Need Some Help in Anchorage? Here Are My Picks

Anchorage is a nice size, big enough to find what you need, small enough to be familiar with what's available. For those who may find yourself in Anchorage someday (we get our share of tourists each summer) here is a list of some great goods and services I'd recommend:

1. Need a sandwich shop? I'd recommend The Perfect Cup at the Dimond Center, I dream about their avocado/bacon sandwich--if ethnic food is your thing you should consider Milano's on Arctic and 36th, they have terrific gyros and steak and cheese sandwiches.

2. Need a photographer? Stanton Photography, definitely the best. All of his pictures are beautiful.

3. Need a restaurant? South Side Bistro on Huffman. I'd recommend the cream of sundried tomato soup with the chevre salad and the raspberry creme brulee for dessert and you could always order more and take it home . . .

4. Need a dentist? James Nichols, D.D.S or Russell Morrell, D.D.S. I know over a dozen good dentists, but these two I'd highly recommend.

5. Need an optometrist? Dr. Bill Faulkner is good, Andrew and I have gone to him but I've also really liked Dr. Fox, she's great with the kids.

6. Need a carpet cleaner? J&S Steamway is the best. Not necessarily the cheapest but the best. I can get my family room, hallway, and two half-flights of stairs done for a little over $100, which isn't too bad given the quality.

7. Need an appliance repairman? Anchor Appliances has given good results. They've taken care of my dishwasher and refrigerator and even gave me advice with an electrical issue. I used Harold's once and didn't care for it as much though that was five years ago.

8. Need a cheap date? Oh Bear Tooth for sure. You always hear me talking about The Moose's Tooth and the Amazing Cheesebread, well The Bear Tooth Theater is owned by the same geniuses only there they throw in a movie with your dinner. Tickets are $3 per show. Order the same great food as at Moose's Tooth before you sit down and they bring you your dinner to eat during the movie. Warning: do not order something that requires light to eat i.e. salads, messy stuff, nachos, etc. You can get dinner and a movie for two for under $15 if you're smart.

9. Need your furniture restored? Windmill Furniture Restoration. My mother had her dining room table refinished and they picked it up, refinished and delivered for a fabulous price. But call early, the waiting list is long--I called this month for a spot after Thanksgiving.

10. Need a pediatrician? Dr. Jeff Brand. Highly recommended. If your child is sick he's easily available and he also has an office in Eagle River for patients out there. He's practical and down to earth and doesn't treat you like a silly worrier. Also I'd recommend Dr. Jeff Penman who is the pediatrician for many of my friends' children.

11. Need a plumber? I've used Chaz Mechanical and H&M Plumbing and both were fine but I was impressed with Best Plumbing that hooked up our sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher for the remodel. He was quick and painless and can also took care of heating issues and I thought his bill for the whole thing was pretty reasonable too.

12. Need a mechanic? The Alignment Center knows us on a first-name basis--my grandfather recommended them to me years ago and I've been so happy I never mess with anyone else. They can fit you in immediately and get the work done quickly but the best part is that they seem very honest. I've had several times when I've taken one of the cars in for repairs and they've told me that it's a minor problem, easily fixed at little cost (how often does that happen?) Twice they've installed bad parts that broke and they quickly identified what had happened, accepted responsibility and fixed it at no charge when I wouldn't have known the difference. Being so ignorant when it comes to cars, this is a comforting thing.

13. Need an oil and gas attorney? I have a really hunky one I would recommend . . .

And if you're looking for some other goodies to help you through the summer check back here on Saturday for the unveiling of a new weekly feature at Scribbit. You'll love it, I promise . . .

***

And Pinks and Blues is giving away a Dooney and Bourke handbag. Go! Go! Go! You have until Friday to get your name in the pot.

Technorati tags: Thursday Thirteen, Anchorage, Alaska, mechanics

Do-it-Yourself Dollhouses

As promised I'll be posting some of my favorite craft activities for kids this summer and this first one I saw in FamilyFun Magazine several years ago.

It's a dollhouse made from recycled household products: egg cartons, match boxes, bottle caps, milk jug lids, cardboard tubes, scraps of fabric, cotton balls, contact paper. What's makes it so fun is that it is a work in progress and the possibilities are endless for creative inventiveness.

Grace and Lillian started this one last week and have been adding on ever since. I particularly like their little macaroni-handle on the oven, a classy touch. They used wood-patterned contact paper for the floor, spray painted a soap box silver for the refrigerator, used the cups from an egg carton for the kitchen chairs and small boxes stuffed with batting and covered with fabric for those two blue chairs. Yes, those are two of the empty Tiffany boxes that I got for Valentine's Day. I couldn't think of anything else to do with them and they make lovely matching chairs.

To start, give your child a cardboard box or boxes, a supply of recycled items such as pipe cleaners, straws, corks, buttons, beads, Popsicle sticks and some pictures printed off this post or the links at FamilyFun and let them go to it. Within no time they'll have a penthouse that even Barbie would envy.

Check in with Rocks in My Dryer every Wednesday for other good tips.

And if you're interested in more crafts activities for children check back this Saturday for a special new weekly feature here at Scribbit. You're going to like it I promise . . .

Technorati tags: WFMW, crafts, children, summer vacation, dolls

Crab Apples and Thoughts of Jelly

My biggest regret about Alaska is the short growing season. If I had my way I'd have an orchard with apricots, cherries, apples, peaches . . . but they don't grow here. Sure there are a few strains of fruit trees that have survived in various micro climates around town but generally if you want fruit you're out of luck in Anchorage.

I happen to have a couple crab apple trees that couldn't be prettier each spring. Not as good as apple trees but they were here when we bought the house and are so pretty I can't bear to get rid of them. Besides, we make crab apple jelly each fall from the pickings. If you haven't had crab apple jelly you're missing out. It's a beautiful pink color and tastes so sweet and tender with a hint of tart that you couldn't help but love it--it's perfect for your breakfast toast.

