turned upside down. I understand most of the time this is because the "dad" wants to just relax and have fun. Okay dads heads up! Your lovely lady keeps the home clean, laundry done, 3 square meals a day and is a taxi driver without you there. Sure she wants to pull her hair out and dose the kids up on sleeping pills ( I know that's terrible to say but hey you have thought about some miracle cure for hyperactivity right?) but she gets it done without your help. All she wants from you when you get home is to entertain the children and clean up after yourself. I know you're tired and just want to kick back and watch mindless TV but your kids need you. They need you to show them how to win at monopoly or be a good loser. They need you to make a couch fort and watch classic cartoons while making super hero masks. All this takes is 1 hour! 1 hour of your attention is a lifetime of memories. Every precious moment your children get with you even if you don't work is helping to shape them into the people they will become. I know you are tired I too am wicked tired as I try to babble this entry out after a long day at work and wrangling my boy. However you are reading this which gives me hope that you want to be more involved with your family.

Ok back to Friday family fun night here's how you plan:

1) Pick the easiest, yummiest, crowd pleasing entree you can think of. Example: Spaghetti and Meatballs

2) Do not forget dessert. Make it fun! Example: "create your own" ice cream sundaes or banana splits

3)You can put game ideas into a hat and do a blind pull. It makes it easier to avoid "I wanna" melt downs

4) Games can be board games, multiplayer video games or ones you find and want to try. Do research there are so many sites out there to get ideas from. Warning some of these games can be really how do you say? Dumb. Choose age appropriate for all kiddos.

5) Everyone needs to be involved. It only takes a few hours to do this. Bored teenagers can deal with it and so can you. Its important to stress family involvement.

6) Turn off TV, phones, computer, eReaders, etc. You all deserve each others undivided attention.

7) Make a trophy for the game winner that they have to bring back next Friday to be passed on to the next winner. Everyone loves to compete make it into a tournament.

8) Take lots of pictures. These are memories and its so easy to forget these moments.

9) Movies deserve popcorn and awesome drinks! Select one kiddo to be the "movie usher" and distribute the goodies. Do not panic its only one day of popcorn crushed into the floor and sofa. That's what dogs and vacuums are for. My rule is all drinks have lids and cannot be red, blue, or purple.

10) Cuddle with your family. Try and squish all on the same couch. Yeah. That won't happen for very long but its the thought that counts!

My boys playing Clue Jr

So I hope that helps with another family building activity. I have some resources to share but I'll wait till next week. Remember this Wednesday January 23rd is World Wonder Russia night. I have a menu/shopping list and other goodies for you available Sunday January 20th. Please share this blog as well as my Facebook community page https://www.facebook.com/AvantGardeParenthood and if you have anything you'd like to share PLEASE comment or email me avantgardeparenthood@gmail.com  

"Ain't nobody got time for dat"

*For constant ideas and ramblings like my facebook profile page! https://www.facebook.com/AvantGardeParenthood

So I've created a weekly entry called "Ain't nobody got time for dat." I did not come up with that clever saying I am not taking credit. It is simply too awesome to let it go to waste. This weekly entry will consist of me and my boy trying a cool Pinterest thingy we found (that will more than likely have the comment "blah blah blah.....pin now read later you'll be glad you did.") Only true Pinners will get that. I am going to try and prove there IS time for dat and I'm going to share my experience with you. SO if you have any ideas you desperately want to try but are limited on time send em my way! My email is avantgardeparenthood@gmail.com I'm kind of hoping some of them end up on Pintrosity (sp)!

This is not mine. I didn't make it. Ain't nobody got time fo dat.

I've always loved that meme with the lady talking to the news station and she says "Ain't nobody got time for dat." I love it because it is true to a point. That's how we all look at everyday life. We think about exactly how much time we can hit snooze before we will be really late, so late we don't have time to shower. So late we let our child have a soda and (the now extinct) hostess cupcake for breakfast as we speed to drop them off at school. What? Normal parents don't do that? Weird. We do it in other ways as well. We calculate how much time it will take us to scarf down our food so we can rush to the TV set so we don't miss the premier of American Idol. We constantly look at the clock and think about how we can extend the time in the day so we can sit and enjoy doing things as a family. But we never do it. We say we will but instead we find other excuses. Now I want you to think when is the last time you devoted a whole evening to listening and talking with your child. I don't mean telling them to pick up their clothes, finish their peas, brush their teeth, and so on. I don't mean them screaming at you about how unfair your rules are or whining that Jenny's mom lets Jenny wear make-up. No matter the age of your child you can sit and have an enjoyable conversation even if its just sitting quietly coloring the same page in a coloring book. When my boy was acting out during my divorce I discovered the greatest weapon of defense I had was simply dropping to my knees and full body hugging him. He would be in a terrible fit and the moment I embraced him he would melt. It also helped me control my temper. I began talking to my child calmly and at eye level. I began to train myself to listen to him genuinely. I put the cell phone or computer down and truly acknowledged his vocal concern. Not only did this help him communicate better it helped me listen. Now when I pick him up from school the first thing I do when we get in the car is I give him a big smooch and tell him I love him. The radio is off and I don't drive away till he tells me how his day was. I do this everyday.

