The Nerds saw this and although they did not want to remove technology from Google Earth, decided to gift the cheerful citizens with interactive face-to-face play once again. Going back to their roots of hero feats, battle strategy and role playing, they created a realm of board games sure to bring eye contact and non-abbreviated conversations back to the dinner table. This created a faction within the Nerd classes. New Wave Nerds prefer technology where they can instantly +1 their friends or do status updates in all they do each day; but the Geeks remembered Friday nights with pizza and board games and cherished the laughter and original human interfacing….with no technology whatsoever.

If you are a Geek (or perhaps a closet Geek, don’t worry we won’t reveal your secret to your savvy Nerd friends), be sure to check out this website for Board Game Geeks. Many games featured come with familiar hardware like dice, cards you hold in your hand or flip over (also called card drafting in Geek Speak); and boards with pieces that move as the game progresses…and moved by your own gross motor movement, too! You can join blogs, create an account posting the Geekiest games you own sharing your own reviews and even search for a new and exciting game sure to please the whole family.

Stay tuned for the next episode where the Geeks go the battle and declare victory over many new board games that have emerged from the Austrian Board Game Academy.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who is an old school fantasy Nerd and has always stayed true to her inner-Geek. She still does not have a phone that has apps! Imagine that

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Often it was the little things that made those darkish days more pleasant. A storybook shared while snuggling on the couch. A slice of warm-from-the-oven banana bread with a pat of butter.  A phone call or visit from a friend which might include commiserating, laughing, book sharing and other conversations about the stuff of our lives—important and trivial.

Connecting with a friend was often all I needed to chase the blues away. I treasured those conversations—especially face to face ones. Someone else understood and was walking my path too!  And my load was lightened.

I savor the many memories I have of kids running around my house, my friends and I using our well-honed ability to carry on a deep conversation in spite of many interruptions.  These play dates often included a hot cup of Chai tea and something to nibble: perhaps a slice of banana bread, because somehow there are always overripe bananas around where there are preschoolers.

If you are struggling with the winter blues today, why not make a phone call or invite a friend over? See what happens to your feelings when you intentionally connect with someone else.  Initiate a conversation. Have an old fashioned coffee klatch.  Or just go for it and throw a party and fill your house with preschoolers and parents—for no reason at all.

Here are some recipes which have been a pleasant accompaniment to many happy play dates. Chai tea and my aunt’s delicious banana bread. Invite a friend over and enjoy!

Chai Tea Recipe

However much water you use initially is how much milk (preferable whole milk) you add to the batch at the end.
Black Tea
Cardamom Pods (crack open a bit)  I use 5 -7 pods for 3 -4 cups of chai
Fresh Ginger – cut up or crush about a 1” inch segment
Cook water, cardamom, ginger and tea – boil for about 3 – minutes
Strain off the cardamom, ginger and tea bags (you could always put the cardamom, ginger and tea bag in a cheesecloth pouch to make it easier to strain later.
Add milk, and heat back up.
Add sugar or sweetener to taste.

Serve and enjoy.

Aunt Lib’s Banana Bread

¾ c. flour
1 ½ c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 eggs
2 med. ripe bananas (1 cup)
½ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. + 1 T buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. In another bowl mix together eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and walnuts. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who usually find banana bread dry and boring, but goes for seconds on this version!

I ended up watching a lot of Netflix on my iPad. And by the time I graduated to the couch I was sick of Netflix definition of my genre of choice – “Witty period pieces with a strong female lead”.

So, on to documentaries.  I watched a Nat Geo series about the Amish. The Amish have always fascinated me; I don’t know why. I wish my husband could do wood working like that. But without having to grow a long beard and give up electricity and canning everything in sight. Never mind then. I’ll keep my IT-brilliant husband just the way he is.

Anyhoo… One show followed 5 Amish young people on a trip to the UK to stay with 4 families, each for a week during their Rumspringa. (Rumspringa, or “running around”, is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16, before they make the decision whether or not to join the church, characterized by an increase in social activity, and leaving the “rules” behind in regards to behaviors like dress, alcohol, music, as they wish. They then give up their cars and Blackberrys and cigarettes when they choose to become baptized.)

