At Home with NW Kid Chaser - NW Kid Chaser

One Tile - Two Games...

7/20/2014

Most folks
recognize
this game...

But ,
maybe not
this one.

However, both games use simple letter tiles to mix and spell words of every size. Of the two, Bananagrams is best for mixed age groups. The traditional rules of the game requires players to use their tiles to create any combination of words, as long as the words are linked. At our house we have altered the rules to say that player under ten - need not connect all their words. This seems to level the playing field and keeps the fast action game - fun for everyone in the family.

Star Gazing 2014...

7/7/2014

The Oregon heat is here!

When the temperature hits 90'+, you'll find my boys and I spending the late afternoon down in our 'cool' basement. It's a private retreat (filled with Legos and books), where we can hide until the day's heat passes.

When evening comes, we venture out again. And... sometimes after dark, we move to the backyard deck to soak up just a bit more of cooler air.

When that does happen - I bring my phone. Not to call, text, or chat... but to help us identify all the stars, constellations, and planets above us. It's the Google Sky Map App and it brings the summer fun of star gazing into the digital age. Hooray!

Yummy potluck treat...

7/2/2014

Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, and a bit of balsamic vinegar!

Here's one of my favorite snacks to bring to a summer potlucks.

The best part: little hands can help
with the quick and easy assembly.

Drizzle the vinegar over these gems right before serving.

Election time...

5/13/2014

We keep a pretty close eye on the election races each year and politics are a frequent discussion topic at our dinner table. So, perhaps it's not too much of a stretch that my youngest son loves this old board game:

I say 'old' because it was published in 1971 and now can only be purchased through eBay (or received as a gift from dear family friends who are cleaning out their basement). This game combines map skills, mathematics, social studies, and even the dark side of politics (one brother is continually bribing the other brother for better cards). In the end, you tally your electoral votes and hope that the best man (or woman) wins!

Applesauce addiction...

4/27/2014

We have officially
become addicted to our
homemade applesauce.

Yes, it's a good mid-day snack, but it is also amazing with potato pancakes or over blintzes.
And..... after upgrading to a larger crockpot and purchasing a brand new apple corer/peeler on Craigslist (for the low price of $10), this recipe is even easier.

Next = pear sauce.

Cell phone savvy...

2/10/2014

At the start of this school year, we gave a cell phone to our oldest son. I wasn't sure how this step into big-kid territory would go, but I now feel like it was one of our smartest middle-school moves. Admittedly, we are just dipping our toes into the pool here, but I believe smooth and steady entry into the world of 'teens with cellphone' is the best way to proceed.

The phone we gave him was a hand-me-down. As his older cousins have 'upgraded,' they have generously passed on the hardware. The phone, when hooked to a Page Plus Prepaid account, allowed an easy and incredibly inexpensive entry into the world of cellphone use.

Page plus uses Verizon phones on the Verizon network, but at an amazing no contract price. We've purchased the pay-as-you-go plan of 100 minutes for just $10. Minutes stay activated for a 120 day period. All activation/payment is done through the web from the comfort of your own home and customer service 'live chat' is fast and easy. We've been thrilled with the quality of the plan - six months in and we haven't had any problems.

Of course, knowing me, you realize the privilege of a cell phone also came to my son with a list of specific responsibilities. Following the lead of many other moms on the web, I drafted a unique contract with my son that met our needs. Any 'air-time' over the basic minimum is his responsibility, which means he has been very, very careful about giving his number to friends. With every text from (or to) him costing him half a minute of 'airtime,' he has selected just one friend to share his number. In fact, the only time he has really used his phone is to call me about a canceled basketball game or a change in pick-up/drop-off schedule.

I, on the other hand, have used the text message function to send a variety of messages to him:
- "Your report card came and I'm so proud."
- "Tough game today. Sorry about the loss. You do a great job of hustling on the court. Your dribbling skills are getting better too!"
- "Dad and I sure love you."

