Deirdre, Author at JDaniel4s Mom

Deirdre Smith writes/owns JDaniel4’s Mom. After twenty years as a elementary school and technology resource teacher in Northern Virginia, she became a stay at home mom in upstate South Carolina. Her blog features ways she and her 5 year old are exploring learning, crafting, creating healthy meals and living life to its fullest. Deirdre can also be found on twitter as @jdaniel4smom and on her blog's FB page. You can also check her out on Google+.

Muffin Tin Monday-Leap Year Snack

February 27, 2012 By Deirdre

Tomorrow is Leap Day or the 29th of February! When one starts thinking of things that of leap, one might think of frogs. I know I did! A fun leaping frog is the fun element in a leap year snack served in a muffin tin.

This snack is filled not only with a leaping green spinach tortilla frog with olive eyes but, several other wonderful green foods. JDaniel’s favorite green is the actually the color of all the foods that are in this tin.

Before I share the other foods, let me tell you how I made the leaping frog. I printed out a leaping frog coloring page. Then I placed it on top of spinach tortilla. I used a knife to trace the frog coloring page. While I was tracing, the design was cut out of the tortilla.

JDaniel loves green grapes. When I buy red grapes, he wants to know why I would buy those grapes. I happen to like red grapes and they are suppose to be really good for you but, he does’t see their value. My husband loves red grapes as much as I do but, he will eat the green ones too. We tend to have green ones to keep JDaniel happy and eating grapes.

Pickles are also one of his favorite foods. He has been big into finding out which foods are fruits and which are vegetables. Since cucumbers have seeds and foods with seeds are fruits, he asks for pickles when I tell him he needs to have a fruit for dessert. Yes, pickles for dessert. JDaniel is one of kind!

The final green item in this Leap Year snack tin is green veggie straws. These go have gone over big not only with JDaniel. His friend Nathan loves them too. I have to whisk them away after each has had several handfuls or they would eat the whole bag. I don’t think either of them realizes that have vegetable in them. We just call them green straw snacks at my house.

You will find more fun muffin tin meals and snacks on my Food Creations board on Pinterest. Please take a moment to check out them out.

Read.Explore.Learn.- Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday

February 24, 2012 By Deirdre

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss’ birthday. JDaniel and I will be heading to the celebration of his birthday at Target tomorrow. I think Target stores everywhere are having a celebration. In honor of his birthday, I decided we would read three Dr. Seuss books.

Dr. Seuss Books We Read

This post contains affiliate links.

The Lorax

We started with the The Lorax . It is all about saving the trees and an awareness that we have to give back.

What did we do?

I made JDaniel a Lorax sandwich with his favorite cheese rolls. I think it came out well. JDaniel announced that he was not into cheese rolls anymore. That meant I got to eat the Lorax sandwich minus his eyeballs. It turns out he still likes those foods.

The Tooth Book

Then we read The Tooth Book. JDaniel is big into grouping things right now. He loved that this book is all about teeth.

What did we do with this book?

JDaniel and I searched in magazines for pictures of people with teeth showing. After gathering the pictures, we put them in a roasting pan and covered them with Moon Sand.

JDaniel then used an old toothbrush to uncover everyone’s teeth. This fine motor activity gave JDaniel the opportunity practice the motion used to brush his teeth. It was fun to clear off green Moon Sand and see the pictures that had been covered up.

If you like these Dr. Seuss activities, here are some more that you will enjoy:

Cat in the Hat Math Mats

Green Eggs and Ham Activities

Lorax File Folder Math Game

Truffalo Tree Sight Word Game

Thing One and Thing Two Shape Craft Activity for Kids

How to Create a Fox in Socks Sock Puppet

You will also find wonderful Dr. Seuss activities on my Seuss board on Pinterest.

What did you do that tied in with books this week?

Nothing Could Be Finer Than An Afternoon in Carolina

February 22, 2012 By Deirdre

Last weekend was a mixture of wonderful sunshine and a bit of cold rain. While we wish the cold rain had been snow, we loved the days of sunshine that allowed us to be outside in light fleeces and long-sleeved shirts.

