Play At Home Mom LLC

Glowing Reactions

2012-03-06T16:12:00.001-08:00

Materials:

Baking Soda

Vinegar

Yellow Highlighter

Water

Black light

To make glow water please click HERE

Add glow water to your vinegar (It can be diluted a lot) and pour over baking soda in a black lit room.

Glowing Vinegar

Pouring Vinegar onto baking soda

Coolest thing ever! Pictures do not do this justice. Just be sure to have a lot of baking soda and vinegar on hand. They will want to do it again and again!

"Wow!!!!!"

Round 500 LOL LOL

Close-up

We dumped left over highlighter water into our bath.... just to show you how much it can be diluted. This is from one highlighter.

My oldest asked if we could do orange.

This will also work with glow powder. However, it's much more expensive and harder to find. We just happened to have some on hand. Yes, this is stuff we have on hand at our house. LOL

Glowing reaction invitation with orange

I mixed glow powder with baking soda.

Pouring on vinegar

"This is so cool, Mommy"

"It's all gone???"

We also did this with elephant toothpaste. For our elephant toothpaste post click HERE

To make the "toothpaste" glow, mix glow water or glow powder with the peroxide.

I wish I had better pictures of this but I was to busy playing! I will update when we do it again.

Glowing elephant toothpaste

Awesome!

Dinosaur Discovery

2012-03-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

It all started with THIS....

Dino egg with baby dinosaur

....a small dinosaur egg that my son "bought" with about 50 tickets he won playing skee-ball and a ball drop game at a local indoor play place. He loves this thing. I knew I had to run with it, so I made some dinosaur eggs with (Toobi) dinosaurs inside. Here is the recipe I used:

1 1/2 C dirt
1 1/2 C sand
1 C flour
3/4 C salt
add water until a dough forms
form eggs around dinosaurs
let dry for a few days (mine dried for 3 days....and could have used another day of drying)

THE INVITATION

storage container, cloud dough, rocks, sticks, container of water for a "pond", pine straw nest, dino eggs, scooper, magnifying glass, paint brush, pick, hammer

Using the hammer and pick to open the eggs

washing off the dinosaur - and his hands - LOL

He said the dinosaurs needed to stay in the nest until all of their brothers and sisters hatched. LOL

Using the brush

Perfect timing! I ordered my son a dinosaur egg on Thursday night. I intended on putting it in his Easter basket, but it arrived today and since we were on a dinosaur egg roll, I let him have it.
We had such a fun day!


opening the egg that came in the mail

checking out the dinosaur bones

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Illuminated Easter Egg Hunt

2012-03-04T16:11:00.001-08:00

I know it's a bit early for Easter, but with all of the Easter stuff out in stores, my son has been asking to do an Easter egg hunt. I bought some small lights at Michaels in the wedding section - a 12 pack for $10, put them in the eggs with some other fun stuff, and set this up for him tonight. He absolutely LOVED it! I cant wait to do it outside one night - so fun!

(It was tough getting good pics)

For more fun in the dark, check out RLs post HERE

(where I drew some inspiration from).

The eggs are just your standard plastic Easter eggs that can be purchased pretty much anywhere this time of year. THESE are the lights I used. You can find them at Michaels in the wedding aisle.

The eggs are ready to hide

I hid the eggs while he was in the bath.....its still a little light outside.

on the hunt

Checking out his loot

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Easter Bread

2012-03-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

EASTER BREAD

2 CUPS SUGAR

½ CUP CRISCO

½ CUP MARGERINE

2 CUPS MILK (EVAPORATED MILK)

3 PACKAGES DRY YEAST

1 ½ DOZEN LARGE EGGS

½ TEASPOON SALT

5 LBS FLOUR

1 TEASPOON ANISE SEED OR LIQUID

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

PUT MILK IN BOWL. PUTIN MICROWAVE (2 MIN) UNTIL IT BUBBLES AROUND THE EDGE. ADD BUTTER AND CRISCO TO MILK AND LETMELT. ADD SUGAR. MAKE YEAST (FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ONPACKAGE). PUT EGGS IN BOWL AND BEATUNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. ADD SUGAR, CRISCOMIXTURE AND EGGS TOGETHER. ADDYEAST. START ADDING FLOUR A LITTLE AT ATIME. KNEAD UNTIL ITS NOT STICKY. COVERAND LET RISE UNTIL IT DOUBLES (WARM PLACE).

AFTER RISES TAKE 3 HANDFULS OF DOUGH AND ROLL THEM OUT INTOTHREE STRINGS. BRAID TOGETHER. PUT ON GREASED COOKIE SHEETS. LET THE LOAVES RISE AGAIN FOR 30 MINUTES.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 20 MINUTES. BOTTOM OF LOAVES SHOULD BE BROWN. (THIS MAY NEED TO BE ALTERED AS THIS IS AN OLD RECIPE)

***MY OVEN 325 DEGRESS FOR 12-15 MINUTES.

RSV Vaccine (Playing Scientist)

2012-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

My oldest (3 years) has a book from Chick-fil-a about Louis Pasteur and the rabies vaccine. It is her new favorite book. I swear we read it at least 5 times a day. With the whole house being sick we have been talking a lot about germs, medicine, vaccines, etc. I took my 3 month old in for a doc visit and she was positive for RSV. When I got home my oldest had a million questions....

"What happened?"

"Is she sick?"

"Did she get a shot?"

I explained to her how there wasn't a vaccine for RSV yet.... that she just needs to take her medicine and get rest. That led to a million other questions...

"Why isn't there a vaccine?"

"Is she going to get better?

"Does she have to go back to the doctor?"

I jokingly asked her if she could make a vaccine for RSV. She said YES! Of course she can. :-)

The next day I set up this invitation

Stir sticks, petri dishes, salt and pepper shakers, liquid watercolors, test tubes, a few clear containers and bottles, dropper, teaspoon, measuring spoon, and a little whisk.

The test tubes are filled with: water, vinegar, soda, bubble solution, oil, and dish soap

The petri dishes are filled with: Dried up food coloring, broken up colored bath tablets, baking soda, and broken up alka seltzer tablets

The salt and pepper shakers have glow powder and baking soda

The petri dishes, test tubes, and rack can be seen on our AMAZON STORE

The stir sticks are from Walmart.

The dropper bottles are from www.specialitybottle.com

Liquid watercolors are from here http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/search/label/Art%2FToys%2FEquipment%20We%20Love

Everything else is from the Dollar Tree

Invitation from above

Checking things out

"I need some of those... and a little bit of that"

"Look at all those colors!!"

Shaking the glow powder

My 24 month old loved this as well. She's a big dumper, pourer, mixer.

Shaking in some baking soda

My 24 Month old was very precise on what she used next.

"Look!!!! It's bubbling. It must be working"

"Can I feel it, Mommy?

"Nurse M, may I please have that?"

Hard at work

Scooping

"It's finished! Here is your medicine to make you feel better. You just have to pretend, though."

My 24 Month old continued to play with this after everything was one big mixed up mess.

So much fun!

DIY Translucent Geo Board

2012-03-01T06:31:00.001-08:00

You can see our original DIY Geo Board by RL HERE. I thought it would be cool to do something with an extra piece of plexiglass that I had, so my son and I made a translucent geo board for the light panel. It has some imperfections because he made the dots and he drilled the holes (it cracked in some places), but all in all - it works - and its pretty cool!

We used a piece of peg board as our template, my son made dots with a Sharpie marker so we would know where to drill, then he drilled the holes and we put in the screws (we used the same size screws as used in the original post). SIMPLE.


Plexiglass and peg board.....and this is in the garage - no, my carpet is not that dirty. LOL


Yes, I need to buy more screws, but this is basically finished. I put sticky tack under the board to keep it from sliding around.

