Talking To My Kids About More Than Just Sex

Did I get your attention with that title?

Mica got his first love letter at school. Someone handed him a folded up piece of paper. 

Notice the full heartbeat on, "With You" and the flat line on, "Without You"?

She love - likes him. The little person on the bottom with the heart is cute.

So we talked about it. 

My Advice:

Mica don't ignore her, be nice to her, don't spread rumors, and just tell her that you want to focus on school right now. If he felt like it he could say, "My parents don't want me dating yet."

At School:

He did his best to avoid this girl. In fact he ran from her at recess. She stopped him at different times during the day to ask what she could do to make things better? He said, "Drop it. Drop the whole thing." 

The Dare:

Apparently there is a game played at school where 2 people have to play some kind of game. Whoever looses gets a dare. A girl dared another girl to ask Mica out.

When the girl asked Mica out he responded with, "I think that dare game should be banned at school." Ha! 

She proceeded to tell Mica that other girls liked him. 

I just hope this stuff doesn't go to my 12 year old's head. I don't need a cocky child! 

What kind of advice would you give a 12 year old on the opposite sex?

Random Tid Bits

1. I was told the other day by one of my first year students that I cuss. I said, "Really?!" I admit that I do at home, but it's not a regular occurrence for me in class. I said, "I don't think I've said anything that's worse than regular TV airs." She said, "Probably."
   
   
   
   
   Now I'm all self conscious about what I say and how it's said. It will probably show up on my evaluations. I mentioned this to the Education Director. She laughed because cussing isn't something I do at work. At home - yes, at work it's not. It's nothing I would have thought that a college instructor would have to worry about. Maybe, Damn, Dang, and Crap are cuss words to her.


2. Last year I saw an article about how cussing is good for you. I thought of my Dad, who cusses all the time. Then when all the above stuff happened I thought about it again. Here's an article, here's an article, and here's an article. Do you cuss? Do you think cussing is healthy because it blows off steam? Does cussing offend you?
   
   It offended me a few times - 1) When students cuss and a family tour walks through the school. Ummm that just can't happen! 2) I went to a lecture on typography, and the presenter was really pregnant and cussed the whole time. I just thought for a presentation to lay down the F word wasn't becoming. It's different if she was trying to make a point with her choice words, but she wasn't. Seeing her prego and hearing her cuss was just not new Mommy like. 


3. I have a few cell phone user students. I don't mind if they use it in lab, but while I'm talking it's so annoying! I've made blanket statements about it. The crazy thing is that my older students are the ones I have more problems with on cell phone usage. 


4. A teacher was telling Mica's middle school class rules. She said, "Girls I don't want to see your twin sisters." She was talking about cleavage - boobs. I got home that say and Mica said, "Mom don't show your twin sisters." I didn't know what he was talking about. They had to tell me. 


5. You never know who's going to see this, that or the other. Well Mica saw this bumper sticker on our trip: 






Buy it here.

It was was so freaking funny to him. He made all of us check out this car in the parking lot. We've always joked about Mica liking Hello Kitty just to mess with him. Most boys do pay attention to boobs.

Tomato Invasion

Last week the boys and I took Friday off, and traveled to Branson, Missouri. We didn't have a vacation this summer because of Travis' art residency and my surgery, recovery, and Aspirin Desensitization. It was good to get away.

Before We Left:

Our garden is putting out more produce than we have time to process. Travis and I processed acorn squash, squash seeds, tomatoes, and cucumbers before we left. Then we had and have to process more once we got home! Yep during the time we were gone a few tomatoes juiced, and fruit flies occurred. Boo!

We have lots of cabbage, Spaghetti Squash, and kale as well. The Spaghetti Squash and cabbage I use in dishes. The kale we steam for breakfast. We're getting to the point where kale will be washed, dried, and ground for winter smoothies.

Tomatoes:

Travis picks tomatoes. I line the red ones up in 1 window, the 1/2 red ones in another window, and the green ones in yet another window. I rotate them. Once I have about a gallon of tomatoes I boil them, give them an ice bath, peel them, and deseed them. I make the boys help. Isaak's always been a pretty good helper. Mica on the other hand...well we struggle.

Travis pours the extra tomato juice in ice cube trays for vegetable juice. Once we have quite a few gallon bags of tomatoes we can them. We usually just can jars of tomatoes. Then we can use them for whatever recipe we want to down the road.

A 24 Quart Pot Ready to Can:

I've been making Sun Dried Tomatoes with the Cherry Tomatoes. 

