This and That

A few pictures I finally downloaded from the camera.   :-)  


I had a blast last night out with some girlfriends and today the festivities continued with a party with home-school friends and tomorrow we have trick or treating.  I am going to be happy to be done though.  :-)  We have been in a state of excitement for two weeks!  


Today Sarah and Daddy worked on numbers in a very unique way, as maybe only a daddy can fathom?  Anyways they a card game together.  It was funny to listen to them interact while playing.  As I write this they are starting to carve their pumpkin.

Ballet

Making Applesauce

Hubby dressed up 

Making a twisted tree

Overseeing some younguns
playing Pumpkin Bowling

Outside my window... Rain and clouds and crisp temperatures.
  
I am thinking... While little gym is now (as of yesterday) no more the next chapter should be a good one.

I am thankful for...my wonderful husband and daughter.  Good friends and laughter.

I am remembering... I have a case brief due Tuesday......

I am going... to send out Thanksgiving invites soon

I am currently reading...text books and Court Rules

I am hoping... to get some more done in the basement this week

On my mind... my mom

Noticing that...my child is more active than most.....  but I suspect we are just more lenient than many is closer to the real case.

Pondering these thoughts...  Corporate greed and corruption.  Why this is something we abhor  as a nation.  Praying also for the families that have lost loved ones in the military recently. 

From the kitchen... Canned pears

Around the house...Football and Jazz playing in the background

One of my favorite things…Hot chocolate and a good movie.

Creative Kids

Things we use when we have creative time:

• Sensory Bins.  These are bins that I fill with a wide range of textures and items.  We have used baking soda, bubbles (water and dish soap), shaving cream, rice, corn meal, beans....  really the limits are your imagination   Then I toss a few fun items in the mix and a small garden shovel for kids (like what you get with plastic buckets) and let the children dig, scoop and more.  If you have the space and inclination you could get a water wheel and let the little ones use it as well.  Funnels are a fun toy to use in the bins too. 
• Paper time:  This is time we have with paper and scissors.  Crayons and glue are generally married to it as well.  
• Stickers 
• Play dough:  Be sure you have some cookie cutters, rolling pins (you can find them reasonably priced at stores like Target, but be sure to not forget looking in the Dollar Store) and if you can get your child to do it, a sheet of wax paper or butcher paper for working on.  Sometimes this works for me if I think about it.  
• Small easy craft projects.  Things that require cutting easy straight and slightly curved lines for littles are best.  Complicated cuts should be kept for the older children.  Stringing beads, using pasta and glue, using colored sand and glue on a paper plate, etc.  Again the opportunities are limited only by your imagination.  just remember to keep it within the scope of your child's abilities.  
• Old cards and magazines can be used to make collages.  One could even do one that would be specific to a certain unit or event.  

From an earlier adventure but a fun reminder!

Above all, remember that as the mother and father it is our job to gently guide when needed.  Let your child scribble and paint and get messy, just make sure its an area that is appropriate for the craft.  Of course we don't want scribbled walls, so provide gentle guidance but try not to tell your child that the sky is blue if he paints it orange or yellow.  If your little girl is painting all sweetly and the next second decides that fingers are much better than the brush, smile, she is exploring and discovering her world.  

Its more about the creating and exploration than the end product.  It has no need to resemble a tree to you, in her eyes it tells a whole story and what she is looking for from you is validation and enjoyment in her creative self.

Today at our Creative Kids time 4 friends joined Sarah for some fun.  They were going to make masks, but that was just my idea for an activity.  Sarah was so excited for friends to be over that the was beside herself.    They ended up playing with toys and painting a little bit and cutting.  I know the musical instruments were a big hit so I think we will do that one time soon for her friends.  The guitar was enjoyed by all.  They also had fun with the little cash register and dress up clothes.  So as you can see, letting them be creative is really letting them explore what they want in the world.

In our home "art" products are easy to be had often and that is another key to allowing creativity to flow.  I often have our coffee table covered with butcher paper so impromptu art projects aren't very messy.  When the paper is truly used you can remove it and replace it with something new.  I use the blue painters tape to attach the paper to the table.

Be sure to check back for more of our creative adventures from time to time.

Happy Tending!

Rapunzel's long hair and apple sauce

Life can get so wound up and keyed up sometimes.  Learning takes place in everything though.  To everything there is a season and a purpose.  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...Ecclesiastes 3:1

Sarah making her own loaf of bread...
She is putting oil in her pan

The past week or so we have had had birthdays coming out of our ears!  What fun!  Helping our friends turn another year older.  What a joy to watch these babes get bigger and  to go after knowledge with such ardent thirst is a wondrous sight!  Watching my own wee babe grow more curious each day is the best thing there is.  I try very hard to not stifle her adventurous spirit or her creative side.  I falter sometimes, and sometimes we must guide in a certain direction, but its so much fun to watch her grow and hear her little voice ask those endless why and how questions.

We have been learning about how apples make applesauce, Bear even helped to crank the sauce maker and we ended up with several quarts and pints of the sweet fruit.  I also made several pints and half points of apple butter.


We have also been studying how greediness is not a good trait for people to have and how we need to share and give our friends  things that are good, like what we would want to be given.  I am so proud of her.  She doesn't fight or throw a fit at birthday parties and understands that those gifts are for her friends because we care about them.  We continue to work on listening, that seems never ending, and cleaning up after our selves.

Part of Sarah's creative streak is showing up in her joy of making up her own songs and wanting to get her friends together to start a band.  She continues to love art, in all its forms.  Her creativity and imagination astounds me.  She is so funny.

The children were all excited and completely
forgot about play to witness this visitor.

Last week we were with our little Learn Through Play group and we seen fuzzy Caterpillar!  I hadn't seen those in years and I am so glad Sarah had the chance to see one.  In fact before we left the park we seen nearly a dozen, a few we gently rescued from the road and the path of cars to the safety of the grass.  Anyone that knows me well knows that it took a great amount of courage for me to pick up and insect!  ;-)

Planing is starting to get underway for Thanksgiving.  Not sure who and how many we will have this year, but its always nice to share with others.  November 1st I am starting a "Thankful Tree" with Sarah and on it everyday we will be putting a leaf on it with something we are thankful for that day.  I hope it helps with understanding the season and with counting down the days to Thanksgiving.

While we aren't reading yet, she recognizes her name when she sees it, this floored me the first time and I thought it was a fluke, but it has happened a few other times as well.  I also helped her create a book out of felt pages and we were going to scrap book with it, but instead she has decided it is a story book and we have decided it is to be used for creating our own stories.  She loves it.

I am on the home stretch for sewing a costume for Sarah.  She wants to be Rapunzel for all her many parties this next week.  I even made her a long "wig".  Hopefully she enjoys it and can wear it for a long time for imaginary play.

Still working on our craft room, it seems never ending but I plan to put some time into after my midterms this week.  I am still sorting and finding more stuff to "dump" all the time.  On that note.....

Happy Tending!

Grab your pail

It seems like when it rains, sometimes it pours down buckets, you know? My back has been giving me big pains lately and now we have a small bug. I was hopping we could get back on a schedule this week, but it looks like we may be another week of hit and miss. But like my husband says, “life happens when you are busy making other plans” so I guess I need to view this in a half full sort of fashion.

We have worked on some fine motor skills but with being so immobile for more than a week, I also will admit we have watched several shows of Super Why, Word World and Clifford. I am also trying to figure out ways to really teach the days of the week and months. The way I want to teach is really going slow in that regard. Off to figure out a better way. We continue to work on shapes and letters, though the only letters we like are ones in our name. LOL

The rain has let up so hoping tomorrow the ground will be dry enough to dig in the dirt a bit outside, a project I know some little hands will love. It means I can sit back and watch her play outside in the fresh air too. We have been very housebound lately.

Also tomorrow I hope to make some apple butter and some dried apples. I plan to be up early. LOL I have a busy weekend planned with sorting, canning and even a birthday party or two. Sometime I also need to find a few minutes to study and sew. I am going to attempt to make a Tangled costume for Bear. I plan to be a bumble bee myself and Bob wants to be a renaissance man.

A friend recently disclosed that she is suffering from PPD. I suffered with it also, it's a very true condition. I can’t say that I am surprised by her revelation. Having suffered myself I could see the deck stacking that way. She is such a good mom, she will be fine. I know the best thing for me was talking with others that also suffered with it, a sort of validation I guess. Knowing I wasn’t alone and that my feelings were honest feelings and to recognize them. It also helped having a supportive husband. When I am in pain or depressed I tend to want to wallow, and the best thing for me was to pull myself up and get into a routine. My doctor had me write a list of things that I enjoyed doing and to do them. I wasn’t able to breastfeed my daughter, and in my mind (and the minds of others too) that meant I had somehow failed. While I think breastfeeding is best, I am now a STRONG advocate of doing what is best for mom too. Ultimately the family is happier and functions better when Mom, the queen of the castle, is happy and feels like she is taking good care of her family.

I know part of what can send me spiraling is having too much on my plate.  Sometimes I put it there myself and other times I allow others to fill it up.  Some things are commitments that you can't neglect, like taking Grandma to the doctor or grocery shopping.  really those are small things, they just seem like a lot when my plate is heaped high.  It's all the little things or obligations I say yes to and it's very hard for me to say no.  I want to help and sometimes I just think people expect things of me.  Part of my feelings for this goes back to the bully post a bit back.  I have said no before and it has terminated a friendship because I couldn't be there to do what the person wanted, I was trying to focus on my own family and needs.  That being said, this is not generally the case, right?  Often times we just think people expect things of us.  Sometimes they don't and other times they just don't realize they have come to rely so much on us.  I need scale way back and not worry about what others think.  Real friends wont care.

Oh I know I will get all sorts of nasty thoughts directed at me for this position, but really as wives and mothers we do have a lot of power over how our house feels. I struggle too; everyone that knows me understands this. When I lost a part of myself two years ago it tore a hole in me and my family suffered. I still struggle with that, but I am trying. I am speaking from someone in the life boat, my gentle friends. Still working on paddling that boat back to the ship. It’s by God’s grace that I am where I am. To Him I sing all praises.

