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

The rest is a memory I will cherish forever: I look in my mirror one more time and I see him leaping through the drive thru window as another car is pulling up (the car saw it coming and crept in slowly, no Starbucks barista was harmed). He is at least 6’ 2”; a tall man! He comes bounding toward me waiving my credit card in the air. Then he leaps to my window, takes a formal stance, bows and then says, “Madame, your card”, gives me a boyish smile like he is oh so charming. The only stupid thing I can think of at that moment, “I could have walked in, but thanks, that was awesome”. I’m so very clever in chivalrous moments He replies (boyish smile still in place), “But that was so much more fun”, then turns, and runs back to the drive-thru window and climbs back in, not going back in through the front door.

My morning is complete. I can now say, I had the man who made my morning coffee leap through a window for me with a wink and a bow!

Although our teachers do not have drive-thru windows to leap through for you, I know they cherish each and every child that walks through their door. We want you to leave every class blessed and with a smile on your face with memories and stories to share with your friends and your loved ones!

Have a funny story to share? We would LOVE to hear it! We may even post it : ). Share a funny customer service story, a funny memory or even something hilarious your child did or said (children are great resources for humor); and we’ll give you a special $10 voucher toward tuition or merchandise. Share with your friends and when they register and we’ll make it $25 for each of you! Send all funny stories to jesikah@studio3music.com and stay tuned for more!

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who looks forward to sharing a laugh and a smile with you, so be sure to send a funny story her way!

My husband and I couldn’t resist turning our son’s knowledge into first hand experiences. We loaded up the van and headed out onto highway 2 toward Gold Bar to visit the Wallace Falls Salmon Hatchery. There are other famous hatcheries, too, such as the one in Issaquah, which even sports Salmon Days during the fall. But as we live in Monroe, we decided to visit one more in our backyard.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by fishermen who were loading up their truck with glistening Silvers (a nickname for Coho Salmon). My three children, Myles (age 8), Colin (age 7) and Violette (age 3), all stared in awe at the large fish. Then my oldest declared that those fish would make a great lunch! The fishermen laughed and heartily agreed. Inside the hatchery, a man busy at work separating salmon eggs greeted us. He let the boys hold tiny salmon eggs with little black dots, which are the “eyes” of the developing baby salmons. My boys were in awe and Violette declared they were cute babies.

We finished our time at the hatchery watching the adult salmon swimming and jumping around. My oldest thought it was fun, like watching “Air Jaws” on the Discovery Channel….I am sure watching great white sharks leap from the water would be far more exciting (and terrifying), but in his eight year old mind, watching these salmon leap around was just as good.

We packed back up into the van and then traveled to Woodinville to round out the day visiting Gold Creek Trout Ponds. We kept this part of the trip a surprise, and the look on the boys’ faces when they realized they got to go fishing was a moment I will never forget. The owners gave them bamboo poles, bait, and showed them the ponds where they could catch their dinner!

Each boy caught two fish (around 6-10 inches each). It was a proud moment. Myles brought the bucket to the owner, who cleaned the fish right in front of them…four beautiful rainbow trout. Upon leaving, the man cleaning the fish told us to enjoy our dinner to which Myles replied, “They’ll be extra tasty because they are rainbow!”. I’m sure that fact is not found his library book, but Colin and Violette both agreed that rainbows make everything tastier, even fish.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who was raised by a professional Bass Fisherman belonging to BassMasters, and fondly remembers her youth fishing whenever she could, catching many dinners for her family from the nearby lake where she grew up in Northern California.

His favorite way to eat waffles is with peanut butter and syrup. My middle child loves french toast, with extra spices in the batter (just like his mama!). My youngest wants pancakes every morning, especially the cinnamon banana variety that I make. They, too, like their breakfast foods with peanut butter and syrup.

As you can imagine, any grocery store would love my business in their frozen food aisle. I make my own frozen breakfast foods, though. Every 2-4 weeks, I whip up a bunch of waffles, pancakes and French Toast that I freeze for a quick, easy and wholesome breakfast.

The great thing about making your own homemade frozen breakfast foods is that you can make them as healthy and as wild as you want. And your children can self-serve, as soon as they can work a toaster!

One of my favorite ingredients is bananas. They naturally sweeten any food and I always have some that have over ripened before they are eaten. They are also affordable, which is great for families on a budget.

