To Full Potential

TA-DA!

2011-07-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

The new and improved porch....my long-awaited dream. A wonderful extension to our home. It has always been there but never inviting in my opinion and floor always dirty and hard to clean BUT THAT IS ALL OVER NOW. One wipe and all dirt comes right off! YAY!!! LOL!!!!

2011-06-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

A gloomy morning.......but I welcome the showers, great for the plants and a little cool down. I won't complain. :-)

Excitement.....undecorate is my motto.....how boring when one has to say I have finished decorating. DONE! NO MORE! Hmmmm....not me. Our home is always in a 'WORK IN PROGRESS' status. We are applying the magic of color and paint to our screened in porch! It's turning blue/grey and the floors will be glossy tile red!! YAY! Will post pics when done...

Fun awaits Master E this morning!

Looking forward to this beginning of summer. It's been fun pulling all the outdoor furniture out from hibernation and planting while watching all the ones we already have established and sprouting from out of the earth. My little wonders of life I cherish dearly.

FAB GIVEAWAY

2011-05-16T08:35:00.001-07:00

Check it out http://kanoodleskids.blogspot.com/2011/05/fabulous-giveaway.html?showComment=1305560049004#c1088233667315030052

Razberries and Raizins! GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

CHECK IT OUT http://momof40toes.blogspot.com/2011/05/razberries-and-razins-giveaway.html

Another Giveaway!

2011-05-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

I come across many giveaways but lack the time to participate but here is one to share with you! Check out http://momof40toes.blogspot.com/2011/05/kangacoo-designs-giveaway.html

Hurry! Ends Fri!

Quick Post

2011-05-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Little M and Big E today! Haven't they grown so much?? She is 19mo and he is all of 5 yo and some...:-)

Giveaway!!

2011-04-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

It is not from me but an awesome soul Jennifer Anderson-Wiggins whom I met accidentally through her blog and have now become FB friends! She is the master host for giveaways of precious sweet clothing and accessories for lil girls and you would not want to miss out. Without further ado, hurry on to check it out here
http://momof40toes.blogspot.com/2011/04/giveaway-for-1crown3tiaras-boutique.html

Inspired to paint.......

2011-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

This morning E started his day reading Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne on iPAD and he is at it again right now. iBooks is such a neat feature on the pad. I am just now discovering apps on the pad and hope to find more good stuff!

Then he caught sight of an open page on my laptop and it showed this. So he decided he was going to pick up his last canvas (before we get more) and make one of his very own.

This is the final result and he is giving it to dad for his office wall. :-)

Little M at home with Montessori

2011-02-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here's our 16mo resident sweetheart working with her knobbed cylinders.

Then she gets up from her work area and grabs a craft item from her bro's stash and hides in a corner to manipulate/investigate them. Hey! That's learning too, right? :-)

A new shirt for E

2011-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Yep! I was at it again and this time I painted him a dinosaur tee! Boy was he excited! That made my day.... :-) Going to whip up some for M next.

Getting Crafty again..........

2011-02-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

I have recently been trying to find some time to satisfy my incurable desire to be crafty and decided upon handpainting t-shirts for my lil ones. I've also managed to put together hairclips for lil princess. Hopefully, I'll be able to find more time as time progresses and continue to refine my art skills! :-)

Where oh where have I been?

2011-02-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Some pics of E reading - an activity he loves doing as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning as seen here or at any time of day....yes, he is a voracious reader! Yay!!

Eeeep!! It's great to revisit my old blog again. I miss you. Been away for way too long...................Baby M is now a very talkative toddler parroting every word we say around here. Master E is also as talkative if not more and doing wonderful academically. We are looking forward to Spring here and hopefully I'll be able to resume documenting our little lives at home once again.

Growing up

2010-11-11T06:43:00.000-08:00

She is growing up and growing up.......can't believe how we got from there to here. Cherishing every day I spend with my sweet girl. :-)

It's been too long....

2010-11-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our sweet miss turned 1 in September! She's grown way too fast so much so I can hardly recall all the mini details of her newborn self. She talks her own gibberish and also some words that I cherish so so much. Loves the outdoors and exploring more than any toy can satisfy her. Not one to be left out, she dives right into any activity she pleases, with anyone she pleases. Such a wonderful blossoming being and how blessed we are to be able to be in her midst to witness and accompany her through it all. Love, love, love!!

Some New Girl Pics! (Well not so new...a few months ago)

2010-09-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Can't believe that she is almost 1! Yes, this coming Friday she will be 1! More pics to come. E is doing well in school and I sure do miss him being around but am very proud and happy all the same. :-)

Forty Toes BIG BIG Giveaway

2010-06-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Love the outfit? Go here to learn more about an outfit set from this very same store that you may be able to win. Hurry!!!

Eden's Bouquet Heavenly Giveaway.........

2010-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Want to find out more and enter to win?? Go check it out here I'll give you a pic to drool over...haha!!

Sailing down the River Nile............

2010-06-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

We started Ancient Egypt. Very slow progress with History but progress it is. Loving the sail.........both E and I.

Experimenting once again

2010-06-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have not used watercolors since I was in high school and that was many years ago.......... This was so much fun for the very busy me who craves some creative outlet on a daily basis.

Reminder

2010-06-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Your children are not your children," writes poet Kahlil Gibran. "They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

I am humbled as I ponder upon these sagacious words. The initiation is ongoing. I have S who has graduated and is going on to a new class to learn skills for sheltered workshops in preparation for days when he can no longer attend school. Then there is K who is headed to high school and in essence, could be headed to college in 3 years. That just stuns me. E is leaving me a little quieter in the afternoons for kindergarten and that's in two months! Little Miss M is no longer baby baby........a little girl is fast emerging and sometimes all these exist as disparate bits and pieces in my mind that is reluctant to accept the constant recasting of our lives. I realize this is just the prelude to a bigger unknown story. While exciting in its mystery, I am a little overwhelmed at times, worried a tad too much and learning to be accepting of it all. I need to remind self who have children that need me to organize their lives and one who is further along the journey towards the valuable knowledge of selfhood to step aside and step in when appropriate. With K, I am understanding that more and more faith will have to transcend reason...............

Art At Home

2010-06-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Spin Art

Dragons + monsters

Birds + bird monsters (E loves all things monsters!)

What E Has Been Up To

2010-06-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Little Miss M

2010-06-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

At 8mo

She is pulling up and calling me 'mama' and going ba-ba and is a super ball of energy!

Smitten!

2010-06-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

I am, as I have uttered many times very recently to people close to me, knee-deep in troubleland. I have been indulgent and unduly involved in preparing for the future of a little girl who is just now a little over 8 months old. Let's just cut to the chase and I'll show you what I have done and I am only at warm-up stage! I purchased all these clothes for when she is 4,5 and 6 as well as the hat for 2T-4T.

