One Hook Wonder

Montessori Monday

It was a busy busy week in our little corner of the Montessori world!  First up was another new continent box - North America.  Once again I used the continent downloads from Montessori for Everyone.  Short Pants really enjoyed his new box, and was very impressed by the difference in climate throughout North America.  I overheard him explaining to The Mister and Bean this weekend that polar bears lived in the upper part because it was cold.  It's always so nice to hear that things really do sink in!

 
  

I can't wait till we get through all of the continents so that I can make him a big felt continent "map" for sorting animals on - learning about the animals is always his favorite part of each continent box.

He also spent quite a bit of time exploring our new phonics drawers.  Each drawer holds between 3-5 miniatures beginning with the letter sound.  We didn't do any formal lessons with this as I wanted him to just have fun looking through everything first.  We *did* end up doing some phonics sorting though when he decided to get a lot of the animals out of different drawers, which I'm happy to say that he enjoyed.  I think these drawers are going to be very useful and a lot of fun:

 

 The empty drawers will be filled eventually when we get to the red, yellow, and blue series.  

Short Pants also worked on some mazes, which he also really enjoyed.  I saw the tip to put the workbook pages in sheet protectors *somewhere* on the web - just have your kiddo use dry erase markers and then the lines wipe right off so that the pages can be used multiple times:

 
We also used the free download from Montessori for Everyone to learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin:

 Short Pants then used his "magifying glass" to examine the outside and inside of our pumpkin:

 
 
Then he helped rinse and roast the seeds...YUM!

 
 
Short Pants also put together his alphabet train puzzle, which was a good review of letter sounds and a nice introduction to uppercase letters:

 
We also grabbed his basket of animals and he placed them onto the appropriate letter car:

 
Using the knobless cylinder extension cards *finally* touched off enough interest so that Short Pants used all 4 boxes to build towers:

 
  
Of course, then he said that they looked like lighthouses and asked to play for a bit.  What's a mom to do?  I had him sort his vehicle minis collection by type and then gave him a few minutes for fun.  I normally discourage any type of playing during lesson time, but every once in awhile I'll give him a few minutes - always at the END of lesson time!

 
 
We also did a short lesson on the food pyramid and sorted food into the correct groups:

Short Pants used a make-up brush to dust the moveable alphabet, which in theory was a great practical life exercise, but in reality only lasted through about 4 letters:

Lastly, I introduced the sandpaper numerals for the first time.  Since we began working with the number rods a few weeks ago I've caught Short Pants carefully counting items up to 5 several times...yay!

 
All in all it was a great week.  It was one of those weeks that's just wonderfully fulfilling and you KNOW you're doing the right thing for your child.  We all need those weeks, don't we? 

Oh, excuse all the clutter in many of the photos - I've been going through trying to rearrange all of my storage drawers.  Have a great week!

Beginning With Pita Pocket

I did a few simple Montessori-ish things with Pita Pocket this last week - finally!  I realized that due to his speech delay I've been underestimating him.  He just seems so much "younger" than my other kids did at 20 months.  He seems to understand everything just fine, but only has about 8 words at a time when he should have between 20-25. (he's actually being evaluated for speech therapy mid-month)  I've been working to remind myself that he can understand TONS more than he can verbally communicate, and that he's definately not too young to begin simple activities. 

Short Pants and I worked together to make him a simple color book using the idea I saw over at Hearthstone House.  We didn't have any magazines, so I just downloaded pics from the net and then Short Pants helped me glue them in place.  It came out pretty cute:

 
 Short Pants wanted his (scribbled on) hand in the picture too:

 
I also introduced Pita Pocket to placing pom poms one by one into a muffin tin:

 
He promptly dumped the whole bowl onto the tin and then looked at me like, "Seriously, woman, why must you waste my time with this?"

