Growing Great Kids

Jello Cells...Yum!

2011-03-25T19:11:00.000-04:00

To begin our study of the human body, we are learning about cells, the building blocks of, well, everything. We're using:

and also Body systems and organs: Covering system, skeletal system, muscular system, circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, excretory system, ... system (Step-by-step science series) Really long title for a little paperback workbook!

We studied pictures of cells and their labeled parts, then decided to make an edible cell. Cuz every lesson is better when you eat it at the end.

After raiding the refrigerator and cabinets, we came up with stawberry nuclei, gumdrop mitochondria, ribosome sprinkles, and tootsie rolls flattened and curled to look like rough ER. I wouldn't recommend the tootsie rolls - they melted in the jello. We could still see bits of them in there. The ooze wasn't pretty, though.

KID 1 adds ribosome sprinkles

KID 2 drops in mitochondria gumdrops

Our cells are ready for cryofreezing...or cryofrigerating in our case.

We put a cell on a glass plate and held a light under it...cool, huh?

Phoenician Purple Dye - The Color of Kings

2011-03-24T19:45:00.001-04:00

We're making purple dye this week as we study the Phoenicians (The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times), a continuation of our classical study of history. The Phoenicians were well-known for their purple dyes, extracted from a type of sea snail and boiled for over a week. Cloth dyed with this purple hue was so expensive, only the very wealthy could afford it, making purple the "color of kings."

I got some helpful tips from this site: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

We'll need:

1/2 cup salt
8 cups water
large pot
blueberries (we used 4 cups)
water
colander/strainer
cotton t-shirts
rubber bands, if tie-dying

Band your fabric if tie-dying. Simmer the fabric for one hour in the salt fixative: 1/2 cup salt dissolved in 8 cups cold water. Rinse and squeeze excess.

In the meantime, boil blueberries in water (water is double the amount of blueberries). Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for one hour. Strain the liquid into a large pot.

Place fabric into dye bath and simmer until desired color is achieved.

KID 1 banded his own shirt (far left). I banded KID 2's shirt as per her instructions on placement (far right). We even made a shirt for Mommy...won't I just feel like royalty in my purple?

Loving Love & Logic

2010-11-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

I've been reading this book

and reminiscing about a favorite old tv sitcom: The Cosby Show. I loved it as a kid, but I seriously LOVE it as a parent! And now I know why! The Love & Logic philosophy really appeals to me. The idea that we are not here to swoop in and rescue our children from their poor decisions. We are here to support them and love them right through their not-so-great choices and the consequences that follow. Can't you just see that wise, knowing smile on Mrs. Huxtable's face as she discussed with her children the choices they had made or were making? Remember the humor that never failed to shine through? I want to be like that as a mom!

Paper Punching Push Pins...Perfect!

2010-11-08T15:23:00.001-05:00

An old mousepad gives them a soft surface for pin punching

I found these really cool maple and oak leaf outlines over at abcteach.com under their "Montessori Materials" category and decided to let our little homeschoolers try their hands at pin punching. I learned somewhere that wooden puzzles with pegs are great for pre-writing development. I'm thinking the push pin gives them the same grasp, but requires even better hand/eye coordination as they punch their way around the shape.

Both kids, ages 4 and nearly 7, thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. They were both so proud of their beautiful leaves as I held them up to the sun to see them sparkle!

We will be using pin punching with KID 1 as he creates a map of the world with the seven continents, then he can go back and punch out each country as we study it. He loves to do very careful work, so I'm betting cartography will be right up his alley.

Have preschoolers at home?

Bunnies and Eggs...Spring is Springing Up on Me!

2010-03-08T10:11:00.001-05:00

Found this robin's egg soap at Pottery Barn this weekend and thought it would go perfectly with this little bunny soap dish. Reminds me of The Golden Egg Book!

Write On!: Our New Writing Center

2010-03-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

I just love finding ways to facilitate creativity in my kids. This weekend I reorganized our art and craft supplies and repurposed an old tv stand to hold everything the kids like to have free access to. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, since I didn't spend a penny on it and I think I have eliminated one of our clutter culprits. Tons of junk always landed on the top of this table. I had to sift through stacks of school papers, artwork, old mail, and random objects thoughtlessly laid atop this tv table, but it was worth it! I hate clutter!

Here are a bunch of pics of our new writing/creativity center:

I used the baskets we already had, so they don't all match, but they work for now!

The top view: I used an old serving tray to define the mail center. The cake stand is for new mail.

We now have a "Cards and Envelopes" basket, "Sticky Notes and Small Note Paper," and an old utensil caddy that holds freshly sharpened pencils, hole punchers, scissors, tape, pens, and a variety of paper pads. A pretty clipboard holds a stack of kindergarten lined paper.

The middle section (where the dvd player used to be) holds Ikea boxes of markers, crayons, and other essentials for writing and drawing. The lime green basket is for stickers. I put a sheet of "make your own" blank stickers in there in addition to tons of little chart stickers and round tag sale stickers.

The picture labels make it easy for our 3-year-old to find what she needs, but also has the words for our 6-year-old to practice reading. These little boxes are from Ikea and are the perfect size for our art supplies.

The bottom drawers hold stencils, colored construction paper, and a basket of sight words.

The kids know exactly where to put the mail when they bring it in. When they need a stamp on their envelope, it goes in the green pot for me to stamp it. I gave them some return address labels that we got for free in the mail...they love these! The basket in the back is our "Bird Watching" basket with binoculars, sketch pad, bird book, and colored pencils, ready to be carried outside on an expedition.

So far, this writing center has inspired lots of writing and creativity! Hopefully it continues to be a good clutter-buster, too!

Felt Story Fun

2010-01-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

This is one I grew up with, so when I had to decide which books I wanted to make into felt story sets for our 3-year-old, Caps for Sale was a definite choice.

A peddler, who carries his wares on his head, goes for a walk in the country and naps under a nice, big tree. When he wakes up, his caps are missing - all but his own checked cap! He soon discovers the culprits: a tree full of monkeys, all wearing his caps! How will he get his caps back?

Another favorite:Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

These felt sets, along with the gilt-framed felt board, were our little bookworm's big Christmas gift from Mommy and Daddy. A rainbow stack of felt from Michael's, some wiggly-jiggly eyes, and a hot glue gun were all I needed to create these pieces.

KID 2 loves her storyboard! I'm working on adding more stories and poems for her to play with. Do you use a felt board at home?

The January Banner is Done!

2010-01-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

I made our "Banner of the Month" for the mantle this week using snowflakes from the dollar store (packs of 6/$1) and felt. January is snow themed in our house, since this month lacks any great holiday decor. As soon as the Christmas aisle is cleared out, they bring out Valentine's Day decorations! We're not ready for that yet!

We brought the snowmen down out of the attic when we put away our Christmas decorations and I got a can of spray snow at Walgreen's 50% off after Christmas (paid $.99). Our windows are nice and frosty now here in Central Florida!

I'm beginning to lose touch with how hokey my "theme months" are, which is just fine with the kids...they love it!

Note: The quilted piece behind the banner is up on my mantle. It was created by my sweet friend, Kay, over at PrettywithRibbons.com. I love it!

Our Listening Station is "Ripped!"

2009-12-15T14:32:00.003-05:00

Can you believe I still have most of my books on tape from my own childhood? Our kids love having a box full of books on tape to sit and "read" all by themselves. Granted, some are quite dated (remember the "Wuzzles"...or how about the "Little People" series by Fisher Price?), while others are classic. Goldilocks, the Wild Things, the Gingerbread Boy, and Little Red are all in the box.

Finding a cd player with a tape deck wasn't easy, but we have a good one that will hopefully last a long time. I've instructed the kids on how to use it properly, so they can listen to their books independently (KID 2 struggles with getting the tapes into the deck, but she's getting better).

We've been slowly adding to our listening library as the kids' birthdays roll around, and sometimes new books come with a "bonus" CD recording. Our large board book copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar came with a CD recording of the book read by Eric Carle himself. That one is pretty cool! Gwyneth Paltrow did the recording of Brown Bear, Brown Bear; and James Earl Jones recorded the most recent addition to our library, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.

But with the advent of the CD, books on tape are not as easy to find. Most are on CD, which is great for listening in the car, but when you let your kids handle their own audio books, CD's get damaged VERY easily. So, I don't know how legal it is, but I've just finished ripping our entire CD audio book collection onto the computer. This way we can burn a new copy if (WHEN) their CDs get scratched and won't play anymore. I feel much better about letting them handle their own books on CD now that we have a way to replace them without having to repurchase the recordings.

The listening library in no way replaces our reading time together, but in a house with no TV, it's nice to have things they can fill their time with independently and still have the benefit of reading!

Homemade Advent Calendar

2009-12-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

This is the Advent calendar I made over the weekend using dollar store finds. I think it turned out pretty cute!

Find out more over at MotleyMoms!

Easy Advent Calendars

2009-12-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

I've posted some of my Advent calendar activities over at Motley Moms. Go check it out!

In the meantime, I've seen some really cute ideas for creating your own Advent calendar. You can use mini galvanized buckets, numbered 1 - 24 to hide little treats in. Hang them on a ribbon or cord to create a garland. You can even hang them out of order so the kids have to search for each day's treat.

Another cute idea is to use mittens (use mismatched or find them at thrift stores). Add numbers using felt or stitch them on and hang on ribbon or cord.

I found some really cute examples online by searching for "bucket advent calendar" and "mitten advent garland"...there are lots of ideas out there, both simple and elaborate. Have fun!

Math Munchies: Fruit Loop Number Line

2009-11-03T13:41:00.002-05:00

We love edible math around here...I mean, who doesn't, right? So I gave my just-turned-3-year-old a bowl of fruity-O's and some plastic lacing cord, the length of a necklace, and invited her to make a necklace. After finding lots of reasons to eat them before stringing them (this one's broken, I'll have to eat it; these two are stuck together - I'll have to eat them) she got to it and strung about 25 cereals. I tied a knot at the open end and showed her how to slide the loops down to the end as she counted. She let me do about two of them and then told me to "Stop, Mommy! It's my turn!"

It was fun to make, fun to use, and fun to eat. When she tired of counting (she counted the whole strand 4 or 5 times by herself) I tied it around her neck and she set to work nibbling her necklace!

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

2009-11-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

Happy November! I'm sharing my super-secret recipe for Pumpkin Pie Playdough to celebrate (okay, it's probably not that secret, but it was new to me and has gotten rave reviews everywhere I share it).

Start with this basic playdough recipe, but add a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger or use several teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Put orange food coloring in the water before stirring it into your dry ingredients.

Mmmmmmmmm! Everytime the kids play with playdough, the house smells like pumpkin pie!

Folk Tale Fun for Halloween

2009-11-01T08:44:00.001-05:00

Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf, Woodcutter, and Grandmother

The kids loved that we dressed up with them. They were fascinated by the way my powdered hair and drawn-on wrinkle lines made me look really old!

