Moms

Dawn, 5M4M contributor, recently attended the EPIC movie premiere in New York City. Expenses for her travel and lodging were covered by 20th Century Fox. All opinions expressed here are wholly her own. Have you heard about the Leaf Men and the amazing, hidden world of the forest in the upcoming film EPIC? I’m excited to share more thoughts about the new movie that will hit theaters this Friday, especially about the comedic elements. Check out my previous post for the lowdown on the story and some insights from the director on the underlying themes. Though EPIC is most definitely an adventure film with a lot of heart, there are plenty of laughs, too, and most of them are provided by the slimiest creatures on the screen. Mub the slug, and Grub the snail, are the protectors of the plant pod that holds the magical soul of the forest. They’re the perfect caretakers because the pod needs to stay moist– a huge talent of both snails and slugs! With funnymen Aziz Ansari and Chris O’Dowd as the voices behind Mub and Grub, the laughs come naturally. If you’ve seen the trailer, then you know all about Mub and Grub’s eyeball antics. What other creatures could even theoretically knock their eyeballs back and forth? Ansari and O’Dowd both bring their signature voices to these characters. Ansari is quick with a punchline, expressive and energetic, and O’Dowd’s charming Irish accent fits perfectly with his character who longs to be a Leaf Man despite his being a slug. I was incredibly fortunate to participate in a group interview with Aziz Ansari and Chris O’Dowd recently, and let me tell you, these guys are as funny off the cuff as they are when they’re performing from a script. How often do actors get to talk about their experiences playing a slug and a snail? When one blogger jokingly asked if they had done any research before taking these roles, they immediately launched into a funny back-and-forth: Aziz Ansari:  “No, I didn’t really do any research.  They have a piece of paper that has a script, lines on it.  And then, I just go in there and I say those a couple times, like we got it, and then I go home, done.” Chris O’Dowd:  “I had a slug farm, so like I felt like I was already one step ahead, yes like an ant farm.” Aziz Ansari:  “And me and Chris went to the woods with a magnifying glass and followed a snail and slug around for a couple of months.” Chris O’Dowd:  “It did not end well, obviously.  It was a sunny day. One thing led to another.  Yes, it was really sad.  It was sad, but worth it.“ I couldn’t stop myself from mentioning the slugs that keep finding their way into my own kitchen every spring and summer, and I expressed my hope that after viewing this movie, perhaps my kids won’t be so grossed out by the slow-moving, slime-trail-leaving creatures. Thankfully, Chris O’Dowd was happy to play along: Chris O’Dowd:  “You are welcome.  Get yourself a nice slug farm.” Me:  “I’d like to know how to fill that habitat.” Chris O’Dowd:  “Just slugs.  What I do is I don’t put anything in it other than the slugs.  So, it’s just slugs.” Me:  “Just slugs?” Chris O’Dowd:  “That’s right, yes, plastic tub of slugs, which is also the name of my autobiography, out this Christmas. Yes, hopefully, slugs are going to get a good rap from now on because I’m sick and tired of the anti slug brigade.” Their easygoing banter with our group was fitting, seeing as they had provided the lighthearted side of the movie with their funny performances. As a parent, I frequently find myself frustrated with kids’ movies, because of the innuendo and more adult-like humor that too often finds its way in. I was delighted that this wasn’t the case with EPIC. I didn’t find myself cringing at any parts

Confession: I am a DIY fan girl (not to mention, pretty gosh-darned fond of acronyms) and I may or may not have openly admitted to having a slight crush on Mike Holmes. By openly, I mean blogged about my crushing...

