Go West Summer Camp Guide: Batavia

It's Day 3 of Go West's Summer Camp Week! We've tackled St. Charles and Aurora already. Today we take a look at summer camps (and a few Vacation Bible Schools) available in Batavia. Now the bulk of these camps are offered by the Batavia Park District, which just has its "snapshot" out so far. More complete info will be released next month, and we'll update the Batavia listings then. 

Photo by iStockphoto.com.

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True Confession: Triplet Mom Gives More Advice Than She Takes!

Today’s guest column comes from one of our regular contributors, Edith Tarter, who can throw together a “Weeknight Dinner” recipe in the time it take me to find a paring knife. She lives in Geneva with her husband and 8-year-old triplets Lidy, Mimi and Owen. 

There are some days when I feel I do nothing but tell others how to be a better parent, how to be a better homemaker, how to be a better spouse, how to be a better shopper … the list is long!  And, on those days when I’m dispensing my two cents to anyone who asks (and sometimes to those who don’t ask), I start to hear myself sounding like the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons.  Is anyone really listening?  I have great advice!

The Tarter triplets were at least good at acting like they were listening back then. Photo provided.Truth be told -- I live in a fantasy world where my surroundings are as tidy as a nurse’s station, the air smells of cinnamon rolls and mountain air cleanliness, and the children are sedate, well groomed and eager to please.  Those same children, in this imaginary world of mine, take turns waiting to talk, clamor to rub my aching feet, fetch me the remote and best of all, make their beds – and mine – everyday!  I did say this was fantasy, right?

Advice is only as good as the giver.  I can talk a good game, right up there with the Fly Lady, Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil and the goddess of all advisors, Oprah!  Is my advice sound wisdom, hard-earned from baby battle and household stress?  You betcha it is!  Do I follow my own advice?  Heck no!

I never make my bed, I rarely brush my kids’ hair, I let my kids eat salami and strawberries for breakfast, and I largely ignore my faithful husband’s needs.  Yet, in some twisted mind game, I feel qualified to suggest to others how to run their households and manage their families!  What is that about?

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She'sWrite Side Dish: Oven Roasted Veggies

This week, in place of a “Weeknight Dinner,” we have a recipe for a side dish from our regular guest contributor She’sWrite. This one does require some prep and an hour in the oven, but it sounds delicious. Note that our columnist is fighting what she’s calling “The Blubber Battle.” You can read more about that here.

This is sooooo good and easy. I’m a closet finicky eater so I like that I can alter this Tosca Reno recipe by taking out some of the veggies that I don’t like. (i.e. beets) You of course could add more vegetables to this dish.

“Oven roasting brings out the flavor of vegetables like no other cooking method. The best part of oven roasting is its ease. ” - Tosca Reno

Ingredients:

2 large spanish onions or sweet onions cut into chunks

4 large sweet carrots cut into chunks

2 peeled turnips cut into chunks

½ pound of brussell sprouts

6 small beets peeled

8-10 small potatoes (not idaho or russet bakers)

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

4 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

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Reader to Reader: The Car Seat Question

Oh, car seats. Until you have a kid, no one can prepare you for how pervasive they become in your life. When I was pregnant, I agonized over what type of infant car seat to buy – and should I get the matching “stroller system,” one of those basic frames, or something else entirely? And don’t get me started on how fun it is to move car seats between vehicles, or how expensive to buy more than one.

Photo by gracobaby on Flickr.So I’m sure most of you have read about the changes in recommendations regarding car seats.  Just to recap: The American Academy of Pediatrics this week said that children should stay in rear-facing child safety seats until they turn 2, preferably even longer, or until they reach the maximum heigh and weight for their seat. The recommendation is based on research that children under 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured if facing to the rear.

For older children, the group recommends that children remain in booster seats until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall – which means that most children would stay in boosters until between the ages of 8 and 12. (Illinois, by law, currently requires all kids under 8 to stay in child safety seats or boosters.) And children should ride in the back of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.

Now I’m a safety nut, so we kept our daughter facing backward in her car seat well past 18 months. But then she got car sick a few times on longer trips, and we thought it was likely because as she got older, she got more interested in what was happening out the window. There’s nothing like cleaning up a toddler who just threw up all over herself, her clothes and her car seat to finally prompt you to turn the seat around!

But until then, the rear-facing car seat was easy for us. It could accomodate her up to 35 pounds rear-facing, a weight she hasn't even reached now. She’s on the shorter side, so her legs weren’t too bunched up. And she was happy as a clam back there looking at books, listening to music and very often, taking a nap.

However, I know many friends who had babies who were miserable in their car seats until they got turned around facing forward.

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Go West Summer Camp Guide: St. Charles

Summer Camp Week continues! Today, we take a look at summer camps available in St. Charles. Remember, we'll be tackling a new suburb each day for the next week, then puting together a massive directory that will be broken down both geographically and by theme.

If you have suggestions of camps to add, please use the comment section below or send them to editor@gowestyoungmom.com. Read on for info about camps in St. Charles that focus on everything from sports to drama, music to nature, lasting from anywhere from 60 minutes to a full day.

Photo by iStockphoto.com.

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