Beef with the Toyota dealer!

Spent my morning sitting at New Holland Toyota for inspection and oil change. We have also been having trouble with our tire pressure light since our last service we had done there. The tires were overinflated the last time and since then the light goes off randomly throughout the week. So we have had it back to them 4 times since and they have replaced the whole computer system to try to fix it. So today they tell us they found a nail in one of the tires and they patched it. (only took them 4 checks to find the nail) So I assumed that would fix the problem, but of course before I pulled in the driveway the light was back on again! Thankfully they are coming to pick the car up next time! So frustrating that it has taken them sooo many tries to fix something they broke in the first place!! And everytime we have been back I have waited 1-2 hours with a 2 year old! So thankful that my baby girl is such an angel and was so good the whole time we waited there! As soon as our free service vouchers are gone you can bet our business at New Holland Toyota will be too!


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My two cents....

Of course I was up last night at 4 AM, again! Couldn't fall back to sleep so I started watching NBC and their Meet the Press: Government's Role in Education that was part of their Education Nation programming.  Although I was only 1/2 awake, I did catch bits and pieces of the special.  There was also more information on the Today Show this morning in which they had teachers voicing their opinions in a town hall type meeting.  

Being a teacher, I of course, got sucked into both of these.  And they both got so many thoughts flowing through my head I decided to blog and share my "two cents" on Education today.  

The Round Table debate focused on should the Federal Government be as involved in Education, and I was very surprised when several people talked about Federal Education mattering less than the ADULTS in a child's life at home, in school, and on the playing field.  There were several times throughout the debate that they referenced all adults and not just teachers.  I was so happy when I heard this! For a long time, as a teacher, I felt very responsible for EVERYTHING my students were learning.  I was very hard on myself when some students were not succeeding in my class.  However, when I became a parent, my views on this changed, slightly.  I know as a teacher it was important for me to provide an environment for all my students to learn and be successful.  But in order to do that I needed my students to come to my classroom with background knowledge and skills to learn new things.  When I was teaching I never really thought of any of it as parents responsibility, but now after 2 years of being a "teacher" to my child I now realize how incredibly important the parent's role is in our education system and in the future of our country.  The round table also talked about character education and teaching social and emotional skills to kids so that they can become better learners in a classroom environment and how "teaching to the test" didn't allow time for these skills to be taught to students.  And I found that in my classroom that was often true.  So many students had so many other things "on their plate", emotionally, physically, mentally, that they could care less what the 5 steps of the scientific method are or how to multiply two digit numbers because they were worried if Mommy or Daddy was going to be home that night, if Daddy was going to yell and hurt mommy, or will there be anything to eat for dinner that night.  And that I believe is where family plays an all important role in the education of our nation.  If these students come to our classrooms with the burdens of their home life, it isn't that they can't learn, but our role as a teacher now becomes the role of the parent for them emotionally and less about providing them with knowledge and skills to be successful but more about providing them with skills to simply survive!  

I know I spend ALOT of time with my daughter.  I am fortunate to be able to do that.  I have found throughout my time at home with her, how everyday moments and activities can ALWAYS become learning experiences.  I am NOT writing this to toot my own horn, but many people often ask me how much I work with her on things like alphabet or number recognition (she just turned 2), and I can honestly tell you I don't sit down and say ok today we are going to learn to count to 20.  If a parent takes the time to play and spend time with their children they will find how easy it is to incorporate so many skills like those into everyday life.  My opinion is that parents don't spend enough QUALITY time with their children, and I believe it is because of what our society has become. "Family night" for some families has now become turn on the TV and sit on the couch together! I know that the economy is terrible and many parents need to work one, two, three jobs to support their family.  But I also know that some of those same parents will then use their free time on a Saturday night to be out to dinner, bar, on vacation with their friends.  I know this is not true for all families, and I know that parents need nights to themselves too. But I feel that, that time will come, right now your responsibilty as a parent is raising your children, not pawning them off on someone else to do it for you.  

I know that there are problems with Federal and State Education, and schools now do "teach to the test" which I absolutely hated as a teacher, but I also feel that MANY of the education problems our country has stem from the lack of parent responsibility for their children.  There are many stay at home and working parents out there, that have dedicated their lives RIGHT NOW to raising their children, and they do a phenomanal job at it. Every moment they have with their children is spent with their children and not doing whatever it is they feel like doing that day. Over the past 2 years I have heard so many comments about how I need to leave my daughter more often and have time for myself.  I am sorry, but I didn't choose to have children to have time for myself! My time is now set aside for raising my kids, and maybe occasionally having a night out with my husband (which I feel also helps in raising kids).  My child is not perfect and I am not the perfect parent, but my child is my FIRST priority in my life.  

I could write a book about this, and again this is just my OPINION.  And I know there are exceptions to all the situations I talked about.  There are so many great parents out there, who work really hard to do everything for their children.  It is not always about spending EVERY minute with your child, but spend QUALITY minutes with your child! 

Sunday Funday

Or in our case, Sunday pajama and fun day! Since the start of football, we have kind of had very lazy Sunday's! We managed to make it outside to enjoy some of the beautiful sunshine this morning! But as soon as naptime rolled around, I decided to park myself and my bag of popcorn in bed watching a football game! It was kind of nice to stop worrying about dishes in the sink, laundry on the floor, dog hair everywhere and do some mindless TV watching!