 
A much more successful activity was showing him how to place spaghetti noodles into the holes of an old parmesan cheese container.  Pita Pocket loved this one and worked at it for some time:

 
His fake surprised face:

 
He also discovered that breaking the spaghetti was fun as well:

 
I downloaded Montessori for Everyone's Comprehensive List For Toddlers, which looks to be a great resource for the younger Montessori set.  I've also been looking at tot trays and am thinking about starting our own little "Tot School" postings so that I can link up with other mamas of toddlers doing similar things.  It seems like that might be a good way to hold myself accountable to doing mini lessons with my littlest guy every week.      

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Bean and Boba will be here, and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with my big kids. 

In Which One Hook Gets Two Needles

*evil laugh*

That's right, knitting world.  For too long you have locked me out - what with all your fancy purls and the need to be able to coordinate hand motions.  At last I HAVE KNITTED!  I have added a new category to my sidebar, I have spent countless hours hunched over a 70s-style publication called "Teach Yourself How To Knit!" and watched You Tube videos till my eyes crossed.  I have invented unique and strangely whimsical curse words.  I have melded my fingers into claws all in an attempt to penetrate your inner realm. 

But I have done it.  Bring on the most complicated pattern imaginable.  I will knit it up while making homemade yogurt from my own breastmilk.  I will knit full body wool leotards for every human on the face of the earth while serving as a mentor and source of inspiration for inner city youth.  I will create new and exciting architecture using bamboo knitting needles and the spit from Amazon frogs whose habitat I will simultaneously restore.  Behold the power of the new knitter!  Bask in her glory!

Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of crochet, I shall cast off my filthy fibers and create a world anew!

...once I finish the dishcloth that will be my first project. 

...ok, so I haven't *exactly* started the dishcloth yet.

But look!  Bonafide, gen-yoo-wine knitting!  Knitted by me!

 

Check it - this looks really really really impressive if you stand about 6 feet away and squint your eyes:

 
So I'm having this problem (other than the fact that I don't understand binding off and the fact that I'm afraid no one will actually like their full body wool leotards) - I've somehow ended up with a couple of holes in my rows.  Not runs like I've dropped a stitch, just holes.  Any advice?

Hallowhine

It all started last Saturday.  The littles were kind of whiny and coming down with colds, as were we.  We could deal with that.  Short Pants was so excited about trick-or-treating (meaning, the chance to stuff his mouth full of candy) that we took them downtown (this is a roughly 10 foot square area compromised of 2 gas stations, a Dollar General, a really bad diner, and some houses) in our tiny town to go trick-or-treating.  Pita Pocket refused to wear a costume AT ALL, so we had a knight and a cute toddler:

As you can see, the candy eating started even before we were out the door.  The boys were *very* tired/whiny that evening, so we put them to bed early and told ourselves things would be better in the morning. 

Umm, no.  They weren't.  At all.  It just got worse...day after day after day...till we came to Tuesday.

Let me give you an excerpt from one phone conversation yesterday:

The Mister:  "Hello?"

Me:  "I am about to Lose.  My.  Motherbleeping.  Mind."

Repeat like 4 times.  I honestly fantasized dropping them off at some mythical daycare that would HAVE to take them for the day because I was paying them.  I enviously thought about my husband and how damned lucky he was to be sitting in front of a computer at work dealing with people he didn't want to deal with because at least *those* people didn't start crying every 30 seconds to be carried and need their nose wiped.  The highlight of the day was playtime outside in a desperate bid to placate my demon spawn.  Pita Pocket screamed because he wanted to go on a walk, while Short Pants screamed because he wanted to play in the sandbox. 

15 minutes later...I tell the boys that we need to go inside because Mama's brain is about to fall out.  Short Pants proceeds to run shrieking through the yard in the opposite direction.  Of course, our neighbor is outside working in his yard.  Swell.  I pick up Pita Pocket and start to lug him into the house.  Short Pants refuses to come with me.  Better than swell!  As I deposit little #2 inside the house I can hear little #1 screaming at the top of his lungs over and over, "Wifey!  Wifey!  Wifey!" (oh yeah, did I ever mention that for the past almost 3 months he refers to me as "wifey" and never "mommy" anymore?  He's heard The Mister call me that one too many times.  And yes, I know it's a somewhat silly nickname for my husband to call me, but give me a break here - at least it's not something like "Sexy Gurrl," right?")  

