tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4801695509454438572024-03-13T14:33:14.333-05:00I can do that! So can you...Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-13917456846425926862013-10-09T13:21:00.003-05:002013-10-09T13:21:53.613-05:00Free Art<div style="text-align: center;">
When I taught kindergarten, the most popular free play area in my room was the art area. Kids would spend their entire free play time constructing impressive projects with simple tools. I've been wanting to give <b><i>A </i></b>the same opportunity, so the other week I set out some art/craft tools to see what would happen. </div>
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This is the before picture of our toy shelf in our main living area (note the lovely wedding photo of Mama and Daddy :)):</div>
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This is our after picture!</div>
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I placed a magazine holder with coloring books and different types of paper in the first cube. (Disregard the whole, "my name is P.M." thing. This is from my afternoon K class and I never peeled the sticker off!) I also added colored pencils and two types of crayons for easy access.</div>
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In the second cube, I put a drawer organizer. You can see a tape dispenser and pencil case on top. The pencil case has a pencil, glue stick and scissors in it (easy for my 4 year-old to get to, but not for my 2 year-old)</div>
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The first drawer has popsicle sticks and stampers</div>
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The second drawer has stencils and rubbing plates</div>
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The third drawer has stickers and a pencil box with markers. I wanted <b><i>A </i></b>to have the option to use markers without having them out in the open where little sis could get to them.</div>
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This has worked so well, and <b><i>A </i></b>has made some really great drawings and popsicle stick creations. I've since added a bunch of supplies to this shelf and I'll be updating with another post soon.</div>
Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-66264274939768706662013-09-10T14:30:00.000-05:002013-09-10T14:31:01.615-05:00September Mom and Me Book Club: Chicka Chicka 123!<div style="text-align: center;">
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We are participating in the monthly book club series hosted by <a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Educators' Spin On It</a></div>
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This month's author is Bill Martin Jr. I chose the book, <i>Chicka Chicka 123</i>. It is one of <i><b>A's </b></i>current favorites!</div>
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I printed off a drawing of an apple tree, added number stickers (0-9) and laminated the pages. The kids took turns digging for numbers and matching them to their sheet.</div>
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I found this cute little bumblebee craft on Pinterest. (original source <a href="http://kindlingplayandtraining.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/sweet-little-alder-bee-craft.html?m=1" target="_blank">here</a>) It is made with a tiny pine cone, yarn and a small piece of grocery bag. Super easy and cute! </div>
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They loved making (but mostly eating) their Honey-Comb cereal necklaces.</div>
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Everyone had a chance to sample a red, yellow and green apple, fill out a sheet (also found on Pinterest..original source <a href="http://shareandremember.blogspot.com/2012/09/apple-tasting-in-preschool-printable.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and cast their vote.</div>
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I also had a few other Bill Martin Jr. books out for everyone to look through. I forgot to take a photo of the take-home activity, but here is a photo of one we did after everyone went home. Each child got a baggie with a sheet of apple stickers and four trees with numbers on them. They needed to count and stick the correct number of stickers on each tree.</div>
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This was fun! We are excited for next month's book club!</div>
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<br />Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-22461382714427664292013-07-15T15:30:00.000-05:002013-07-15T15:31:19.585-05:002013 Summer Book Exchange!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We recently participated in the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2013/06/meet-our-love-books-summer-book.html" target="_blank">"Love Books" Summer Book Exchange</a></span>. It was so much fun! Check out our last year's exchange <a href="http://icandothatsocanyou.blogspot.com/2012/07/love-books-exchange.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This year we were paired up with Lauren from <a href="http://www.tutusteaparties.com/" target="_blank">Tutus & Tea Parties</a>. We received one of our <i>favorite </i>books, Mouse Paint!</div>
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We began by reading the book, then we used the puppets she sent us to retell the story. There were mice puppets, paint jar puppets, paint puddle puppets and then there were mouse bottom puppets to show what color each mouse turned. These were the highlight of the package. My girls still play with these!</div>
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Next we had some fun with color mixing in baggies. </div>
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I added a little printable I found on Pinterest. :)</div>
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Here <i><b>A </b></i>is getting ready to do some paint mixing on a cute little handmade painter's palette.</div>
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Finally, the girls went on a color hunt. They found toys and put them on the correct color paint puddle.</div>
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This was so much fun! Check out all of the other book projects over at <a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/p/love-books.html" target="_blank">The Educators' Spin on it</a>! Thanks again, <a href="http://www.tutusteaparties.com/" target="_blank">Lauren and "Bug!"</a></div>