Apparently geo boards present some kind of eye hazard. LOL

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Igloo

2012-03-01T04:37:00.002-08:00

My son has a sudden interest in igloos. I have no idea where it came from, but he asks me every day - "Mommy, what's an igloo?" - every day. Its kind of become a running joke between the two of us, because he knows what one is, I put the question back on him, he pretends he doesn't know, I say its a bunch of silly things that its not, and he thinks its hilarious. The plan was to go to the public library and get books on igloos, but when I mentioned building one, he was so excited that we had to do it right away. I have some perfectly square ice cube trays that I bought from Amazon - perfect.

Getting started. The tongs were his idea. Lovin' his hair! LOL


building an igloo

"Mommy, can we smash them now?" He was really excited about smashing them after building his igloo.

He asked if we could make some colored blocks.....so we did. These looked really cool on the light panel!

"Look, Mommy, you can write with these. I made a track. Its sliding across the light panel. Cool!"

MUST taste them

This was just before bath time so of course we had to put them in the bath. :)

-AK (MESE, MECD)

Ice Block Sledding

2012-02-26T15:31:00.001-08:00

Since Winter wont come to us (let me knock on wood so it wont snow in April), we decided to try and improvise. I had a "light-bulb moment" yesterday and thought - 'I wonder if we could slide down the hill on a block of ice?'. I had no idea if this would work. IT DID!!

My son and I filled a storage bin with water and put it in the freezer. I wanted something big enough for him to fit on comfortably, so we used the bin from his sensory table. It took a good day and a half to fully freeze and I'm pretty sure his checking it every hour didn't help. ;) Once frozen, we took it across the street to a steep, grassy hill. I put a towel on top of the block, my son hopped on, and I gave him a push. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!! This is so cool!!", he screamed as sliding down the hill! It was a short-lived activity because he proclaimed, "Im freezing. Let's go inside". He loved it, though, and we will be doing it again very soon. Hopefully next time it will involve long pants and a jacket.

This would be a great hot summer day activity, too!

It was really hard getting any good pics. I will add more when we do this again with Daddy home. Next time I plan to freeze a rope in the water for something to hold on to.

"Whoooooaaaaa!!"

There he goes, down the hill! So fun!

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Infant Sensory Play - Touch

2012-02-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

Children learn about the world around them through their senses.

Touch is a vital sense, which affects the bond between parent and child.

By providing your infant with the opportunity to use their sense of touch you are:

boosting your child's tactile development
improving their sociability
stimulating their cognitive development
encouraging language development
building motor skills and an active curiosity

Providing these opportunities for your infant is simple. Search around your house for items with different textures.

Sensory ball, paint roller, little blanket, feathers, toothbrush, straw (to blow air), silk tie, bath scrubber

2 Months old

I have worked this play into our routine at the same time each day. My infant knows that after morning bottle we go upstairs for some sensory play! Here she is getting excited for what is to come!

I always start from the feet first and work my way up. This way something is not just thrown into her face.

"Do you feel daddy's tie? It's so soft! Do you feel that on your foot? Daddy's tie is so smooth! Let's see how it feels on your knees. Up to your belly! Would you like to touch daddy's tie with your hands? That feels silky! Oh.. you're tasting it? How does that taste? Should we put it on your head? That's so silly! Where did ____ go? There she is!!

You can provide these opportunities for your child all throughout the day. I always try to involve my youngest with my older two. Here she is with her feet in water beads.

Joining in on some paint play!

Another excellent way to connect with your child through the sense of touch is with a massage. Massages are worked into our bedtime routine with all of my children.

For some wonderful information on infant massage please check out this website.

http://www.angeliquefelix.com/articles/infant-massage-loving-hands-adult-part-1-introduction

Playground ABCs Giveaway

2012-02-16T12:12:00.002-08:00

It's giveaway time!

Shelley specializes in making one-of-a-kind nameplates, fun and colorful alphabet prints, and words all from letters found at the local playgrounds here in North Carolina.

The giveaway is for this awesome 10"x20" Playground Alphabet Poster Print

What a great addition to a playroom or bedroom wall!

You can also check out more of her work HERE

RULES:

"Like" her Facebook page - Playground ABCs (make sure you write @Play at Home Mom sent me....so she knows to enter your name in the giveaway).
This giveaway is for people in the continental USA only (sorry)
Winner will be chosen on Thursday, Feb. 23

SWING

2012-02-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Play that encourages gross motor skills should be a daily part of every child's life. One way we develop gross motor skills in our home is through the use of our swing support bar and all its attachments. Not only does this encourage strength, coordination, and an active lifestyle, but it also translates into patience, confidence, competence, perseverance, problem solving skills, etc.
(Our swing was once in our playroom, but we moved it to the garage for a greater swinging range.)
Here are our attachments that bring all the fun....


Our platform swing. This swing allows for several different positions that are fun and beneficial for ALL children. Sitting helps develop balance and trunk control and lying down is great for increasing shoulder strength and head control. Its also fun to climb around on as it swings - great for coordination and kinesthetic awareness.

For do it yourself instructions on how to make a platform swing, CLICK HERE.

Also check out our fun SWING PAINTING post.

Climbing rope - helps develop bilateral coordination, grip and forearm strength, arm and back strength, etc

Trapeze bar and rings. He loves to flip over the corn pit. Building confidence, strength, and coordination.

Climbing ladder with a bell at the top for ringing helps develop balance, agility, strength, confidence, etc.

Infant swing - yes, he still fits in it. A nice, relaxing ride.

"Regular" swing. While he went through a fluke period of being able to swing himself using his legs, he's not doing it anymore. When he learns how, though, it will provide a great workout for his entire body.

Chair swing - a comfortable ride stimulating the vestibular system. Ahhhhhh - what fun!

Have you been inspired to install a swing in your home yet?? We love ours - all the benefits are just a bonus!

- AK (MESE, MECD)

DIY Light Table

2012-02-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for this was taken from a combination of ideas from HERE and also our own findings.

First off... let me tell you that converting a train table is not cheap! LOL It is cheaper than a light table this size purchased in a store but there is nothing cheap about it.

I am going to explain what you need to make a light table in general... not necessarily a train table.

1. A table - This can be a train table, a coffee table, a table you make yourself, etc.

2. White plexi glass - You can learn a little bit about plexi glass HERE. We used #2446 3/16". This will make more sense when and if you call a plastic place. White plexi glass is hard to come across at a local hardware store. You most likely will have to call a specialty plastic place.

3. A light source - There are a TON of options out there. I know a lot of people have used rope lights but there is a HUGE difference in the brightness of light. Please see pictures below to see the difference.

We used daylight fluorescent bulbs. There are all different types of tube lights. They vary by size and length, and can be hard wired or plugged in. The three different sizes are

T12

The lower the number, the smaller the bulb in diameter.

We used T8 18" hardwire. We chose this set up for a number of reasons.

1. They fit side to side the length of the train table.

2. I was able to change them out with daylight bulbs

3. I am also able to change them out with black light bulbs. I plan on converting this to a black light table as well with a piece of clear plexi.

4. My husband is handy enough to have them hardwired... that way we don't have to plug 4 lights in.

When you buy the lights they always come with a dim bulb. You have to buy an additional daylight bulb. Daylight bulbs do NOT come in all sizes, at least at Home Depot anyway.

If making the table yourself I would buy your light source first... and then build your table around the dimensions of the lights you are using. If you are converting a table you have to do a little engineering and find sizes and lengths that will work with what you have. Which is not always an easy process!

Our finished light table! This is bright! We can use this with the lights on during the day and still get an awesome glow. You can still use this as a train table as well. Just lay the train table boards on top of the plexi.

