Good morning on Monday week nine summer!

Nothing really special today – a little rest from whatever families did over the weekend. Spelling words again today. There seems to be a little more interest.

Lots of play outdoors in this nice cool summer weather.

Tomorrow we swim and Wednesday if it doesn’t rain. We are trying to get Sandy to take us back to Scales Lake for swimming, but it has to fit into her schedule. It would be a lot cheaper.

Friday we will go to Ellis Park and tour the barns of John Hancock. He’s a really nice man who lets the children feed his horses soda and carrots. We will all pick a horse we like. The children who pick the fastest horse will take everyone else out for ice cream.

It should be a nice week.

Lots of people ask me about our famous cookie recipe. Lots of people ask for it. It all began with a friend of mine who made wonderful cookies when I was a child. She was one of twelve children, a Sioux Indian, a trench nurse in WWII and a real influence on my youth. She was my neighbor and the mother of my oldest friend. Parky never did anything hard – so she said, and one of the easy delights of her kitchen were these cookies “ones and twos,” she would say. One cup of this, two cups of that – easy to remember. She’d make cookies at the drop of a hat. There were always cookies in her cookie jar which was in the same place for nearly forty years.

Today, I remember Parky by using her recipe. In case you haven’t noticed, this Garden School cookie recipe is now posted in the right hand column of this blog. I should begin to refer to this snack as a “Parky.”

One of the things I’ve tried to do over the years with this cookie is to make it different ways. Lately, I’ve nixed the chocolate, and added two hands full of coconut. The kids love these chewy bars or cookies. Miss Amy is not a coconut fan, as many people profess, and even she thinks the cookies are good.

Last weekend, I used the recipe to make vegan cookies. I subbed the butter and eggs for vegan butter and egg re placer – same good cookie. At home, I’ve gone to different flours. I’ve made these cookies with a combination soy, brown rice, chickpea, potato, and bean flours. And although they are a bit different, they are the same good cookie.

Cookies are a wonderful thing. They should be desirable, delicious, definitely a first choose, and more than anything, a full scale healthy treat. There is not a single thing in these cookies that is a “NO.” When you cut the sugar back like I do, they have less sugar than cold cereal, store bought yogurt, and any cookie of the shelf, and most crackers. They have less sugar than bagels, white bread and a lot of foods we take for granted as being “healthy.”

I find it interesting that changing butter, egg, and flour does not detract from this recipe.

NEW HANDBOOK FOR SOCCER MOMS

If you’re a soccer mom, you might find yourself asking some questions: What is a U9? Why is my daughter a striker? What is offsides? How do I flag? Why did my son get a penalty kick? Do headers hurt? What if they ask me to coach? What is FIFA? What is Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease, and why have I never heard of it before? Do I want to sign up my son on a Travel Team? How can my daughter get a college soccer scholarship?

This invaluable handbook has all the answers to these and all of the questions you haven’t even thought of yet.

Soccer has become the sport of choice for families nationwide. Over 10 million 4-½- to-19-year olds will don their shinguards and play soccer in the U.S. this year. That means there are almost that many moms driving them to fields, cheering in the stands, and coaching their kids for the first time. From a child’s first walk onto a Little Kicks soccer field, through the ranks of childhood and teen soccer, the average Soccer Moms will spend months (if not years of her life) immersed in the sport. Soccer for Moms covers the nuts and bolts of the game for beginner and experienced soccer moms alike.

As Soccer Moms ourselves, we believe practices and games are much more enjoyable—and fun!—when you understand the basic rules of the game, know how to prepare your kids and yourself beforehand, and have proven strategies at your fingertips for successful parenting for your fit, on-the-go kids.

Soccer for Moms is loaded with insights from a mom who’s been there. Kerrie’s straight talk and tips derived from real-life soccer mom experiences will help families get more enjoyment out of the whole soccer experience, and learn to love the game, whether they’re playing, coaching, or cheering.

About the Author: Kerrie Paige is a mother of three with more than 15 years of soccer experience—ranging from local recreational teams all the way up to state and regional-champion elite club teams. When not watching her sons play, she’s a mathematician running an international consulting company.

About the Publisher: Plain White Press LLC is an innovative, woman-owned company in White Plains, NY that creates products for busy women who want to manage some of the challenging aspects of their lives with confidence and style. At Plain White Press we value tips and tricks that can help busy moms. When we’re not busy making books, our own schedules are full of sports practices and other kids’ activities, so we understand why this book is a must in every Soccer Mom’s library!

This book is available for purchase at Borders, Amazon.com & Independent Bookstores everywhere!

We had a wonderful time at Scales Lake. I’ve never been there, and I can truly say I’ve missed a lot. It’s not coast of Ireland, and it’s not the South of France, but it is one heck of a nice lake in Southwestern Indiana. The kids were thrilled.

They got to play in the sand and swim and go on the big cascading slide made for children who can swim. It was, however, freezing, but the water was warm.

