Polish Wedding Reception Food and Dancing

The entire reason for our trip to Poland this year was to attend a wedding. Since Wonderful Husband immigrated when he was young, he had also never attended a Polish wedding. This was an experience.

The wedding itself is a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony. I wasn't really able to follow along since it was in Polish so we just stood/knelt/sat when everyone else did. I will say the organist did an amazing job. When the singer kept unintentionally modulating higher during Ava Maria, the organist followed along. When the singer worked her way out of her own range, the organist played an interlude and brought her back down where she was able to pick it up again. It was so seamless that only people who actually know the entire song and how it is supposed to sound noticed.

Then it was time for the reception. First, we only stayed for the first two days of the reception. I'm not kidding. Starting after the wedding (afternoonish) and going until 5-7am the first day then it picked back up about 2pm the second day. We left just before dark the second day, but apparently it went well after midnight also. We didn't go to any of the third day as we had a plane to catch.

So at the reception hall everyone waits with a drink to toast the newlyweds. Then you go in and sit down for a full meal - course after course after course. After that there is dancing in the next room. This cycle repeats for the entire time. They served a full meal every other hour and every meal was different. It was crazy.

Raw beef - we skipped this one

The vodka fridge - the crazy thing is we saw this refilled 3 times the first evening. Who knows how many times we didn't see. At the tables there were 2 bottles of vodka for every 4 people and if you got below 1/4 full they would take the old and give you a full bottle. No mixed drinks here, all shots.

In case you thought this was a small fridge, here it is with Wonderful Husband for comparison. (This was taken the 2nd morning when we came down for breakfast and discovered no one else was awake or hungry...)

In case you didn't get enough to eat during the meals, there was this area of smoked meats you could help yourself to at any time. There was also an area of homemade alcohols - vodka and beer - for those that wanted something in addition to the table vodka.

The wedding cake with flames. I'll be honest. The kids only made it till just after midnight so I took them to our room (same building) and Wonderful Husband stayed up enjoying the party.

Dancing at American weddings is usually couples. I don't think there was a single dance for couples here. They are all group dances. If a group only had 5-6 people in it, they would merge with another group.

Sweet Daughter dancing with her cousin while his date is willing to share

A short video clip of the dancing so you can see what I mean by the groups.

Birthday Parties!

First the kids had their birthday party at school. They are allowed to bring a special treat. Each year we have done something cute with fruit. One year Wonderful Husband carved sharks out of watermelon, one year we make fruit rockets, etc. This year we make Birthday Bananas.

Aren't these cute? The kids loved them. They were easy to make. First I glued a pom pom to the bottom of each cup. Then I glued the googly eyes to each banana. Then I added a sticker to each hat and drew on the mouth. The last step was to tape the hat on top of the banana. The hardest part was getting the eyes to stick - granted I made 50 of these total so if you are doing smaller quantities it might not be so frustrating!

The kids wanted a birthday party with an explosion, so we headed to our local Science Museum.

First the kids made their own paper rockets. Here Sweet Daughter is getting ready to shoot hers off.

Here Sweet Son is getting ready to test his. Each child got to make their own and shoot them off twice. It was fast paced and the rockets were literally flying across the room.

Then we headed outside. The party guests all lined up while Sweet Son and Sweet Daughter got to add Mentos to their Diet Coke.

There they go!

Sweet Daughter's is really high!

Now Sweet Son's is even higher!

The kids had a blast, literally and figuratively at their party. I was exhausted at the end, but happy kids are worth it a million times over.

Lunchbox Giveaway

Just in time for school I'm giving away a set of 2 colorful lunchboxes. These are divided into three sections and you can choose if you want to use all 3, less than 3, or just the outside part of the box. I simplify lunches by packing a fruit, a vegetable, and an entree. Many people create cute foods (just search bento and you will be amazed), but I don't have time for that.






a Rafflecopter giveaway

HoneyBaked Ham Store Review and Giveaway!

HoneyBaked Ham provided me with a giftcard to spend in their store. I bought the rest from them with my own money. The opinions I share about the food are my own, and HoneyBaked Ham did not tell me what to say. In fact, they won't agree with some of my opinions.