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<a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/" title="The Educators' Spin On It"><img alt="The Educators' Spin On It" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_bhjHjhJWsY/TvThL2tS7hI/AAAAAAAAIZE/RsFSvhIpNNk/s144/love%252520books.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-36432245300593690052013-06-16T20:23:00.003-05:002013-06-16T20:23:36.715-05:00Back to Bentos <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been having the hardest time getting little miss <i><b>A </b></i>to eat breakfast. I wouldn't fret, but she becomes the grouchiest of creatures if she has nothing in her little tummy. This makes for a "no-fun morning" for all involved. I've decided to go back to the <a href="http://icandothatsocanyou.blogspot.com/2012/01/mealtime-shmealtime.html" target="_blank">pre-packed Bento box</a>. </div>
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Mealtimes are already a struggle, and when you add the fact that <i><b>A </b></i>is gluten-free and dairy-free, it just becomes an even bigger obstacle when Mama is als0 tired and hungry. I'm also thinking I may go back to themed breakfasts just to be sure they aren't seeing the same breakfasts day after day. Here's the plan:</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Muffin Monday</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Oatmeal Tuesday</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">Waffle Wednesday</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Cereal Thursday</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">French Toast Friday</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Saturday/Sunday</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"> </span>I'm going to see if I can get her to start drinking smoothies and maybe eating g/f pancakes again. Baby steps, right? </div>
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*Recipe for the chocolate quinoa muffins <a href="http://www.muffintinmania.com/2011/06/gluten-free-chocolate-quinoa-cakes.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-13884372263862782962013-05-17T09:01:00.000-05:002013-05-17T09:01:08.835-05:00Picking flowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The girls and I are on a little mini-vacation at my parents' house. They are loving it. The weather has been beautiful, and they've been able to run through a sprinkler (<i><b>A</b></i> calls it a water fountain) and splash in a tiny baby pool every afternoon. At home, we have a small patch of grass for the girls to play on. Here, they have a field to pick flowers (dandelions) in, and they go on adventures in between the pine trees and lilac bushes. They need few toys if any to keep themselves entertained. Today we make the trip back home. It will be sad to leave, but we are excited to see Daddy again!</div>
Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-61043545477660391202013-03-04T14:10:00.002-06:002013-03-04T14:10:31.028-06:00Sister snack<div style="text-align: center;">
I was recently pinning some ideas for morning and bedtime routines on Pinterest. I wanted to make a chart for A, to help her get herself ready for both transition times. I saw a picture of two kids eating cereal as their bedtime routine on <a href="http://schepemakerkids.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">this blog </a>and a light bulb flickered on in my head. We needed a bedtime snack in our routine!</div>
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When A was a baby, we'd feed her baby oatmeal and a bottle of milk before bed. Why weren't we doing something similar now? (a lot of our bedtime battles revolve around being hungry...for both girls)</div>
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We now have a "sister snack" box</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dllS3phu_lM/UTT-GpMlt5I/AAAAAAAADVg/DntlI1f8OZI/s1600/DSC_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dllS3phu_lM/UTT-GpMlt5I/AAAAAAAADVg/DntlI1f8OZI/s1600/DSC_1125.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
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I keep this box on the top shelf of A's closet. (Her room doubles as the girls' playroom) Every night, unless we've had a late supper, the girls put their jammies on and have a sister snack together before bed. There is a little table with two chairs they can sit on. Sometimes I'll read them a story or two while they munch.</div>
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Our snack box is packed with two types of applesauce (I figured they sort of doubled as drinks) and then some dry snacks packed in snack bags (duplicates of everything). There are bowls to put the snacks in, a spoon for applesauce as well as a refillable pouch to put baby sister's applesauce in.</div>
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So far this has been a nice transition to get the girls ready for bed. I'm happy that it also helps fill their little tummies for the evening, too! </div>
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Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-82366706730775685932013-02-25T12:31:00.002-06:002013-02-25T12:32:24.058-06:00Travel Binders<div style="text-align: center;">
We went on a four hour road trip last weekend. With the way I prepared, you'd think it was a 16 hour ordeal, but we were only in the car for 4 hours. I had a few friends ask for details, so here they are. There is more to come!<br />
(be sure to scroll over the words, I've provided links to the activities)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Big Sister's Binder</span></div>
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1. Highlights magazine, Laminated Kumon activity pages, pencil case with crayons and paper, Wooly Willy, ISpy book with magnifying glass</div>
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2. lacing animals, envelope with plain paper and stickers</div>
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3. Color Wonder coloring pages,
<a href="http://we-choose-virtues.myshopify.com/collections/tools-for-kids/products/color-my-story-book" target="_blank">We Choose Virtues</a> coloring pages</div>
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4. <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2011/03/tot-school-printables/" target="_blank">Color by word apple page</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Stamp-Marker-Activity/dp/B0079EM9RM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361814753&sr=8-1&keywords=melissa+and+doug+stamp+marker" target="_blank">Melissa and Doug Stamp Marker Activity Pages</a></div>
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5. Tracing page I had from teaching, Kumon coloring pages</div>
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6. Name writing practice (using letter boxes),
<a href="http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Fall-Cutting-Strips-TAF-27.htm" target="_blank">cutting practice sheets</a> </div>
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7.