Rope lights... HUGE difference.

How we installed the lights (These still need to be screwed down). My husband cut a piece of plywood to set in the open space under the train table. Since the boards were slanted, we could just lay this in without any hardware.

Close-up of the light fixture we used.

Close-up of the bulb we used.

PAHM Potty "Training"

2012-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

We try to stay away from "parenty" issues such as potty training on our blog and FB page. We like to keep it about play, and still plan to, but we get more emails asking for potty training advice than anything else. So, we decided to create a document about it.

Table of Contents

Choosing a Potty

Getting Familiar with the Potty

When to Start

Why we don't use rewards/punishments

Why we don't use schedules

Bowel Movements

Nap and Nightime

Daycare

Playing Outsise/Day out

Regression

"Training"

For older children
FAQ's

Price is $4.99

Burn Baby, Burn!

2012-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Children are interested in almost everything that you wont let them have. I'm sure that this activity will not be for everyone, and that's ok. In our home we feel better about allowing our son to explore and learn to use things safely as opposed to hiding things away and locking things up. I knew my son would love this because he loves helping us build a fire in our fire pit, and he loves "tools". There are actually several things about this activity that stimulate the senses and lead to a lot of dialogue - the warmth of the handle, the crackle of the wood burning, the smell of the smoke, etc.

This is just another art medium - another way of allowing him to be creative. :)

The Invitation - wood pieces and a wood burning tool.

drawing

Trying it out on the other wood, which didn't burn as well.

"Whoa, you hear that noise. It sounds like t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t."

He told me he drew a goblin.


"Look, Im making dots."

- AK

Elephant Toothpaste

2012-02-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

I got this idea form Steve Spangler's Science page. You can see the link HERE

My girls absolutely loved this one.

What you need:

A bottle with a narrow neck (A plastic water bottle will work)

1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide that is at least 6% solution. You have to get this from a beauty supply store. We used 30 Volume. I had no clue what this was... just ask, they will know.

Squirt of Dawn dish detergent

Food Coloring

1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in approximately 2 tablespoons very warm water

Funnel

Something to contain the "toothpaste" (We used a storage bin).

Directions:

1. Put 1/2 cup of peroxide into your bottle using a funnel

2. Add food coloring.

3. Add a squirt of dawn dish soap.

4. Mix 1 teaspoon of yeast with 2 tablespoons of very warm water and let dissolve

5. Pour yeast mixture into bottle and remove funnel

Supplies

Adding food coloring to peroxide

Pouring in the bottle

Adding dish soap

Watching it "explode"

My oldest smells EVERYTHING

"Look! It's making bubbles. What is that, Mommy?"

Round 2

Pouring yeast mixture into bottle

Smelling it again. LOL

The bottle feels warm to the touch afterwards

My 23M old woke up from nap and wanted in on the action. I think my 11 week old even enjoyed this one!

My 23M old backed up at first. "Is it going to be loud, Mommy?"

They loved this!

Cool!

My 11 week old watching. She has discovered her hands!!

A Glass Mosaic Adventure

2012-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

Its always fun finding new materials to use on the light panel. These glass tiles (from Michaels) did not disappoint. My son built with them several times throughout the day. It was interesting watching and tracking his play. When we talk about something that encourages patience, this would be a prime example. His creations fell - a lot - and I was there to support him through his frustrations.

He always builds "garages". This was his first attempt.

I continue to be impressed by his accuracy and focus - these things are not easy to stack.

The larger version fell, so he built another garage - with "stairs".

He needed to put a person in his garage.

Again, that structure fell, so he started again and it became a "house".

CRASH!

"When something falls, we just fix it."

Another "house" with the playmobil girl inside.

- AK (MESE, MECD)

My First Valentine

2012-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

I saw this "What is love?" idea on Pinterest. You ask your child every year what love means and see how the answer changes over time. What a fun idea! I tried to find the post but I cannot find it for the life of me. I thought this would be fun to do with Valentine Day cards. Instead of using the word love I used "What is a friend?" It lead to this little conversation between me and my oldest...

This is her Valentine's day card to AK's son... hehe

What is a friend?

- A person

How do you feel when you are with _______?

-Happy

-Silly

What does ______ do to make you happy?

-When he shares his toys.

What does he do that makes you laugh?

-Da da da da (you gotta know them for this one..lol)

What did you make for ______?

-______ likes green, so i'm giving him green airplanes.

I can't wait to see what these answers are next year!

Redneck Waterbed

2012-02-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

My son loves jumping on the air bubbles that are caught under the sheets on my bed when he pulls them in the air and brings them back down quickly. I have also been trying to think of something different to do with the tarp from my BUBBLE BOY post. This is what I came up with......our redneck waterbed (and may I just say that I love rednecks and the title is in no way derogatory). He had so much fun and it lasted for a good 45 minutes before it sprung a leak! Who knew Duct Tape was so strong!!?? I would recommend reinforcing all the side with extra duct tape. I was so excited about doing it that I didn't take the time to reinforce the sides and make it really strong. It probably would have lasted longer had I done that.

Basically all I did was use the tarp from the Bubble Boy post and filled it with hose water and blue food coloring. Its like a giant sensory mat/squishy bag/waterbed all in one. I had intended on adding things to the water....like fish or balls, but we got so caught up in the fun that I totally forgot.

watching the water pour in

touching the water as it splashes against the tarp

blue food coloring added....time to run

"Mommy, Im in water and I'm not getting wet."

Daddy had to check it out.

"I can see underwater."

See how full it is? It got even bigger but he got naked, of course, so there are no more pics.

- AK (MESE, MECD)

A Child's Perspective

2012-02-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

My daugher LOVES to take pictures. Seriously. Which is one reason I'm incredibly greatful for digital pictures. She has been taking pictures with my camera and phone for years...and she's only 3. Ok, so maybe for 1.5 years. Still. She loves to take pictures.

She usually takes multiple pictures. And sometimes they're quite funny.

Other times they peek my curiosity: What is it she's seeing? What is she thinking? What is she trying to capture?

After a recent shopping trip I flipped through the pictures and found these:

I was a little taken aback by these; walking away, distracted. I wanted to delete them even though I remember having quite a good time laughing and playing with her on this excursion. But still, it struck me in that odd sort of way certain things do. What does she think when she sees me do this?

I try to remember that viewing life from her perspective not only means seeing the world through her eyes, but also through her experiences and emotions. And in reality I can only see so much, and for everything else I can only be curious; and I am really curious!

It really struck me: this is how my daughter sees the world and the things around her; it is how she sees me. It seems so obvious, really. But there was something about these pictures that really brought her perspective clearly into my vision...literally. I am in awe of her ability to create in me such a strong sense of self reflection. Going back through my pictures more thoroughly I discovered something I already knew...I love her perspective. I love that I am suddenly more aware of her perspective in a way that is all at once surreal, ethereal, and grounded, all at the same time. A perspective different from my own. I love that she has this wonderful interest in capturing the world as she sees it. And that she wants to share it with me.

How do your children uniquely see the world?

Note: Addi takes a lot of pictures. She's still honing her skills. Lest you think she's a child prodigy, here are some of her other pictures!

Translucent Silly Putty

2012-02-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about this for quite some time and we finally made it today - translucent silly putty. I wasn't sure if it would work, so we made a small batch. It worked and was really cool on the light panel (which is where it was intended to be used). The pictures really don't do it justice. It was pretty cool and my son played with it for an hour as I sat and tracked his play from time to time.

**This silly putty sticks to clothes and carpet/cloth furniture. My experience is that it washes out of clothes, but others have reported not being able to get it out of clothes.**


You need clear Elmers Glue, Liquid Starch, and a bowl to mix it in. I used the entire bottle of glue and then about 1/2 that amount of starch (not equal parts).


