preschool "work" at home

some of pete's "work" from our day (montessori refers to their activities as work, whatever they may be).  we've been working hard on putting things back in their place the way we found them when his work is done. takes reminding and coaxing and sometimes some help but he's actually starting to enjoy that important part of the work. and i am appreciating the fact that our house is not strewn with the remnants of a half hours worth of toys (amazing how much ground it can literally cover).  aside from that, i am slowly and very gently and unstructured-ly easing into more teaching daily (preschool seems too heavy a word, but preschool-type things to teach him some concepts).  the two concepts i am introducing are very general vague world geography (the world is big, this is a map, there is land and water, the land is continents, the water is ocean, pete lives on north america) and colors (this is a reintroduction but i don't think i did it well the first time - he can match the colors but oddly still struggles to identify.  he nails white, purple, green and orange. the rest of the colors - he calls them ALL green.).

for our geography learning, which we will do ever so slowly as its a big concept for an almost 3 y/o to handle, i have brainstormed up some fun activities to help the ideas sink in.  although its considered a bit early to introduce a structured lesson like this, i feel it is important to help him understand at a very basic level at least where his daddy is in the world when he is away for what seems like eternity to a little guy. this time around i intend to divulge as few "details" as possible about what daddy is up to...for now it seems like the answer "daddy is at work" satisfies the questions. but i'd like to help him understand where daddy is.  i started by hanging a big rand mcnally world map (that we laminated) at eye level by our front door. and stuck a tiny photo of pete next to san diego. when he got up from his nap, he went straight to it so i sat with him and told him it was a map of the world. he repeated it was a "nap of the world". we'll work on that. i shows him where pete lives. i told him it was called north america while pointing to it. he did the same. we did this throughout the afternoon and he seemed pleased each time. betsy picked up on the praise he was getting and started walking over to the map and tapping north america so i clapped my hands for her too. a few days ago we started reading a sweet little book, "how big is the world?" by britta teckentrup.  its a cute story of a mole who asks creatures he encounters how big the world is....and they each have their answer. finally he takes a tour of the wide seas with a whale. he learns the world is "as big as you want it to be".  the book seemed to introduce the idea of a world to him enough that he was receptive to the map.  today i added the book "how to make an apple pie and see the world" by marjorie priceman.  i was nervous it was a little too much but he requested we read it seven times today so i think its a hit.  other books are "rhymes 'round the world" and "me on the map".  we will color a us flag, play with an inflatable globe, create the earth with blue and green playdough, learn the montessori continents song (once he can identify all seven). also found this cute "me on the map" visual activity we'll give a whirl. as also have this montessori sensorial continents globe i found for $14 online coming - am really loving this particular website for showing me exactly how to present the concepts to him.  this is my first real organized (but introduced slowly) teaching concept so i will just see what works and toss what doesn't.  once he has mastered the continents and "world" concept we can start exploring continents individually. this lesson can go on and on and on and learn about their cultures and languages and cuisine!  i've seen several bloggers post about their continued summer learning experiments and digging into the cultures of the world, this will be a grand thing for us to do in the summer when he is older.  so far he is gobbling it up, its fun to see him absorb - or even just begin to consider these new concepts. i expect this lesson to last over the next several weeks-perfect since its not really appropriate to sit and have formal lessons yet for his age - we just do little bits of learning when the moment strikes - as long as i have the stuff ready to introduce.

for colors, i am making this montessori color spool box and using this color theory introduction.  i love this idea as a work activity - using paint chips on an outdoor scavenger hunt to match colors around us in the world.  another great work activity with color theory here.  again, other than the initial color theory introduction, its hard to know what work he will take to and what will be age appropriate and interesting to him. so this will grow and expand as i determine where he is. its hard to tell if he is "playing hard to get" or  if he really can't tell me what color the firetruck is for the 14th time today.  sometimes he pretends he can't find things just so we will help him. i'll soon find out.

