4/03/2014
8/17/2012
Homeschooling a Late-Talker, Over-Active Toddler, and a Busy Baby!
I'm a homeschooling mom! 2012-2013!
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| Chalk |
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| Desk work |
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| Even Baby Bee has things to do! |
We are off to a great start. It is really motivating to think that I am starting ahead because it's easy with a late-talker to feel behind sometimes. Gamer (my 4-year old son) is already reading! We started in March since he seemed interested (following closely along with books, trying to sound out words, asking what words are) and now he's reading 'Green Eggs and Ham!' Dancer (my 3-year old daughter) knows all her capital and lowercase letters and almost all her sounds. Even Baby Bee can say 'A' and 'apple' after our 'Letter A Week' - she even said blue when I handed her the felt squares! :) (After I told her of course).
One thing I feel uneasy about is not having a store-bought curriculum. With Gamer being able to read and add (as well as other skills), but lacking other knowledge and skills, it's hard to choose a curriculum that suits him. Scouring the internet has not helped and viewing books online has just led me to believe I can design the curriculum around him. I taught high school, but this can't be THAT dissimilar, right? Wish me luck. :)
My goal for this year is to bring Gamer to a higher level in speech and in reading comprehension. Dancer will be pretty straight-forward, just building on what she already knows and raising her self-esteem. Baby Bee will obviously just follow along and practice whatever fine motor activities distract her long enough for us to get stuff done!
Good luck to any other homeschooling moms!
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
2/24/2012
Fantastic Apps! - Learning to Read Phonics Apps by Emmy Chen
I absolutely love the iPad app 'Phonics Silly Sentences - Short Vowels, Flash Cards, Matching and Sentences.' I love the whole series made by Emmy Chen and it is so worth the $2.99 price!
My almost-five year old boy is still behind in his speech but I've started him in a reading program that I got for free from Funnix and I downloaded a bunch of free versions of different apps, of which the Silly Sentences series is by far my favorite. He knows the alphabet, letter sounds and so now I've started to teach him sight words and beginning phonics. So far he is doing super well - he's learned about ten sight words so far and is learning the concept of sounding out words. Don't get me wrong, he's not reading yet, but it's a promising, solid start!
The app was easy enough for my son to do by himself but I would not recommend that. Sitting and playing together, saying the sounds and words aloud with my son was really helpful. He loves matching the pictures to the words and sentences and it is making a connection between sentences and specific sentences which has been different than other books and apps we've used.
So go get it. It's a great phonics app. We got the whole series.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
My almost-five year old boy is still behind in his speech but I've started him in a reading program that I got for free from Funnix and I downloaded a bunch of free versions of different apps, of which the Silly Sentences series is by far my favorite. He knows the alphabet, letter sounds and so now I've started to teach him sight words and beginning phonics. So far he is doing super well - he's learned about ten sight words so far and is learning the concept of sounding out words. Don't get me wrong, he's not reading yet, but it's a promising, solid start!
The app was easy enough for my son to do by himself but I would not recommend that. Sitting and playing together, saying the sounds and words aloud with my son was really helpful. He loves matching the pictures to the words and sentences and it is making a connection between sentences and specific sentences which has been different than other books and apps we've used.
So go get it. It's a great phonics app. We got the whole series.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
12/20/2011
At-Home Speech Therapy Exercises for Receptive Expressive Language Disorder - Late-Talking
There is a wonderful page on a site that has some great ideas for talking to a child who has language deficiencies - the site is Speech Therapy on Video and the page is here. In case it is ever not available, you'll find it here too.
Whether or not a professional is helping your child, you should continue your child's therapy at home and these are specific things you can do. I've read so many times to just talk to them, but this is a list of specific exercises that produce results. At first, my son could not do any of these, but we kept practicing and we still work on his language everyday with these same exercises and I have been seeing real improvement.
I am not kidding when I say that I am so glad to feel that I have a guide. I am the type of person that needs to read specific exercises with real explanations and I have brought my son from not being able to do any of these 9 months ago to naming a long list of opposites, differentiating between fruits and animals, and that a green light means go and a red light means stop and more. This last week he played his first game - Red Light, Green Light. There's no way he's have been able to follow direction, understand the concept, and play that months ago.
Even more than these exercises though, I believe that just spending that much time with him, focusing on him and having him know that I wanted him to talk - I think that was the biggest difference of all. Children are good and want to please us - they just need to know how.
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
Whether or not a professional is helping your child, you should continue your child's therapy at home and these are specific things you can do. I've read so many times to just talk to them, but this is a list of specific exercises that produce results. At first, my son could not do any of these, but we kept practicing and we still work on his language everyday with these same exercises and I have been seeing real improvement.