I know everyone loves the Weds World Wonder night but some of you can't do it on a Wednesday because of other obligations. That is fine! Don't beat yourself up about it you have plenty of other days in the week and opportunities to spend quality time with your kiddos. When I was a little girl probably around the age of 5 I remember my mom waking me up super early on a vacation. We quietly slipped out to the hot tub which is a huge deal for a kid. That was almost 30 years ago and I still remember how that brief moment made me feel so close to my mom. An hour may feel like a minute to an adult but to a child its an eternity. Make that hour count and make it routine. That way they look forward to that day with you every week. Consistency is vital to a childs stability. Do not make false promises or issue bribes to get out of your commitment. They are like elephants and they remember. My son was 2 and I promised to take him to see Elmo live. I took him to Denver instead. He's 6 now. HE STILL REMEMBERS. "Hey mom remember when you promised me Elmo tickets?" or "Hey mom remember that time you didn't take me to see Elmo Live?" See that arrow sticking out of my chest? Yeah thats Elmo Live remorse. I now learned to not make any promises or commitments without ensuring we will definitely be doing it. Freaking kids and their photographic memories. They are worse than a jilted ex girlfriend.

Anyways I felt like rambling. I'm overwhelmed by the positive support so far for this blog! I am truly blessed to have this life. I'm excited for our first Pintertactivity (I made that word up) Good Night!
Laura

What is Weds World Wonder night?

As I mentioned my son is a very picky eater. If he could live on Subway ham and cheese sandwiches he probably would. If I even mention mash potatoes he makes gagging noises and pretends to be dead. I grew up in a very culinary adventurous family. My parents loved to cook. My holidays were filled with unusual dishes from around the world. I also grew up in a family where you ate what you were given or you didn't eat at all. Even with a severe food allergy I was forced to dine on hot dogs and red gravy even though they gave me headaches. My son has also grown up around 2 parents that love to eat exotic foods however we made the biggest mistake made by parents. We allowed him to be picky. I became a short order cook making 3 different  meals instead of one family meal to be enjoyed and shared. He is fascinated with Food network primarily because that's one of the only channels I watch. He is obsessed with the show 'Chopped' to the point he has created his own version. He loves to cook but he won't eat what he makes. This is incredibly frustrating. One day my mother came to me and brought up the idea of a culturally themed night. My son loves to learn and is fascinated by other cultures especially languages. So we thought why not introduce new foods in a fun way? Well to me this is fun. I embrace my inner geek.

How to plan for Weds World Wonder night:
1) Sit down with your kiddo and pick a country.
2) Research the cuisine. Start simple and easy so you don't scare yourself or the kiddos for example we did China since Chinese food is very common.
3) Pick a main dish, appetizer and dessert as well as a beverage. **Please remember this is very important to make the food yourself this is what starts the evening together. Your kiddo can wash veggies or help stir. If they feel part of the cooking process they are more likely to try the food.
4)On that evening have the kiddos find the country on the map and research some information on the country. Do this together. For example while you are cooking they could be telling you the things they find and writing them down to share at the table. I have YouTubed "how to" videos on languages and music. Be creative! If you have more than one kiddo you could suggest they put on a skit for after dinner or even research what a traditional game for that country is. The skies the limit!
5) Make sure to set the table. It is very important to sit down for dinner as a family. Turn the TV off. Why invest all the time and research into this if you are not going to embrace family time? Decorate the table try and eat with the utensils used in that country. Have the kiddos make napkin rings or place mats that are the country flag. This is the time to not use paper plates. Make the family feel the importance of this.
6) If you do not have a globe or a world atlas go get one! Sure you can pull it up one a computer but having the ability to touch and turn the globe or atlas is priceless. They get even more curious and pretty soon the see just how big the world is!

