Big Drinks

Little man R is about 10 months old we have been work on drinking from a cup, usually I have to hold it so he can take a drink...   Today he made a big leap, he held the cup tilt his head back.  Now he didn't do this without spilling but who doesn't at one time or another.   

For the record:  I don't just leave it on the tray for him ( that would be even more messy)  I sign him drink and give it to him.

Searching for Tadpoles

We were given some tadpoles a few weeks ago.  I did a water change, not the first time.  But this time I killed them.  All of them  there were about 50.  The kids were really taking an interest in them.  So I thought we should go and find more.  We didn't find any but had a good time looking.  We also looked in the lake and in the pools around us.  We will get some more this weekend from where we got the others, in a pool.  So silly.  I think I will take them to the bigger lake tomorrow to see what we can find.  

It's a bad picture sorry.
She (R) is telling me its cold.  Notice none of the others seem to notice.  

We brought with us two pitchers and two nets.  Everyone shared.  The littles ( what I three younger ones age 1-2) spent more time pouring out the water.  It's their favorite thing to do right now.  The older ones spent their time seeing if they could jump across and looking under rocks.

We had a friend and her two kids ( same ages).  She made a comment about this moment "stretching her wings as a mom".  That she doesn't know if she would have thought to let the kids do this.  Funny because I don't really know what else to do with them!!   ( I think I just found a new post idea)

Where do you take your kids to find Tadpoles?

Glow sticks in the bathtub

Thanks to a post at Play at Home Mom I got the idea to bring glow sticks in the bath tub.  I got these at Dollar Tree they are the necklaces/bracelets so you get more, I think we ended up with 12.  I am still learning how to take pictures in the dark.  Check out hers they are much better and give you how truly and exciting the it is.  C and R stayed in for about a good hour if not longer.  With the lights off.  I don't think any cleaning got done, just a whole lot of fun!   Sometimes we need that more then being "clean".

The great dirt pile!

After hill jumping we set off to the great dirt pile that is on the other side of us.  

R could spend hours making "chocolate milk"

There go the "big kids" off to create something as far away from the littles as they can.  

I brought these over and they spent a long time sitting there by themselves.  I thought CJ would have picked them up.  

F is gathering her materials and her plans.  She wouldn't tell me. 

They are starting to play together a little more each day.  They still like that side by side play.  They are usually together. 

The stage of fill it up.........

.......and pour it out.  Covering his leg I might add.

C went and go some other materials along with those tucks. They were really working together and talking about what they were going to do and who should do what.  They really work as a team.

I made CJ one of his most favorite things....  A MUD BALL!!! 

Again dump it out and............

Oh where it as a hat!

F and I made a mud man. 

 

They created a fire pit out of materials laying in the area.  Looks great doesn't it!

Good times had by the great dirt pile.

The neighbors have plans to put trees here.  Bummer :( maybe I can get a smaller version for our yard.   

Hill Jumping and exploring the great outdoors

 As you know my now we enjoy being outside.  The kids also enjoy trying some new skills.  I think it started out by us running down this hill.  It is the ditch between our houses.  CJ loves to do what C does.  In the first you will see.  He trips and laughs about and goes back.  The true sprite of a 1  year old.

They also just love to look in the grass to see what they can find.  Collecting rock is also top priority during these outing.   

Kid Friendly Tuna Salad

We were headed to make lunch when H, who only likes to eat certain things ( I don't care much for the label "picky eater") says I think we should have chicken nuggets.  My reply was we don't have enough time to cook them, since we make ours homemade.    She then says okay lets make Tuna and put it on crackers.  I had planned for us to have Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches.  But I was interested as this is something I would have never guessed she would eat.  I told her she and F could make lunch.  She was head chef and had to tell F and I what to do.

She gathered her materials.
A bowl
sweet pickle relish
mayo or miracle whip
crackers ( circle ones)
two cans of Tuna fish in water

There was no measuring here they just added and tasted until it was just right.  The younger girls R and T were grabbing the tuna plain and eating it before anything was added.  They enjoyed it.  They mixed it together, set the table, and called us all to eat.  What a great impromptu meal!

What have you made that you didn't think your kids would eat and they did?

Homemade Fish sticks

I haven't served my family processed chicken nuggets in just about a year now.  We have fish sticks once in a great while only because I didn't know if fish sticks would turn out right homemade.  We gave it a try and they devoured them.  We will be making again!


I made them just about the same way I make chicken nuggets:


1 package fish fillets ( I used a frozen bag and thawed it)

2 egg
2/3 cup bread crumbs ( I used seasoned) 
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( wanted to use fresh but only have the kind in the green container)
2 tablespoon  butter, melted

Pre heat 450

My fish were long so I cut them into squares.  I let the kids do the work.  They are so good at cracking eggs.  The eggs went in one bowl and the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in another.   I sprayed a cookie sheet so they wouldn't stick and let them go to work.  They  first dipped the fish in the egg and then in the crumbs.  At first there was so bickering. Someone was always in the other ones way.  Then they came up with an assembly line ( now that's not what they call it)  but they gave jobs and set up a line and worked together.  What a sight!  F did it for a little while and then just watched.  I think she was a little disgusted, wait to see her face below. Pour the  melted butter over the the sticks.  Put them in at 450  

we let them cook for about 5 min and then flipped them to cook on the other for 5 more min.  I was worried about them sticking and not cooking on both sides.  So use your judgement on how long. 