I am not kidding when I say that I am so glad to feel that I have a guide. I am the type of person that needs to read specific exercises with real explanations and I have brought my son from not being able to do any of these 9 months ago to naming a long list of opposites, differentiating between fruits and animals, and that a green light means go and a red light means stop and more. This last week he played his first game - Red Light, Green Light. There's no way he's have been able to follow direction, understand the concept, and play that months ago.
Even more than these exercises though, I believe that just spending that much time with him, focusing on him and having him know that I wanted him to talk - I think that was the biggest difference of all. Children are good and want to please us - they just need to know how.
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
12/14/2011
Using the iPad as a Preschool Educational Tool Rules
We are a technology household. Daddy works from home so he is at his computer, iPhone, and iPad for many hours of the day. He and I believe that technology is a part of tomorrow no matter what and so we allow the kids to share an iPad. While they're young, we believe we're teaching them care and respect for their iPad (or whatever item you might have) and we have basic rules to keep it from being an electronic babysitter or just another toy.
1. Two to an iPad
Why? In this house, I need interaction - talking! My late-talker must use the iPad with me, dad, grandpa, even his sister, so that he is not just quiet. He must describe what he's doing, even if he's just repeating back what I'm saying. He describes what he sees, what the characters are doing, he laughs, he looks at me, kisses me, smiles, and laughs some more...:)
2. Educational Games Folder Only
Why? I want to be able to integrate this iPad into his education for a long time, so I need for him and the other kids to see it as a learning tool and not a big Nintendo DS. Handing it to them and letting them do whatever does not set any rules or boundaries and opens the door to abuse and destruction of the item.
3. iPads are for Practice
Why? You are the teacher or leader so any initial lesson should be coming from you. Allowing youtube or TV to teach your kids the ABCs makes the TV the teacher. Sing the ABCs, put together an alphabet puzzle, and allow technology to support what you have already taught. With our iPad, I search for apps to reinforce ideas I've taught, like Seasons HD to show more visuals and games of the four seasons.
4. Alone Practice is within Sight and for an Hour at the Most
Why? Actually, alone time doesn't even happen everyday. It's good to just let them become bored because that's when they figure out something to do! My son needs practice thinking and creating so just letting him alone is good, but sometimes on weekends when Daddy and I catch up with a show, my son sits next to us doing his thing.
5. And During Practice Time, Airport is On!
Not only are we preventing him from accidently buying or signing up for anything, but we are also protecting him from any inappropriate websites or youtube videos. He navigates well and for now we've kept the airport switch a secret...he navigates too well not to stumble upon a bad link.
6. Put it Back
Why? Like with their other belongings, they must take care of it and learn proper use of it. Leaving it on the couch is unacceptable - plugging it in at the same place teaches them to respect the item. Teaching this young I am hoping will prevent them from losing it if we ever take it out into the public.
Any others?
Love, Amanda and Cubs
1. Two to an iPad
Why? In this house, I need interaction - talking! My late-talker must use the iPad with me, dad, grandpa, even his sister, so that he is not just quiet. He must describe what he's doing, even if he's just repeating back what I'm saying. He describes what he sees, what the characters are doing, he laughs, he looks at me, kisses me, smiles, and laughs some more...:)
2. Educational Games Folder Only
Why? I want to be able to integrate this iPad into his education for a long time, so I need for him and the other kids to see it as a learning tool and not a big Nintendo DS. Handing it to them and letting them do whatever does not set any rules or boundaries and opens the door to abuse and destruction of the item.
3. iPads are for Practice
Why? You are the teacher or leader so any initial lesson should be coming from you. Allowing youtube or TV to teach your kids the ABCs makes the TV the teacher. Sing the ABCs, put together an alphabet puzzle, and allow technology to support what you have already taught. With our iPad, I search for apps to reinforce ideas I've taught, like Seasons HD to show more visuals and games of the four seasons.
4. Alone Practice is within Sight and for an Hour at the Most
Why? Actually, alone time doesn't even happen everyday. It's good to just let them become bored because that's when they figure out something to do! My son needs practice thinking and creating so just letting him alone is good, but sometimes on weekends when Daddy and I catch up with a show, my son sits next to us doing his thing.
5. And During Practice Time, Airport is On!
Not only are we preventing him from accidently buying or signing up for anything, but we are also protecting him from any inappropriate websites or youtube videos. He navigates well and for now we've kept the airport switch a secret...he navigates too well not to stumble upon a bad link.
6. Put it Back
Why? Like with their other belongings, they must take care of it and learn proper use of it. Leaving it on the couch is unacceptable - plugging it in at the same place teaches them to respect the item. Teaching this young I am hoping will prevent them from losing it if we ever take it out into the public.
Any others?
Love, Amanda and Cubs
12/12/2011
Online Learning Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers
I love this site for educational preschool learning games that I ran into the other day: Literacy Center.net - The Early Childhood Education Network!