Technorati tags: Wordless Wednesday, spring, crab apples, Alaska, gardening, photographs

Bouchercon 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska

I know the biggest buzz on the female blog circuit is the BlogHer conference in Chicago this summer but if you're looking for a fun place to visit and some real happenings (and don't get me wrong all you Windy City lovers out there) get your tickets for Bouchercon which is being held here in Anchorage, Alaska September 27-30.

You haven't heard of Bouchercon? It's the biggest and longest-running mystery-lovers convention in the world. Named after mystery writer Anthony Boucher, Bouchercon is the place where mystery writers, editors, sellers, publishers and fans get together for shop talk and rubbing shoulders with the Who's Who of the mystery world. (It's during the convention that attendees choose the winner for the annual Anthony Award for mystery fiction).

Who's going to be there? Let me see . . . Thomas Perry, Diana Gabaldon, Robert S. Levinson, Otto Penzler (editor of The Best American Mystery Stories series) to name a few. The list of authors registered is updated here. And I'll definitely be there taking notes. I attended when The Left Coast Crime convention was held in Anchorage several years ago and can report a good time was had by all so I'm sure this too will be a treat.

If you register before July 1st the three-day fee is $200 but you can pick either Friday or Saturday for $100. The registration form has more details.

If any of you are headed my way let me know and I'll look forward to meeting you at the conference (and remember you may go to BlogHer but you can't fish for salmon in the middle of Chicago!)

Technorati tags: Bouchercon, blogging, Anthony Awards, mysteries

Dear Children: I Love Being Your Mom

Jordan McCollum at MamaBlogga is holding a Group Writing Project and the theme is "Dear Children." I'm not very good at imparting wisdom for posterity so I'm tackling the theme in my own way: I've gone through the journals and pulled out a story from Halloween 2004, one that shows why I'm so grateful I've kept anecdotal records of my children all these years.

So I'll preface the story with "Dear Children, though there are days when I may seem tired or impatient or ready to melt into the floor from the stresses of the day always remember that I love being a mom--love being your mom--and wouldn't trade my job for anything. Not with entertainment like this to lighten the load:"

***

The family did some cross-country racing yesterday for the last of our Tuesday Night Races and this time the course was at Russian Jack Springs Park on the other side of town. I was hesitant to go because the rain wasn't letting up as 6:30 drew near but it didn't stop 1000 hardy Alaskan runners of all ages and sizes from lining up for the Halloween-themed race. Though some had waterproofed themselves in trashbags the majority were in full costume and it was a hoot to see everyone jogging in place at the starting line, keeping warm before the race was to start.

Witches, ghosts, Darth Vader, capes were flying as all were racing and the beauty of the event was that for the Munchkin League race there were stations set up along the jack o' lantern-lit course where the kids could get soggy Halloween treats. The kids were thrilled and loaded up the bags with candy--and with such incentives for speed ended with the best times all season.

Funny part was, however, that one of the treats the kids picked up was a toy, a set of giant plastic lips set around a kazoo. You could stick the kazoo in your mouth and from the front it would look as if you had these giant red plastic lips and a kazoo puckered between them (get the picture?)

Well, Spencer (age 8) very kindly and graciously gave his lips to Lillian (age 2) who hadn't got any treats and she went around happily hooting on her horn for the day. However, based on my Super Mom Spider Sense and amazing powers of intuition I'm guessing David (age 5) must have swiped her lips from her because when I called David and Lillian in for lunch and David plopped himself up on the barstool at the counter and smiled at me before diving into his mac and cheese I saw the evidence.

I did a double take. At first it looked as if he’d been sloppy with the jam or something and I zoomed in for a closer look. There, carefully outlined for two inches all around his lips was an enormous bruise/blood-blister in the shape of a set of giant lips.

My eyes widened and, trying to hold it together I asked (oh so casually) “Hey, David, you seen Lillian’s plastic lips lately--you know the ones with the kazoo in them?”

He shrugged very nonchalantly and said, “No.”

I leaned forward, propped an elbow on the counter and decided on a more direct approach. “Have you been sucking on Lillian’s plastic lips?”

Still no. But with a little more prodding I got a confession out of him that he had indeed been playing with the lips and had been sucking them tightly, suctioning them around his mouth. Unbeknownst to him he had received a giant kiss for doing so and (here was my fatal error) I took him to the bathroom so he could see what had happened.

Now lest you think I’m exaggerating, he looked like a small white version of Tina Turner and when he realized what he’d done and that it wouldn’t come off he burst into heart-rending sobs for fear of what the kids at school would say. It wasn’t easy to convince him that they’d never even notice (because goodness hadn’t I proved that theory to be completely bogus?) but somehow he calmed down and believed me when I assured him that he’d live through it. He eventually set off for kindergarten in dry, albeit low, spirits.

It did go alway after a few days, though it’s still faintly there even now. Luckily none of the kids gave him a hard of a time about it--kindergarteners tend to be relatively benign and more loving than other gradeschoolers--and by the time Halloween came it looked fine. As luck would have it he was a pirate and the bruise had assumed the shaped of a rather odd, slightly sloppy goatee.

***

Also, many kind thanks to Leslie at My Mommy's Place for nominating me as Crazy Hip Blog Mamas Mother of the Week. I don't know that my kids would agree with that title, but it's flattering none the less.


Technorati tags: parenting, motherhood, group writing project, children, Alaska

Creamy Chicken Rigatoni

I got this recipe years ago from my mother. Who knows where she found it but it's been a favorite for a dozen years. Whether you like spinach or not, whether you eat your veggies or not, you'll love this--I always have to tell the kids to slow down and take smaller bites, chew between gulps, etc. when this is on the menu.

Oh, and the sauce makes enough for two meals.

