One Warm Fall Day

All summer long I would set Samuel up in his Excer-saucer on our front porch. He would play happily for a very long time, watching the cars, people and animals pass by.

Several weeks ago we had an exceptionally warm fall day and I couldn't resist this last time on the front porch in the exersaucer.

Three generations later my Oma's insistence on 'keeping the ears covered for the wind' still rings true :)

Sam's New Spot

Under the table! Table and chairs legs make for a great obstacle course. It is safely hidden away from a brother who may want to take your toy and declare "MINE!" But best of all, there is often a cheerio or two to be found!

Some Preschooling Adventures

So far our practice preschool has been going well. I have managed to do one special craft per week. Since I have been so focused on schooling I've really noticed all the 'educational' things we do each day without even thinking of it. I also realized I do some nontraditional crafty things (really, just fine motor skill work) such as tearing paper and playing with stickers.

I have not been very good at taking pictures of our activities, however. As usual, we started out keen to blog our practice preschool, so this was our first week. It was an end of fall craft. We collected leaves (I tried to encourage Henry to collect pretty red leaves but he has a more subdued and post modern sense of beauty and chose brown and yellow leaves with black rotting spots), and then glued the leaves to cardboard which then slid into a paper towel roll which served as the trunk. We used a favourite seasonal book "I am a Bunny" by Richard Scarry. We talked a lot about the fall, trees and leaves but two things that stood out was Henry's surprise that elephants and trees both have trunks and that the leaves have now mostly fallen off the trees.

This was a pretty simple craft because I really want to set us up for success. I have made very modest plans for each week in November and December.

I have created a little nook in the family room to display Henry's art. I also display his Sunday School work or anything else he may be proud or excited to see hanging on the wall.

So far so good! :) Thank you to all who commented with helpful links. I have checked all of your recommendations out and have bookmarked most of them to go back to when I need them!

Early Preschool

Recently I have decided that I am going to be more purposeful about crafting and preschool activities with Henry. I am always teaching him organically, as things come up throughout my day, but haven't spent much time planning and organizing activities.

In Sunday School Henry thought the playdough was to be eaten (he had never seen it before - my bad!), and he also thought the foam animals, which were to be glued onto a memory verse, was a snack. Time to pull out the crafting supplies!!

This weeks goals have been to (1) organize a little corner where he can be creative naturally throughout the day. I will change up the materials (chalk, markers, paper, chalk board, etc) whenever he or I start to get bored :)



Another goal for this week was to (2) organize weekly activities and materials required for November and December. I have most of the activities I'd like to accomplish in a folder already. Now I just have to organize on a calendar and list materials I'll need for each week.



Cory and I are commited to homeschooling our boys. I have some materials/curriculums for a more formal preschool program for September 2011. Thematic Units. Alphabet and Phonics activities. Patterning and all that good stuff!! I guess these next few months will just be 'practice' homeschool, if you will.



If I'm really ambitious you may even see a little of what I'm doing with Henry. Any advice or recommendations for books, blogs, websites, etc that have great preschool materials?

Slow Down Baby Boy

For close to two weeks now Samuel has been crawling (or more like dragging his body) all around the house. From the living room to the kitchen and back. This morning he impressed me with this new trick

He can sit all by himself!! He is at that stage where he can sit for long periods of time but at any moment could throw himself over. So I stay near by and/or surround him with pillows.

He is growing up much too fast! :(

My how time flies when you're having fun. :)

Fall Fair

In September Cory and I took the boys to a local fair. We had such an enjoyable day. The weather was perfect. The ham and beans, delicious! And the exhibits were great. It had an old fashioned feel. There are no carnival attractions at this fair!

Here is the description:

Agriculture is the main focus of the fair with animal, flower, fruit and vegetable exhibits and competitions. Crafts, baking and preserving, and heritage displays of antique machinery and hosuehold items, as well as old fashioned games and races for the children, fill out the day.

Next year I'm hoping to enter some baking, Cory would like to enter some of his plants, and maybe even Henry or Sam will enter a craft! It won't be too long before the boys will be competing in a three legged race :)

Wonderful!

I was pushing Henry and Sam in a cart at the grocery store last week when Henry all of a sudden gasped and went wide eyed, his mouth gaping opened.

Me: "What is it Henry?"
Henry: in a whispered, awestruck tone "I hear-ed God, Mommy."

Apparently a man speaking over the intercom system sounded a lot like God to my two and a half year old!

I love fall

I recently discovered something about myself. Fall is my favourite season. My love for Christmas tricked me into thinking Winter was my favourite season. And while it is true that I adore Winter, Fall totally wins. Who can resist harvest vegetables in soups, canning with family, sweater weather, the homey smell of bread baking in your oven, crunchy leaves, rosey cheeks. . .I could go on and on. I am so thankful God has given us different seasons to enjoy - but I am most thankful for Autumn :)

What the boys and I have been up to as of late:

Henry literally swimming in the leaves Daddy (and Mommy!) raked.

We waxed leaves by melting parrafin wax, dipping the leaves, and then letting them dry on wax paper.

This was the face Sam made the entire time he was in the grass. I don't think he liked the cool grass or the crunchy leaves. Maybe he's more of a Summer kinda guy?

He much preferred it when he was in his Bear Suit (you don't have to tell me - you could just eat him, right?).

. . .just enjoying the beautiful weather!

Moments Like These

I had just finished Steam Mopping my kitchen floors (a miracle in itself) and was on my way to finishing the living room and dining room when I heard an excited little boy shouting things about the Garbage Truck outside our home. I heard him moving the kitchen blinds and started towards the kitchen, worried that he'd pull down a blind. I was too late. The blinds were safe (albeit a little bent) but my poor beautiful plant was not. It was a housewarming gift from Aunt Angela and it was doing so well in the front kitchen window. Not to mention my just-cleaned floors!It was a moment where I didn't know whether to scream, cry, or laugh. So I breathed. I reassured Henry that it was ok, just an accident. And I breathed. I prayed. And I remembered that these days are so short. Lord willing, I'll have many days with beautiful plants in windowsills but not so many days with little boys to knock them. I picked up the plants and put them in a little tin bowl I had just purchased from the second hand. I still need to repot it properly, but for now it looks cheerful and my plants are happy.

Special Visitors

My cousin Lisa decided to visit us from Australia. She was born in Ontario and has lived in Cayman Islands, Japan, and Australia and has traveled to even more places. On her visit to Ottawa she brought her brother, my cousin, Trevor. We discovered he is exceptionally gifted with little ones. Trevor announced that Henry and Sam were "as cute as me!" Of course, we agree :) Henry and Sam really enjoyed Trevor. I think Trevor enjoyed them, too.