We stopped by the nursing home and sang for a couple of minutes, and the children were wonderful with the elderly. Austin was especially cute.

We swam in the morning and played on the beach, and then we broke for lunch about 12:30 and then back to the water about an hour later.

A whole group of kids spent hours making a sand castle.

The big boys had a delightful time and voted that we need to return once a week, which is doable for us if it is OK with our bus driver. We were so proud of Emily who practiced going under the water.

When all was finished at the lake, we stopped to visit at the petting zoo. The kids had such fun. Alexis was nibble by a duck, Trevor was snapped at by a turkey, Bill was bitten by a chicken and they all laughed because they were having such a good time.

It’s nice to take a group of children out for a whole day and not have one child reprimanded the whole day. Lunch was eaten peacefully, and nobody fought the whole day. It was splendid. Congrats to our beautiful group.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child… It’s from Scripture. I always liked the many ideas this passage offers. Over the years, and thinking about it, I realize that speaking like a child has many meanings. Some people will always “speak like a child.” The question is why.

I think it’s a matter of three very important things: vocabulary, willingness and possibilities.

If one was to go back in history, one would see that at one time perhaps 1000 years and as late as 600 years ago, when there was precious little middle class, the other two classes ( those who worked for those who protected) were really divided by these same three things: vocabulary, willingness, and possibilities. The common man had a vocabulary of about 600 words. Because he could not express himself, his willingness to try new things was hampered, and because he didn’t have the experience, life’s possibilities were hidden from him.

As the middle class emerged from fiefdom, three things happened: vocabularies necessarily grew with new work and new responsibilities. The willingness to better one’s life grew, and the possibilities appeared as they always do with knowledge.

As the centuries have passed, the middle class has taken over the West one generation at a time. Most of us are middle class and will be middle class all our lives. But there seems to be a desire for something better than our parents had. We watch Hollywood with that vague hope that one day we may become one of the elite. Unfortunately, that drive is usually down money lane.

When I was a child and living in Pittsburgh, the goal of nearly every household was to join a country club. This core of culture separated people by every possible standard. If you were anything but Mainline Protestant or Caucasian, your “invitation” to nearly any country club was out of the question. The country club was a clear division of the classes. My father belonged to a men’s club so prestigious that during a fire, men were sent back to their apartments to get neck ties because even in a fire, they could not be in the Ladies Dining Room without a tie. Talk about stupid.

Today, the core of culture is still separating people into classes. I believe it happens in puberty and it happens not so much because of race or creed, but solely by the will of the adolescent. There comes a time when a child decides that a vocabulary is either a good thing or a dumb thing. Those who turn towards words, communication, expression and thought will separate from those who turn toward other things – the cool of the crowd.

Those who develop a vocabulary will have the keys and the ability to experience new things with the right questions and the right interest. Understanding grows, intelligence grows, interest in many diverse things grow. These children are now separated from the “huhs.” As the mind grows, the willingness to explore grows. More becomes more. The world of possibilities opens up and invention, discovery, and thought offer the thinking child, who quickly becomes an adult, a whole world that the children who passed by vocabulary have missed. This, I think, is where division of the classes is most apparent today. This is where “When I was a child…” begins to take on new meaning.

From the beginning of a human’s life, vocabulary is a crucial part of education. It begins at two when sentences are forming. Teaching children new words to use is not an extra but an essential. Teaching a child to use many words, different words, expressive words will encourage him to make the better choice in years to come. The importance of words will, in this day and age, make his life a better life.

Here is a list of words that children should know
when leaving kindergarten and going to first grade:

I
can
we
like
play
you
he
is
what
for
here
little
see
the
go
to
have
a
she
and
said
are
do
this
was
my
look
has
where
with
me

Another super warm week. On swim days it’s supposed to be in the mid nineties. That’s great for swimming. When it’s ten degrees lower, it’s too cool. Kids like it hot to swim.

We’re going to try out Scales Lake this Friday. It will be a new adventure for me. I live in Newburgh, but have never been to Scales Lake. This beach lake should be lots of fun, and a change from the pool. Remember that July’s focus is on swimming, just like June’s focus was on travel.

Spelling words will go home with kids today. They are simple words. Please help your child with them. When children tell us that “they didn’t have time to study,” it’s a good indication of what kind of students they will be next year. Study shouldn’t end with Memorial Day. It should always be present in the home.

We are beginning to get some produce from the garden. We started harvesting our blackberries on Friday, and we will have a choice of blackberry or plain muffins today for breakfast. Please encourage your child to try new things. Summer is a wonderful time to explore new fruits and vegetables.

Have a great week!

Ladies – this is something for you. Taken from Food Navigator, it’s a great little article.

Soy may help men remember anniversaries: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 09-Jul-2009

Daily supplements of soy isoflavones could help boost a man’s mental function and memory, according to findings of a small study from Australia.

Here is something new from Go Picnic. It’s a whole meal in a box that needs no refrigeration. It would be great for little picnics, car trips, care packages, sports games and gifts. For more information go HERE.