My son hates letters, so I was shocked when he started sticking letters in the silly putty.

COOL!! Translucent!!

We added some liquid water color and got a translucent aqua color! (Im sure you can use food coloring, too.)

Its hard to tell, but they really are translucent. :)


My son really enjoyed blowing bubbles in the silly putty!

He then went and got his bat gems and tried sticking them in the straw. "They're too big."

So then he got his scissors and some mardi gras beads and started cutting the beads and sticking them in the straw.

Cutting mardi gras beads.

:)

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Frozen Meals

2012-01-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Since bringing our 3rd little bundle of joy into the world a few months ago, we are doing everything possible to stay organized and prepare as best we can. I think our biggest struggle is having a decent dinner on the table every night. I'm not saying we eat junk, but my day is just so much better when I know I don't have to prepare dinner. Cooking dinner is my least favorite part of the day. I'd much rather be playing!!! My husband and I try to prepare as many meals as we can on his days off.

I thought I would start a thread on frozen meals. I am not sure how I am going to organize this on the blog yet but I will figure something out. In the meantime I am going to pin the meals on Pinterest.

"Rules:"

1. Please only give us meals that can be frozen

2. Email your recipe to pahmmeals@gmail.com **Please do not comment on post**

3. Your recipe can also be a link if it's something off the internet

4. Only send recipes that you LOVE and had tried yourself.

5. If your recipe is taken from somewhere, please source it
6. When emailing your recipe write it in a form we can easily copy and paste into a blog post.

Submitted Recipes can be seen here PAHM MEALS

I hope this helps you spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing!!

I will start with the first recipe.... my mom's stuffed shells. Yum!

STUFFED SHELLS

INGREDIENTS:

1 PACKAGE OF JUMBO SHELLS

MIXTURE:

1 CONTAINER OF RICOTTA CHEESE (32oz whole milk)

1 CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

2 EGGS

6 TABLESPOONS OF PARSLEY

1 1/2 CUPS MOZZARELLA

DASH OF PEPPER

¼ TEASPOON NUTMEG

6 TABLESPOONS SUGAR

YOU ALSO NEED AN ADDITIONAL ½ CUP MOZZARELLA FOR SPRINKLING ON TOP.

SAUCE

DIRECTIONS:

1. COOK SHELLS (AL DENTE… THEY WILL FINISH COOKING IN THE OVEN).

2. COMBINE MIXTURE INGREDIENTS

3. FILL SHELLS

4. SPREAD SAUCE ON THE BOTTOM OF 9 X 13 PAN (YOU CAN REALLY USE ANYTHING… SOMETIMES WE USE 2 SMALLER PANS AND USE THIS FOR 2 MEALS. IT MAKES A LOT OF SHELLS. 3-4 SHELLS IS PLENTY FOR 1 PERSON.)

5. COVER WITH TINFOIL AND FREEZE

6. TAKE SHELLS OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE

7. COVER WITH SAUCE AND BAKE COVERED AT 350 FOR 45 MIN

8. TOP WITH MOZZARELLA AND BAKE AN ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES UNCOVERED.

In Her Own Time

2012-01-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

I know the value of following a child's interests. I've witnessed it, the full engagement, curiosity, hypothesis building and rebuilding, cognitive restructuring...yada, yada yada. But that doesn't mean it's always easy; afterall, adults have interests too! I'd been wanting to make birdfeeders since...October? Not Addi. I set up the invitation (twice) and she ignored it. She wasn't interested, or maybe she wasn't ready or she didn't feel connected to the idea. It doesn't really matter. She didn't want to make bird feeders. So we continued to explore her interests...of which there are always plenty. We painted, played hide-and-seek, painted some more, and one day she asked for water beads. As nature would have it, the bowl we left outside the previous day filled with rainwater and had a thick layer of ice on top; Addi decided it would be a perfect place for the beads to "grow." Later she checked on them and discovered the ice was gone, which led to a discussion on the different properties of water and several trips to the freezer for ice cubes, which we watched melt in the sun. I love watching how she thinks and problem solves and develops her own hypotheses.

Yes, you can smell the water beads

And then one day (several MONTHS later) it happened..."mom, the birds are eating worms. Hey, can we make bird feeders?" YES! I grabbed my camera ready to document the project, and then she said, "Mom, can you not take pictures, please?" Clearly she had enough picture taking and wanted my undivided attention. Sure.

Because she made birdfeeders at her preschool's Winter Festival she knew the "how to" basics. We went outside to gather pinecones, discussing their different sizes, shapes, and prickly properties: "Ouch! Mom, can you pick them up when I find them?" Sure. "Or how about we use gloves?" That sounds like an idea worth trying.

Then we went back inside where we poured, measured, squished, and ran our fingers through everything while building our birdfeeders. I am not exagerating when I say we spent over an hour exploring and talking about how everything felt, smelled and looked; their differences and similarities, what we liked and disliked about everything, and why, why why ("do you have any ideas, Addi?"). We made a gigantic mess and decided not to clean it up until after we sprinted outside to find the perfect place to hang them...and right before we went outside she said, "you can take some pictures now if you want." Ahhh, thanks little pumpkin spice!

How's this face, mom? Perfect.

We scoped out the trees in our backyard to hang our 9 birdfeeders. Eye level seemed just right!

Yes you can be sure it's hanging securely

I love making and hanging birdfeeders! The mess? Well, it waited until after snack, reading books, bedtime, and until she woke up the next day ready for another action-packed day...after breakfast, that is. Clean-up, like making birdfeeders, was also done in her own time.

Note: I have to admit, sometimes I'm more flexible than other times. Yet I always find that the more flexible I am, the better I am able to connect more deeply with my daughter, which means fewer power struggles & frustrations, and more fun & laughter; and sometimes even better sleep for us all. Of course, it's always easier to feel more flexible when my own curiosities and interests are also satisfied. But when they're not I try to remember it's an opportunity to stretch my mama muscles (coping skills, patience, curiosity about my daughter, etc.).

Food Document

2012-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

For more information on the creation and function of these documents, please click on the links below:

Language Magnets

Fostering Independence and Empowering our Children

RL's Routine

INCLUDED:

Benefits to your child (infant, toddler, beyond toddler)
Directions for both magnets and velcro (for those of you without magnetic refrigerator)
2 pages of fruit
1 1/2 pages of veggies
1 page of common foods
2 types of grocery lists

Click on button below for an instant download
Total Cost is $3.50

Water Bead Document

2012-01-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we blogged about creating documents from our activities. You can see the original post HERE. We received some wonderful feedback. Thank you all for taking the time to give us your thoughts and suggestions.

The first document is complete! We thought we would start with one of our favorites... WATER BEADS!!!! The document is a compilation of our blog posts on water beads, answers to questions that were asked frequently, and the benefits to your child. It is broken down into 3 sections: Infant, Toddler, and Beyond Toddler. It is formatted for easy printing to put in a binder with full pages, as well as by section. It is 22 pages in length. Total cost is $3.00. You can download it and print what works for you.

For those of you who chose to purchase, we would LOVE your feedback. We are really hoping you enjoy this and it makes your lives a little easier... leaving more time for play!

PREVIEW

Water Beads PDF document

Sand Storm

2012-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

My son has been really in love with outer space for a while now. His favorite planet is Saturn and he is fascinated by the sand storms on Mars. Just before bed we were exploring sand on the light panel - drawing with our fingers, making tracks with airplanes, etc. I gave him the "five more minutes and its time for books and bed", and then he sucked me into some fun that lasted way more than 5 minutes (its a good thing he really has no concept of time - LOL). He went into the closet, brought out a straw, and started blowing the sand. "Its a sand storm, Mommy!!"

blown sand art - great for oral motor development

"I made two planets, Mommy."