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 c flour
5 cups milk
2 teaspoons mild chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
½ pound diced, chicken
8 ounces finely chopped frozen spinach, thawed
6 ounces grated cheddar
2 tablespoons Parmesan, plus some for topping
16 ounces of cooked penne

Melt the butter and add the flour, whisking to combine. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook over a medium heat until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Add the chili powder, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, saute chicken and garlic in the olive oil until it begins to brown then add the spinach, heating throughly and cooking the chicken until it's done. Add the chicken mixture to the sauce then add the grated cheddar and Parmesan, stirring until the cheeses melt. Serve over cooked rigatoni and topped with shredded Parmesan.

Technorati tags: chicken, pasta, spinach, cheese

Perfect Picturewall

When I remodeled the kitchen a few weeks ago Andrew made the comment that he wished we had family pictures on display. Well I took his comment to heart and now we have pictures with a vengeance.

I was exercising at the gym--it's the only way for me to get my HGTV fix because we don't have cable at home--and Divine Design used this fabulous decorating idea.

Perfect Picturewall gives you everything you need to hang a grouping of pictures on your wall. The kit includes ten frames, twelve mats, hanging hardware and a template so that all you need to do is tape the template to your wall in the space where you want the grouping and then make the nail holes through the paper. Just hang the pictures and Presto! You've got everything evenly spaced, level and ready for viewing.

It comes with black and white prints if you'd like to use their stock photos instead of your own. Frames can be ordered in two thicknesses and in a variety of colors. With the kit you get three templates, two for groupings up a stairway and one in a five by eight-foot rectangular grouping. I didn't have the space to put up the entire eight-foot grouping so I cut my template into two pieces, used one on one wall and the other on an opposite wall.

Shipping is always free for any lucky souls living in the contiguous United States but 2nd day air is usually required for shipping to Alaska.

With the free shipping the price isn't unreasonable considering how much it costs to buy an individual quality frame and custom mat. When you throw in the hours of labor to find the frames, order the mats and arrange such a grouping I felt the product was a good deal for the price. From the time I received the box on my doorstep to the time my pictures were on the wall was about a half an hour. That's my kind of decorating.

I love cable t.v., I love Candice Olson, I love my new picture walls.

Technorati tags: home improvements, decorating, framing, pictures, HGTV

The Scribbit Mailbag

You may not know this, but I can go to my Google Analytics account and see exactly which words or phrases people type into Google to arrive at my blog. Any time anyone goes to Google, types in a phrase where my blog is included in the search results and they click through to it Google records the visit and the words that got them here. Let me tell you it's quite a window into humanity.

I'm no Dear Abby but judging from some of the questions leading my direction it would appear I'm the fountain of all knowledge. Unfortunately for those poor Googlers though they came with answers they left empty handed because I'm pretty sure none of these topics were adequately addressed in previous posts.

But being that concern for you, the reader, is my ultimate goal (well that and getting a really cool job as a travel writer) I thought I'd take a minute out of the day to answer some of this week's highlights so that future Googlers can find answers where others failed. Here, in no particular order are nine questions people Googled and then arrived at Scribbit:

1. My husband wears my pajamas.

Now this isn't technically a question but being that it presents such an interesting visual image I thought I'd ask one of my own: At the same time? And what are you wearing? Is this an extra set we're talking about or does he wear the bottom while you wear the top? I need more information before passing judgment on this one.

2. I have cannibal goldfish

This too being a statement rather than a question I'm a little fuzzy on what you'd like to learn but all I can say is: My condolences, at least you don't have to worry about feeding them.

3. Can my hooves help me travel over snow and ice?

And am I speaking with Prancer or Vixen? I recommend the studded hooves over the all-weather models. Though you have to change them over every winter the added safety really pays off in the end.

4. Why am I married to an attorney?

Because he put up the most convincing case.

5. Can I eat kimchi while I'm pregnant?

While I was pregnant with Grace we had some Korean neighbors below us who frequently fixed kimchi and I'm here to testify that no pregnant woman should ever smell kimchi let alone consume it. Definitely.

6. My husband spanked my bottom red.

No response. Nothing at all to say to that one, I'm still mulling it over.

7. Can I get a tumor in my head from a cell phone?

Couldn't say but I'm pretty confident in advising that you can't get one out with a cell phone.

8. How much does Toby McGuire make?

More than I do but he's having a lot less fun. He never gets questions about pregnant cannibal goldfish swimming over ice and snow with cell phone-induced head tumors.

9. What does the lochness monster eat?

Krill. It's all about the krill. But I hear he'll take a Scotsman when he can get them.

That's all the questions I have time for today folks, but thanks for playing. And look at the good side, I've just doubled the probability that someone Googling the phrase "Can my hooves help me travel over snow and ice?" will make it to this site.

Technorati tags: questions, Toby McGuire, Lochness Monster, cell phones

Reasons Why Being on Wife Swap Is A Bad Idea

I had an interesting thing happen this past week, a producer from ABC (as in American Broadcasting Corporation and all that Desperate Housewives stuff) contacted me to see if I'd be willing to accept $20,000 for me and my family to appear on the reality show that's all about family togetherness: Wife Swap.

Now you may not be familiar with this gem of entertainment, I myself wasn't, but the title pretty much says it all. Two families of opposite circumstances and temperaments swap moms in an attempt to create tension and drama--I mean, to teach, inspire and learn from each other.

Well as tempting as that tidy sum is, I had to turn them down and here are the reasons why (hope you get $20,000 worth of humor from it):

1. I know they're looking for an Alaska family but we're just not that exciting. For some real drama they need a family that'll turn some heads. Might I suggest the local newsworthy clan leader Papa Pilgrim?