My husband and I sat and watched JDaniel try to catch pretend butterflies as well as swing around just enjoying the feeling of the soft breeze through the net. There is something magical about watching your child spin in sunbeams.

It was grand to sit on a sun-warmed driveway and watch your son find such joy. It is moments like this that make me reflect on how big he is getting and how he is aging right before your eyes. It is as if each spin moves him one step forward in time.

When the net is tucked away, it becomes time to aid JDaniel in the gathering of sticks for his beaver dam and find hiding places that will keep the big beaver (my husband) from depositing them in the woods. It had been a while since we had gathered sticks. There were many to pick up from under the great beach trees and carry to safety. Gathering sticks is something so simple and yet fills him with such a sense of accomplishment and the bushes with stacks of twigs. Thankfully the big beaver returns them to the woods often.

Following the branch collecting, we finally held our heart hunt. JDaniel and I had both been sick earlier in the week and the hunt had to be delayed. I don’t know who was more excited about finding chocolates in the hearts JDaniel or my husband. They both love chocolate.

What do you do to top an afternoon of stick gathering, butterfly catching, and heart hunting? You are left with sweeping the yard. Yes, our yard in the front has now been well swept as has the curb. There wasn’t much to sweep in the grass this time of year.

After having very little fly up from the ground when JDaniel was sweeping the grass, he decided he would fly himself. What fun it was to watch him zoom from the front yard to the backyard! It made me want to grab a broom from the garage and fly around the yard myself.

We have been blessed with many warm days this winter that I haven’t captured in pictures. I am so glad that I was able to capture this wonderful afternoon. It was definitely one to remember.

This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday and Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.

Children at Play- Teddy Needs More Turtle Skating Practice

February 22, 2012 By Deirdre

Last week as I put away the red sled made of cardboard we played with during Read. Explore.Learn JDaniel headed upstairs to grab Teddy and my husband’s turtle slippers (which now live in JDaniel’s room). He had another idea of what to do with the bubble wrap ski slope on the living room floor.

The slope wasn’t a slop anymore I was informed. JDaniel declared that it was now an area for Teddy to skate on. The turtle slippers were to be Teddy’s skates.

While Teddy seemed willing to try skating, his feet didn’t seem to agree. It was very hard to keep Teddy’s feet in the slippers. They just kept slipping out.

Teddy’s feet don’t have a large enough surface area to stay in the slippers. I tried to explain that to JDaniel but, the whole concept of the surface area went right over his head.

I suggested that JDaniel hold Teddy’s feet in the slippers. The pressure from his arm muscles might keep Teddy’s feet in.

JDaniel was willing to try this in fact he pressed down on Teddy’s legs as hard as he could. The slippers did stay on but, now his feet won’t move to do to the pressure.

It seemed Teddy would never be able to skate. There were just too many things for JDaniel to do to help him move and keep his slippers on.

Instead of getting frustrated, grabbing Teddy up, and flinging slippers, JDaniel did a very wise thing. He decided it was time to get more helpful ideas from me.

We discussed all the variables involved in Teddy skating down the bubble wrap with slippers. It was a very lively discussion. The kind many of you have probably had with your children when everything seems to be going wrong and every idea that comes to mind is a possibility.

Ultimately JDaniel decided it was my job to make it happen and his job to cheer from the edge of the bubble wrap. I really tried to keep pressure on Teddy and move his feet while sliding my feet behind his. This approach really should have worked. It really should have.

For some unknown reason, Teddy kept falling. He gallantly kept trying with me to make JDaniel’s vision come to be but, it just didn’t happen.

After several attempts, it was decided that we should put the bubble wrap away and try to have Teddy skate another day.

Pause Life for a Moment- Kir Corner

February 21, 2012 By Deirdre

Everyone needs people in their lives that will encourage and cheer for them when they are down or blue. People need others who will give them high fives when they are done something well too. Kir of Kir Corner kind of blogger that does both. She encourages her words in comments as well as posts that make you want to cheer and cry. Sometimes it can happen in the same post.