This guest post has been submitted by Sarah Normandie   Teach your young child the science of creating colors with these fun activities that link art, science and literature all together. Your  “color scientist” will be having so much fun that he or she won’t even realize that there is learning involved!  Activity 1: Popsicle Paint Book to read:  Why Did My Ice Pop Melt? By Susan Korman  After Reading the book, Why Did My Ice Pop Melt? By Susan Korman, try this fun summer activity! First, fill Popsicle molds with washable children’s tempura paint. Use primary colors: red, yellow, and blue, to prep your child for the color mixing activity. You can find the tempura paint in most craft stores and local department stores that sell children’s art supplies. Next, freeze the paint in the mold. Then, head outdoors on a hot summer day to do some Popsicle painting! An easel would work great for this activity, or you can just hang your paper onto a tree. Younger children will have an easier time building their fine motor skills by painting in this upright motion. Also, as the Popsicle paint melts, the paint will mix together. Discuss why it melted and predict which colors mixed together will create other colors.  What Your Child Will Learn: Your child will build their fine motor skills, and gain reasoning/prediction skills while engaged in scientific inquiry (discovering and predicting how the colors will mix). These skills will prepare your child for reading-as prediction skills are correlated with reading strength. This activity will also strengthen their problem solving skills.  Of course, freedom of expression in art and language development will also be fostered.  Bonus Activity:  Frozen Ice Melt: Another color mixing/ice melting activity is the “Frozen Ice Color Melt”. Fill various containers with water colored by food coloring (remember, primary colors only!). Put the “colored ice” in an outdoor water table, bucket, or kiddie pool, and watch the water change color as it melts. Don’t forget to talk about your child’s predictions to promote scientific inquiry and language skills.  Activity 2: Foot Painting Book to read:   Color Dance by Ann Jonas  What better way to learn about mixing colors than with some dancing! After reading Color Dance by Ann Jonas, bring out some large poster board or a roll of butcher paper, washable children’s paint (primary colors), a brush, and a bucket of water (to wash their feet). Paint your child’s foot, or simply let them rub their feet in a small puddle of paint (don’t forget to hold their hand, it can get slippery!). Put on some fun summer music and let your child dance on the paper, painting their footprints as they dance! Wipe off their feet and use different colors. As they dance, the colors will mix!  What Your Child Will Learn: In addition to language development and science inquiry skills, your child will build their gross motor skills (jumping, walking, balancing, etc) and learn to express themselves through art and music.  Activity 3: Water Spray Paint Book to read: White Rabbit’s Color Book By Alan Baker  White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker is one of my favorite color mixing books for young children. After reading the story, fill 3 spray bottles with a small amount of bottled watercolor paint (found in craft stores) and water. You can also simply fill with water colored by food coloring. Tack a piece of white paper to a tree, and let your little one spray the paper with the primary colors. Discuss how the colors blend together as they spray. Little ones will find it easier to spray upright, and older children could spray paper laid on the ground or on a table. You could also use stencils, or various objects such as string, buttons, or stencils placed on the paper to make various designs.  What Your Child Will Learn: Your child will build their fine motor strength by using the spray bottles, gain problem solving, and scientific inquiry skills by mixing colors and noticing the pat

Just over a month ago, our family was blessed to welcome in our third child. Adjusting to becoming a family of 5 has been so wonderful and now that we’re finally getting into a bit of a routine around here, I’m determined to start loosing this baby weight. Thankfully, my husband is on the same page with me and we’re in this together. In a few months, we’ll be celebrating our anniversary. By that date, we hope to have reached our weight loss goals. Healthy eating can certainly become terribly boring, especially if you don’t intentionally try to make delicious recipes that don’t taste like “diet” food. This salad has become a new favorite of ours. It’s packed with tons of nutrients and the flavor profiles make it taste like a bistro-style salad. With the taco meat, black beans, corn, avocados and of course, the Cilantro-Lime Dressing, this salad is fabulous and totally satisfying. Southwestern Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing Print Southwestern Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing Author: Angela Strand Ingredients Large head of romaine, chopped 15 oz. can black beans, drained 1 large orange bell pepper, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 15 oz can corn, drained 3 green onions, chopped 1 avocado, diced 1 pound hamburger, cooked with Taco Seasoning and drained Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing 1 cup cilantro leaves ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about ½ lime) 1-2 garlic cloves ¼ cup olive oil 1½ tsp. white vinegar ⅛ tsp. salt Black Pepper to taste Instructions Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend to combine. Next, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.Toss with dressing. 3.2.1230   So — what is a good salad that you have had this month?

September is going to be a big month for us. Not only is Belle leaving primary school this summer and moving up to big school, but Bee, my precious first-born, turns into a grown-up and heads off to university in London. As if by way of a reminder, Belle bought this home from school this week. My last ever copy. It is a truly terrible publication, full of poorly designed ads, yet I can’t help but feel oddly fond of it all of a sudden: They are actually growing up and it is leaving me feeling a teeny bit sad. Of course it could just be the cold I’ve got this week. I did cry at our netball match on Tuesday night when I didn’t score any goals in the first quarter and had to come off not feeling well, (embarrassing), so it would appear I am a tad on the over-emotional side, but still, having children grow up is a thing I think you’re allowed to get a bit teary about. As if by way of rubbing salt in the wounds, last weekend I worked for three days at the Baby Show in Birmingham, surrounded by glowing pregnant women and chubby cheeked babies. It was almost enough to make me, heart-of-stone-mother that I am, a little broody. ‘It might be quite nice,’ I thought to myself, ‘to have another go. This time I could actually make an effort and do it properly, make my own sweet potato purées and not hide on my own in a corner of the playground at school pick up time. It could be fun to have a baby with chubby cheeks.’ Then I have to make myself remember that evening when Belle was about three months old. We were both lying on my bed. We had been lying there for some time in fact. I was lying on my side, Belle lying next to me. She was breastfeeding, and every ten minutes or so she would appear to fall asleep. I would wait a little while, then delicately begin to extract my boob from her mouth. Sometimes she would let me get as far as the door before waking up and crying again, but not often. It would get to the point where your options were basically to scream or cry, where every gulp she took felt like having the life literally sucked out of me. I can’t remember exactly whether it was a scream or cry moment, but I remember telling myself ‘If ever in the future you think about having more children, think about this moment and remember that you decided right here never to do it again.’ Those words have stuck in my head long past the memory of how I actually felt. I know that it’s natural to feel sentimental, that having children grow up and move on doesn’t mean you need to replace them, but I can’t help but feel I might have a tear in my eye at Belle’s final sport’s day this afternoon. Maybe it’s time to start my cat collection. How do you feel about your children growing up? The post The end of our Primary Times appeared first on Slummy single mummy.