I love them oh so much! Couldn't help myself..........even got shoes/boots/leggings, etc. prepared for her. Somehow, my mind justifies purchasing for that age range. It gets a lot more wear. She'll be at school and can have an OOAK (one of a kind) outfit and they are for all seasons plus/minus inner and outerwears. Most of all that is a truly cute age to dress up as you can see on the models here. These are special clothes (most of them) made via cottage industry from home by talented entrepreneur moms of little children.

Now moving on to the present time, what shall I have her wear for her upcoming birthday in September? But first, we have two boys due for their 15th and 5th birthday this July! Wow!!

Baby M ---- growing right before my eyes without permission!

2010-06-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

She's the sweetest! Love this girl!!

DEAR LILLIE GIVEAWAY!

2010-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Another awesome giveaway by Dear Lillie for June 2010! Check it out!

NUXIEMADE HAT GIVE-AWAY CONTEST

2010-06-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Go here to find out all about another awesome giveaway by NuxieMade! YOU WILL BE MESMERIZED! :-)

Gonna miss this guy when he goes to Kindy this Fall!

2010-06-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I'm busy preparing for this event with new clothes (done!), first day of school outfit (done today!), backpack (haven't found one yet because I haven't looked. LOL!), etc. Also planning new ventures with the new schedule - maybe a new business endeavor?? We'll see.

Want to see his first day of school outfit? It's so E! Just go here! What do you think?? :-)

Fantastic Give-away at Forty Toes Blog for June 5th!

2010-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just visit Forty Toes to see what wonderful items await you if you do win. Hint: A dreamy assortment for your precious little girl!

Hi!

2010-04-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I know it's been so long ........... am down with allergies while being busy with home and my big family. :-) So, here are some pics:

Would you believe it?

2010-03-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

We are registering E for kindergarten tomorrow! Only yesterday, he was that little fussy baby that refused to sleep no matter what our minds contrived to try and do and NOW, he's about to get on a school bus and venture into a school! He will be registered at this school as this is our home school

but I am looking to see if he can be transferred to this school below which is accessed through a lottery system. It's a magnet school that will allow for E to work at a different grade level as he's an accelerated learner.

The first school is some of the best in our city but it will not allow E to work at a higher level if need be. The second school is much older and only half airconditioned but provides greater educational opportunities for E. Hence, the decision. We'll see what happens. Either way, he wins.

If I had it my way, E would be homeschooled BUT there's always the social aspect which is very lacking in his life as we do not know or have friends with little ones like ours close by. The local homeschooling group seem cliquish and very much the hippy, mother earth type which I am not. :-(

So, in order for E to not miss out on great learning opportunities, I had with my sweet husband help and together we revamped our play/learning room to accommodate homeschooling materials in there. When I mention homeschooling, it's not that I have not been doing so. I have - the Montessori leaning way since E was born but now am adding the classical way as well. So, E will have the best of all worlds!

He's rowing fast and furiously on with his homeschooling right now and our curriculum looks like this plus all the Montessori as well. Even when he goes to kindy, we will continue by afterschooling. It may perhaps slow down but on we row nevertheless. :-)

READING/PHONICS

Eventhough E can read really well, I have, nevertheless. chosen to use the following book to ensure that we cover everything.

I have made my own modification to it to ensure that E learns every possible term existent for a variety of things in the book. All in all, it is a superb book.

We also use this

and will be using the entire series as review material as well as handwriting practice.

E also loves this free, funfilled website of funny reading stories http://www.progressivephonics.com/

besides http://www.starfall.com/ when he was younger.

HANDWRITING

We do have a lot of writing going on here but this is added in just for variety. Variety is key in my educational approach to keep E from getting bored.

We also use this to generate a variety of sheets in various styles

SPELLING

A fantastic program - we love it!

Picture is blur but it's called All About Spelling.

Of course, we have the movable alphabets and reading rods for variety and games.

MATHEMATICS

Once again, we are using two programs

RightStart Mathematics

and

Singapore Math or Primary Mathematics

I find that one being sensorial and the other being from the top math nation in the world fits nicely with my plans here for E and then baby M who will inherit all these materials in time. :-)

VOCABULARY

We have found a most wonderful program once again.

Wordly Wise 3000 2nd Edition

HISTORY

Story of the World

and

History Odyssey

SCIENCE

and lots of supplements like

We have the ones for Inventions, Electricity, Energy, Chemistry and Light. Neat kits with all materials included except some household items.

ART

Artistic Pursuits

and

Harmony Fine Arts

WRITING

Writing With Ease

GRAMMAR

First Language Lessons Level 1 & 2

MUSIC

K12

RIGHT BRAIN

Wink

All encompassing:

Loads of books

FIAR

All kinds of resources for all subjects I've collected over time.

Montessori - Math, Botany, Zoology, Geography, History, Practical Life, Language Arts, Sensorial

That's generally it and though it may seem like a HUGE amount for a 4.5yo, it really isn't as each lesson is bite sized and loads of F U N! E loves them but not so much in the handwriting practice dept. though he prints well. :-)

Parts of a Plant

2010-02-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

And so we talked a LOT about plants........................

Since we have many tropical indoor plants, we randomly chose a plant. First, we learned it sensorially. E touched the stems, leaves (front and back), etc. and talked about how the different parts felt. I taught him how to properly handle a plant. And then before I could ask him about what plants needed to grow, he told me in his usual storytelling length fashion. :-)

Then Baby M woke up so, in my usual manner, I headed for the computer for furthering this lesson and found some nice powerpoint presentation. We also used this. E loves powerpoint presentations because he's such a visual learner. Then we did this since E can read pretty well now.

Finally, we headed to the puzzle and 3 part cards.

Finally, E drew the plant from memory and labeled the parts. A language, reading, writing, sensorial and science (botany) all wrapped in one.

Surprise even to me!

2010-01-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

My good friend as seen in the pics above sent me these via email last night. She finally managed to get them off her old cellphone. The first two are ones of me and her while I was still pregnant with baby M! We keep connected by visiting often as well as going out once a month and that was at one of those outings. We were at this restaurant. Simply yummo!! The last pic is one that she had taken of baby M when she was still in NICU. GREAT MEMORIES!

Making Slime AGAIN

2010-01-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

This time we used glue instead of guar gum.

1 cup water + 1 teaspoon borax solution

1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup glue
Add food color

Mix both together. Done!

Parts of a Flower

2010-01-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

Easy indoor lesson with dying flowers from SIL early January. :-)
We used 3 part cards from here.

Making Chemslime

2010-01-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Materials needed:

Guar Gum
Borax
Water
Test tube with lid
Sandwich bag
Plastic cup
Scoop/Spoon

1. Add 5 scoops of guar gum to half cup of water. Stir while adding in guar gum. Add a little food coloring if desired. Let stand for 5 mins.
2. Mix 2 scoops of borax to 1/2 test tube. Close lid and shake to dissolve the borax.
3. Add borax solution to guar gum mixture and stir them together.
Voila! Chemslime is the final product! Throw it up in the air!!!

