HeatherKatsoulis.com

I am lucky, blessed, really.

Each day I

• wake up to the sweetest alarm: my almost 4 year old daughter
• enjoy a calm, un-rushed healthy breakfast with my whole family at the dining room table
• work from home on my dream career: children’s photographer
• am grateful for free part-time childcare from my parents and mother-in-law
• eat a natural, whole foods, vegetarian dinner with my whole family at the dining room table
• relax in my cozy home
• read stories and snuggle with my daughter
• go to sleep next to the love of my life in an always cozy bed

In addition, each Wednesday is family day with Jim and Syna.

Each Friday night is date night with my husband. (We’ve been together for 19 years.)

Each Saturday is family date night with Jim and Syna.

Each Sunday is family breakfast with my dad’s family (whoever decides to show – 4-15 people)

I have nothing to complain about. Truly. And I worry about others. Most of the world doesn’t have it nearly as good as I do. I feel extravagant, even when I appreciate what I have and do what I can to minimize my impact on the planet.

We’ve downsized to 1 car, we got rid of cable television, we compost our food waste (and it’s most of it since we’re vegetarian) and recycle to the extent that our family of 3 “throws out” 1 grocery bag of trash per week, we telecommute, we used cloth diapers for our daughter, we bring our own reusable bags to stores and purchase items with limited packaging, we switched our heating system to a high efficiency solution, we shower every other day… We’re conscious of many of our decisions.

And yet we use so much. We have so much. We are never even uncomfortable. We have heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, food available 24/7, constant electricity, transportation, money, instant communication devices, we’re safe. Even on the coldest/hottest days, if I travel, I walk 30′ outdoors to my garage protected car, start it up, turn on the heat/air and I’m comfortably on my way.

It has long been my belief that to truly help others I must start with myself.

To put the world in order, we must put the nation in order.
To put the nation in order, we must put the family in order.
To put the family in order, we must nurture our personal life.
To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
- Confucius

But it doesn’t seem like enough when I have so much. And, really, it’s all by luck I ended up being born into my situation.

“There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

How do I stay happy when I am aware of so much suffering?

“As the last days of 2009 tick off of the calendar, many people are drawn to introspection and reflection. For parents, these last days of the year offer space to sit down and intentionally consider how you are working to become the parent you want to be for your children.” [via simplemom.net]

Parenting Personality
1. How do you think your children have experienced you as a parent in 2009?
Well, I am lucky enough to be able to work from home (as does my DH), so I get to spend a lot of time with my daughter. However, I am aware that she is a sensitive soul, and yet I can be quick and sharp when addressing her misbehavior. So, I think she saw me as available but was timid of my reactions.

2. How do you want your children to experience you as a parent in 2010?
I would like Syna to experience me as a loving, supportive, truly engaged, calm and assertive mommy.

Hit the Highlights
3. What aspects of parenting brought you the most joy in 2009?
Doing more family activities was certainly a highlight this year. At 3 years old, Syna is such a joy to watch explore and discover new places, ideas and people. Our summer was a total blast; we went to Block Island, Rehoboth Beach and Old Orchard Beach. And she had her first day of preschool!

4. What are you looking forward to with great anticipation in 2010?
I’m looking forward to spending more quality time with Syna – to be more active (she loves when we do yoga together); to be more involved in her learning; to have more adventures and laughs.

Strengths and Challenges
5. As you survey your parenting toolbox, which tools do find to be working well for your family, and which tools could use some sharpening?
I have to say my past working experiences help me to understand focusing on the behavior, not the child and relevant consequences instead of punishment. However, my tools for responding to charged situations need sharpening. I think I do a pretty good job at holding back knee-jerk “no’s” to Syna’s requests. It can be difficult to say “go for it!” when she asks if she can dip her cookies in ketchup, or to get up off the couch when she wants to show me how the fish is swimming silly again.

Building Connections
6. How have you pursued your children in the past year?
I have been very intentional when giving Syna great hugs, taking the time to really focus on her and give her a firm, loving squeeze. I think I may tell her I love her too much. ;)

7. What actions will you take to be more engaged with your child in 2010?
In the coming year I will encourage Syna to choose any activity daily that I will then support and join her in doing.

Mending Missteps
8. Is there any aspect of your relationship with your child that has been strained by unforgiveness or regret?
I do regret that I have been hard on her at times. My attempts at developing her character are often misguided in that I think of her as developmentally older. With her 99th percentile height and her incredible vocabulary, it’s so hard to remember she’s 3.

9. Is there an unresolved issue for which you need to offer your child forgiveness, or do you need to ask for forgiveness from your child?
I recently became aware of how she felt about my reactions and have asked for her forgiveness and begun to respond more kindly and appropriately.

10. What actions will you take to nurture a healthy connection with your children in 2010?
Family date night (Saturday) has begun to develop, and I would like to make it more meaningful and enjoyable by doing more new and intentional activities. I truly look forward to the coming year.

