Learning Letters

A quick idea for a Friday -- Learning Letters!
We've been working on letters with Neven forever - Just casually, but we've been at a plateau for a while now. He recognizes them all and knows what most of them sound like, but how to make the jump to writing them (somehow, writing the letter "A" 10 times in a row in his preschool book wasn't keeping his attention!) and making the jump to know that letters in a row make words? 


Here's what we've been doing, with great success: 
1. Pick a magnet. We have a container of 60 basic magnet shapes things like a cat, dog, goat, tree... We make a game of it, but having Neven close his eyes and reach into the container. Not exactly sure why, but this makes it WAY more fun for him! 
2. Use the magnet to hang sheet of white paper on the fridge. 
3. Spell the word using magnetic letters. While I'm searching for the letters, Neven and I talk about what letters/sounds are in the word - sometimes we skip the vowels, since those are confusing (for example, the OA in "goat"), and just try to figure out the first and last letters. 
4. Next up - We pick a marker and write the letters to make the word.

Will you try this? Let me know -- I've been missing feedback in the past few posts!! 

LET IT BE ...at least until after bedtime

Stuff. EVERYWHERE! There are days (in fact, most days) when I feel like all I'm doing is picking up toys - play kitchen dishes, cars, Legos!, random plastic containers, magnets... 

I don't actually see my kids dump any single container, but its like a slow trickle that results in stuff, EVERYWHERE! I really don't understand how they are so fast. 

I know it shouldn't matter - we have kids. No one is going to mind if they walk into my home and there are toys scattered around. But my OCD takes over, and I can't help but to take a few minutes to put a few things back where they belong. Oftentimes, I just grab something on my way past and drop it where it should go. It only takes me five minutes to clean up (each time), but it's an endless task. I once read a quote along the lines of "Cleaning up after a toddler is like trying to sweep in a windstorm." No kidding. And the truth is-- my kids are relatively neat kids, especially considering they are 1 and 3 years old. 

Here's my plan: LET IT BE... at least until after bedtime. I'm going to try to nix the frequent five minute cleanups during the day, and save it for one 15 minute cleanup job at the end of the day. I can only imagine how much time with my kids this simple change could gain for me!! 

Groundhog Day

As a stay-at-home-mom, I feel like some weeks are filled with five Groundhog Days: wake up (more specifically, get woken up earlier than I wish), drink coffee, put dishes away, take the dog out, fix breakfast, shower, more coffee, spend a few minutes with Matt and the kids, Matt heads to work, play time, Daria's am nap, focused time with Neven, morning activity (this IS usually different every day, but still feels the same in that its our "out-and-about" time), play time, lunch, play time, Daria's pm nap, juggle time with Neven while starting dinner, cook dinner, eat dinner, wash dishes, bathtime, PJs, story time, nurse Daria to sleep, {this is where I get 1-2 hours of "Me-Time"!... although more often than not I spend it hanging or folding laundry, or washing and folding diapers}, take the dog out, get ready for bed, go to sleep... 


The hardest part for me: At the end of the day, I'm right back where I started that morning, and sometimes wonder, what exactly did I accomplish today? Some days I find myself waiting for time to pass or for the end of the day, and at the same time wondering what exactly is it I'm waiting for? I do my best to slow down and just enjoy the present, but some days are harder than others. 


The highlight of this year's Groundhog Day is that it also happens to be Daria's first birthday. We figure the fact that she waited 12 days past when we were expecting her and for Groundhog Day to be born must prove that Matt and I still have some Pennsylvania left in us. (For those of you who don't know, Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania is a HUGE deal...) We have a pretty low-key day planned for her: a few gifts from us wrapped by Neven in newspaper, a playdate at a friend's house, and "cake" (blueberry-zucchini bread, maybe with some icing...). 

Unwrapping.

She likes to "smile" for the camera now...

Daria's cake (blueberry-zucchini bread) and Neven's decorated valentines (see how-to below!).

On another note, some activities: 

SALT DOUGH VALENTINES (found the idea here)
Supplied Needed: 1/2 c flour, 1/4 c salt, 1/4 c water, optional: food coloring; decorating supplies such as acrylic paint, markers, glitter... 
Mix flour, salt, water, and food coloring together in a bowl (you'll have to use your hands!). Roll out on a flat surface using a rolling pin, and use a cookie cutter or bowl/glass to cut out shapes. If you want to be able to hang the finished valentines, use a straw to make a small hole. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours, or until thoroughly dry. Cool, then decorate! 