Philately for E

2010-01-19T16:20:00.000-08:00

Besides reading, math, botany, reading, language arts, geography and sensorial work today, philately was introduced to him. I have been keeping some envelopes with stamps from home and local mail here for E and today found an opportunity to get him involved in the true activity of philately for a little beginner. Much information is already out there on this matter so I shan't write more. Just pics.

Finally all dried on a paper towel and ready for the stamp album.

Map of the World (Part 2)

2010-01-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

We continued with 3 part cards from here and further reinforced with material from this store .

These are basically for bulletin boards that come with huge pop apart word strips and vocab. cards as well as pics of the continents (huge! great for kids). Great illustrations, vibrant for learning and further research activities. We're blessed to have a teacher's store close by and so I just hop over whenever I need new material.

E also played with the Map of the World Playscene.

I Heart These!

2010-01-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

All these amazingly beautiful puzzles, blocks and more from Spiel and Holz just makes me dreamy so early in the morning. I've been eyeing them for a while now. Yes, they're new here in the U.S.A. but I've come to know about them and can't stop imagining the possibilities for open-ended play for my precious children. You can find them here and here

Map of the World (Part 1)

2010-01-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

E worked on Geography and had a revision with world maps and globes. We have 4 globes in the house (one of which is an inflatable ball) and the picture shows one of them - it senses finger touching on the surface and will provide info in 10 categories e.g. food, etc.

Here he is matching wooden puzzle pieces of continents to his 100 pc puzzle Map of the World that he had just completed.

Wooden Montessori Map of the World Puzzle

100 pc World Puzzle

We talked about all the animals, landmarks and cultural items in relation to their respective continents present on the puzzle.

Simple beginning but much was learned from exploration, extension, conversation and curiosity. More work on this in the coming days............

New Blog Name

2010-01-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

Name change? Yep! To Full Potential better represents my intentions in life and for my family. Change is constantly in the air. We seem to be adjusting the way we do things around here - play, work, live and some things do take a little while to prove their worth. Sometimes we keep with the old ways. Occasionally, we try both old and new and at other times we are challenged to reach deeper into our bag and perhaps learn unexpected things through accidental discoveries. Such is the ride we take on the journey towards awakening the giant within............

January - A Month for Fresh Starts and Reorganization

2010-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's frigid out. Ice and snow blanket the ground surrounding us. And what do you find me doing indoors? Yep, cleaning and getting better organized. Cutting clutter with a vengeance, perpetually seeking storage and making order in the house. My hopes? That my husband will follow suit and make the same changes in our garage which doubles as his woodworking area. That my children will see order and come to love it for themselves. And I am happier with a revitalized abode! There is still much to be done but I persevere in finding pockets of time opportunities to continue making progress with my plans.

We started with rearranging the living room furniture and accessories.............

And then some..........in the foyer - some rearranging and painting.

A wall of our names in Chinese characters done by some Taiwanese students who lived with us for two weeks a couple of years ago.

And here are some views of entryway into our dining room.

These walls were built by my husband and he cut the two openings that house the statues, added trims, pillars and did all the electrical and plumbing work for our house while I design, decorate, choose wall colors, etc. Our house is an old colonial style built in the early 60s, very dated and very much a skeleton of a house when we purchased it. Our goal upon purchase was to transform the space into our own so we added warm colors, trims, changed out doors, gutted kitchen, bathrooms, etc. on very small budgets. It's always a work in progress here at our home so much so our friends know that they'll find something new/changed when they come by next. :-)

New and Improved Play/Learning Room

2010-01-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

This is what we were doing during the break between Christmas and New Year's - redoing the entire basement that's halfway underground. Part of the project is the Play/Learning Room. We moved it into a larger bedroom so as to be able to make more things visible for our little ones to pick for choices as well as freeing up the middle of the room for play/work. Not completely finished with painting of walls and trims but was ready for a move-in and so we did to declutter temporary holding areas that are/were being redone as well. The green wall that you see in the pics will be painted over to match the rest of the room. Also there will be some decorative additions, change of ceiling fan, etc.

I must add that this room and everything in it were done and obtained on a budget - garage sale scores, ebay scores, small business scores, repurposing, gifts and our own sweat and time! :-)

Art area with art supplies stored away in Sterilite drawers on casters in the closet. Underneath the art easel are coloring books and Crayola Color Wonder pads in a crate.

Montessori area

Choices to pick from and all three part cards, language art cards, etc. stored in one drawer below. The other drawer holds all my teaching manuals and resource books for all subject areas.

Reading wall.

Complete with book offerings that will be rotated as well as hand and finger puppets for storytelling. Shelf above the book display racks holds games, board games as well as educational themed kits.

Mixed boxes of larger building toys - Superstructs, Lincoln Logs, TinkerToy, etc, animal replicas, puzzles, phonics magnets, etc. To make full use of these homemade shelves that extend out of the frame, I put materials on the ends too.

Reading area

Consists of books (of course) and music CDs/tapes. The basket holds E's workbooks that he's currently working on. In the drawers I have placed all the puzzle maps. Happily all the puzzles fit beautifully in one drawer with space left over on top. The other drawer holds all of E's electronic learning devices like Leap Pad, etc. Actually, nicely placed against the wall on the side is E's Quadrilla Marble Run hidden behind some large charts and wipe and clean boards that's partly visible. Every little bit of space counts!

Math + area

First shelf for math manipulatives (Haba Froebel Gifts) and more animal replicas (small). On top are three decorative chalkboards intended for the wall.

Second shelf - Base ten material, constructive triangles, stereognostic bags, alphabet and number stamps and a Ravensburger block puzzle.

Third shelf - Zoob, Konstruktor, Twig, wooden memory game, etc.

Fourth shelf - math manipulatives in a basket, wooden dominoes, wooden stencils, etc.

Homemade playdough in tubs on the floor.

Puzzles, games, language art games and manipulatives in jars, etc.

Various views of the room - floor space and wall.

More hand puppets in a little white basket seen here.

Rugs from former E's nursery.

This green wall here next to the window where the giraffe and skeleton stand is where a big bulletin board will be placed to pin up artwork, etc.

This is the first shelf one sees upon entering the room.

Most gratifying for me to see E and baby M already enjoying this new space. This space helps E be organized as well as provide ample floor space for me for play with baby M. Tables and chairs can be moved to the side if we needed more floor space.

Twig

2010-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

A very nice wooden open-ended toy.

Just the way we like it here in our home. One of E's Christmas presents 2009.

