Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Really Messy Play
Cornstarch and water... Need I say more? Plain messy mush that we're allowed to stick our hands into! Squeeze it and it turns hard, let go and it gets runny again. Dries into dust so no worries about getting it off clothing or hands. This was by far their favorite activity ever, and the kids were asking me to do it again for days afterwards. It didn't last so long- they spilled it out after about 15 or 20 minutes, but I would definitely give it another try some other time.
We've "Bean" Busy
My boys are very sensory, as I think most kids are. When we're baking they love touching the flour, play dough is a real favorite, and they'd enjoy nothing more than playing in the dirt all day. They'll run to anything that they can stick their hands into and dig with, without thinking of the consequences or what Mommy will say! I try to give them opportunities to have sensory experiences. There are so many ways to do that. I remember a long time ago when Big Brother Jr. was a baby, and I poured a kilo of flour into a bowl and let them play with it. I had flour all over my house for days, but they had so much fun! It lasted for a long time- I just kept sweeping it up into a pile so they could dig into it again. These activities inevitably end up all over, despite my warnings and precautions to keep it in the bin/bowl/pan/box. There are endless themed sensory bins that you can create, encouraging imagination as well as addressing the sensory aspect.
Here we have a simple sensory bin made of black beans, popcorn kernels, and a few kidney beans for color. It's what I had in the house at that time, and since then we've enjoyed many afternoons with these beans. I give them different equipment to use- cups and spoons, pots and pans, trucks, or an assortment. I have to be constantly alert to make sure to sweep it up when it gets out of hand, otherwise I'll have a serious mess to deal with, instead of just a major mess. I have to admit, it is a challenge for me to remain calm while they play with the beans because they do end up scattered from one corner to the other. But I take them out every so often anyway, because the entertainment it provides for them is still worth it.
Here we have a simple sensory bin made of black beans, popcorn kernels, and a few kidney beans for color. It's what I had in the house at that time, and since then we've enjoyed many afternoons with these beans. I give them different equipment to use- cups and spoons, pots and pans, trucks, or an assortment. I have to be constantly alert to make sure to sweep it up when it gets out of hand, otherwise I'll have a serious mess to deal with, instead of just a major mess. I have to admit, it is a challenge for me to remain calm while they play with the beans because they do end up scattered from one corner to the other. But I take them out every so often anyway, because the entertainment it provides for them is still worth it.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Reading to My Kids
I just came across this poem at poemhunter.com and it brought back some childhood memories. In honor of the smile it brought to my face, I want to mention what I love about reading to my boys.
I enjoy children's books- all kinds. For those that know me, I always was a bookworm and still enjoy reading. I think that books enhance kids' vocabulary and broadens their mind. I'm not a fancy psychologist or an expert in these areas, but I see that my kids sometimes learn the most fascinating things from books.
So which books do I like? ANYTHING! Of course anything that moves- trucks, trains, boats are a favorite with the boys, and if it has a rocket ship or a fire truck then we're really in for a treat (and loads of questions!). But we also like real stories and rhyming stories, pop-ups and repetitiveness, long books and short books, people and animals, you name it. There are some classics that I remember as a kid, like The Giving Tree and Caps for Sale, and now my kids share them as memories. Others, like I Spy and My Peekaboo Book, are great because they're interactive. There are others that we like because they have lots of interesting and exotic scenes to explore. And there are yet others with simple pictures, like Eric Carle's array of choices. Each book has its own charm, and is entertaining for its own reason.
It's important to me to have a wide variety of books, just so that I don't get bored, although on the other hand I also like reading the same book every night as part of our ritual. The compromise that usually happens is that they get attached to one and we read it for a few weeks, until something else interests them. I generally read four books a night (each Big Brother chooses two) but depending on what time it is, and my patience level, it can be less or more. I wouldn't do less than two though, I really feel that the stories gear them up to go to bed. The few times that we've tried to skip the stories to save time just backfired.
There are a few things that I love about books. First of all, one of the greatest pleasures is sitting on the couch with two freshly bathed, pajama clad boys curled up next to you. They get so engrossed in the book, and it's amazing how these rambunctious and active children, who can't sit still for a second, will just listen to me read book after book after book. I enjoy the familiarity of it- no matter how many times we've read the same book, they'll point out the same things and ask the same questions. I like teaching them new things from the pictures. I like hearing the questions they come up with, and discussing different ideas. I am constantly amazed at how they notice details and discover things in books that we've read countless times! Big Brother Sr. is enthralled by Go Dog Go, our latest acquisition, and it is currently on our nightly reading list. I sometimes find him during the day, sitting and reading the book to himself. Wow!
One thing that I learned from a dear friend and neighbor in Israel who, incidentally, I miss a lot, is to mention the book's author. (She taught me a lot about the pleasures of reading to kids and having a big library of kids' books). If they have the whole book memorized, at least let them learn something! I had a few cute incidents with it. I was reading a book and Big Brother Sr. said, "I forgot, who wrote the dog book?" It became important to him! A different time I was showing them a photo book that I made with family pictures, and one of the boys said, "the author is Mommy." I was quite proud when I asked them who wrote 10 Little Rubber Ducks (another one they can't get enough of) and they both said Eric Carle.