Here's my to do list:
Run a 1/2 marathon
Make sure kids get to music class
Grandma comes in town for a visit
Our city Easter Egg Hunt
Go with the kids to a friend's birthday party at a bounce house place
Promote two giveaways that are happening on my blog
Promote two giveaways I'm doing on another blog
Do homework for my Coursera class
Complete lesson plans for upcoming week

That's a pretty crazy list for a week, but that's actually my list for one specific day. The biggest issue? My family still expects to eat. I know it's crazy, but they want 3 complete meals and a snack. Turns out explaining the importance of fruits and vegetables has made this even more complicated. They won't let me serve cereal for every meal.

That's why I was so happy to learn about the HoneyBaked Ham store in Plano, TX. I had never been to one and didn't realize the variety of things they have. Of course they have ham, but they also have turkey, sides, desserts, mixes, and condiments. I don't like ham and neither does anyone else in my immediate family. I'm fairly certain I'm not supposed to say that in my review, but it is true. However, my family loves turkey. We were able to pick up fully cooked turkey breast - baked in the honey glaze - already sliced. This seems like a simple thing, but having it already sliced saves me time.

We also bought mashed potatoes, spinach artichoke dip, broccoli rice casserole, and cornbread stuffing. Each of these is individually packaged and can be heated in the oven or in the microwave. Another great benefit - all of them can be frozen and cooked from frozen. I have a deep freeze with plenty of storage space, but my refrigerator is often full so this saves me space. Once again it's the little things that help.

The most difficult decision to be made at the HoneyBaked Ham store is which dessert to pick. We were good and only picked one, though they were all tempting. We passed over the cheesecake, pecan pie, and chocolate mousse cake. We decided to get a coffee cake. Then we had to pick a flavor. We ended up with the banana walnut, but were tempted by the other flavors as well.

We also picked up a couple of other items because one stop shopping is more efficient! We needed some pancake mix (made with real blueberries) and some mustard. The food was all excellent and so easy to prepare. For a formal family meal, I highly suggest the HoneyBaked Ham store. If you are as busy as I am, you should buy your Easter meal from here. If you aren't as busy as I am, would you like to help me? I could really use it...

There are some specials going on that I wanted to tell you about.

• In-Store Specials
• $54.99 Easter Ham & Turkey Combo – Pair a Turkey Breast (approx. 3 lbs.) with your choice of a Boneless Ham (approx. 3.5 lbs.) or Quarter Ham (approx. 4.5 lbs.)
• $22.99 Turkey Breast (with any Half or Whole Ham purchase)
• $24.99 Easter Brunch Bundle – Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake and Honey-Spice Bacon
• Heat & Share Sides: Two for $13.99, three for $19.99

They are also offering a coupon off Ham to all of my readers just go here: Coupon.

HoneyBaked Ham is sponsoring a giveaway! 20 people will win a $50 giftcard to spend on anything at their closest HoneyBaked Ham store.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bad Mom

Last week was Spring Break and I did tons of fun stuff with the kids. Things we don't normally get to do daily - like art (easel is always out, but we did painting every day during the break), Legos (once again always out, but rarely do every day), puzzles (same), and play dough.

Sweet Son went back to school on Monday and threw a fit about his fingers hurting. I looked and they seemed fine. He hates going to school on Mondays so I figured it was just an excuse. By the time I picked him up 3 hours later he had 3 blisters on his fingers, 2 of which had already popped. WTF??? We went through many options trying to figure out what could have possibly caused that. By Tuesday he had 6 blisters, 4 that had popped. Last night I realized what happened. I let him play with play dough. I didn't even think twice about suggesting it, handing it to him and letting him dig in with his fingers. Play dough is made with flour. Gluten. He's allergic to gluten and I just handed it to him and told him to dig in. Crud.

I'm now off to find gluten free play dough as the reviews on all of the homemade ones are awful. What are the chances of finding gluten free play dough that doesn't use red dye #40? UGH

Bad mom of the year award right here.

Popcorn!

Do you remember the first time you watched corn pop? I don't. However, I have pictures of the first time my kids saw it, which is just awesome.

 

Pure joy and amazement. Nothing is better than this.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

They wanted a snack so I gave them fresh veggies. :)

Ski Weekend, Part 1

Wonderful Husband loves snow skiing. He was also raised in an area that had ski hills. We live in a flat area that only gets snow once a year or so. Still, he manages to go skiing about once a year without us. This was the first time we decided to take the kids skiing.