My late-talker interacts most with me when he is having fun. Play is just a wonderful way for him to learn, retain what he has learned, and practice talking over and over again without getting tired of the activity. It has however been difficult for me to do the things HE enjoys.
It was hard for me to see that he did not like reading and crafting for lengthy periods of time. Twenty minutes tops. Technology is just what he enjoys, and so as long as it is a family activity, we allow him to enjoy a lot of it -- way more than other moms let their kids, but we've got a difficult situation here, and I think every mom can relate to whatever works, do it!
During the week, my son plays with a Apple computer, Nintendo Wii, an Apple iPad, and our iPhones. On the weekend, he can play with his Nintendo DS. I do limit his individual playing time to 30 min to an hour as well as his playing non-educational games. Everything else, he must be playing and talking with a parent. The husband is better at playing, I'm better at talking so we're still working this situation out - but the results are clear - he talks a lot more than he did a year ago when we kinda started this. It has been a nice family experience.
I do have some requirements to all this screen time though. He must eat meals at the table, he has to have a technology-free morning, he must run around and play with his sister for an hour or two running around and doing what she likes to do, practice writing, and he has to read 20 minutes with me before bedtime. And all that doesn't even guarantee his tech time if we have shopping or errands to do - it all depends and he knows not to demand or expect any game time. He's actually very understanding and tantrum-free, which is why I think we allow him to play as much as we do -- it seems like a lot of time to me, but maybe it's way less than others.
I love the learning games of course. Nick Jr. and Sprout. Scholastic and BBC have a few great ones too. The site we found through readquarium (and Gamequarium), is a wonderful site LiteracyCenter.net - I hope you check it out with your little one because it has a lot of games for teaching or reviewing the basics.
Other sites I've checked out a couple times are Funbrain and Funschool - although we have yet to fully explore these :)
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
My late-talker interacts most with me when he is having fun. Play is just a wonderful way for him to learn, retain what he has learned, and practice talking over and over again without getting tired of the activity. It has however been difficult for me to do the things HE enjoys.
It was hard for me to see that he did not like reading and crafting for lengthy periods of time. Twenty minutes tops. Technology is just what he enjoys, and so as long as it is a family activity, we allow him to enjoy a lot of it -- way more than other moms let their kids, but we've got a difficult situation here, and I think every mom can relate to whatever works, do it!
During the week, my son plays with a Apple computer, Nintendo Wii, an Apple iPad, and our iPhones. On the weekend, he can play with his Nintendo DS. I do limit his individual playing time to 30 min to an hour as well as his playing non-educational games. Everything else, he must be playing and talking with a parent. The husband is better at playing, I'm better at talking so we're still working this situation out - but the results are clear - he talks a lot more than he did a year ago when we kinda started this. It has been a nice family experience.
I do have some requirements to all this screen time though. He must eat meals at the table, he has to have a technology-free morning, he must run around and play with his sister for an hour or two running around and doing what she likes to do, practice writing, and he has to read 20 minutes with me before bedtime. And all that doesn't even guarantee his tech time if we have shopping or errands to do - it all depends and he knows not to demand or expect any game time. He's actually very understanding and tantrum-free, which is why I think we allow him to play as much as we do -- it seems like a lot of time to me, but maybe it's way less than others.
I love the learning games of course. Nick Jr. and Sprout. Scholastic and BBC have a few great ones too. The site we found through readquarium (and Gamequarium), is a wonderful site LiteracyCenter.net - I hope you check it out with your little one because it has a lot of games for teaching or reviewing the basics.
Other sites I've checked out a couple times are Funbrain and Funschool - although we have yet to fully explore these :)
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
12/07/2011
Speech Therapy Help - So Great for My Late-Talker
I ran into this wonderful website from their pins on Pinterest. It's called The Learning Curve and is a Speech Language Pathology Resource. What is most helpful is this form of How to Track Communicative Intent - the post is here and I love it.
I am planning on homeschooling my son and he is about a year behind in his language ability. Had I had this form earlier, it would have been great, but now is fine too because it helps me focus on what he is saying and see the areas in which he is still struggling. Then I can model those type of questions or phrases so he begins to understand and hopefully use them.
Even if he was in school or in a speech class, I'd love to have this to follow his ability at home and to have something to show at a meeting about his progress and goals (I am a teacher so I would have loved if parents brought this type of documentation).
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
I am planning on homeschooling my son and he is about a year behind in his language ability. Had I had this form earlier, it would have been great, but now is fine too because it helps me focus on what he is saying and see the areas in which he is still struggling. Then I can model those type of questions or phrases so he begins to understand and hopefully use them.
Even if he was in school or in a speech class, I'd love to have this to follow his ability at home and to have something to show at a meeting about his progress and goals (I am a teacher so I would have loved if parents brought this type of documentation).