Another favorite ingredient is pureed pumpkin. It blends into any breakfast food, even french toast. (It’s always nice to provide a hidden vegetable with breakfast!) You can also never go wrong with sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. As I like Chai blends, I sometimes add a little cardamom.

You can easily make a huge batch, let them cool completely, and then freeze using Ziploc baggies. If you want to get fancy, you can cut squares of parchment paper to line between each breakfast food prior to placing in the freezer. You can save and reuse the parchment squares, too.

My favorite waffle recipe:
3 ripe bananas
½ can of pureed pumpkin
2 tsp of vanilla
1 T of cinnamon (or my chai spice blend)
1/3 c of Canola Oil (or your favorite cooking oil for baking)
1 c of mini chocolate chips
3 servings worth of your favorite waffle mix (for me it is 6 cups of mix)
½ c of protein powder

Add up to 1 extra cup of water or liquid as needed to get desired consistency
Do not over stir (that makes the waffles gummy)

1)      Blend bananas, pumpkin, vanilla, spices and oil together until smooth. I used a hand masher.
2)      Add waffle mix, protein powder, chocolate chips and water. Stir until it is just mixed together. There may be clumps; that is ok.
3)      Let it rest for 10-20 minutes (helps the gluten to rest, gives fluffier waffles and pancakes).
4)      Pour into a waffle iron, cook until desired crispiness and enjoy!

- posted by Miss Jesikah, who also is addicted to waffles and remembers as a child timing visits to her friend’s house every Saturday morning just in time for waffles. It was such a common occurrence that my friend’s family gave a me waffle iron as a wedding gift with a sweet note to continue Saturday waffles in my family.

My husband and I had been feeling like we were in the middle of a “It’s not fair” and “Why can’t you just give it to me” battle with our children, and our defenses were wearing thin. It was time for a new strategy.

We  realized our children needed a change of heart, not just in outward attitude. We want them to have a sense of purpose, and to have pride in what they do – whether it be completing chores or working at school.

So, instead of continuing to battle with our children, we created a hero training program we called “Heart Quest”, around a subject they love – knights.  Someday, our children will be kings and queens of their own homes. They are in hero training now, so that later they will have both the heart and character to rule well.

To begin, we had a ceremony and feast as they entered into their “quest”. The children invited family members and special friends as they took their vows.

For completing chores (with a positive attitude) and exhibiting good and helpful behavior, they earn Quest Dollars (fake money I created. ) They have minor and major quests to complete each day as decree of their King and Queen (ahem, mom and dad) such as making beds – minor quest, emptying dishwasher – major quest.

If they do a chore with a good attitude they are paid more than if they grumble. They also earn treasure chest rewards for working through something that is really hard, for being honorable, having a willing and obedient heart, or being cheerful and thankful. These rewards could be  candy, extra video game time, a special trip to Starbucks or ice cream with mom or dad, or used to purchase a toy.

I pay my children when the other is not present so it doesn’t become a competition, and because, like an allowance, children who have more chores generally earn more. (This avoids the “It’s not fair!”) I give treasure chest rewards (a note card with a chest on the front) in their payment box in secret so it is surprise when they find it, with a note as to why they received this reward.

If they gloat or boast about their reward to their brother, it is taken away.  They also lose Quest Dollars if they have dishonorable behavior such as lying, defiance, and throwing tantrums. They must retrieve the Quest Dollars out of their treasure chest and place them in our hands, thus losing privileges. After all, isn’t a heroes’ journey all about the choices they make and the consequences of those actions?

Although we have not totally eradicated the attitude of self-entitlement or the “it’s not fair” whine and tantrum, there have been huge improvements in my home. My children are proud of their work, they know they are valued, and that good behavior is rewarded.

-posted by Miss Jesikah who thoroughly enjoys being the Queen of her home.

I looked around me and noticed the crowd was young, and very excited about the music being played.  Is this the new generation of classical music?  I do not believe it is time to tell Bach and Mozart to move over, but the names  Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori, (the composers of the Halo soundtracks for Bungie) are becoming household legends.

Interestingly enough, they are also the same men who wrote the famous jingle for the Flintstone Vitamins that many of us today can sing by heart (for you trivia lovers).   Many other video game composers, such as those for Assassins Creed, Final Fantasy, Zelda, Mario Brothers and even old school arcade games were displayed and honored for their art and talent.