So I pick up my Wifey-screaming son and lug him up the stairs and into the house.  The entire time he's shrieking like I'm strangling him and I'm thinking maybe I should since the little bugger is also kicking me too.  

I'd like to say that then everyone got over it and we were all ok, but I can't.  What happened is that Short Pants and Pita Pocket both threw monster fits while I contemplated just how much I could get for them on the black market.  Then The Mister arrived home and I said, "Look!  It's your daddy!" and ran off upstairs to hide in my craft room.  (Oh, and did I mention that now Pita Pocket can scale the gate that keeps my craft room safe from toddlers?  Life is good!)

I've started watching the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A recent episode was about a group of kids who somehow got "transpossessed" by a pack of hyenas.  I spent all evening trying to figure out just what the hell transpossessed my littles but still haven't figured it out.  Currently I'm leaning toward rabid flying monkeys. 

Montessori Giveaway - Phonics Miniatures

I finally got around to making a big phonics box for Short Pants over this last week.  I ended up having extras, so someone should benefit - and that someone should be you!  With my extras plus a few little purchases I've come up with a giveaway of 62 phonics miniatures, in part to thank you for reading my blog, and in part because now I know what a pain in the ass it is to find miniatures!  The miniatures include everything from doll house miniatures to animals to buttons to tiny erasers.  There are at least 2 miniatures for every letter of the alphabet, and in some cases there are 3.  This giveaway should give you a nice start if you don't have a collection already, or will be a nice addition to minis that you already have. 

If you'd like to be entered, just leave a comment.  If you have a blog, post about this giveaway (let me know in your comment!) and I'll enter you twice.  Comments will remain open till 8pm EDT Tuesday, November 10th.  Short Pants will pull a name out of a hat, and I'll post the winner Wednesday morning, November 11th. 

*this giveaway is not strictly for those who do Montessori - I think any kiddo would benefit and enjoy phonics miniatures!

Good luck!!

Montessori Monday

Last week we did a few more Halloween themed lessons.  Short Pants' absolute favorite was digging through rice for "creepy" objects.  I drew a list for him on a piece of paper so that he knew when he'd found them all.  He loved this one and repeated it a few times.  The only drawback was that now our Montessori area is covered with rice!

 
 
He also did a Halloween tweezing lesson where he had to match up little erasers that I found at Dollar General.  Short Pants is still finding tweezing pretty difficult:

 

I also set out a scooping pasta lesson in Halloween bowls.  Short Pants did about two scoops then put it away.  The last couple of scooping lessons have bombed, so I'm thinking we'll limit scooping to playing in the bean bin from now on:

 
He was initially excited by the squishy writing bag (just put enough tempera paint in a freezer bag to make a thin layer - kids can "write" with their fingertips or a q-tip) but didn't work with it very long.  I've tried several different kinds of writing now, but I guess his interest just isn't there yet:

 
Interestingly enough though, he did pick the moveable alphabet to work with almost right afterwards:

 

In preparation for learning about the food pyramid this week, we cut pictures of food out of grocery store ads and classified them as "growing food" or "junk food."  This was really good cutting practice for Short Pants:

One of the first things he noticed was a lunchable.  He pointed to it and declared firmly, "Junk food!"  I was pretty sure he had no clue what it was, so I asked him what he thought the picture was showing.  In his best sanctimonious voice he answered, "Snacks from the store."  LOL  We've been making a big effort during the last year to eat less pre-packaged foods, and his requests for store snacks like gummies, cookies, etc. are met with the explanation that we can make or have much healthier snacks at home.  I guess Short Pants has really picked up on that lesson!