The first problem is how to do her hair so it wouldn't stick out and get icy. She wouldn't hold still long enough for a French braid. So instead I did 3 small braids (letting her run around between each) and just tied them together. This worked beautifully.

We started the weekend by picking up our gear. Yes, we made the kids carry their own gear. It's all part of the experience. I also LOVE those snow suits. They are all one piece, but do you see the two lines running all the way from neck to boots? Those are both zippers. To take off quickly just unzip both, pull the middle part behind them and it slides off like a coat. They can also put these on by themselves. Brilliant.

We stayed on the hill. This way after the kids were tired from skiing all morning they could take a nap while I read and Wonderful Husband could get in some ski time on his own. The kids loved the bunk beds.

Staying on the hill also allowed us to eat breakfast and lunch in the room. We had a small fridge and microwave. Breakfast was raisin bread and water or OJ.  Lunch was PB&J with fresh fruit and dried veggies. The kids thought it was awesome that they got to eat PB&J every day. We loved the savings by only going out for one meal a day. The plan was also to save any dinner leftovers to heat up for the next day's lunch, however we always ate our entire dinner. Skiing makes you hungry!

When I say we stayed on the hill, I really do mean it. Those steps are to the hallway to our room. Sweet Son is standing on one of the green trails. Sweet Daughter is climbing up to the trail. We figured we would spend most of our time on the two beginning hills and this was between them. Perfect planning. It was also just a short walk to the restaurants and other village activities. There was a bike race on the mountain when we were there. People riding mountain bikes at night on the mountain, through the village, over the frozen lake, etc. We watched while standing next to fire pits.

By the end of the trip the kids just picked up their gear and headed out. They love skiing and we will try to go back every year.

Birthday Party

So with the kids turning 3, we decided it was about time we gave them their first birthday party. They were old enough to have friends, understand what a birthday party is, and ask for one. We had been discussing it for a month.

They knew they wanted to go to Pump It Up after having so much fun at other parties. We invited every child from their classes, so a total of 24 kids were invited. It only takes one quick glance around our house to realize we didn't need or want toys and gifts from that many kids. I discussed it with the kids. First I suggested we donate the toys they get. The kids were against that. Then I suggested we ask for books to donate to kids who don't have many. They were also against that. Then I told them about our local food bank. I pointed out that some people can't buy basics like food. We looked at their current needs list and it included shampoo and toilet paper. The idea that some people don't have toilet paper really upset them. They happily agreed to ask their friends to bring toilet paper and shampoo to donate to the food bank.

Why do we have to wear these hats? When do we get cake?

After finally talking the kids out of serving quesadillas and broccoli for dessert, we tried many different types of cakes to see if we could find one the kids liked. Eventually they both agreed they would be willing to eat angel food cake since it's not too sweet and "tastes like bread." The other kids at the party did ask where the real cake is and why it wasn't colorful. That being said, we served it with fresh strawberries and every kid without allergies ate it. A few said they loved it and the parents had many positive things to say. We also had pizza, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, and water.

Uncle Art was tempted by the throne and just couldn't resist seeing what it would feel like to be king.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

You might remember that last year we started a tradition of filling the playroom with balloons for the kids' birthday. This year we had family visiting and the use of an air pump so there were many more balloons.

 He jumped right into the room kicking and hitting the balloons. She stood back for a moment and observed. This is the opposite of their typical behaviors.

It didn't take long before they suggested we try to get all of the balloons in the air at once. It didn't work, but was fun to try. 

Last year the kids wanted sharks for their birthday treats at school (seen in link at top). This year they both wanted rockets. This was our attempt at fruit rockets. It impressed the preschoolers. They each got one rocket and a bowl of fruit. Somehow I'm hoping next year they will want something even easier - like maybe just bowls of fruit.

The importance of working memory

As I mentioned in the executive function post, working memory is extremely important. Working memory is the best predictor of school success. It is both academic and social. So, what else do we know about working memory?