Parents’ Choice Gold Award 2009
Creative Child Toy of the Year Award 2009
Dr. Toy Best Green Product 2009
NAPPA -National Parenting Publications Honors Award 2009
Exceptional Parent Magazine's Top Toy Picks for 2009
2009 Grandkids Superproduct Award

Twig! A gratifying new branch to the Classic Building Block family tree!

It's a building set that really offers you the freedom of exploring the-inside-and-the-out of fun designing. Playing with Twig is gratifying for your hands - and offers mental play that's exuberant!

Wondering what makes Twig blocks so special? It's not the green conscious design and packaging, the colors, or even the shapes, it's your hands and mind in concert with the finest materials for amazing building. Equally appealing in the playroom, in your office, or on the coffee table. Twig is design for everyone.

With Twig, you create using your mind's eye... Your mind finds satisfaction in sorting colors, finding solutions for intermixing pieces of varying depth, accommodating diverse interior dimensions and shapes, and making final adjustments to your masterpieces. Precision-cut wood pieces slide in between and next to one another with ease. Extra rich colors add terrific flair to structures.

Learning comes naturally. Twig construction sets refine small motor abilities. Twig helps develop skills in logic, problem solving, visual-spatial ability, creativity and ingenuity, sensory awareness, language & vocabulary proficiencies, cooperative and independent play skills, and artistic expression. Kids love putting the unique interchanging pieces together.... adults love the freedom of design.

Precision wooden shapes and vibrant colors meet in modern building blocks. Natural wood is carved with care and colored with brilliance. Light plays its way through the windows of Twig - illuminating lines, contours, space, and arrangement. Open your mind and imagination to new exercises in visual spatial development.
Twig - Modern building blocks designed for learning, fashioned for fun

Constructed of all highly renewable materials

Each Twig set consists of 72 wooden pieces and a cotton drawstring storage bag

All precision-cut blocks are compatible with one another

Complete interactivity between components

Limitless combinations for open-ended play

Animal Tracks

2010-01-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this before? It is a neat little kit that teaches children how to observe and learn from animal tracks, explaining what can be understood by marks on trees, food scraps, and foot tracks and includes six accompanying molds that contain the pawprints of six animals - mink, red squirrel, rabbit, deer, gull and crow. E worked on them yesterday. Made tracks on homemade playdough and we had three period lessons with them. In Spring we can go to the trails and pour plaster of paris on the tracks left behind by animals. :-)

A Case Against Excessive Video Games and Other Screen Play and For Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and Froebel Methods

2010-01-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Our middle son is very much into Wii, Ipod, laptop, etc. but in our home it is controlled access not by us but by his own sense of responsibility and priority towards his schoolwork, etc. Even then, I have little talks to remind him from time to time. Parents everywhere are constantly battling against excessive screenplay by their children. While controlled access can even have positive effect on brain development, excess can be sedentary and isolating from real-world human interactions. As a result, the development of social nuances essential for human maturation is lacking.

When a child plays with blocks, they are inventing stories, negotiating, talkative, etc. When this is replaced by a television, the story line is set and the child is just inactively along for the mute ride.

".....excessive use of screen-based entertainments ...... neglect a deep human need to interact with the material world: to feel the tug of gravity, to physically move through the dimensions of time and space, to feel the physical resistance of solid objects." Stuart Brown, M.D. Play

We interact with the world through our hands. The hand is the primary tool we use to manipulate the world around us. The hand and the brain need each other. The hand provides the means and the brain the method. The use of hands to manipulate 3 dimensional objects is an essential part of brain development. In one study, using fMRI, large areas of the brain's visual and associational circuits were activated when a real hand holding a ball was presented in the window. When a picture of the same was shown, the visual cortex demonstrated arousal but the associational areas were virtually silent.

Lastly, there's always the potential for addiction with screen play.

Our family has derived much of our decisions for our children from these simple but important foundational truths.

2010

2010-01-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Changes are constantly brewing in our home and we welcome them with open hearts and mind. The novelty of newness fuels us constantly to make needed improvements and sometimes we need reminding to keep moving in that direction. Our entire basement is getting a fresh coat of paint and while it is saturated with colors upstairs, the downstairs is awash with neutrality. Love the contrast! Sneak peek ahead..... This also means a new play2learn room and a new bedroom for K! I am so excited for them, us!!!

HNY 2010 EVERYBODY!!

MC + HNY

2009-12-24T06:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas Activities with E

2009-12-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

Homemade ornaments and gingerbread house delighted E so. E has his own little tree twinkling in the kitchen.

Voila! All Peeled and Ready!!!

2009-12-19T07:07:00.001-08:00

Color mixing, cutting exercise (to trim off excess dried glue) and sheer delight from the simple act of peeling and revealing the end product were the added bonuses.

Rubbing Plates and Baby M

2009-12-18T07:42:00.001-08:00

E worked on his leaf rubbing plates today and these are what he did and Baby M hung out with us. Would you believe it? She turned 3 mo yesterday! On Dec. 16, she weighed 12 lbs (birthweight was 6lbs 4oz) and 24 1/2" tall (birth length 19 1/2"). Here she is!

Part 1 LANGUAGE ARTS/WRITING/READING/SCIENCE (BOTANY FOR THIS) WITH RUBBING PLATES

Part 2 CRAFT WITH RUBBING PLATES
E squeezed some food coloring into glue bottle - one color was used after each plate was completed to have variety. Provided some additional delight as marble designs emerged when the glue was squeezed out. Going to let these dry completely and then peel them off the plates! Can add glitter dust for added effects.

Part 3 ART WITH RUBBING PLATES
E did leaf rubbings on a piece of art paper with crayons. Then he used watered down acrylic paints to paint over the entire paper and the colors would fill all the white areas thus causing the image to appear. Good contrasting colors between paint and crayon would give best results.

Additionally, can press into clay and make plaques or coasters. Turn them into stamps with washable markers and make cards, etc.

Christmas Delight for E................

2009-12-17T06:20:00.001-08:00

This year the theme is building/constructive/creative playthings for E since he has a huge love for them. We have been making purchases, I am afraid to say that I have gotten quite carried away with it since I LOVE THEM TOO! :-) A majority of his gifts come from these:

I happened upon them when I was surfing the net and found them on http://www.drtoy.com/toy_history/construction_exhibition_handout.html It felt good to know that I had made selections for E (without having seen this list before) that coincide with this list. Even better that I got them at discounts and free shipping if not at a store near me. Those not purchased are on my list for future gifts. Further details on each item at the site.

The Opposite of Play Is NOT Work

2009-12-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

Truth is the opposite of play is depression. No play results in a dulled soul, one that is missing spice-of-life elements while being buried by responsibilities. Play and work are actually mutually supportive. Best thing to do is to play at work. With play comes a sense of newness, flow and being in the moment. True play comes from within and is the sole path to finding pleasure in our work.