I’m sure that’s not a complete answer; I just wanted you to know why Amish young people from the US could take a trip to the UK to stay with non-Amish, surf in the ocean, play electric guitars and go to a nightclub, all while being followed by a camera crew.

During the documentary, there was a girl in her early twenties that said something really profound. She and her family had left one of the strictest of Amish sects just the year before. (They choose to still live relatively simply and conservatively.) In their old way of life, there was no indoor plumbing, their clothing seams had to be sewn a particular manner, they could not plant flowers, and there was no history, geography or science taught in school, among a myriad of other rules.

She had never sung outside of church or made an art project. So at one house during their trip, the artist-daughter of the host family put a cup of acrylic paint mixed with glue in her hand, handed her a chopstick, and showed her how to drizzle this mixture onto paper and make a painting.

Just imagine making your first creative, beautiful thing at the age of 22. Something for which there was no right or wrong way to do it. This young woman’s face just lit up. Her countenance was alive and joyous, from the inside out. I think that by painting this picture, she experienced true freedom for the first time in her life. 

And then she said, “I think too many rules stifle creativity.” That’s profound. And relevant. Rules are good. Boundaries are important. But with too many, creativity can be stifled. As a mom and teacher, I need to protect my children from being stifled.

Sometimes that means protecting them from my silly rules. Will my Kindergartener fail to learn her math facts if I don’t demand she do the full 3 pages of math on my agenda, when she really wants to just draw and write a lot today? No, you shouldn’t make your own chocolate milk because you might make a mess. You can’t wear that. It doesn’t match. You’re wasting the glitter! Let me cut your meat for you. You don’t do it right.

Silly rules that stifle creativity? I hope not in my house anymore.  You want to compose your own piece of music on the violin and write it down? Go for it. You still have to practice your lesson music, but you can also spend as much time as you wish writing and playing “Land of Slowness”. (I kid you not, that’s the title.)

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who learned how to be a better parent after listening to the voice of reason coming from a most unexpected source.

In my final blog, I want to provide you with some words to use when you are working with the challenging behavior of children.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Am I inspiring self-evaluation or dependence on the evaluation of others?
• Am I being respectful or patronizing?
• Am I helping them discover how to act or trying to manipulate their behavior?
• Am I seeing the child’s point of view or my own?
• Would I make this comment to a friend or neighbor?

 It is important to provide a connection before correction:

1. State clear expectations… “As soon as you finish, you may… ”
2. Respond with a question… “Would you like to do this by yourself, or do you want/need help?”
3. State a given (i.e. rule or condition)… “I can’t let you do that, those words are hurtful.” “The balls stay outside.” “It’s not time for that now. It’s ok to be disappointed.”
4. Check his/her understanding… “Tell me how we’re solving this problem.” “What’s the next step before we can… ”
5. Invite cooperation… “I need your help with this.”
6. Limit choices… “Would you like to put this away now or after dinner?”
7. Say what you want and mean… “I want you to use your body in a different way. That feels unsafe. Try this… ”
8. Negotiate an agreement… “I can’t let you do that, it hurts her body. But you can climb up this way.”
9. Use non-verbal language such as a hand on the shoulder or a secret nod.
10. Follow through… “Time to… now”. Be sure to follow through yourself. Don’t use the word “now” if you’ll get busy and forget to follow through.

Most of all, anticipate and be ok with mistakes. They are opportunities to learn. We all make them. Remember to recover from a mistake.

• Re-gather: Everyone has had ample time to calm down.
• Recognize: “Whoops, I made a mistake.”
• Reconcile: “I’m sorry.”
• Re-solve: “How can we work together to make it better?”

-posted  by Teacher Aaron, who wants to remind you to think about how these tactics work best for you and your family. Share them with your parenting partner and keep the discussion going!

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What I learned about a month after school started was that he just needed to use his musical brain in other ways.  He was practicing shapes and patterns one night at the kitchen table for homework when I glanced over and saw something amazing.  He was making music with math.  (Only a trained Kindermusik mom would notice this.)