She does all this while working, raising twin boys, and being a wonderful wife. Kir is quite a lady.

I am so thrilled to have Kir sharing with us today. After reading her post here, please stop by her blog and read a post or two.

When my friend asked me to write for PAUSE LIFE for a MOMENT, my first thought was a favorite song of mine by country singer, Kenny Chesney.

“Don’t Blink” is a story of a man on his 102^nd birthday who after being asked for advice about “what life is about?” answers with these two words.

“Don’t Blink”.

I find it inspiring and moving and encourage you to seek out the lyrics or the song online and spend a few minutes listening to its words.

Thank you so much for asking me to be here today, it is truly an HONOR to be in your space my friend.

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As a self-professed lover of TV I am quite familiar with the Pause Button. I often like to imagine that DVRs were an invention with me in mind.

The truth is I very rarely watch anything in “REAL TIME” anymore. I mean, really who has the time for it? I can sleep, or fold clothes or make dinner or watch CARS 2 for the 117^th time with my twin sons and never really miss a thing. Later I find I can fold clothes or make dinner or work on a blog post and still keep up with my favorite shows, the remote never far away from my hands.

For it never fails that LIFE intervenes.

“I need more milk mommy!”

“Please come and watch me go, potty mommy!”

“Can you tell me the story about Finn McMissle one more time mommy?? “

Each time the stories I get lost in are PAUSED for a moment, while I handle the duties of being a mother. I revel in that role so much so that even if my sighs are loud and my footsteps heavy on the stairs as I go to fetch something for one of them, my heart is light and happy that I get to do it.

You see my life was paused for four years as I waited to see if I would ever become a mom. Many times you’re life moves at a lightning-fast pace and you cannot keep up, that wasn’t the case for me as I battled infertility. My days, months, and years had become one long, drawn-out moment in the dark where I truly could never see a light at the end of that tunnel. In truth I would have done anything to be able to hit the PLAY button and continue the show.

It’s funny to look back and see how slow and sad that time of my life was, especially now when I’m working full time, writing a blog, attempting a book, raising my beautiful sons, and trying my best to be a good wife.

I need that Pause button now more than ever.

I look around me these days and see life racing by, my sons growing in every moment of every day and my mind packed with little moments, little instances, little significant stages that I want to write down so I don’t forget.

Once again the ability to stop and take a breath, to stand still for a moment and take everything in for better or worse is welcome. I used to find the sound of my own heartbeat so lonely but with the addition of two more that beat in time with it, it is an echo I love to hear.

Life is never really that accommodating anymore.

It passes and takes your little moments with it. Like a stream that looks calm on the surface, it is forever flowing underneath carrying those precious seconds with it. I find that in those times, I am grateful for the sparkles on the water, those small shimmers of memories that will fill up my heart for the time when I have the rare but sweet opportunity to reach the remote and press PAUSE.

Muffin Tin Monday- Mardi Gras Lunch

February 20, 2012 By Deirdre

Mardi Gras Lunch- This BTL lunch was made for my son. I loved taking the mask apart and eating it one piece at a time.

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras! I thought is would be really fun to construct a bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich into a Mardi Gras mask for JDaniel. It was so much fun to search the vegetable aisle at the grocery store for ingredients for this lunch. I really wanted to find lettuces that would look like feathers.

This is a little over the top! I know! I probably got a little carried away with the lettuce part of the mask. JDaniel would probably agree with you if you think so. He didn’t really like either of the lettuces used in the sandwich. I am grateful that he was willing to try them.

The other parts of the sandwich were a big hit. He loves bacon! The bacon disappeared first. JDaniel also loves grape tomatoes and tortilla bread. JDaniel wanted seconds of all of those foods. Due to there being only a little of each in the sandwich I willing obliged. If I were to do it again, I might leave off the lettuce! I could have created the feather section with a little more bacon and tomatoes cut into fancy shapes.

Along with the sandwich JDaniel got veggies straws. I thought they looked a little like confetti. Thankfully he didn’t think they tasted like confetti. He really enjoyed them. You could substitute them with carrots and celery if you want. They would be great served as stick or pieces of large confetti.

