My Life, My Children

Cleaning the house is a never-ending chore. A task of little thanks; especially if you have kids. For me, it is an unsatisfactory job. I have to say, I hate cleaning. I also hate messes. I have little children so they don’t understand the need for putting away or cleaning or keeping a room tidy. I sit typing this looking around at the total devastation of my house by little hands and creative play. While I wish it were clean, I understand the importance of exploration, experimentation and happy children. I’ll take a happy child any day over a clean room.

I am creative. I went to school and degreed in the arts - a few times over. I continue to take classes in different art techniques. But, being a mother, I have limited time to be creative. I have put my children first to my creativity/art making. I wonder how this limit on my creativity is affecting me emotionally. This is a new thought so I am not sure how to measure it. I am not sure if other artist moms have had the same issue or concern. But I am recently feeling the need to be more creative. To find time to be creative and I am looking into options for feeding my creative need. I am just putting this out there in hopes that someone reading this might understand and share with me their personal experiences.

These offers were sent to me from a fellow mom. I hope you find some of them useful.

Here are some sites that are offering some decent freebies to sign up for thier e-mail lists:

Penn station : One free small sub (no ohter purchase required)
http://pennstationindy.com/

O’Charleys: Free appetizer with e-mail registration (valid for 30 days)
http://ocharleys.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&InputSource=W

Fazolis: Monthly Coupons, this month is buy a small pasta entree get one free:
www.freespaghetti.com

Don Pablos:  Habenero Club - Free dip sampler with sign up.  They also send you $10 on your card for your birthday and your anniversary of signing up for the club as well as random $5 to your card throughout the year:
http://www.donpablos.com/

Bob Evans : Sign up for e-mail newsletter and get a printable coupond for a free kid’s meal with drink
https://www.bobevans.com/win/webreg.nsf/Registration

Auntie Annes Pretzel’s: Twisted news : Monthly coupons (B1G1 Free, B1 stix, G 1 pretzel free, etc)
http://auntieannes.com/email_signup.aspx

Birthday club goodies:

Red Robin - Free burger on your birthday (no other purchase necessary) - sign up each of your family members and they will send one (to your e-mail) for their b-day as well.  kids get a free kid’s meal
http://apps.fishbowl.com/a/redrobin/eclub/agegate.aspx

Bob Evans - Kid’s get a coupon via mail for their b-day:
https://www.bobevans.com/win/webreg.nsf/Registration

BD’s Mongolian grill: Club Mongo - Free stir fry on your b-day (no other purchase necessary)
http://www.gomongo.com/experience/joinClubMongo.php

Flat Top Grill (FT. WAYNE ONLY) : Free stir fry on your b-day (and sometimes throughout the year as well)
http://flattopgrill.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&InputSource=W

I have been taking a class is silver metal jewelry making. It is basically silver in a clay form. You can mold it, shape it and cut it to your desired shape. After drying, you can fire it and it becomes almost pure silver. (Actually .999) The firing can occur in different ways. Some are expensive as in buying a kiln to inexpensive like a propane torch or the top of a gas stove. Making this hobby a bit more affordable. I like the opportunity it gives for textures by using rubber stamps or texture plates to add a pattern to the surface of the clay. Right now, I am addicted to this technique. Adding your creations to other jewelry techniques adds another level of beauty. Using fimo clay, enamel, beading and the like adds another level of beauty. While I love the process, I also find it an expensive hobby. Well, not as expensive as flying a plane but still one that can affect your budget if you are not careful.

This mornings news arrived with sadness of a child that was stricken by a school bus. It happened in the parking lot of the school. My children don’t go to that school nor are we in the same school district but we are in the same town. My emotions are numb. Thankfully, my daughter was home sick today with a sore throat so the news isn’t hitting as hard as it could. I can’t imagine receiving that phone call minutes after sending her to school via the bus. From what I have seen on the reports, the bus dropping the child off at school was clearly in error. Leaving the child to walk across the parking lot full of parked cars and a bus lane. The bus lane is where the boy was hit by another bus. There seems to be no excuse, but we will have to wait to hear the final report.