Sure, switching with a suburban Last Frontier family such as mine would be interesting but switching with a nomadic, iconoclastic, gun-toting, cousin-kissing, FBI-eluding, road-blocking family without electricity or indoor plumbing? Not THAT would be something. Anyone out there interested in a swap with this crew? I think his wife's name is Country Rose. Or maybe she goes by Mrs. Papa Pilgrim.

2. The publicity may not go over well at Andrew's office. I can just see the reactions--somehow having all your clients know that your wife is "out and about" on national television while you're playing host to her alternate has a way of decreasing your credibility and professional dignity. I wonder if the American Bar Association has anything to say about that in their multitude of professional conduct bylaws?

3. On the other hand, maybe we could increase our earnings by getting Andrew's office to act as an additional sponsor. You know, have matching t-shirts made up with his company's name and logo on it and have us wear them all week? I bet they'd like that--lots of coverage and publicity. Didn't someone say there's no such thing as bad PR?

4. As tempting as it is to swap lives with a complete stranger I've always been a little weird about sharing personal things--like husbands--with people I don't know. It grosses me out to borrow someone else's sleeping bag let alone their man, I'm funny that way. Seriously though, what's the difference between sleeping in someone's bed with used sheets and sleeping in a used sleeping bag? I bet the used sheets are even cleaner come to think of it . . .

5. Remember my new kitchen? I'm not so keen on the idea of some other woman messing around in my Coolest Toy. The idea of someone else nicking up my new cabinets or *gasp* setting hot pans on my countertops to crack them makes me start to hyperventilate.

6. In fact, it's not worth $20,000 to come home to someone else living in my space, I'm such a freak about keeping the house clean I can't imagine having another woman in charge of the cleaning around here. She could kill my plants, leave dirty dishes in the sink, rearrange my underwear drawer, use my toothbrush . . . the possibilities are endless and make me break out in a sweat. I know, I know I'm full of psychoses and all this just goes to show you that the producers obviously fingered the right Family O' Freaks when they called on us.

7. And I doubt there's another woman on the planet who could get my Limited Edition Linda Blair Minivan to run properly. It would need a 500-page instruction manual to explain how to start it when it floods occasionally or that one shouldn't panic at the constant beeping noise that would--in normal cars--indicate an open door or the Automatic Breaking System firing off whenever I come to a stop. It's as if the car has challenged me to a game of chicken to see who will blink first--it's not going to be me--and I doubt another woman could manage the beast.

8. If I were to swap with another Mom there's always the chance--however slight--that the other woman would be able to buy her way into my children's affections with her Good Cop routine--you know, the constant candy, video games, t.v. time and staying up late and the kids would be disappointed when I came home and made them once again do chores, bathe, eat their asparagus, get up on time and wear clean underwear. I'm just not prepared for that kind of competition.

9. Plus, I'd miss Andrew. If I'm going to be away from Andrew for a week I'm going to treat myself with a lot of no-cooking nights, sleeping in and Audrey Hepburn movies. I'm not going to be deprived of my husband for a week just so I can wash some strangers' laundry or potty train their toddler. No thanks--maybe for my next vacation but not this time.

10. Besides, there's hardly enough room in our house for two adults, four children, three--make that two--goldfish (yes, they're still alive--go figure) and a parakeet in a pear tree let alone a camera crew. Though I suppose we could put them up in the playhouse or in the crawlspace . . . I have some sleeping bags they could borrow.

11. You know that kind of quality programming would just mean an Emmy nomination and I'm not ready for that kind of pressure at this point in my life. First it's a nomination, then I've got to attend the awards, come up with a designer dress and an acceptance speech and suddenly it's paparazzi galore. From then on I'm a celebrity. Sigh. I'll just stick with my glorious anonymity.

12. With my luck they'd pass me over for a swap with a family living in luxury, complete with a household staff, gourmet personal chef and their villa in Tuscany, and instead give me Edith and Bobby Jo McGoober living off the land in the Everglades making their own alligator jerky and squirrel chutney. Yea, that would be my luck. What if they did a celebrity edition and swapped me with Britney Spears? No, that would be much, there's too much swapping that goes on among the stars as it is.

13. $20,000 would only just begin to cover the cost of the therapy it would require to fix everyone in the family after such an ordeal.

So sorry, I'm not interested. But hey, if any of you are interested let me know. They said I could get a $1000 referral fee if I directed someone else to get onto the show so all it will take is for me to get 20 of you good readers interested enough to get on the show and I can recoup my losses.

And ABC, if you're listening, any time you're looking for someone to help out with that there Extreme Makeover Home Edition show, I'm your woman--but the only thing I'm interested in swapping is my bathroom tub for a jacuzzi.

But now I'm downright curious. If given the chance how many of you would do it? Maybe I really am the odd one here.

Would you be on Wife Swap for $20,000?

• Yes
• No

View Results

provided by twigs.com

Technorati tags: Thursday Thirteen, reality television, Wife Swap, ABC

Summer Crafts for Kids

It's the last day of school today and I'm staring a long summer vacation straight in the eyes. How's a mom to survive with her sanity in tact?

If your children are like mine they come to you with the eternal "Mom, I'm bored, what is there to do?" question dripping from their popsicle-laquered lips. My solution was to put together a craft notebook for them where they can go to the library shelf, pull down the binder and browse through numerous crafts and activities until they find something that interests them.

Better Homes and Gardens, FamilyFun, Martha Stewart and other publications I've subscribed to over the years have had fun activities for kids that I've ripped out, saving only the best ideas in each issue. I've also checked out books on children's activities at the library and photocopied the best ideas from them as well. Rather than let all the loose sheets collect dust in a drawer I slipped them into plastic sheet protectors and collected them in a large three-ring binder with dividers labeled by subject: Holidays, Games, Puzzles, Crafts, Puppets, Science, etc.

With so many colorfully illustrated ideas in one place it's hard for a child not to find at least one activity that appeals to them.