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
12/01/2011
I'm Back! Doing at-home preschooling
It's been a long time but now we're in our house, we've had our newest baby girl, Baby B, I have my little home computer all set up and we are back in Alaska and getting past our busy portrait season - whew.
Here's our newest addition...
She's been a very good baby girl so far and she's very excited now to be able to crawl and pull herself up to follow her brother and sister wherever they go.
I hope to use these posts to view our preschool progress so I'll be posting various links I find useful for working with my little late-talker who is 4 1/2 now and about a year behind (he's doing much better than last year!).
Right now I'm working along these great prescool calendars I found at Preschool Alphabet. The calendars are on the right column near the bottom and are awesome for learning letters and various sight words. Right now we're skipping around letters and just finding a schedule that is comfortable by trying out different activities at different times to see when is best -- important for someone finicky about his mood and what he wants to do like my son.
Here's our newest addition...
She's been a very good baby girl so far and she's very excited now to be able to crawl and pull herself up to follow her brother and sister wherever they go.
I hope to use these posts to view our preschool progress so I'll be posting various links I find useful for working with my little late-talker who is 4 1/2 now and about a year behind (he's doing much better than last year!).
Right now I'm working along these great prescool calendars I found at Preschool Alphabet. The calendars are on the right column near the bottom and are awesome for learning letters and various sight words. Right now we're skipping around letters and just finding a schedule that is comfortable by trying out different activities at different times to see when is best -- important for someone finicky about his mood and what he wants to do like my son.
10/27/2010
Activities When I'm Too Tired Too Play with the Toddlers
I'm 20 weeks pregnant and poor Monica has to wean because the milk is finally gone. She wasn't able to go back to sleep last night for 3 hours. I even drove her around at 5:30am. Anyway, I'm a bit sluggish today and I can tell my poor husband and son are too (we have a family bed so the other members suffered a bit as well).
Monica is like the Jack Russell Terrier of our pack - she needs twice the activity to rest well and wakes up very alert at the slightest disturbance...it's been a far cry from my first who weaned soundlessly and sleeps every night through the night.
Today, I needed to tire out Monica (without upsetting or frustrating her) and I needed some sit-down activities for my tired Elijah. There was no way I was running after Monica to play today (I did for about 3 minutes) and Elijah wasn't in the mood to be outside for very long.
It snowed a little. :) Inspiration.
*** Made "snowflakes" and put them in various pie plates. Elijah liked throwing them from the couch, counting them, and Monica ran through them over and over.
*** Elijah had a wooden spoon. We balanced as many snowflakes as we could on it, counting and laughing when they fell. Then he let Monica hit it as she ran by. Then we grabbed anything we could to balance.
***We turned the wooden spoon, got a toilet paper roll and paper cup and made a "snowman" to balance on the handle. We used expo marker to draw and erase different faces, happy, mad, sad, etc. Monica thought it was hilarious to run around with the head after I made a "pop" noise when she took it.
***Put a little water in the pie plate and let them put in the scrunched snowflakes and watch them expand. Elijah pulled them apart and "pasted" them to an cardboard piece. Monica took them and threw them at an empty box to watch it tip, get wet, and change color.
***Ate "snow" with lunch - rolled up leftover white rice. Some were cold, some were microwaved, just to practice hot and cold. Elijah liked rolling some of them.
***Glued cotton balls and Q-tips to paper. Attached a little toilet paper to Monica and she spun.
***Children's music. Elijah pulled out cards of the things he heard and made the correct animal noises. Monica danced.
***Taped some "snowshoes" onto Monica - she frickin loved it! It was just a big paper foot taped around her foot. I would have done it to the bottom, but I didn't want her to slip. Then she wanted hands, then was entertained by the paper shapes and tape...another story. Elijah and I looked up pictures of arctic animals and native peoples.
It's going to be a rough week. Monica is going through a big change and I expect a lot of fits, tears, and whines. I figure I'll just keep cuddling and loving and kissing. I know she won't go on like this forever.
Love, Amanda and Cubs
Monica is like the Jack Russell Terrier of our pack - she needs twice the activity to rest well and wakes up very alert at the slightest disturbance...it's been a far cry from my first who weaned soundlessly and sleeps every night through the night.
Today, I needed to tire out Monica (without upsetting or frustrating her) and I needed some sit-down activities for my tired Elijah. There was no way I was running after Monica to play today (I did for about 3 minutes) and Elijah wasn't in the mood to be outside for very long.
It snowed a little. :) Inspiration.
*** Made "snowflakes" and put them in various pie plates. Elijah liked throwing them from the couch, counting them, and Monica ran through them over and over.