 
We also did a fun pumpkin art activity.  I've seen this on so many blogs lately that I don't recall where I saw it first - sorry!  Short Pants ripped strips of orange construction paper into strips, glued them to a paper plate, and made a sweet little pumpkin that we hung in our window:

 
  
And before I foget to show you *again* - remember how we did hole punching the other week?  This is what we turned all of those little fall-colored holes into.  And again, I can't remember where I saw this wonderful idea!  I hate that - I usually keep a list of them in my favorites so that I can give proper credit.  Anyway, thanks to someone for this cute craft idea:

Lastly, Short Pants also worked with the number rods:

 Of course, according to him, the best thing about the number rods is that they make a fabulous maze to run your cars through:

 
Tomorrow I'll be announcing a "little" Montessori giveaway, so make sure to check back in!

Pirate Army

So, the plan for both of Short Pants' parties was to have the littles paint treasure chests.  We had enough for the family party, coudn't find enough for the friend party.  I came up with the idea of having the kidlets paint pirates instead, so I spent a few minutes with my trusty sharpie and created my own pirate army:

 
 I'm *pretty* sure I could have skipped the sharpie treatment, as most of our pirates ended up looking like this:

 But hey, the kids had a blast, and those are some pretty cute pirates!  I really liked the idea that this was something they could take home and play with and be proud of making themselves. 

Sorry I have been rather quiet and boring this week.  I'm still so tired!  My theory is that it's the fault of our new Wii Fit, which has me exercising for the first time since I was approximately 10.  Is anyone else creeped out by the fact that the trainer's lips DON'T MOVE when she speaks?  I do rather like it when she claps for me though.

A Cake And Damn, I'm Tired

What a crazy week it's been and will continue to be!  Last weekend was the family party for Short Pants followed by a trick-or-treating event, and last night was another party for Short Pants with our friends.  Normally I like to have the parties together as it's much less work, but the dates just didn't work out this year.  Tomorrow is The Mister's birthday, followed by my nephew's birthday party on Sunday, followed by my own birthday on Monday.  And oh yeah, isn't Halloween somewhere in there too?  *head spins*

Anyway, I wanted to show off Short Pants' birthday cake to you.  What I will NOT be showing you are the pirate cupcakes I made for the party yesterday.  I thought about posting them, but the idea of showing up on Cake Wrecks was too much for me. 

Back to the cake.  After looking around on the net for some inspiration (of course) I ended up making this:

The "sand" is brown sugar, and the treasure chest is made out of graham crackers and filled with sprinkles.  Short Pants loved it.  It might not be as perfect as a store-bought cake, but my boy knowing that his mama cared enough to make a special cake just for him makes up for the imperfections, I think:

Just in case you're wondering - no amount of caring made up for the pirate cupcakes.  It is clear that I should never be set loose with a frosting tip again.

A Boy And His Art

Sorry - no Montessori Monday this week!  We were super busy last week getting ready for the birthday party, plus Bean and Boba were here for their Fall Break (yay!).  Short Pants and I only ended up doing lessons during one afternoon, and they were lessons set out from the previous week.  New stuff next Monday, though.  ;)

Short Pants has been providing me with some wonderful reminders lately about how important the process of creating is to little ones.  One afternoon last week I was cutting some fabric to make a curtain, and he was right behind me gathering up the selvage and any stray scraps he could lay his hands on.  Next he asked for yarn and his scissors, and informed me that he was going to make a fall decoration.  He then asked to go outside so that he could gather leaves, so while Pita Pocket ran around like a wild thing Short Pants collected leaves in a container.

When we came back inside, he asked for glue and tape and informed me that he was going to make an art project "...that you don't know how to make.  I need to do it by myself." 

So I walked away and left him sitting happily at the kitchen table, where he worked on his "fall decoration" for almost an hour:

The next day it was a request to get out his easel, and exclamations of delight as he mixed different colors:

Just the other day he told me that he wanted to sew "a big giant fish."  I can't wait!

The Birthday Boy

Yesterday was Short Pants' 4th birthday.  My heart is full to bursting with love for my boy.  It's been like watching a miracle unfold every day for 4 years.  You mamas know what I mean.