In the states, the day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This year, take it easy; spend time at home relaxing with family and friends. Read more about the international campaign to curb consumption, Buy Nothing Day.

Also check out ☃ Simplify the Holidays for more ideas to help create a fun, festive, relaxed winter holiday season.

And if you’re looking for thoughtful personalized gifts to share with your loved ones, try some Homemade Gifts.

Then wrap them responsibly with Reusable Bags/Cloth Wraps. Each year billions of plastic bags end up as litter; reusable bags, such as furoshiki can help reduce the impact to our environment. Its versatility allows you to wrap almost anything regardless of its shape or size.

Have a wonderful winter!

Update: Massachusetts officials will reopen Holyoke Soldiers Home clinic | Breaking News – MassLive.com


You’ve probably heard by now that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will be closing its outpatient clinic due to Governor Patrick’s veto of $500,000 worth of funding.

Veterans clinic at Soldiers’ Home of Holyoke scheduled to close

Now, you may think that it’s just a sign of these poor economic times; however, Gillette Stadium (of the NFL’s New England Patriots) just received $9 million for a footbridge. Really? That’s where our state’s priorities are?

$9m in stimulus funds approved for footbridge near Gillette Stadium

This truly pisses me off. My father’s doctor is through the VA hospital and he is now getting the boot.

Please, I am personally urging you to email, snail mail and call your local representatives to express your disappointment in this decision.

Massachusetts’s Representatives – Congressional District Maps

Why did Cascadian Farms add sugar, tapioca syrup, molasses and corn meal to their Purely O’s without notice? I used to buy them because there was no added sugar. Now there is 3 times the amount of sugar. Not to mention their color is different, the taste and texture are unappealing – cheap. I guess their parent company, General Mills,… is trying to create a less expensive product. Well, they lost a long time customer, and from the looks of the comments on their own blog I’m not the only one.

new on top – old on bottom

Probably the best alternative for cereals: Food For Life Ezekiel Cereal, Original, Organic

• All natural, kosher certified, organic, vegan, dairy free, yeast free, flourless;
• No conditioners, additives, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
• Exculsive baking prcesses to ensure proper moisture levels, texture, and maximum flavor without losing vital nutrients and important natural fiber
• Low glycemic, diabetic friendly

Ingredients
Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Filtered Water, Sea Salt.

Food for Life Baking Company is a family-owned and operated specialty bakery with a passionate commitment to natural foods.

See who owns what in the Organic Foods Industry.

We had a great Halloween planned. We started off with Pumpkin pancakes:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch clove
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and egg.
3. Fold mixture into dry ingredients.
4. Spray or grease a skillet and heat over medium heat: pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
5. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup.
6. Makes about six 6-inch pancakes.

[via Recipezaar]

Then we went looking for more pumpkins to carve because this wasn’t enough:

There was a lot of jack o’ lantern carving going on all afternoon. I carved the cat, and Jim carved the rest with Syna assisting. We got our cool patterns from Zombie Pumpkins.

click for larger image

They were quite the hit with the trick or treaters.

Then we made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cakies (cake-like cookies), my all time favorite fall, pumpkin recipe.
This recipe is ever so slightly adapted from marthastewart.com (chips instead of glaze).

We used to buy these from Gap Mountain Bread every fall in Troy (now Keene), NH – I miss NH in the fall.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.
4. When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

 

We had a bunch of family over for pizza, and we took Syna out trick or treating around the neighborhood. It was so warm out, and the misty rain was actually refreshing after all of the running around I was doing. Syna got an amazing amount of candy for just 2 streets, maybe 15 houses. We took out about half and let her eat a few pieces. After everyone had left, Syna hung her head low and said she was sad because Halloween was all over. Surprisingly, she slept great.

We went to Block Island, RI for the weekend – what a beautiful place. I highly suggest a visit.

strawberry pie, originally uploaded by hlkljgk.

syna went strawberry picking yesterday and wanted to make strawberry pie. so, we came up with this quick and tasty version.

individual graham cracker crusts

sliced strawberries
some sugar
-mix and let sit

heavy whipping cream
some sugar
some vanilla
-whip together

tomorrow we’re going to try this Quick Strawberry Jam Recipe. no sterilizing, small batch, quick and simple to make.

Your kitchen is full of natural dyes. Common food items such as red cabbage, onion skins, and coffee can be used to transform plain white eggs into colorful Easter gems. Kids will especially love discovering all the different colors they can create – let them experiment using hard-boiled eggs and bowls of cold dyes.


Here you can learn how to stencil eggs, marble eggs and fill eggs with chocolate: Natural Egg Coloring

Also, check this video out:

Syna just finished up her first semester of Music Together – the Bells Collection. She loved it and really wants to do the next session – Triangles starting in April. If you have children, I highly recommend this class.

Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and the adults who love them. First offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement.

Learn more about Music Together

My daughter, Syna, singing “Two Little Kitty Cats” from Music Together’s Bells Collection CD: