Tic Tac Toe Cookies

A couple weeks ago at the dinner table I noticed a cookie recipe on the back of the ketchup bottle. Peanut butter tic tac toe cookies with a very special ingredient. My curiosity got the best of me and the next day the boys and I made a batch of very orange cookies with a slight ketchup finish. One of the boys loved them, the other was disgusted, and I could only draw the conclusion of...huh. 

Every Thursday of this summer, the boys and I have done a science project (or two:). We started with a few kits and sets that we had saved from Christmas for the nicer weather before moving on to a couple books that have been gifted to the boys over the years. We have grown magic water crystals, 'excavated' dinosaur bones, created chemical reactions, and soaked celery in colored water. When they are curious about something, a concept, an idea or even a recipe, I want them to feel empowered to explore and pursue their inklings. They pick the projects that appeal to them, anticipate them during the week, gather the supplies and theorize about what the outcome might be.

One outcome that I had not expected was the disappointment that follows all good scientists. A couple of our projects have not turned out like we thought, and dealing with the let down together in a healthy way has been good for the boys to experience. When the boys tore into their blocks of clay with chisels to excavate their dinosaurs, one block contained no bones. When it became apparent that one of our kits was a dud, I had to think quick (all the while composing an email on quality control for the manufacturer). We talked about what paleontologists might learn from an empty dig site. We decided that instead of solo fossil hunting, we would work as a team on the bones that were provided as promised. When one of our liters of soda was too flat to react to the Mentos we dropped into it, we talked about the science of chemical reactions, how the conditions have to be right for certain interactions, and how we can always try again.

And we talked about how  things don't always work out the way we want or expect them to. Sometimes life is disappointing. It's okay to feel sad if something doesn't work out. We can try to find some meaning it what happened, but it isn't always there. One thing we can count on is each other. Our family works as a team, and sometimes that means supporting the pursuit of curiosity or supporting each other.   

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

We are just home from our major camping event of the summer, having spent three nights at Crow Wing State Park. In our effort to visit all of the MN State Parks with the boys, we hit #16 with Crow Wing and #17 with Cuyuna Country Recreational Area, both beautiful parks with lots of deer, fish, birds and trails to keep us occupied.

Camping is one of those love it/hate it activities. Some people can't get enough of the campfires and sleeping bags, while others abhor the thought of sleeping in a tent amid the mosquitoes. As much as we love sleeping outside on a clear night, camping is a lot of work. It all takes twice as much stuff to work three times as hard for all the pieces to come together. And then you get home and have to clean it all up while checking for ticks!

It's easy to get distracted by all this effort from the very reason we keep finding new and creative ways to haul our gear to far corners of our great state. We live in a beautiful world, surrounded by clear lakes, diverse wildlife, tall trees, colorful flowers and buzzing insects, and if we aren't mindful of the bounty in our own backyard, we can't truly be good stewards of our earth.

This camping trip we tried a couple new things in an effort to be more mindful of our surroundings. First, I of course tried some new recipes. When the boys were younger, we ate easy heat and serve camping food as the boys needed a lot of supervision to keep them away from the fire and poison ivy. Now that they are older, it was time to try some actual camp food. This included fire roasted chicken skewers with peanut sauce, roasted corn on the  cob and coal cooked salmon with lemon and dill, all of which were delicious! There is something very primal and grounding about cooking over a fire with nothing but some wooden skewers and a little aluminum foil between you and the heat and the smoke. I had to build the fire, tend to the flames and coals, all while cooking our meals.

The second new activity we added to our trip was a series of meditations based on Thich Nhat Hanh's book A Handful of Quiet. Over the course of the first day, each of us looked to find four small rocks that appealed to us in some way. This required us to be aware of our surroundings and to help each other keep an eye out for small treasures. That evening, around the fire, we took some time to consider the space around us, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the wind and creatures in the woods. Each of our four rocks represented an element tied to strengths within each of us that we held in our minds as we breathed.  We did an abbreviated version of this at an outlook before we left as well, where we each picked our favorite stone and element to focus on as we gazed out over the Mississippi River.

Meditation, in addition to bringing us closer to our surroundings through mindfulness, is a tenant of Buddhist practice. Our youngest son was born Buddhist, and this is one practice we can use to remain close to a vital part of his history and culture. We are half a world away from Thailand, but we can find peace and closeness as a family with the spiritual practices of his homeland. That is why we go through all of the effort to go camping, to have new adventures and build lasting memories as a family, each with our own strengths and histories that bring something beautiful to the world.

Summer Detox

Over the years I have found that each summer break develops a theme of sorts. A few summers ago, with our youngest just home, it was cocooning. Then it was reemergence back into the world around us. Last year it was mind and body health, and this summer it has been thus far about detoxification and restoration. I just wanted to let go of the baggage of the last year and feel light and whole again. The process has actually been simpler than I thought with great results.

The last day of school for teachers is a misnomer because most of us work beyond that magic date on the calendar to write curriculum, catch up on technology practices, teach summer school, go to workshops, or all of the above. Last year I worked three extra weeks over the summer, away from my kids, paying for daycare, which is time that is just too valuable for me. This year, I worked one extra day on tech stuff, but then totally disengaged myself from school. I am not working on committees, doing any training, or going to meetings. I'm not even thinking about work to be honest, which feels healthy and good!

One easy place to continue the detox was with my diet. My first week off started with a three day detox diet program of fruits and vegetables. After a year of medications, pain pills and steroids, all linked to my surgery, I wanted to cleanse my system with clean and wholesome foods. The program consisted of smoothies for each meal, which was okay for the first two days, but by the third day, I was starving and my energy was low! I managed my morning smoothie, and then took the warning signs seriously and went back to solid food, though healthy choices.

I also recommitted to baking for the family. Each week I have a 'baking day' in which I put together the bread for the week, a breakfast selection of muffins or bread loaded with whole grains, fruits and veggies, and any dinner options for the week that I can make ahead, like a quiche or tart. Spending the afternoon in the kitchen listening to the soundtrack of my children playing outside the window is good for the spirit. I am assured of the quality and nutrition of the ingredients that we consume and can pour in the love for my family in with each spoon, cup or whisk.

There are many other ways I am trying to bring in the pure and good and purge the yuck. Each day I take the kids outside, whether in the backyard or at the park. We spend all school year in cramped and dusty rooms, and I just want to breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun on my skin. In my continued therapy for my Achilles problems, I have turned to massage and acupuncture, taking no pain meds, even over the counters. I have embraced the use of essential oils (another blog topic for sure!) for healing, relaxation, therapy and more in a natural and balanced approach. Each little bit helps to feel renewed.

One area I need to work on is my digital detox. My phone and Kindle travel most places with me. I do read a lot, but I don't really have any reason to check the celebrity gossip sites or play Candy Crush multiple times a day.  The phone can be a nasty habit, so I am going to work on this one in the coming weeks!

As I write this, I really need to consider, what habits and coping mechanisms do I want to pass on to my children and which ones do I want them to avoid? What can I learn from them, as they chase moths and play Captain America in the backyard, that can help me with my own bad habits? I have the time, a luxury of days off, so I need to use it well.