Do you foods favorite Mardi Gras foods?

I bet some of you love to serve red beans and rice, gumbo, etouffee or jambalaya. They are all wonderful food from New Orleans. If they are not your children’s favorites you might want to serve them a BLT like this one.

I hope you have a wonderful Fat Tuesday tomorrow.

This post is linked to Muffin Tin Monday!

Read.Explore.Learn.- red sled Fun

February 17, 2012 By Deirdre

Welcome to Read.Explore.Learn.! This meme was designed to be a place for you to share the learning opportunities, crafts, field trips, and other activities you have done this week that tie into children’s books.

I look forward to seeing the ways you have learned with and explored books.

Steps:

- Link your activity below.

- Please place the Read.Explore.Learn. the badge on your post or create a link back to this meme.

- Please try to visit at least three of the other people that have placed links below and leave a comment. I will visit each of you and leave a kind comment.

- If you are not linking up an activity and are just visiting, please try to stop by a few of the links below.

My Book Tie-Ins of the Week:

We loved reading red sled by Lita Judge. There are very few words in this book. The pictures tell the tale of a red sled that is left outside each night by a young child. Each night the sled is borrowed by a bear who likes to go on on evening sled rides.

As the story unfolds, other creatures decide to join the bear in his sled rides until seven animals are sledding under the evening stars.

Finally, one morning the child notices bear footprints outside his house. The child decides to watch out his window to see if the bear returns.

When the bear does the boy joins the bear and his friends on a sled! ” Wheeeeee!” says the boy as he holds on to a moose antlers as the sled slides down the hill.

What did we do?

Craft-Sled Making

I built the red sled using the directions I posted in my How to Make a Cardboard Sled post last year.

JDaniel and I rolled out bubble wrap to create a path for the sled and loaded the sled with some of his lovelies.

After a few trips up and down the bubble wrap, JDaniel decided that we need to add a hill to the path and see what happened.

Poor Teddy fell off the sled and didn’t even make it up the first hill.

Greatest Love of All: JDaniel and Others Are Our Future

February 16, 2012 By Deirdre

“Greatest Love Of All”

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.

I love this part of the song the Greatest Love of All. It was sung by Whitney Houston and was written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed. I sang it at the closing ceremonies of a summer reading program with a group of teachers to be when I was learning to be a teacher in college. The message is carries of the need to believe, teach, show, and give to children is one I have carried in my heart since I first heard it.

When people look into the future they see hard economic times. Others see a damaged world due to global warning. The list of horrible things people predict could go on and on. Just reading through it would fill you with dread and sorrow.

When I look into the eyes of my son, I see hope. I see a boy that can change his world.

I don’t mean that I see someone who will become a president or world leader of any kind. I do mean that it is possible that this wonderful loving young boy can change his part of the world.

As his mom I truly feel the calling to help him learn to be a world changer from the inside out. Just as the song says, I need to try to show him the beauty he possesses inside and help him develop a sense of pride.

How do I plan to do that?

Try to help him cultivate a deep desire to care for others.

Help him discover the gifts that he has been blessed with and help him find ways to use them.

Provide him with a safe and secure place to share his thoughts and dreams

Look for opportunities for him to grow in the fruits of the spirit as they are listed in the Bible.

Show him by example what healthy self talk sounds like.

Display through my actions that world changing is not just a one time thing to do but, a life choice.

Share with him the pride I have in his actions and words.

Believe in his dreams and search out ways to make them happen.

Give him opportunities to lead and guide activities we are doing.

What are other ways I can do this?

This post is linked to Mama Kat’s Writing Workshop.

Act of Kindness Project- Kindness to Siblings or Those You Love Like Them

February 15, 2012 By Deirdre

Toddler Approved is hosting a wonderful project called the 100 Acts of Kindness Project. I love the idea of JDaniel and I doing things for others between Jan. 15th and Valentine’s Day. Each week she puts up a challenge for you to complete as some of your 100 Acts of Kindness.