So here a few warnings avoid cramming too much information down the kids throats. We may find that the lower grasslands of Indonesia are covered in indigenous micro beetles that help to pollinate the wheat fields (I totally made that up by the way) but kids seem to glaze over with boredom and your fun filled family night will be over. Next try not to get crazy on the different spices. New and different flavors can sometimes be shocking to the kids taste buds. Gradually introduce them to the flavors. If they have never had goat cheese do not use a whole round in the meal and expect them to eat it. Thats my next warning as excited as we are to do this we do experience some failures. There will be occasions that the kids will just not be into the thought of lamb stew so I give you my permission to substitute in "safety items". By this I mean alternative ingredients. Example: whole fish with the head attached< fish fillet I think you get the jist of it!

This past Wednesday we chose Africa which is a huge continent not a country obviously. So we decided to start at the top of  Africa and chose a main dish from Morocco. I am including recipes and pictures of our "trip to Africa" below so you can get some ideas of how to approach this. We chose a simple but flavorful chicken dish simply called "Moroccan Chicken" served over rice and had Baked Banana Coconut dessert called "Akwadu" and for our drink I served milk (since they don't have yak milk/goat milk we resorted to cow milk) as well as Papaya nectar. My son YouTubed some videos on Morocco and I also showed him some of the diverse tribes found in Africa. We set the table and luckily for us my dad is a world traveler and had brought back some African art we could display. If you have wooden bowls or baskets that works just as well. Even decorating with safari animals can set the ambiance! We ate only with spoons and served the food family style like they would in a tribal community. I admit I had way more fun than he did.

The family discussing where Africa is primarily Morocco. Actually this is Grampa over explaining Morocco

Table Setting and my boy praying "African style"

My boy researching Africa on his own.

Akwadu dessert

Akwadu aka Banana Coconut Bake from Ghana

5 large bananas
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
2/3 cup coconut flakes

Cut bananas in half and place in one layer in a shallow greased baking dish. Dot with butter and pour orange juice and lemon or lime over top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and top with coconut. Bake for 8-10 mins at 375 degrees until coconut is golden brown.

So this dessert is awesome. However it does have a unique flavor which can be a little strange at first. It encompasses sweet and sour flavors with the caramelizing of the coconut and banana. I love it but I definitely won't be offended if you hate it.

The recipe below I found on Food.com. The contributor wrote it so simply for you to follow I just copied and pasted it below:

Easy Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Servings: 6

About This Recipe

"This is one of my family's favourite recipes; I am constantly asked all the time to make it. I was taught it by a Moroccan friend who also lives in France - it is an old family recipe passed down for many years. It is great all year around - served with flat breads or pitta breads & assorted salads in spring & summer or served with hot fluffy & fruity couscous, assorted chutneys or pickles in the depths of winter. I make mine in a fantastic "Electric Tagine" made by Tefal; it of course works in a more traditional clay tagine - BUT the real secret is.......it works like a dream in a Slow cooker/Crock Pot. Try it out! If you cannot get Ras-el-Hanout, which is an exotic Moroccan spice mixture, including rose petals - don't worry, use the other spices I have listed instead; or I have a Ras-el-Hanout recipe posted on Recipezaar: North African Ras El Hanout Spice Mix N.B. I notice in a review that it has been suggested that Chemical Heat is needed!! The great thing about sharing recipes is that they can be adapted to personal taste. BUT, this is not supposed to be a "Hot" recipe, but a "Fragrant & Fruity" recipe!! A Tagine by definition is SLOW cooked over a LOW heat & is very fruity with subtle undertones of heat! However, life would be boring if you couldn't add a bit of "heat", but it's just not traditional. What is traditional, is to allow your guests to add their own heat, so have a bowl of "Harissa" on the table. Preserved lemons are also a wonderful and traditional addition - I have a recipe posted on Recipezaar: Preserved Fresh Lemons PLEASE NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you MUST soak them and cook them first!"

Ingredients

• 6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks ( or assorted chicken pieces, about 3 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon flour or 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 inch fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
• 6 ounces dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes

Page 2 of 3Easy Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine (cont.)