For the duration of the summer break each of my Works for Me Wednesdays posts will spotlight a different activity from my book--and there are some great ones let me warn you--to keep your children happy and your sanity alive and well.

Technorati tags: WFMW, crafts, children, summer vacation

Zonal Geraniums

The Official Day for Planting in Anchorage is June 1st, meaning that we're pretty sure the snow will be gone for good by then. Though don't expect any refunds if they're wrong.

I can never wait that long and always, no matter how hard I try, end up giving in and planting early. I was good this year and waited until last Saturday. I was so proud of myself but who can resist the urge to plant when the sun is shining and the leaves are popping?

Technorati tags: Wordless Wednesday, spring, geraniums, Alaska, gardening, photographs

Someone I'd Like You to Meet: Meredith from Poppy Fields

If I were to win a plane ticket to go anywhere in the world you can bet I'd end up on this woman's doorstep. Meredith, our guest judge for this month's Write-Away Contest, is a blogger with international flair living in the south of France with her husband and two daughters, Emma and Nina. Her blog is Poppy Fields and evokes thoughts of Monet and Degas, olive groves and grape vines, lovely meals and afternoon naps.

Ever since my years of classroom French and picking my way through Gide and Camus I've wanted to visit her country but a conversation with Meredith is the next best thing to two weeks in Provence. The first question I asked was how a girl from America's midwest and named after Tom Brokaw's wife came to marry a French man and settle in Europe?

She met her husband on a blind date while they were both working in Hawaii--the big island to be specific--she as a medical technologist and he as an engineer for a French-Canadian-Hawaiian telescope. When her husband--then her boyfriend--wanted to move back to France she went along and eventually they married there and settled to raise their family.

While living abroad sounds so wonderfully romantic and exciting to me I had to ask a few nosy questions: "Do you think of France as home?" "Does it bother you if your daughters think of themselves as French but not American?" and "Is it difficult seeing family so infrequently?"

"France is my home now, when someone asks where I am from, I answer that I am an American living in France. The question [of my daughters' nationality] bothered me when they were babies but as they grow up (and maybe me too) it doesn't worry me anymore. They think of themselves first as French and I've come to some sort of realization that this is not a bad thing, their roots are here in France and the life they are living is good. Up until a year or two ago I went back [to the United States] about once a year but as my girls get older we are probably only going to go back every other year, staying longer than the two weeks that we used to take as a vacation. This is the hardest part about living in France, far from my family. I feel the distance, emotionally and geographically."

She may feel the distance but part of the charm of Meredith's blog is her ability to narrow the miles between France and her readers. She may be on the other side of the world but her posts make you feel at home and comfortable as if you were visiting for an afternoon lunch.

I asked about her favorite place to visit in France and she gave Paris glowing praises. For family vacation spots she nominated Presqui'ile de Giens where they rent "a beach side studio apartment for several weekends a year in the off-season and the girls can just open the door and go play in the sand and sea." It sounds wonderful.

Perhaps her most interesting answer was her goals for her blog. Meredith said, "I want to keep writing in English, maybe as a way not to lose that part of me. My life in France is good, but it is in French, which leaves out a whole part of who I am. My blog is my place to take the time to express myself in English, for myself and anyone else that might be interested." As for myself, who blog in the only language I adequately know, her answer made me think how wonderful it must be to create in more than one language and I felt a bit of jealousy for someone who has more than one set of symbols within their power. Poppy Fields is influenced by both worlds and melds the best parts of each into a pleasant experience.

***

Join me June 1st for next month's Write-Away Contest topic and guest judge.

Technorati tags: interviews, Alaska, France, mommybloggers, Write-Away Contest

Teaching Children Responsibility: Money

When Grace was six she wanted a bike. We told her that she'd have to earn the money for it herself, which wasn't going to be easy as most of the good-paying management jobs tend to go to applicants who have completed the first grade. We don't believe in giving our children allowances for the simple reason that no one gives us allowances. The rule is: everyone contributes to our home without the expectation of monetary compensation (as soon as I get a paycheck for making the bed, then the kids can expect one).

We knew it would be tough for her to earn the money herself but she did. Washing the car and other chores that were beyond what she normally would do earned her fifty cents. If she worked hard, didn't complain and had completed all her regular chores she could earn money here and there but it was slow going because really now, having a six year-old wash your car isn't the way to get it clean, they can only reach half-way up the car so the job's only worth about fifty cents. It took almost the whole summer to earn $15, which wasn't nearly enough for a new bike.

We were wondering what to do, we didn't want her to have worked so hard and then be disappointed but then Andrew got a brilliant idea. Garage sales. They shopped the sales until they found a $1o pink girls bike that was perfect--she even had enough left over to buy a basket and horn.

We learned our lesson and have done the same thing with each of the kids. They earn what they can, we take them to garage sales and they get a bike that works. Not a glamorous brand-new bike but a bike that they earned themselves. And when a younger child, such as David, came along and wanted his own bike instead of us giving him Spencer's original bike Spencer was able to sell his bike to David so he could have enough to by a bigger bike for himself. It's capitalism at it's best I tell you.

Once Grace was old enough to babysit for other people I sat down with her and helped her to put together a flier advertising "Grace's House Help Service." She listed all the chores she was qualified to do, listed her hourly rates and as a "one-time introductory special" offered the first session for free. We printed the information on pretty pink paper, I gave her a list of all our acquaintances in the subdivision within bike-riding distance and she spent the afternoon visiting each person and distributing the fliers. By the time she got home she had two phone calls for jobs and it's been non-stop ever since.

Now that we've taught her to earn her own money all of her spending cash comes from the proceeds. We ask her to save at least half of her earnings for college but whatever is left is hers. If she wants to go to the movies with her friends, wants extra clothes beyond what I buy her at the start of the school year or wants an ipod Shuffle she either shells out her own cash or puts it on her wish list for Christmas. Spencer is learning the same thing and plans to start mowing lawns for his money starting this summer.