His repetitive patterns with numbers sounded musical when I read them aloud.  It was more than just the typical 1-2-1-2-1-2.  It had rhythm.  I sent it to Miss Allison, our local Kindermusik scientific music specialist.  She also saw the beat and just for fun sent back the numbers in musical alphabet.

My kindergartener, without knowing, was continuing to make music.  His brain still retained his Kindermusik knowledge.  I played the mathematical notes on the recorder with the joy of one discovering the cure for the common cold.  He just snubbed his nose at me before dumping a pile of Legos on the floor.  I smiled.  There IS life after Kindermusik.

My kindergartener is not physically going to Kindermusik classes any more but after five years it was time for his brain to move on.  His brain was remembering and using what he learned for more than just silly dances and colorful shakers.

My anxiety decreased as I held his little brother’s hand to his first session of Imagine That.  The baby was now off to learn music in his own space, with his own friends.  Practicing his own independence.  Kissing time was a quick peck on the cheek as he ran by sideways.  On the way out the door I looked back .  Those baby snuggle days were over, but watching the singing and silly dancing happening at that moment without me was not the end.

Kindermusik was not just for the kids.  It’s been music for all of us.  We will still make up songs and dance silly in our own ways at home.  When classes are over at the end of the day, the music goes on.  At bedtime my boys, 6 and 4 years old, still wait for mama to give snuggles and sing “Hush Little Baby and Ally Bally.”  Life after Kindermusik?  Absolutely!

-posted by Kindermusik mama Heidi Forrester,  whose children now want to learn the electric guitar and the bassoon.

When I was single, my friends and coworkers complemented me for my self-discipline. Would someone please tell my husband that it’s very rude of him to laugh so hard at that description of his wife? I was disciplined back then!  If you only have one duck to line up (me), how hard is that?  So why put it off?

But then I got married and had kids, which equals ducks galore, if you know what I mean. And because they rarely lined up for more than a moment anyway, why should I try until the nick of time?

My descent into procrastination was gradual. I tried to keep up “duck management” in my early married life. I continued my notebook with weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. I made out a menu and grocery list for the week. I cleaned the house regularly. Mr. Clean was my bff.  Somewhere after baby number one got a baby sister, I lost ground.  My personal goals notebook went missing ten years ago.

Though I don’t know how they do it, some mothers don’t procrastinate! Their laundry gets done before someone has run out of clean underwear. They have eggs back in the refrigerator before they get halfway into a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. The sheets are laundered and the bed made up before the mother-in-law is ready to retire to the guest room for the night. Of course I’ve never procrastinated to such an extreme. (I’ll blog about lying next January.)

Somewhere amidst being a wife, mothering, homeschooling and blogging, I guess I slid down a slippery slope into procrastination. So now you know why it’s time for a New Year’s resolution.  I feel the call; I’m tired of the chaos. My ducks are a little older.  They can actually line up on their own once in a while. I guess it’s time to attempt to return to my former life of discipline.  To fan that flame. To find my old notebook. To prove my smirking husband wrong. Wish me luck!

-posted by Donna Detweiler who has not procrastinated in the writing of this blog.  Victory # 1.

Image: EA / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, party mix can no longer be called “Nuts and Bolts.”  It has evolved way beyond that nickname.  I counted 75 versions of party mix on the Chex website!  From sickly sweet to super savory, there is something for every set of taste buds.  In the sweet category, these sparked my curiosity:   Bananas Foster Crunch, Ginger Honey, Hot-Buttered Yum, and Chai Crunch.  Interesting savory selections included: Cajun Kick, Moroccan Crunch, Chili & Lime, and Backyard BBQ.

As a child, when we made party mix in the oven it was an hour long process.  I always hung around and “helped” so I could snack. With the microwave, 15 minutes is all you need to concoct a batch. Little hands can help with measuring, pouring and stirring.  This makes a good activity for a wintery day or night with a delicious result. 

