I found a sandbox on CraigsList for only $10 a couple of weeks ago! Of course, we bought it for "I". He really loves digging & dumping sand!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
First Campfire of the Summer
We had our first campfire of the summer a couple of weekends ago.
And, we caught fireflies that night too! The green spot in this photo is a firefly.
Friday, June 11, 2010
We went hiking this afternoon at Sinking Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary, a 70-acre nature preserve in East Aurora. There is a hiking trail through the woods that wraps around the lake. It was a nice hike, approximately a little over a 1-mile round trip. There are a few small hills and inclines but, the for the most part, the trail was well groomed and easy to maneuver.
Today was the first time I used my backpack child carrier, and it worked out great! Our neighbors were throwing it out and we were happy to take it. It is a Kelty brand (normally very expensive), but after a good wash and an adjustment of the straps & fasteners, it was ready to go! It worked out terrific for our hike today and was pretty comfortable to wear.
"I" enjoyed riding along on my back and was even humming in my ear as we hiked out. Two thumbs up for everyone!! We'll definitely be doing more hiking this summer.
Stopping for a snack along the trail:
Water Play!
Rainy day = indoor water play! On Tuesday, it was chilly and down pouring all day long, so I filled up our sensory tub with some lukewater water and a bunch of toys. "I" had a blast dumping, pouring, and splashing!
Clarence Town Park
Last weekend, we headed to Clarence Town Park (on Main Street). It's such a great park to walk around in! We have decided that we want to get a child carrier for my bicycle so that we can utilize the bike path that runs through there.
Feeding Ducks
Last Friday afternoon after I's pediatrician appointment we stopped at the Canal in North Tonawanda and fed the geese & ducks some stale bread. I got a kick out of seeing the geese. He thought they were really funny!
Delaware Park
On Thursday evening last week, we took a walk through Delaware Park right after it heavily rained. Here are some of our pictures:
Delaware Park Rose Garden:
Best Friends
I and Yukon have become Best Friends. Here are a few pics from last week when we were playing outside.
Homemade Bread
A friend from my mom's group passed along the recipe and I just thought I'd share it here for any of those who are ambitious enough to start making their own bread too. It's a lot easier than it sounds, I swear!! The recipe made 2 loaves with a little extra leftover.
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1 1/2 tablesppons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons oil
6 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
(I also added 1/8 cup of flaxseed meal)
Mix yeast, salt, honey & oil with milk & water in a 5 qt bowl with lid (not an airtight light). I used my crockpot and it worked great for this.
Mix in remaining dry ingredients without kneading using a spoon.
Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (flattens on top) about 2 to 3 hours.
Refrigerate (not airtight) for up to 5 days. You should refrigerate a few hours before baking because the dough is easier to use when cold.
When you are ready to bake: Lightly grease a nonstick bread pan. Using wet hands, scoop out a cantelope sized ball of dough. Keeping hands wet, quickly shape dough into a ball by stretching surface of dough around to the bottom on all sides. Rotate ball a quarter turn as you go. Do this for approximately 30 seconds. The dough will change consistency and form a "gluten cloak" around the outside of the loaf.
Drop dough into greased bread pan. Fill the pan slightly more than half-full. Allow to rest for 1 1/2 hours - bread will spread out and fill pan as it rests. Lightly flour the top of the loaf and slash top, using the tip of a serrated bread knife.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, with an empty broiler pan sitting on a rack that won't interfere with the rack the bread will sit on. Preheat oven at least 10 minutes. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler pan. Quickly close oven door. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until browned and firm.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Nature Deficit Disorder
The National Wildlife Federation has announced their Be Out There campaign, an initiative to get kids & families outside, and our family has pledged to spend at least 1 hour each day outdoors.
A huge problem is sweeping across today's generation of kids... the lack of time spent of outdoors. Author Richard Louv put a title to this problem a few years ago. He calls it Nature Deficit Disorder. I researched NDD a few years ago when I was working for the Girl Scouts while writing a grant for an outdoor education program. The effects of decreased time outdoors were alarming to me! Just read the statistics taken from NWF's website:
"American childhood has moved indoors during the last two decades, taking a mental and physical toll on today’s kids. The negative impact of decreased time outdoors includes a doubling of the childhood obesity rate, declining creativity, concentration, and social skills. Studies show outdoor time helps children grow lean and strong, enhances imaginations and attention spans, decreases aggression, and boosts classroom performance. The average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen. The average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day!) staring at some kind of electronic screen. In 2000, one out of every eight American children was taking Ritalin for treatment of behavioral disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Researchers hypothesized that an increase in television viewing, as well as greater academic pressure at an earlier age, was contributing to increased usage. The use of anti-depressants in children grew between 1998 and 2002 from 1.6% to 2.4%, an adjusted annual increase of 9.2%. The growth in antidepressant use was greater among girls (a 68% increase) than among boys (a 34% increase). In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than tripled. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. Play protects children's emotional development; whereas a loss of free time in combination with a hurried lifestyle can be a source of stress, anxiety, and may even contribute to depression for many children."
And if those health problems weren't bad enough, many schools have responded to the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law by sacrificing subjects such as environmental education to spend more time on subjects that are found on high-stakes reading and math tests. A 2008 study by the Center on Education Policy documented the problem. It found that many school districts have significantly reduced the amount of class time spent on such subjects as social studies and science. Many teachers and parents also report that field trips and time devoted to outdoor learning activities have been cut to give more time to tested subjects. The No Child Left Inside Coalition was formed in 2007 to alert Congress and the public of the need for schools to devote more resources to environmental education.
So, what can be done about this crisis?
It's simple... get outside!! Make an effort to spend more time outdoors with your family: take a walk around the block, go to your nearby park for a picnic, visit the local playground, or take a trip to the Zoo. Simply put, just spend some time outdoors everyday. Let the kids play in the sandbox (slather on the sunscreen, lightweight clothing, and a baseball cap), plant a garden, catch fireflies at night, make a campfire and have S'mores! If you're a nature lover like I am, then not getting outdoors shouldn't be problem for you. Western New York has a variety of outdoor options for families. There are many hiking spots ranging from beginner to advanced trails. We just got a gently used backpack child carrier (Kelty brand) and cannot wait to use it! We're going to try it out this evening at Sinking Ponds Nature Preserve in East Aurora. There are also a variety of campgrounds in the area, both public & private. Take a relaxing paddle along Ellicott Creek - Paths, Peaks & Paddles offers canoe & kayak rentals. Rent a rowboat on Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park. Or, rent a paddle bike and "bicycle" on the Erie Canal in Tonawanda.
Will your family take the pledge to spend one hour outside each day? If so, click below:
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