*** Elijah had a wooden spoon. We balanced as many snowflakes as we could on it, counting and laughing when they fell. Then he let Monica hit it as she ran by. Then we grabbed anything we could to balance.
***We turned the wooden spoon, got a toilet paper roll and paper cup and made a "snowman" to balance on the handle. We used expo marker to draw and erase different faces, happy, mad, sad, etc. Monica thought it was hilarious to run around with the head after I made a "pop" noise when she took it.
***Put a little water in the pie plate and let them put in the scrunched snowflakes and watch them expand. Elijah pulled them apart and "pasted" them to an cardboard piece. Monica took them and threw them at an empty box to watch it tip, get wet, and change color.
***Ate "snow" with lunch - rolled up leftover white rice. Some were cold, some were microwaved, just to practice hot and cold. Elijah liked rolling some of them.
***Glued cotton balls and Q-tips to paper. Attached a little toilet paper to Monica and she spun.
***Children's music. Elijah pulled out cards of the things he heard and made the correct animal noises. Monica danced.
***Taped some "snowshoes" onto Monica - she frickin loved it! It was just a big paper foot taped around her foot. I would have done it to the bottom, but I didn't want her to slip. Then she wanted hands, then was entertained by the paper shapes and tape...another story. Elijah and I looked up pictures of arctic animals and native peoples.
It's going to be a rough week. Monica is going through a big change and I expect a lot of fits, tears, and whines. I figure I'll just keep cuddling and loving and kissing. I know she won't go on like this forever.
Love, Amanda and Cubs
10/20/2010
Keeping My Baby Entertained...With a Box!
Give 'em a box. I LOVE how entertained babies and toddlers are by a big box. We're moving in less than a month and we have a lot of boxes around - the kids are outta their minds with excitement.
Playing Peek-a-Boo
Surprise!
Gave her a marker and she LOVED it!
Little word of advice - don't sit down thinking you'll quickly check your e-mail - Monica walked outta that box blue-fingered, blue-lipped, and blue-earred!
Parenting Fail!
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
10/14/2010
Two Great Alphabet Writing Apps for Toddlers and Preschoolers: iWriteWords and Little Sky Writers
We have an Apple iPad and we are incorporating it into our home-preschooling one game at a time. Two games I have found to be great is iWriteWords and Little SkyWriters We bought the Handwriting edition of iWriteWords ($2.99) and the iPad app Sky ($1.99) and I love them because it fills a gap in what I've been teaching him at home
Elijah has this great wipe-clean book called Learn to Write your Letters ABC (it's in the Amazon list to the right) and we write the alphabet upper- and lower-case everyday. However, I'm afraid of over-correcting, creating frustration, and taking his enthusiasm for it down to nil. With both of these apps, he must follow the letter correctly, lifting his finger where he should and finishing the letter correctly. And they're still fun.
Little Sky Writers is a simpler app. Once I showed Elijah how to do it, he liked guiding the airplane. I liked that he had a point to reach, and a check to know he'd done it correctly. By pressing the alphabet icon, I was able to see how many he'd gotten correct after he was done, upper- and lower-case. And he loved the voice and the sound effects. My only wish was that there was some kind of "Great job!" at the end of each letter, but that's just me.
iWriteWords is a fantastic app for the price. I like how you can make the letters bigger for little fingers. Elijah understood this one right away and I was able to tell him "Touch the four" if he didn't finish the letter correctly, and he understands that better than "Go to the end." And you can re-play their handiwork - watch it and enjoy. But they made it a little too fun to mess up the letter, so I know when to take it away because I hear the squeaky noise and giggles repeatedly.
These apps were good for my Elijah with the speech delay because I was able to have him repeat words that the man in Sky Writers said or the words the lady said in iWriteWords. He also must tell me which one he wants by saying "I want -" to first get the app, and again for the features in the game. And if he does a good job, I encourage him to say "yay!" and pretty soon, he's engaging in spontaneous speech.
There's another review with a video for Little Sky Writers here by Best iPad Hacks. The iPhone Mom wrote a great review of iWriteWords here and if you search for it on youtube, you can watch kids play it. Both are well worth it in alphabet toddler game world.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
Elijah has this great wipe-clean book called Learn to Write your Letters ABC (it's in the Amazon list to the right) and we write the alphabet upper- and lower-case everyday. However, I'm afraid of over-correcting, creating frustration, and taking his enthusiasm for it down to nil. With both of these apps, he must follow the letter correctly, lifting his finger where he should and finishing the letter correctly. And they're still fun.
These apps were good for my Elijah with the speech delay because I was able to have him repeat words that the man in Sky Writers said or the words the lady said in iWriteWords. He also must tell me which one he wants by saying "I want -" to first get the app, and again for the features in the game. And if he does a good job, I encourage him to say "yay!" and pretty soon, he's engaging in spontaneous speech.
