Children's Values and Banana Bread Muffins

What are your parenting values?

I thought this was a fascinating article and wanted to get your feedback, what balance do you strive for with your children and what would you look for in a child care values?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/country-comes-parenting-values/

Well I took their quiz and came up with my country my values I most represent was China, while it may not be Bhutan (the country I most idolize) I really enjoy teaching work ethics in children (and while mine are usually the last to listen to me) i really love seeing the pride in a child's eye of a job well done.  A cake well baked, a finished painting and the reward of meeting goals.  And really the ideal of communism was great.. (as an ideal) just didn't really pan out in reality... but also heard a great news story about Russian communal kitchens... another idolized ideal that didn't pan out so well for many, but I find a fascinating listen.  http://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/npr-kitchen-time-machine-a-culinary-romp-through-soviet-history/

I suppose knowing now I might also try and retake the quiz and skew it accidentally but as someone who left home and worked since the age of 14, I find kids today either do not have the drive and ambition to do "anything necessary" that I needed or find that they feel their humble attempts deserve a much bigger reward than deserved.  We want better for our children but it's seems to be coming at a price.  If I can instill daily workings, cleaning up after meals, and constant little things and avoid "big chore days" for special occasions that they will come to understand the work required and that sometimes we are not recognized and appreciated for every little bit of effort.   I also let them cook, plan, budget and shop for meals on occasion, of course much easier for the eight year old, but we bring the little ones into the mix as well. I hope that our time outdoors and hours with art supplies and little directions will help foster a love of creativity, individual thinking on it's own.

Determination in playing sports, and the thrill of learning how to ski has been an amazing journey for my children.  Unlike other organized sports we play (volleyball, softball, soccer) skiing is an individual sport, although you can be on a team, it's about making good decisions, judging terrain, pushing ones self for the beauty of excelling and concurring challenges.

We would like to venture into 4-H now that we are a lot closer to farm able land and amazing resources and real life working operations. I've made some great contacts and looking towards some more Slow Food Corvallis meetings, events and farm tours with the little ones.

In the mean time we're playing and waiting for our banana bread to cook!

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana, 3-4  (the kiddos get full control of this method)
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add banana, yogurt, coconut oil and eggs to a mixing bowl and beat until blended. I used, as always, my stand mixer, but today we let the girls stir in a bowl until the flour is added. Add brown sugar and white sugar and beat on medium until just blended. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg together. Add dry mixture a little bit at a time to the banana mixture and beat until just combined. Don't over mix! Pour into lined muffin tins and bake for 45-60 minutes, checking often to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely, we are still undecided about cream cheese or chocolate frosting.  I'll let you know what they decide!

Child Enrollment Form

Snack Time and Tall Ships

So after many many years of working a varied and colorful life in Alaska we have moved to the beach.  Where we get to watch the ocean waves, play in the sand and enjoy a slower paced life with my little ones!  So this transition hasn't been as easy as I thought it would for all of us and we have decided we would love to share our adventures with more.  More outings, play mates, friends and families....

This is a typical after school snack, fresh D'anjou pears, and mini home made corn dogs with dips.  I serve a lot of water, milk with main meals (alt milk for those who need it like my daughter) and juice and sugary drinks are usually avoided.  As a former child care nutrition program manager I take what goes in on and around children's bodies very carefully.  I use natural cleaners,NYR Organic soaps, lotions and body care items. Ingredients, local sourced, non-GMO foods are very important and do not always include kale as my children like to make fun of me about.  But we do have a penchant for green smoothies and more to come it's going to be a great summer.  Full of new adventures!

Home Made Mini-Corn Dogs and Pears 

We got to tour the tall ships in Newport, the Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington made port calls in Newport yesterday from Grey's Harbor, WA.  We looked for pirates and swashbucklers and mermaids galore.  It's been a big theme with the kids this year and all M could think about was...

Once Upon a Time

Which happens to also be F's birthday theme in a few weeks, so it fit right in!  We are also working on costumes for the Yachats Midsummer's Masquerade Ball, which should be a total blast and for a great cause.  We really like the vibe of Yachats, it is defiantly on our level of community, be it a much smaller scale than we are used to, we are happy to be just a few miles away!

 Do you make seal and seal lion noises?  We do....  Especially since we see the Alsea River seal rookery every low tide snoozed out on the sandbars when we cross the bridge.  Did you know they are piscivorous predators?  Well good to add a new word to the kids marine mammal vocabulary.

I've always loved a great ship's plaque!  Blanchard family trait there I can surmise.

 Captain Freyja at the helm, without a doubt!  She's a precarious one that keeps me very busy and definitely a second born... For some reason she get's a lot of safety gear for her birthday...  Might need to add a lot of duct tape to that list and more office supplies, she loves playing postmaster, but I'll be hiding my keys from her in no time!

Special bonus points for looking for Mermaids and Pirates!  We didn't happen to find them to their disappointment. It was a great adventure with the kids and happy to have the opportunity to go aboard and learn a little more seafaring history.

Beginnings of One Shoreline

Play time outside at Ona Beach

 Building marble runs, great problem solving and teamwork for sisters who don't always see eye to eye on everything.  And we get to talk architectural design and science (mom's favorites)!!

Sometimes just a simple stick is the best toy to discover the natural world.  Our beach in front of the house!