There are some books that we parents like better than the kids, like those Dr. Seuss books that you have to be an adult to appreciate the humor. Some have good lessons that I try to convey, like Old Hat New Hat. Curious George always has terrible lessons (you can go against all the rules but if you do something good at the end it's all okay) but the boys really like it so I tolerate it. I think the pictures are stimulating for the kids.
Reading with my kids is enjoyable and educational, and I treasure it. And on that note, here is the aforementioned poem by Shel Silverstein.
Sick
'I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke -
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my spine is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is -
what? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is ... Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!'
I enjoy children's books- all kinds. For those that know me, I always was a bookworm and still enjoy reading. I think that books enhance kids' vocabulary and broadens their mind. I'm not a fancy psychologist or an expert in these areas, but I see that my kids sometimes learn the most fascinating things from books.
So which books do I like? ANYTHING! Of course anything that moves- trucks, trains, boats are a favorite with the boys, and if it has a rocket ship or a fire truck then we're really in for a treat (and loads of questions!). But we also like real stories and rhyming stories, pop-ups and repetitiveness, long books and short books, people and animals, you name it. There are some classics that I remember as a kid, like The Giving Tree and Caps for Sale, and now my kids share them as memories. Others, like I Spy and My Peekaboo Book, are great because they're interactive. There are others that we like because they have lots of interesting and exotic scenes to explore. And there are yet others with simple pictures, like Eric Carle's array of choices. Each book has its own charm, and is entertaining for its own reason. 
It's important to me to have a wide variety of books, just so that I don't get bored, although on the other hand I also like reading the same book every night as part of our ritual. The compromise that usually happens is that they get attached to one and we read it for a few weeks, until something else interests them. I generally read four books a night (each Big Brother chooses two) but depending on what time it is, and my patience level, it can be less or more. I wouldn't do less than two though, I really feel that the stories gear them up to go to bed. The few times that we've tried to skip the stories to save time just backfired.
There are a few things that I love about books. First of all, one of the greatest pleasures is sitting on the couch with two freshly bathed, pajama clad boys curled up next to you. They get so engrossed in the book, and it's amazing how these rambunctious and active children, who can't sit still for a second, will just listen to me read book after book after book. I enjoy the familiarity of it- no matter how many times we've read the same book, they'll point out the same things and ask the same questions. I like teaching them new things from the pictures. I like hearing the questions they come up with, and discussing different ideas. I am constantly amazed at how they notice details and discover things in books that we've read countless times! Big Brother Sr. is enthralled by Go Dog Go, our latest acquisition, and it is currently on our nightly reading list. I sometimes find him during the day, sitting and reading the book to himself. Wow! 
One thing that I learned from a dear friend and neighbor in Israel who, incidentally, I miss a lot, is to mention the book's author. (She taught me a lot about the pleasures of reading to kids and having a big library of kids' books). If they have the whole book memorized, at least let them learn something! I had a few cute incidents with it. I was reading a book and Big Brother Sr. said, "I forgot, who wrote the dog book?" It became important to him! A different time I was showing them a photo book that I made with family pictures, and one of the boys said, "the author is Mommy." I was quite proud when I asked them who wrote 10 Little Rubber Ducks (another one they can't get enough of) and they both said Eric Carle.
Reading with my kids is enjoyable and educational, and I treasure it. And on that note, here is the aforementioned poem by Shel Silverstein.
Sick
'I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke -
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my spine is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is -
what? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is ... Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!'
Monday, September 3, 2012
Cottage Birthdays
Little Sister is 1! It was nice to share the celebration with the northern contingent of the
family, and her secular birthday was celebrated with the other side of
the family. We're starting to see that our pretty, precious, delicate,
overprotected, oh-so-sweet little girl is turning into a regular one
year old: smearing food all over herself, mischievously emptying out
cabinets, destroying her brothers' lego creations... Baruch Hashem!
I made these beautiful cupcakes and I was quite proud of them actually. Simple but they really look nice. These were especially yummy because the frosting was made with real butter (mistake from the upsherin that I saved for this). I can't wait for an excuse to make more cupcakes!
Here's another birthday cake I made for someone special's 50th birthday, albeit a little belated. The cake is red velvet, with cream cheese frosting, something I've always wanted to try. It didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to, but it was nice nonetheless and it tasted okay.
I made these beautiful cupcakes and I was quite proud of them actually. Simple but they really look nice. These were especially yummy because the frosting was made with real butter (mistake from the upsherin that I saved for this). I can't wait for an excuse to make more cupcakes!
Here's another birthday cake I made for someone special's 50th birthday, albeit a little belated. The cake is red velvet, with cream cheese frosting, something I've always wanted to try. It didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to, but it was nice nonetheless and it tasted okay.
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