There's another review with a video for Little Sky Writers here by Best iPad Hacks. The iPhone Mom wrote a great review of iWriteWords here and if you search for it on youtube, you can watch kids play it. Both are well worth it in alphabet toddler game world.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
10/13/2010
Two for One, Practicing Lacing and Writing Letters
When Monica unexpectedly wakes up early from her nap, I need something for her to do so that she doesn't destroy what Elijah and I have started. Not easy. She used to do it to our train set up all the time!
This works. I punched holes in a paper and had her lace through a shoe lace. Voilà , we finished what we were doing and she was as happy as a clam.
Afterwards, I noticed it was photo paper and that if I wrote down the letter, I could erase mine and have Elijah trace the faint outline of the letter. He did a really good job and enjoyed it a lot. He was so excited, I didn't get to write down every letter beforehand and he did many letters all by himself.
I really liked this and I am going to do it again. I laced through the string that was on it and hung it on the refrigerator so everyone could see it. I'm glad he practiced writing his letters without a guide and I'm glad he was so excited to do it. For most of the day, he has walked by and looked at it, admiring his work. Very cute.
This works. I punched holes in a paper and had her lace through a shoe lace. Voilà , we finished what we were doing and she was as happy as a clam.
Afterwards, I noticed it was photo paper and that if I wrote down the letter, I could erase mine and have Elijah trace the faint outline of the letter. He did a really good job and enjoyed it a lot. He was so excited, I didn't get to write down every letter beforehand and he did many letters all by himself.
I really liked this and I am going to do it again. I laced through the string that was on it and hung it on the refrigerator so everyone could see it. I'm glad he practiced writing his letters without a guide and I'm glad he was so excited to do it. For most of the day, he has walked by and looked at it, admiring his work. Very cute.
It's a bit obvious which letters had a faint print and which didn't. However, I like it when he just takes the marker and takes charge of his learning.
With Monica climbing, she finds the paper on Jeremy's desk and printers and bends a lot of them, making the no longer useful for our business, but great for these type of activities. Now that I know I can draw, erase, and have Elijah trace, I'll have to think of new ways to do this.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
10/11/2010
Construction Paper Shapes into A,B,C Animals
I have been trying something new lately and that is to do crafty stuff with my kids. Browsing around at all the great stuff out there, I had a ton of construction paper but not many ideas that were suited to our situation.
My son is a late-talker yet knows a lot of other information already. He already knows his alphabet and its sounds, uppercase and lowercase, and all of their signs in sign language. He knows a lot of animals. So I thought a paper craft to use up some of this construction paper putting letters together to form words of animals he knows would be challenging and something new for him.
They are simple but I've seen positive results from it. He says the letters, then the word they form, so there's his early reading (that's the goal anyway). I'm also using this to teach emotion, so he calls each animal 'happy' too which is really cute. Everyday, it hangs on the wall and he describes it like ten times a day. My future animal groups will be mad, confused, etc. Can't wait!
It's hard because I don't want to go so far that he's confused but I want him to be challenged with something new. I thought that I would spend his 3rd year entirely on letters and numbers but it seems like you have to prepared to be unprepared...sheesh.
My son is a late-talker yet knows a lot of other information already. He already knows his alphabet and its sounds, uppercase and lowercase, and all of their signs in sign language. He knows a lot of animals. So I thought a paper craft to use up some of this construction paper putting letters together to form words of animals he knows would be challenging and something new for him.
They are simple but I've seen positive results from it. He says the letters, then the word they form, so there's his early reading (that's the goal anyway). I'm also using this to teach emotion, so he calls each animal 'happy' too which is really cute. Everyday, it hangs on the wall and he describes it like ten times a day. My future animal groups will be mad, confused, etc. Can't wait!
This is our A-N-T, our happy ant. He does look happy right?
Elijah knows a lot of shapes already, even crescent, but this is an excellent way to practice and make sure he stores them into his memory. I talk to him about the colors, asking him questions like, "what color or letter or shape is this?" Monica is napping so it's a nice hour or two of just casually interacting that I'm hoping will increase his talking.
Our new shapes were half-circle and I called the antennae zig-zags :) .
My son isn't great at gluing and cutting so obviously I helped guide his hands a lot! It's my fault, I haven't done this with him near enough as I should have.
Short sentences to practice short words and become familiar with how they look written.
It's hard because I don't want to go so far that he's confused but I want him to be challenged with something new. I thought that I would spend his 3rd year entirely on letters and numbers but it seems like you have to prepared to be unprepared...sheesh.
We do one a day, not on weekends when daddy's home, but he's already getting a bit better at gluing. Although, I am kind of a control freak and am heavily helping him put them in the right spot.
Here's B and C...