<a href="http://theprincessandthetot.blogspot.com/2012/01/letter-gg-whats-on-tray.html" target="_blank">gumball stickers</a>
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8. Butterfly sticker page, Alphabet match-up with abc stickers</div>
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9. Hello Kitty/My Little Pony sticker sort,
<a href="http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2010/05/prek-numbers-shapes-colors-review.html" target="_blank">1-10sticker sheets</a> </div>
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1.<a href="http://themommyteacher.com/sticker-activity-printables/" target="_blank">sticker activity page</a> ,happy face/sad face sticker sorting</div>
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2.<a href="http://totschool.shannons.org/sticker-shapes/" target="_blank">sticker shapes, </a>Color sorting with stickers</div>
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3. Poking shapes with a golf tee
<a href="http://blog.montessoriprintshop.com/2010/10/12/pin-poking--what-is-the-point.aspx" target="_blank">(Montessori Print Shop)</a>, Letter search
<a href="http://www.livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">(Living Life Intentionally)</a> </div>
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4. Blank reindeer face (I found this on Pinterest and a Google search)</div>
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5. Blank boy and girl (Pinterest and Google search) <a href="http://www.mormonshare.com/lds-clipart/face-blank-girl" target="_blank">girl face here</a></div>
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6.<a href="http://www.worksheetlab.com/activities/lowwercase" target="_blank">letter tracing</a> </div>
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7. Tracing from Musings of Me (no longer available),<a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/tag/tot-books/" target="_blank">laminated Doc McStuffins Tot Pack</a></div>
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8. (more Doc)</div>
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9.<a href="http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/2010/09/quiet-book-templates.html" target="_blank">Mr. & Mrs. Potato head felt activity</a> </div>
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<a href="http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o758/mjmueller/babytravel_zpse7d9b2d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o758/mjmueller/babytravel_zpse7d9b2d2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Baby sister's binder</div>
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1. Highlights magazine, laminated Kumon pages (with dry-erase crayons), pencil case with paper and crayons, envelope with paper, coloring pages and stickers</div>
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2. Color Wonder pages</div>
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3. Velcro Mitten Match (no longer available)</div>
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4. Velcro Animal silhouette match (can't find the link!)</div>
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5. Blank faces</div>
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I'll update soon with what was in our TRAVEL BOX!</div>
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<br />Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-14428190842205811922013-01-08T13:08:00.003-06:002013-01-08T13:08:39.478-06:00Work in progress...Excuse the mess, and missing widgits and whatnot. I am working on cleaning this space up. Be back soon!Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-37474618822722985492012-12-17T09:14:00.000-06:002012-12-17T09:14:57.758-06:00Our Advent Calendar<div style="text-align: center;">
There were SO many great advent calendar ideas on Pinterest, that it was hard to decide on just one! I ended up printing this cute little Christmas tree from <a href="http://blog.worldlabel.com/2011/printable-advent-calendar.html" target="new">here</a>, and the blank calendar from <a href="http://www.alittledelightful.com/2012/11/printable-advent-calendar-activity-cards.html" target="new">here</a> . I just wrote in an activity for each day. I have plenty of books from teaching, so we actually read one book and do one activity each day. It's nice to have the calendar in front of me, because if I don't have all of the supplies ready for one activity, I can look at another day and do that one. </div>
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One of the first activities we did was a "paint with water" velvet picture. I got this one at Wal-Mart for just under a dollar. (It's a great idea to go right after Christmas and stock up for next year, since these items go on clearance and they sell out quickly!)<br />
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This was a new experience for <i><b>A</b></i>, but she got the hang of it quickly.</div>
Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-74459950789870180222012-12-14T22:38:00.000-06:002012-12-14T22:42:16.424-06:00<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes, it's been a very long time. I had decided to start up with some posts again, and I found out I'd reached my limit for photos on blogger...so I got that figured out and I'm back (at least for now)</div>
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Little Christmas treats!<br />
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I worked with <i><b>A </b></i>and we made cards for her teachers. She's in gymnastics, dance, and has Wednesday night church classes. I cut some pieces of watercolor paper and let her dip mini cookie cutters into tempera paint and just stamp them all over the paper. I later folded them into mini cards and wrote a note inside.</div>
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After making the cards, she put together little treat bags. Each bag had mini candy canes, white chocolate peppermint kisses and regular chocolate kisses. A candy cane was added at the end. We used these awesome candy cane tags from
<a href="http://lillightomine.com/light-em-up-2012.php" target="new">here</a> and <i><b>A </b></i>wrote her name on the back. </div>