We used the leftover dough to make an ornament to hang in Neven's room - we added a drop of food coloring, then he stuck a few beads and buttons in it for decorations. 


ACTIVITY CALENDARS (from Preschool Express)
These ideas are great, particularly because they tend to only take a few minutes of time, and virtually no setup! Some examples: go outside and look for shadows, learn how to say "I love you" in another language, look for the number 9 in grocery store ads. I'm thinking of giving myself a personal challenge - seeing how many activities can I accomplish in February. Anyone with me? 

Just Ideas

Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday week, and that 2012 is starting off well for you! 
We spent most of the week after the holidays at home - I took advantage of this time to not rush the kids (to "get ready so we can go!"), to slow down and spend one-on-one time with them in child-led play, and to get back into thinking of games/activities that stimulate. I truly enjoyed and appreciated the time to regroup and get back into a bit of a routine. Neven, on the other hand, kept asking me "Whose house are we going to today?" 
Did you find something to entertain you and/or your kiddos today? 


1. QUICK ACTIVITIES, from Preschool Express's January Preschool Calendar
> Glue confetti on paper to make a colorful paper collage (Art)
> Have your child make up a story by looking at a picture from an old calendar (Language)
> Turn out the light and write on a wall with a flashlight (Beginning Writing)
> Make hot chocolate with your child (Cooking)
> Wash your hands (we brushed our teeth) while singing the ABC's (Health, Music, Letters)
> Pick up cotton balls with tweezers or kitchen tongs (Fine Motor Skills)
>Ask your child to sing his favorite song (Neven sang Hickory Dickory Dock) (Music, Making Choices)


2. BLOCK PLAY (more ideas from Preschool Express!)
> PATTERNS: Use blocks to make a simple pattern, such as; one red block, one blue block, one red blocks, etc. Ask your child to tell you what color of block would go next in your pattern. Then encourage your child to make a matching set of blocks under your set.  

> SORTING: Set out a pile of assorted blocks. Have your child sort them by color, shape, and/or size. 
> BLOCK MATCH-UPS: Increase your child’s observation skills with this simple matching game.  Choose four or five blocks with different shapes. Trace around the shape of the blocks onto a heavy piece of paper.  Remove the blocks from the paper and give the paper and the blocks to your child. Have your child match up the drawn shapes with the blocks.
> LOOK AND SEE: Place three blocks of different colors on a table between you and your child. Have her touch each block and name each blocks color (help if necessary). Next, have your child close her eyes while you remove one of the blocks. When you say, “Look and See”, have your child open her eyes and tell you which block is now missing. Continue with the game, increasing the number of blocks as your child’s skill increases. Take turns with your child. You close your eyes, while she removes a colored block.

3. KALIEDOSCOPE RICE 
Materials: white rice, vinegar, food coloring, ziploc baggies
How to: Mix 1/2 cup rice with 1 T. vinegar and food coloring (more or less depending on how bold you want the color to be); we put this in a ziploc baggie and squeezed to mix (which was very fun for Neven to help with!). Pour each color of rice onto a sheet of wax paper, and let dry. 
Ideas for Play: Fill baby food jars in different-colored layers. Use a spoon to transfer rice back and forth between containers. Mix different colors together. Run a car through the rice. Glue onto a piece of paper. 

4. Preschool PHOTOGRAPHY
Neven has recently started taking pictures with the digital camera. So today, we played a new game. I'd suggest a mission for him - "Can you take a picture of... a castle (a Christmas tree, something green, a foot, an elephant, a computer, a Santa, yellow boots, a fish, a frog)?" Some things I suggested were in the room, others weren't. I really enjoy seeing things from his perspective, a welcome change sometimes.  

5. TOY CAMERA
You can easily make a play camera using an empty soap box, some fun colored paper, a few milk lids, and a sharpie. This was definitely a hit with Neven! He very carefully pushed every button necessary to take a picture -- power on, took the picture, then reviewed his taken pictures to see how it came out. 

Photo from: www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/2010/09/toy-camera.html

6. ORIGAMI
For Neven's birthday party, Matt and I made a few dozen origami dragons and hung them from the ceiling. Although these are probably more a project for the parents, there are a lot of kid-level origami projects on the site, too. A lot of work, but so worth it in the end! We all had a great day. As Matt and I were putting Neven to bed that night, he said "Thanks for the party. It was so, so fun!" 