We had everything we needed for our costumes except the red cape and hood. I used the leftover gray fur from KID 1's Max costume (Where the Wild Things Are) to make ears and stapled them to his hat.

The cape and hood reverse to a green, scaly dragon...why just make a boring red cape and hood, right? ;)

Hope you had a fun Halloween (or Fall Fest) with your kiddos!

Books We "Fall" For!

2009-10-09T14:14:00.007-04:00

Bring in the pumpkins

Fall Fun with Sight Words

2009-10-05T08:48:00.005-04:00

Found these leaf doilies at the dollar store and just knew I'd find a way to use them...

This is KID 1's placemat:

He was so excited he started chanting, "I've got leaves for sight words! I've got leaves for sight words!"

Gotta love Kindergartners!

Kid-Friendly Way to Celebrate the Season: CUPCAKE LINERS!

2009-10-01T09:19:00.009-04:00

KID 2 was hungry before school, so we broke out the cute fall cupcake liners and filled one with raisins for her to nibble. They make great snack cups! I'm brainstorming other ways to use these cute seasonal papers:

Craft Corral: great for holding glitter, googley eyes, pom poms, or whatever we're working with

Same and Different: I have the kids sort and categorize little items like coins, beads, M&M's, etc.

Lunchtime Helper: perfect size for corralling chips or pretzels on their lunch plates

Flower Power: flip inside out and snip down the sides to make a paper flower for a seasonal collage. Glue a button or pom pom in the center.

Handyman special: hold the little parts, nuts and bolts in one spot as you assemble those awesome birthday and Christmas toys

Any other ideas? Kids love seeing the season reflected all around them and take joy in the small reminders we incorporate into their day.

Aa is for Apple

2009-09-11T07:25:00.007-04:00

Now that KID 1 is spending his days in his Kindergarten classroom, it's up to KID 2 and me to keep the alphabet soup bubblin'!

This week was "Apple Week" here. I only wish we had apple orchards nearby where we could go and pick fresh apples! We studied an apple and all its many colors, then filled in a big apple outline with colored tissue paper. KID 2 had fun tearing the tissue into little pieces for gluing. I watered down some Elmer's and gave her a paintbrush to apply her glue. She really enjoyed this project!

This one is MY apple project. I want to make a banner for each month so we can hang it on the mantle to mark the beginning of the new month. Here is September's banner:

How do you celebrate the month of September?

Summer Fun: Build a Teepee!

2009-07-14T10:51:00.004-04:00

We're spending some time in the woods this summer, looking for some good, clean fun. Remember the days when your mama sent you outside and told you not to come back 'til dinner? And you just had to make your own fun. Video games, DVDs, and iPods had nothing to do with our childhoods, and I'm thinking that was probably a good thing. This summer we're going back to basics. I'm finding ways to share the fun and imagination I developed as a kid with our kids, without sending them off to fend for themselves...you just can't do that nowadays, unfortunately.

Here's the teepee they made with their Daddy this weekend and what a joyous time they had dragging all those branches out of the woods and into the back yard! KID 1 had the idea to cover the basic tripod with leafy branches to enclose it. Next summer, the base will be ready to support pole beans as a cover.

We made some old fashioned string phones for the new hideout. Remember those? I just needed to raid the recycling bin for tin cans and we were all set!

Hope you're having some good old fashioned fun with your kids this summer!

Sleepy in Seattle

2009-05-16T08:51:00.003-04:00

We recently took a kid-free vacation to Seattle, our first-ever time away from the kids! It was exhausting, but totally worth it! Check out "Seattle on a Shoestring" over at Motley Moms!

Earth Day Activity with The Lorax

2009-04-22T15:56:00.008-04:00

We read The Lorax by Dr. Suess this week, enjoyed an ongoing discussion about the importance of trees, and followed up with this art activity today, making our own "Truffula Trees."

I cut toilet paper rolls in half lengthwise and the kids painted them brown. Then we glued them to a piece of construction paper. Next we put some cotton balls in a plastic container with some green tempera powder, popped the lid on and shook. The result was a variety of shades of green puffs, perfect for truffula trees! (Or thneeds, if you're familiar with the book!)

My 5-year-old son is very intent on realism in his artwork right now, so he needed the book to look at as he painted the Lorax next to his tree. The two 2-year-olds had no such requirements and went to town painting yellow suns and Loraxes all over their pages:

Happy Earth Day!

Lounging Lettuce Licker

2009-04-16T14:01:00.004-04:00

Toby surveys his territory while posing for a picture in the garden

Then he gets distracted by luscious, leafy lettuce...see the pink tongue peeking out?

As a pup, he would come trotting across the yard with an entire head of rotted garlic clenched proudly in his teeth. I should have known that if he'll eat from the compost pile, he'll eat from the pan of fresh baby lettuces! Yum! Remind me to triple wash before serving salad!!!

Rainy Day Art: Stained-Glass Masterpieces

2009-04-14T10:49:00.004-04:00

Contact paper, colored tissue and a permanent marker were all we needed to make these beautiful stained-glass creations:

Even without the sun shining through, they sure brightened up our dining room window on this stormy day!

Snapshot

2009-04-13T13:25:00.002-04:00

Our back yard was the perfect setting for a casual, low-key breakfast on Easter morn.

KID 2 enjoys a bit of coffee cake while the dog enjoys the crumbs!

Bon Appetit!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:46:00.004-04:00

My mom raised four kids all by herself for most of our growing up years. I love finding little ways to honor her dedication (blood, sweat and tears, but also a lot of fun throughout the years!).

Here is the little Easter token of gratitude I put together for her. I also did one for Paul's mom, who had three little chicks of her own:

Happy Easter! Have fun with your little chicks today!

The Best Nest!

2009-04-10T09:15:00.004-04:00

We got this nest idea from montessori mama's post today and decided to get right to work building our own nests. We just read The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman, so we found materials similar to the ones Mr. and Mrs. Bird used to build their nest:

stocking string (yarn)

soda straws

hay (paper confetti and basket filler)

horse hair (pink Easter grass)

We started with the rolled-down brown paper bag (I helped with this step), and they painted glue inside their nests and up the sides. Then they went to town adding gobs of nest-building decor! We'll put Easter eggs in when they are dry (they also used gobs of glue!).

This was a fun and easy project!

Fun Little Bunnies

2009-04-08T06:00:00.004-04:00

This cute little book reading bunny makes a

sweet centerpiece on our Easter table! ($10 at BIG Lots!)

We've filled his basket with our special decorated eggs. It could also hold a small potted plant.

KID 2 uses the captain's chair, so I had to modify the bunny cover to fit.

KID 1 really likes his special chair!

The bunny covers turned out really cute! I used Elmer's bonding spray to adhere the pieces. If you let it dry for a few minutes, the bond is repositionable. This means we can make other holiday/seasonal pieces for the same covers. When Easter is done, we'll put these bunny pieces in a zip bag for next year! I like the Birthday Throne cover idea at Family Fun!

Spring Planting Project: Upside-Down Tomatoes

2009-04-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

A fun and easy spring gardening project to try with your little ones involves repurposing your plastic 2L soda bottles. Cut off the bottom, turn it upside down, punch holes around the top for twine or string (we reinforced ours with colored duct tape), and put a small tomato plant upside down through the neck of the bottle. Fill with soil, then water and hang in a sunny spot.

Enjoy watching your tomatoes grow upside down!

An Easy Easter Project and Fun New Resource!

2009-04-05T20:17:00.004-04:00

We recently opened a fresh new stack of colored construction paper (a BIG event around here!) and KID 1 was anxious to make something. I did a search for "construction paper crafts" online and came up with a cool site with alphabetized paper crafts:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/paper.htm

They also offer thematic materials, such as the Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? link with printable templates for coloring or making feltboard characters (there's a brown bear, red bird, yellow duck, etc.). They call this collection of resources the Book Breaks. Check out the Nursery Rhymes section, too! I wish I had known about this site sooner!

For those of you working on letters or numbers of the week, this could be a great resource for hands-on projects!

We started with the Easter Chick and added some fluffy yellow feathers to his wings. KID 1 liked cutting all the basic shapes and then putting them together to make something new. I wonder what we'll make next...hmmmmm...

Playdough Resurrection Cross

2009-04-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Favorite Lent Activity: The Resurrection Cross (in playdough!)

Homemade playdough, small cookie cutters and white birthday candles are all the supplies you'll need to create this countdown cross. Each Sunday we light one less candle leading to Good Friday (when our Light went out). During Sunday dinner or devotional time is a good time to incorporate this activity. Turn overhead lights off for good visual effect and note how it gets darker each week as you light fewer and fewer candles.

Do a special lighting on Good Friday and let the kids blow all the candles out. Light them all again on Easter Sunday, symbolizing Jesus's resurrection. His sacrifice enabled his light to shine all over the world and right into our hearts.

Note: It's not too late to create your resurrection cross. Just pick up with this coming Sunday's lighting and blow out all but one.

Favorite Homemade Play Dough Recipe

2009-03-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cooking oil or baby oil
1 cup water

Mix ingredients together. Stir constantly over medium heat until play dough consistency is formed. Cool and knead. Store in a tightly covered plastic container. Add food coloring to the water before adding it to the other ingredients, or knead in colors at the end while still warm (kids enjoy this part!).

We love this recipe and use it for playgroups and projects all the time! A triple batch makes enough dough for 6-8 kids.

Celebrating Easter with Preschoolers

2009-03-30T06:00:00.007-04:00

Easter is hopping up on us, so this week we thought we'd share some of the ways we celebrate this season and holiday with our little chicks.

Easter Decor

Speaking of chicks, our little barnyard babies (stuffed lambs, chicks, ducks, and bunnies) adorn the house to remind us of the new life of Christ.

Check out this cute Nest O' Fluffy Chicks craft over at Family Fun. We'll try this one this week!

And the Bunny Chair Covers look so easy! I'll make these myself this week and surprise the kids when they come out for breakfast one morning...they'll love it!

Eggs - Once a pagan symbol, the egg became a Christian symbol of the empty tomb left behind when Christ rose from the dead. At MOPS last week, we decoupaged eggs using Mod Podge and decorative paper napkin cut-outs. They were pretty cute! The detailed project how-to is over at Martha Stewart's site.

Glittered eggs are always fun and easy for preschoolers. Just let them paint the entire egg with thinned-out glue and then roll it in a bowl of glitter. Dazzling!

Books, books, books - Several weeks before Easter, we pull out all our Spring and Easter books. We have quite a stack, but a few rank among our favorites:

Three Ducks Went Wandering

by Ron Roy, pictures by Paul Galdone

We love the illustrations. Directional phrases like "RIGHT IN FRONT OF..." and "RIGHT UNDER..." are educational and fun, letting the kids guess what's coming next. Paul Galdone is a gifted illustrator.