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<a href="http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o758/mjmueller/DSC_0353_zps0b6b9831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o758/mjmueller/DSC_0353_zps0b6b9831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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She really had so much fun assembling these and handing them out. Such an easy little gift for a little one to give!</div>
<br />Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-54286267230316723262012-08-19T21:53:00.000-05:002012-08-19T21:53:08.967-05:00Cleaning Caddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTwOy-6n8bw/UDGlOJV3pkI/AAAAAAAADTI/yEYRSInasug/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTwOy-6n8bw/UDGlOJV3pkI/AAAAAAAADTI/yEYRSInasug/s320/DSC_0179.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<i><b>A </b></i>has been asking me all week for a cleaning caddy. I had asked her if she wanted to make one so she could help Mama clean and she was immediately VERY excited. While I was cleaning up the kitchen tonight, I realized I hadn't thrown one together yet and that I should round up a few items so they would be ready for this week. </div>
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The fact that everything is blue is totally unintentional...it was what I had on hand. If I was going to make a caddy specifically for <i><b>A, </b></i>everything most definitely would be pink...her favorite color. </div>
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<b><br />Here's what's in the caddy:</b></div>
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-mini dustpan</div>
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-a burp rag, to use for dusting</div>
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-a scrubber for scrubbing tile or anything else</div>
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-sponge and spray bottle filled with a very small amount of water and a drop of soap for spot cleaning</div>
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I have an apron all cut out of fabric to sew for her that I may put in here as well. I hope she likes it as much as she thought she would! </div>
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Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-86093689862363886262012-08-08T13:41:00.000-05:002012-08-08T13:41:36.320-05:00What day is it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAiwN6-n2Ew/UCKt-cWoZBI/AAAAAAAADSs/DfyWS5VbO1U/s1600/DSC_0429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAiwN6-n2Ew/UCKt-cWoZBI/AAAAAAAADSs/DfyWS5VbO1U/s320/DSC_0429.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<i><b>A </b></i>used to wake up every morning and ask me, "what day is today?" and then, "what are we going to do today?" We've done routine charts in the past but they turned out to be too much. Everything was on a routine card (from breakfast to bedtime), and if we missed something, <i><b>A </b></i>would remind me or it would throw her off. I finally came up with this idea.</div>
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<br />The day is at the top. I choose three items that we will do, in any order for that day. We do more than this, but these three things help <i><b>A </b></i>know the flow of the day and what she can expect to happen next. There is a Mama or Daddy card at the bottom to tell her who is tucking her in for that night.</div>
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The chart is on the back of our kitchen door. She sees it every morning when she comes down the stairs and she checks it many times throughout the day. It also helps remind me to do at least three intentional activities with her daily. I got the routine cards on Etsy (the seller's page is no longer up), and I also used Google images for the activities that weren't included in the packet. It's working for us!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-11251875602110221772012-07-21T20:12:00.002-05:002012-07-21T20:12:49.004-05:00Olympics group tot school<div style="text-align: center;">
Another group tot school has come and gone. This time our theme was: OLYMPICS! I was pretty excited, and it was hard choosing between all of the fun activities. Here is what we ended up with: </div>
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<b>Olympic Rings Printing:</b>We used upside down Play-Doh containers to create the Olympic rings. The original idea uses toilet paper tubes, found <a href="http://www.themotherhuddle.com/olympic-rings/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTbeAusggF0/UAtLwTfNSBI/AAAAAAAADQo/DwEvVoexaok/s1600/DSC_0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTbeAusggF0/UAtLwTfNSBI/AAAAAAAADQo/DwEvVoexaok/s320/DSC_0396.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Do-a-dot Olympic rings</b>: Printable from <a href="http://www.makinglearningfun.com/t_template.asp?t=http://www.makinglearningfun.com/Activities/Olympic/OlympicRingMagnetPage.gif" target="_blank">Making Learning Fun</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VayAGWloKTw/UAtL0EHU_dI/AAAAAAAADQw/mDAELjQ0c3Q/s1600/DSC_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VayAGWloKTw/UAtL0EHU_dI/AAAAAAAADQw/mDAELjQ0c3Q/s320/DSC_0397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Create a sailboat and see if it floats:</b> We used recycled baby food tubs, play dough, straws, tape and foam stickers to decorate. This was located next to a full kitchen sink so the kids could see if their boats floated.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SD-ZYhV1rtk/UAtL3cXWRfI/AAAAAAAADQ4/h5EMxslLiT4/s1600/DSC_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SD-ZYhV1rtk/UAtL3cXWRfI/AAAAAAAADQ4/h5EMxslLiT4/s320/DSC_0398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c00in3EW2w4/UAtL6nzNilI/AAAAAAAADRA/37K6QlqkUsc/s1600/DSC_0412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c00in3EW2w4/UAtL6nzNilI/AAAAAAAADRA/37K6QlqkUsc/s320/DSC_0412.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b>A few extra indoor activities were:</b></div>
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<b>Two sorting trays </b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7l-RVSg_IHA/UAtL9PzjtPI/AAAAAAAADRI/L8huNfVveuQ/s1600/DSC_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7l-RVSg_IHA/UAtL9PzjtPI/AAAAAAAADRI/L8huNfVveuQ/s320/DSC_0401.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Two "What Comes Next?" trays</b></div>
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(both from part one of the <a href="http://3dinosaurs.com/printables/packs/summerolympics.php" target="_blank">3 Dinosaurs Summer Olympics Pack</a><b>) </b></div>
