My Favorites Sidebar

I am working on editing and adding to my favorite blogs listed in the sidebar. I already made several changes and additions so check it out and check back!

Our Current Schedule

Subtitled...How we are making it all work with Little C. (That is...before we start school in a few weeks!)

8:00 Josh wakes up and C arrives (ish)

8:15 Breakfast for everyone

8:45 Playtime

10:00 C's bottle and nap

10:10 Joshua and Mommy's art/crafts time (we have painted, done fuse beads, strung cereal O's for the birds, etc...)

11:30 C wakes~~Playtime

12:30 Lunch for everyone

1:00 Playtime often outside (weather permitting)

2:00 C's bottle and both boys nap (I read to Josh while I give C his bottle)

3:30-4 C is picked up and Josh wakes

When school begins I foresee the only change being...
8:45 Shelf choice for Josh/Playtime for C (we are setting up 2 rooms that are open to each other)

10:00 Bottle/nap for C ~~ Any needed lessons for Josh and one on one time.

I think it is all going to work out, eventually. I do think the first several weeks will be most difficult for Josh who will want more of my time. He will eventually adjust and really it is not so very different than me just sitting there observing him work.

Stay tuned for rearranged classroom pictures and C's room/our rec room redo pictures.
I am also planning to post pictures of any new trays/works I have added!

Proud Momma Post...Be warned!

Look what Josh did today...
Joshua has a cat
The cat has a monster

We have not started formal schooling at all yet this year but he said he wanted to go to the preschool room today during Little C's nap. It is a giant mess still and really unusable! So I suggested we use these letters to write some words. He wrote cat first with just a bit of sounding out help from me then said he wanted to write a sentence so that is what he did! I helped with "the" because it is actually a sight word we have been working on but the rest he sounded out himself! Yippppeeee!

Stop what you are doing...

...and go here now!

I just found this amazing blog called Art Projects for Kids filled with WONDERFUL art projects and broken up into "grade" and medium. I think I bookmarked all the grade 0 stuff. And several of the stuff for older kids. The directions are step by step and VERY understandable...even for the art challenged like me!

We LOVE the Library!

We got some great picture books out this week so I thought I would share.

We Both Read: My Town by Sindy McKay We love these books! They are really nice for new readers. They have a parent's page and Child's page side by side so you both take turns reading! The stories are decent and this one in particular is nice because it helps introduce maps and map making.

Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi Josh just loves all things Halloween so this is a cute choice. It is a nice story following the common theme of getting lost and found by your Mommy.

Ten Gallon Bart by Susan Stevens Crummel This is an adorable tale about a dog who stands up for his town. The towns people also come through in the end and stand together against a bully. Cowboys and friendship...what more do you want from a story!

Finally, my current favorite...
Uno's Garden by Graeme Base An amazing counting book with a lovely "take care of our earth" message! The counting can be as simple (1-10) or as complex (multiplication) as your child requires... so fun for kids of all ages. Typical Graeme Base illustrations~ simple amazing! FUN FUN FUN!

We are also reading the Magic Tree House Series ~ which are the best chapter books I have read in years! They are fun, educational, and extremely interesting. Andrew and I are as caught up in the stories as Josh. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a chapter book!

Our First Week

No...we have not started back to preschool...but we did just finish our first week with our new little one (C??). (Sorry, have not come up with a bloggy name for him yet.)

Anyway, it went pretty well. I built short shelves for our family room Sunday night right before bed. I grabbed several baskets and put some of the Montessori inspired items on the shelves for his use this week. I really did not know what to expect...since I had only met the child once a few weeks ago. But honestly, everything went really smoothly.

I think, once our classroom and outer room are finished...preschool will work okay with both boys downstairs.

FYI...
On C's Shelves right now

• FP Farm (Language)
• Basket of FP Farm animals (Language)
• Basket of different textured/sized/type Balls (Sensorial)
• Stacking Rings (Practical Life)
• Basket of Musical Instruments (Sensorial)
• Basket of Stuffed friends (Language)
• Basket of Cars (Gross Motor)
• Basket of Books (Language)
• Shape sorter (Sensorial/Practical Life)
• and next to shelf is a FP walker. (Gross Motor)

Tonight, Andrew and I, finished the carpet in the outer room (new Rec room??) and moved in the futon from the classroom. Which will give me a TON more room in the classroom!!! It will also be nice to have it in the room where C's stuff will be.

I have a ton of more work to do but I will post pics of everything very soon!

So...

who did you have lunch with today????


