Neighborhood friends

We are so lucky that our daughter has several friends her age in our neighborhood.  It has been so much fun watching her play with other children.  It's been great for her socially, too.  Sharing is so hard when you are only 3!

Twinkle Try

Our 3-year-old gets so upset when we ask her to "try" to use the bathroom before we leave the house.  The tears flow and the voice gets loud.  A couple months ago I tried a new techinque to make it a little less anxiety bound.  I ask her to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while she tries to go.  If she has to go, she normal goes before the song is over.  If not, then she probably doesn't have to go at all.  So, when she gets louder when we ask her to try, I calmly say -- oh, just do a Twinkle try.  It makes life a little easier.

A Box a Day

This summer, I'm trying something new with our 3-year-old. Since she's started preschool in the mornings the afternoon is filled with napping and time for her to play by herself (which she loves and needs).  But this summer I know the mornings that we don't go anywhere are going to be tough for her to figure out what to do.

I created craft boxes labeled Monday thru Friday for her.  Each day will have a different craft or art material for her to work with.  I think it will be exciting and help her focus a little.  Plus this way we can also have purpose for all the art supplies.

Chocolate Playdough

We are doing a theme on community helpers in my classroom this week.  We are setting up a bakery in the Dramatic play.  I decided to make some chocolate play dough to go with it.  So simple and so yummy to smell.  Here's the link to where I found the recipe along with many other play dough recipes.

Chocolate Play Dough
2 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/3 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups flour

1. Boil water and salt.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Allow to cool.  Then play with dough like any other play dough!

Crafty Fun -- Elmer's Products

As a member of BzzAgent, I recently was giving several products to try from Elmer's CraftBond and X-Acto.



Items I received for Elmer's CraftBond include:

• All-Purpose Glue Stick
• Permanent Tape Runner
• Clear Glue Pen
• Sticky spots

These items range in price from $2 to $9.  They are acid-free and archival safe.  Check out elmers.com/crafters for more information.

Items I received for X-Acto Designer Series include:

• Zig Zag Decorative Edge Scissors
• Scalloped Decorative Edge Scissors
• Corner Rounder Punch

These items range in price from $2 to $20.  There are many other cutting tools available and more information can be found xacto.com.

Now onto the project I worked on.  Now that I'm teaching pre-Kindergarten, I have lots of use for these tools.  I created a class book showing our students making banana muffins.  I used the tape runner and realized pretty quick you can't use it on construction paper.  However it worked great on laminated pieces and photos.  It saved so much time.  I normally use double sided tape, but the tape runner was a much more efficient use of time. I also liked using the corner rounder.  It made the project look really professional.  I wish I could show the actual pictures but with privacy of children's photos I just can't.

The format of the book was very simple.  I used repetitive text on each page.  Sam added flour, Josie added sugar, Anna stirred the batter, etc.  Then about each sentence I showed the child doing the action.  For a class of 15 I only have five pages (back to back).  I simply slide each page into a plastic in a binder.  When I read the "story" to the class each child beamed as their name was read.  Really fun to do!

I plan to use all these tools on future projects with the class and will be adding those zig zag scissors to our art center for the children to practice with.

Sign up for tips

If you haven't been to (or know about) Mailbox's website lately, I highly recommend checking it out.  I recently signed up for daily tips and have gotten some wonderful ideas for teaching.  I particularly like that their tips are sent by e-mail with a link to their website, and you can quickly read them.  I personally can't stand long winded bits of information.  I like to read it and move on.

Here's a song from Mailbox that I've been singing with my 4-year-old class and they just love it. (So does our 3-year-old daughter):

Catch a Bubble (to the tune of Clementine)

Catch a Bubble
Catch a Bubble
Put it right into your mouth
Catch a Bubble
Catch a Bubble
Put it right into your mouth

**I have the kids pretend to put bubble sticks in bubble solution and blow pretend bubbles before we sing.  I vary it a little by blowing big bubbles slowly and little bubbles quickly.  I also ask them to tell me what color their bubble is or what it tastes like.   So many things you can do to activate that little imagination.**

Fun tip

Now that our daughter is 3, it's really fun to let her have a little more independence.  She has a CD player in her room and I just made a CD for her of her favorite songs.  She has a very ecletic taste (like her daddy).  In case you're wondering it ranges for Elton John to Michael Jackson to Hank Williams Jr.  Let me tell you there's nothing more fun than listening to music in your room!

Oh the artwork

Now that our 3-year-old daughter has started preschool we are bombarded with artwork.  Plus since she's doing so much art at school, she's doing more than ever at home.  What to do, where to put it, what to save, what to toss.

For the most part we display her art around the house at her level.  We've done that for years.  I believe it's the only way to truly appreicate her artwork.