i'm finding one of the struggles is keeping betsy out of his way...she is interested in her work until she sees something new that he brings out - her eyes light up and she makes a beeline for his side. of course he is hard at work and in deep concentration and wants her out of his space. lots of learning for all of us to make this work. i also need to be very conscious of betsy and her abilities and not discount her interest in things that i have previously dismissed as being too advanced....she is surprising me more and more lately with what she is capable of. i shouldn't be surprised, but i think in the midst of life's business we forget that they are all growing up and learning...and she is learning indirectly just from observing him!  on that note, i'd say his biggest challenge (and mine) is practicing gentle touch with betsy and baxter. its only them, he's not rough or downright mean to other babies and no other children but the ones he spends his days with...marking his territory? competing for attention? i have no idea but i have to get to the root of it because it makes everyone miserable to spend the entire day sequestering baxter to safety behind the door of my room and constantly running to rescue betsy. my biggest source of frustration lately.

i have dabbled with the idea of homeschooling. i lean strongly in both directions depending on the day. i really love montessori but its more expensive than your average-church-nursery preschool on the block and i struggle with that - particularly because i think if i get organized and do a lot of research i can at least do montessori preschool from home. then reality strikes and fear sets in. i know lots of parents with multiple children who homeschool and live completely functional lives....i'm not sure i'm one of those capable people! not to mention the fact that i think my boy, in particular, will thrive in a school environment.  we've got some schools to visit but for now are planning to try and find a montessori school nearby and with a reasonable price tag for him to attend next year.

stringing wood beads: today i introduced the activity to him montessori style and today is the first time he has ever shown interest in and completed (including clean up) the activity....seven times!  he particularly enjoyed having momma or betsy or baxter model his creation as a necklace when he finished. 

our new world map hanging right by the front door. pete is pointing to north america. by betsy's hand there is a tiny picture of pete taped onto the laminated map.  we will slowly learn to identify other continents and eventually learn the montessori continents song.

proud of the digger he built right before bedtime. he even thought to add two lights on top. i am remembering to ask him to tell me about what he created instead of saying "what is it"...so i don't insinuate that i can't identify it. its fun to hear his descriptions.

gathering strength

there is a long road ahead...the whole of motherhood - puts perspective on this tiny little challenging chapter we are just beginning. and yet, on day 3 of "flying solo" here i am feeling empowered and strong and up to the task. perhaps my new sassy super-short hair cut has something to do with it ...but surely the support and love overflowing from family and friends lately has made this transition and the preps for what to come seem so much less overbearing.  i'm still amazed at the flux of emotions i've experienced. dread and depression and endless sadness while in the prep stages for our time apart - but now that we're in stage one of it, suddenly it feels like a lot of those emotions have been processed and cleared to make room for what's ahead, for the task at hand. there's no time to moan and groan and mourn when you have a big job to do. busy hands, for me = happy heart. don't get me wrong - i think about him every minute and a half, hoping and wondering and wishing him comfort and companionship and rest and speedy passing of time and likewise i'm incredibly proud of him and the work he is doing.

with balance, i'm consciously trying to live IN and AMONGST our busy life here instead of feeling like a slave to it. of making it part of my life and living in each of those busy fleeting moments instead of rushing through for the sake of survival.  planning and prepping just enough to be ready for the next thing but not so much that i am left wearing and unwound at the end of the day (ok, maybe a little weary, but that's part of mom duty, right?). just trying to find the right balance for us. the right mix of getting stuff done and doing nothing at all, keeping everyone right in the middle where we need to be. trying to set up routines we can stick to on a weekly basis to help with what can easily become and onslaught of "to do's". meal plan on sunday night. groceries on monday morning preceeded by our newest tradition of stopping in the donut shop first for a treat. makes it a fun outing instead of something i secretly dread a tiny little bit. tried out introducing a post-dinner walk around the park in the cool evening air, i think we all enjoyed it....just have to tweak the timing so i don't push lady bug to the brink of bedtime. we'll get it just right.  clearing out the clutter in our play area, keeping out the things that are interesting and age/skill appropriate for us right now and  creating storage options for the rest. working on creating a more hands-on kid-accessible play scene outside for all to enjoy. our house sometimes feels tiny and i forget htat we have a huge covered patio and shady back yard we can branch out to for fun. i haven't put a lot of thought/energy into that space so i've been gathering ideas and inspiration to dedicate myself to creating a more inviting space out there since we are so blessed with such a great back yard.  these things are at the forefront of my planning mode for the next few months-these and introducing slowly, gently tiny little bits of montessori inspired preschool at home.  we will transition to real school next year. then, in a few months, we shift to holiday preps.  its a big responsibility this year with an almost-three-year-old making memories. i feel like this year it is really important to have my ducks in a row and "traditions" ready for enjoying. the past years we've enjoyed the holidays but knew he wouldn't really have memories forming yet....but now, at 3, it just seems like an important time to make sure he really can enjoy every last bit of magic the holiday season brings to our lives. and then early in 2012 we will shift full scale into prep for baby #3, creating a cozy space for us to share in my room and making sure P & B are as ready for that transition as they can be. currently reading "1000 gifts" and remembering to take in the magic of every little moment that makes up our days. this IS life, right here in the middle of everything swirling around me, wherever i am, whoever i am with, this is exactly where i'm supposed to be, doing the amazing work of a momma at home. xoxo