By the way...he loved the new Clone Wars movie. I was not sure about taking him but read through a bunch of reviews aimed at families etc... Anyway, they made me think it was a bit violent but along the lines of the original movies. In truth, it was not too bad and he did LOVE it.

(Although, I do think the reviewers may want to read this before suggesting that the violence is only with robotic creatures...Clone Trooper are humans...they are just clones!) Humpf...I tell ya...what you learn/know just by giving birth to a male child!

An Award, for me?

I just won an award from one of my favorite blog Mommies Jo!

So here are the rules and my nominations:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking everybody’s mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!

I just want to dedicate this lovely award to all the other Mommy bloggers who inspire me each and everyday!

I nominate the following...

Carisa at 1+1+1=1 A homeschooling Mommy who meets the needs of her schoolage child as well as her Tot!

A at Adventures of a montessori mama A renewed blogger who has really inspired me this week with her Montessori art ideas.

Megret at Muses of megret A Mommy full of great ideas and always doing cool stuff with her kids!

Allison at No time for flashcards A Mommy who has wonderful activities for the littles with a few schoolaged ideas sprinkled in. (Check out her Olympic ideas!)

Amy at Let's Explore Wonderful activities with her girls...plus she has the most amazing "store". Great products and incredible customer service!

Merranda at The Van Klan Another amazing Mommy who is doing a wonderful job introducing Montessori to her kids and inspiring me!

and of course...Laura at My_Montessori_Journey She is currently setting up her Montessori Classroom and has been a great inspiration to me this summer. She also has 2 boys and somehow seems to find the time to answer, by email, all of my crazy questions.

Montessori for Infants 2

With a GIANT amount of help from these PLANS!, I have come up with the following...

CARE OF SELF

• Calming Self to Sleep
• Feeding Self (pincer grasp)
• Using Cup

CARE OF ENVIRONMENT

• Adult Models Cleaning Up and Proper Use of Materials
• Joshua Models Cleaning Up and Proper Use of Materials

LANGUAGE

• Wooden Puzzles
• Please, Thank You
• Be Gentle, Be Kind, Be Safe (Our Household Rules!)
• Recognition of their name
• Adults using action words to describe routines
• Discovery Basket
• Book Basket

GROUP TIME WITH JOSHUA

• Calendar
• Finger plays
• Songs
• Stories/Nursery Rhymes/Poems/Sayings (Core Knowledge)

PRACTICAL LIFE

• Rings on Pole Work
• Drop Clothespins in opening
• Supervised Large Pompoms in Egg Carton (1 to 1 Corr.)

SENSORIAL

• Musical Instruments (Shakers, clackers, etc...)
• Discovery Bottles
• Shape Sort

MANIPULATIVE (CAUSE/EFFECT)

• Pull Toys
• ??????

PRE-MATH

• Ring Stack
• Graduated Cups
• Counting, Sorting, etc...

WORK TIME

• Farm
• Zoo
• Book Basket
• Balls
• Rings

GROSS MOTOR

• Cars
• Balls
• Tunnel
• Popper
• Sandbox

Details and schedule to follow!

Montessori for Infants

So...I have been doing a bit of research for my new, young friend. He will be starting with us in a week from Monday. So I need to figure out how to balance his needs with Joshua's schooling.

My trusty friend Google has not let me down! If you are interested in doing a Montessori type atmosphere for your infant...check these out.

First, watch this fascinating video!

Check out these monthly curriculum plans!

And...of course, Michael Olaf!

I am really getting excited about this challenge. I definitely think it will be difficult but it is looking workable.

It seems with infants you mainly are letting them explore...so the key is to create a safe environment.

Now...if only we can get the rooms ready...

Boys!

Josh goes to bed at 8 pm. Last night at about 9:45 he called me to his room.

J- Momma, do you ever wish for things?
M- Ye-ess?
J- Do you ever get them?
M- Ye-esss?
J- ..........
M- ....I wished for you Joshua! (my eyes tearing, of course)
J- Yeah, well...I am really wishing for a General Grievous Guy!

OY!

Hmmmmm

Have I mentioned that life is crazy right now?

Change is good...my new mantra!

Soon, we will be welcoming a 9 month old boy into our home 4 days a week. I have NO IDEA the implications of this decision in regards to Josh and school. But I do know that we will make it work.

Life sure is interesting. See # 10! Sort of a different solution to a barely admited thought...ya know?

Anyway, we are still knee deep in home renovation. And...as I am sure you all know...with summer brings many many activities. So we are BUSY! I so need to make a list...