Activity Wednesday

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I'm looking for opportunities to get the kids and I out of the house.  Even for a short while.  Recently we took a walk through the neighborhood and into a local park.  When we got home, we continued the adventure with a short activity.  

Nature Walk

Materials:

paper bag

somewhere to walk

marker

tape/glue stick/ glue

things to collect

1. Bundle up the kids and go for a walk.  Take a paper bag with you and collect items that interest your child.  Anything goes!  Leaves, sticks, grass, rocks, feathers, litter???, flowers, seeds, nuts, pine cones, anything.

2. Return home and cut the paper bag open.  Cut it flat to lay like a giant piece of poster board.

3. Adhere items of interest to the paper bag.  Use whatever type of glue is best for each piece.  Label each item as you adhere it.  Talk about the texture, color, size, location of each item.  Talk about why your child chose each item.  Ask open-ended questions and allow your child to explore language with you.

4. Display your poster at child's eye-level and continue to revisit it, again asking more open-ended questions.  Repeat activity again and again.  

Moving into a Big Boy Bed

If you haven't checked out Rocks in my Dryer yet, you are missing a fantastic site.  I just discovered it not long ago and I'm loving it.  There is some amazing tips and tricks.  Each week the author asks readers to post their best ideas to share with each other.  However, this week is different.  This is "Backwards Wednesday."  We have been challenged to post a problem that we are facing and ask for advice.  So here's my question:

I have a 2 1/2 year old boy that will need to move into a "big boy" bed soon.  I know that he's very young.  However, I also have a 2 1/2 month old daughter that will need his crib within a few months.  My son has never tried to climb out of his crib and he seems to be very attached to it.  How can I get him excited about moving into a bigger bed?

Teaching Tuesday--Let's Review

After completing "ABC," it seemed like a good time to review the letters we've already been learning.  If you're like me, you may be running out of room on your fridge with those three big letters hanging there.  After this I'll probably move one or two of them on to the wall in my son's room.  But for now, they're still hanging there.

You may find that you're having a hard time "teaching" each letter.  So I did a little research and found a short article that explained 5 steps that most teachers go through in introducing and reviewing the alphabet.

1. Hold up the letter for you child to see.  Again this is continually accomplished by posting it on the refrigerator.

2. Repeat the letter 3-5 times.  Then have your child repeat it after you.

3. Teach the sound of the letter.  "Jimmy, A says Ah or A."  Repeat the sound a couple of times and give an example of a familiar word that starts with that same sound.

4.  Double sided flashcards are great for this.  Review.  "What is this?" "A" "What sound does it make?" "AH for "Apple"  If you don't have double-sided flash cards, you can use household objects.  Visual aids are a great asset.  It makes the lesson very concrete for you child.

5.  Do a final check.  "What is this?" "A" "What sound does it make?" "AH." "What word starts with A?" "Apple" 

Additional suggestions:

Have your child sit at the table and trace the letter with his/her finger.

Print coloring sheets from the internet and have them available for your child at their art area.

Provide material that they can glue onto these coloring sheets: beans, macaroni, cotton, etc.

  

Again, continue to point out words that start with the three letters we've been learning.  Look for them in books, on signs, when you're talking about your day, in songs, etc.  Just use this week to reinforce what your child has been learning.  It will take time to absorb everything we've been teaching them so be patient.  They are little sponges and are taking things in even when we don't realize it.

Menu Monday

Here's what I'm cooking up this week:

Monday:

Yogurt, banana, milk

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tomatoes, juice

Turkey and rice casserole, salad, peaches

Tuesday:

Creamy Crockpot Apple Oatmeal

Leftovers, carrots, juice

Potluck: Shrimp Macaroni Salad

Wensday:

Toast and jelly, fruit, milk

Egg salad sandwiches, Triscuits, juice

Brushetta Chicken Bake, salad, french bread

Thursday:

Cereal and milk, 

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, salads, juice

Stuffed Stromboli bread

Friday:

Toast and jelly, milk

Leftovers, apples, juice

Shepard's pie, salad

Saturday:

Gingerbread waffles, milk

Egg salad sandwiches, tomatoes, juice

Black Bean Soup

Sunday:

Cereal and milk, peaches,

Leftovers, juice

Potluck: Chicken and Chiles casserole

Bargain Hunting...

I went bargain hunting this weekend.  I'm always trying to find ways to cut our family expenses.  Most days I feel like I'm doing a good job; other days I know I fail miserably.  However, I've been frequently checking Money Saving Mom and attempting to cut even more.  So Saturday, with my notes in hand and two kids in tow, I trompted a few blocks to the nearest Walgreens and this is the outcome.

Garnier Nutriste night cream--$12.99-$12.99 rebate=$0

Colgate Total Toothpaste --$3.79-$3.79 rebate=$0

Garnier Fructis Hair Milk--$3.99-$3.99 rebate= $0

minus $5 RR

Tax=$ 1.51

made $3.49

passed on the Yes to Carrots Body Butter, but it is also $9.99-$9.99 rebate =$0

This was how Rite-Aid turned out:

Garnier Fructis Shampoo-- $2.99-$1 peelie-$2.99 rebate= made $1

Act Mouthwash--sale $5.99-$3 rebate=$2.99

Hand Lotion--$6.99--clearanced to $1.74

Tax--$.78

OOP=$4.51--not too bad, hopefully will get better with practice

so between the two, I almost broke even.  not bad!