When we started doing arts and crafts when she was barely a year old, I saved almost everything she did.  It was amazing to see her "create."  I saved those pieces in a plastic scrapbook container.  Some of my favoites or her "firsts"(first coloring, first painting, etc), I laminated before putting away.  Now I try to take a good sampling of different type of art she has done.  If it is different than something else she has made, I save it.  I also make sure to date everything.  

Because I just can't save it all, I do take a lot of pictures of her artwork.  I haven't printed them, but plan to save them digitally with her other photos that will give to her someday.  It's a nice way to show her progress.

Father's Day Memory

The day before Father's Day, I was wrapping gifts with our daughter.  I told her we needed to hide the presents from Daddy.  I asked her where should we hide them.  She eagerly answered her room.  Okay, I told her.  We "hid" them in her room in a JCPenny plastic bag.  I gave her instrtuctions to bring the bag into our room Sunday morning after she woke up.  (She's always up before us on weekends).  I wasn't really sure if this almost 3-year-old would remember or completely understand.  But sure enough at 7 a.m. I was woken up to the rustling of the JCPenny bag as she proudly carried it into our room as she said "Happy Father's Dad."

So much fun!

Father's Day Poem

I saw this poem and am excited to use it this year on my husband's Father's Day card.  I typed up the poem on white paper and glued it to the front of a piece of scrapbook paper.  We put foot prints on the inside of the card.

Walk a Little Slower Daddy
Walk a little slower Daddy, said a little child so small
I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.
Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.
Someday when I'm all grown up, You're what I want to be.
Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.
And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you!!
                                                       - Author Unknown

Here's what we did last year for Father's Day!

Fairy Dust and Glue

At our house napping and bedtime are very challenging for our daughter.  It's not that she won't sleep -- it's almost impossible for her to wind down without help.  She has always been this way.  She is just a very active little girl.  We used the Supernanny Sleep technique to get over the initial hump of staying in bed at night, which still took months to work for us.

About six months ago I added something to our night time routine.  I dig in my pocket for some (pretend) fairy dust and sprinkle it all over her body.  I tell her it special fairy dust to help her sleep.  She tells me what color it is, and we give a little to her toys she sleeps with, too. Lately the color of the fairy dust has had multiple colors.  Well, fairy dust along wasn't really working, so I now give her some glue that I rub all over her.  It's supposed to help her stick to her bed and pillow.  She tells me what color the glue is, too.  Does it work?  Mostly.  She still peeks out her bedroom window after we close the door (I know because the curtains are messed up when I check on her before I go to bed).  But she doesn't come out of her room anymore after being put to bed.  As an incentive I put a "surprise" book in her room for her to read in the morning.

Blog slow down

I'll probably be slowing down on blogging a little as the summer is upon us.  Here are some of the fun things we are doing and plan on doing this summer.

• Parks (there are so many in our city in that we have many favorites)
• Zoo (free)
• Library (story time, reading program, special events)
• Biking (for Mother's Day my husband bought me the piece that attaches the bike trailer to my bike -- ah feels good to be biking again!)
• Walks (just around the neighborhood)
• Hiking (free country parks with nice trails)
• Botanical Gardens (free)
• Strawberry picking (free plus the cost of the strawberries)
• Farmer's Market (our daughter is really interested in trying the fresh produce)
• Sensory Table (I fill with water and bring the bath toys outside)
• Picnics
• Swimming (at the pool.  I hope to try a couple beaches on the lakes this summer, too)

Week long series on my other blog

On my other blog Life with a Dairy-Free Toddler, I am detailing meals that my toddler eats.  Even if you don't have special dietary needs, you may pick up an idea or two.  Check it out!

Sticker Fun

I've posted in the past about how I believe that coloring sheets are useful for children.  I think the same about using stickers as "creative art."  Lately, to pass the time our daughter has been requesting stickers and paper to stick them on.  She will spend 20 minutes peeling the stickers off and creating stories about what she is sticking.  I have overheard her talking about the animal stickers and how they were going to the "Lamb Look Class."  I asked her what they do in the class and she told me they go swimming and go poopy (we are almost completely potty trained).  So, I argue that yes maybe she isn't creating something from scratch, but she is definitely using her imagination (and fine motor skills).

Cheap ways to get stickers

• Dollar Store
• Junk Mail 
• Garage Sales (often people will sell partial sheets for next to nothing)
• Dollar Spot at Target
• Walmart
• After the holidays (wait until they go 75% off and use for next year)
• Teacher stores
• Michaels (they have a lot of dollar bins)
• Oriental Trading

Name Your Link

Paint Like Van Gogh

Our daughter really enjoys watching Blue's Room.  It's a take off of Blue's Clues, but we like it a little better.  She loves learning from the show and they do things a little more in depth with purpose.  Our favorites right now are Little Blue Riding Hood and Masterpiece Museum.  After we watched Masterpiece Museum we painted like Van Gogh.  Pretty good for a 2 1/2-year-old!

Garage Sale Find

Ahh, we have been hitting the city-wide garage sales like crazy.  I wanted to share with you my 50 cent find -- a clown costume.  A sure winner of fun for a couple years to come.  I always buy dress-up clothes a size or two too big so that our daughter can easily put it on and take it off.

Cooking with Kids

Quote of the Day:  I tried a new apple muffin recipe today and as I took them out of the oven I told my daughter that I didn't think turned out the way they were supposed to.  I said "They turned out like..."she finished my sentence by saying "Rice Krispies treats."  I guess to a 2-year-old if they didn't turn out right they would turn out to be something better.

Onto my post for the day.  So often I read or hear people say how they don't let their kids cook with them.  I think that's a shame.  It's such a fun activity and a great learning tool.


Some things to keep in mind:

• Having kids help will result in a messy kitchen, but don't you make a "mess" when you cook or bake.
• It probably will take more time, but remember you are making memories with your children.
• If you prep a few thing or line up ingredients it goes a little smoother.
• Don't get upset if the cup of flour ends up on the floor -- be prepared that this will happen.
• Have a plan before you start.
• Smile and laugh together.
• Take pictures.
• Enjoy it together and share with others.  Kids love to take credit for their hard work.
• Explain the importance of adult supervision for stove and oven cooking.
• Role model proper cooking and baking techniques (ie no licking fingers while stirring batter or using sleeves as oven mitts).
• Be sure to let children lick the spoon or bowl if no raw egg is used.
• Be careful when cooking with raw meat and children.

What kid's learn:

• Different measurements
• How to work together
• How to follow directions
• To enjoy something they made
• Different ingredients and how they work together
• Nutrition information
• How to clean up or do dishes (this is for older kids)

Fun Recipes

Less than 5 ingredients

• Rice Krispies Treats (dairy-free)
• Cinnamon Sugar Bread Crusts
• S'mores
• Puppy Chow (dairy-free)
• Chocolate Crunchies
• Trail Mix

More than 5 ingredients

• Playdough
• Brownies
• Banana Muffins 
• Lemon Cookies
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

See all my recipes here and here!

Parenting techniques that are working for us

I haven't posted any parenting techniques or information lately.  So I thought I would share some techniques that are working for us.

Super Nanny Sleep Technique:  We struggled for weeks after "Elmo came and took the pacifiers for the new babies" to get our daughter to sleep at night.  Basically, it includes a lot of patience on the parent to keep putting the child back to bed without any conversation.  Also, the parent sits in the room with the child, while she falls asleep but does not look or talk at all. The Super Nanny Sleep technique worked really well for us, however it still took several weeks before it all clicked.

Poop Jail:  We are currently using this one to help our little one poop on the potty.  If there was a kid who is resistant, it's her.  Crying, screaming and downright afraid to poop on the potty.  We've spent hour sitting in there.  Last week I tried the Poop Jail, which was very similar to what I was doing.  It clearly states expectations of not you the parent but of the doctor.  For our active little girl it seems to work because we take her clothes off until she poops so she's can completely focus just on pooping.  Seems a little odd, but it's working for us.

Authoritative parenting;  This is used in both the Super Nanny Sleep Technique and Poop Jail.  Essentially, authoritative parenting is giving high demands of children and high response from the parents.

Love and Logic:  Love and Logic is about showing children that you understand their feelings.  It also explains how important it is to give choices that are favorable to both the parent and child.  Choices should not be threats or punishments.  Here are some free articles about Love and Logic.

Soft and Loud Activity

I made this file folder game years ago for a class.

  The other day I thought I would enrich the activity since my 2 1/2-year-old mastered it weeks ago (actually she figured it out the first time playing -- smarty pants).  I took one of the "free" magazines that shows up at our house.  We cut out different scenes or items and decided what was soft or loud.

 Then she just put them on the correct side.  It was interesting to do.  I let her decide if something was soft or loud unless it was obviously wrong, such as a train.  Many things could fall into both.  I asked her to explain why if she could.  Still working on those skills.

Other categories for cutting apart a magazine:

• Alive or not alive
• big or small
• colors
• animals or people
• Hard or soft
• Wet or dry
• Food -- healthy or unhealthy, fruits or vegetables
• Fast or slow

Butterfly Craft

Here's an easy craft.  I can't remember the first time I did this one.  It's a fun one!

Materials
Clothespins
Coffee filters
washable markers
pipe cleaner, cut about an inch

1. Color the coffee filters with many colors.  Try to color in all the white, but as you can see my 2 1/2-year-old didn't get it all filled it and they turned out great.

2. Spray with water.

3. Allow to dry on paper towel or paper bag.
4.  After it dries, put it into the clothespin.

5. Put a face on clothespin and add pipe cleaner as antenna.