Seven Little Rabbits

by John Becker, Illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Fun, repetitive story of seven silly little rabbits who never make it to Toad's house. Barbara Cooney's illustrations are so lovely!

The Golden Egg Book

by Margaret Wise Brown

The author of Goodnight Moon writes a cute tale of a bunny who finds an egg and wonders what could be inside. He falls asleep after his great efforts to crack open the egg (unsuccessfully), at which point the baby duck emerges from his egg and wonders what this furry little brown sleeping thing could be.

Home For A Bunny

by Margaret Wise Brown

A Time to Keep:

The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

A lovely illustrated book of holidays

and traditions of old...very nostalgic and sweet!

We also have a couple of children's bibles and bible storybooks that tell the Easter story. We read this during devotional time before we make our resurrection crosses. I'll post more details about the playdough resurrection cross tomorrow!

Do you have any favorite Easter books or traditions?

Time to Get a Timer?

2009-03-07T08:01:00.005-05:00

Check out my list of great uses for timers with preschoolers over at MotleyMoms:

Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick...Brrrrrrrrring!

A Book, a Boy, and a Body

2009-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kids never cease to amaze me with their natural curiosity and limitless enthusiasm for things that inspire them! Our son, age 5, recently amazed us with his artistic (and scientific) rendition of the human body. As is often the case around here, the jumping off point was a book he read before bed with his daddy, The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. (We love this series of science discovery books. They're well-illustrated by the talented Bruce Degen, and offer lots of detailed information about each topic in a very kid-friendly format.)

Upon waking the next morning, KID 1 informed us, "I'm going to make the human body today!"

"Oh. Okaaaaay...how do you plan to do that?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

I offered clay, but he declined. He said he needed paper, markers, and paint.

"Great!" I responded enthusiastically, relieved that we had all those supplies on hand.

He proceded to set his easel area, completely unassisted, with every paint pot we own, each with its own paintbrush standing at the ready.

I noticed he had found the Magic School Bus book from the previous evening's bedtime reading, along with a larger lift-the-flap book of the human body. Both were propped at his feet, ready for close inspection.

I taped up his paper and he set to work immediately, starting with an outline of a body. Then he was flipping through his books feverishly, stopping on pages that intrigued him to add an organ here, a blood vessel there, a representative bone or an important muscle. The end result is amazing (and funny: note the green blob of brain!).

When he finished his painting, I asked him about each part he included in his body and he matter-of-factly named each one for me so I could label it. Kidneys. Esophagus. Windpipe. Large intestine. Small intestine. The villi inside the small intestine. All the while, I'm thinking "Is this normal? He's only five! How does he remember all this, yet can't identify letter "Gg" correctly?"

Thank God for good books that feed my child what I didn't know he craved. Amazing.

Lent for Preschoolers: A Hands-On Activity

2009-03-02T07:08:00.004-05:00

We love making our faith a more hands-on experience for our children, especially during important seasons of the religious calendar. Lent can be a tough one to explain in a tangible way, but most kids are familiar with the phrase "Jesus is the light of the world."

Building on this concept, last year I gave my 4-year-old a batch of white playdough and a few smaller balls of colored dough to create his Resurrection Cross. You can read about it on my MotleyMoms post and see a couple of photos of this easy project.

Have fun!

A Little Art

2009-02-27T10:52:00.003-05:00

One Little, Two Little Budding Artists

The Hands of an Artiste!

Her Marvelous Mix-Up!

Just a little window into our creative morning...I can't wait to show you what he created! When he finished, he said, "Oh, Mommy! I'm just so impressed with myself!" Nothing like a little confidence, huh? ;-D

Pasta Bird Nests

2009-01-27T07:15:00.005-05:00

My kids love these because they make the usual spaghetti meal unusual. I twist some cooked spaghetti into the oiled cups of my jumbo muffin tin and make a depression in the center to form the "nest." Any flavor pasta works (we use whole wheat blend) and I'd guess pretty much any style works as long as it's long like spaghetti.

I drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle whatever shredded cheese I have on hand and bake at 350 F for 5-10 minutes (just enough to melt the cheese and set the nests).

Meatballs are fun toppers as the "eggs" in the nest, but sometimes we just drizzle sauce over the nests and serve them plain. The kids love 'em!

Winter Discovery Table

2009-01-23T09:52:00.005-05:00

As I packed up the Christmas decorations, I decided to leave my snowman collection out for our unit on "Winter." I put fresh batteries in the light-up snowman tree so the kids could see it lit up at eye level. The table has several drawers, so mittens, hats and scarves can play a part in our winter discovery.

Since we live in Central Florida, winter is still just a concept for our preschoolers. I pulled out all the books we own relating to winter, including Snowmen at Night by Caralyn and Mark Buehner; The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt; Welcome Back, Sun by Michael Emberley; The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel and Nancy Winslow Parker; All You Need for a Snowman by Barbara Lavallee; and several easy readers about animals in winter.

The TV table makes a perfect discovery table, now that we got rid of the set in our living room. We never watched it anyway! This is our winter discovery table:

How do you celebrate winter?

Old Jeans + Quilt Binding = Cute Apron!

2009-01-09T13:51:00.004-05:00

This is the apron I made for my niece (age 9 1/2) for Christmas. She is very fashionable and loves to do cooking projects, so I knew she needed a hip little apron.

I save old jeans for various uses. These were my husband's old Gap jeans. I cut one back pocket for the top of the apron and used the front of the jeans as the skirt. Black quilt binding finished the edges and I used some cute polka dots for the sash. I also handstitched her first initial onto the front bib pocket, but didn't get a picture of that.

It turned out so cute, and she really liked it! Now I want one for myself!

Where the Wild Things Were

2009-01-05T13:23:00.005-05:00

The Wild Things were out in full force last night for our son's 5th birthday party, lakeside. We built a bonfire on the beach and gave each kid a pair of binoculars so they could spy wild things. They were invited to take a boat ride around the edge of the lake to observe local wildlife, enjoying the amazing sunset on the ride back to the beach.

KID 2 and KID 1 enjoy the sunset from the bow of Uncle Mark's boat

If you're not familiar with the classic story Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, read my post from last week. The Birthday Boy's Max suit was just a pair of thermal longjohns and a furry tail. I made the tail removable with these clips and the hood was a separate piece. He pretty much just looked like he was running around in his underwear after about 20 minutes of the party! Oh, well!

I also sewed lots of wild animal print tails for our wild guests to wear. They were a hit, but I didn't get any pictures. It was totally dark by the time we got back from the boat ride and got our tails situated! I first saw them here, but decided I could make them easily for a lot less. Plus I could choose any wild print I wanted! We ended up with zebra tails with hot pink feathers at the end, cow tails, leopards, lizards, and more. I used one clip per tail and they stayed on just fine.

Each goody bag also included a mask for them to color and wear...there just wasn't enough time before it got really dark (which was fine with everyone, since it was really all about the bonfire!).

I decided while I was shopping for the wild dinner that we really needed to serve wild punch. I found some green Tampico kiwi, strawberry, guava juice and paired it with ginger ale. These were poured over a punchbowl full of gummy worms and craisins (to look like bugs). The Craisins floated, but the gummyworms lurked on the bottom for anyone unfortunate enough to scoop their punch from the bottom of the bowl...it was great!

After a quick meal of hotdogs and chips (ahem...not the most nutritious meal, but there were supposed to be small ears of corn...we just completely forgot them)...I prepped them before storytime so their terrible roars, terrible claws, gnashing teeth, and rolling eyes were ready for their cue. What fun to read Where the Wild Things Are by the fireside with a bunch of enthusiastic wild things!

When we got to the wild rumpus part of the story, we did the hokey pokey and sang wild songs around the fire. Then we passed around a sackful of hand instruments: drums, shakers, rattles, sticks, tambourine, you name it. What a wonderful racket we made marching around that bonfire, each child so proud of his and her individual contribution to the din!

It's hard to stop a wild rumpus cold turkey, so we roasted marshmallows after that, each kid turning in his or her instrument to gain a roasting stick and marshmallow. We enjoyed the wild thing cupcakes while Birthday Boy opened his gifts by the fire. It was a spectacular night. The stars were bright, the wind off the lake kept us cool, and the bonfire kept us entertained! I think it was the best birthday party I've ever been to...but I'm such a kid at heart! I'm very easy to please!

Where the Wild Things Are: A Scary Bit of Children's Lit.

2008-12-31T08:23:00.004-05:00

I love the imaginative element of this classic storybook by Maurice Sendak. Max is sent to his room without supper after acting like a "wild thing" and threatening to eat up his mother. Once in his room, though, his punishment becomes a foray into a young child's imagination. The walls become the world all around and vines hang down from the ceiling. Max steps into a private boat and sails off over days, weeks and years to the place where the wild things are.

Faced with these wild creatures with terrible claws and terrible roars, Max tames them by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking once. The wild things crown him King of All Wild Things and the wild rumpus begins. (This is where my children jump up from the couch and start dancing and marching around the room like wild things.)

Many times this year I have suggested we read this book, but our four-year-old consistently declined, "No...I don't like that book." And I'd think what's not to like?! I LOVE this book! Then I figured it out: It's too scary for him.

I tend to be a bit dramatic when I read, using voices and facial expressions to make stories come alive for the kids. [Back in B.C. times (Before Children), I was very involved in theater...I love to act and sing. Now my only outlet is storytime!] They usually love it, but it was probably a bit much for this story. I don't think they liked seeing Mommy become a wild thing! Now when I read this story, I leave the acting to the kids, and they like it a whole lot more when I just read it straight.

Our son turns five this week, and he is having his first birthday party with friends. And you know how I love a theme party (especially book themes!). I just finished his Max suit, complete with long, furry tail. His party starts at dusk with a boat ride across the lake to look for wild things. Then we'll have a wild rumpus around a bonfire on the beach. The kids will be invited to wear some wild things like animal print tails and scarves and decorate wild masks. Hopefully we won't traumatize any small children...I'll let you know how it goes!

Christmas Booklist: What We'll Be Reading This Year

2008-11-12T13:39:00.006-05:00

I'm taking a little bloggy break while I reassess how and why I am writing. I've always intended to write a book and do freelance articles on the side...but with my blogging, it's just not happening. It may not happen, despite a blogging break, but blogging is keeping me from really giving it a try.

I wish you the best of all holiday seasons and hope that you are able to stay focused on the "Reason for the Season," especially with your little ones. It's not about how much you buy, or bake, or decorate...though these things hold some of the joy and tradition of the holidays. Enjoy it, have fun with your traditions, and read lots of Christmas books!

Here are a few of our favorites:

The Night Before Christmas (several illustrators have brought Clement C. Moore's classic Christmas poem to life with beautiful images: Tasha Tudor, Jan Brett, Grandma Moses, and Robert Sabuda are all worth collecting. I just ordered the Tasha Tudor version and can't wait to get it in my hands!)