Christmas At Home - a visual tour

2009-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Play

2009-12-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Play is so forgotten in our daily grind that I have purposely made play the first thing we do here every morning. Play shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul. Hopefully my children will develop an internal play compass and their own sense of mastery from within. And yes, I do view Montessori activities to be freely chosen play-based activities contributing to long term life satisfaction.

At 54 days..................

2009-11-11T02:44:00.000-08:00

A brand new day!

2009-11-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

This early a.m. finds E practicing his writing on a single line.

E's fave. pastime - to doodle on the FP DoodlePro!

Today I am in celebration of (oops! gotta clean my 'j' and 'u' keys on my laptop - my son left some oil from oily fingers on those since this laptop is located in the kitchen. :-) a brand new day, a brand new lease on life as I know it. A great big thanks goes out to my newborn baby girl who is now an infant - she is such a great baby - very easy to take care of and very responsive to all the Montessori stimulation I provide her so far. This helps make my life so much easier to manage and navigate through in a day and most importantly, I actually have time (although I am admittedly on a go, go, go mode all day in order to get all that I need done) to work with E and have a family life. She does not hoard all my time. The only thing I don't have time for now is to conduct my small business but that can wait. So happy to be living my life.......... I will be back to posting more on what we (baby M, E and I) are doing in the next post.

I am back! I was just thinking about all the go to things/activities I do with E when I am busy and in the middle of something I must get done. One of the best items has been the doodlepro which he literally 'wears' around the house out. Whenever he has free time he would draw on it and erase as quickly too. I wish he would do that on a piece of paper so I can keep it because he has drawn some awesome pics on it but would not on paper. Go figure! He loves that he can easily erase and start all over again so easily. Other things he does are the Kumon workbooks which are fun for him. We are not strictly Montessori in our house hence the colorful playroom/learning room, workbooks, etc. We gravitate towards what E likes and responds to - following the child. Of course, he also plays with building toys. I am big on purchasing educational materials/toys only. Yep! That's me. Another biggie for him is experimenting with colors in the kitchen. I let him play with food color gels and he's stays at it for quite awhile.

As for baby M, she is being sports announced to about everything we do and at her tender young age of only less than 2 months, she knows when I am about to pick her up as I routinely turn on a lamp in her room then tell her I am going to pick her up before I do. Her response that lets me know she understands is that she'll alter her cry to one of anticipation everytime this happens. We also do grasping different textures, rattles, reading, black and white mobile as well as colored ones and peek-a-boo games. In addition, we have floor time on her back only - no tummy time. We also play pulling up with song and language such as hold tight, pull up, up you go and down you go. I will be adding more as she remains more and more alert in the day to allow for more playtime.

At 22 days old.........

2009-11-08T14:57:00.001-08:00

M at 22 days. As of today she's already 1 month and 22 days old. I am certainly very much behind. Will catch up with more recent pics soon. She is truly a joy to have and behold. Wins the best baby award HANDS DOWN! :-)

And Then There Were 4 ............

2009-10-01T18:03:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's officially 4 now. I have 4 children. Always been a dream of mine and now fulfilled. Don't know why........... Am absolutely elated and fulfilled. :-)

........2 days shy of 2 weeks old and her due date of Oct. 1

More pics to come with all her bros. and ................... Till next time.

E and His Sis

2009-09-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

A little treat for all ...........more to come in the near future with all her bros.

The Wee One is Here!!

2009-09-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

Our sweet wee one was born on September 17, 2009 and there is a long story attached to this wondrous event in the life of our (now big) family. Apologies for another hiatus. Hopefully I'll be back again soon with NEW news and all. :-)

I'M BAAAACK!!

2009-09-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

A small peek into baby sister's nursery. Nope.....she's not here yet but will be very soon!

E turned 4 and we had a small celebration for him with a few presents, cake, balloons, etc. Hard to believe he's such a big kid now. Happy birthday E!

I know I've been away for ages and so much has happened. Couldn't keep updates on blogosphere but will try to do some blogging soon. So much to share........

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

This week hub. has been off work so that we can do much needed spring cleaning all over the house and yard. Our children have been helpful and also pretty much free to do what they like. This time I found E playing with wooden blocks (which we have loads of in many variations) on the breakfast bar.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July so in our household, there will be barbeque, swimming, fireworks and mostly outdoors fun in the backyard!

My little table decor on the patio table located on our porch. Happy Fourth of July everyone!!

Haba - Beautiful Forms of Architecture From Oldest Cultures

2009-07-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

If you like this, go to http://tinyurl.com/kkdhbt for more.

Kapla Blocks

2009-07-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

"Dutch-born Tom Van Der Bruggen created these plank shaped blocks while restoring a 19th century chateau in the South of France. He named his clever invention ”Kapla” which means ‘pixie planks’ in Dutch.
These lightweight blocks are a winner for kids who love to build. Kapla is a unique open-ended building toy, designed to be stacked to build cool construction. Kids can make their designs as simple or as complicated as they like. Gravity and imagination is all that’s required. Kapla sets include illustrated instructions with basic building techniques to help you get underway. Made from 100% natural Pine from certified renewable forests in France and available in 7 striking colours, this award-winner will be sure to be a hit in your playroom."

(via http://www.beyes.jp/recommend/01/)

Home-made Gelato Playdough

2009-07-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

2 cups plain flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Add water and vegetable oil and stir until mixed through. Place saucepan on a medium heat and stir mixture continuously until the mixture begins to congeal. Take off the heat and empty dough on to some parchment paper. Be careful – the dough will be hot to touch. Split dough into as many colours as you’d like to make, then add a drop or two of food colouring to each ball. Knead colouring in to dough completely before setting out to play. This playdough lasts for ages if stored properly in an airtight container.

Happy excitement

2009-07-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

So happy and excited that the boys' new room sparked an immediate interest and promoted plenty of open-ended, imaginative play! We played in the new room late into the evening way past bedtime. What a celebration to usher in the new change. Great to see them enjoying it. E is now beginning to be very curious about all the grammar symbols and what they mean at the frequency of every single sentence we read. That's a welcome progression and I just love it! I am truly amazed by how fast my children are growing ............. K at 13 (soon to turn 14) is completely absorbed in his study about communication between cultures while E is exploding with high vocabulary and loads of activity, etc. S gets caught up between them and just enjoys all that they do along with them. Can't wait for baby girl to join our clan!

Her Nursery: Just Started.........

2009-07-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Messy no. 1

Messy no. 2

Love this hummingbird mobile and am thinking of using it in her nursery but we'll see. Truth be told I have at least 5 different infant mobiles excluding this one which is not really for infants.

Beginning to clear up in there...........an hour later.

It's a true mess in there right now. Not everything is in and not everything that needs to make an exit has been removed but we're working on it. Need to rearrange, redecorate, etc. but at least her crib, rocker/glider and changing table are in there now. Gives me a sense of how it could be and what I might or might not do. No firm plan in place yet.