Sun Dried Tomatoes are Really Easy to Make:

• Set the oven to 200 degrees
• Spray a pan
• Wash and cut the tomatoes in 1/2 
• Deseed the tomatoes
• You can season them how you wish - basil, salt and pepper is usually what I use
• Bake for about 5 hours, stir, check on them every hour after that - usually they end up baking for about 8 hours

Storing Them:

I just put them in a closed container in the refrigerator. I know people store them in oil to. 

Use Them:

We use them in eggs, on cheese toast (melt the cheese over them), and on salads.

I think I'm finally caught up on reviews. I got a ton of products to review all at once it seemed. The reviews were all due when, or right after I got back from vacation. Some of them I cut pretty close to their deadlines. That's not like me.

This weekend it's time to can relish. I want to try cinnamon pickles. We have lots of dill, and bread and butter pickles.

What would you make with lots of tomatoes and Cucumbers?

Premium Teeth Whitening Activated Charcoal Powder

I've been using different charcoal toothpastes on my teeth for the last 5 years. My teeth stay clean and I haven't gotten any cavities.

My toothpaste is almost gone, so I thought I try Premium Teeth Whitening Activated Charcoal Powder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JTT4N1

Avantage:

Charcoal has been used to clean things for years. It's in many stomach medicines. That's the one ingredient I think that does its job. While it seems new to use on teeth, it's not new to use charcoal pills.

I'm a coffee drinker at times, and a tea drinker other times. I kind of switch back and forth with my preference on what to drink. Ever since I started using charcoal on my teeth the dentist hasn't complained about stains like they did before.

Disadvantage:

It does get black speckles on the sink. The speckles happen with regular toothpaste too, but it's more noticeable when it's black.

Cost:

$50, but on sale for $10! A $40 savings, yet please!

Whiting Strips:

The set comes with some charcoal whiting strips. I just think charcoal powder cleans my teeth well enough, that I don't need the strips. My husband is a Dental Tech. He's mentioned before that A) There is a wide range of how white teeth are, and that's ok. and B) Strips could strip enamel off of the teeth. I don't know about you, but I want my enamel to stay there. I'll just be a good girl, and brush often.

What about you: 

Have you used charcoal to clean your teeth?

Disclaimer: I received this set in exchange for writing this review. I was in no way influenced by anyone in regards to this review.

#Binval Foldable Solar Motion Lights

Last spring we had someone show up to our house and they twisted off our wipers off our cars, bents out mailboxes, tore up our neighbor's mail, moved our retaining wall stone, and moved our trash can. My husband was the most edgy about the situation. I thought it was a one time thing. 

Our motion light wasn't working above our garage. Now we have one that works. We're getting ready to have some work done to our house, so I didn't want to hang it just yet. This is  #Binval Foldable Solar Motion Lights: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XX8S62N

Cost:

You can get this light on Amazon for $69.99, but it's on sale for $23.99. It has Prime shipping! 

About:


It comes with instructions. I have to say that they were unclear. The instructions were written by someone from China. We found the broken English hard to understand. 

The light can be mounted easily! It has screws, and holes already in the mounting section. When it's mounted the solar plate is hit by the sun, and if the motion mode is one the light stays on if something is in front of it. There is a switch that can be hit for a different mode. 

High energy efficiency and smarter: Recharge by solar power. 

It can be used in a courtyard, residential road, park corridor and venues to provide safety lighting. We're installing it over our driveway. 

It's foldable, so certainly easy to store. 

Do you have a motion light around your house?

Disclaimer: I received this set in exchange for writing this review. I was in no way influenced by anyone in regards to this review.

Stepack Men's Genuine Crazy Horse Leather #Wallet

Isaak's in that stage where Mica was a few years ago. He's wanting more grown up looking things. So long cute shirts, and hello handsome looking shirts.

Goodbye kid homemade Duct Tape wallet

Welcome leather wallet

I got Stepack Men's Genuine Crazy Horse Leather Wallet to review:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KJQ8BX2.

Cost:

$20.99
On sale for $10.99 | Amazon Prime

Material:

• Crazy Horse Leather is made of a raw material is high quality full-grain leather cowhide. It's soft to the touch.

• It's rough, durable and vintage. 

• If scratches show up on the surface, it works! 

• Cleans up well with any leather cleaner and cloth. I have a leather cleaner for my couch that would work great for this wallet. 

• Just like any leather product it's best to keep the wallet away from water.

• Lots of pockets! I love the zipper pocket for change! The slots for cards are great as well. Right now Isaak has a library card he'd love to fit into his wallet.

Do you carry your stuff in a purse, wallet, diaper bag, backpack, or a fanny pack?