Peter Spier's Christmas! : This wordless book is sadly out of print, but available through several booksellers in both softcover and hardback.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas: Recommended to me, and after seeing (and smelling!), I knew I had to have it for our Christmas book collection!

What Star Is This? by Joseph Slate, Illustrated by Alison Jay

The Animals' Christmas Eve (a Little Golden Book) I still have my childhood copy, but it's missing pages and falling apart...I might have to replace this one!

The Year Without a Santa Claus by Phyllis McGinley, pictures by Kurt Werth

You Are My Miracle by Maryann Cusimano Love and Satomi Ichikawa

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Paul's Christmas Birthday by Carol Carrick, pictures by Donald Carrick: This one has special meaning for us, as KID 1 was due on Christmas Eve, but waited until December 28th to make his grand debut! We always have a separate birthday party for him, but he forgets that he's already had his birthday by the time Spring rolls around. I think it just gets lost between Christmas and New Year's for him.

Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale, by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft: Beautiful illustrations and the sweet, classic story of the Savior's birth, as told from the animals' perspective.

Dream Snow by Eric Carle

Geraldine's Big Snow by Holly Keller: A little pig looks forward to the first big snowfall of the season.

Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner, pictures by Mark Buehner: What do snowmen do at night? Beautiful illustrations with hidden pictures throughout. This one is just winter themed, but it comes out with our Christmas books.

A Wish to be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe, illustrated by Michael Glenn Monroe

The Tale of Three Trees: A traditional Folktale (Hunt)

I would like to add to our collection:

Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski (Author), P.J. Lynch (Illustrator)
The Clown of God, Tomie De Paola
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, Gloria Hunt and Barbara Cooney

Any other Christmas favorites I should add?

Tricky Chocolate Truffles Kids Will Love

2008-11-07T14:46:00.005-05:00

I tried another recipe from Jennifer Carden's Toddler Cafe, but I changed it up a bit. Going off of the "Toddler Truffles" recipe, which uses a can of black beans, butter, sugar and eggs (to name few of the basic ingredients required), I created actual chocolate truffles.

Instead of black beans, I used kidney beans, drained and rinsed (that's what was in my cupboard) and I added 6 Tablespoons of cocoa powder to the recipe. My kids love these! They look, smell and taste almost exactly like brownies, but don't have any flour in them at all!

And apparently scooping anything into a ball for snacktime makes it an instant sensation amongst the preschool set. My son never eats as much fruit as when we scoop melons into balls, and he especially loves to scoop it himself!

Recipe:

1 can dark beans (I used dark red kidney beans)
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I chopped some peanuts in my coffee grinder)
4-6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8x8" pan.

I blended the first 6 ingredients with my stick blender, then added the eggs.

Pour into greased pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges begin to look crisp.

As it cools, use a scooper or your hands to form 1" balls. Dust with powdered sugar to make "snowballs." You could also just cut these like brownies.

Enjoy!

Homemade Toy: Montessori Style

2008-11-05T11:18:00.004-05:00

Here is our new practical life activity for November:

We painted these wooden beads this morning with cranberry-colored tempera paint. Both kids helped and they dried really fast.

I put them on a tray in a small bowl, set an empty bowl next to it, and demonstrated how to use our toast tweezers to pinch and transfer the "cranberries" into the second bowl.

Both kids LOVE this new toy! It's pretty challenging for our 2-year-old, but she really stuck with it, putting all 40 cranberries into the other bowl one by one.

When she was done, she reset the station by carefully dumping the cranberries into the first bowl...this was self-motivated. I didn't ask her to do this, but when she finished, she announced, "Your turn!" to her big brother. So sweet!

Check out Works-for-Me Wednesday for more great toy ideas!

We VOTED!

2008-11-04T15:34:00.003-05:00

Take me to the polls!

Can I vote, too, Daddy?

Sure...in 14 years.

The Very Hungry Party...Finally!

2008-11-03T07:09:00.010-05:00

KID 2 turned 2 a couple of weeks ago, and after postponing this party TWICE due to illness, we finally celebrated her birthday in Very Hungry Caterpillar Style!

Some Party Prep:

I made mini cherry tarts the night before the party

Nectar-Sipping Cups...made from foam circles

(I had way too much time to plan after cancelling this party TWICE!)

These little bookmark pals turned out so cute! These were our party favors.

They actually fit through the holes in the book!

Party Day!

Birthday Girl is Looking for Some Fun!

Making Our Very Hairy Caterpillars

Hunting for Caterpillars

Found One!

The Dramatic Reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar...With the Puppet

The Very Hungry Table Spread...we made apple-cheese muffins instead of cupcakes

Our Very Hungry Birthday Girl!

KID 1 in his salami disguise

Grammy's setting a good example...

Sipping Nectar Like a Butterfly!

Free-Play in the Backyard

Happy Birthday To You, Little One!

Served with a cherry on top, just like the story!

Some activities not shown here:

Feeding the hungry caterpillar (a beanbag toss game)

Decorating butterfly crowns (it was too windy to wear them and I slacked on the photo op)

The party was so much fun! The kids were great and the adults even enjoyed "eating what the caterpillar ate!" Now I need to start planning for KID 1's "Wild Rumpus" (his birthday is right after Christmas, so if I don't plan now, it might not happen!)

Tying One On...No, It's Not What You Think!

2008-10-30T11:42:00.003-04:00

Don'tcha just love play scarves? Our little SuperKIDs sure do!

Favorite Storybook Characters

2008-10-29T09:21:00.005-04:00

We love Frog and Toad around here! In fact, the minute I heard that a local shop was selling miniature plush Frogs and Toads, I went right out and got one of each. We love these little guys.

The kids each get to hold one as we read, and when their character has a line, they hold him up high and bobble him around to make him "talk."

I'm always on the lookout for recreations of our favorite story characters. I find puppets, stuffed/plush dolls, and even china dolls (I have Anne of Green Gables, thanks to my mom's eBay addiction!). My kids love it! It really makes storytime come to life!

I do whatever works to make reading fun around here! For more great ideas and tips, check out Works-For-Me-Wednesday!

Brrrrr...Break Out Your Warm Neck Ties!

2008-10-29T07:08:00.002-04:00

So it's actually 39 degrees outside this morning! We can't believe it! I don't remember it getting this cold this early in my lifetime...I think I heard the newscasters say last night (as I struggled to keep my eyes open) that we haven't had a cold snap like this in October since the late 1800's! This is sub-tropical Central Florida...crazy!

Cold weather is so unusual that my almost-5-year-old asked me excitedly this morning, "Mommy, do I have a neck tie?!!!"

Bleary-eyed and still rumpled from bed, I shuffled into the room and responded, "You don't like the clip-on ties you had, so we got rid of them."

"NOOooooo, I mean, warm neck ties...do I have warm neck ties?"

"Warm neck ties?"

I'm pretty sure he was asking if he owns a scarf...which he does not. I think I finally may have to learn to knit...something I've never felt necessary, since we barely get sweater weather here, never mind scarf-and-mitten weather. Or maybe I'll just wander over to Etsy and see what I can find over there!

Mmm, Mmmm, Good!

2008-10-28T06:41:00.003-04:00

My friend Rachel recently loaned me a great cookbook titled Toddler Cafe, by Jennifer Carden, and I have to tell you, it's been fun trying some of her recipes! She even shares some recipes on her blog. Her book has beautiful, full-color pictures of many of her recipes, so it's fun just to look through it...I love picture cookbooks!

One cool idea was to use your waffle iron at lunchtime to make your own paninis. The kids LOVED this! The cheese melted inside and the bread got all textured like a waffle! I even sauteed some sliced apples in butter to go in them with the cheese...mmmmmm, so good!

Yesterday, we made "Peanut Butter Globe Globs" for our afternoon snack. The kids loved rolling this squishy stuff into balls and then coating them in crushed cereal. And they were tasty!

Today I think we'll try the "Toddler Truffles," which look like real chocolate truffles, but are actually made with black beans (and some other stuff!). I've had a sweet treat like this in Asian restaurants and they are GOOD!

If you have an opportunity to pick up Jennifer's cookbook, you won't regret it! I think I need to get myself a copy!

A Very Hairy Pair

2008-10-27T09:02:00.008-04:00

The Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday bash is coming up! Here's how our little party favor experiment is going:

KID 1 filled each section of a knee high with grass seeds and soil from our compost heap, layering them in and then tying each section off to form a caterpillar (I did the tying). He then soaked it in a bucket of water and set it on a clay tray filled with water. After just 4 days, we had grass shoots! He can't wait to give his caterpillar a trim! Here it is:

For KID 2, we tried filling the nylon with soil, tying each section off, soaking it in a bucket of water, and then rubbing the grass seeds on top. Hers is pictured below on the right.

Both ways worked, but I think putting them inside the nylon with the soil is safest. Some of her seeds blew off as they dried. We tried sticking them back on, but only the ones on top stayed put.

If and WHEN her little birthday bash happens, each guest will make a Very Hairy Caterpillar and then we'll slip it into a plastic goody bag for them to take home. They will soak it in water at home and find a plate or tray to set it on and watch it sprout!

I'm thrilled that my idea worked! This will be a great hands-on activity at the party!

Materials required:

old pantihose, cut into 2 foot sections and tied at the bottom
rye grass seed (a 5 lb. bag cost us $3.75)
some colorful pipe cleaners for the legs and antennae
A bucket of water
As take-home party favors, we got 12 goody bags for $1

This was so much fun and cheap and EASY!!! See more of my Very Hungry Party ideas here.

For more frugal ideas, check out this site...

The EXTREMELY Hungry, On the Brink of Starvation, Shriveled Up Little Caterpillar Saga

2008-10-26T13:37:00.004-04:00

Remember all my great ideas for the Very Hungry Caterpillar party for KID 2's 2nd birthday bash? And this cute little concoction for the birthday girl to wear? I would love to say the party was a hit and my brilliant visions of caterpillars and butterflies became a reality in my backyard. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

TWICE we have had to postpone this party due to illness. And TWICE I have had to deal with our older son's wrath upon learning the party was cancelled. On Friday night, as I made the cancellation phone calls, several friends heard screaming and crying in the background of my home. That was not the 2-year-old girl whose party was cancelled AGAIN...no, no...it was her older, bitterly disappointed, social butterfly brother. First he screamed, then he cried, then he subjected us to stony silence (that part was kinda nice after the first two rounds).

The bright side: Saturday ended up being a rainy day, so we couldn't have had the party outside anyway.

We're pretty much all sick right now. Ugh! Maybe we should just put the starving little caterpillar out of its misery...

One More Way to Attack Germs

2008-10-25T13:40:00.005-04:00

Did you know you can microwave your toothbrush to sanitize it? And you should throw it away after you've been sick?

I wash mine pretty often, but I never knew you could microwave it! I'm totally gonna start doing this from now on with all of our toothbrushes. The kids' toothbrushes are usually very questionable looking...even when they're new. Maybe microwaving them will help us fend off more germies!