My sweet boy no longer fits on my lap and is too old for butterfly kisses, but he deserves to be reminded of my love. I'm thinking that love note texts are the 2.0 of lunch box notes, right? This Kid Chaser will do whatever is needed to keep the lines of communication open for a long, long time.

Winter Wonderland Craft...

12/19/2013

My 6th grade son recently came home with a craft project from school that is perfect for the winter holiday season.

Easy and inexpensive, this quick craft made impressive decorations and can be sized for windows, trees, or door decorations. Proud of his discovery, my son prepped all the materials (paper, scissors, tape, stapler) in our front room, and gave everyone in the family a tutorial. He was a great teacher!

Now looking around town, I see we are not the only family who likes this craft. Do you want to join the fun? Here's a Youtube video by kongo204 with all the details:

Middle School Mayhem...

11/9/2013

Don't let this post's title fool you... our family entry to middle school has been amazingly smooth. Our oldest son has been navigating 6th grade like a pro. He enjoys most of his classes, makes the best of the rare class he dislikes, and has embraced new responsibility with an eagerness that makes me smile on a daily basis.

This year, one new addition to our home is a series of whiteboards that serve as family calendar and to-do-list. Every family member has been assigned a different color and, although I write the main events on the calendar each month, each person adds their own info. as needed.

The calendar serves as a reminder of upcoming events. My oldest monitors it regularly so that he knows which nights he can work on homework and which nights are filled with family events (meaning he'll need to complete his work in study hall instead).

I also write chores for the boys on their personal whiteboards, and they can expect a "Is your white board clear?" in response to any request to play the Wii. Our youngest tries to complete the chores as soon as they are listed - so there is no delay to screen-time when he's ready. Our oldest occasionally writes other duties on the board as a way of remembering school/club tasks he needs to complete. And... the boys have been known to write "Play soccer with your kids after dinner" on the parent white board.

This system takes little work to maintain and has kept me from nagging the boys about chores. Hopefully too, it is the first step in transition the boys to independently managing their own calendar/schedule. Eventually they'll have busy lives and homes of their own. I'll have to add to their lists -- "Call your mother."

Tie-Dye Nation...

9/22/2013

At the end of the summer, Neighbor Toni gathered all the gang for a tie-dye party. Now, we all now look as stylish as can be in our fresh, bright, tie-dye creations.

Here's the gist of this fun project:

First: Find a pale colored or white clothing item (Do you still have a shirt left over from the great spaghetti sauce incident of 2012? No problem:White shirts with small stains work great for this project! Warning: Items made with less than 60% cotton won't hold they dye.)

Next: Soak your items for 20 minutes in a soda ash/water mixture.

Then: Take your damp (not soaked) item and choose your pattern. There's the classic spiral, the polka-dot, the stripes, and the free-for-all. Here's a great tutorial on how to create each fabulous effect: Tie Dye Basics.

Finally: Using ketchup bottles filled with liquid dye - squirt on your color combinations. (Neighbor Toni tells me that the fabric dyes at the Art Dept. are top of the line!)

The clothing should then sit in a plastic bag for about 24 hours. Once set, rinse the item in cold water until all the extra dye is released (and the water runs clear). Then throw it all into the washer for washing. (Be careful this first time with your choice of other items in the washer. However, after that - you can wash with your regular clothes without incident.)

Every piece of clothing turns out an original and there is no 'wrong' way to mix your colors.

Hooray tie-dye!
Hooray neighborhood fun!

Probability Problems...

8/20/2013

My oldest son spent a bit of time this summer reviewing a few math concepts that he'll need to know for the coming school year. His teachers generously lent us the math book, but I found the books filled with more 'practice problems' than actual explanations and so turned to the web for more resources.

Jackpot!

Designed by classroom teachers for grades 3 through 12, this fabulous resources offers video tutorials for both Math and Language Arts. The easy to understand videos (which follow a predictable pattern) offered great instruction in the area of probability. I'm eager to explore the other areas as well.

Free of charge and 'deep' with videos, guided practice, and coach commentary, this video jackpot is a well organized and helpful resource for summer practice AND school year learning for students, parents and classroom teachers!