"That round one looks like a crater! That's cool!"

Apparently it was bright in the room....sunglasses? LOL


This activity was F-U-N!!

- AK (MESE, MECD)

DIY Audio Books

2012-01-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

My girls love their audio books. However, some of their favorite books do not come with the option of an audio CD. I looked into buying them online, but all of the audio downloads I have seen do not come with turn page signals. I figured why not make my own!

What you need:

Book

Blank CD's

Something to use as a turn page signal

Audio Recorder

Computer with burning capabilities

This worked GREAT!!

Our first DIY audio book!

I read the story into iRecorder on my iPhone. This application did cost 2.99 to purchase. However, I am sure there are a ton of audio programs out there. You just have to find out what works best for you. After I finished recording, I transferred it to my computer and burned it to a CD.

For turn page signals I used this recorder. This was purchased at Dollar Tree.

I hot glued a clear CD sleeve to the back of the book. This worked perfect! I ended up doing this to all of our other audio books as well. Now they are all together.

My 23 Month old enjoying her first DIY audio book. :-) She absolutely loved that it was Mommy's voice. I can't wait to have my husband read a few. They will be so excited!!

Fostering Independence and Empowering Our Children (A compilation)

2012-01-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

We have done several posts about ways to instill capability in our children. When we provide an environment where they can succeed independently, it is beneficial in so many ways. When our children feel they have choices and power over their world it translates in to happy, confident children as well as less power struggles and challenging behaviors. Here is a compilation of ideas we implement for our children - ranging from ages 23 months to 3 years old.

I hung a tension rod low in my son's closet so he can pick his own shirts

My son also has drawers in his bed...another way he chooses his clothes for the day.

I hung a closet organizer in our garage for shoes storage. My son has his own cubby where he can reach and choose his shoes.

My son has his plates, bowls, and utensils in a low drawer where he can access them himself.

Glue a CD sleeve inside the book to hold its Audio CD

I don't use this (I did in my classroom when I was teaching, though), but a great way to organize books on tape/CD is by using Ziploc bags. Easily accessible to the child.

OR

My son has full access to a CD player and his CDs. To help him be successful I print the images on sticker paper and stick them to the CDs.

Here is a closer look

Put books on child's level

We installed an extendable shower head so my son can wash his hair independently.

Provide them with stools and such so they can make their own meals.

Tie yarn around doors to allow them to open them.

Make language magnets of food to give them choices.

Give them rhythm charts to allow them some control over planning their day.

Organize snack and have them at child level to give them power over their own eating.

- AK (MESE, MECD)

DISCOUNT SUPPLIES (art, toys)

2012-01-21T09:12:00.001-08:00

MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING WHERE WE GET OUR EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, ETC. FROM. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON WHAT TO GET FOR PRESENTS. WE HOPE THIS PROVIDES SOME ANSWERS FOR YOU. WE WILL ALSO UPDATE WITH OTHER WEBPAGES AND COMPANIES THAT WE LOVE! WE WILL ADD TO THIS AS WE REMEMBER. :-)

PAINTS

TEMPERA PAINT

FINGER PAINT

FOAM PAINT

LIQUID WATERCOLORS

FLUORESCENT PAINT (GLOWS IN THE DARK UNDER A BLACK LIGHT! AWESOME VIBRANT COLORS)

PAINT DABBERS

FACE PAINTING

PAINT ACCESSORIES

PAINT BRUSHES

PAINT CUPS

SPRAY BOTTLES (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS)

BINGO BOTTLES (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS)

PAINT BOTTLES

DROPPERS

PAINT A DOT

SPONGES

SCRAPERS

PAPER

EASEL ROLL

DIFFUSING PAPER (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS AND PAINT DABBERS)

BUTCHER PAPER

BLEEDING TISSUE PAPER

CLEAR CONTACT (STICKY WINDOW/STICKY BOX/SUN CATCHERS)

SUNPRINT PAPER

CONSTRUCTION PAPER

CRAFTS

DUSTLESS CHALK (GREAT FOR INDOOR CHALK BOARDS)

STAMP PADS

UPPERCASE STAMPERS (THEY ALSO HAVE LOWERCASE)

ANOTHER GREAT OPTION FOR SMALLER HANDS (THEY ALSO HAVE UPPERCASE)

SEA LIFE STAMPERS (THIS IS ONE SET OF MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS!)

RUBBING PLATES

COLORED SAND

COLORED MATCHSTICKS

WIKKI STIX

GLUE

Assorted Shapes Ceramic Tiles

GREAT ON THE LIGHT PANEL/PROJECTOR BUT NOT LIMITED TO JUST LIGHT PLAY

WATERBEADS

TRANSLUCENT LETTERS

NEST AND STACK BLOCKS

MAGNA TILES (32 PIECE SET)

MAGNA TILES (100 PIECE SET)

TRANSLUCENT TILES

COLOR PADDLES

COOL TUBES

PONY BEADS

X-RAYS

TOYS

MEMORY BOX

INSTA SNOW (AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME IN THE SENSORY BIN!)

PEG NUMBER BOARDS

TALL STACKER PEGS

MAGNETIC DOLL

ROLLER BOARD

MINI HOPPER (THEY ALSO HAVE AN 18 INCH ONE FOR OLDER CHILDREN)

FANTACOLOR

WINDOW BLOCKS

FOAM MAGNETIC LETTERS AND SHAPES

FELT SHAPES

FELT LETTERS

MAGNET KIT

HOP AROUND STEPS

HAMMER AND NAIL DESIGN

MARBLE RUN

TWEEZERS

SENSORY BALLS

ALPHABET SOUP

COOKWARE

TEA SET

Clear plastic ornaments. Great for our post on I-Spy ornaments.

CLAY/PLAYDOUGH

HAMMERS

Dough cutters

CLAY

TOOL SET

MUSIC

TRIANGLE

JINGLE WRAP

EGG SHAKERS

CYMBOLS

MUSICAL SCARVES

RHYTHM STICKS

EQUIPMENT

ACRYLIC EASEL

SENSORY TABLE (THIS IS THE ONE WE HAVE BUT THEY DO HAVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS)

ART/CRAFT TABLE (AGAIN... MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS/PRICE RANGES)

CHAIRS

SELF PORTRAIT MIRROR

ACRYLIC MIRRORS

LIGHT BOX (WE HAVE NOT TRIED THIS BUT IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CONSTRUCTIVE PLAYTHINGS. IF ANYONE TRIES IT LET US KNOW!)

LIGHT PANEL

Imagination- 5 ways to foster creative play

2012-01-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

1. Open-ended toys – The more atoy does the less a child will be able to create, explore, and imagine. Whenchoosing toys for your child try to stay away from the moving, walking,talking, beeping, and bleeping. I knowthat is hard to do in today’s world but these toys are hindering our children’s creativity. When a toy can be a

balance beam one day...

and used for roasting marshmallows the next

You have found yourself a great toy!

A toy also doesn’t necessarily have to be a “toy” atall. Bring the outdoors in… thesenatural elements just may very well be the best “toys” out there.

“Tree Blocks”,sticks, and bark become forests, bridges, and homes for animals.

Rocks become a forestfor dragonflies. Do you see it? We do.

2. Art Materials – Your art materials shouldbe just like your toys… open-ended. Ablank sheet of paper and a box of crayons will take your children to way moreplaces than coloring between the lines of an image in a coloring book. Coloring books tend to leave childrenuninvolved in their art. By offering andhaving materials that consist of paint, glue, glitter, buttons,cotton balls, etc. you are opening up their world to an endless amount ofcreative possibilities.