Click here to read the entire article at FitSugar. The comments below the article question the safety of microwaving the plastic, so read and decide for yourself if this is something you think might help you and your family through this cold and flu season!

Having a "Tt" Party!

2008-10-23T15:19:00.006-04:00

I took a new perspective on blogging recently: I only do it when I am not completely stressed, or sick, or have a sick child...you get the idea. When I have a great idea to share, I will share it (as long as I can do it without detracting from my time with the kids).

Anyway, two weeks ago when I wasn't posting, the kids and I spent the morning spontaneously preparing a "Tt" party luncheon to surprise Paul when he came home for lunch. I had recently acquired a train cake pan at a terrific yard sale, so the kids helped make pumpkin muffins shaped like a train (our table centerpiece).

I cut up some leftover seasoned chicken breasts, mixed in some chopped celery and mayo and voila! Chicken salad "Tt" sandwiches were born! I just cut off the crusts of the bread, cut the sandwiches into 4 sections, and arranged them in an Uppercase T on their plates.

The kids helped wash and set the table, and we were ready to go! Lunch never looked so good here!

Hungry for a Party!

2008-10-21T11:55:00.002-04:00

These little guys are hungry for a fun birthday party!

KID 1 and KID 2 helped decorate these little egg carton caterpillars with permanent markers (I helped with the eyes). We'll hide them on the day of the party (and probably every day after that) and let the kids hunt for the caterpillars to win a prize.

I have a caterpillar party favor idea involving knee highs, potting soil, pipe cleaners, and grass seed, but I'm not sure this will work yet. It would need some sort of bottom container, I think. Maybe it could go into a cellophane baggie and parents can find something to set it in at home before they water it...I have an annoying jingle in my head now: Ch-ch-ch-chia!

Using my pinking shears, I cut each piece of junk food from the Hungry Caterpillar fabric I ordered from The Carle museum. Then I sewed one piece of food on each side of these denim bean bags. These will be the "food" for the "Feed the Hungry Caterpillar" game. We'll draw or paint a big caterpillar with a red face (like Eric Carle's caterpillar) on the paved driveway for the kids to toss the food into. The number of feet they need to stand from the line will correspond to their ages. Gotta keep it challenging!

I've got to find swirly lollipops like the one the caterpillar eats through in the book. I just don't want the HUGE kind that are bigger than the kids' heads! I may have to go with regular lollies...how boring.

Check out these cute butterfly cupcakes...they are just darling. I can't decide whether I want a caterpillar cake/mini cupcakes or a butterfly cake/cupcakes. I have several ideas. But I really like these cupcakes! And they look easy!

Can you tell I LOVE planning kids' parties? The fun is in the details!

A Good Day

2008-10-21T07:15:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was KID 2's birthday. She turned 2. Unfortunately, she and I have both been sick. Her party should have been Saturday, but we had to postpone it.

Monday was her official day, and so in honor of her birthday and Letter Dd week, we walked to the park by the lake and read Make Way for Ducklings (a Caldecott classic). Then we loaded those little ducklings up with stale homemade bread.

This one was not my idea: I was inspired by the leader of our Children's Lit. forum who just loves book adventures, or turning a beloved book into an activity/adventure.

A few friends met us there, and afterwards we played......Duck, Duck, Goose! Of course!

Happy Birthday, Little One!

You're beautiful, inside and out.

Hansel! Gretel! Say "CHEESE!"

2008-10-16T14:37:00.003-04:00

Hansel and Gretel appeared today for their final fitting. The lederhosen bribe worked!

I love 4-year-olds!

Gretel was not cooperating for this photo shoot. Hansel's patience is running thin.

Hansel and Gretel find their path and they both make their escape.

See you little urchins at the Fall Festival!

A Very Hungry Little Dress

2008-10-13T09:02:00.003-04:00

A Pretty Little Package!

This is the birthday dress for KID 2's Very Hungry Caterpillar party. I think it turned out so sweet!

This is a very simple, comfy design, made from a borrowed pattern. I have some talented friends who sew beautiful dresses for their girls...and they love to share!

This dress is roomy enough to grow with her. When it gets too short to wear as a dress, it will be adorable with leggings or bloomers. I'm proud of myself...sewing is not my forte! Thankfully, this mostly required sewing straight lines. I can sew a mean straight line!

A New Tradition

2008-10-08T15:07:00.000-04:00

Here is one of my happy fall projects, inspired by a recent Girls' Nite Out event. A very artistic friend led the evening with lots of designer fabric giveaways and cute banner ideas. Her blog is called Pretty With Ribbons.

I plan to make one for each month so the kids can help me put the banner of the month up on the first of every month...they love being involved in traditions!

I found some inexpensive fabric and cut it into diamonds with my pinking shears. I made it double-sided, but it didn't need to be for the mantle. I think I like it there. I sewed each one with a zig-zag stitch onto some thick hemp jewelry cording.

The letters are cut from a remnant of felt I picked up in the fabric department for less than a dollar. The black tulle is leftover from the birthday tutu I made for KID 2 last year. I think it's a bit reminiscent of black bats, don't you?

Birthday Season

2008-10-08T14:22:00.004-04:00

This is the birthday tutu I made for KID 2 last year. The pink cow fabric was marked down to $1/yd. That inspired me to make a cow cake, which turned out adorable! The body was a round cake pan, the head was baked in an oven-safe bowl, and the feet and ears were cupcakes (I cut one in half for the ears).

Birthdays are on my mind now as KID 2's birthday draws near (she'll be 2!). The theme this year is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which offers all sorts of possibilities. I'm thinking a pull-apart cupcake cake shaped like the butterfly, and maybe a small caterpillar cake for her made of mini muffins.

I'm not sure what I will do with it yet, but I found The Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric at The Carle museum online. I got a yard of the food fabric and a yard of the dots, plus the panel with the caterpillar, the butterfly, and the leaf. So cute! The proceeds actually benefit The Carle.

Our activity for the party will be decorating butterfly crowns with colored tissue paper and glue. I can't wait!

As High as an Elephant's Eye

2008-10-02T10:47:00.003-04:00

We planted our corn last week and it's already as high as an elephant's eye! Impressive, eh?

1 Bag of Large Googly Eyes: Priceless

2008-10-01T08:19:00.005-04:00

Cowboys, Scarecrows, and Bunnies...OH, MY!

2008-09-29T16:10:00.005-04:00

It's the Sheriff! No, he's a farmer. Wait, I think he's a cowboy!

"If I Only Had a Brain!"

KID 2 made her debut just days before Fall Fest.

Our Little Hunny Bunny had no idea how cute she was!

I wonder what myterious guests will visit this year?

I'd love for them to be Hansel and Gretel...KID 1 may not go for it, though. Maybe I can bribe him with lederhosen and a bag of bread crumbs to drop wherever he goes!

Maybe.

In Memory

2008-09-26T15:18:00.007-04:00

The Old Man Goes to the Big House (OFD)

His Captivated Audience

The Storyteller and His Legacy

The Storyteller

by Donna

He wears a cold one in his hand,

His blue eyes buzz intense.

A long cool sip and frothy lip,

He holds us in suspense.

"I was watching the kids one day,

Keeping track of all ten.

Jimmy was only four years old -"

I don't mind hearing this one again.

I watch him as he tells his tale;

Is he really eighty-two?

So alive, determined and fierce,

An old tale told anew.

"I couldn't find him anywhere--

I thought I'd lost a child..."

His face still reflects the fear he felt,

His imagination still runs wild with "What If?"

"I got home, heard Jimmy was missing and--"

Grandma starts to tell me.

Papa gives her the Irish eye,

"Eh! You wanna tell the story?"

He crosses his arms over his chest

And leans back in his chair.

Grandma presses her lips and smiles,

Ignoring his reproachful glare.

"Anyway, we finally found Jimmy."

This is my favorite part--

"He was sound asleep on the toilet! Ha!"

He claps his hand to his heart.

He reaches for his sweaty mug,

Which indicates he's done.

He gulps it down, sets it aside,

And begins another one.

We'll always remember our Storyteller and the Wise Woman who knew to just press her lips and smile.

Worms in Dirt...Yum!

2008-09-25T16:12:00.005-04:00

We started a compost heap back in Letter Cc Week, and now we can start putting some of that rich dark soil to work in our fall vegetable garden. We're very excited about that!

One of the cool benefits of a compost pile is sifting through and finding lots of earthworms, studying them, singing about them, fighting over them, crying over them because KID 2 ran away with KID 1's earthworm and dropped it in the grass and now he can't find it and needs to throw the World's Biggest Tantrum, reading about them, and, sweetest of all, making "Worms in Dirt" for dessert!

Get a package of chocolate pudding and prepare according to package directions. Top with crushed chocolate cookies (dirt) and gummy worms crawling out. We even served ours in small pots...it just tastes better that way!

This is a great creepy, crawly dessert for October.

Wednesdays Are For Whirling

2008-09-24T06:00:00.003-04:00

We're looking forward to Musikgarten class this afternoon...

her teacher will be so impressed!

First Day of Fall

2008-09-22T07:01:00.009-04:00

"Mommy! MOMMMMMY!!!" Little feet come pounding across the house toward my office. "Today is the first day of fall! I get to wear my pumpkin shirt now!"

His excitement amazes me, since we live in Florida...there is no "fall" in Florida. Just more heat. A little less humidity. If we're lucky. Oh, and hurricanes. Nothing says "fall" like a hurricane, right?

These leaves were stowed in a suitcase in Silver Bay, NY, by my sister-in-law. She hiked into the Adirondack mountains to find the prettiest leaves for KID 1 and KID 2, knowing this little piece of fall would thrill and inspire them.

I'm seeing leaf rubbings in our future. And maybe some fall decorations, hung enthusiastically by a four-year-old in bright orange fishy shorts and long-sleeved jack-o-lantern t-shirt. Now that's style!

MapQuest for Letter Mm

2008-09-18T11:08:00.008-04:00

We printed out a map of our neighborhood on MapQuest.com and have been using it all week to plan our route:

to the park

to our church

to the library

KID 1 loves being the map reader, marking our route before we step out the door, map in hand. Along the way, we make a note of everything we see that starts with "Mm." I will turn our word search into word cards for him to glue corresponding pictures from magazines on the back.

Some "Mm" words we found:

mailbox
magnolia seeds
moss
moth
mower
month (printed on a "Yard of the Month" sign)
movers (on the side of the moving truck that delivered our piano!)

For more frugal tips and tricks, go here.

Painting with Magnets

2008-09-18T11:08:00.007-04:00

Continuing on with our exploration of letter Mm, we tried a new "Mark-Making" art activity: Magnet Painting.

