Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Parents put kids in charge of school
Parents put kids in charge of school -- An article about unschooling.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
KittyBook!
KittyBook! The Ultimate WAHM Business Directory. Work At Home Mother-Owned Businesses. -- I found an auction site (other than eBay) that specializes in kid things. That led me to this directory of businesses.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Feingold Program Home Page
Feingold Program Home Page -- We don't have serious problems, but sometimes when DS1 is more hyper than usual I wonder about food additives.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Oh Christmas Tree!
Once again, it's been too long between blogs, but I just had to write about how excited DS1 was helping Daddy decorate the Christmas tree that we finally got put up tonight. He hung most of the ornaments himself. We only needed to do a little rearranging because the tree will be inside the playpen again this year. DS2 still puts everything in his mouth and we don't trust him to not try to eat the tree or the ornaments. DS1 tried to climb up on the side of the playpen, though, so this will probably be the last year we use it. If it doesn't seem safe to just put it on the floor next year we'll have to come up with a new plan.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Reading to Baby Brother
It's a good thing that I am keeping this blog for my own enjoyment only and maybe to share with DS in the future. I know I haven't written in a long time. Life with 2 toddlers is quite hectic and it seems that whenever I think of something I want to blog, I'm either nowhere near a computer, or can't take the minute or 2 to login and blog it.
On to the topic of today... last night DS1 read 2 stories to DS2 at bedtime. The last few nights DS1 has been readily climbing up on his bed for bedtime stories. He has been sticking with "Shapes," "Colors," "Words," and "Numbers," which are all lift-the-flap board books with 10 pages each. It was so cute. DS1 was sitting on his bed, with DS2 in Daddy's lap on the floor. DS1 opened the book and read the page, then turned the book around so DS2 could see it, then DS2 lifted the flap. I suspect the way he was holding the book and turning it around is how his daycare teachers read to the kids.
On to the topic of today... last night DS1 read 2 stories to DS2 at bedtime. The last few nights DS1 has been readily climbing up on his bed for bedtime stories. He has been sticking with "Shapes," "Colors," "Words," and "Numbers," which are all lift-the-flap board books with 10 pages each. It was so cute. DS1 was sitting on his bed, with DS2 in Daddy's lap on the floor. DS1 opened the book and read the page, then turned the book around so DS2 could see it, then DS2 lifted the flap. I suspect the way he was holding the book and turning it around is how his daycare teachers read to the kids.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Friday, October 29, 2004
Fall Harvest (Halloween)
At daycare they didn't celebrate Halloween this year, they talked about Fall Harvest. And the kids got to dress up and go to the college campus and "harvest" candy from other people who were dressed up. Hmmmm. It's all symantics.
A co-worker told me that the kids would be breaking a pinata at 10 am, so I went to the building and saw DS1. He had not been interested in any costumes when we went shopping, so last night I turned his orange long sleeve shirt inside out and painted a jack-o-lantern face on it. So we was "a pumpkin face" today. He enjoyed it! The kids got lots of candy and DS1 told me "we're trick or treating". The only part that I didn't care for was the pinata. The bigger (4-5 yr olds) had fun taking turns hitting it with a plastic bat, but it took an adult male several whacks to get it to break. Then the mad rush to pick up candy from the floor. DS1 was standing back and seemed a bit overwhelmed. I thought, "Great, teach the kids to be greedy and push their friends." DS1 did pick up a few pieces of candy, and there were adults up above (it was in an atrium area) dropping more candy away from the center so every kid probably did get some candy there. Not that there was any shortage of candy for the kids today, DS1's bag was not quite as big as a grocery shopping bag, and it had a good 2-4" of candy filling it. Quite a haul, actually.
A co-worker told me that the kids would be breaking a pinata at 10 am, so I went to the building and saw DS1. He had not been interested in any costumes when we went shopping, so last night I turned his orange long sleeve shirt inside out and painted a jack-o-lantern face on it. So we was "a pumpkin face" today. He enjoyed it! The kids got lots of candy and DS1 told me "we're trick or treating". The only part that I didn't care for was the pinata. The bigger (4-5 yr olds) had fun taking turns hitting it with a plastic bat, but it took an adult male several whacks to get it to break. Then the mad rush to pick up candy from the floor. DS1 was standing back and seemed a bit overwhelmed. I thought, "Great, teach the kids to be greedy and push their friends." DS1 did pick up a few pieces of candy, and there were adults up above (it was in an atrium area) dropping more candy away from the center so every kid probably did get some candy there. Not that there was any shortage of candy for the kids today, DS1's bag was not quite as big as a grocery shopping bag, and it had a good 2-4" of candy filling it. Quite a haul, actually.
Friday, October 15, 2004
You're Welcome
Yesterday DS1 said "You're Welcome" after I thanked him for something. We have never "taught" him "You're Welcome", just modeled it a lot. We have prompted for "please" and "thank you" on occasion, but don't much anymore. DH says thank you a lot but not please as much. So does DS1... hmmm. :-) DS1 even prompted me for "please" once last week when I asked for something without saying it. It got me thinking a lot about how it feels to be the one being prompted, so I try not to do that anymore.