Open-ended art spaces

Creative artwork

2 years old

“Salami Sandwich”

20 Months old

“Rain showers”

3. Reading- The definition of imagination is “the act or power of forming a mental image of something notpresent to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality”. What a great way to bring this out by readinga book! By reading to your child theyare able to imagine their own sights, sounds, and feelings. Have you ever read a book, went to watch themovie and hated it? Did everything looknothing like you pictured it? Readingexpands your mind in ways nothing else can.

Let your children bring their stories tolife.

“Roxaboxen”

“3 Little Pigs”

4. Respect- Let your children know that you valuetheir play. If they are building orworking on something ALWAYS ask them first if it is OK to clean up or putaway. Can you imagine if you were an architectworking on a big project and someone came along and threw all your blueprintsaway?

Display artworkon the walls and refrigerator. Let yourchildren “overhear” you talking about how hard they worked on that play-dohcreation. They are listening!

You will see creativeworks like this out in our homes for weeks on end. Yes, even if they are in the middle of theliving room floor.

Artwork hanging onwalls and from the ceiling.

5. Play – If your child asks you to jumpaboard on their rocket ship say YES. Ifthey ask you to join their tea party say YES. Get down on the floor and play! Be a pig-monkey for the day. Packyour suitcase full of clothes and head to the “beach”. Let them take you to places that you havenever been before. It may just be yourbest vacation yet.

Fun With Faces (and more ideas)

2012-01-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

I typically try to set up invitations and do activities based on the interests of my son, but I have to admit that was not my motivation here.  I made these for my students when I taught pre-k and the 4 year old children LOVED them, so I wanted to share them with YOU.  What's the point behind these?  They are great for learning about ones self, facial features, fine motor skills, pre-writing skills, imagination, etc etc.  Most of all, they are just FUN and my tables were full of giggles when the students would bring these out.  

SUPPLIES

photos
card stock
laminate
laminator
window crayons (or dry erase markers, window markers, whatever you like)

print faces on 8x10 card stock and cut them out
laminate them and cut them out

(My son printed the pictures and laminated them for me.)

To my surprise, my son really enjoyed these. Here he is coloring RLs youngest.

Drawing glasses on himself

Drawing a mustache on himself (He told me RLs oldest needed a beard and asked me to draw it....by beard he means a goatee like Daddy)

I was quite impressed with his mustache :)

"Mommy, I need a beard like Daddy."
(Yes, this led to painting his own face.)

Yes, we ran errands like this. :)

(And yes, he chose to wear a short sleeve sun shirt on this cold day in January. LOL)

He revisited the faces and painting his own face AFTER errands....and look....HE HAS CLOTHES ON! LOL

"Im a cat, Mommy"

Here is another fun option - puppets.  I also made these for my students when I was teaching.   You take a full body pic, print it on card stock, cut it out, laminate it, cut it out, and use a hot glue gun to mount it on a toilet paper roll.  

Playing with his puppets....still clothed.

LOL

- AK (MESE, MECD)

Transfer

2012-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

My girls often travel to and from the art table, play kitchen, playroom sink, and bathroom sink. I can't even tell you how many times they do this throughout the day. They are always carrying pots and pans, tea cups, tea pot, etc. By being present and watching their play it led me to this invitation.

On the left hand side I have a big bin with various items: balls, blocks, playmobil people, animals, play food, etc. You can throw whatever you want in there. The middle bin has water beads. The white tray on the right is filled with various gems. Laying across the floor are spoons/ladles of various sizes. On the right side of the blanket I have clear empty containers of various shapes and sizes.

A few alternatives for older children:

Add stepping stones that they have to walk across.

Another alternative. This is an agility ladder that they can walk through without stepping on the "cracks". You can also just lay a rope down to act as a balance beam.

My 22 Month old was the first up and she went right for the spoons.

"Mommy spoon, Daddy spoon, Baby spoon"

"Water beans!!"

After her initial reaction she stopped, looked around, and said "Mommy, you made a mess!" LOL LOL! She then proceeded to put everything away. She literally put 80% of the invitation away. I had to set the invitation back up for my oldest!

Carrying water beads to the empty containers.

My oldest went straight for the water beads. Always a favorite in our house.

Nice and steady!

This invitation was left out all morning and they visited it as they pleased.

After breakfast my youngest thought it would be much easier to bring the empty container TO the water beads.....

and then dump it! The stuff they can come up with on their own! :-)

My oldest loved giving her playmobil people "rides to the beach."

Dumping animals.

My 2 Month old in the background checking everything out.

First, let me tell you my kids pick out their own clothes. My 22 month old decided to go Rico Suave today.

My oldest's solution to being able to carry more across?? Put them in her underwear! Now that is some problem solving. I just love watching their brains work.

Yes, we used clorox wipes to clean them after they were done playing. LOL

Playmobil people on the "other side" in a plastic egg carton.

While the older two were playing I was sitting down next to my 2 month old talking, singing, reading, and quietly observing.

We need your help!!!!!!

2012-01-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

We have been getting a lot of emails on certain topics and many of you asking us to write a book. We feel like you are suggesting these things because you want our activities more organized without having to spend hours on the Internet. Which in turn leads to more play with our kids! We are considering making "documents" to have available to you for a minimal fee. We are talking 1,2, or 3 dollars depending on the content. The document would be sent to your email for immediate download. This would also help us out on email issues of emailing a lot of different people the same thing.

For instance a sensory document... This would be a combination of our blog posts and Facebook pictures collaborated into one easy reference guide. It would contain pictures, ideas, and play recipes. We could even set it up like our magnet file so you can print magnets or laminate it for your child.

We would love to hear your responses, opinions, suggestions, and ideas. If there is something you would like to see in a document let us know! We are asking you this before we just go ahead and do it because we value your opinion. We would not stop posting and blogging like we are doing now. Nothing would change except the addition of these documents. We would not advertise on our Facebook Page and would just simply add a button in the blog for those of you that want to use this tool. Also, a percentage of the profits would be given back to our "fans" through giveaways.

Thank you for listening and again we would love your thoughts.

-PAHMs

The "Invitation"

2012-01-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

An invitation to play is a way toeither build upon existing knowledge and delve deeper into the interests and curiosities of ourchildren, or a way to inspire engaged exploration. An invitation can be anything. It can as simple as a bowl of strawberriessitting on a table or as complex as something like THIS:

Ornament Invitation

We usually set up invitations when our children are sleeping(or even when they are engaged in independent play). There are also times where our children takean active role in setting up an invitation (I guess it wouldn’t really beconsidered an “invitation” in that case, would it? At any rate, there is something to be said about the child playing an active role. There can be a lot of great opportunities to learn during the setting up process.).

Invitations can be accepted, denied, played with and thencleaned up, or left out for days to revisit. Is it worth the mess? Thetime? The energy? In our opinion – absolutely. Everything we do for our children is “worthit” – even the invitations that flop. Wemay find a sense of disappointment in the flops, but when an invitation is ahit, that makes up for all of the flops.

Invitations can be

OPEN ENDED

snow sensory bin

glow painting

Invitations can be

SUGGESTIVE

light panel dragon fly

exploring color

The Beginning and End of Color

Invitations can

HAVE A GOAL

(thoughexploration is not limited to that goal)

Invitation to Cook

Some invitations require more guidance than others. The important thing to remember is to offerguidance and join in without taking over.

(These are just a few of our invitations. Want to see more? Let me know.)

- AK (MESE, MECD)

3 Little Pigs... Taking it a step further

2012-01-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

My 22M old LOVES the story of The Three Little Pigs. She got the felt board story and book for Christmas. My oldest was playing with her play pig figures when she asked if we could make houses for the pigs like in the story. Of course the answer was YES!