I am an artist. I need to create. I have always had the need to have busy hands and a project going. Until recently, I didn’t realize everyone else isn’t the same. A friend pointed it out to me. So I wonder, what do others do? I desire to create and it affects my mood negatively if I can’t be creative. So if you don’t have that creative drive or need, do you have another drive or need? Something that is so much a part of your core being that without it, you suffer greatly? I have a feeling, if you don’t have the same creative drive as I do, you don’t understand fully what I am trying to communicate and therefore, probably can’t equate similarities.

This sounds like a great quick dessert. Given my love of chocolate, I can see this filling a craving. The recipe landed in my inbox the other day thanks to Thrifty Fun. I can’t wait to try it out. Having two daughters, I can see this being a fun recipe to share with them and get them involved. They are young and don’t have a lot of patients so something quick and tasty is just right for them. I can also see the opportunity to alter this recipe and add flavors to enhance and change the results. But for starts, I will follow the recipe verbatim. Once tried, I will post my results.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients

*    4 Tbsp. flour
*    4 Tbsp. sugar
*    2 Tbsp. cocoa
*    1 egg
*    3 Tbsp. milk
*    3 Tbsp. oil
*    2-3 Tbsp. milk chocolate chips (optional)
*    A small splash of vanilla extract
*    1 large coffee mug

Directions

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil. Mix again well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! This makes a generous serving for two. If you’re a chocoholic, watch out! With this recipe you are only five minutes away from a deliciously, decadent dessert!

Note: I sprayed the mug with a little Baker’s Joy to insure its coming out more easily. I also think I’ll add chopped nuts next time. My grandson and I made one tonight and it was scrumptious with some vanilla ice cream on the side.

Source: This recipe was given to me by a dear friend who has raised five children. I’m sure she has to be very creative with her cooking!

By Sandy from Elon, NC

The news is scary. I don’t understand society. I live in the Midwest, just north of Indianapolis, Indiana to be exact. Our news this week covered a story where children at Indianapolis bus stops were being robbed of their lunch money and backpacks. One child had to have stitches. These children were robbed at gunpoint. I can’t imagine. I don’t understand. Lunch money isn’t going to make anyone rich. Approaching children at gun point just doesn’t seem right. I can’t argue why. My emotions are just disgusted and I shake my head every time I think about it. I feel sad for the world my daughters are growing up in. I fear for their safety. There is no place sacred for children anymore. Nor are they out of reach of criminals. I hope once found, these criminals are seriously dealt with and I am not so concerned about being fair and just about it!

My daughter is a kindergartner. I understand all schools have their social problems. We live in a rather affluent area of town and our school systems rating is off the charts. With that given, she has a fellow student who is constantly in trouble. With frequent trips to the principles office, there isn’t many a day that passes that she doesn’t tell me about how this child got in trouble. Problem being, my daughter is being bullied from time to time by this student. It isn’t just verbal but at times it includes touching and poking. Nothing majorly physical but some. I volunteer in the classroom once a month and have seen this behavior first hand. To the point, I have even seen this child talk back saying “I’m already in trouble” - as if anything else that is done doesn’t matter since privileges have already been taken away. Again, I point out this is kindergarten. I am amazed. What amazes me more, this child is a girl. Does that surprise you? Am I being sexist in my shock? I guess we have lived a sheltered life and socialize with a small circle of friends. I was shocked by the behavior of some students especially given their young age. We are constantly reviewing our decision to attend public school and weighing our option to homeschool.

My daughters and I just made the easiest fudge recipe. It tastes great too.

Ingredients:
3 cups of chocolate chips
1 14 oz can of sweet condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
Chopped nuts - optional

Heat the first two ingredients over a medium burner until completely mixed together. Remove from heat and add the next two ingredients. Pour into a square lined baking pan and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Then remove and cut into small pieces. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

We opted to leave out the nuts. We also mixed whatever left over chips I had in the house. Ours was a concoction of chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel and butterscotch.