Neven's 3rd Birthday

December 18 -- Neven's Birthday. The anniversary of my first BIRTH day. 


So many thoughts in my head I'd love to reflect on, but I don't have the focus to completely do so. Why not? Well... life gets in the way again. ;) We had a fabulous birthday party for Neven today, complete with friends, family, a dragon cupcake cake, balloons, ladybug fruity snacks, yummy soup and food! 


At the front of my mind I'm remembering and feeling grateful for my amazing midwives (I almost feel guilty calling them "amazing" because in my mind, they are SO much more than that!):  
    Bobbie, her reassuring and comfortable presence
    Marva, beside me every step of the way, chatting, comforting (both physically and emotionally!)
    Nicole, encouraging, patting my forehead with a cool washcloth between contractions
    Kiersten, sitting quietly on a stool toward the sidelines, knitting, making me feel like no one in the world was waiting for me
    Dorothy, sitting in the corner with her clipboard to keep track of my/Mango's stats during labor
    Joan's reassuring face appearing in the last few minutes of pushing before Neven's birth


NEVEN'S BIRTH STORY, December 18, 2008
10:00 pm (Dec 17) – We went to bed at our normal time. I couldn't fall asleep, and around 11:00 I started having contractions about 12 minutes apart. These contractions were different than the BH contractions I had been having – these were much more uncomfortable. I couldn't sleep through them, and lying down was pretty uncomfortable. Around 12:00, I woke Matt up and he started a fire so we could hang out in the living room. We dozed on the couch throughout the night. Whenever I'd have a contraction, I'd mumble to Matt "Another one..." and he'd half wake up and mark down the time. 

Me, in early labor.

6:00 am – We called the midwife on call, and let her know that my contractions were five minutes apart. We finished getting our things together (no doubt in my mind, getting ready and being so mobile at this point in labor helped things progress significantly!) and drove the 15-minute drive to the birth center. On the way, I remember being stopped at a red light. As if that wasn't bad enough, we had some guy trying to sell us a paper or something, very forcefully. In hindsight... ha! 
7:00 am – Arrived at the birth center. Bobbie and Marva were there. They checked me, and I was 7 cm dilated! I later heard that Bobbie had expected to send us home, as she wasn't convinced I was far enough along because of my calmness through contractions when we arrived. I spent some time in the bathtub, chatting casually with Marva, making it through the contractions by closing my eyes and turning inward, and breathing through them with a low hum when they hurt. 

Marva rubbing my back during a contraction. 

At Marva's suggestion, we took a short walk outside. Snow was falling, and the coldness felt amazing! I remember these contractions being the first that I didn't feel in control of. After some time (no clue how much time passed), I wanted to go back inside. I remember walking through the room of midwives and apprentices, wishing I was invisible. I wanted to retreat into a private space. Back inside and on the birthing ball, I began having involuntary contractions of my stomach. During these few contractions I had the "I don't know if I can do this!" thought, as I couldn't find any way to relax through the contractions like I had been able to so far. In hindsight, I'm pretty sure this was transition for me. 
9:30 am – 9 cm dilated! Bobbie told me that I could start pushing whenever I was ready. I had this grand idea that the birthing stool would work wonders for me, so that's where I started. No luck. On to squatting, with Matt supporting me from behind (in between squats, I'd stand up and roll my pelvis, which kept the contractions coming on and helped baby move down). By this point, we could see the tip-top of Mango's head and his dark hair, but he still wasn't moving down. Then came pushing on the bed, both on my side then on my hands and knees. (Pushing for me lasted 2.5 hours, during which I became thoroughly exhausted but lost ALL sense of time!) At one point after a long pushing contraction, I remember the words "I can't!" slipping out of my mouth. They were greeted with a chorus of "Yes you can, you're doing great!" and loving support from the room of loving midwives, a moment that I will never forget! After 2.5 hours of pushing, Mango's heart rate was just beginning to drop ever so slightly, and there became an urgency to get him out. After a few long, hard pushes, the midwives had be lunge on the side of the bed. I think it was two pushes later that Mango's entire body slid out and into the world. 
12:06 pm – Mango was born! 9 pounds, 21.5 inches. 

Minutes after birth!

What a proud dad!!

Dressed and ready to go home, just 6 hours after birth. 

...and I've been falling in love ever since!