When I asked them what they wanted to use for the straw house my 22 month old ran over and grabbed her straws from her play doh area. Too funny!

They used sticks and tree blocks for the stick house and melissa and doug blocks for the brick house.

I asked my oldest what she wanted to use for the wolf. "Let's make one out of play-doh!"

Our wolf.

He huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down!

My oldest said we needed to start a fire. She grabbed some sticks for fire wood and crinkled up some paper. She then asked to light it! LOL Now that was on thing I had to give an alternative too.....

We lit a candle instead.

Taking it all in. :-)

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Mirror Exploration

2012-01-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

A huge part of the Reggio Emilia style (which we try toemulate in our homes) is “The Environment” as the third teacher. You can see our “Environments” HERE. We try to make our children’s spacesinspiring and one of our elements is the use of mirrors. Mirrors spread light in a room and add lightto dark corners.

RLs art corner

Using smaller mirrors in interesting ways can make a spacefestive and interesting.

AKs playroom

Mirrors are not only in and around their playrooms, reflecting light inmultiple dimensions, but we also incorporate them in other ways. They are a unique added element to play andthey also support the child’s construction of his/her self-image in the playenvironment.

Face Painting

AKs dress up/dramatic play area

“Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climbtheir own mountain, as high as possible.” – Loris Malaguzzi

There is something alluring about mirrors, particularly to children. They mirror whatever is in front them, they make letters look funny, they bounce sunlight off of them, and when combined with other mirrors in exploration, they reflect reflections infinitely. Want to get your child exploring? Incorporate a mirror.

Exploring things from the natural environment with light and a mirror

building

creating

water beads

writing in black sand on a mirror

adding dimension to building

creating with clay on top of a mirror

Using a mirror as a paint surface

Building on mirror table

DO IT YOURSELF MIRROR EXPLORATION STATION

The light exploration mirrors below cost $140.00!! Here is an easy and simple way to make your own.

6 pack of acrylic mirrors. Click on the picture for a direct link. Total cost is below 20.00 It only takes 4 mirrors to make, leaving you with 2 extra mirrors for play!

RLs mirror station

RL used duct tape to connect her mirrors

Leave a small space in between mirrors if you want to fold it up. If you want it a little bit taller you can turn them the other way and tape 3 mirrors across the back with one on each side.


folded and ready to store


1x1 mirrors from Home Depot (these are breakable) AK used packaging tape to connect hers.


AKs folds for easy storage as well

- AK/RL

Bad Days

2012-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Even PAHM moms have grouchy times, or at least I do. One particularly long-lasting grouchy spell I thought would never end. And while I tried to be mindful of my responses and presence, I was still anything but fun. Honestly, it took all my energies to say "yes" and take deep breaths. Afterall, who wants to make big messes and dance around in circles when they don't feel good? I didn't fake it; kids "can smell a lie like a fart in a car," and I didn't want to complicate the already full emotional static in the air. I told Addi I wasn't feeling well, I engaged when I could, and I set up invitations: playdough, cooking, painting and finally a watercolor invitation that became a foot-mixing project - LOL

Yes, you can stand in the bowl

I set them up to both engage my emotionally responsive daughter and distract her from my mood. While she happily engaged in the invitations, she also checked in with a smile or an exclamation "look at this one, mama!" or a simple hug. Surely this beautifully intelligent child could pull me out of my mood? I wanted desperately for it to happen, but the more I resisted my mood the further I seemed to fall into my dark hole. Then while packing some boxes I came across a book I read this summer, "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv. It was just the reminder I needed of the healing powers in nature. So I stopped setting up play invitations and took Addi to the woods...

Yes, you can hike in a sundress

She took her jacket off and RAN, stepping over rocks and roots and falling trees and calling out, "c'mom!" I ran along, a smile finding its way to my lips. She found her way to the stream, took her shoes and socks off, and waded into the water. She found sticks to throw and rocks to upturn as she looked for salamanders and crawdads.

Yes, you can take wade in the creek.

She stopped to sit on a log and look at the sunlight streaming through the trees saying, "let's sit and rest." She watched her furry sister TJ and asked, "what's she looking for?" I asked what she thought, then watched her think, both of us with smiles. She suggested TJ was just enjoying being in the woods and creek, "just like us!" she exclaimed.

Yes TJ, you can explore without your leash

While this wasn't a complete cure for whatever was ailing me at the time, I did find some genuine laughter as I raced through the woods singing songs with my fully engaged daughter. That evening I reflected on my somewhat lightened mood and knew the clouds were lifting. The combination of nature and my daughter helped me to once again find laughter and connection. I hope to remember this sooner next time.

I don't know what the overall message is here. Maybe there are several - don't beat yourself up for having negative emotions? Give yourself compassion? Remember the power of nature to recharge and reconnect? All parents have bad days? Maybe all of them. But I thought I'd share and hope you find something for yourself. -ab

Resourceful Artwork

2012-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I was ~~raiding~~ straightening up my husband's office a month or so ago when I came across this postcard paper. My girls play pretend post office all the time and love giving and receiving letters. We usually just send letters with some of their artwork included. I thought this was a great idea to kill two birds with one stone! I replaced all their white paper in their baskets with this postcard paper. Now when they go to stamp, paint, color, draw, etc they always use these sheets. My oldest learned that you can rip them apart (they have perforated lines). They sometimes choose to use them in the 4x6 rectangle or sometimes as a full sheet of paper. I find that the 4 x 6 size is perfect for them as they never really use the whole sheet of paper anyway. We've been saving a lot of money on paper since we started doing this!

This post is kinda all over the place. Bare with me! There were a lot of different inspirations to this idea....

Postcard paper... you can find it at any office supply store. I'm sure Walmart carries it as well.

My girls always hard at work in their art space.

I come from a HUGE family. I am one of 6 and I have countless Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, etc. Every single one of my siblings and their children live in a different state. We try and stay as close as possible through pictures, phone calls, Skype calls, and at least one yearly visit. I often make these photo books up for my girls on all their adventures with their cousins. Even though they live so far away, I feel like they are so close to them. My oldest LOVES having her cousins as pen pals.

My girls and a bunch of their cousins received these mailboxes for Christmas. They were purchased at Joann's Craft Store and come in a variety of colors. I deliver the letters that they get from their cousins in here and they also put their letters in to mail out.

Below are some of the 4 x 6 postcards they created. We use these to:

1. Make a post card out of them. It is best to hand deliver these to the post office as they sometimes are not completely flat. If they go through the automatic feeder they may not take. Not only is this a great way to send a quick note, but it costs less than a regular stamp! My girls use these all the time for their letters to their cousins.

2. Make a note card

3. Fold them in half and use a hole punch in the corner to act as a gift tag.

4. Place them in a photo album to save. They fit perfectly in the little sleeves!

Bingo dabbers

Soy crayons

Markers

Stamps

Glitter Glue

Liquid watercolors

Watercolors

Tempera Paint

RL's Routine

2012-01-05T03:28:00.000-08:00

Instead of just giving you a timeframe of our routine, I also wanted to show you what is involved. This is how we live OUR life. This is about ME and MY family This is what we are. I'm only stressing this because everyone's situation is unique and different. You may be a two income family, or a single mom. You may have 1 child, or you may have 10 children. There is no such thing as a perfect family. We all just try to do our best with what we have. Here is an inside view of my family doing exactly that. Some days are great, some days just plain suck, and some days go by without any ups or downs.

Let me give you a little background first. I'm doing this because I think it plays a huge role in our "routine" and how we live.