Fish I used for Aldi 

Of course R had to taste it.  She liked getting her hands in it. 

C took over while F watched.  

Learning to tie our shoes

This is something we have been working on.  F and C almost have it.  F doesn't really want to try any more.  So I am not pushing her but C tries to tie her for her.  Our schools don't teach this anymore.  I was shocked when I heard that.  That is one thing C was looking forward to learning in Preschool.  Oh well I am happy to teach them!

I saw this somewhere wish I could remember. We have also tried with a jump rope but it always turns into tying up other things.   This is the step they both have mastered.  Now to teach the bows.

How did you teach your children to tie their shoes?

Day 1 Truth in the Tinsel

Well Day 1 is a day late.. I was still cutting out the candle templates.  So we may do another today to catch up.

Reading from the bible was a little much for them.  I will have to read while they are having snack or see if I can  sum it up.

I did the activity right before lunch.  Bad news!  I had two children that were overly tired, mine.  R cried and made a fuss much of the time.  I lit a candle thinking that would calm her down, nope only wanted to touch it.  She ended up pending some time in her room.  She calmed down and we went on.  We do not do crafts as much as I would like to because R puts it all in her mouth.  I decided today that we will just keep moving on and she will just be reminded that it doesn't go in her mouth and maybe give her something that does.  The others really enjoyed this project.  I don't think I explained the process fully as F only put tissue paper on the paper not covering.  C made balls and glued them on that way (they just made something with ball of tissue paper at school).  T enjoyed taring the paper and then rolling it up in her hands.

It was a process but we finished.    This is good for us.  It was structured.  Something they lack.  When we a craft or activity I usually just let them have at it and create.

Family Child Care: Learning Goals

I began to think of the curriculum I wanted for the kids.  There are so many things I want to teach them and I feel like I have had not a plan to go off of.  So I thought about the goals C brought home from preschool and   the Montessori activities I wanted them to know.  This is what I can up with.

Everyday Life Activities:

Pouring

Washing: self, dishing, clothes, toys, and chores 

Tying shoes

Dressing

Folding

Cooking

* There are so many more that we will be working on I will add as I think of them.  

Math:

Count, recognize, and math numbers 1-30

Classifying items by color, shape, and size

Terms: more, less, over, under, above, and below

Shapes: square, circle, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond

Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Black, Brown

Basic adding and subtracting 

Reading:

Picture sequence to tell a story

Prediction about stories from the title and pictures

Print and recognize thier name

Letter sound 

Calendar use

Writing:

Print name

invent spelling 

Science:

Textures 

Senses

Weight

Measurement

Water

Seasons

Weather

Physical: 

Body Parts, their function and caring for our bodies

Run, jump, hop, gallop, skip, and dance

I will try to link them from this page to the page in my blog.  I am just learning all this cool blog stuff so stay with me while I figure this out.  

Do you use a theme when when you teach or just mix it up?

Welcome December!

I had been looking for something different this year.  We have always done the chocolate advent calendar.  Why?  I asked myself what does that teach us?  I looked around the web and found so many good ideas.  I was going to make my own activities put them in pockets on a board.  Right now I do not have time for that.  While I was looking I found Truth in the Tinsel.    Wow. It gives me a craft to do with the kids, scripture to read with them, and  what to talk to the kids about.  This year we have been talking more about what Christmas really means and giving to others.  This will help back Daddy-O and I up.  Oh it is only $4.99 and it comes as an e-book.  What's not to love.  

We have also introduced The Toy That Saved Christmas, Veggie Tales video.  I picked it up at Walmart in the $5.00 bin.  

I will post as we complete.  I think I have found a new tradition this year.  

What kind of Advent Calendar do you do? 

Snack: Eggs and Oranges

A snack we love.  They cooked the eggs  and I cut the oranges.  None of the kids eat the yoke.. More for me!

Lunch-able made at home

 My kids love the Kraft Lunchables.  It is a bit costly if I would get it for all the kids and they always want more.  Here is our version: I let them cut the cheese.  This was the first time they did this.  They did not want to stop we did two bricks of cheese while they were learning.  It was a great time.  The older kids cut some and gave to the younger ones.

C was singing a song about how yummy this was.  They made sandwiches and mixed in the veggies.

I did let them pick out of the veggies we had, its always different, but they eat them better when they are in sticks.

 I have even served it with a juice box for the added excitement.

Hard Boil Eggs

The kids are always asking for me to make hard boiled eggs.  This time I let them make them and here is what we did:

• Put the eggs in a pot very carefully 
• Add cold water enough to cover the eggs
• Bring  pot of water to a boil keep the water at a simmer, cover for 10 minutes
• Take the eggs out carefully and run under cold water
• Peel and enjoy

Exploring the great outdoors

Learning to walk with hundreds of acorns all over.

How should we get in the creek?

Waking in the creek. Dry creek that is and listening to leaves.

Now how do I get out?

Getting the " alligators". Their favorite game to play lately.

Checking out the leaves. The had a great time throwing them in the air and jumping with them.

More exploring.