New shape was a tear drop. Little sister actually got a hold of this and ripped it apart, but it still looks good. Keep your paper crafts away from the smaller ones!
New shape was a football. The eyes, paws, and tail weren't real shapes. I was a little pressed for time since I didn't prep this one. Prep work is a challenge!
I hope to make A-Z animals and A-Z objects and put them all in a binder in those clear page protectors so that he can write on the sentences in the back.
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
10/10/2010
Pregnant, Baby's Moving & I Am Just Thankful
Sometimes things get in the way of the things we want to do.
Ha-ha I am not talking about my pregnancy!
I took this photo two days ago and I was all pregnant aglow and in a glorious mood and was going to write a beautifully written, inspiring post...but blogger or google or my computer was not responding and now I am not feeling well, cranky, am watching the kids from another room (I gotta get back there - they're annoying everyone back there!) and I am not in the mood I was in two days ago.
Still though, I am thankful for my love of my third pregnancy. I always thought I'd get tired of it or at least wouldn't have the same awe about it, but feeling the baby move the other day was still wondrous and miraculous.
We're so thankful for our babies and their health and we pray that we continue to be so generously blessed.
I am 17 weeks now, due March 19th. We'll be up to 3 March babies!
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
Ha-ha I am not talking about my pregnancy!
Still though, I am thankful for my love of my third pregnancy. I always thought I'd get tired of it or at least wouldn't have the same awe about it, but feeling the baby move the other day was still wondrous and miraculous.
We're so thankful for our babies and their health and we pray that we continue to be so generously blessed.
I am 17 weeks now, due March 19th. We'll be up to 3 March babies!
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
10/01/2010
Avoid Fisher-Price and Other Recalls! Live Simply and Shop Smarter!
With all of these new recalls of baby products, it is to my complete relief that we live as simply as possible.
First, we save money by not buying every product out there. Babies grow up so fast that once you haul that truckload of baby things home, you are out there getting rid of them again when they start school, or sooner. I can name everything I own for my children because it is not that much.
Second, when we buy, we look at a baby product's moving and small parts and keep in mind that even if it's for our older child, what our younger one can do to it. Anything that moves, say the wheels of a toy car for our son, can come off and become a choking hazard for our daughter. Don't just buy it, but really look at it; if you can imagine something becoming detached, it might not be worthy of buying. We have a baby gym mat from which I removed one hanging duck because it's tail looked a tad too loose. Examine, imagine the worse, and don't let a company decide what it safe for your baby.
Lastly, when we get e-mails about all the recalls, we do not have to get rid of anything - we don't have it or I've already deemed it unsafe and stopped using it. I got second-hand an infant carrier and after obsessing whether or not my daughter had suffocated every two seconds, decided it was better not to use it. Now it has been recalled for that same reason.
So please parents, live more simply, shop smarter and when recall lists are released, breathe easier!
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
First, we save money by not buying every product out there. Babies grow up so fast that once you haul that truckload of baby things home, you are out there getting rid of them again when they start school, or sooner. I can name everything I own for my children because it is not that much.
Second, when we buy, we look at a baby product's moving and small parts and keep in mind that even if it's for our older child, what our younger one can do to it. Anything that moves, say the wheels of a toy car for our son, can come off and become a choking hazard for our daughter. Don't just buy it, but really look at it; if you can imagine something becoming detached, it might not be worthy of buying. We have a baby gym mat from which I removed one hanging duck because it's tail looked a tad too loose. Examine, imagine the worse, and don't let a company decide what it safe for your baby.
Lastly, when we get e-mails about all the recalls, we do not have to get rid of anything - we don't have it or I've already deemed it unsafe and stopped using it. I got second-hand an infant carrier and after obsessing whether or not my daughter had suffocated every two seconds, decided it was better not to use it. Now it has been recalled for that same reason.
So please parents, live more simply, shop smarter and when recall lists are released, breathe easier!
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
9/29/2010
Rarer, Classic Character Halloween Costume Ideas
It's autumn, again. It's already below freezing at night and we're scrapin' off our car windows in the morning here in Alaska (well, not me; I watch from the window :) ) so we know winter is almost here.
Although I know most people don't have that experience, especially my cousin who's melting in over 100 degree weather in San Diego, I still call it Autumn because that's what most people think it is now. But the winter and its holidays are approaching, and my first favorite is closing in faster than I realize: Halloween!
****Remember reading Charlie Brown comics on a lazy Sunday? How about Dennis the Menace?
****How about tapping your shoes together repeating "There's no place like home?"
****Older folks might have enjoyed Felix the Cat? Was older correct, or should I have put more experienced? Even more experienced might get a kick out of Charlie Chaplin.