the latest construction project - he's really into building "houses" lately. i love watching him sit and concentrate and select the pieces and fit them together and balance them just so

post-overhaul/excess removal. montessori inspired, created with betsy in mind although pete still enjoys all these activities too.  she's really into manipulating the rings on and off the pegs, putting the shapes into the sorter and putting the pegs in and out of the holes (usually a hammering project, i just put the hammer away). puzzles, wooden tool box, pull snake and music box on the bottom. the very top is still a work in progress, many of them are pete only access so its a trick finding a way to display them for him without her having full access to it all.

newest "creation" is a snuggly reading nook area at the fireplace which is situated right next to our kitchen table and is visually appealing but a completely useless corner of lost space in our just-right little house. i plan to create a fabric covered foam cushion to make a seat and make some more colorful pillows, perhaps a bit bigger to cover the glass of the fireplace. i've been quite pleased to see it getting loads of use from all the little members of our family.

"nigh nigh" with her babies. she is already a little momma. excited to see her excitement when a real baby arrives in the spring.

playing in the couch tunnel.

sporting her chef's hat

could be a picture from "blueberries for sal"....taking the chickpeas out of my bucket just as fast as i can peel of the little skins. she was gobbling them up. made my heart sing to have her sitting there next to me while i worked, watching pete play through the window.

as always, thanks to pete, everyone involved is covered up and "nice and warm".  when she is sleepy or just snuggled in to a cozy spot, she sucks her thumb and plays with her belly button. these darn one piece outfits don't allow access like t-shirts do....so i have been finding her with her arm shoved down the neck hole of her outfits. she has also managed to tuck her arm back into the arm hole. so funny, i'm not sure when it started, but it sure is cute.

playtime

there is an angst that builds up in your chest as you prepare for a long separation. i am doing my best to put fun and playtime at the forefront and deal with the dreading-what's-to-come anxiety in my own quiet time at the end of the day. what matters most is packing in as much fun for daddy and our babies as possible. he's now away for a little stint, then we'll see him for a few quality fun-time weeks before the big "trip" happens for him. we're adjusting. finding balance. finding new fun ways to spend our days. and i am busy nesting to keep my hands busier than my mind. fascinating how there is always so much to do.

fun at sesame street splash park at sea world

watching the beluga whales in awe

a quick snack while waiting for shamu to make an appearance

mrs. wiggle-bottom couldn't sit still pre-show but was clapping and jumping up and down once shamu came out and the music started

a little apprehensive of all the loud noises that go with the show (people screaming when they get wet)...he loved it but was nervous. after the show, all he could talk about was the show.

jungle boy hanging out at the splash park at sea world

modeling daddy's helmet

this thing is super heavy

busy working with red paint

a little quiet time movie break - pete always is sure to get everyone all covered up, nice and warm

off to work his construction job. i love love love how the goggle straps make his sweet ears stick out.

Publish Post

montessori style pouring activity

simple. and he was absorbed in it for about 40 minutes until he mastered it....and then started "coloring outside the lines" and getting sloppy and silly. but for those first 40 minutes he was very very deliberate and careful and focused.  perfection.  need to keep experimenting to find the exact type of activities that he needs right now....its so hit or miss lately. some things he couldn't care less about. other things he loves for one afternoon and then he's so over it. aren't there a few things for a 2.5 year old that i can rotate through to keep him excited day after day? it is such an arduous task to find what's right. going back to the books and scouring the internet. i've been moaning and groaning about terrible twos but my gut tells me over and over that other than some of the natural frustrations that come with this age, his "naughty" stuff is due to boredom. check out some of my finds here: http://pinterest.com/hummingbirdgal/childhood/

basic eye-dropper with water (suggested food coloring to make it interesting, i used soy sauce because its all i had on hand and seemed less...permanent if spilled)

the putting on and taking off of the eye dropper cap alone was an activity of interest he was determined to master

i did it!