The experience was phenomenal, and I really appreciated Tommy Tallarico, composer and creator of Video Games Live, taking moments throughout the show to foster a love of music for the young crowd that was present.  He was reaching out to all the young people and igniting a flame for classical music in a new and different way.

My oldest, who is 8, is taking private classical guitar lessons and is trying to figure out the meaning behind why he should appreciate this style of music.  I showed him the trailer for Video Games Live and he decided right then and there, he wanted to be a musician so that perhaps, one day, he too, could play theme music to all his favorite video games….and maybe even write one, too.

I encourage you to take 5 minutes out of your day and check out the trailer for Video Games Live on their website:  www.videogameslive.com.  The first part is dialogue with the creators, but the last part shows clips from the concert.  The music through the whole trailer is a piece from the concert, including the opera vocals.  Show your video-playing children, so they can appreciate the music and special effects.  You can also find all sorts of video clips on YouTube.

Now, for all those nay-sayers that go around believing video games dull the mind and do not encourage anything academic or educational, there is inspiration here that is flaming the hearts of younger generations and creating an appreciation for the classical arts, bringing the old and the new together in a beautiful melody.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who loves listening to her children’s operatic rendition of the Super Smash Bros. theme song while declaring they want to be opera singers…all because of a video game.

“Mom, I don’t want to go to class.  I want to go home.”, my middle son begged from the backseat. He is a master at persistently pushing his case and trying different angles to get what he wants.  I was tired, and not in the mood for one of these sessions.  Pouting became whining, and then turned into arguing and tears.  Oh, I so wanted to turn the van around and go home.  When we arrived at class, he refused to go in and made another big fuss as a last attempt to get his way. I was so embarrassed.

“No way!” my two year old declared when I gave her the choice of water or milk instead of juice, of which she had already drunk her daily limit. She threw her toys, and then fell the floor, screaming “no way” over and over again like a drama queen. I really needed to finish dinner and didn’t want to deal with another toddler tantrum. My head was hurting, and her crying was driving me crazy.  It was so tempting to give in and give her juice, giving myself (temporary) peace.

I bet you have similar stories, too.  Every day my children spend copious amounts of time and energy trying to get what they want.  I spend equal amount of time and energy pushing back and fighting my own inner battle to not take the easy road.  It would be so much easier to give in to avoid feeling frustrated, exhausted, embarrassed, or stressed. Sometimes the job of parenting is overwhelming. 

In literature, there is something called the “hero’s journey”, where each step is a test of honor, courage, faith, perseverance and character. Through choosing to do what is right, the hero eventually becomes who they were meant to be.  Parenting is also a “hero’s journey”, and I’m daily presented with choices, even though often the right one doesn’t make my life easier.

I want my children to be modern day heroes. They need to overcome obstacles in life – to slay the proverbial dragon.   They need to learn to make good choices, to find courage to push through fears and frustrations. They need faith to propel them past the obvious and into the unknown.  My goal is to have them emerge into adulthood with a character that is tried and true, gained from hard work and self-discipline.  

I realize that in order for my children to learn all these things, I first need to model them.  Some days are better than others!  I don’t always make the right choices.  My feelings are real, but that doesn’t mean they are based on truth.  My oldest son may not feel like cutting up his waffle, but the truth is, he can.  My middle son may not feel like going to class some days, but the truth is he always has fun and learns so many things.  My daughter may feel like she has the right to demand more juice, but the truth is too much juice is not healthy. 

-posted by Miss Jesikah who says “Some days I feel like a hero and some days I feel like being rescued by one! But the truth is, to my children, I am a hero and therefore, I have an awesome duty to uphold, even when I don’t feel like it.”

In his wisdom, the professor allowed me to stew and process. He knew I would begin to ask the right questions that would reveal the reason for the failure. He continued to make conversation with my parents and would steal glances at me, delighting in my disturbed moment.  Finally I couldn’t take it any longer… “How could you do that?  How could you ruin someone’s hard earned grade over a stupid test that shouldn’t count?!”

“That, my dear, is the reality of life.  The test counted, because it was a test about following directions, not about how much one knows or doesn’t know.  It was a test to reveal a character flaw. About our tendency to go for the shortcut, rather than take a few moments longer to ensure what you did was correct and expected.”  He sat back and watched the emotions play across my face.  When I looked back up at him he winked at me like a grandfather delighting in his favorite grandchild (he was truly a cute old man!).