Yesterday DS1 said "You're Welcome" after I thanked him for something. We have never "taught" him "You're Welcome", just modeled it a lot. We have prompted for "please" and "thank you" on occasion, but don't much anymore. DH says thank you a lot but not please as much. So does DS1... hmmm. :-) DS1 even prompted me for "please" once last week when I asked for something without saying it. It got me thinking a lot about how it feels to be the one being prompted, so I try not to do that anymore.
Monday, October 11, 2004
DiaperFreeBaby -- I'm interested in this because I would like DS1 to start using the toiliet in as natural way as possible.
Alfie Kohn - Parenting - Selected Publications - Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" -- At first I thought I would not agree with (or like) this article. Even part way through it I was questioning (which is good, actually). But it made me realize that I am pretty good at this. My son says "I did it!" a lot, and he even said "You did it!" to his little brother when he sucessfully put the ball in the laundry basket.
I also noticed that is probably related a couple of days ago when we visited my dad. My sister and her two daughters were there. The older girl (Dear Niece) is almost 4. (DS1 is 2 1/2.) They got out some puzzles to do. DN asked Grandpa to help. Then DS1 asked for help, too. He doesn't usually ask for help with puzzles, and these were ones that he could easily have done without help. It seemed like when he saw DN "needing help" that he then "needed help" too. I don't know if DN really did need help with the puzzles or that she was wanting interaction, but seeing that behavior copied caught my attention.
I also noticed that is probably related a couple of days ago when we visited my dad. My sister and her two daughters were there. The older girl (Dear Niece) is almost 4. (DS1 is 2 1/2.) They got out some puzzles to do. DN asked Grandpa to help. Then DS1 asked for help, too. He doesn't usually ask for help with puzzles, and these were ones that he could easily have done without help. It seemed like when he saw DN "needing help" that he then "needed help" too. I don't know if DN really did need help with the puzzles or that she was wanting interaction, but seeing that behavior copied caught my attention.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Talking well
While doing one of his new jigsaw puzzles this morning, DS1 stuck his tongue out and said, "hair in my mouth". I tried to clear it for him since he didn't seem to be getting it. The great part is that he used to just say, "owie" when he got something like a hair in his mouth.
That incident reminded me that at DS2's birthday party on Sunday, the boys' cousin was surprised at how well DS1 was talking also. He asked me, "How long has he been talking?" I said that it has been quite a long time now. Since I don't have very many other references, I sometimes forget that his development is pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old.
While doing one of his new jigsaw puzzles this morning, DS1 stuck his tongue out and said, "hair in my mouth". I tried to clear it for him since he didn't seem to be getting it. The great part is that he used to just say, "owie" when he got something like a hair in his mouth.
That incident reminded me that at DS2's birthday party on Sunday, the boys' cousin was surprised at how well DS1 was talking also. He asked me, "How long has he been talking?" I said that it has been quite a long time now. Since I don't have very many other references, I sometimes forget that his development is pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Update
Gee, I haven't written in a long time. DS1 has done a bunch of cute things lately. Yesterday was DS1's birthday, and after DH and I sang "Happy Birthday" to DS2, DS1 said "Happy Birthday to me," wanting us to sing to him to. So we did. :-) He can hop like a frog, with hands and feet, and moving forward. And he "hops like a Tigger", jumping straight up and sometimes landing on his feet, and sometimes landing on his bottom. I told him that it's a good thing that he has thick cushy cloth diapers on, or that landing like that would hurt.
Yesterday when we gave DS2 his birthday gift (a dog that barks and "sings" BINGO), we gave DS1 a set of 4 puzzles with 25 pieces each. I believe that these are the biggest puzzles that he has ever tried to do. The age range on them says "3-7". He isn't yet 2 1/2! He can do them all by himself! The first one took 13 minutes from the time we started unwrapping, until the last piece was in. A couple of times I handed him a piece and said, "try this one," (but without suggesting where he try it). It was hard to not help, but I'm really glad I didn't. He is so quick with puzzles it amazes me. I think he impressed his aunts and uncles today at DS2's birthday party, too. We took the puzzles so he would have something to play with while the adults were setting up and sitting around talking.
Gee, I haven't written in a long time. DS1 has done a bunch of cute things lately. Yesterday was DS1's birthday, and after DH and I sang "Happy Birthday" to DS2, DS1 said "Happy Birthday to me," wanting us to sing to him to. So we did. :-) He can hop like a frog, with hands and feet, and moving forward. And he "hops like a Tigger", jumping straight up and sometimes landing on his feet, and sometimes landing on his bottom. I told him that it's a good thing that he has thick cushy cloth diapers on, or that landing like that would hurt.
Yesterday when we gave DS2 his birthday gift (a dog that barks and "sings" BINGO), we gave DS1 a set of 4 puzzles with 25 pieces each. I believe that these are the biggest puzzles that he has ever tried to do. The age range on them says "3-7". He isn't yet 2 1/2! He can do them all by himself! The first one took 13 minutes from the time we started unwrapping, until the last piece was in. A couple of times I handed him a piece and said, "try this one," (but without suggesting where he try it). It was hard to not help, but I'm really glad I didn't. He is so quick with puzzles it amazes me. I think he impressed his aunts and uncles today at DS2's birthday party, too. We took the puzzles so he would have something to play with while the adults were setting up and sitting around talking.
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