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<b> </b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gu0TbpRKCZ8/UAtMAPiZq_I/AAAAAAAADRQ/0LeTe4JOPGo/s1600/DSC_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gu0TbpRKCZ8/UAtMAPiZq_I/AAAAAAAADRQ/0LeTe4JOPGo/s320/DSC_0402.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>and an Olympic matching game</b></div>
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(found <a href="http://www.teacherbitsandbobs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a><b>. </b>Click on her TPT link on the left...it's free!)<b> </b></div>
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<b>OUTSIDE: </b>everyone got a score sheet and there were markers at each station to fill in each section</div>
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<b>Basketball: best out of ten</b></div>
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<b>Throwing mini-beach balls through a hula hoop into a basket (shot put?)</b></div>
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(keep track of how many you got into the basket)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hurdles</span></div>
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I saw this idea in a Family Fun magazine. You take pool noodles (mine were from the Dollar Tree) and hook them onto chopsticks that are stuck in the ground. So fun! </div>
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(write how many times you jumped over a hurdle. <i><b>A </b></i>chose to do this again and again and again!)</div>
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<b>Soccer</b>: best out of ten</div>
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<b>Balance Beam</b></div>
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checklist of skills(walk with one foot in front of the other, turn around, bend your knees, walk to the end and hop off, etc.)</div>
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<b>Snack: ice cream cone and popcorn torches</b></div>
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(our friends provided strawberries, blueberries and juice boxes!)<b> </b></div>
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I'm already working on next month's activities!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-70948588891849018592012-07-09T22:40:00.001-05:002012-07-09T22:43:36.434-05:00Love Books Exchange<div align="center">
<a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/" title="The Educators' Spin On It"><img alt="The Educators' Spin On It" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_bhjHjhJWsY/TvThL2tS7hI/AAAAAAAAIZE/RsFSvhIpNNk/s144/love%252520books.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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We recently participated in a book/activity exchange through <a href="http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/p/love-books.html" target="_blank">The Educator's Spin On It</a>. It was so much fun! We got our package from Michelle and her kiddos over at <a href="http://havingfunatchelleshouse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Having Fun at Chelle's House</a>! It was amazing!!</div>
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We got the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Purple-Crayon-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0064430227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341890370&sr=8-1&keywords=harold+and+the+purple+crayon" target="_blank">Harold and the Purple Crayon</a> along with all of these fun activities:</div>
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<b>Purple/Not Purple sort</b></div>
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<i><b>A </b></i>really liked the purple ring from this. You can see her wearing it in the other pictures! :) </div>
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<b>1-10 numbered moons </b><br />
We lined them up in order (because she will not stand for anything out of order!) and she hopped from one number to the next as we counted. <br />
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<b>1-10 numbered moons and crayons </b><br />
She put the correct number of crayons on each numbered moon<br />
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<b>Purple Star Crayon</b> (how cool is this?) <br />
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<b>Pom Pom transfer with tongs</b> <br />
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<b>Sandpaper and string</b><br />
We practiced making shapes with the string. There was a little card with suggestions, "can you make a square?" etc.<b> </b> <br />
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<b>Lacing Moon</b><br />
I let her do this any way she wanted at first, then we practiced again and I showed her how to lace from hole to hole in order.<b> </b> <br />
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Baby Sister even got an activity! She really loved pulling the fabric squares out of the wipes container. I'd been meaning to make this for her and now I don't have to! <br />
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<b>Jell-O</b><br />
<b><i>A </i></b>actually wanted to make this with me. I was surprised since she has never shown an interest in eating Jell-O. She was very excited and then I gave her a little bowl. She had fun stirring it, but then told me, "Mama can eat it." Ha! We tried! At least I enjoyed eating it. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Blank Books and doodle cards</b><br />
We haven't gotten to these yet. The idea is to write stories/pictures in the books and the doodle cards are for us to pick a card and then draw a picture that includes the doodle.<b> </b> <br />
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We also got purple play dough that I didn't get a photo of, but <i><b>A </b></i>was very excited to play with it!<br />
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This was so much fun and Michelle provided us with so many activities we threw half of them in our tot school drawers and <i><b>A </b></i>played with them for days. I still have the other half to switch them out with. We'd love to be a part of this again!</div>
</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-19105533777969757422012-06-27T20:00:00.001-05:002012-06-27T20:06:21.185-05:00Group Tot School: Fourth of July<div style="text-align: center;">