This week’s challenge was to give kindness to siblings. JDaniel doesn’t have siblings. There are times when he has said he would love to have a younger brother or sister to play with. There are times when I wish we had given him a sibling but, that wasn’t meant to be.

JDaniel asked me about why many of his friends and relatives have siblings and he doesn’t last fall. I tried to explain why we only have him. He seems to understand why.

JDaniel decided after that conversation that he has been given something just as special. He informed me that he was given friends and cousins to love just like brothers and sisters. Friends are welcomed with hugs. Cousins are talked about often. JDaniel truly cares deeply for these surrogate siblings. They are a very special part of his life.

When it came to this challenge, JDaniel came up with what he wanted to do all by himself. He wanted to make Valentine’s Day cards for his friends using the salad spinner just the way we made the cards we gave to his teachers in the first Acts of Kindness Challenge. He loves pushing down on the salad spinner to make the watered-down tempera paint fly.

While I cut the paper into card-size pieces and watered down the paint, he gathered the salad spinner and a golf ball. Once everything was ready he wanted to do all the creating himself. He put the card stock into the salad spinner and place the golf ball in. The paint had to be dumped in without any help and of course, the spinner had to be spun by him alone.

When the cards were done, we laid them out to dry before adding felt sticker hearts to them. He was thrilled with the results and couldn’t wait to share his gifts of brotherly love with his friends.

If you too have an only child, I hope you will find surrogate siblings for them. It is not just like having a sibling, but it does teach them to learn to get along with and care for others. It would be an act of kindness for them.

This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s AlphaThursday.

Pause Life for a Moment- My Front Porch Swing

February 14, 2012 By Deirdre

I was blessed to meet Ashley of My Front Porch Swing at the Type A Conference and see her again at the SITS Bloggy Bootcamp in Atlanta last year. What an amazing lady!

Why do I say that she amazing? I could mean that she is amazing because she is a talented writer who writes not only for her own blog but for Business 2 Blogger. I could mean that she amazing because she can transfer blogs to WordPress! I could mean that she amazing because she also holds several other jobs that are blog related while also being a devoted wife and mom.

I could say the things I listed above but, what is really amazing is the grace with which she lives her life! Ashley is an wonderful mom, terrific friend to many in the blog world, a woman who knows how to live life to the fullest, and above all a women of grace.

I am truly honored that she is sharing here today. Please take a moment to pause after reading this post to visit her blog. I promise you will be blessed if you do.

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up a half hour later than I usually do. Have you ever noticed how this can set the tone for your entire day? I work from home, so between that and juggling school schedules and events, my days rely very much on a schedule. But this particular day? That schedule was off. So, I rushed.

I rushed through our morning routine- I rushed through my morning cup of coffee. I rushed my kids through breakfast.

I rushed my son onto the bus. I rushed my daughter to preschool drop off.

I rushed through my emails and more coffee. I spent the day spinning my wheels, so to speak, trying to get things done.

I rushed to get my daughter from school on time. I rushed home and through lunch and part of the afternoon. I rushed out the door to grab my son from the bus stop.

The bus was late. On a day where I had been nothing but behind, of course the bus was late. When my son finally arrived, he came bounding off of the bus in excitement. He had gotten a prize at school and he was so excited. He chattered away with my daughter excitedly chiming in to her big brother. She grabbed his hand and they walked down the sidewalk in front of me. As I followed behind, listening to their excited conversation, I had a memory of him holding her as a newborn- now, here they were, two siblings lost in conversation.

The time goes quickly and my how things change. But that moment stunned me into realizing just how much time I spend rushing.

I walked home a little slower. I put some things away. I gathered my kids in my arms and smothered them with kisses (much to my son’s chagrin). I put laundry aside, work on hold, and everything else in the background. That afternoon, I did nothing but enjoy being with my kids. And I’m so glad I did.

Life is busy. There are things to get done, deadlines to meet, places to be, and activities to attend. But you only get to live once and every so often, you have to remember to pause life. Because it won’t pause for you.

Please stop by and visit her blog letting her know how much you enjoyed this post.