****I remember being encouraged to eat more spinach like Popeye (scroll down a bit for this one).
****I couldn't find one, but I really wish someone would make a Ziggy outfit - he was such a cute little guy.
****And don't forget about your dog's high aspirations.
Anyway, I'm still pondering what to dress up my little ones like. I like unusual, homemade costumes, so we'll see what I can come up with in the next few weeks here.
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
9/27/2010
Making a Relationship Last: A Love Journal
My husband is a romantic guy, though I'm sure he wouldn't like everyone to know that. We've celebrated every year for the past ten years the day he asked me to be his girlfriend. He holds it more dear than our wedding day. It's sweet and he remembers when it is and how soon it's coming up better than I do!
He says that our love blossomed in those days. In the first couple months, that's when real love grows. And the wedding is the public celebration, not nearly as intimate as the details of "the beginning."
I love this CNN story on the 'Original Grandparents' and their 72-year (now 73!) marriage. Their beginning sounds so much like ours. He bought a ring and swore one day he'd buy me an expensive one. It was all so very high school student hopeful, excited, bright, etc. If you check out www.the-ogs.com, it's really very cute, their story and tips.
One thing we used to do is keep a love journal, and I think it was what brought us closer together during some difficult times. All couples struggle with keeping up communication and our love journal was one place we could write what we were feeling positively. If we had a happy moment with each other, a discovery about the other, or just a 'wow, I love you' moment, we'd jot it down and put it away. It was sweet because the next time I'd go into write something, I'd read his last entry and just beam the biggest smile.
We lost our love journal in our move back from Belgium but we haven't needed it as of late. It would have been nice to treasure, but now we keep baby journals of our parenting moments.
We've only been married six years, but I am so hopeful to make it to 73 years like the ogs!
Love, Amanda and Cubs
He says that our love blossomed in those days. In the first couple months, that's when real love grows. And the wedding is the public celebration, not nearly as intimate as the details of "the beginning."
I love this CNN story on the 'Original Grandparents' and their 72-year (now 73!) marriage. Their beginning sounds so much like ours. He bought a ring and swore one day he'd buy me an expensive one. It was all so very high school student hopeful, excited, bright, etc. If you check out www.the-ogs.com, it's really very cute, their story and tips.
One thing we used to do is keep a love journal, and I think it was what brought us closer together during some difficult times. All couples struggle with keeping up communication and our love journal was one place we could write what we were feeling positively. If we had a happy moment with each other, a discovery about the other, or just a 'wow, I love you' moment, we'd jot it down and put it away. It was sweet because the next time I'd go into write something, I'd read his last entry and just beam the biggest smile.
We lost our love journal in our move back from Belgium but we haven't needed it as of late. It would have been nice to treasure, but now we keep baby journals of our parenting moments.
We've only been married six years, but I am so hopeful to make it to 73 years like the ogs!
Love, Amanda and Cubs
9/19/2010
Busy Summer
Observing shells
Kinda cranky
At the beginning of summer, we spend a lot of time strolling to the town park.
I love this stroller...too big for our car though :(
Slid down by herself at 14 months...way earlier than my cautious son!
She's very agile and brave...this thing spins
Elijah likes indoor technology fun with the iPhones
In the car, Monica sometimes doesn't like our choice of music...boogers
Anyway, I'll try to post more often now that we're at home, the sun is not out as long, and we are settling in for a long winter!
Love,
Amanda and Cubs
6/18/2010
Hey, I Have Fun with my Kids!
A clean house is definitely not a fun house.
And a perfect body is definitely one that has not had a lot of fun.
I've been down on myself over this and that, but I've realized that
Without this or that, I wouldn't have had the fun I've had with my kids!
The scar on my face is from Monica reaching up her little arm and scratching me.
If I wasn't breastfeeding or if I didn't cuddle her so much, it never would have happened.
My painful ankle wouldn't have happened if Jeremy and I weren't teaching the kids to play soccer
My various bumps and bruises wouldn't be there if I wasn't on the floor wrestling with my kids
Listening to them laugh so hard is complete bliss!
I'd definitely be skinnier if I didn't take bites of their food and spend time over special meals with them
I'd definitely be skinnier if I didn't take bites of their food and spend time over special meals with them
I wouldn't have this itch on my knee if I didn't think it was important to take my son to the pool
And I wouldn't have such back pain if I didn't carry them as much as I do, but we love it
I probably would have less zits, wrinkles, sun spots if I did x, y, or z, but that takes away the good stuff
Of long days in the sun, laughing and probably getting germy kisses on my face but
All Worth It!
Because I Love My Kids!!!
Love, Amanda & Cubs
5/23/2010
Addiction: They Just Can't Let Go (JK)
They're addicted.
It's sick.
They think about it when they wake up.
They track it down.
They find it.
They steal it.
They know how to use it.
It's a bad case of iPad addiction!
Love,
Amanda & Cubs
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