Sharing Memorial Day with Your Children

This is Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. All around us are signs that summer is approaching - the weather is getting warmer, barbecues are out, farmers markets are open, and the Cleveland Indians are in first place. In recent years it seems as if Memorial Day has more and more just come to signal "the unofficial start of summer" (as one newscaster stated recently) and an opportunity to snag some great deals at your favorite stores.


Photo source

 But Memorial Day is about so much more than that. Perhaps I feel it more keenly because I grew up on military installations around the world. I am the daughter, granddaughter, niece, and cousin of career Air Force veterans and an active duty Army soldier. It was easy to understand the meaning of Memorial Day when you were surrounded by the day-to-day activities of protecting and defending our country.

Now that I'm a full-fledged "civvie" (aka civilian), I ask myself each year how I can properly teach Little Girl about the importance of Memorial Day. I want her to understand the role our military personnel have played over the years in helping to ensure the freedoms she enjoys as an American citizen are always hers to enjoy.

The concepts of Memorial Day are often challenging for young children to understand. "Freedom" and the benefits that go with it are very abstract ideas and the concept of death can be very scary to some kids. If you have a young child like me, perhaps these tips and ideas will help you introduce Memoral Day and its significance to your little American:

• Ask your child. Start by asking what she thinks Memorial Day is. Some schools teach about the day, so asking what your child already knows will help you decide where to take the conversation.
• Have a short vocabulary lesson. Talk about what it means to remember something or someone. Explain that when we remember someone in a specific way, like with a picture or a story or a gravestone, we are memorializing them and that's where the term Memorial Day comes from.
• Put out the flag. Let your child help you put your flag out on Memorial Day. Talk with him about the meanings of our flag and the things that it symbolizes.
• Read a book. There have been lots of books written about Memorial Day and about soldiers and other military members. Head to your local library and find one or two age-appropriate ones that can help tell the story of our country and our military to your wee one. Sit together to read and discuss the story.
• Cemetery walk. If you think it's appropriate for your child's age and personality, take a family trip to a nearby cemetery. If possible, make it a military cemetery. The visual of the flags, flowers, and other decorations will help make the abstract idea of Memorial Day more concrete in your little one's mind.
• Hit the parade. If there's a parade in your neighborhood and your child handles crowds well, grab the folding chairs and snag your spot on the parade route. The activity will be exciting for your child and you'll have the opportunity to talk to them about all the various symbols of our country that will show up as the parade passes.

There are also lots of resources on the internet to help you explain Memorial Day to your children, including coloring pages, puzzles, crafts and activities, poems, and more. (These links all came from the same website, but a search for "teaching kids Memorial Day" yields a lengthy list of other resources as well.)

What will you be doing to teach your child the importance of Memorial Day?

Great New Foodie Destination: Hodge's Downtown Cleveland

Last night was Hot Hubby's 35th birthday and to celebrate I took him to dinner at Hodge's Downtown Cleveland. This new restaurant, founded and run by food truck pioneer and proud Cleveland native Chris Hodgson, opened a couple of months ago. For the past two years, Hodgson has been feeding us on the streets from his trucks, Dim and Den Sum and Hodge Podge. Now he has a permanent location from which to serve his upscale takes on classic comfort foods.

And he does not disappoint.

The restaurant itself has a comfortable, masculine-country feel to it, with simple decorating, beautiful old-wood paneling, and perhaps the most comfortable armchair-like seats I've ever sat in at a restaurant. We sat in the smaller upstairs dining area, which afforded us a nice view of the large bar area while distancing us enough from the noise of the bar that we could actually carry on a conversation without needing to raise our voices. I really appreciated that.

Our dinner started with a gratis amuse bouche from the chef of tater tots with a parmesan & bacon topping served with creme fraiche dipping sauce. We munched on those while perusing the varied dinner menu and trying to decide what we wanted to try. We decided to start with the Hodge's Honey Ribs. These were perfectly cooked - the meat fell right off the bone, the outside had a nice crisp to it and the inside was tender, juicy, and deliciously flavorful. The honey mustard glaze provided a sharp yet sweet tang and accompanying sherry slaw was well-balanced complement.

For dinner, Hot Hubby ordered the "Unfried" Chicken and I opted for the French Onion Ravioli. We were also treated to a skillet of cornbread to accompany our meal. I adore cornbread, and this was some of the best I've ever had. This is when we discovered that the value for the price at Hodge's is better than expected. The "Unfried" Chicken was a half-chicken, beautifully roasted and perfectly cooked. Like the ribs, it was falling off the bone and incredibly juicy. The accompanying macaroni & cheese was served in a cast iron dish and was also very tasty.

My French Onion Ravioli was, not exaggerating, the best thing I have eaten in a very long time. Describing it as ravioli with a French Onion Soup sauce is too simplistic. The homemade ravioli were stuffed with ricotta and gruyere, which provided a smooth flavor and texture to balance the tang of the French Onion reduction. It was seriously so delicious. I can see myself being hard pressed to try new things the next time we visit because I'll want to eat this again and again.

We ended our meal with a brownie sundae topped with Mitchell's Hodge Podge ice cream. The brownie was crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, and we joked that Hodge's sister Catie had to have a hand in the ice cream recipe as it was chock full of the puppy chow that she sold like hot cakes on The Great Food Truck Race.

We got a laugh when our bill was delivered to us on a tray in a red envelope printed with "THE DAMAGE" in silver letters. And while the bill wasn't cheap (we'd also each had a cocktail), the value was excellent. Portion sizes were large, and we appreciate that most of the food served is locally sourced. All in all, we're already looking forward to our next visit.

Blessings of Family

My apologies for my extended absences of late. I've been taking a bit of a hiatus from regular updates because my mom is visiting from out of town.

You see, I'm a Northeast Ohio transplant. I came here for college, but had no family or other close ties to the state. My father was active duty military my entire childhood and, when he retired, my parents moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington. It's a gorgeous place to visit, but it means that I generally don't see my parents very often.


Momma w/Little Man



But my mom is retired now, which means that she now has the time to enjoy extended stays with us. Since Little Man was born, this has been a wonderful blessing. She came out before he was born to help us get ready and to be with Little Girl when Hot Hubby and I had to go to the hospital for Little Man's arrival. She stayed for some of my maternity leave before heading home.

And now she's back to help watch Little Man during the days when I'm at work. This is a tremendous blessing because infant child care is absurdly expensive! Plus, this is precious time for her, too, getting to know her grandchildren better.

My momma is one of my best friends, so I'm soaking up as much time with her as I can. This means, unfortunately, that I'm not updating as frequently. But don't despair - I'm still planning posts and do intend to update, just probably only every couple of weeks for the next two months. You all understand, right?

In the spirit of welcoming out-of-towners to our fabulous city, what sights do you think I should take my mom to see?