Cocoon of Chaos

Teaching this VERY active boy...

I've mentioned before that this little fella of mine does not sit still for two seconds. So, naturally, the way I work with him is much different than the girls at his age. The girls would sit for hours doing workbooks, art projects, and the like. Oliver, however, is not the same. Teaching him is always a creative exercise for me because I have to combine learning with movement. He also LOVES toys, so if I can add that in, even better. In my world wide web travels, I've come upon some really great ideas on Pinterest and also Playdough to Plato. The latter is a wonderful source, especially with active kids. So, I gathered some ideas and altered them so they would work for us. Up first is using cars. 

Activity One: Alphabet Parking Garage

I took a box, labeled it with the alphabet, putting each letter in it's own parking spot. Oliver picks up a car, I say a letter he tries to find it, and parks the car in the right letter spot. A variation on this is to hold up a flashcard, have them say it, match it with the corresponding letter, and place the car in the right parking spot. He LOVED this game.

Activity 2: Car Color and Number Races

 In my best car announcer voice, I say a color and a number and Oliver has to line up the right number of cars and the right color. For example, "It is now time for 2 red cars and 1 green car to race." He happily finds the corresponding cars. The only materials I used were the cars we already owned and a racing track Oliver got last Christmas. He loved this one, too. He still asks to play this everyday...I think it has to do with my terrible announcer's voice!

Oliver and I have 2 hours to ourselves in the afternoon and I'm just so very happy to spend this one on one time with him. Yes, half the time I'm dodging ninja kicks or sword swipes, but once in a while, I can squeeze some learning time in and in all honesty, I love that this little dude keeps me on my toes. 

 

Tips on Surviving the 3rd Year

So, a disclaimer: three year olds are not my favorite. They are amazing, of course, but they also can really stretch your patience, sanity, and boundaries...every single second. This is my third time around this manic age, and although I am by no means an expert, I do have some tips to get you through.

1. Feed off their desire for independence. Three year olds want to do EVERYTHING by themselves, especially things that they CANNOT do, but insist on doing, usually as you're running late for something. Be proactive. Mornings are tough in our house. Five of us have to get out of the door on time and one member of our family is not too keen on leaving the house without some sense of accomplishment. So, Oliver's job every morning is to put ice cubes in my water bottle. Yes, it seems like a silly task, but it gives him that sense of independence and accomplishment. He loves handing it back to me saying, "I did it, Mummy. Now you have cold, icy water all day." He then puts his coat and shoes on and is ready for school. A little tip: silicon ice cube trays are a parent's best friend. They bend easily which allow little fingers to dig out the ice cubes. Nice fine motor skill practice and sensory exploration, too!

2. Be aware of trouble times and be armed and ready. Armed with distraction, of course! After dinner is a nightmarish time for us, everyone is tired, there are dishes everywhere, and they are juiced up from dinner. We put a timer on and the kiddos "run their sillies" out, which I'm sure by the sound of my house at that time, my neighbors have purchased ear plugs. When the timer goes off, the little mister used to erupt into a mess of tears, punching, and kicking. To avoid that, he now has a job to wipe down the table. The routine helps him transition from crazy town to getting ready for bath and quiet time. That little task is one of my saving graces, let me tell you. I fill up a small squirt bottle with a touch of vinegar and water, give him a towel, and he does the entire table. Squirt bottles are great for motor skills, too!

3. Let them explore. By this, I don't mean only explore outdoors, but also themselves. This boy of mine loves to get his toes painted, wear tutus with his sisters, play superheroes, run around the yard with a soccer ball a million miles an hour, and play house with his baby dolls. Yes, he does have his own dolls. Ever read, William's Doll? Please do. One of my favorite children's books about a boy who wants a doll just as bad as a basketball to practice being a good dad someday. I digress. What I am getting at is, let them be three. Let them get muddy, messy, teary, whiny, and horrid. Let them feel the joy of accomplishing a task you are not so sure about because I promise you, when they do find that sense of pride, it is an amazing moment as a parent. 

As much as I complain about three, it is hard not to see the beauty in it as well. As hellish as it is, seeing them slip into their own skin is unlike any experience. You have the privilege to watch a person grow, not only physically, but emotionally as well. A person who can drive you to do strange things (I brush my teeth nightly wearing a viking hat because it makes Oliver laugh and allows me to brush his teeth) and bring you to your knees in adoration. It is a remarkable privilege...and truth be told, it only gets better. I promise you, parents of three year olds, four is worth every ounce of hell you're going through. I can't ensure much, but I can tell you year four is pure magic. So, hang in there, it does indeed get better...

Simple Amusements: the Fun to be Had With String

We've had teasers of Spring around here of late, which means three things: warm days, cold days, and sickness. One of my daily reads is Bleubird Blog and James blogged about some Montessori activities and in the desperation of 2 kids sick and the weather cold, I grabbed some yarn, laid it down in the kitchen and pulled it across downstairs. Oh, the fun they had!

it started out as a balance beam

then a relay race began...(pants are always optional for Oliver)

I think the pictures speak for themselves...they had an absolute blast.

 

Simple Amusements: Tissue Box Foxy Bookmarks

I do believe I've made it quite clear that I love Target. I mean really love Target. A weekly trip to Target makes me smile. Back in early fall, I came across their generic brand of tissues in these oh so adorable foxy print. I bought a few...okay, I totally wiped them out because I love foxes, too. Don't ask me why, but I do. Did you know a female fox is called a Vixen...what a great word...vixen! Anyhoo, I'm getting off track here. Well, I loved these tissue boxes so much, I couldn't throw them away. But then, my monthly clutter clearing insanity arrived and I had to do something with these damn tissue boxes. And wouldn't you know I had just enough mustard yellow yarn left over for the strings. There is a method to my madness, really. I just love these bookmarks that took maybe 5 minutes. The irony here is in my goal to declutter, I've only added more because I can hardly part with them. Ridiculous, I know, but they are foxes, cute foxes, vixens even! It is late, I am tired, and their is an adorable vixen waiting for me in my new book, The Goon Squad. Happy reading, folks!