We have a set of Magnetix ($3 at a children's consignment sale) that works perfectly for this activity. I cut some of our easel paper to fit a cookie sheet and taped it in place. If you have strong enough magnets, you could just use the tabletop. KID 1 used two metal balls and two magnetic posts, one for each hand.

He really enjoyed sliding his magnets around the bottom of his tray and watching the effects as the little metal balls rolled through magenta paint.

Special Note: The "stand" for the cookie sheet is actually a tv table turned upside down! Whatever works, right? The links below show three different sizes available in these magnetic building sets. The smaller sets have smaller balls that could be a choking hazard for little ones. Any of these sets would work for this art project, plus add a science toy to your playroom. What a great way to learn cause and effect!

For more tips and tricks, head on over to Works-For-Me Wednesday.

Musical Murals

2008-09-16T07:06:00.011-04:00

We're learning about letter "Mm" this week, and I'm anxious to share one of our very cool activities!

On Monday, I cut a big, long piece of easel paper and taped it to the floor. I gave both kids their own set of crayons (we used Colorations Silky Sticks, which are soft and glide over the paper).

To prepare them for the activity, I told them to just listen to the music and draw what they feel. I didn't say much more than that, and they didn't really need to know more. After a questioning look from KID 1 (What are we supposed to do?), I reassured him that he would know how to draw the music once he heard it.

The first piece of music I selected for them to "draw" was "Moonlight Sonata," which has lots of repetitions. It's very smooth music, and my 4-year-old really reflected the feel of the music as he drew, using large, sweeping movements of his arm in concentric circles. My toddler tapped, dabbed, and pounded her crayon to the beat, raising her crayon over her head with a flourish as she looked up to see if we were watching.

I tried to melt into the background and just observe, occasionally reminding them with a hand signal to just listen. I didn't want them to feel their art time was a performance, but it sure was fascinating to watch!

The second piece was my husband's choice (he was home from work by then and thoroughly fascinated by this little experiment) and we moved this new mural up to the table so the kids could really move their whole bodies. He chose "Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)" from the Swing Kids soundtrack. Oh, my goodness, it was so funny to watch! And what a difference between the two pieces of art! Fast, jaunty scribbles took up the center of the page as his feet flew beneath him! Watch our video...it's too funny!

Combining our love of art and music really works for us!

This Little Piggy Went Weee! Weee! Weee! All the way to the bank!

2008-09-15T07:50:00.008-04:00

We've been using coins as math manipulatives.

Counting and sorting are so much fun

when you know you get to "keep the change" when you're done!

I labeled zipper bags with the coin names, so when KID 1 finished sorting and counting, he had to find the correct bag for each one. He could recognize the names by their beginning sound/letter.

Cheapie Challenge: Make-Your-Own Popcorn Containers

2008-09-12T14:25:00.008-04:00

We decided we wanted popcorn for snack the other day when my nine-year-old niece came to visit us. On the spur of the moment, rather than grabbing bowls out of the cabinet, I thought I'd challenge them while they watched their movie and waited for their snack.

The challenge: Create a container for their popcorn using only the materials I provided.

Here is what I gave them:

One square sheet of waxed paper
A roll of transparent tape

Here are their creations...

Frugal, but fun!

The Letter "Cc"...continued...

2008-09-10T08:55:00.014-04:00

Briefly the world's tallest building, the Chrysler building is truly an American icon in architecture and the New York skyline. We are using clay to make miniature sculptures of the Chrysler building today. This gives us an opportunity to talk about uppercase and lowercase letters and when to use them.

Adorned with metal hubcaps, radiator caps, car fenders, and hood ornaments, as the name suggests, this building gets much of it's inspiration from a car! If it has anything to do with cars, it works for us!

Happy Works-for-Me Wednesday!

____________________________________________________________________________________
The follow-up: Sculpting was very challenging, but we had so much fun making all sorts of things!

My nine-year-old niece and my son really "went to town" with their creations. He sculpted a city and she did a shoreline with a lighthouse and the Little Mermaid on her rock!

Introducing....the Letter "Cc"

2008-09-03T12:38:00.015-04:00

Both kids made their letter "Cc" signs using corn kernels...

I "wrote" the letters in glue and they stuck the corn on. Creative and cute! (Our letter signs are made from cardboard diaper boxes, cut into 6x6" squares.)

We're celebrating the letter "Cc" today by cutting cheese and crunching crackers. We only buy big blocks of cheese here...it's much cheaper and the kids love cutting it themselves!

We conspired to clear the clutter from our yard. And KID 1 is learning about composting in the garden to enrich the soil. We love this because it means less waste!

We also created cookie cutter sandwiches and concocted a fun cooperative art piece using bubble solution and powdered tempera paint.

We'll be making cupcakes later in the week, of course, and I'd love to take the kids to a local candy factory to see how their confections are made. Cool, huh?

Can you tell we're kinda crazy about the letter "Cc" around here?

Any more frugal ideas for us to introduce the letter "Cc" this week?

Messy Art Table

2008-09-03T07:05:00.003-04:00

Our art table is always a mess! I love to give my kids access to their art supplies, but we need a better way to organize them so that clean-up isn't such a chore.

Here is a brief overview of our basic materials:

LOTS of paper, different sizes
Paint - watercolor palettes, powdered tempera, poster paint, finger paint
Crayons
Markers
Colored Pencils
Stamps and ink pads
stencils
scissors
glue
writing paper
fat writing pencils
paper punches
paint applicators

How do you organize your materials? Do you limit child access to them? What works for you?

Happy Labor Day!

2008-09-01T07:35:00.002-04:00

Letter C Week Begins: We're going to a cookout and we're bringing corn on the cob! What are you doing to celebrate this last hurrah of summer?

Peachy Keen

2008-08-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

Peaches are readily available right now at about $1.49 /lb. in our supermarket. This recipe at kidshealth.org sounds just right: Perfect Peachy Freeze

We used honey instead of sugar.

Do you have a favorite recipe for peaches?

The Puppetmaster

2008-08-29T07:09:00.004-04:00

Four puppets appeared over the back of the couch.

"Mommy," a muffled voice called from below, "watch my puppet show!"

All four puppets started dancing and singing.

Now this was 4-year-old engineering and creativity working together...

Who needs a puppet theater? Even four-year-olds can be frugal...but we call it creative genius around here!

Making Their Marks: Straw Painting

2008-08-28T07:17:00.005-04:00

We recently tried using straws as paint applicators. I demonstrated the technique first, putting one end of the straw into the paint and my finger over the other end of the straw. Then I brought the straw over the paper and released the paint where I wanted it. Now I could blow the paint across the paper using the straw. My son couldn't wait to try it. He really enjoyed this new method!

Our 1 1/2 year-old had more trouble with this technique, of course, but she enjoyed dragging the straw across the paper, making her own unique marks!

Both kids worked on the same paper, and the finished product was later presented to Aunt Beth for her birthday. She loved it, of course!

Special Note: Even though I used wide, shallow bowls for the paint, we still ended up with a spill (they will always find a way!). We had to turn the big brown spill in the corner into "intentional art!"

Making Their Marks: Toothbrush Paintings

2008-08-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

Why throw away an old toothbrush when you can paint with it? This one was fun for both kids. Just make sure it doesn't go in the mouth!

Check out more of our fun art ideas! Or check out Crystal's blog for more Frugal Friday links.

It's raining, it's pouring: TS Faye

2008-08-19T21:31:00.003-04:00

It's been pouring down rain and gusting up to 60 mph winds here in Central Florida. Hello, Tropical Storm Faye!

We donned rubber boots and bathing suits and spent a pleasant morning puddle-jumping in the soft drizzle before the bulk of the storm hit. Rain without lightning is pretty unusual for us, so we took advantage!

Saturday is Yard Day

2008-08-17T21:16:00.007-04:00

Around here, no one gets out of yard work when it's declared "yard day."

Not even 1-year-olds!

Not even guests!

The kids collect baby pineapples as we transplant the plants.

Making room for a vegetable garden!

Our niece spent the night Friday, blissfully unaware of the full day of yard work that would greet her in the morning, bright and early. We realized she was really into it, though, when an early thunderstorm rolled in and she complained, "Man, I really wanted to get this job done! Do you think we can go back out later to finish?"

Come back any time, honey! You're always welcome here!

"J" is for "Just Kiddin'"

2008-08-13T15:55:00.013-04:00

Our Jet Pilot!

This week we're working on the letter "J." It's the second letter in the book The Sound of the Week, by Sally Barrett and Mary Barton Wilson. My goal is to find frugal ways to learn about "J." I only want to use things we already have around the house.

We'll be making jewels this week using rock salt, glue and food coloring and we'll also make a self-propelled jet. I can't wait to see how that works! Both of these projects are from the Kid Concoctions series by John and Danita Thomas.

I got the chance to take a Kid Concoctions workshop from the Thomases last year. One of their demo projects was a set of juggling balls made from balloons. Neither of them could juggle, so they asked for a volunteer...I do love an audience! Yes, I can juggle!

Jack and Jill is a great nursery rhyme to work on this week and talk about rhyming words.

And, of course, we'll be making jello!

We're also doing lots of spontaneous jumping jacks throughout the day (Kid 1 gets excited about these things...4 is a great age!).

We don't have a jump rope, but I do have a length of rope for the kids to jump over as we jiggle and jerk it.

We will make our letter "j" sign using a 6x6" square of cardboard cut from a diaper box, some colored paper, glue and a popsicle stick. Last week, for the letter "S," we made a silver, sparkly "S" sign with glitter. I still keep finding glitter in strange places (like, the corner of my eye, my upper lip, inside my bra, all over our bed, and dumped all over the office floor...use it at your own risk!).

For some great letter "s" ideas, check out Teresa's blog!

In case you're wondering "What does she do with her little one while KID 1 does all these cool (messy) projects?," the answer is, KID 2 gets to do almost everything her big brother does. The goals are just a bit different. If KID 1 is glittering up a letter, KID 2 (almost 2 years old) is making a glittery picture and we talk about what color the glitter is. Most activities can be slightly modified for the younger sibling. Even though she is not ready for phonics, she is still developing the phonemic awareness necessary for reading later on.

Check out more frugal ideas at Crystal's blog...so many links, so little time!

Any other great "J"-week ideas?

"S" is for "SICK"

2008-08-10T21:33:00.006-04:00

Our little one is burning up with fever for the third day in a row. She's listless and clingy (that part is nice, except she's so hot, it's uncomfortable to hold her for more than a few minutes...but if she wants to be held, we do it).

It's so frustrating to see our children fighting viruses, one after the other, and there's really nothing we can do for them. Some days I start to feel like maybe we should just stay home for a few months, just to be well for a while! Forget MOPS, forget playdates, forget working out at the gym, swimming at the pool, and going to church. We're staying IN HERE, and we're gonna stay WELL!!! No more colds, no more vomitting, no more inhalers, no more diarrhea, no more coughs, no more thermometers, no more ibuprofen, no more!!! I'm SICK of being sick all the time.