I am a stay at home mom who does not "work". My job is mommy. I have 3 children ages 3, 22 months, and 7 weeks. My husband works 4 days a week, 10 hour days. All of our children have their own bedroom and we have a designated playroom. We chose to have each child at the time that we had them. We have three healthy children. I have a great relationship with my husband. He helps a TON with the cooking/cleaning. I personally do not need a lot of me time. I don't get manicures, pedicures, massages, etc. I don't need time to do my make up because I don't wear any. My hair is often pulled back in a pony tail, and my attire consists of sweatpants and a t-shirt. AK can attest to that. LOL That's not to say I don't get dressed up to go on a date with my husband... but I'm not going to play in the dirt and roll around on the floor with my kids wearing a sun dress. We are a limited TV household. My husband didn't even own a TV when I first met him! We adults NEVER watch TV during the waking hours of our children. My oldest may watch 1-2 shows a day or she sometimes watches none at all. My 22 month old sometimes catches glimpses when my 3 year old is watching.... there is no way around it, but she can care less about it. They have never watched a movie in it's full length and they have no clue who Nemo, Ariel, or Simba are. I actually tried to sit down with them over Christmas to watch Happy Feet and they lasted maybe 10 minutes. It's just not them. They were given the gift of other ways to play and they prefer that over the screen. Oh.... we also have a cleaning service that deep cleans once a month... floors, rugs, etc. Another important thing... sorry just throwing these in as I remember... my 7 week old is bottle fed.

Again, I am only saying all this because I feel this has an impact in how our days go by. It wouldn't be fair for me to give you a routine, have you look at it, and think I don't have help or amazing resources.

My day usually starts at 5am when my husbands alarm clock goes off. That thing can wake the dead.... and he still sleeps through it! I use that morning time to pay bills, check email, and prepare for anything that I didn't get to the night before. If I'm really tired I can fall back asleep until my middle child wakes up. She's the first to get up around 6:30. Aside from the night time diaper, my middle and oldest do the same thing every morning...take off night time diaper, go pee, grab juice, a plate, morning snack, and head up to the playroom. Morning snack always consists of fruit and either a bowl of yogurt or yogurt drink. They are not limited to that but that's what they usually chose.

Let your children help you and themselves. My 22M old in "her bathroom" as she calls it.. AKA laundry room. If you added up every time my daughter had to pee it would probably take up an hour of our day. Giving her the tools to "I do it by myself", it frees my time up and gives her a tremendous amount of confidence.

Most parents put locks on their cupboards. Not us PAHM's! By putting this rope around the cupboard door my children are able to get their own snacks, plates, cups, etc. Not only does this instill capability, but it makes it easy for me when feeding my infant and my older two want a snack.

Make transitions easier by preparing ahead of time....

My oldest and youngest typically both get up at 7. My oldest sometimes requests a show during this time. She is slow to wake up and she sometimes needs that "zone out" time. If she chooses to watch a show she watches it downstairs by herself while I am up in the playroom with the younger two. While I am feeding my youngest my older two always play independently. We usually are all in the same room and I am present to them as well. My youngest is not in a routine during the day yet.... I feed her when she's hungry, we play when she's awake. As for my older two we have child-led play indoors from waking time until nap/rest time. Around 11 we head downstairs for brunch. I say brunch because this is usually when my children want to eat breakfast. This is their best and favorite meal. They either help me make breakfast, play independently, or do kitchen "chores". They love making coffee, putting away the dishes, or doing laundry during this time.

You would be surprised at how much you can get done with the 5 minutes it takes her to fill this!

Laundry baskets that are kept out when doing laundry. Each of my girls have their own unique basket. I always do their clothes separate. They love when they have a full dryer of clothes to sort into baskets!

After the sorting is done we take the clothes up to their bedrooms. My 3 year old can and loves putting her clothes away by herself. For my 22M old we have these baskets at the bottom of her closet. She sorts her socks and underwear, and grabs me hangers as I need them.

After brunch my 22M old goes down for a nap and my oldest takes a rest. My oldest will sleep if she is tired but most of the time she listens to her audio books or plays quietly with or without me in the playroom. This is another time when she sometimes chooses to watch a show.

After nap.. around 1 or 1:30 they usually go for another snack and we do something outside. I like to try to get out at the very least once a day. This could consist of just playing in the backyard or going to the playground, museum, etc. I feel this is the best time to get out for us because everyone is well rested. I would never take my kids out just for the sake of getting out, or go grocery shopping for instance right before nap time. We always chose wise times to leave the house. I also make sure that I am aware when we do go out. I know that if we happen to get out in the morning that I better be ready to be home by 11 or we will have meltdowns!!!

Around 4 or 4:30 is when we head back home. Around 4:30 I start dinner. Again, my older two either play upstairs with each other independently or help me in the kitchen. They often go for their busy box during this time as well.

5:00 we eat dinner.

5:30 we head upstairs and play for 30 min before starting our bed time routine.

6:00 my husband usually walks in the door. Together as a family we clean anything that is left out in the playroom. My husband and I then give baths. We try and get as much one on one time as possible during that hour. The girls take baths separately... My husband will give our 22M old a bath while I am with my oldest and vice versa. After baths we read 4 stories together as a family and then they get 1 story to read with us by themselves before bed. If my husband gave our oldest a bath then he reads to our 22M old before bed. By 7:00... 7:30 at the latest, my older two are asleep.

If my husband doesn't make it home in time for baths, I often set this INVITATION up for them.

We are up with my youngest until 9ish. She usually sleeps 8 hours takes a bottle and sleeps until 7. After all the girls are settled we try and prepare the best we can for the next day. We also try during this time to prep as many meals as we can. Some days we do enough for a week... some days we don't do any. My husband bought me a kitchenAid stand, an extra freezer, and half a cow for Christmas. LOL I'm hoping that helps! Ohhhh how the times have changed!!

Some extra "tips" that work great for us.....

Make it easy for your children to clean up their space by giving everything a home. If you don't know where it goes... how are they supposed to know?

Make it easy on yourself by staying organized.

A word doc I made with a custom grocery list. We print one out each week and check off what we need.

After so many requests for our food magnets and grocery lists we decided to make them accessible to you. We created a document (13 pages) that includes:

Benefits to your child (infant, toddler, beyond toddler)

Directions for both magnets and velcro (for those of you without magnetic refrigerator)

2 pages of fruit

1 1/2 pages of veggies

1 page of common foods

2 types of grocery lists

Click on button below for an instant download
Total Cost is $3.50

I have pictures of all our snacks. I have a copy laminated and a copy printed out on magnet sheets. We use the laminated copy for the girls to circle their selections for the week. Also, when you go grocery shopping, this is a great tool for your children to bring to the grocery store and find the picture! For the magnets I keep a picture of what snacks are available on the outside of the refrigerator. This not only helps my children to see what we have, but when we are out of something the magnet comes down. When we only have a few magnets up, it's time to go shopping!

Take advantage of your resources!

Our front door looks like this often. I LOVE Amazon. How can you not take advantage of diapers, wipes, toiletries, snacks, etc. all at your doorstep with the click of a button. If you haven't joined Amazon Mom yet, you need to right now! Everything ships free to your doorstep in two days. Also, check your local grocery stores. Our Sam's club has free order ahead pick up. You can select your items online and within 24 hours they will have it all ready for you to pick up. Many of our grocery stores do this for a minimal fee and they always have free trials. 95% of our grocery shopping is done with me not actually having to go to the store and shop.

I hope this helps give you an inside view of our day. Some of these things you may already do yourselves, but hopefully you picked up something new!

I also want to add that this changes often. Our summer routine is much different than our winter routine. We also don't get out as nearly as much as we used to now that we have our youngest. I am sure that will change once again when she's more mobile.