Life Lately

Here's a peek into what I've been up to lately:

Katie and I spent a wonderful day together, and I got to spend more time with her sweet kiddos.  Big Rig even got to go on the go-karts!

Papa Rist and I had a movie night together this weekend and enjoyed some of our favorite bourbon.

  

I have been trying my best to get as much cleaning and organizing done in this house as I can while I'm here.  I'm almost finished with the kitchen - finally - now that Baby Sister and I finished off the pantry!

The most recent organization challenge was the overstuffed coat closet on the porch.  Most of the things in there hadn't been taken out since we moved in 10 years ago, and others had been there longer than that.  I found hats, coats, shoes, you name it that had belonged to my grandfather.  I have 7 garbage bags full of coats, hats, and backpacks to take to Goodwill now this week!

Five Little Otters Went Out to Play

One of our most commonly modified songs is "Five Little Ducks Went Out to Play."  It's always a fun surprise when children realize a song they know has changed a little bit.  

This summer, I modified the song to use with a book about otters.  This added an extra component by not knowing what sound otters make.  I asked a child each day what sound they thought an otter would make, and we used that sound for the day.

Later in the week, I planned with some children for them to help me with the song.  My "helpers" came up to the front and played the part of a little otter or the Mama otter and acted out the song.

"Five Little Otters Went Out to Play"

Five little otters went out to play.

Over the waves and far away.

Mama Otter said “Eee, eee, eee, eee."

But only four little otters came back.

(Count down from four to zero.)

Sad mama otter went out to see

Where her little otters could be.

Sad mama otter said “Eee, eee, eee, eee."

And all of the little otters came back.

South Dakota sunsets

I always forget how magical sunsets are in South Dakota when I'm away for a long time.  Seeing the entire sky lit up in cotton candy colors as far as the eye can see is breathtaking.

Being back on my family farm is always nostalgic - it feels like almost nothing has changed about this place since my childhood, yet I have changed so much.

I've seen some incredible sunsets around the world, but the clouds and the sky in South Dakota will always have a special place in my heart.

Brio Trains

One of my go-to set-ups for the patio area or the outdoor stages during the first weeks of a new school session is a Brio train and track set-up.

Trains, in my experience, are a comfortable and familiar toy for many children, especially the boys.  As we all know, helping a child become engaged with materials helps in the process of separating from their parent or caregiver.  

I have seen trains to be very helpful in engaging a child and keeping their attention, facilitating a smooth separation.

Trains are also very open-ended, allowing younger children and older children to engage with them at the same time and in different ways, relative to each child's development.  Some children enjoy building and modifying track systems, while others are content to connect and drive trains.

Jas's granola

My first foray into homemade granola came a couple years ago with my friend Jas.  She used an old family recipe and we made batch after batch to give out as Christmas gifts.  We used gluten-free oats, so this is a very simple recipe to make a delicious gluten-free treat.  It also has no sugar added, it uses honey or agave as the sweetener for the sugar-conscious ones out there.

Making granola turned out to be quick and easy, with an end result that I liked much more than anything in the store.  Baking granola has now become a weekly occurrence in my house - fresh-baked granola is a pantry staple for us!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp honey or agave syrup
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, flax meal, coconut, seeds, powdered milk, and cinnamon.

Mix honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Pour over oat mixture and stir until combined.

Spread on foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Cool on paper towels.  

Add raisins, dried cranberries, and nuts if desired.

Life Lately

Here's a peek into what I've been up to lately:

This handsome guy is my nephew.  He was tuckered out after his baptism and needed some naptime with Auntie Jenna.

Baby Sister and I had a night out last week and saw the Eli Young Band at the Sioux Empire Fair.

Tall Dark and Nerdy is trying to make the most out of me being gone for the summer by getting in lots of backpacking miles with the boys.

Baby Sister has been working on a new patio at the farm with some nice landscaping and new flowers.  Our hibiscus has been blooming and has been stunning.

One of the great things about being back in SD for the summer is getting to spend time with my dear friends and their sweet babies.  I've been enjoying spending time with my goddaughter McKinley and her big brother Rig.

There's just something about a fire that makes it feel like summertime.  Baby Sister and I sometimes get in the mood to have a fire, so we just do it.  Living in the country is nice for that!  We start a fire, have a beer, and make some s'mores.  Perfect summer night with my sister.

Little Max is 15 now, which means he's getting a little grumpy.  His newest habit is pooping in the house on Mondays to let TDN know that he's angry for being left at home.  Poor little guy, he wishes it was always the weekend so he could have fun with his humans.

That's what's happening lately!

Oleanna

This is a really fun song that incorporates rhythm, counting, and rhyming all into one.  The chorus is very simple and the children learn it quickly.  The verses are made up of familiar nursery rhymes all sung to the same tune.

I often introduce the verses by putting up an image depicting the nursery rhyme on the felt board to give the children a chance to guess what it might be.

"Oleanna"

Chorus: 1-2-3-4

Ole, oleanna, ole, oleanna,

ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, oleanna.

(Insert nursery rhymes such as “Little Miss Muffet,” “Hickory Dickory Dock,” etc., then repeat chorus.)