High IQ does not equal high working memory. The opposite is also true, high working memory doesn't equal high IQ. While most IQ tests are sensitive to socioeconomic status (SES), working memory is not. For example, one section of most IQ tests for children is on general knowledge. If you ask a child "What is a police officer?" the correct answer would be something along the lines of "someone who helps people." An incorrect answer would be "someone who takes my Daddy away." Clearly this is measuring experience, not intelligence.


There are ways to improve working memory. It all starts with diet and exercise. I've address the importance of exercise on the brain already. So which foods are best to include in your diet? Dairy, berries, herbs, and foods with omega3 and dha have all been proven beneficial specifically for working memory. Foods that will have a negative impact are processed and contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and chemicals. One Organic Mama was kind enough to write a guest post for me on healthy living.

Once you have addressed the diet and exercise components, the other way to improve working memory is through proprioception training. In fact, proprioception training for just one day shows and increase in working memory by 50% and it lasts many months. As with anything, the more you do it the better the results. Proprioception is the ability to sense the position, location, orientation, and movement of the body and its parts. Proprioception training is all about balance and body awareness. It includes things like walking on a balance beam with your eyes closed, jumping to a target with your eyes closed, crawling on a balance beam, and running.

One Organic Mama on Eating Healthy

During the blog party I was asked when I was going to do a post on nutrition. Since I'm just starting to understand nutrition myself, I ask another blogger if she would be willing to do a guest post on the topic. I'm thrilled to introduce you to One Organic Mama. Be sure to check out her blog after reading this post.

 

From time to time I have been asked by my friends... or more accurately my parents' friends - what are the absolute things they need to do to eat healthy.  

Like a top 10.

Honestly.  I don't know.

I am not a professional.

I am just a mom.  Trying to do what's best for my kiddos without being a lunatic.

I would say I am successful about 50% of the time :)

Anyways... here is my "list"...

<a bunch of words are linked up - so if you don't know what 'gmo' click to find out!>

Do

Don’t

Have high standards for your food at home – NO GMOs, no artificial coloring, organic if you can Get to know some farmers – if you’re in an area where there are farms - introduce yourself, check out their farm, get some local sustainable food from them! Your research!!  There are some great people out there reporting on all things food – 100DaysofRealFood and FoodBabe are two of my favorites. Cook from scratch!  Getting back to basics (especially using organic ingredients) makes sure no nasty food additives, preservatives, or anything unnecessary are in your food. Make as much of your diet, whole, real foods. Buy minimally processed foods. Make your own your own non-toxic cleaning supplies!  HINT - vinegar and water... good for pretty much everything :) Use cloth diapers if you can! Get into essential oils Cut yourself a break.  Just reading about these things are more than the average consumer does!  You’re doing great just finding out what’s out there! Try doing things naturally first.  All things.

Obsess about things you can’t control (like food eaten outside your house) – I know my kids will eat more food from my house than anywhere else – if they have a red dye filled ice pop at a friend’s house every now and then – it’s ok. Eat at fast food restaurants – it’s no good, all fried in GMO soy, just stay away from it. Buy things in packages that don’t need to be in packages (ie: individually wrapped apples and potatoes). Forget to read the label – it is easy to think that you’re getting something fantastic from some of the deceptive advertising that’s out there! Believe that “natural” or “all natural” means anything!  It doesn’t.  Either – talk to who made it and find out about their sources OR look for the USDA Organic stamp Use Johnson and Johnson, just don’t. Use canola oil anymore. Buy anything with an ingredient you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize Do a lot of soy.  Once you start reading ingredients - it is in EVERYTHING processed and most (95%) is GMO.  It also messes with hormones... yikes!  The 90s told us soy was a perfect protein and we should all be eating it all the time and drinking it up as babies in formula. Not my style.  Read the link for 170 reasons why you should cut it out of your diet. Reject science.  Lots of times, in lots of cases – medicine is the answer.  Don’t ignore it because sometimes its not!

Like I said, nothing here is hard and fast - it is a slow transition - and even then... aim for 50%  :)  

Kristin is a high school history teacher in Central Massachusetts and a member of the board of directors of Kai's Village. She is currently taking the year off from school to be home with her two crazy boys. She enjoys laughing, getting out of the house with the boys everyday, cooking healthy yummy meals, sneaking take out with her husband after the kids are in bed, and pretending to know how to blog. You can get to know her on her facebook or on her "blog."