HALT! Four reasons your child misbehaves.

You would think that a kid who was so excited about being a rocket ship for Halloween would let me take a million photos of him wearing his costume. 

Nope.

I had to beg him to let me take just one photo and this is what he gives me...he practically is taking it off before I can even snap the shot.

However, we had a lovely Halloween.

I've been busy at a Play Therapy Conference and will talk more about that later. 

But I thought I would share with you a little reminder I had as a parent yesterday. When our child misbehaves, our first response as a parent is to stop the behavior. But as parents we ourselves have to HALT and look through the eyes of a child. Children usually act out because they are one or more of these four things:

H- hungry

A- angry

L-lonely

T- tired

CONFESSION:

I had an experience yesterday where little man had a HUGE melt down. The reason being that the chocolate he had in his hands melted and he was sad that he didn't get a chance to eat it. Well, that is what he was telling me. But I knew he was coming from a place of hunger, tiredness, anger, and loneliness. He has missed his nap that day, filled himself with candy, and it had been a long day out of our usual routine where he needed some time to reconnect with me.

And let me tell you, it probably took a good 30 minutes of uncontrollable crying and some play before he felt better. Luckily dad was there to help out.

If we would have become upset and told him to get over it- how do you think he would have been left feeling? Would any of his needs have been met with that response?

How do I act when I am hungry, angry, lonely, or tired?

Just something to think about this weekend.

besitos, 

xo

P.S. Winner for the giveaway has been announced. Congratulations Deveney!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween. Enjoy this day!

{Little Man's "Four scary ghosts"}

 *Halloween Art Made with paper paint and googly eyes!

{Little Man's Spider and Spider Web}

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for $100 worth of cloth diapers and products right here!

Besitos,

xo

New Tradition

 I have been reflecting on our family  traditions for the past few weeks and making it a point to get started and to continue with traditions we have started.  

And we have one more to add to our list... this past weekend was General Conference- (a two day conference held twice a year where leaders of our church speak) and I really wanted to make this an exciting and special weekend by having a huge hot breakfast with the works on Saturday and then hot homemade cinnamon rolls on Sunday. I also created a conference bag where Little Man could pick an activity or a treat to do every time he heard the choir sing! He loved it! My heart is so full from the messages that were shared. Next conference will be held in April and I will share photos of our conference feast and bag (since I neglected to take any this year)!

Anyhow, start thinking of traditions you want to incorporate in your family...next month there just may be a challenge around traditions!

I am off- nap-time for little man is almost over!

besitos,
xo

Candy Corn Feet

My sweet neighbor watched Little Man yesterday evening while I was teaching a parenting class. When I came home I found this. 

Is this not genius? 

And super easy and cute.

Just paint their little toes with yellow, orange, and white...

and stamp their feet...so cute!

Great sensory activity for kids as well!

Now,  I just want to munch on those feetsies! 

I love October.

Besitos

Cross another off the FALL LIST...

I have great memories of making Halloween dinner with my cousin Hilda and thought I would bring that tradition into my family. So, last night I made jack-o-laterns (stuffed yellow peppers)

STUFFED PEPPERS

1 cup Wild Rice

4 whole Bell Peppers Innards Removed and faces cut out

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Yellow Onion, Diced

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

3 whole Italian Sausage Links, Casings Removed

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

¼ cups Yellow Raisins

1 pinch Coarse Salt

1 pinch Freshly Ground Pepper

1 carton (26.46 Oz. Size) Pomi Strained Tomatoes, Divided

¼ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cook the rice in boiling water for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and saute 4 minutes. Add the garlic and bloom 30 seconds. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook about 5 minutes until fully cooked. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, diced bell pepper tops,and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute another minute.

Add 1/2 cup of the strained tomatoes and stir to combine.

Stuff each pepper with the sausage mixture and place in a small baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes.

Switch oven to broiler, sprinkle peppers with cheese, stick it back in for a minute, until the cheese melts.

Serve peppers with a good drizzle of the bubbly tomato sauce. 

While I was writing this post I realized I haven't posted this year's FALL LIST yet and well- we are almost through fall...how fast time flies by... you can see some of the recent things we crossed off our list on my sister-in-law's blog here and here.

My fall list:

Pumpkin Patch

Carve pumpkins

Play in the leaves

Leaf Art

Carmel Apples

Halloween Dinner

Watch Troll 2

Buy Scented fall soap

Make a bonfire in the backyard

Spend an entire day cuddling

Halloween sugar cookies

Have Apple Cider

Fall nail polish

What is on your list?

Besitos,

New Halloween Tradition...check.

Wiggle Worm... 

Can't get enough of his boots...we must live in Idaho. ;)

hours minutes of entertainment...

Auntie Dar and Uncle Tan

Wagon ride...going to get me some pumpkins....

Hurry no one is looking...

Smooch.

Think we found it...

Yup this is it.

Little Man's finds

Playing in the dirt...way cooler..

corn.

shot with our adopted pumpkin...

little excited.

very excited...love our pumpkins

Wagon ride back...Nap time after this is a must.

Did I seriously post that many photos? 

First of all, I am sorry for the millions of photos (and cheesy captions)...we just had SO much fun and of course we snap WAY too many photos ALWAYS!

Traditions are the glue that hold the family together and can create bonding and memories within a family that last forever.  I love love love them.

That is why I have decided every year in October- I want to go to a pumpkin patch and FIND THE PERFECT (or not so perfect) PUMPKIN... It will be our little tradition. 

I need more ideas...what are your family traditions in October?

 Read more about what Carleen Tanner says about family traditions here.
Besitos, 

Music Monday...lets get ready for Halloween!!

Bianca sent me this post last night, and sadly she went to the doctor today after having battled this cough for a few weeks, and she found out she has bronchitis! Yuck! That's what happens when you work with lots of little ones during this time of year. Hope you get better soon Bianca and stay healthy!

So here she is again folks, a little sick maybe, but we hope you still enjoy.

Sugar Cookies....

 Gotta keep those sugar cravings satisfied...so here is a delicious recipe. 

Bright Halloween colors.

Halloween cut outs (that's supposed to be a cat)

Don't ever forget to assign someone as the frosting licker

Take to the neighbors.

(This recipe I got from my sister in law Deb)

SUGAR COOKIES

6 c flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 c salted butter (softened)

2 1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs

4 TBSP milk

(**I personally like to add a touch of almond extract) 

preheat oven to 375

whisk together flour/salt and set aside

cream together butter and sugar

add eggs, milk, vanilla

add flour mixture slowly and beat on low until combined

Divde dough in half and form into two balls. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour

On a floured (or p sugared) surface roll out dough to desired thickness (they will not puff up a ton so if you want them thick- as she made them- roll them out as thick as you want them to be). She used a big flower cookie cutter so they were delightfully giant.

Bake for 10-12 minutes- she usually takes them out early- like 8/9 minutes. Let them set on pan for a min or two if you do.

Cool and frost (delightful receipe to follow) then eat the crud out of them and repeat as necessay until your Heifertitis is fulfilled.

ICING

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/4 c butter (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

powder sugar

(**dash of almond extract for my frosting choice)

mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla til creamy then add powdered sugar to desired consistency

enjoy!
besitos,