Today we hosted group tot school for June. It was a Fourth of July theme. We had lots of fun with our friends!</div>
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<b>Making bracelets out of pipe cleaners and beads </b></div>
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Some children were patient enough to sit and make a pattern (red-white-blue)</div>
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<b>Matching star stickers to the colored x's</b></div>
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<b>Tonging sparkly pom poms from a bowl into a star ice cube tray</b></div>
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<b>Sparkly play dough</b></div>
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(white play dough with red, white and blue glitter)<b> </b></div>
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<b>U.S.A. Puzzle</b></div>
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I only got a couple photos from outside this time around. The outside activities were:</div>
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<b>Fourth of July Action Cards</b></div>
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<b>Red, White and Blue Sidewalk Chalk</b></div>
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<b>Delivering number mail/color mail</b><br />
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<b>Golf Ball Fireworks painting with foam star stickers</b></div>
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<b>Fingerprint Flag</b><br />
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Our friends provided blueberries, strawberries and bunny grahams for snack. </div>
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We can't wait until the next one!<b> </b></div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-50794750421659136022012-06-20T09:38:00.001-05:002012-06-20T09:38:11.391-05:00Summer 2012<div style="text-align: center;">
I finally sat down and printed out our Summer 2012 fun list! Here's what's on the list:</div>
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Jamba Juice </div>
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French Bakery </div>
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blow bubbles </div>
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pool </div>
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Swimming pond </div>
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ride bikes </div>
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State Fair</div>
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splash pad </div>
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MLB baseball game </div>
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build a fort </div>
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visit grandparents out of state </div>
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trolley ride</div>
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water balloons </div>
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group tot school </div>
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visit parks </div>
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splish splash play dates </div>
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book exchange </div>
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picnic</div>
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strawberry picking </div>
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swim lessons </div>
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bonfire </div>
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try gymnastics </div>
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bowling </div>
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finger paint </div>
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movie</div>
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farmer's market </div>
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Sonic Happy Hour </div>
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play at Auntie's </div>
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finish baby sister's room </div>
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Pizza date</div>
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blow BIG bubbles </div>
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bubble wrap painting </div>
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walk with Daddy </div>
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play in tent outside </div>
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Tutti Frutti</div>
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write a letter to Minnie </div>
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board games </div>
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take lots of pictures</div>
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We'll see how many things we get done this year!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-23966546335685896122012-06-09T07:26:00.000-05:002012-06-09T07:26:31.278-05:00Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-79iYvMdvx-Y/T9M_tTiDatI/AAAAAAAADMU/q0VZhQL9YaY/s1600/DSC_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-79iYvMdvx-Y/T9M_tTiDatI/AAAAAAAADMU/q0VZhQL9YaY/s320/DSC_0138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just <i>LOOK </i>at that tripod grip! I can't believe how quickly she has caught on. A few weeks ago, I posted about our workbooks and <i><b>A's</b></i> lack of pencil grip <a href="http://icandothatsocanyou.blogspot.com/2012/05/kumon.html" target="_blank">here</a>. She has gotten SO much better at it! She still loves her Kumon books and is excited to work on them. It's probably because we only do one page a day. I'm going to have to start brainstorming more goals for the summer! </div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-39213149915998793472012-05-30T20:53:00.000-05:002012-05-30T21:08:34.863-05:00Group Tot School!!<div style="text-align: center;">
We had our first group tot school today! I found the idea over at <a href="http://madisonshafer.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-group-tot-school.html" target="_blank">The Shafer Family.</a></div>
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(though I couldn't imagine taking in 20 families at a time!!!) </div>