Fall Libation

What you need:

Trader Joe's Spiced Cider

Black tea

Orange Juice

Cinnamon Stick

Honey Whiskey

What you do:

Brew the tea and heat the cider

Add as much whiskey as you prefer (weeknights=1 oz., weekends=2 oz.) to your cup, with cinnamon stick

fill 1/4 of the cup with black tea, 3/4 of cup with cider, and add just a splash of o.j.

Voila! A fall libation that has become a lovely treat in the chilly evenings...cheers!

Let's Play a Game...

In recent weeks, we're really having a blast playing games with the kiddos. I thought I'd share some of our favorites. Rory's Story Cubes is by far the new favorite, a great game of storytelling and creativity, with just 9 dice. So much fun! We picked up Life at the thrift store for 50 cents and although, it can go on for hours and not very little brother friendly, it is great fun. Monopoly Jr., Scrabble (we scored a Charlotte's Web edition at a thrift store!), eeboo's Picnic Game, Tea Party Game, and Spanish Bingo are huge hits, and regular old Bingo is still a crowd pleaser. We recently scored an iPad (thanks, Mum!) and have found some pretty fun games on there, too. Toontastic is keeping our little artists quite busy and totally hesitant to give up their 15 minutes of iPad time each day! I must admit, I love watching what they create using this app which records them telling a story and empowers them to illustrate the story they created. Super cool. Even better when they work together to create something and both come running eager to share their collaboration. (Sibling relationship building, rebuilding, and maintenance is an ongoing battle/goal in this house.)

Life is busy and it is so easy to think we're too busy to sit on a Saturday night past everyone's bedtime and play a board game....but really, it isn't. Life is not that busy. Facebook can wait, Pinterest can wait, blogging can wait. Sit down. Play. Laugh...together.

Happy Friday, friends. It's November...November! This whole handmade holiday commitment of mine is catching up with me! Must run and create. May your weekend be chock full of joy...

Simple Amusements: Art from the Fridge

This project resulted from my interminable quest for balance in this abode. I'm happily working again and in the effort of accomplishing all of my chores and spending some time with my kiddos, I thought of combining a little mama chore time and kiddo art time.

Every Sunday, I cut all our vegetables and fruits for lunchboxes and snacks throughout the week. As I was trimming the celery, the tip reminded me of a paint brush and then some creative awesomeness ensued.  We used celery tops and bottoms, carrot tips, beets, tops of peppers and tempera paint. They could not get enough...seriously, I think they made at least 3 or 4 masterpieces each. Again, from the simplest of things, great things arise.

Simple Amusements: Wonder of a Crib Mattress

I haven't done a Simple Amusements post in quiet a while and a sick yet daring little boy inspired today's post. While putting away laundry, I heard some scuttling behind me and I turned around to find Oliver on the top of his crib mattress...on his skateboard, "Hi, Mummy, I made a skateboard ramp." Yes, indeed he did!

 

We are in the process of giving this little skater his own room and his big boy bed is on its way, so we've just let him use the crib mattress as he sees fit. Recently, it has been: a gymnastics stadium with a medal ceremony and all; a bouncy pirate ship; a firefighter ladder to "rescue the farm aminals"; a jumpy boat; and a trampoline to get energy out when Mother Nature forces us inside. Even though the twin mattress is on its way, I don't think this crib mattress will be leaving us anytime soon. (I'm sure some people are wincing at the danger this activity may impose, but I am always conscious, aware, and concerned of safety.)

Happy weekend and hope your weekend is chock full of fun....

Collage for the Soul

The other night, I gathered with some mama friends to get together and create Soul Collages. It was wonderful for two reasons: one, I spent time with some awesome ladies, and two, I made art....in peace. Images were spread out on the floor and we picked a few that really spoke to us. Here is what spoke to me:

Really, I should do this more often. It was eye opening, reflective, introspective, humbling and cathartic. I came home and had to laugh at how many images included books. Well, naturally, I suppose. I loved this so much, I wanted to try it with the kids. So, I gathered about 25 images, spread them on the table and had them pick out a few. 

Ava's was full of animal images and one word..."Brave". I loved that. An Oliver tantrum prohibited a photo of Lillian's collage but hers was full of cupcakes, animals and Eiffel Towers...naturally.  Always the minimalist, Oliver's had an alligator and skateboard. Both girls really took their time in selecting and placing the images on their paper. As the collages came together, I felt so incredibly lucky to see the small glimpses into their heart and souls.

Thank you, Carla, for hosting the Soul Collage evening. Do check out her blog and website, friends, she is an awesome individual. 

Get your scissors, glue sticks, and paper...I promise, it will be fun.

Simple Amusements: Super Hero in Seconds

What you need:

one child, ready for super hero transformation

old t-shirt

sharp scissors or pinking shears

optional: super cool Batman under-roos 

What you do:

In our case, first up was teaching Oliver the old Batman theme song...but, that is optional...

cut shirt along seams, to fit your super hero

using the arms, tie around neck (not too tight!)

fly around the room, "rescuing peoples" (Oliver's addition)

I'm assuming you all have common sense here and will not make the cape too long as to trip over and hence, choke your child...

Voila! Super hero in a second! No, I'm not claiming this is just my idea--actually, it was Devin's and a million parents before me--but just a little reminder that we all need to let loose and let some super hero run around in his undies saving peoples.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!