E & S's Shared Bedroom

2009-07-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

Now that we're going to have a new member in our family E and S will be sharing a bedroom and so yesterday, my hub. and I starting converting a room in our house for them. While not yet complete, this is what it looks like............

A huge table for drawing, writing, etc. The lighthouse you see here is actually a little cabinet that stores their writing implements. This table comes with deep drawers too which are so useful.

I have placed three chairs around the two sides of the table. Plenty workspace for them.

A reading nook. Just transferred some books from play/learning room and books, etc will be rotated from time to time.

I removed their wooden bunkbeds which were used as singles and have decided to use these red metal bunks that were in storage instead. Bunked them up and voila! we gained so much floor space.

The train table and road map rug have taken residence in their bedroom as well thus freeing up some space in the play/learning room. Love that!

Nautical decor - theme of the room.

A wooden rocking chair fits nicely in this space so that I can rest my back and legs when I'm in their zone or they can do the same..........a nice little mom/dad and child reading/chatting corner.

Hope the boys like it here!

Corners of Our Home #2

2009-06-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Corners of Our Home #1

2009-06-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Goofball on a Tuesday

2009-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

As I was about to enter the kitchen, this is what I saw:

E has a HUGE imagination and loves to let his mind and body soar to far off spaces............. Everyday our house is filled with songs, stories and sound effects coming from the voice box of our littlest guy as soon as he's awake......... such are the joys of my life. Scorching hot here today so we've been hiding indoors cleaning and playing. :-)

Recent Blooms

2009-06-19T08:37:00.001-07:00

Cosmos

Asiatic Lily

Gooseneck

Daylily

Astilbe

Aster

Wildflowers

Wildflower

Dinomania

2009-06-17T11:43:00.001-07:00

My silly goose and his imitation of the tyrant lizard. White rope tail and stackers for claws of the colorful variety........LOL!

A Happy Blur

2009-06-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Some wildflowers in look-at-me shades..........don't know names but sure are pretty. We have them in a large quantities.

Aster.

Cayenne peppers! Yay!!!

Tomatoes starting to pop up!

E on his Kawasaki power-wheel. He's pretty good at it and we are blessed to have a large backyard that he can go powerwheeling on.

E seems a little upset over something???

Hubby and E - digging and leveling ground for pool in our backyard.

K and E together helping dad to level ground for pool installation.

While K and hubby worked the earth, E and I spent some quality time together on the hammock - a truly awesome gift to pregnant mamas!

Our view from the hammock - upwards.

And from another angle.

Our break so far has been a happy blur. I am pretty much tired all the time but try hard to keep up with the fast pace without toppling over! Appreciative of all the help I can get from the boys and they do get into trouble when I am not watching or least expect it especially S and E. :-)

Praises Be for Children and Flowers

2009-06-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

Perennial columbine by the two side yards. Love 'em!

Little sweet begonias and vincas to greet and welcome visitors at our front step.

Tall newcomers in our front yard -lilies.

Daylilies in our front bed adjacent to our long front porch.

Old white wicker furniture recently spray painted by our middle son, K. They sit on our front porch together with another chair and loveseat to make a 4 pc set as well as two adirondack chairs (painted red by K) made by my late father-in-law and a wicker chaise lounge.

Deeply satisfied by his good job and how great the furn. looks now. We love loads of seating around our yard and porch areas.......... nice to just watch the plants, birds, bees, flowers, people and talk while blowing bubbles with E.

K painted those adirondack chairs too - while not perfect, looks waayyyyy better than it did.

So nice to have all the kids home now. They do drive me crazy at times but they're fun and sweet as well. K has been so helpful and just this morning vacuumed the entire house without me requesting for him to do so. I'm truly blessed! :-)

Budding Artist

2009-06-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

So proud of E. He did this online all by his quiet self and took me by surprise. He's a reluctant artist you see.

Our Kitchen

2009-05-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

Please excuse the not yet cleaned up kitchen situation - stuff in sink, etc. To be expected I guess with 3 boys and 1 grown up man!! LOL!

Sneak Peek: Our Yard

2009-05-24T18:32:00.001-07:00

When we first moved to our house, the yard was an empty shell. No trees except for some on the very perimeters of the yard and such was not our style. So, we've been slowly transforming our yard without breaking the bank and every year we've been very encouraged to see improvements and we continue to make new additions and improvements be they small or big in the hopes of seeing all of our visions realized someday......... I've taken some pics of our yard to share here. Perhaps I'll take some more at a later date as I have not yet exhausted them all at this point! :-)

Lush petunia hanging basket on our front porch right in front of the entry door. There are actually two of those but I thought it sufficient just to take a pic of one of it.

Weigela shrubs that have well established themselves on our right side yard. A wicker chair placed on the path for dual purpose - decorative and to sit and admire flowers and plants.
Daisies on front bed in all their glory - so simple yet so beautiful - just the way I like it.

Petunia basket with a small view of the front yard.

A container garden I composed to flank both sides of the garage door.

Part of the bed on the left side yard.

Left side yard as seen from the opposite side.

My pride and joy.

Love these dianthuses. They were supposedly annuals when we planted them but have proven to be perennials instead as they have not failed to come up year after year.

Left side yard from another angle. We have hydrangeas, astilbe and yarrow as well coming up the bed right beside the house but not yet in bloom. Will take more pictures when they're up.

E admiring flowers with me this morning.

Part of our yard beyond the bed on the left side.

Love those salvias. They're all over our yard in specific spots.

Left yard - a huge area to mow.

E's play area and outdoor classroom in the backyard. It extends more into the length of the yard with sand and water table, another sand box (there is one under his playset), picnic table for kid and another picnic table for adults, another swing, hammock, etc. Will take more pics later.

Hub. is currently building a deck right off the screen in porch for lounging out in the open for good conversation and after some nice water time in the pool (coming soon).

As you can see, it's still in progress and undergoing changes even as I blog about it. I'm so excited!! We have much, much more planned on our to do list for our yard this year. Hopefully, we'll get to all of them before baby girl comes!

E Helping Us Water Plants

2009-05-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Finished!

2009-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Painted and glued together!

Sneak Peek: Our Dining Room

2009-05-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

What E Was Up To Yesterday

2009-05-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

E decided to continue painting wooden pieces to his tractor model which he will be putting together today.

He did some work with bugs - sequencing, sorting, counting, etc. but never without a dose of imagination and story to go along with it all. So, it took a whole lot longer but what does it matter if he enjoyed and learned at the same time. He even crushed his crackers to feed these bugs!

E is very much into dinosaurs so we do have a huge collection of all things dino. and in addition, we found this special book at a garage sale for a quarter! A total score!!

Here's another 25 cents score! An old goldie............ in mint condition.

