Learning outside the class

If you are an educator (or brown noser/military person - or those who like authoritarian rule) - don't read any further because this post may bother you. Seriously. Stop reading now.

I took my kids out of school yesterday. (insert *gasp* here). No, they didn't have THIS and weren't suffering from THAT (thank blog!).

I took them out of school to spend the day with myself and their grandmother - completed by seeing Anne of Green Gables (Musical) and lunch downtown. Their teacher's didn't like the fact I was taking them out (last time I tell them in advance what "teachable moment" I am planning) - my prince was not happy about taking them out (see reference above to military personnel).

You see - when I was a girl - once a year - my mother would take me out of school for an afternoon - take me on the subway downtown - we'd try on hats in Eatons and have lunch in the Simpsons cafeteria. I remember this very fondly.
As I see it...if a parent (a working parent at that) chooses to take a day and spend it with their child - it is not something to be poo-pooed. Add in attending a musical (my kids do not have a music class or program in school), theatre, Canadian culture and history (oh I love those teachable moments) -- and the thrill of dressing up to go downtown (oh yes we DID) -- plus making memories -- and I chalk all of it up to learning outside the classroom.

And you want to know something else...I don't feel guilty one bit.

The Present Closet

You have a present closet right? c'mon be honest!.

An out-of-the-way-kids-don't-know-catch-all of presents and presents for re-gifting for just-received birthday invitations. Filled with goodies bought on-sale, end-of-inventory or just happen to be interesting.

Because A.) one does not want to go to a toy store with children looking for a birthday present because meltdowns, fights and guilt purchases arise. B.) one does not always have the time to go birthday present shopping when there are deadlines, piano lessons and last-minute soccer practices. C.)on sale is just good math!

Love generic presents - long live Crayola! Crayola "anything" married (yes, I wrote "married") with a pad of construction paper, stickers & glue sticks - and - you've got a great prezzie (and no that's not a Crayola plug - buy Laurentian if you want but Crayola's better ). Books are also great go-to boy or girl presents. Everyone could use another book (at least I think so).

hmmm...other generic present-closet-worthy prezzies...hmmm - cartoon dvds, soccer balls (who doesn't love a ball?), ooohhh! kid cookbooks & lil' aprons (geez...reminds me - where did the rice crispie no-cook-cookbook go? - did I lend it to you? Do you have it? We'd like it back please).

Where's your present closet? What's inside? Do share!

Parent Club Review: Mr. Christie's Snak Paks

The Parent Club review panel was asked to review an assortment of Mr. Christie's Snak Paks. (Mini Chips Ahoy! Cookies, Barnum's Animal Crackers, Teddy Grahams Honey Cookies, Barnum's ABC's Cocoa Cookies and Mini Oreo Cookies).

They told us: All five varieties of Mr.Christie's Snak Paks are trans-fat free, low in saturated fats and cholesterol free. Barnum's Animal Crackers Snak Paks and Teddy Graham Honey Cookies Snak Paks are now made with whole grains and are a source of fibre. In addition, Barnum's ABC's Cocoa Cookies Snak Paks offer 30 mg of DHA/EPA omega-3 fatty acids per serving and are a source of iron. Lastly, four of the five Mr. Christie's Snak Paks varieties are made in a peanut-free facility with the exception of Mini Oreo Cookies Snak Paks.

The Review:

"Both my kids enjoyed the cookies. I found the packaging very cute and thought the cookies were definitely for kids tasted buds.

My husband enjoyed the snack packs but he eats everything.

Oops, another thing, I like the fact that it is made for kids with peanut allergy. My child's friend is always in our cupboards looking for snack (he is allergic to peanuts)."
[woking Mom of two children aged 5 and 10, + husband who will apparently eat anything]

"The snack paks were the perfect size for take-a-long snaks. The week before I took a mega big bag of two-bite brownies in the car (to eat as an after school snack on the way to piano lessons). It was a fight to get the kids to stop eating. The snak paks are the perfect size for a child's snack.

My child thought the Mini Oreo Snak Pak's icing (i.e. the middle of the cookie) tasted different from bigger oreos.

On the whole the Barnums's ABC Cocoa Snak Pak cookies and Mini Chips Ahoy! Snak Pak cookies were the favourite. I would buy these for school lunches."[Busy Mom of 2 kids aged 5 and 8]

For more information: kraftcanada.com

What kids watch

This is what my prince had the kids watching...while I was out at a writing workshop on Saturday.



Thing 2 is walking around saying "Silence - I Kill YOU!" and Thing 1 wants to know where the 72 virgins are...

Am waiting for the school to call me in for an meeting any minute now...