I did also spend a lot of time "observing" playtime tonight, which reminded me just how incredible the mind of a child is! I am so amazed with my baby girl's imagination and how well she does "pretend play" all on her own. So funny to watch some of the things she comes up with or turns her toys into!
For example:



Her favorite pretend play activity: The tea party. ( note her bears "drinking" their tea) and of course her baby had to have some tea also!

She amazes me more and more everyday! I am one proud Momma and so thankful I get to watch her learn and grow everyday!!

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Recipe of the Week: Mac and Cheese

I had a large container of Fage greek yogurt that was about to expire, so I did an online search for a recipe I could make using the leftover! Although I found a bunch of desserts I was really surprised when I found a recipe for Mac and cheese and the reviews were actually good! So I decided to try it! Tasted much better than it looks! :)

Fage Mac and Cheese Link

• Ingredients
• • 8 ounces Elbow Macaroni
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup Red Pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1 ½ cup Whole Milk, warm
  • 1/2 cup FAGE Total Classic
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 10 ounces Cheddar Cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup FAGE Total Classic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  
  
  Directions:
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
  2. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red pepper and salt and continue cooking until vegetables soften. Remove from heat and reserve.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole.
  4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes or so. Gradually whisk in warm milk and yogurt, whisking constantly to keep smooth. Add nutmeg. Bring to a low simmer and remove from heat. Stir in 10 ounces of cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and Tabasco. Combine macaroni, onion mix and cheese sauce and transfer to prepared casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  5. Combine remaining cheddar cheese, feta and bread crumbs. Remove casserole from oven and top with crumb/cheese mix. Return to oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

  
  

  I actually really enjoyed this recipe! It was easy to make and was really good! Has a "different" taste then normal mac and cheese because of the onions and peppers, and has a little bit of a kick to it (note the hot sauce). But I would definitely make it again!

Time to make the donuts!

Decided to spend some time in Emmaus today visiting with my Mom. It was such a gorgeous day so we went for a long walk through downtown Emmaus. Stopped and had a slice of pizza for lunch, and as we walked past the Emmaus bakery, I just had to stop!

This is quite possibly the largest donut I have ever seen!!! And so good. I would describe it as a cinnamon bun with really sweet chocolate icing. Soooo gooood! A little pricey, but so worth it once in awhile! :)

My baby girl turns 2!

After quite a busy birthday week, I finally had a chance to sit down to write/read blogs!

My "little baby" turned 2 this week! I still can't believe she is 2! We had such a great week of celebrating! My husband was able to take off work for her birthday so we planned some fun activities for her! We started the day at My Gym (see our favorite places for more info). My Gym is one of her favorite places and we had a scheduled class. She of course had a blast and it was great that her Daddy got to see all the new things she has learned to do!

Birthday hat!

We came home ate a quick lunch and decided to head to Lancaster County to the Hands on House. Took us a little longer to get there than we had expected and we got a late start, and we didn't quite realize we were in the middle of one of the worst floods in history! But we made it there and we had a great time! It was a bit smaller than I expected it to be, and it definitely required alot of parent supervision/explanation for a 2 year old. But the few exhibits/activities they had were pretty cool! We played for awhile, until we were told that their parking lot was flooded and we might want to think about getting our cars out soon. (Glad they warned us about this, cause they weren't kidding). An hour was about a perfect time for us to spend there anyway.

MY favorite part of the Hands on House, the giant Lite Brite

The machine shop

We then went to the Park City Mall to kill time for a little bit before meeting my brother and sister in law for birthday dinner at Bird in Hand Buffet. The food was so yummy, baby girl was a little to tired to even eat anything, but she of course made room for her cupcake. They sang Happy birthday to her too! She loved it!

Cupcake!

I think she had a great day and had a ton of fun (at least I hope she did). It was definitely exhausting, but so worth it to see her smile all day! Happy Happy birthday baby girl! Mommy and Daddy love you! :)

Storage Sale at Target!

We have several different storage items for toys throughout the house, toy boxes, shelves, bins, baskets, plastic drawers, wire shelves...I feel like we have tried it all! And our favorite item of all of them is the closetmaid cube shelves from Target.




Here is the one we have set up in her room!

So of course when I saw them on sale in the Target Ad I decided we needed some for our basement! They are on sale for $39.99 each and the bins are $5.99 each or packs of 2 for $11. Haven't put them together yet, but I'm sure we will love them! Check them out!

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Texas Roadhouse Rant

Texas Roadhouse for many years was my absolute favorite restaurant! We spent alot of time there in college and when they finally opened one near our old house in the Poconos we were SO excited! I always order the same thing everytime we go, Dallas filet! Oh it just melts in your mouth!

Now that we have our little sidekick we really don't get out as often as we used to, ok I won't lie we used to go out for dinner almost everynight!! Now we usually have a once a week eat out night!

We have visited Texas Roadhouse in Wyomissing many times since we've moved here, and I continue ordering the same thing everytime we go. And everytime we go it gets worse and worse, and more expensive! My steak is never cooked right, either over cooked or under cooked and the past few times has been filled with fat chunks! And of course is now $2 more expensive than it was when we first started going! Although we do still love their rolls, and baby girl loves her steak!



It is just disappointing to spend so much on dinner and have it be so crappy! I'm sure we'll probably go back again, mostly for their rolls and hope that maybe they will bring back the same quality meat that they used to serve! Anybody have any recommendations for kid friendly steakhouses in the area????


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