Except, then we would never see our friends, or chase butterflies, or name groceries that start with the letter "S," or ride bikes, or celebrate friends' birthdays, or cook once a month with girlfriends, or learn French for preschoolers, or sing and dance at music class...and the list goes on and on.

Lord, please help our little one get well so she can chase butterflies tomorrow. Amen.

Playroom Purge: Toys We Kept

2008-08-08T09:49:00.001-04:00

This is a list of some of our favorite toys and why they claimed a piece of valuable real estate on the playroom shelf. These toys are appropriate for both our 1 1/2 year-old and our 4 1/2 year-old, and will "grow" with them as their skills and imaginations grow.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Blocks...stacking, nesting, giant cardboard bricks, small alphabet cubes, duplo mega blocks, wood architectural blocks, and Lincoln Logs are all great.

Wooden Puzzles and rack, and stacking/sorting toys

Costumes: hats, costume jewelry, playscarves, vests, medical kit, fun accessories

Musical Instruments: (Preferably wood for a natural sound) Rhythm sticks, drum, triangle, tambourine, moracca/shakers, xylophone

Baby Doll and clothes, blanket and stroller

Art Supplies: Crayons, markers, colored pencils; paper:colored construction, sketch pad, watercolor pad, origami papers, colored tissue paper, BIG paper, paper roll/butcher paper; glue (sticks and white glue); scissors; paper punchers; paint: fingerpaint, tempera; modeling clay

Kitchen set with play stuff: We repurposed a little wooden telephone cabinet we were given by drawing a burner on the top surface and a knob. The play food goes inside the cabinet doors. When our daughter was a baby, she absolutely loved opening and shutting the doors. We have a Melissa and Doug wooden play food set that came in four little wooden crates, and our 4-year-old likes to save empty canisters and boxes and decorate them for his play kitchen.

Puppets and puppet theater (only because Mommy really likes puppets, so Daddy made Mommy a puppet theater for our son's birthday!) Actually, both kids love the puppets, and we love that they encourage verbal and social/emotional skills. Our toddler goes around with a dolphin hand puppet saying, "Heh-woh! Heh-woh!" (Hello!) The kids often have their puppets "talk" to each other, which is totally cute!

Books, books, and more books! We LOVE books! We read all day long. Our home library is quite extensive, full of children's classics, but we also LOVE getting books from the public library.

Cars and trucks of all sizes and a town playmat with roads and buildings...these were all hand-me-downs, but our kids love them. This stays on the front porch in a basket.

We try not to buy electronic toys, but we have a few that have been given as gifts. Sometimes they disappear in the dark of night if they're really annoying or just not played with much. One of our favorites is a Leap Frog alphabet set with letters and word cards...we like this one because it's tactile (the letters are 3-Dimensional) and it sounds out the words and letters. This is an older set, so I don't think they make it anymore.

The key to choosing toys is finding things that:

spur your child's imagination
keep them engaged and learning
grow with your child - avoid toys that have a short shelf life

Above all, it must be FUN!

Check out some other toy recommendations over at Rocks In My Dryer.

Making Their Marks: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go!

2008-08-04T09:55:00.006-04:00

This is the first in our Preschool Art series Making Their Marks.

A fun art session that BOTH our kids enjoyed on Monday was an easy prep and required something we have in abundance around here: little cars and trucks.

I picked out some cars and trucks ahead of time that had different kinds and sizes of wheels. The little jeep had a chunky tread, the tractor had a wide tread, etc.

The kiddos like to help with the color-choosing, of course, and we ended up with pink and turquoise blue. Our 4 1/2 year-old son's FAVORITE color is pink, and he has stayed true to this preference for the past couple of years! At birthday parties, he really, really, really wants the pink party favors (usually princess-themed, but he doesn't care), not the blue ones (this has come up a couple of times, believe it or not!!!).

Anyway, we don't make a big deal about it...if pink is his favorite, he gets pink, by golly! No gender-stereotyping here!

We put each paint color on its own flat plate with several cars and trucks to roll through. Kid 2 (age 1 1/2) really enjoyed rolling one color over the other on her paper, making purple, of course!

What fun! And I can't help mentioning one of our favorite books around here: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go!

Preschool Art: Making Their Marks

2008-08-04T08:58:00.007-04:00

When it comes to "art," babies and toddlers really take a scientific approach. They want to experiment with their materials: color, different sizes and shapes of paper, and things that make interesting marks: markers, pens, crayons, colored pencils, and paint.

Just look in the art supply aisle of any store and you'll find the options are almost overwhelming. I find that some basic tempera paint really goes a long way for art time here. Just be sure that whatever you buy, it needs to be non-toxic.

When we use paintbrushes, they are the fat-handled kind for little kids. Our son (age 4 1/2) is ready to use the skinny kind, but he still enjoys the thick bristled ones that make a big, wide mark.

We try to think outside the box when it comes to paint tools and applicators. We'll try anything! In the next few weeks, we'll be posting some of our art experiments. Mostly because it's fun for us, but perhaps you'll find inspiration here as well!

So get some paint and some nice thick paper and get ready to try some fun things with your little ones! See some of our recommendations below.

Have fun!

Pizza! Pizza!

2008-08-01T06:00:00.006-04:00

Pizza is a Friday night favorite in our family. Not only does it satisfy our appetites, it also satisfies our budget and health requirements! There's nothing better than homemade pizza...especially when the kids get to help.

They love to measure ingredients, mix, knead the dough, and top the pizza. Oh, and they love eating what they create!

We start by making our own dough, a whole wheat/oat/white flour blend that really handles nicely and fills us up better than all white flour. It takes less than an hour to rise, so I can start it around 4:30 and still have dinner on the table by 6:00. This also freezes well in an oiled zip-top bag, so we make a double batch and freeze half. Less work next time!

Ingredients for a single batch:

1 TBSP active dry yeast

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dry quick oats
2-3 cups white flour (start with 2, adding more as needed)
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP sugar (I use a lot, since yeast feeds on sugar and will need more if frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days)
1 cup very warm water (hot water kills yeast)
1 TBSP olive oil

Toppings:

1/3 cup red sauce (or pesto) We just use regular pasta sauce from a jar...fancy, huh?
2 cups shredded cheese - Italian blends are good, mozzarrella, smoked provolone
Your favorite toppings - we love colossal-size black olives, red onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic...really just whatever we have on hand. We throw on leftover grilled, chopped chicken breast or sausage when we have it.

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in water and olive oil (a stand mixer works, too, if it can handle a stiff dough...switch to bread hooks once you've got your ingredients mixed)
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto floured surface. As you knead, slowly add more white flour until dough is no longer sticky (it should feel smooth and elastic). Kids love to help knead the dough. You can separate it into smaller lumps for them to work with and combine at the end for a final thorough kneading.
Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm, dry place to rise until doubled in bulk. (If the sunny spot on my back porch isn't warm enough, I pre-warm my oven and then turn it off to let the dough rise.)
Once dough is doubled, show it off to the kids...it's fascinating! Punch it down and press into an oiled pan (we use a round pizza pan, but a cookie sheet works fine, too).
Add sauce, cheese and toppings...this part is fun for the kids, as long as you supervise. Our cheese always seems to pile up in one spot!

Bake in preheated 450°F oven for 12-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

For more frugal ideas, visit Biblical Womanhood's Frugal Friday...so many links, so little time!

See some of our favorite pizza-making books below. The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza is very cute, and Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig, is a fun read that our kids just LOVE to act out.

A Playspace That Works

2008-07-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

I love creating kid-friendly spaces! Our playroom (an enclosed side porch Realtors technically called a "third bedroom," since it has a tiny closet) has been a work in progress since we moved in 2 years ago...for a few reasons:

As our kids grow and change, their playtime changes, too. Especially in the first few years! We've finally landed on some things that BOTH kids can play with, albeit differently, in their age-appropriate ways. Even my 9-year-old niece has a ball in our playroom...and it's designed with preschoolers in mind!

We kept reorganizing things to see what works best in this small space (an 8 x 5' rug just fits with a few feet of bare floor left over for the art table and chairs). Our goal: to create a space that both our kids can enjoy and then clean up...without a lot of adult intervention.

We had too much stuff in the playroom...it's been a process of elimination. What we're left with is a great selection of classic toys. We only kept what the kids actually play with, and we tried to focus on toys that will stand the test of time and accommodate their growing skills and imaginations. Coming Soon: Playroom Purge: The Toys We Kept

We are really blessed to have a playroom space completely dedicated to playtime. However, these ideas can be applied to any space you call a play space. We chose to put our son and daughter in one bedroom, figuring they can comfortably share a room while they are little. So far, we're happy with our decision, since we get to use the "third bedroom" as play space.

For the playroom, I took my cue from my son's preschool classroom. It, too, was a very small space, and it had to accommodate TEN three-year-olds! If Miss Ann could do it, I knew I could turn our small space into a kid-friendly place for two!

And like most preschool classrooms, our playroom is organized into "centers," which thrills my son to no end. We have the dress-up center, housekeeping, trucks and blocks, art table center, manipulatives (puzzles, stacking toys, beads, and sorting shapes), a music center, and lots and lots of children's books. I was thrilled when the puzzle rack I ordered arrived...slowly, but surely, each thing in the playroom finds a special home!

Because space (and money) is limited, I've had to get creative with our storage. As I went through the kids' bedroom closet, weeding out anything I could, I added this old diaper organizer to the pile of donations...until my practical side won out. I thought, "Surely I can find a way to use it somewhere in the house!" It became our music center, handily organizing and displaying our instruments for easy access.

Eventually, we hope to have built-in storage in the playroom, complete with pull-out trays for musical instruments, like my resonator set from the Musikgarten company. It's beautiful and deserves a special place of its own. For now, sadly, it rests on the floor beneath the diaper --I mean, music--caddy.

We may have mismatched shelving units, some tall, some short, but the space serves its purpose where it counts: at the eye level of a preschooler!

Rhythm Shakers

2008-07-28T06:00:00.007-04:00

One activity that both our kids enjoy blends art and music: making and decorating their own rhythm shakers. We had so much fun with this, we did it again with friends for our 4th of July parade, and again for a MOPS Jamboree playdate!

You will need:

Empty containers: No glass, please!
Stickers or colored tape
Noisy fillers
Measuring spoons
Funnel (you can roll a piece of paper)
Hot Glue Gun

Start with a couple of empty containers from the recycling bin. Clean, dry plastic bottles work fine (soda, water, milk jugs, popcorn seed jars, condiments, all shapes and sizes work fine, as long as they still have a lid or top...we even took the label off a white acetaminophen bottle), coffee cans, salt containers, etc.
Decorate the containers: We take the labels off, when possible. Stickers or colored tape are easy and fun. Markers work well on cardboard containers, like salt or oatmeal cylinders. You could even decorate your own paper label and tape it on.
Offer some different noise-making fillers, one type per container: a bowl of dry rice, a bowl of dry beans, small jingle bells, small pebbles, popsicle sticks, popcorn seeds...anything that will make a great sound inside the container.
Just a tablespoon or two of filler is plenty for a shaker...this isn't going to deplete your rice or beans supply. Consider buying some just for crafts; they make great cheap collage material! A funnel helps younger kids get more filler into their bottle and less on the floor! We made one out of paper.
Hot glue the lid on, so no accidental spills end the fun too soon. Just keep the hot glue gun out of reach of small hands.
Notice with your child how each container sounds different. Talk about the different sounds. Why do you think the beans sound different than the rice? Is the rice louder or softer than the other materials? Etc.