He's also been helping us water the plants around the yard and in pots before he heads out to his backyard paradise. He so enjoys the outdoors and I love sitting on the swing simply watching him having fun and growing up!

And since I've had all boys so far and am about to have a child of another gender, I am finding the book below an interesting read in preparation for baby girl..............:-)

We're all struggling with allergies here so we've been keeping a low profile and trying to keep the momentum of the days with not too much noise and activity.

There she is!

2009-05-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

So exciting it was to visit the doc's office yesterday morning. We had a 1-hour ultrasound and everything was beautiful. Tons of pics as usual and decided to post this one here. She's 20 weeks old now and yay!!! I'm at mid-point or beyond (depends on how you see it). Feeling more frequent and distinct movements from her now. Had flutters sometime back........

Complain: Suffering from bad allergies due to lots of rain so plants are in high gear doing their very own businesses....:-(

Beautiful Irises and Daisies

2009-05-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

This spring, we decided to cut back our expenditure on plants. We have been successfully transplanting baby plants and dividing those that were spreading too far out from their specified boundaries as determined by us. Last year, we did not get a visual feast as we are this time around and one of them is our various irises popping up from the ground like unexpected gifts since we've actually forgotten where we had planted them last. We've also been blessed by plants and bulbs given by friends who have too much of a good thing. They were only too happy to plop them into our hands. We were only too happy to be the lucky recipents of their bounty. (Pics were unfortunately taken after a heavy storm hence the beaten down petals...........)

Humanity Ring

2009-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Simple, powerful…a ring becomes a tool for spiritual awakening with words to remind us of the HUMANITY that is us. Using the inscription on thisring to send the deeper message to always remember the most important things in life; people to people, heart to heart, love is life."

You can get it here.

Facestape

2009-05-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

"Facestape" from children's store Our Childrens Gorilla is awesome. "Smacked full of face-features you get metres and metres of possibilities when creating portraits, make your own African masks, jazz up your toilet seat or use for fun and totally nonsense surprises around the house."

Summer Fun

2009-05-07T17:19:00.001-07:00

"Silicone triceratops ice (age) tray creates fossilized ice cubes for Jurassic drinks! Tray is also oven safe up to almost 450 degrees... perfect for prehistoric pastries. Imported. Hand wash. "

(via Urban Outfitters )

My Busy, Busy E

2009-04-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

This afternoon found E repurposing S's old mylar birthday balloon as a bag to contain all the little beads he's separating from his many mardi gras bead chains - one of many activities he comes up with all by himself. Gets him efficient at cutting and individual beads can be used for counting, sorting as well as craft supplies. Quite useful, huh? After he was done, he transferred all the beads into a little cold medicine box and talked to me a little then fell on my shoulder and went off to napland! :-) I'm off to laying him in his fave napping loveseat and then cooking dinner for my family - chicken and bok choy stir fry.

E, The Science Kid

2009-04-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

When the rain let up, E and I went to our backyard (our fave pastime) and he used his spade and dug out some soil and placed it on a large baking sheet. Then he began to investigate its contents with a magnifying glass. Wish I had taken pics of him at work but I didn't. :-(
He came across an earthworm.....
some roots.............

an ant.........

and a twig, all of which he recorded into his Science Journal.

Then he planted three sunflower seeds and a couple have sprouted. He did this one on Earth Day.

Sneak Peek: Learning/Playroom Tour

2009-04-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've posted pics on E's Learning/Play Room before but there have been changes. The resources have grown and we have new storage in here plus it's been reorganized for some time now.

As you enter the room this is the Montessori center on the left side. Loads of wooden and cardboard puzzles - with sounds and without, manipulatives, educational games - telling time, I Spy, etc. knobbed cylinders, botany and zoology puzzles, rough and smooth boards, sound cylinders, knobless cylinders, pink cubes, lacing pegboards, writing insets and much, much more. On the side of the shelves, you see a plastic drawer storage system. These store my teaching resources and manuals. On top of it, there are boxes that store the various cards that I've made and laminated for E using the Xyron 900. Unfortunately due to the amount of material we have, some non-Montessori material have made their way here too.
E's train table with all his accessories neatly kept away in the drawers.

As you move along the left wall, you'll arrive at the Geography, Math and Science centers. That's a wipe-off sheet on the glider/rocker for E to practice writing. The box sitting on the seat is one that's chock-full of laminated activities covering Math, Reading and Writing and a paper snake made by E sits atop it.

Reading and Games center. There's a little child's table with two chairs in there that's hardly used anymore except as a catch-all/organization for the day/prep center. On top of it sits E's new supply for his latest pet(s) hermit crabs. Have not gotten around to the pet store yet. Those are puppets hanging on the shelf and some more can be seen stored in a little basket at the left corner on the floor.

Reading, Writing and Manipulatives center.

Plenty storage with loads more material stored inside. His continent map puzzles are in there. So are his huge collection of National Geographic magazines and more educational toys neatly stored in their boxes. As you can see, there are plastic tubs just exactly fitting the top of these storage cabinets.

My desire is to get this room even more organized as we do have some things that end up on the floor but I'll have to wait till I finish some other more pressing projects first. So, this will do for now. :-)

So Much To Share........

2009-04-30T06:56:00.001-07:00

E was ill a couple weeks or so ago and to playdoh he went. Spent some serious amount of hours with playdoh and his grand imagination. Pretty fruitful day, I must say, eventhough the little guy was not up to much else. He's been talking a lot about his new sibling and never fails to mention that he loves his new baby. :-)

My Super K! This pic was taken on the evening he was inducted into The National Junior Honor Society for leadership, scholarship, service, citizenship and character. He is such a humble person, never wanting others to know about his achievements but his momma here is claiming 'proud mommy' (not bragging, mind you) rights. So, so proud of him. He's been receiving recognition from universities and an academy for eminent young scholars, etc. Keep up the good work young man!

Lilacs are in bloom. This is the view outside one of my bedroom windows. Love keeping the windows open to receive the wonderful fragrance from these pretty lilacs.

Our screened-in porch - getting some good use again now that the weather is beautiful.

I've known this for a little while now and it's time to share...........we are having a G-I-R-L!! Am allowed to think pink hereon! Estimated gestational age: 18 weeks It's been raining incessantly especially on weekends when we usually plan to get things done around the house and especially yardwork since it's spring BUT those days have been few and far between. Plan B was to revert back to working indoors. We're never wanting for projects around here. Everything is always a work in progress - we are either changing, upgrading, amending, redesigning or renovating. So, a couple weekends ago, we transferred all our indoor plants to our screened-in porch (a yearly routine) for good doses of warmth and sunshine as well as rain! A little tropical retreat for us here. Then dear hubby installed festive lights and lanterns on the ceiling. Turned out fabulous. Love the look when night falls. Only thing left to be done there is power-washing all the crud and hidden dirt.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T08:12:00.001-07:00

So Very E ........ sometimes.

