Community Education: Truffles

I have to admit that I haven't taken a community education class since I was a little kid. There was a least one summer during elementary school that some friends and I took a few art classes at the middle school across town.

This week, I took a trip down memory lane and took my first community education class in ages. My girlfriends and I have a weekly girls' night. Usually, we spend our girls' night at someone's house enjoying dinner, dessert, and wine. We switched things up a little bit this week and headed to a community ed cooking class: Truffle Making.

I have to admit that community education classes are hit or miss. I truly believe it all depends on the instructor. Unfortunately, we had an instructor that talked at us for an hour and fifteen minutes. Out of a three hour class. She would ask us questions, but that answer them before we were even given a chance!

While I thought the instructor was less than par (and I may be a little picky as I am a teacher), the class was still a hit.

And I got to bring home a box of 20 truffles!

First things first, we mixed chocolate and butter to create the base of our truffles. We then were given the opportunity to add some different flavors: tangerine, caramel, peanut butter. The list goes on.

Then, we learned all about "dressing" the truffles. We rolled our truffles in powdered chocolate, and crushed shortbread cookies. There were toffee pieces and chocolate sprinkles. Toasted coconut flakes and chopped almonds. The possibilities were endless.

And then! We got to dip our undressed truffles in melted chocolate and add some toppings after the fact. I got a little crazy and made a flower.

We laughed, and we created some delicious treats (that I don't plan on sharing). We took a risk and changed our normal routine. While some people struggle with changing their typical routines (me, too), I'm glad we did something different. The change of pace brought up conversations we may not have had sitting in someone's living room.

Go out on a limb, try something new. You just may have some fun.

And if you don't you might end up with yummy treats, and who doesn't like that!?

Tips & Tricks :: Camping with a Toddler

We are a camping family, through and through. We left this summer for just over a month of camping, and have a few more camping trips on the calendar.

I have to admit, though, that I am not currently the type that we pop a tent and sleep on the ground. Not with Kid around. When he's a little older, we will think about it. We have a pop-up camper at our disposal, so we use that instead. We only ever "tented it" when we were backpacking and hiking into far off campsites. Now, we drive up to campgrounds and camp that way. Kid loves it ... he really is a nature boy.

Be Prepared!
Anything can happen when you're camping. Add a toddler into the mix, and there is a whole new definition to "anything can happen." Be sure to be prepared as possible. Before camping with a child, we always brought along a first aid kit that included Band-Aids, instant cold packs, ointment, your typical first aid kit materials. Since Kid has joined us, we have added Tylenol, a thermometer, a nose aspirator, kid-friendly bug spray and sunscreen, and children's Benadryl.

We are not only prepared with a first aid kit, though. We bring favorite toys, loads of extra clothing, Kid's favorite Little Tykes rocking horse, and plenty of diapers. And food. Food, food, food. Think of everything that could happen at home, and be prepared for it.

Be Flexible!
Toddlers throw timing and schedules out the window. Especially when they are taken out of their "normal" environment. While we try to keep nap time at the same time, it just doesn't always happen. Being outside is exciting! It may take an extra hour for the kiddo to tire out and fall asleep. Or, they may need to nap an hour or two earlier. Go with it. It will make your camping trip much more enjoyable!

Do What You Have To!
A lot of parents are concerned about creating bad habits. Me, too. But when you're camping? You just have to do what you can to make it work. Kid thinks our camper is pretty awesome. In fact, he has woken up on various nights at three in the morning thinking it's play time. So we did what we had to do to get him back to sleep. Co-sleeping worked in the past, but not this time. So we strapped him into his car seat and drove to town and back. Is this something that we would do while at home? No. Kid loves the car too much as of late. I think he'd want a car ride before bed every night. But to keep our sanity on the campground (and not disturb the other campers, peacefully sleeping)? Drive the car around. Lull him back to sleep. Don't be afraid to "ruin" the child's behavior. Just do what you have to do to keep everyone content, including yourself!

The Apple Orchard

We have most definitely been filling our days with Autumn Activities. We made our way to a local apple orchard last weekend with my sister and her family. It was a beautiful day, and the kids were all in a good mood.

**I started this post a few days ago, before reading this article. And now I have something else to say.**

I'm so saddened to hear of the hayride accident in Maine, leaving one person dead and plenty injured. I cannot even begin to imagine how those families are feeling days after the accident. I'm positive that the family of the deceased is wishing for one more hug from their seventeen-year-old. I'm sure they're wishing for one more eye-roll, a typical response to parents from any teenager. My heart breaks for them.

And, I find myself holding my boy more tightly. Giving him extra snuggles and extra love.

We had a similar experience during our own adventure at the apple orchard. We, too, were on a flatbed trailer, sitting on hay bales having a great time. As we made our way down the hill, through the spooky Halloween decor, the trailer and the tractor picked up speed. My first thought was that we were going down hill, this is normal. But then we were flying, and people were screaming.

Our tractor driver, bless her heart, did everything she could to keep us safe. And a fabulous job she did. Our trailer did not jack-knife. Nobody was thrown from the hayride.

We were all safe.

And how lucky we are.

Immediately following the incident, we laughed it off. "It wasn't that bad," we echoed as we walked back to the beginning of the ride.