By now you get an idea of the attitude Andrew and I take towards our children and money but to be a little more specific, our Household Economic Theory can be condensed into three major goals:

Teach children the difference between Needs and Wants

The distinction between a necessity and a luxury disappeared with the invention of television and poverty in modern, industrialized nations isn't about how much food is in the cupboards but in how many gadgets are in the home.

Now someone is poor if they don't have cable or if they drive a beat-up car. Yes, there are many many people in America going to bed hungry but in general their sufferings can't compare with the extreme destitution of children orphaned by AIDS, of villages without potable water or refuges fleeing genocide.

We've come to think of too many things as necessities: sports gear, ipods, cell phones, SUVs, or bikes and the list is as endless as man's ability to invent. Teaching our children starts with teaching them what is necessary for survival, for education, for providing for their future families vs. what is merely fun, entertaining and convenient.

My job as a mother is to provide love, safety, food, shelter, clothing, medicine and access to education to the best of my ability--but beyond that the rules change. No where in the Parenting Handbook does it say that I have to provide video games, bicycles, soccer lessons, vacations, private bedrooms or a car. These things can be nice and may not be wrong to have them but the problems occur when I guilt myself into thinking I'm a bad mom or that my children are deprived if they don't have them. These things are just luxuries, life goes on without them just fine. Learning to be content with what one has is an important component of happiness and if you're always happy with what you have then you'll always be happy, right?

Learn to say "No"

If we want our children to be responsible with money we have to train them to be able to tell themselves "No" when they can't afford something and that begins by saying "No" to them first.

It may sound harsh but it's an important life lesson. The sooner a child learns that the world--or the family--has a finite number of resources and that those resources don't exist to fulfill their desires and longings the better. If you can't afford to give your child every whim of their heart great, you're teaching your kids this principle whether you want to or not. But if you can afford to provide your child with toys, trips and fun it will take a concerted effort to deny them things that they may want but shouldn't have--or, even more difficult, to deny them things that may be just fine for them to have but would lead them toward feelings of entitlement, ingratitude or laziness.

Teach children to work for the things they want

If your child wants something that isn't a necessity consider making them work for it. This will of course depend on age and maturity but a child who works for their wants will learn discipline, responsibility, gratitude, and how to work faster than the child to whom everything is given. I promise you.

We've found that if our children really want something, that is, if it's not just a passing fancy, they're willing to put in the time and effort it takes to earn it. They'll take better care of it, they'll be more grateful for it and they'll be careful what they ask for in the future. It really is a win-win situation.

"What about little things?" you're saying? Sure, all sorts of little things. Books, toys, pets, social activities, movie tickets, music, extra clothes, when they ask for those things it works to say to them "Wait until your birthday/Christmas" or "You'll need to find a way to earn it yourself."

"What about big things?" you say? Well, enough humans on the planet have worked to buy their own cars, homes and college educations without help from their parents so I see no limit to the principle. It's just a fact that if something is worth having it's worth working for and the more valuable it is, the more worthwhile your sweat and labor becomes. I see no reason why my retirement savings should go toward paying for my children's college classes and if they pay for their education themselves you can bet they'll skip classes less frequently and graduate faster. Besides, there isn't any reason that they can't pay for it themselves through summer jobs, working part-time during school, scholarships, good ol' fashioned PELL grants, reasonable student loans and attending a cheaper institution rather than an expensive, private school.

We've tried to stick by these principles and have had some success . . . generally. So far. We're not done yet so you might want to check back in twenty years but for now it's worked well. It's hard to teach them to think not in terms of "What stuff do I get?" but "How can I earn what I want?" A tough lesson but worth every ounce of effort if we can pull it off.

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I've written about just one small aspect of this subject, using my custom search engine here are a few posts that have other ideas and advice:

* Teaching my Kids Financial Responsibility by The Scratching Post
* On College Tuition, Investment and Financial Responsibility by Touched by an Angel
* Poll Results by MotherLoad: The MomAdvice Blog
* Teach Your Kids to Work: Part One by GNM Parents
* Raising Entrepreneurs: Teach Your Own Kids Entrepreneurial Thinking with a Home Business by Homeschool Blogger
* Why I Don't Give My Kids Allowances: A Conversation by No Limits Ladies
* Allowances for Kids: Teaching Children the Value of Money by Get Rich Slowly
* Favorite Book about Kids and Money? Talk amongst Yourselves by Parenthacks

Technorati tags: parenting, Alaska, money, motherhood, responsibility, allowances

Homemade Granola

When I mentioned my favorite cold cereals and my love for granola I had several kind requests for my granola recipe. It's actually my mother's recipe, the one she used on us for years. The one that made me a granola addict, the one that started it all. It's like the blueprint by which all other granolas should be compared.

As a note, it makes a huge batch so you'll need a large, feet-soaking-sized mixing bowl. Should you not have one you can cut the recipe in half and make half at a time or (shhh!) mix it in your sink--properly cleaned and stopped up of course--I often make it in half-batches, one with lovely luscious raisins for Spencer and me and one without raisins for the rest of the heathen dogs.

I'm entering this in Stephanie's Make it from Scratch carnival.

8 cups oatmeal
6 cups buckwheat flakes
2 cups wheat germ
3 cups coconut
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cups raisins, Craisins or nuts

Bake at 225 spread in a shallow baking pan for 3 hours total, stirring gently every ½ hour. You'll know it's done when it begins to turn a lovely golden color, but watch it because once it's done quickly and you wouldn't want to burn it or make it too crunchy.

Technorati tags: granola, breakfast, cereal

Twenty Summer Activities for Children in Anchorage, Alaska

This was a popular list last summer so I've updated it with current times, events and locations. If you're not in Anchorage it might give you ideas for activities in your own community--try putting together a list for your own town. Every parent there will thank you.