2009-04-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Toddlers listen, they just store the information for later use, a new study finds."

"For example, let's say it's cold outside and you tell your 3-year-old to go get his jacket out of his bedroom and get ready to go outside," Chatham explained. "You might expect the child to plan for the future, [and] think, 'Okay, it's cold outside so the jacket will keep me warm.' But what we suggest is that this isn't what goes on in a 3-year-old's brain. Rather, they run outside, discover that it is cold, and then retrieve the memory of where their jacket is, and then they go get it."

Go here to read more http://tinyurl.com/dx46bn

Spring

2009-04-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

I'm just sitting here in my kitchen drooling over this gorgeous pic of spring on my laptop.......... don't know who the talented photographer is.

Yesterday we had a decent enough day to get out into the backyard. E had a super time, much to my delight, playing on his new swing and fort playset. His dad completed setting up the fort yesterday. Unfortunately, the temperature falls again today so we shan't be out :-( During the last month of winter, I just couldn't remain loyal to it any longer and had to go on with my days getting quite annoyed sometimes. This current vacillation is annoying but not as much since I witness the greening up of the yard, the blossoming of tulips and daffodils besides others breaking free from underground.......... sings to my heart. Spells hope and wonderment for the never failed to be awed by nature me. Can't wait to hit the nurseries for more plants to beautify our surroundings! What's your poison this spring?

Last Child in the Woods: Nature-Deficit Disorder

2009-03-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

" The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Richard Louv identified a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. Since its initial publication, his book Last Child in the Woods has created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years later, we have reached a tipping point, with the book inspiring Leave No Child Inside initiatives throughout the country.
Hailed as "an absolute must-read" by the Boston Globe and "too tantalizing to ignore" by Audubon magazine, Last Child in the Woods is the inspiring work that proves children need nature as much as nature needs children."

Be sure to check out his blog at http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/

Toilet Signs From Around The World

2009-03-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Go to http://losu.org/world/the-many-different-types-of-toilet-signs See if you find any interesting enough to be part of your home decor......... :-)

ColorMe Tables & Chairs

2009-03-28T13:28:00.001-07:00

"NEW YORK, NY. Every kid, age 3 to 11-years-old, will want COLORME—a new, interactive line of “furniture that kids get to draw on.” (http://www.colormetables.com/) Designed by a mother who created a coloring table and chairs for her own children’s birthday parties, this exciting new play furniture is built like a large coloring book. With outlines already drawn on the white background, kids get to color in the entire table and chairs so every child creates a unique piece of artwork!
Newly available at Kate’s Paperie and Hombom’s Toys, ColorMe Table and Chairs provides hours of fun! It’s the newest idea for play dates, rainy days, birthday parties, or school activities, and is the perfect holiday gift or present from grandparents, family and friends. Kid tough and made of extra-strong, corrugated paper, the child-sized chairs are sturdy enough to hold even most adults. With super easy set up, everything folds flat for space-saving storage, and is eco-friendly— made from 100% recycled material. Affordably priced online for around $50 for a table and four chairs, you can also buy extra chairs to provide a fun, interactive activity for lots of children— then give each child their own personalized take-home party favor! (The suggested retail price is around $50 for the smaller table and four-chair set, about $25 for an additional four-chair package, and the larger table with six chairs is about $75.)
ColorMe comes in three designs and two sizes—a small table with four chairs, or large table with six chairs. 'Fishtale’ is drawn like an aquarium, filled with all sorts of sea creatures and anemones and shells. The 'Party’ pattern shows a birthday cake in the center and other yummy desserts drawn around the edge. The ‘Party’ chairs are printed in a fancy design, with a floral background, complete with a lace doily on the back of the chair—a perfect spot to write a child’s name! The third design is ‘Teatime’—a pre-printed pink floral and green-checkered design (only available in the large table and six-chair size). Safety-tested, non-toxic, and made in the U.S.A., there are many more designs to come later.
For photographs and online purchase, go to http://www.colormetables.com/"

E = Sweet Innocence + Love

2009-03-21T01:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago E came into the bathroom when I was in there after a bath session and continued his curiosity question about how baby is going to emerge from my body. Of course, he mentioned mouth again and this time I decided, with clothes on, to kind of point him to the vicinity of where babies do come out of naturally. He became quite alarmed and said,"....but there's p**p mom!!". LOL! It was quite a dilemma to him to have to deal with baby emerging/competing with p***!! Of course, he has no idea about the anatomy of a female there. :-)

Then two afternoons ago at lunchtime, he, in usual style, would lovingly tell me that he loves me. He went,"I LOVE YOU, MOM.........don't die!". Then he continued,"If you, dad, S and K died, I'd have no family. All people die sometimes.......". You see, E is very attached to his family. Everytime he mentions something for one person, he makes sure to mention that he wants it for each and everyone of us. He makes very certain that his love is shared out equally between us all. Love my awesome children - born and unborn!

Oh and did I mention I was feeling fabulous - really upbeat, not sick anymore and raring to go with all projects bottled up in my head for so long? (Maybe it's just a serious case of spring fever....) But of course, my sense kicks in and I try to take it slow.......and still I clean, eat, work, fuss, buzz as if I am not with child. Such a wonderful way to feel when pregnant - I've only experienced this with E. Not so with S and K unfortunately - I was thoroughly ill the first 4 months with them and never quite felt like myself throughout. So, THIS IS GREAT!!!! Must celebrate!!! See what I mean?? I am a little over and excited. Brought my fave. stroller (Britax Companion Cambridge Carseat & matching Britax Preview Stroller) out to imagine and check for cleanliness, readiness, etc. (I know, I know it's a little early) and high chair (love my Prima Pappa), baby bedding, etc. and am so glad I hadn't gotten rid of them. :-) Told K, our middle boy that each of us will have our hands full with a stroller each on trips that require them. S, E and baby will each be strolled by dad, K and me (in no particular order) and strollers will have a permanent home in our vehicle. K was not particularly amused. :-(

Well, 'nuff of my rambling...... really should get on with my Saturday. Have a great one!

Second Visit

2009-03-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Went for our check up and initial test results yesterday and received excellent news. So happy about these initial weeks. Am actually beginning to get more and more excited each day perhaps because I am feeling a little more relief from the bad cold hence releasing me from the grips of pain into being able to be more of me now. I love that E and my hub. go with me for every visit and that we receive these ultrasound pics so that we can share with our two older boys who aren't able to go because they have to be at school. E is getting more excited at each visit and so asks to lift up my blouse at intervals during the span of a day so that he can 'see' baby. Funnily he asked how baby was going to come out of my mouth since that was the biggest orifice he could possibly see that's closest to my belly. He was particularly worried more than curious at one point. LOL! Silly guy!