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We had five pairs of kids and mamas. It was perfect. I went with a farm theme. We had five outside activities and five inside activities. Here are they are!</div>
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<u><b>Sensory Bin: </b></u>find the pairs of teeny tiny animals and put them into the basket<br />
(Inspired by <a href="http://playinghouseinmaryland.blogspot.com/2012/04/our-pretend-farm-sensory-bin-and.html" target="_blank">Playing House in Maryland</a> .) </div>
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<u><b>Decorate a plastic cup and plant flower seeds</b></u></div>
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(this station also came with a take-home sheet for kids to track the progress of their plant and keep track of how many days they water it and keep it in the sun. From <a href="http://www.homemade-preschool.com/support-files/watch-my-plant-grow.pdf" target="_blank">Homemade Preschool</a> .)<br />
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<u><b>Egg Sorting:</b></u></div>
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Kids balance an egg onto a spoon and walk across the grass to the two bins. They choose which bin their egg goes in, big or small.<u><b> </b></u></div>
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<u><b>Cow Roll and Color:</b></u></div>
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Roll the die, count the dots and color the corresponding spot. From
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<u><b>Do-A-Dot page:</b></u></div>
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Kids cover each dot with a Do-A-Dot marker. From
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<u><b>Animal Matching:</b></u></div>
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Sort animals by number of feet. Match animal figurines to picture cards, letter cards and word cards. (this is something I made on my own)<u><b> </b></u></div>
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<u><b>Puzzles and song:</b></u></div>
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I had a few puzzles that went along with the "Five Little Ducks" song.<u><b> </b></u></div>
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<b><u>Feed the Pig game:</u></b></div>
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Choose a card, read the number and feed the pig that number of kernels. From <a href="http://ourcountryroad.blogspot.com/2012/01/p-is-for-pig-free-preschool-and.html" target="_blank">Our Country Road</a> .) <br />
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<b><u>Seed sorting:</u></b></div>
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Observe seeds with magnifying glass. Sort into three bowls. Found at <a href="http://prekinders.com/farm-theme/" target="_blank">PreKinders</a> .)<b><u> </u></b></div>
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<u><b>Cutting wooden fruits, vegetables and bread:</b></u></div>
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(Melissa and Doug set)<u><b> </b></u></div>
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We even had toys (inside and outside) for the little siblings!</div>
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We ended our tot school with an Old McDonald song where each child was able to pull an animal from a paper bag. You can find that printable <a href="http://www.homemade-preschool.com/support-files/old-macdonalds-farm.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. We also had a snack that one of our friends provided. <br />
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I was really pleased with how smoothly it went. The kids were very engaged, and everyone was very respectful of the materials and put each tray back the way they found it. The kids and Mamas seemed to enjoy themselves. <i><b>A </b></i>even enjoyed playing with the materials after everyone was gone. An additional perk is that I now have tot trays for the week! We're looking forward to the next group tot school!</div>
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<br />Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-59011771601456092402012-05-23T14:35:00.000-05:002012-05-23T14:35:13.796-05:00Kumon<div style="text-align: center;">
I've added these three Kumon workbooks to <i><b>A's </b></i>school drawers. You can get the books anywhere. We were lucky enough to score a bunch from Costco a few months back. She's never been much for coloring, so she has zero pencil grip, and I've also really wanted to work on her scissor skills. I brought these out and made a big deal of it. We do one page from each book every day. She always asks for more. </div>
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The sticker pages and maze pages stay inside the books, but the cutting pages are ripped out so it is easier to handle while cutting. When she finishes a cutting page, she takes it to the front door and clips it onto a magnet clip so Daddy can see it when he comes home. I'm so glad she's enjoying it and I can already see improvement. Hopefully that pencil grip will begin to improve too!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-78298200483876940022012-05-21T07:44:00.002-05:002012-05-21T07:44:49.155-05:00Animal stamps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BA6XGnZDhwY/T7o3nIsSXUI/AAAAAAAADJ8/L5XkspxWNks/s1600/DSC_0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BA6XGnZDhwY/T7o3nIsSXUI/AAAAAAAADJ8/L5XkspxWNks/s320/DSC_0706.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I found these
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crayola-My-First-Stampers/dp/B006UBLZMA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337604013&sr=8-4" target="_blank">My First Crayola Stampers</a><br />
at the store a few weeks ago and thought I'd give them a try. They are self-inking stampers, so there is no mess with additional ink pads. I did think the actual image would be a bit larger, considering the size of the animals. We first tried them on a blank sheet of paper, but <i><b>A </b></i>wanted a bit more direction. I folded a piece of paper and then traced on the folds to make a grid. <i><b>A </b></i>then placed a stamp in each square. When this page was filled, she asked for a new one! These are pretty cute and a nice little addition to our art stash.