transferring liquid between two glass pouring containers

being silly with daddy at bedtime

cardiff beach on a chilly morning

 san diego is such a funny place to live...it was 80 and sunny at our house at 9 am but at 9:30 it was 65 and overcast and slightly drizzly at the beach.  it felt like a refreshing change to me and betsy didn't seem phased, but after pete took a spill and got a little wet, he refused to come out from under the towels.  its easier for me to chase one kid at a time anyway, thanks buddy! always feels good to hear those waves as they rush over your toes.

two (not so) tiny fish

my littles love the water and we are continuing to take weekly swim class at floaties swim school just around the corner from us.  i snapped some pictures and a few fun videos this week to share with all the grandparents watching from afar, and for poor daddy whose work schedule hasn't allowed him to come with us since the beginning of this year!

little miss is getting brave...and is less willing to sit nicely and wait her turn on the side. :)

enjoy this little video of the kids swimming, chasing around the hallway, coloring and petey telling me what to name the baby. (not sure why but firefox would only play the audio, had to use safari to see the full video, grandma - don't worry about any of this info, it should work fine for you if you have viewed videos before!)

a little bit of sunshine

a good night's sleep, lots of mommy-reflection on the subject, lots of chatting-it-out with my favorite girlfriends in the land, lots of trial-and-error.....and today has been a better day, the best, most enjoyable day of the week, actually. am so grateful for a change in our latest "norm"...it was getting a bit unbearable, even as super-darling as these children are, even as huggable and kissable and melt-my-heart precious they are when they are asleep, this week was a hard mommy week. i know i'm learning a lot about myself and my children and the daily operations of our home and my feable attempt at finding balance in the midst of it all.....am hoping the littles who live here with me have maybe learned some good lessons too. i'm certain the problem isn't fixed overnight, but i'm grateful that this morning was filled with more family fun and giggles and running and playing and a lot less angry-mommy-on-a-rampage. its way more enjoyable for all of us. here's to a lovely afternoon.

quite proud of the tower he built with mommy - we've had these wood lego-type stacker blocks forever and today was the first time he showed interest. i think they are a new favorite.

little miss sweetie-pie is tinkering with her wake-up, naptime and bedtime hours....keeping momma guessing, we are definitely at a sleep flux - i'm sure she'll settle in to her new routine over the next week. big girl is growing up!

had to wear his pack-pack while riding his bike to the park. made me sad thinking about him going off to school someday. sad in a super-excited-for-him sort of way, i know he will LOVE it.