Ingredients

• 2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 pint chicken stock
• 1 pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix ( or make up spice mix below)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• salt and black pepper
• chopped fresh coriander, to serve ( Cilantro)

OPTIONAL

• 2 carrots, peeled & diced (optional)
• 1 preserved lemons, chopped into small wedges (optional)

Accompaniment

• harissa

Directions

1.     PLEASE NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you MUST soak them and cook them first!

2.     Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.

3.     Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.

4.     Add herbs,spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.

5.     Finally add tinned tomatoes & mix well.

6.     Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.

7.     Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.

8.     Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add the carrots if using.).

9.     Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.

10.   Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours. (Please note that the cooking times depend on your crockpot, the cooking times I have suggested work fine with mine which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.).

11.   If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.

Page 3 of 3Easy Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine (cont.)

Directions

12.   Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slowcooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add cornflour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.

13.   Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinked on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.

14.   Note: You can use chicken pieces or whole chicken which has been cut up into portions, but you will then need to brown them in a frying pan or skillet beforehand. Preserved lemons make a great addition, add them when you add the apricots and carrots.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 (546 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Calories 488.7

Calories from Fat 71

14%

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Total Fat 7.9g

12%

Saturated Fat 1.3g

6%

Cholesterol 76.7mg

25%

Sugars 31.5 g

Sodium 645.0mg

26%

Total Carbohydrate 71.7g

23%

Dietary Fiber 11.1g

44%

Sugars 31.5 g

126%

Protein 35.9g

71%

© 2013 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. http:

//www.food.com/137530 

Moroccan Chicken

Well this concludes the basics of World Wonder night. Please add my page on Facebook and share your pics and ideas! Stay tuned for next week January 23rd is RUSSIA!! Woo hoo!

Laura

In the beginning

When my son was born 6 years ago I never imagined how difficult it would be. The thought of keeping my child entertained as well as educated and healthy was of little concern as I was holding that tiny baby. Well here I am 6 years later fighting daily to not only keep him entertained, healthy, educated, as well as happy, creative, caring, etc etc. Added to this I am now a single working mother. . I feel though that you deserve to know the truth. I was not a perfect mother nor am I now. Going through my divorce was traumatic for everyone involved especially for my son. He began acting out terribly. His anger and sadness was consuming his 4 year old mind and turning my sweet boy into an angry monster. I was selfishly running from it pushing it away by sitting him in front of the TV or computer for hours just to keep him happy. This is common and I know plenty of you could relate. It was ridiculous how I acted and I am ashamed when I think about it. I look back and remember how I would dread dealing with his outbursts and avoidance mixed with my depression it was overwhelming. Yet when he would go with his dad for those few days I would bawl and drink to make the pain go away.  However, after a lot of soul searching I decided instead of playing the cliche victim I kicked myself in the ass and decided to put my full focus on making sure my child was first. Basically what I'm trying to explain and to make a long story short no one is perfect. I want you to know I am not an illusion and I don't want you to feel hopeless when you read my blog and think "I could never be creative like that".
I know in this day of Pinteresting some of us working parents feel overwhelmed with the impending doom of being educationally creative. Sure I'd love to make all 860 pins I have stayed up into the wee hours of the night pinning. I'd be ecstatic to make bento box lunches for my son with cute hand cut sandwiches and veggies. I'd adore to create homemade edible playdough and matching custom tie dyed shirts. Alas life is busy and between my full time job and my sons full day at school it just doesn't seem there are enough hours in the day. However in this busy world we sacrifice time with our families far too much. I had an epiphany one evening while pinning various pins. "How am I utilizing my time with my son efficiently?" Well I'm sure it wasn't that eloquent in my mind. I began rehashing where I struggled with my sons diet especially when he is at his fathers. I know it probably consists of chicken nuggets and junk food, I'd rather not think too deeply about it. My son is very smart but most parents say that about their child. He has a hunger for books and learning. I wanted to incorporate both education and family time in some kind of an activity. This is where my mother and I came up with our first idea Friday family fun night. I will explain this more in another entry. This worked great and brought back the old time traditions of family interaction. We soon approached the trying new foods problem. That is where Wednesday World Wonder night came from. This has been a huge success and my life feels a little more complete having these 2 days designated for time with my son and possibly utilizing some of the Pinterest ideas.
So here it is in basic form how I began having more of an interactive role with my child. I wont bore you anymore with my ramblings and I will begin typing the next segment which will feature Wednesday World Wonder night in its entire form. Thank you for taking time to read this it really is your first step to being a great influence in your kiddos/families life!
Laura