The following conversation took place between me and my Tejano outside of his wine bar. Tejano: That couple across the street are Koreans. I think I am beginning to get good at noticing. Me: Really? why? (making a note of the baggy pants on the man who is standing with his upper torso slouching toward the woman in pony tail)...

By SHAWN TAYLOR I am blessed to have received a great education. Maybe it was a time in U.S. history when educating our nation’s children was a priority, but I don’t feel anything was lacking in what... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Is it just me, or is a “formal” graduation from preschool with caps and gown a bit over the top? Do 4 and 5-year-olds really need to walk across the stage as pomp and circumstance plays and they are handed their diploma. As a parent, I am so happy my kids school doesn’t have any [...]

After over 18 hours of travel, we’ve arrived safe and sound in Galveston to get our ocean fix. We can’t be within a few measly hours of the beach and not see it for a day. The road was LONG {no offense Missouri and Arkansas} and we ran into some crazy blankets of rain, but we were thankful for nothing more serious, as our hearts and prayers are with the people of Oklahoma. The road entertainment included some Narnia, Ninjago, and White Fang on the portable DVD player, reading Charolette’s Web and some library books, lots of snacks, coloring, and listening to their iPod shuffles (refurbished 1st generation old school Apple) . Highlights from the Honda: - I accidentally turned an 18″ turtle into instant road kill. CRUNCH! - Henry sang the Ninjago song at least 400 times. I’ve been singing in my sleep ever since. - Clark in typical form asked a hundred “what if” questions. Including today’s “What if the ocean was called the Kites to Mexico?” - The boys had “headphone hollering” and were singing and talking to each other like they were elderly. The long hours on the road quickly paid off as soon as we laid eyes on the coast. Tonight we are going to sleep smelling like salt and sand with a kiss of sun on our skin and happy hearts. More Texas Travel Tales to come!

One of the most amazing things (and there is quite a list) about being a parent is being able to watch your kids blossom and come into their own.  It is one of life’s greater joys. When The Ex and I separated, even though he tended to be a little shy, Nick slowly began filling some of the roles of being the man of the house. Taking on more responsibility. Thinking about things that normal (then) seven and eight year olds wouldn’t. Being a protector of his sister and I. And while that was wonderful, I had a keen intent on letting him continue being a child as well. I don’t want either of them to grow up before their time due to unforeseen circumstances in their environment. Kids should be kids. And things eventually leveled out and our family dynamic grew into a new normal. A new routine. New ebbs and flows and responsibilities and adventures. But something happened last year. Sometime in the second half of the year. And I can’t quite put my finger on where the shift exactly was. Or what motivated it. And it could all just be part of the evolution as children grow up. But Nick started really coming into his own. Becoming more and more outgoing. More brave. More forthright. Just plain more. And I can’t even tell you how that makes my heart swell. And especially this year. He has completely lived outside of his box. His comfort zone. Out of what normally he would do. And he couldn’t be better for it. He has a strong interest in acting. TV. Commercials. What have you. And the radio constantly plays a commercial calling kids to come out and audition for Disney shows and commercials. A cattle call, if you will. Which I’m convinced is a scam. And every time the commercial comes on, Nick asks me if that’s the legitimate one. And it isn’t. Flash forward to this past January and I came across an acting workshop at a rather large, well-established community theater. They had several different age groups and focuses, and I ended up registering Nick for it. It was a weekly evening class for three months, culminating in a performance for family and friends a few weeks ago. Three plus years ago, there is no way would Nick have allowed me to sign him up. Would have put up a fight about going. But not this time. As it is about twenty minutes away, he wouldn’t know anyone else in the workshop before beginning. We had no clue what it would be like. We were completely blind going in. But I explained that if he really wants to be involved in acting, this would be a great way to find out if he liked it and what it was all about. And he took a leap. And loved it. When it came time for performance night at the culmination of the workshop, I didn’t know anything about the play, how many lines he’d have to learn, how big the part was. He never rehearsed at home. And gave us few details. Everything took place during his weekly workshop. Madeline has a habit of being Nick’s biggest cheerleader from the sidelines, so right before the play was about to start, I told her that when she saw him, she couldn’t yell out for him like she does at his track meets. It was all she could do to quell her excitement when he first walked onto the stage. And I sat there, through the 45 minute performance, completely in awe. My once-shy kid, was standing in the middle of the stage, delivering line after line, on his own, in front of his peers, and an audience. Not one hesitation. Not one moment. I couldn’t have been more proud. And he showed this renewed sense of confidence again in the beginning of Spring, when he signed up for track. Although he has played soccer for six years, this was the first year for track. And he went out there and killed it. He runs like it is effortless and has perhaps even surprised himself as he is consistently in first place for many of his races. And this weekend in Disney World. More examples. He went on the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios (former