Man, Facebook sure did put me in touch with more people than I anticipated. And with the ease of updating, I have neglected the start of it all; here. With that being said, and the fact that at this moment I am trying to build an official website, I am probably going to be closing shop on blogger. I mean, I will leave this blog here, I just doubt I am going to add to it. It appears by my page views that not many people are even checking here anymore, so I intend on starting a new blog that is private to my family. A place where I can go back to writing down quotes the boys have said, etc. Maybe the new blog will be on paper even (what a thought!). I thank everyone for reading these posts and contributing when they did. But I really think it is time to say good bye.
You may find me at
www.facebook.com/crazyinlovemom
www.pinterest.com/pfkcwk
Thanks again.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
First day of Spring!
Happy first day of spring! It finally feels like spring here too...but we know it is temporary. Here are a few things we are doing to welcome spring.
Plant Seeds
We took clear plastic cups, decorated them, and then filled with potting soil. Once they were full of potting soil, we planted a few sunflower seeds, and cannot wait to watch them grow. We are hoping to see some root systems within a week or so. :)
Play Outside!
Now that the snow has melted enough to see the grass, we have journeyed to some playgrounds to look for signs of spring...and to burn energy! We keep checking trees for buds, looking for bulbs rising from the ground, and of course stomp in puddles. The boys have also noticed that the soccer fields are almost grass again...so they know sports are around the corner!
Go Explore
I have always insisted that the best classroom is nature...and what better way to learn than to explore! Learn what happens to a stream when the snow melts. Go outside at night with a flashlight and look for frogs. Pull up a clod of grass and look at the roots. Observe. Take pictures. Make drawings. Nature is amazing!
Do you have any favorite activities to welcome spring?
Plant Seeds
We took clear plastic cups, decorated them, and then filled with potting soil. Once they were full of potting soil, we planted a few sunflower seeds, and cannot wait to watch them grow. We are hoping to see some root systems within a week or so. :)
Now that the snow has melted enough to see the grass, we have journeyed to some playgrounds to look for signs of spring...and to burn energy! We keep checking trees for buds, looking for bulbs rising from the ground, and of course stomp in puddles. The boys have also noticed that the soccer fields are almost grass again...so they know sports are around the corner!
I have always insisted that the best classroom is nature...and what better way to learn than to explore! Learn what happens to a stream when the snow melts. Go outside at night with a flashlight and look for frogs. Pull up a clod of grass and look at the roots. Observe. Take pictures. Make drawings. Nature is amazing!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
5 Simple and Fun St. Patrick's Day Activities
As I sit here typing this right now, I hear the birds chirping, smell the lingering skunk smell, notice the bulbs sticking out of the ground, and know spring is on the way. However, there is one very important celebration that must take place before spring can fully arrive...and that would be St. Patrick's Day! Being that I am mostly Irish, I take this holiday seriously.
Here are 5 simple things that we have done thus far to welcome St. Patrick's day.
1. Rainbow Rice
I love making sensory buckets for the boys. I love using various materials, but I always seem to come back to rice. Yes, it is a pain to clean up. BUT, it is very easy to dye a variety of colors. I made every color of the rainbow out of food coloring, and put in 1 TBS of rubbing alcohol to help the rice fully absorb the colors. I originally intended on making a rainbow out of it in the sensory bin, but I accidentally dropped one of the colors, and it was all mixed up anyway. Not only were the boys happily working on scooping, pouring, and all of those great fine motor skills, but they were loving picking out all of the different colors.
2. Rainbow, rainbow, way up high...
We love to play I spy. It has entertained us for many a car ride, bike ride, walk, etc., and it is great for color recognition as well as recognizing what is around us in nature. To make this more for St. Patrick's day, we put a rainbow spin on it. What we say is, "Rainbow, rainbow, way up high, I see something (insert color) in the sky."
3. Leprechaun Traps
I had honestly never heard of these before my 10 year old cousin explained them to me. But, they sounded pretty cool so we started making them. My goal was to use recycled materials I already had in the house, such as toilet paper tubes, yellow construction paper, glitter, etc. The whole goal of this project is to try and trap that tricky leprechaun that iso after your pot of gold!
We started by painting the toilet paper rolls green, sprinkled with glitter, and let dry. Since then we have cut out gold coins, that we will decorate to make attractive with glitter in a little bit. Then we will create our trap. Pierce and I are thinking that we will lead a trail of gold coins and cover the tube with green shiny stuff. We need to close off the back side of the tube and make a trap door. That was the game plan for yesterday, before we abandoned school and went to the beach. :) Maybe tomorrow. And if not, then Friday.
4. Dress like a Leprechaun
We have not done this YET, but I found these amazing leprechaun beards and mustaches at Target, and had to get them. There is a possibility that I am running a 5K with the boys on Sunday, so we are going to dress up like leprechauns. And if we don't run the 5K? Why not have a dance party at the house with some Irish music (also available at Target), some colored scarves, and just be fun? I am certainly looking forward to it. :)
5. Watch a Parade
For some reason, St. Patrick's Day parades are so much fun. Maybe it is because we know spring is coming, maybe it is because everybody seems to think they are Irish. Whatever the case may be, it is always fun to be at the parade. One of the largest parades in CT is the New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade. This year it is on March 16, 2014 and can be found here. I will be marching with the boys in the Hoosik Falls St. Patrick's day parade on March 15. :)
What are some of your top recommendations for St. Patrick's Day?
Here are 5 simple things that we have done thus far to welcome St. Patrick's day.
1. Rainbow Rice
I love making sensory buckets for the boys. I love using various materials, but I always seem to come back to rice. Yes, it is a pain to clean up. BUT, it is very easy to dye a variety of colors. I made every color of the rainbow out of food coloring, and put in 1 TBS of rubbing alcohol to help the rice fully absorb the colors. I originally intended on making a rainbow out of it in the sensory bin, but I accidentally dropped one of the colors, and it was all mixed up anyway. Not only were the boys happily working on scooping, pouring, and all of those great fine motor skills, but they were loving picking out all of the different colors.
2. Rainbow, rainbow, way up high...
We love to play I spy. It has entertained us for many a car ride, bike ride, walk, etc., and it is great for color recognition as well as recognizing what is around us in nature. To make this more for St. Patrick's day, we put a rainbow spin on it. What we say is, "Rainbow, rainbow, way up high, I see something (insert color) in the sky."
3. Leprechaun Traps
I had honestly never heard of these before my 10 year old cousin explained them to me. But, they sounded pretty cool so we started making them. My goal was to use recycled materials I already had in the house, such as toilet paper tubes, yellow construction paper, glitter, etc. The whole goal of this project is to try and trap that tricky leprechaun that iso after your pot of gold!
We started by painting the toilet paper rolls green, sprinkled with glitter, and let dry. Since then we have cut out gold coins, that we will decorate to make attractive with glitter in a little bit. Then we will create our trap. Pierce and I are thinking that we will lead a trail of gold coins and cover the tube with green shiny stuff. We need to close off the back side of the tube and make a trap door. That was the game plan for yesterday, before we abandoned school and went to the beach. :) Maybe tomorrow. And if not, then Friday.
4. Dress like a Leprechaun
We have not done this YET, but I found these amazing leprechaun beards and mustaches at Target, and had to get them. There is a possibility that I am running a 5K with the boys on Sunday, so we are going to dress up like leprechauns. And if we don't run the 5K? Why not have a dance party at the house with some Irish music (also available at Target), some colored scarves, and just be fun? I am certainly looking forward to it. :)
5. Watch a Parade
For some reason, St. Patrick's Day parades are so much fun. Maybe it is because we know spring is coming, maybe it is because everybody seems to think they are Irish. Whatever the case may be, it is always fun to be at the parade. One of the largest parades in CT is the New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade. This year it is on March 16, 2014 and can be found here. I will be marching with the boys in the Hoosik Falls St. Patrick's day parade on March 15. :)
What are some of your top recommendations for St. Patrick's Day?
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Time Management...HELP!
As some of my readers may know, I have started working two jobs in the last three weeks. This is on top of my regular duties of homeschooling, being a mom, cleaning a house, and doing the majority of the other errands that are needed. One job is only 2 hours a week. That I can handle; I send the boys to their great grandmother's house and they have a blast searching for treasure, peanuts, or whatever creative games that she creates. I get to go teach little guys how to play sports and help them expel a ton of energy. Awesome, right?
The next job puts me back to nights. My hours vary anywhere from 12-30 hours per week, 3-6 days per week, depending on what is needed. And this is where I am becoming stumped. I did not realize just how much I accomplished at night, until I started working nights again. Laundry folded? Nope. Not happening. Dishes being done so I can wake up to a clean kitchen? Yup...at 9:30 pm. Prepping for the next day's school work? Yes, at 10:30 pm.
We also had a developmental appointment with Pierce's pediatrician on Wednesday morning, and he strongly believes that if Pierce goes back to napping, even for just an hour per day, that he will curb a lot of the severe tantrums and other issues we are having. That's fine - I understand it. But now I am losing a precious hour with him. And honestly, this week, I have been napping with both the kids for an hour.
So how do you guys do it? I know Dan is just as overwhelmed as me; he picks the boys up from my job and then brings them home, cooks dinner, does bath, and then tries as hard as he can to get them to bed. And have I mentioned that he is picking up as much overtime as he can too?
I need to figure something out before I go insane. So here I am, begging my amazing readers to help me. Please provide me some insight and time management tips. Please!
The next job puts me back to nights. My hours vary anywhere from 12-30 hours per week, 3-6 days per week, depending on what is needed. And this is where I am becoming stumped. I did not realize just how much I accomplished at night, until I started working nights again. Laundry folded? Nope. Not happening. Dishes being done so I can wake up to a clean kitchen? Yup...at 9:30 pm. Prepping for the next day's school work? Yes, at 10:30 pm.
We also had a developmental appointment with Pierce's pediatrician on Wednesday morning, and he strongly believes that if Pierce goes back to napping, even for just an hour per day, that he will curb a lot of the severe tantrums and other issues we are having. That's fine - I understand it. But now I am losing a precious hour with him. And honestly, this week, I have been napping with both the kids for an hour.
So how do you guys do it? I know Dan is just as overwhelmed as me; he picks the boys up from my job and then brings them home, cooks dinner, does bath, and then tries as hard as he can to get them to bed. And have I mentioned that he is picking up as much overtime as he can too?
I need to figure something out before I go insane. So here I am, begging my amazing readers to help me. Please provide me some insight and time management tips. Please!
Eric Carle Museum
I took the boys and their cousin to the Eric Carle museum back on February 21 for a fun outing to culminate our week of learning about Eric Carle and his books. It was a drive; not going to lie. It took us about an hour and twenty minutes to arrive there.
When we arrived, we walked into a huge hallway with bright paintings on the walls. To our right was the gift shop and artist studio, while ahead was a hungry caterpillar with benches on the inside and book shelves on the outside. This was easily Carter's favorite place to hang out.
We first visited the library. We were amazed at the sheer number of books, the toys to play with, color blocks to experiment with, and the story time they were just finishing. I learned there is a lot more Eric Carle books than I thought of, and now have a quest to expand my library. Pierce thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the window bench looking out on the cloudy, rainy, day through various different blocks of color. Carter loved having his big cousin read him book after book.
The gallery itself was alright. I was looking more for something that explained a little more about his life, and I did not really find it. They had a few examples of how his books came to be, and what type of mediums he used for his amazing illustrations. They also had the same type of display about Mo Willems as well. Maybe it was our oversight due to chasing Carter around, but it was not quite what we expected. They also had an auditorium that played various films, but there was no way that I was going to convince the kids to sit through a film.
The artist room was worth it's weight in gold. Both boys and their cousin, spent about an hour in here just creating. I even had a fun time creating...you know...the gal that has no artistic talent. They had everything in the room set up for paper sculptures, and the boys loved to see us make things pop off the paper. They also had various paper punch shapes, which captivated Pierce's attention for a long time.
One of the coolest things about the artist studio, was the special toddler area they had set up in a corner. Inside this amazing corner was books, a toddler height table with shaped crayons, puzzles, and these cool cone shaped things to build with. To be honest, this was where Carter spent most of his time.
Another enjoyable activity in the room was a massive light table. They had various colored circles that they could mix and place on top of each other so that they could see new colors transform. They also had different prisms that bent the light and created new patterns. It was certainly neat to play with...and gave me ideas for our light table. :)
Would I plan another trip to Amherst just for a visit to the museum? Probably not. However, I would combine it with maybe the Dr. Seuss gardens or some other outdoor activity to explore. Do any of you have any ideas for things to see in that area?
When we arrived, we walked into a huge hallway with bright paintings on the walls. To our right was the gift shop and artist studio, while ahead was a hungry caterpillar with benches on the inside and book shelves on the outside. This was easily Carter's favorite place to hang out.
We first visited the library. We were amazed at the sheer number of books, the toys to play with, color blocks to experiment with, and the story time they were just finishing. I learned there is a lot more Eric Carle books than I thought of, and now have a quest to expand my library. Pierce thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the window bench looking out on the cloudy, rainy, day through various different blocks of color. Carter loved having his big cousin read him book after book.
The gallery itself was alright. I was looking more for something that explained a little more about his life, and I did not really find it. They had a few examples of how his books came to be, and what type of mediums he used for his amazing illustrations. They also had the same type of display about Mo Willems as well. Maybe it was our oversight due to chasing Carter around, but it was not quite what we expected. They also had an auditorium that played various films, but there was no way that I was going to convince the kids to sit through a film.
The artist room was worth it's weight in gold. Both boys and their cousin, spent about an hour in here just creating. I even had a fun time creating...you know...the gal that has no artistic talent. They had everything in the room set up for paper sculptures, and the boys loved to see us make things pop off the paper. They also had various paper punch shapes, which captivated Pierce's attention for a long time.
One of the coolest things about the artist studio, was the special toddler area they had set up in a corner. Inside this amazing corner was books, a toddler height table with shaped crayons, puzzles, and these cool cone shaped things to build with. To be honest, this was where Carter spent most of his time.
Another enjoyable activity in the room was a massive light table. They had various colored circles that they could mix and place on top of each other so that they could see new colors transform. They also had different prisms that bent the light and created new patterns. It was certainly neat to play with...and gave me ideas for our light table. :)
Would I plan another trip to Amherst just for a visit to the museum? Probably not. However, I would combine it with maybe the Dr. Seuss gardens or some other outdoor activity to explore. Do any of you have any ideas for things to see in that area?
Monday, February 24, 2014
Play Guns...Yay or Nay?
When I was growing up, I never saw an issue with toy guns. I had no problem dressing up and playing cowboys with the neighborhood boys, or pretending to be in the army. I even wanted to join the army when I graduated high school! I have never had a problem with guns, and as long as the person using them is sane and in good health, the more power to them.
In light of Sandy Hook and other high profile shootings around the nation, I now struggle with my children playing with fake guns. A part of me says it should not be a big deal, they are children, and they are not aiming to hurt each other, just to catch the bad guys. Pierce talks about hunting when he gets older so he can provide food for his family, and they often go on "deer hunts" in our back yard.
Yet, I am terrified about the stigmas of society, and have banned all gun play in our house. The reason being? I am terrified that my children are going to go to school, pretend they are hunting on the play ground, and be expelled from school. It is because of this logic that I am so upset with myself; should I not teach my children that guns being used safely for a good purpose is alright? Or should I play into this super sensitive society and teach my children that guns are bad? Do I do this to protect them from expulsion if they ever go to a public school?
I feel that I am letting myself down. I am not being the strong parent that I know I should be. I am not standing up for the basic rights that our fathers established for us and fought for (with guns) so many years ago. I feel that I am letting my children down by not letting them play that wonderful game of cops and robbers, and letting them be children. Hopefully one day the sensitivity will go away. I truly, 100% believe that guns do not kill people. It is the person behind the gun with a mental illness that kills a person. Yet, I still don't have it in me to let my children run around the house and fire off that pretend gun.
What I am trying to get to in this post, is what should I do? Should I let them be children and have a care free imagination? Or should I play into society and stop them from being children? Why is parenting so hard?
In light of Sandy Hook and other high profile shootings around the nation, I now struggle with my children playing with fake guns. A part of me says it should not be a big deal, they are children, and they are not aiming to hurt each other, just to catch the bad guys. Pierce talks about hunting when he gets older so he can provide food for his family, and they often go on "deer hunts" in our back yard.
Yet, I am terrified about the stigmas of society, and have banned all gun play in our house. The reason being? I am terrified that my children are going to go to school, pretend they are hunting on the play ground, and be expelled from school. It is because of this logic that I am so upset with myself; should I not teach my children that guns being used safely for a good purpose is alright? Or should I play into this super sensitive society and teach my children that guns are bad? Do I do this to protect them from expulsion if they ever go to a public school?
I feel that I am letting myself down. I am not being the strong parent that I know I should be. I am not standing up for the basic rights that our fathers established for us and fought for (with guns) so many years ago. I feel that I am letting my children down by not letting them play that wonderful game of cops and robbers, and letting them be children. Hopefully one day the sensitivity will go away. I truly, 100% believe that guns do not kill people. It is the person behind the gun with a mental illness that kills a person. Yet, I still don't have it in me to let my children run around the house and fire off that pretend gun.
What I am trying to get to in this post, is what should I do? Should I let them be children and have a care free imagination? Or should I play into society and stop them from being children? Why is parenting so hard?
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Multi-step Art
School time in our house has become non challenging lately. I had re-structured our plans a little bit, so that school would not be so long for Carter, in hopes that it would make school more appealing to him. The great news? It worked. Carter now asks for school in the morning, and he will now sit through at least half of our story time. Victory, right? Wrong. Now Pierce man is quickly becoming bored, and while he has fun teaching Carter too, he asked me to please think of harder projects. And so I did.
We do some type of art project nearly every day. Art is too important of a learning block for me to skip it...and plus, how can you not have fun coloring and creating? (Well, I guess you can, but that is alright too). So, with us focusing on Eric Carle this week, I have really pushed the concept of two step art. It is great for them, since they have to slow down and plan. Carter is not really at this level, so he and I have been working together. And I do not expect a two year old to be into multiple step art. Without further adieu, here have been our favorite projects this week.
Mr. Seahorse
The boys and I have always loved this story about the beloved Mr. Seahorse that is in charge of taking care of his babies, while introducing us to other male fish that keep watch of the eggs as well. It is nice to have a book that shows just how important the father is in a relationship, and to have a male as a role model. We also love the beach, coral reefs, and the bedroom needed more art. Here is how we captured the essence of the book:
Supplies Needed:
Canvas
Tempera Paint
Modge Podge
Tracing Paper
Sharpie Marker
The first thing we did was get really creative with the colors on our canvas. There is no right or wrong way to paint, but we wanted to create something similar to Eric Carle's coloring style.
While we were waiting for the paint to dry, I traced the sea horse onto tracing paper with the Sharpie. Once the paint was dry, I used the modge podge to glue it onto the canvas.
I was hoping that the tracing paper would not become so transparent once everything dried, and I did make sure to cover the entire canvas, not just the sea horse. Once it dried, we had new art for their bedroom.
I have to admit; I actually love how it came out. And of course the boys are so excited to have their sea horses hanging in their bedrooms.
The Very Lonely Firefly
This was a project I pulled out of thin air and added onto as we went. Tuesday was yet another snow day for us, and I had nothing planned for their school time. They love this Eric Carle book as well, so I knew I had to do something with it.
Supplies Needed
Tracing Paper
Tissue Paper
Modge Podge
Sharpie Marker
We started off with circles of tissue paper that I had the boys rip. Of course they loved this part of the project. What toddler and preschooler does not like ripping paper?
Once the paper was ripped, Carter left Pierce and I stranded. :) But, that is alright. Pierce and I then used Modge Podge to glue the tissue paper to the tracing paper. I was so proud of Pierce; he did not get upset over the glue on his hands! Yippee!
We let everything dry, and then I traced the outline of a firefly onto our colorful, shiny, Eric Carle style, paper. I could have extended this project even farther for Pierce and had him cut the fire fly out, but he was not in the mood by the time the paper dried.
Ta da! We have our own fire flies now, and are thinking summer. Forget spring, we want camping, fireworks, lemonade, swimming, skim boarding, ocean, etc. :)
Hope you have fun making these art projects if you try. Do you have any other suggestions for multiple step art?
We do some type of art project nearly every day. Art is too important of a learning block for me to skip it...and plus, how can you not have fun coloring and creating? (Well, I guess you can, but that is alright too). So, with us focusing on Eric Carle this week, I have really pushed the concept of two step art. It is great for them, since they have to slow down and plan. Carter is not really at this level, so he and I have been working together. And I do not expect a two year old to be into multiple step art. Without further adieu, here have been our favorite projects this week.
Mr. Seahorse
The boys and I have always loved this story about the beloved Mr. Seahorse that is in charge of taking care of his babies, while introducing us to other male fish that keep watch of the eggs as well. It is nice to have a book that shows just how important the father is in a relationship, and to have a male as a role model. We also love the beach, coral reefs, and the bedroom needed more art. Here is how we captured the essence of the book:
Supplies Needed:
Canvas
Tempera Paint
Modge Podge
Tracing Paper
Sharpie Marker
The first thing we did was get really creative with the colors on our canvas. There is no right or wrong way to paint, but we wanted to create something similar to Eric Carle's coloring style.
I have to admit; I actually love how it came out. And of course the boys are so excited to have their sea horses hanging in their bedrooms.
The Very Lonely Firefly
This was a project I pulled out of thin air and added onto as we went. Tuesday was yet another snow day for us, and I had nothing planned for their school time. They love this Eric Carle book as well, so I knew I had to do something with it.
Supplies Needed
Tracing Paper
Tissue Paper
Modge Podge
Sharpie Marker
We started off with circles of tissue paper that I had the boys rip. Of course they loved this part of the project. What toddler and preschooler does not like ripping paper?
Hope you have fun making these art projects if you try. Do you have any other suggestions for multiple step art?
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