“But they studied!  The questions were supposed to be about what they were learning in class and to see if they understood the information”.  The horror was still circling in my head.

“The questions on the test were about what we were learning in class.  But the true test was about following directions, not knowledge.  Twenty-nine people showed me that they needed this life lesson, one that will play out in the real world with employers, buying homes, and any other activity that requires an agreement or contract.  Only one person showed me that they understood that knowledge is not achieved or demonstrated through shortcuts”.

“I think I understand.  I bet they all read the directions on every test following that moment in life!”

“No doubt they did.  That was the point of the test.  Now that you know the secret, be sure that you always remember that no matter how you feel, no matter how boring or long directions may be, the responsibility is always yours to know them.  You will always bear the consequences for choosing a shortcut over what is right thing to do.”  He gave me a great big grin at that moment. He knew his point had hit the designated target; another young life saved!

The directions on the test:
“Write your name on the top of this test and return it to me immediately.  You have passed this assessment and may leave.  If you are completing this test, you have failed, for you did not read the directions.  This grade will count against your final grade this term.”

How do we help our children learn to follow directions? How do we teach them to fully understand what is expected before they begin?   I would LOVE to hear your ideas. I am so glad I learned this as a youth and not an adult in that college classroom!

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who now tries to resist the urge to skim over info, or assume she knows what is expected (although succumbs to the urge from-time-time and usually bears the consequences for the shorter road taken).

The kids had a blast!  Violette, our toddler, was happy so long as she didn’t have to touch nature and nature didn’t touch her.  She is obsessed with shoes even before the tender age of two, so she may be a city girl at heart.  She did not like getting dirty, or touching the glacier, the ferns that would brush against her along the trail.  Funny girl!  She did love throwing rocks into water, though, and sought every opportunity to do so, even braving the potential dirt on her hands for the enjoyment.

The forest immediately captured my five year old Colin’s imagination, and before long the story in his head came out: Soon we were crossing the treacherous bridge and into the mud-pits of doom.  We had to be careful as the trees were spies.  The day was made complete by the fact that he also got to pet d 20-30 different dogs along the trail – he LOVES dogs.

Myles, as a very cool 7.5 year old, (too “old” for that made up story stuff) tolerated his brother.  Colin can spin a good story, and even Myles’ “coolness” was not strong enough to resist the pull.  Myles smiled off and on while walking, but he really found his smile once we reached the glacier and then the little boy inside let loose.  He enjoyed talking about what he had learned along the trail and asking questions about the world around him. On the way back, he and Colin found sticks and instantly made them into swords for “Battle Forest”.

I highly recommend taking a day and enjoying the woods and various landscapes our great state has to offer.  The Washington Trails Association has a wonderful site with links dedicated to Family Friendly Hikes.  I especially loved the article that discussed what to expect when hiking with young children.  Joan Burton, author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades”, provides much insight and wisdom on how to engage, entertain and even create a love for nature while hiking with children of all ages.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who enjoyed experiencing the magic of the woods, rivers, streams and even a glacier through the eyes of her children.

My daughter, a Kindermusik veteran since the womb, had a blast!   She sang, danced and socialized with the other children in class as if they were familiar friends.  The magic of the class was so great that to this day, one year later, her favorite book and CD she received from her time with Teacher Aaron is still her personal favorite.  As a Kindermusik mom going on 5.5 years and a Kindermusik Educator, I have a lot of CD’s and books in my house yet, she continually wants to read and sing her Play Dates favorite.

Following our musical adventure with Teacher Aaron, my daughter with much glee explored Soundbridge. What an amazing place!  Children of any age are encouraged to play with instruments and make as much joyful noise as they please!  The xylophone and keyboard were her personal favorites.

For $15, it was truly a bargain.  Not only did we get a 45 minute Kindermusik class, 30 minutes to explore Soundbridge, 15 minutes of musical story time, but also a book and CD so the memories and fun could continue in the car, at home, at grandma’s and so many more places!

You can check out our Play Dates featured for this July, and even register online.  Even if you do not live in Seattle, I guarantee it is worth the trip to downtown. You can even make a Seattle day of it!  Pikes Place Market is just around the corner, as well as the Seattle Aquarium; or hop on over to the zoo to round out the afternoon.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who is looking forward to a new magical experience with Teacher Aaron this July in “Tub Tunes”, one of the Play Dates featuring ducks and bubbles.