Have a wonderful rest of the week and remember, grab your pail when it's raining buckets.

Happy Tending!

Apples and pumpkins

oh de oh oh.

Ah welcome Autumn, how I do love thee. 

My favorite time of year has always been the Autumn of the year.  The colors, the crispness of the morning air.  Mist covering ponds.  Animals scurrying to and fro, readying for winters cold.  Our own home preparing for the coming winter.  Putting up winter stores.  Making sure blankets are washed and ready on the beds, sweaters are out and in the drawers.  Ah yes, how I love thee.

This past week, due to some medical things with me we kept it rather mild in terms of doing things.  We did make it to the pumpkin patch and we got several pounds of apples, though health kept me from making apple butter and pie filling like I had hopped.  This week I am hoping we can do this, plus we plan to dry several batches to boot.  I have the dehydrator at the ready!  Alas, I believe our garden is completely done now.  Everything looks rather done in.  I will pick the last of the squash this week, and then prepare the garden for fall.  I do think we will be mowing at least one last time and if weather permits I imagine we will have a mid winter trim too.  Last year we didn't but I think it could have used it.  Our grass doesn't die in the winter.  :-)  

We are starting to focus on days of the week and months and seasons in our school.  We have some fun songs which we are singing to help with the changing season as well as poems. 

A couple of them are:

Sung to the tune “Farmer in the Dell"
The leaves are falling down

The leaves are falling down

Picking out a pumpkin,
the biggest she could carry!

Red, yellow, green, and brown

The leaves are falling down

Sung to the tune "I'm a little teapot"
I'm a little person who’s aware

Of the Change in the air

First the leaves turn brown and then they fall

Then the snow comes lightly down.

A Squirrel Song

Sung to the tune "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

I'll be gathering all the acorns, gathering all the acorns,

Gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

(Children make collecting motion with their hands)

And I'll put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside, put them all inside,

Put them all inside my little home.

(children pretend to place nuts in tree house)

And I'll eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

I will eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

I will eat the nuts until, eat the nuts until,

Eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

(children pretend to eat acorns)

Then I'll do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again, do it all again,

Do it all again come next fall.

(children make gathering motion with hands and arms again)

We also are looking at a few little poems or readings.  A couple are as follows.  I am slowly adding to them too.  Making leaves, acorns, etc that we can use while we sing and we incorporate body movements as well.

Autumn Song

Golden and red trees

Nod to the soft breeze,

As it whispers, "Winter is near;"

And the brown nuts fall

At the wind's loud call,

For this is the Fall of the year.

Good-by, sweet flowers!

Through bright Summer hours

You have filled our hearts with cheer

We shall miss you so,

And yet you must go,

For this is the Fall of the year.

Now the days grow cold,

As the year grows old,

And the meadows are brown and sere;

Brave robin redbreast

Has gone from his nest,

For this is the Fall of the year.

I do softly pray

At the close of day,

That the little children, so dear,

May as purely grow

As the fleecy snow

That follows the Fall of the year.

By: Ellen Robena Field

Five Little Leaves

Five red leaves, five and no more (hold up 5 fingers)

The caterpillar ate one, now there are four (thumb down)

Four red leaves, that's easy to see.

Along came a rainstorm, now there are three. (index down)

Three red leaves, nothing much to do.

A big wind blew, now two! (middle down)

Two red leaves, that's not much fun.

I glued one on my paper (ring down)

Now there is one. (hold up pinky)

Hang on, pretty red leaf! Your branches won't break.

You're one less leaf for me to rake!

Raking Leaves
Author Unknown

I like to rake the leaves (raking motion with hands)

Into a great big hump (pretend to pile leaves)

Then I move back a bit

Bend my knees and jump

Falling Leaves

Leaves are dropping from the trees

Yellow, brown, and red.

They patter softly like the rain-
One landed on my head.

Come out! Come out! The weather is clear.
Come out! Come out! October is here.
I'll show you some presents from Jolly Jack Frost.
They are hidden in the leaves that the wind has tossed.

The brown nuts are falling and squirrels are at play.
They are finding all the good ones to hide them away.

Crimson leave and yellow.

Apple red and mellow.

Golden pumpkins on the ground.

Sights of autumn all around.

Falling, falling autumn leaves are falling.

Falling, falling, falling to the ground.

Whirling, whirling autumn leaves are whirling.

Whirling, whirling, whirling to the ground.

Down down yellow and brown

the leaves are falling all over the town.

Author Unknown

This weekend we celebrated our anniversary and went away to Seattle for a few days.  It was nice to get away and "decompress" but I missed my wee girl so much.  Seattle is a very interesting and unique place and if you ever have a chance to visit I can't recommend it enough.  That's one great thing about living in the Northwest, we are so close to so much and I know we are terribly spoiled.  Pike Place Market is a must, as is Seattle Center and the Space Needle, but also just walking around and taking in some sites is a must.  I still have so much to discover about Seattle. 

Happy Tending!