</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-90753474545474553792012-05-17T21:50:00.000-05:002012-05-17T21:50:21.316-05:00Tot trays are baaaack!<div style="text-align: center;">
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After almost eight months adjusting to life with <u>two</u> kiddos, we are FINALLY back to having tot trays! <b><i>A </i></b>has been asking for "school" for so long. Here are the drawers I quickly put together for her during naptime today.</div>
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<b><u>Tutti Frutti sensory bin:</u></b> <br />
-ice cream scoop<br />
-ice cream bowls and spoons<br />
-pom poms<br />
(she pretends to make sundaes from her favorite frozen yogurt place, Tutti Frutti)</div>
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<u><b>Wooden cylinder puzzle:</b></u> I just got this from a consignment store. It's originally from Pottery Barn Kids. You can complete the puzzle by color and height. The cylinders also fit inside each other and you can stack them.</div>
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<u><b>Addition puzzles: </b></u><b><i>A </i></b>points to each picture as she counts. </div>
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<u><b>Children's Bibles:</b></u></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Bible-Stories-Songs/dp/1591452392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337308001&sr=8-1" target="_blank">here</a> and
<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/read-with-bible-revised-updated-hardcover/9780310920083/pd/20088?item_code=WW&netp_id=195707&event=ESRCG&view=details" target="_blank">here</a></div>
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<u><b>Transferring water:</b></u> </div>
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-colored water in a bowl</div>
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-eye dropper</div>
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-sponge (for spills)</div>
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-non-slip bathtub tread</div>
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These items will be placed on a tray. <i><b>A </b></i>will use the eye dropper and transfer colored water onto each single suction cup. (I've since added another tread)</div>
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<u><b>Care Bears toys:</b></u> I have a huge bin of these toys. I chose to only put a few items here so she doesn't get too overwhelmed with so many choices.</div>
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This is what her school drawers look like. The drawers are located on the main level in a corner that is easily accessible to her, but tucked away enough so that <b><i>Little Sister </i></b>doesn't get into them.<br />
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I'm so excited to finally be getting back into the swing of "school" (just in time for summer, ha!) I just know <i><b>A </b></i>is happy and very excited and that makes me happy!</div>
</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-76470274489773648462012-05-13T00:08:00.002-05:002012-05-13T00:08:49.377-05:00Tutti Frutti!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-emHnLbiRpp0/T68_goXwunI/AAAAAAAADEg/xq5fwVy1TAQ/s1600/DSC_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-emHnLbiRpp0/T68_goXwunI/AAAAAAAADEg/xq5fwVy1TAQ/s320/DSC_0768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In January, we made an ice cream sensory bin for a friend as a birthday gift. I was sure to purchase enough materials to make another one for <i><b>A. </b></i>I've been cleaning and decluttering and this week <i><b>A </b></i>discovered the little ice cream cups and spoons and asked me how to play "this game." So I threw together the bin and it really didn't need an explanation. She scooped the pom poms into the ice cream dishes. I thought it was cute she was putting only green ones in the green bowl and pink ones in the pink bowl. She was so excited to be making "Tutti Frutti's" (our favorite frozen yogurt place)<br />
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<u>To make your own you need:</u><br />
-plastic shoebox/bin<br />
-different colors and sizes of pom poms<br />
-ice cream or cookie scoop<br />
-bowls and spoons<br />
-ice cube tray (optional...we didn't use one)<br />
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I got the idea for the sensory bin from </div>
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<a href="http://www.thepickyapple.com/blog/2010/07/10/sensory-bin-extravaganza/" target="_blank">here</a>
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<a href="http://growingupourstyle.blogspot.com/2010/07/ice-cream-shop-sensory-bin.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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The ice cream cups and spoons are from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/FE-Plastic-Ice-Cream-Dishes/dp/B0040F7K0O/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1336885479&sr=8-6" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-12967895954646635652012-05-06T20:54:00.000-05:002012-05-06T20:54:18.093-05:00Happy Happy Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three years ago, my life changed forever. My sweet daughter was born and we began this stay-at-home journey together. It's been hard...really, really hard at times. But it has also been so rewarding and fun and I wouldn't trade this time for anything. She's my special girl and I love her to pieces!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-1221522744282475092012-04-25T08:18:00.000-05:002012-04-25T08:18:00.347-05:00Do you see the letter B?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fUlXhD7vWi4/T5f4xkTWbvI/AAAAAAAADEI/T5-dMZMd2TM/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fUlXhD7vWi4/T5f4xkTWbvI/AAAAAAAADEI/T5-dMZMd2TM/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b>A </b></i>has never really been into coloring. I purchased a coloring book for her in the dollar section at Target a while back and would put a few pages out with crayons every now and then. Although she isn't excited about coloring, she's always enjoyed letters. This word find was on the back of one of the sheets and we had fun highlighting different letters. I'd say a letter and she'd color each one she could find. I've since found "letter find" worksheets online that she's really enjoyed doing. She even asks for more!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-480169550945443857.post-40926484917867881062012-04-14T07:56:00.000-05:002012-04-14T07:56:59.566-05:00Yakety Yak<div style="text-align: center;">The second grade teachers at the school I used to teach at have an end of the day routine where they play a song to signal the end of the day. When </div><div style="text-align: center;"> their students hear the song, they begin cleaning up and packing up their belongings. That song is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHB3Rbz1OI" target="_blank">Yakety Yak</a> by The Coasters. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hW2Lr-YP84E/T4lv9S0etxI/AAAAAAAADD8/pcPAcOfchtc/s1600/DSC_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hW2Lr-YP84E/T4lv9S0etxI/AAAAAAAADD8/pcPAcOfchtc/s320/DSC_0525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I introduced <b><i>A </i></b>to this a few months ago. We practiced a few times and it stuck. Now, whenever I see that her toys really need to be wrangled up (because she isn't playing with them), I'll just play that song and she immediately begins cleaning up. In the photo above, her rubber ducky is helping her clean. :) It's such a great tool and I'll let you in on a little secret...the song motivates me to clean for those two minutes too!</div>Mandy Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08791520970482661902noreply@blogger.com0