This week, each of my children chose a Chex mix recipe for me to share with you. Katie, 10, picked the good ol’ traditional.  David, 13, chose one called “Deviled.”  For these recipes, go to www.Chex.com.  For nostalgia sake, I called my mother and got her recipe for the original “Nuts and Bolts” from her dog-eared Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Enjoy!

Nuts and Bolts—Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1971

4 c. cheerios
1 ½ c. mixed nuts
1 ½ c. seasoned croutons
1 c. pretzels
½ c. salad oil
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Measure cereal into a large roasting pan. Mix spices with salad oil and pour over cereal, mix well.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who has a tradition of taking party mix on airplanes for snacking with the complementary drinks.  Yum.

And then I wondered why I waited so long. I love being able to access email and internet anywhere(thanks to my phone). Netflix is great for the kids on long roadtrips, Angry Birds is a whole lot better on a larger screen.I’m auditing a Latin class, and I never lose my notes, now, cause they are not on paper anymore.

I love the apps for my kids. My sports minded son had no problem learn those pesky 11′s and 12′s multiplication facts with Baseball Math. And we love Jellybean Tunes. But hands down, our favorite is Where’s My Water? (It’s all about physics and logical thinking), created by Disney.

The creators of Jellybean Tunes have a a blog called Moms with Apps, that promotes quality apps for kids and families.

So, tell me, what are your favorite apps – either grownup or kid-friendly? Leave me a note. I’d love to know.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who still loves her Samsung Galaxy ANDROID phone, and has no plans to trade it in for an iPhone.

Children’s artwork is often refreshing in its simplicity and innocence.  It doesn’t have to follow any rules to be special. From the modern art look of toddlers, to the stick figures of 4 year olds, so the lollipop trees of kindergarteners, the pieces created by children is treasured because of the relationship, not because of the look, although many of us love it whether we know the particular child or not.

I chose to decorate my kitchen with my children’s art.  I bought inexpensive Lucite box frames, which allowed me to easily slip a picture in the front of the cardboard, and then change the pictures at will. The kids glowed with pride seeing their framed pictures.  I hung 6 frames in my white-walled kitchen. The bright colors stood out and created an eye-catching whimsical look that gave me energy whenever I was in there.

These frames plus one or more selections of a child’s artwork make a perfect gift for grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles etc.   The frames come in many sizes and cost less than $10 and can be found at most drug and grocery stores than have a frame section. The artwork, of course, is free!

Other repositories for children’s art are easy to make–online calendars, mugs, mouse pads etc. You can buy thermal coffee cups which allow you to slip any artwork in a decoration around the cup. Another popular holiday option is the homemade garden stone or hand print.  Children design their own stone with their name or a theme. Most craft stores carry many inexpensive varieties of these keepsakes.

I enjoyed using my children’s art for gift wrap. At Christmas time, I would cover the table with the end roll of newsprint I’d gotten from the newspaper office. I gave the kids red and green markers, crayons and Christmas stickers and let them scribble and draw. After we finished the background, we’d put Christmas stickers all over it. For another year, I did another variation on the gift wrap theme: old-fashioned potato prints.  I cut simple designs in the potatoes, like a tree or a star, and let them dip them in red and green paint.  I used special ribbon to complement the children’s unique wrapping paper and to achieve a finished look.  Rustic twine worked well when I used brown paper one year. Real cloth ribbon makes any package look spectacular.

Win-win is how I describe using children’s art at Christmas time. We need meaningful gifts to give.  Children need to have fun and feel special.  All this is accomplished with little cost and great memory-making when we recognize the lasting value of what is right under our noses at home. Children’s art—which is available up to the last minute too, with no shipping charge!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who is confident that gifts of children’s artwork makes just about anybody’s Christmas day more special.

Click on the image below to see the book full-size. For the best viewing, click on the double page button to the left of the X on the top bar. As you listen to the song, flip the pages in time to the words.  Please feel free to share this with your family and friends via Facebook or email them the blog link. Enjoy!

-posted by Miss Analiisa on behalf of all of us at Studio3Music, who wish you a very warm and happy Hanukkah and Christmas season, filled with love, joy and peace.