1. Visit the Loussac Library. Sign up for the 2007 summer reading program, “Get a Clue at Your Local Library” at any municipal library or Saturday May 19th noon-4pm at the 7th annual Reading Rendezvous at Cuddy Family Park where they'll have juggling, theater, awards and activities to kick off the summer reading program. Grade school age children earn awards for meeting reading goals.

Join one of the reading groups at the story theater in the Loussac Library:

Mother Goose (birth-18 months) on Thurs 10:30 am, Fri 2:30
Lapsit (18 months-3 years) Tues 10:30, 11:30 Wed 10:30, Thurs 7pm, Friday 10:30
Storytime (3-5 years) Thurs & Fri 11:30 am

Enjoy “Live at the Library” for free outdoor concerts by the fountain Tuesdays noon-1pm.

2. Enjoy concerts at "Music in the Park". These free outdoor concerts are Wednesdays & Fridays noon-1pm at Peratrovitch park downtown and are always fun. We never miss the bagpipes because who doesn't like bagpipes and a picnic in the sun? There is also "Music for Little Ones" every Monday noon-1pm and “Live After Five” concerts for adults, a fun Friday night date activity, both held at the same location.



3. See auto racing at The Northstar Speedway. This track in Wasilla has Saturday racing May 12th through August 25th. The gates open at 2 pm and races start at 5pm. GCI customers can go to any GCI store for free tickets, otherwise it’s $10 for adults, $5 for kids and free for kids 10 and under.

4. See a free movie at the Dimond Center Theaters. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and now Thursday at 10am the theaters hold their Free Family Family Film Festival where two movies are shown, no age limit. Movies are shown concurrently all three days.

May 29-31 Curious George & Ice Age 2
Jun 5-7 Jonah: Veggie Tales & Happy Feet
Jun 12-14 Everyone's Hero & Over the Hedge
June 19-21 Clifford's Really Big Movie & Night at the Museum
Jun 26-28 Doogal & Garfield 2
Jul 3-5 Wallace and Gromit & Monster House
Jul 10-12 Rugrats: The Movie & Barnyard
Jul 17-19 Jimmy Neutron & Open Season
Jul 24-26 Charlotte's Web & Flushed Away
Jul 31-Aug 2 Elmo: Adventures in Grouchland & Happily N'Ever After

5. Catch a Bucs Baseball game. Playing at Mulcahy Stadium several evenings a week (usually at 7pm) June 9th-July 28th, this is great fun. Bring a big bag of peanuts and show your kids what baseball at sunny 10pm feels like. The library's summer reading program often gives out free passes for four to the games otherwise admission is $5, six and under are free.

6. Go gold panning at Indian Valley Mine. Off of the Seward Highway just before the turnoff to Indian and open from May 15th-September 15th 9am-9pm. Admission is $1 per person for the mine and museum and then $3 and up for the dirt to pan--depending on the amount of dirt. It's very clean and very easy for small children and the views of Turnagain Arm are worth the trip.

7. Build something at The Home Depot and Lowe’s kid clubs. Free to children of all ages, each store's kids' club provide aprons (to keep), tools, safety goggles and kits to build various easy woodworking projects such as birdhouses, bookshelves and wooden toys. Home Depot on Abbott holds their kids' club the first Saturday of every month 9am-12pm while supplies last (and I've never seen them run out but it can get crowded around the tables). Lowe’s on Old Seward and O’Malley holds theirs the 2nd Saturday at 10am. Children get certificates of completion and patches to put on their aprons each time they complete a project.

8. Go fossil hunting in Sutton. Anywhere where the rock is layered and loose you can find plant fossils from the late cenozoic period (50-70 million years old). Bring a good map, take any road into the Talkeetna Mountains, find a good place to turn off and you'll find fossils. The kids like carrying picks and buckets--but the picks are more for fun than necessity. It's just fun banging rocks.

9. Family cross country running at the Tuesday Night Races. Enter the Munchkin, Farm or Lightning leagues to choose your distance (between 1-10 km) on various cross-country courses chosen by guest runners. The Halloween race is in costume with the Munchkin league running for treats along the way. It's a great activity for families, registration begins at 6pm, the races start at 6:30. The cost is $2 for kids, $5 for adults, $10 for family and $60 for family season pass. Results for each race are posted on the website a day or two after each race takes place. The 2008 schedule will begin September 2 and run through the first week of November, check the website for the race locations as September gets closer.

10. Visit some of Anchorage's lakes. Rent paddle boats at Cheney Lake (on Baxter road), swim at Goose Lake (the corner of East Northern Lights and Providence Drive) or picnic at Lake Hood (near the airport) and watch the planes take off at the world’s largest and busiest float plane harbor.

11. See paragliders off the mountain in Girdwood near the Alyeska Prince Hotel. On a clear day the updrafts start around noon and for the best view take the tram ride ($14 with an Alaska ID, $7 for kids 7 and under) up the mountain for a picnic and first-hand view of their takeoffs. Hatcher’s Pass is a bit farther from Anchorage in the opposite direction but also has a great view and is popular with the paragliders--and it's free.

12. Pick blueberries on Flat Top or at Hatcher's Pass. The Flat Top trailhead starts at the top of Upper Huffman Road and though the entire trail (2 miles) may not be suitable for small children, the lower alpine area known as Blueberry Hill is great for picking berries in town. It's best to check about the first week of August to see if the berries are ripe, if you wait too long they'll be all gone. Hatcher's Pass, though farther, has more blueberries than you could ever pick if you're up for a two-hour drive. For an easy hike (even with a stroller) try the beautiful Thunderbird Falls. Follow the signs from the Glenn Highway twenty minutes north of Anchorage.