Put on some music or just sing a silly song and jam with your rhythm shakers!

Cheap Art: Beautiful Junk

2008-07-25T07:50:00.013-04:00

We LOVE art time around here, and with two preschoolers who don't understand the concept of "use it sparingly," we really burn through our supplies quickly. So in order for my kids to be creative, I have to get creative with materials. Okay, the coffee mug on the end is what gets Mommy through our beautiful art sessions in the morning!

Here is our "Beautiful Junk" Art Box (these are for collages, inventions, or whatever inspires them):

My 4 1/2 year-old son loves the empty containers for creating cool stuff like rockets, robots, food for his kitchen, etc. For a while, he saved every cereal box for his unnamed "project," piling them all over the kids' craft table, until I finally had to dump them in the recycling bin in the dark of night.

Hey, you know you do it, too! My husband and I are like the sneaky nighttime bandits when it comes to purging junky toys, favorite WAY-outgrown clothes, and random collections of things: rocks, sticks, acorns, boxes, etc.

Anyway, back to our beautiful junk. We use the pasta for stringing on necklaces or adding to a collage. I try to find interesting shapes and colors. We also have a bin of pasta tubes...I'm not sure where that one disappeared to.

My mom, a former preschool teacher of 12 years, picked up some Easter basket filler when it went on clearance one year and gave it to my son for his art projects. He LOVED it! It's the paper kind, not plastic, so it glues onto paper really well (and it won't hurt if my toddler gets a bit in her mouth...it happens!) Now I pick up a couple of bags of Easter grass/filler after Easter every year...it's super-cheap.

Do you have any frugal favorites for art time?

Creative Kids Playdate

2008-07-24T14:17:00.008-04:00

I truly wish I had my camera this morning at our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) playdate! Darn it!!! We had a great turnout of kids, too!

A friend of mine, Bryssy of RadicoolLife, organized a cup cooking activity for the kids. At one station, following the illustrated instructions, they measured 3 tablespoons of gingerbread mix (a box mix), and 1 Tbsp. of water into a paper cup with their name on it. Popsicle sticks were provided for levelling and stirring. At the end of that station, their cups were put into an electric skillet, set to 400 degrees, for 10-15 minutes.

Then they moved over to the lemonade station. Each kid measured 1/4 cup of water into a cup, then 2 tsp. of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Then they squeezed half a lemon over a bowl and added 2 tsp. of lemon juice to their sugar/water solution. A bowl of ice waited at the end of the table to make their homemade lemonade cool and refreshing! Yum!

While they waited for their gingerbread snack to bake and cool, we headed into the craft area. My station was all set for torn paper art a la Eric Carle (for examples, see yesterday's Art After Breakfast blog). Once again, I provided:

A stack of Eric Carle books, all in his signature paper collage-style illustrations
Colored construction paper on each table
Paper egg cups of glue with cotton swab applicators
Large construction paper for the base of their project

We had some beautiful creations! One table chose a little grey mouse, another group worked on a black and white dairy cow, while others were inspired by an apple tree illustration, all from various Eric Carle books.

Cleanup was easy...I keep all the scrap paper in a zip-top bag for my beautiful junk box. What looks like trash to us is artistic treasure to a kid! We threw away the glue cups, stashed the extra paper in my bag, and wiped down the tables. I love it when playdates go this well!

The gingerbread cup cooking was a hit, by the way. When Miss Bryssy took the cups out of the electric skillet, she set them upside down on plates to cool. The little muffins dropped to the plates as they cooled and the kids found the cup with their name on it with their little baked treat hiding beneath...they loved it! Scroll down for a selection of Eric Carle's books available through our Amazon.com store.

Art After Breakfast: Torn Paper Collage

2008-07-23T08:36:00.015-04:00

I love to start the kids' day with art time...it gets their creative juices flowing and creates a bit of down time before my toddler's morning nap.

This morning we used Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar as our inspiration. We looked through it together and I pointed out how the pictures looked like a collage of different colored paper.

My 4 1/2 year-old son decided he wanted to make all of the junk food that the caterpillar ate through: "one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon."

Materials I provided:

Our inspiration book (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

Construction paper: 1 piece of each color

White glue in a small cup and cotton swab applicator (he doesn't like to touch the glue...some kids don't like the feel of glue or paint on their fingers)

One large piece of construction paper as the base

Even my 1 1/2-year-old participated. She loves using glue, but she struggled with tearing the paper, so I tore some pieces into different shapes and piled them up for her. I only gave her a tiny glob of glue at a time, since she likes to tip and pour her glue out. She has no qualms about using her finger in the glue. Each kid is so different!

This was a fun project for both of my preschoolers. It's easily adaptable for a variety of ages, so hopefully it works as well for you as it works for me!

Sunsuits and Cowgirl Boots

2008-07-18T09:03:00.004-04:00

Our kids usually hit the ground running around 6AM. This morning is no exception.

KID 1 has his bathing suit on, ready for a beach day with friends. He's busily seated at the art table, having a ball with Scotch tape. We like to offer the kids a variety of materials to experiment with at the art table.

KID 2 has donned her cowgirl boots and is happily tromping around the playroom, doing splits on the carpet and working with manipulatives.

What fun! This sure beats last week, when we had to abandon the house so it could be tented for termites. Check out my Motley Moms blog to learn how we discovered we had termites.

Sunflowers Personified

2008-07-17T13:24:00.006-04:00

As I was taking the kids to the library for storytime this morning, we stopped by our sunflower patch to see how our little seedlings were doing. We were delighted to see several of our sunflowers developing distinct personalities.

Although bright yellow on the outside, these guys were looking a little blue.

And this sunflower must have a little secret to tell...or maybe she'll just keep it to herself.

This one, we are sure, must have declared his love for her. He just couldn't hide it any longer!

The Wilds

2008-07-16T23:03:00.013-04:00

It always amazes me how long our kids can stay outside, happily chasing butterflies, terrorizing roly-polies, and generally wreaking havoc on nature.

They lose track of time, they're so engaged in their surroundings. I find this to be true of very young children, especially preschoolers.

"Outside" was one of the first Baby Signs our kids picked up on. To sign "outside," you turn your hand in front of you as if grasping and turning a doorknob. For the ASL (American Sign Language) version, check out this terrific ASL Browser video dictionary, run by the Michigan State University Communication Technology Lab.

Our little girl, 1 1/2 years old, has been known to violently jab the air in front of her with both hands at once, screeching, "Ah-diiii! Ah-diiiiiiii!"

?????

Thank God for Baby Signs!

A Penny for Your Thoughts or Just Give Me All the Money In Your Wallet

2008-07-16T08:23:00.014-04:00

Our 4 1/2 year-old son, we'll call him Kid 1, just drags his feet anytime we ask him to do something. Correction: anytime we ask him to do something that does not fully align with his agenda-of-the-moment. My husband asked him to go put his wallet away and come to the dinner table. The sound of his feet dragging could be heard into the next room. Paul asked him to put his wallet away and come to the dinner table "by the time I count to three, or I get to keep all the money in your wallet." (Kid 1 likes to keep a bit of spare change in his own little wallet and tote it wherever we go.)

Well, this was taken as a challenge. Our boy suddenly had a rocket attached to his feet. He raced into his room and came skidding back into the dining room sans wallet before Paul could say 2 1/2. He victoriously cocked his hands on his hips and declared, "Now I get to keep all the money in your wallet!"

We've tried different behavior modification strategies over the past two years with him, some successful, some not-so-successful. Here are the highlights:

Penny In The Jar: "Every time I catch you following directions the first time, you get to put a penny in the jar!!!" In theory, it could have merit, but I didn't always have a penny (or the jar), and so this one lacked immediacy. If we were away from the house (which we are a lot, for my own sanity) I would forget to give him his pennies when we got back home. This may work well with an older child who can remember how many pennies they've earned. This one didn't last long for us.

Bunny Bucks (Now this was an elaborate one): Similar to the "penny in the jar" method, I decided to give my son a "bunny buck" anytime I caught him doing good. Completing his simple chores, following directions, using nice manners, whatever behavior we were working on at the time, got reinforced with bunny bucks. Then, at the end of the day, he could use his earnings to buy a prize from my "store." Prizes were usually from the dollar store, but sometimes included things like cake mix, worms in dirt (chocolate pudding with crushed chocolate cookies on top and gummy worms "crawling" out), or a special project with Mom. I put a price on each thing, along with a visual marking system ($3 items had 3 bunny bucks drawn underneath so he could count to determine how many bucks it would cost him). This way, he was learning number values in conjunction with family values. This was a successful one, our son loved it, and eventually he was only allowed to "shop" once a week; but if I try this one again, I would put more focus on the activities and special projects, rather than the tangible prizes.

As parents, my husband and I struggle with the idea of using tangible prizes to reinforce good behavior. Sometimes it's appropriate, but we don't want our kids to feel like they should get something when they behave or do their chores. We don't want to encourage that feeling of entitlement kids can develop when they are blessed with every thing a kid could need, plus some. This blessing can too easily become a curse, for both the child and the parents.

Kid K'Nex, another take on tangible rewards: A more recent experiment involved a building set I wanted for Kid 1. We needed something a bit more advanced for him, but not too difficult for a 4 1/2 yr. old to manipulate on his own. I finally found Kid K'Nex "Zoomin' Buddies," a set that had wheels and googly eyes and other fun parts. But we didn't just hand it over to him. After all, it wasn't his birthday or Christmas...he had to earn it first!

Each time Kid 1 followed directions the first time, he earned a new piece to build with. This was amazing! By the time he earned all the pieces, he was doing his chores, getting himself dressed, brushing his teeth, and presenting himself at the breakfast table in "TA-DAAAA!" pose. He never failed to inform us when he did things without even being asked. Today, he usually still gets himself dressed and ready for his day without any prompting from us, or tangible reward. We sometimes have to remind him to brush his teeth or pick up his dirty laundry, but the morning routine is so much easier now that Kid 1 is in the habit of doing these things by himself. Yea!

As a parent, I know my strategies will have to change as my child changes. What works for me today may not work tomorrow, and it may not work with KID 2. I look at parenting as a great experiment and try to have fun with it!

Do you have any tried-and-true or crash-and-burn stories of parenting?