But it could have been. Instead of being whisked away to the hospital, we got to continue our afternoon at the orchard. The kids went on a few rides, they climbed hay bales. We left with smiles on our faces.

How lucky we are.

Making Motherhood Work

First and foremost, I am mama to the sweetest little boy I know. His smile lights up a room, and fills me and his daddy with joy. His thirst for knowledge is incredible, and his humor cracks me up.

I am also teacher to the sweet babies of 21 other families. I teach kindergarten, and am blessed.

While my family is most important to me, but I know that I spend 6 hours and 40 minutes with someone else's pride and joy. Their heart, their babies. I do what I can to make sure that each child in my classroom is cared for and has their needs met at school. It's what I hope Kid's caregivers are doing while I'm away. 

Truthfully, I feel as though I have the best of both worlds. I work outside of the home late August through early June. I am a stay at home mom June through August, and during the breaks we have throughout the year. I am able to fulfill the need I have to contribute financially to my family, but also for my want to be a stay at home mama.

The school year is challenging, without a doubt. We wake Kid up at 6:30; he normally sleeps until 8. We cart him off to daycare for at least 9 hours a day. It's a long day for him, to say the least. It makes Monday evening less than ideal, as he is often crabby (who knew littles could get a case of the Mondays?).

But it's what we have to do. We make it work because it is our reality. And we know that we are lucky to have great  care for Kid, who spends four out of five week days with grandparents.

And then summer rolls around, and we enjoy the more relaxed schedule of being at home with a toddler.

Linking up with Brittany, Christine, and Ashley :: Mamas Tell All.

Pumpkin' Pickin'

A few days ago, my sister and I ventured to our local (and super awesome) pumpkin patch. The patch doesn't pop up too early, and it isn't around for too long. You have to go at just the right time, or you'll miss it.

Kid was overjoyed to be out picking pumpkins -- he ran up and down the rows, tripping every so often, and banging on the pumpkins as if they were bongo drums.

This pumpkin patch reminds me that there are still good people in the world. There is no attendant at the pumpkin patch. We arrived and were the only people on site. It made searching for our pumpkins that much more fun. We had the whole place to search by ourselves! Wheelbarrows line the parking lot for easy pumpkin transportation and signs instruct you where and how much to pay.

I can only hope that this pumpkin patch stays the way it is for years to come. Sure, it's bordered by a few busy roads. They're far enough away to not be a bother or a worry. The thing that does worry me, though, is the location. The pumpkin patch is in an area that has exploded with development. unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before the owners sell off their land to developers...

Until that time comes, we will continue to be patrons at the ever-trusting pumpkin patch.

Hello, Again!

I'm posting from the Northwoods of Minnesota, as we are on our yearly camping trip to Cuyuna. The hubs and his dad SCUBA dive the old iron pits while the ladies (and baby, er...toddler) hang out in the sun. We've been blessed with another year of fabulous weather.

I'm posting from the front seat of our truck, seat belt on, ignition off. We are parked right behind our camper.

Why aren't you in the camper, you ask?

Someone (not naming names, but I bet you can guess) decided to wake up at 3:10 and had no desire to go back to sleep. We fought for an hour, then decided a car ride would do the trick. And the kid had been asleep since the moment the truck rumbled to life.

We can hear gun shots over head as day has broken on the duck hunting season opener. The pup is watching out the window as the mountain bikers emerge from their tents. He, too, is listening to the gun shots. I think he know that someone somewhere is hunting. If dogs feel jealousy, he's feeling it today for sure. 

And while I sit here and watch the sky turn from black to pale blue, I realize how much I've missed this space of mine. I realize how much has happened since July, and how I have enjoyed every moment, but missed so much.

The hubs and I are back to work. Slowly, we get back into a routine. It's difficult to adjust to new routines, but it is a must. We now have the unfortunate job of tearing Kid out of bed every morning, the sleep still in his eyes. He slowly wakes up in the car, and enjoys breakfast when we finally get to our destination. We hurry off to work and put in our time (except teaching is so, so much more than that), only to hurry home to play with Kid. The house chores get pushed off, there's always a mess to pick up.

But our sweet boy is happy and healthy and loving life. Even at 3:30 in the morning in a Saturday.

As a parent, can you ask for anything more?

April Showers? In June? {Minnehaha Falls}

Minnesota had some amazing rainfall this year, especially in June. Bridges were closed due to high waters. A friend of mine paddled her kayak to work one morning. There's a golf course in Minneapolis that is still closed. Yikes!

Really, I'm writing this post with the sole purpose of sharing some pictures of one of Minneapolis' local waterfalls: Minnehaha Falls.

It's located in a beautiful park, that also boasts a wading pool, off-leash dog park, and outdoor concerts. Not to mention Sea Salt, a delicious seafood eatery that never, (I'll repeat) never has an empty table.

I know, I know. I'm not imparting any new ideas, awesome lists, or a DIY project. But this park has my heart. I've been there 3 times already this summer. And I would go three more.

(I didn't know there was a wading pool - just added that to my summer bucket list!)

Look at the water creeping up on that bench! They had to put yellow caution tape around this area.

Does anyone know what this sign says? Probably "Falls Ahead" for those in canoes and kayaks.