the quest for fun & a better today

at the end of today with both sweet babes in their beds i find myself weary, exhausted, frustrated and feeling a bit like a failure.  it seems i spent the entire day correcting and keeping big brother from breaking his little sister (not an exaggeration, his new favorite activity is finding exciting new ways to push her around) and keeping little sister out of ALL the things she is adamant about touching and eating that are just not allowed (trash, china cabinet, desk drawers, etc). it feels like i spent a lot of energy keeping my emotions in check and trying to guide and correct in a loving respectful way instead of screaming out orders and screeching that they listen to me...i promise you despite my efforts, some of those emotions still came spilling out, i'll have to try again tomorrow for a "no yelling" day.  but then i think about our day, outside of the way i am feeling, outside of this exhausted momma haze that fills my head when i finally get to stop after bedtime, and i wonder if maybe we had a better, more productive, more fun-filled day than i am giving myself credit for.  maybe all that i am doing is just part of the job description and its supposed to be that way and will continue to be this way until they are old and moved out of my house.  maybe i'm so exhausted because i tried my best to be creative and loving and productive to two babies somehow all at once; its an impossible quest but i did really give it my best shot.  this morning was full of frustrations and i started to wonder if maybe its because my littles have grown and their needs and interests have changed and perhaps i've been so in the midst of this first-trimester-energy-sucking-phase that i've forgotten to engage myself in keeping the environment around them new and exciting and stimulating. yes, that happened.  so at naptime i regrouped.  i fixed a broken child's chair and created a desk environment for peter because he is so infatuated with momma's desk, surely he'd like his own-with a writing station to boot. i had hesitated because the desk is at betsy's level and she is not ready for a free-for-all with writing utensils and the like but decided it was time to just buck up and teach her that "no, she may not write with the markers on the wall" and keep them available to peter if the interest strikes and see what happens. and yes betsy tried with all her might to get into those things today but even more exciting, my boy pete sat and colored and came and went and colored some more, all in his notebook he got out on his own and all with markers he opened (and closed!!!!!) on his own.  little tiny changes make all the difference.  he wants to be his own man and he wants to follow his own agenda. most of the whining and fighting and resisting momma's itinerary comes when i am imposing the day on him instead of including him in the plans. we've still be struggling with some potty training things; particularly frustrating after having an accident free month (day AND night) and then suddenly little bouts, 2-3 days of wet all the time (day AND night). still struggling with momma managing the potty schedule instead of him telling me when it was time. so i wondered, what if i encouraged him to do it all on his own and took myself out of the equation. so i tried it: here's the stool so you can turn on the light all by yourself. then you already know how to pull down your pants and big boy underwear, right? and then you already know how to put the toilet seats up and stand really close to the potty right? yes! you know just what to do and you can do it all by yourself without momma, can't you?  and just like that his eyes lit up and the rest of the day, a casual reminder that whenever he needed to go potty he could go and do it all by himself without momma was all it took to send him scampering off to the bathroom to take care of it.  how wonderful!  this afternoon i changed my tone to see if it would alter the way the morning had gone. lots of "can you please help momma with this?" and lots of "would you like to help momma with that?" and wow he was all over it with lots of manners to boot.  and so i realized. once again, perhaps it was me that was creating all this chaos and all this toddler-nastiness and all this resistance to order.  perhaps it was my exhaustion and my frustration and my lack of patience and my lack of respect and my lack of manners that was causing him to push back at any request (demand?) i sent his way. and now here i am, knowing, remembering once again, that i have so much more control over all of this than i sometimes want to accept. its so much easier to blame toddlers and their terrible two's for all the reasons the day is going awry.  perhaps that this boy loves attention and i was giving him so much negative attention he just kept raising the bar to make sure the attention kept coming. when he was given lots of praise for all the good things he was doing and minimal commenting/correcting took place for the bad things, a lot of the yucky actions ceased to happen.  with one exception....poor little sister is taking the brunt of something. i'm not sure if he is testing her or testing me or testing his place in the order of our home but he is still really rough with her. sometimes its giggling and tickling (in the face?) and hugging her (around the neck while laying on top of her?) and they are both having fun until he gets out of hand and takes it too far and she ends up hurt. and sometimes its almost unprovoked malicious stuff like walking right up and dropping a giant metal tractor on her head or attempting to bite through her arm. i'm not sure how to handle that one.  the momma bear in me wants to ROAR it to a halt because my littlest is getting hurt, but then i remember he is one of my littles too and my roaring causes him a different kind of pain. at the same time, you can't let it go unnoticed.  its a struggle, one i hope he gets bored of quickly as she becomes more and more able to play with him. on the note of playing, we pulled out some toys that had been put away as they were not age appropriate for anyone when the putting away happened. and my goodness, these two were fully immersed in the playing for the rest of the evening. another sign i had sort of let my creative involvement with their environment slip during the last 13 weeks of growing their new littlest sibling....when they can concentrate on one activity for  a long period of time, its a good sign we've hit the jackpot and found a perfectly age-appropriate, skill level appropriate activity for them.  wouldn't you know he sat there for 35 minutes on that chair, un-moving today while holding a little beetle on a dustpan, just watching its antennae twitch.  there is no better feeling than seeing both of your kids totally involved in what is right before them.  so after reflecting on all of this, the weariness is not lifted (nor will it be until I am fast asleep) but the frustration and the feelings of failure have faded into a smile as i remember the parts of day worth remembering and look forward to creating more of the same tomorrow. blogs have a way of sharing only the beautiful, rainbow colored moments of our lives....but its important to be honest and share the real life parts of our life too.  makes those special shiny moments all the more wonderful.

our airplane boy

recently grandma nannen sent home with us some special paintings of bi-planes from daddy's bedroom in hopedale and pete is smitten with them on his wall.  we patched up some holes, removed some old hanging items and touched up paint in his room....and then added these wonderful decals (found here on etsy.com) that are so easy to add and really make the room fun. i enjoyed listening to him squeal with delight each time i added a new airplane or cloud. he keeps saying how excited he is to show his airplanes to daddy.....just a few more days, my darling. :)