13. Ride Alaska Live Steamers miniature train. In Wasilla between the Museum of Transportation and the airport this 7.5 gauge miniature train is big enough for children and adults to sit on the individual cars as the train travels through the woods on a 20 minute train ride. The train runs the 1st and 3rd Saturdays the middle of May through the middle of September 10am-4pm. Cost is minimal ($4 for adults, children under 2 are free) children under 3 need a car seat but the owners have one to loan in a pinch.

14. Attend the annual 4th of July parade or the Governor’s Picnic. Festivities for the Independence Day celebration include a parade and fireworks, all free to the public. The governor's picnic is an annual event (July 28th this year) held at the Delaney Parkstrip between 9th and 10th Avenues downtown with activities and free food for all. Check the Anchorage Daily News for times as July draws closer.

15. Visit The Alaska Zoo. Located on East O’Malley Road on hillside the cost is $9 for adults, $5 children 12-17, $4 children 3-11. The zoo is open 9am-6pm 7 days a week, 12 months a year and also has children's workshops scheduled throughout the summer. Often the best animal viewings are on cloudy or snowy days when the animals aren’t avoiding the summer heat.

16. Visit The Alaska Botanical Garden. Take Tudor Road east to Campbell Airstrip Road and park in the Save II school parking lot. A network of gardens that is a work in progress blooming from May to October along wooded trails. The herb garden is particularly beautiful, see the website for a list of special events.

17. Visit Elmendorf State Fish Hatchery. Here you can view fish at various stages of growth at the facilities located at the corner of Reeve Boulevard and Post Road. The best time for viewing coho salmon is September but the hatchery is open from late May-September 8am-10pm.

18. Join a bookstore reading club. Most bookstores in town have a reading hour for kids, some with crafts and other activities. Many have reading programs that offer rewards in the form of coupons and free books to children who complete the reading goals. Barnes and Noble has Preschool Storytime on Wednesdays at 11am and Beginning Readers Storytime on Saturdays at 1pm. Call 279-7323 for more details. Borders has their Storytime on Tuesdays at 11am and 1pm and Saturdays at 11am, call 344-4099 for more details.

19. Visit Triple D Hatchery in Wasilla. This poultry farm is open for scheduled tours of up to 20 children for $35 (group price). In the early spring they have colored chicks on display from late March through the Easter season. Visit their website for contact information and to schedule a tour.

20. Bike the coastal trail. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail reaches 10.5 miles from downtown Anchorage, along the coast of Cook Inlet and down to Kincaid Park. With easy terrain and beautiful scenery it's a great bike ride for kids--there are plenty of parks along the way as good places to stop for a picnic if little legs get tired. The Copper Whale Inn on L Street above Elderberry Park near the beginning of the trail has bike rentals.

Technorati tags: Anchorage, Alaska, children, activities, summer, parenting

On the Road with the Write-Away Winner

Thank you to the 28 entrants of this month's contest and my eternal thanks to Meredith at Poppy Fields, our well-traveled guest judge, who visited every post and has picked her favorite on the subject of vacation and travel. Her blog is wonderful so please drop by and tell her thank you for yourself.

. . . And the winner is:

Jenn at Something to Say; About Life in the Netherlands with Postcards to Home

Jenn blogs all the way from Holland, or the Netherlands, where she and her three children (ages, 11, 9 and 2) and her husband have been living for the last several years. As you would expect, her blog is full of interesting comments and observations about living abroad and raising a family in another culture, but through it all Jenn has a good sense of humor and a steady head.

Honorable Mentions:

Robin at Around the Island with Vacation Memories
Jenn at Something to Say; About Life in the Netherlands with Comment on Dit "Locksmith" en Francais?
Carrie at Mommy Brain with A Honeymoon to Remember

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Here is a complete list of entries in the order they were received:

Jen at One Plus Two with More Travel Lust

Daisy at Compost Happens with Just Dreaming, Not Wishful Thinking

Carrie at Mommy Brain with A Honeymoon to Remember

Nicole at Subarctic Mama with Fear of Flying with Children

Jenn at Something to Say; About Life in the Netherlands with Postcards to Home

Jenn at Something to Say; About Life in the Netherlands with Comment on Dit "Locksmith" en Francais?

Bill Braine from Exurbitude with Casey Jones You'd Better

Jaycee at Semantically Driven with Out in the Big Wide World

Kelli at A Far Green Country with The Great Road Trip of 2000 (part one) (part two) and (part three)

The Viscountess Coralie from Life More Abundantly with When Paths Cross

DS Writer's WorkTable with The Green Suitcase

Robin at Around the Island with Vacation Memories

Adventures in Daily Living with Ayat: A Year Ago Today

Stephanie at Stop the Ride! with Vacation on a Budget

Patois at Whee! All the Way Home with You Say "Vacation," She Says, "More Work"

Strauss at The Brave with The Sea Urchin's Test

Strauss at The Brave with The Coorong

Amber at Random Ramblings of a Drifting Mind with Vacation Diary--with Pictures!

Glennia at The Silent I with Disneyland for Rich People

Thea at I'm a Drama Mama with 6288 Feet

G's Cottage with Silver Anniversary: The Inn at Brandywine Falls

MotoMom with Vacation

Amber at Random Ramblings of a Drifting Mind with Destination: Destin

Amber at Random Ramblings of a Drifting Mind with Travel Tips

Jeanie in Paradise with Chrissy Hols

Ni Yachen at Ni's Jia with The Unexpected Vacation

Riley DeVoe at All Rileyed Up with The Vacation that Taught Me I Have No Idea

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Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is having a drawing for some Mason Matisse baby goods that you might want to check out.

Kailani at An Island Life is hosting a vacation photo contest which goes very well with the theme of this contest. Here's my entry, and since I can't compete with some of the beautiful entries I'm going strictly for laughs here, but in my defense this day of snorkeling in Belize last October was one of the best days of my life:

Technorati tags: Write-Away Contest, Alaska, spring, vacations, travel