crayonfreckles

road trip

2012-03-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

sorry i don't have a real post for you today.

we took a trip to see my in-laws. dad-in-law having open-heart surgery on Monday...

prayers welcome.

see you monday!

Bear gets an easel

2012-03-10T01:11:00.001-06:00

Bear finally got an easel today. i spent a few days researching them out, comparing reviews, and getting personal recommendations from lots of my blogger friends. it was a close call between the one we got and another one.... i actually second-guessed myself when it arrived and thought that i wanted the other one. it went up sooo easy! i'll post pics of it ~~tomorrow~~ on tuesday along with our revamped preschool area.

for now, here is a round-up of some fun projects based on the professional artists we are going to be using as inspiration in the next few weeks.

Picasso Inspired from Keeping up with my Joneses

Georgia O'Keefe Inspired from Art Class Ideas

Seurat Inspired from Almost Unschoolers

Monet Inspired from Teach Kids Art

Kandinsky Inspired from Mrs. Brown's Art Class

teaching a left-handed child

2012-03-09T00:07:00.001-06:00

i am grateful that i have been blessed to be able to stay at home and teach Bear. here's why...

he is naturally a lefty...

has been since he could hold a crayon.

out of curiosity, i've done quite a bit of research on left-handedness and learned some interesting facts. Left-handers

make up 5-10% of the population

are more likely to pursue creativity based careers

are good at multi-tasking

most often draw people facing to the right

as a family, we have allowed Bear to eXpLoRE using boTH hands. i have seen preschool teachers tell kids that the picture below is the "wrong" way to hold a pencil. i didn't want to do that to Bear...didn't want to stifle his emerging literacy skills and cuRioSiTY of the written word.

since i know his tendencies, i can make sure that he's using the correct tools such as left-handed scissors and quick-drying markers that won't smudge. other things we do is place his silverware on the left and turn his cup handles to the left.

For more resources on lefties check out these sites:

Teaching Left-Handers to Write

Left or Right: How Toddlers Pick a Hand

25 Facts about Left-Handed People

i'd love it if you'd answer my poll in the side column.

are you a righty or a lefty?

linked here

candyland playdough

2012-03-08T00:10:00.000-06:00

i'm always looking for ways to liven up playdough. {aren't we all!?} here's our latest endeavor...

the other day Bear got out the pLaYdOUgH and coNSTRucTiON tRuCKs.

i thought i'd throw a few "workers" in and see if he'd use them or not.

he did.

linked here

using legos to teach math and writing

2012-03-07T00:10:00.000-06:00

Bear was bored.
i mean...
        B-O-R-E-D.
big sister has
loooooong outgrown
the big bucket of little legos.
                                    so we gave it a shot.

busy for 1 1/2 that first night.
you read that right.
                   1 1/2 half.

a few days later, i banked on the newfound interest and used the legos in our preschool.

for lego math, i used a counting graph with a line for every number. i created a more streamlined one in excel that you can download here. Bear practiced his one-to-one correspondence by placing the appropriate amount of legos on each line. i let him choose what order he wanted to do the numbers in.

for lego writing and letter recognition i wrote large A, B, and C on a piece of paper. then Bear "traced" the letter with legos.

in the past, we have also done paint with legos.

to utilize some technology in preschool, Bear and i also looked at some sites online that have lego creations on them.

5 Life-sized Lego Projects

Bing search for "lego art projects"

here are some other fun activities from some of my fellow bloggers:
Printing with Legos from The Chocolate Muffin Tree
Duplo Puzzles from Having Fun at Home
How to Build a Lego Table from Quirky Momma
Measuring with Lego from The Nurture Store
Homemade Lego Puzzle from Quirky Momma
Using Legos in History Lessons from Adventures in Mommy dom

if you have a lego project, please leave the link in the comments! i'd love to add it to this post!

tip-toe thru tuesday {mar:1}

2012-03-06T00:02:00.027-06:00

hello my lovelies!! it's march already! this year is flying by already. in case you missed it, i did a guest post at H is for Homeschooling yesterday covering our sleep issues with Bear. it was based on how i messed up, redeemed myself, and bounced back from it. i would love it if you would check it out! while you're over there, take a look at some of the awesome learning trays that Sierra does with her son!

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

Rainbow Goop Sensory Play from Make, Do, and Friend

Dollhouse Bookcase from Bear Rabbit Bear

Foam Soap for Under $4 a Year from Adventures of a DIY Mom

and now it's paRTy tiME!!!

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links. wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

now get to linkin' so we can get to lookin'!!!

in {her} shoes...MaryAnne

2012-03-05T00:01:00.010-06:00

it's another gorgeous monday morning here at crayon freckles. and we get to start it off with a blogger that makes me smile everytime i hear her name. Maryanne from Mama Smiles is doing today's in {her} shoes post! i met Maryanne not too long ago and love her blog! for me, reading her posts is like sitting and talking with a friend over coffee. when you're done here, hop over and check it out!

Hi! I’m MaryAnne from Mama Smiles! I’m thrilled to post here, today – I love this series, and the fabulous ideas that are shared on Andie’s blog!

I live in Massachusetts with my husband Mike and our three (with a fourth on the way!) kids: Emma (aged 6), Johnny (aged 4), and Lily (aged 2). Being a mom was always my dream career, and I blog about all the things I love about looking after littles: learning and crafts that I do with my kids, funny things my kids say, books we love to read… Sensory play, art, and creative play are probably three of my kids’ favorite activities.

What is the most challenging part of being the type of mom you are?
I’m the fourth of ten kids, and I was nearly fifteen when my youngest sister was born, so I think I came into parenting with a huge advantage, in terms of knowing what to expect from a newborn. Unfortunately, anyone will tell you that I do not know how to get kids to sleep through the night, so I live in a constant state of sleep deprivation. I’m down to only my two-year-old waking up at night now, and I’m hoping to get her sleeping through the night before we introduce a newborn to the family this summer!

My first three kids were born in less than three and a half years, and the older two came down with a stomach bug that eventually evolved into a respiratory infection that lasted for the first six weeks of my third child’s life. Photos of me from those early weeks of Lily’s life are not pretty, but looking back at this post makes me smile. I’ve gained a tremendous appreciation for all that my mother accomplished while raising ten children, frequently in foreign countries!

What is the most rewarding?

Smiles, hugs, and witnessing milestones are big for me. Seeing my children come up with creative ideas is also hugely rewarding, but the best of all may be the times when I see them being kind to one another – cheering up a sad sibling, or making little surprises for one another.

And there are so many little things I love about being a mom – from having an excuse to play with toys, draw, and paint to watching my Emma learn to read, hearing about Johnny’s take on the day, and listening to Lily’s nearly-endless chatter about anything and everything.

In your opinion, what’s the most important value(s) parents can instill in their children?
I hope to raise kids who know who they are, with the confidence to make good choices and the empathy to always be kind to others.

I want them to learn to live every moment of their lives – even the ones that are painful or difficult. It’s a lesson I learned a few years into parenting.

If you children could describe you in 3 words, which ones would they pick?

They think I’m fun, which makes my day!!! Other than that, they like that I read to them and make things with them. They take for granted that I provide clean laundry and food.

guest post at H is for Homeschooling

2012-03-04T09:48:00.000-06:00

hello lovelies! i'm over at H is for Homeschooling today! Sierra invited me to do participate in her Lesson Learned series!

today i'm sharing a tough time with sleep that my son recently. during it, i have some regrets about the mistakes i made in handling it. but through God's grace, we made it through it for the better.

so come and join me over at H is for Homeschooling!

mouse paint

2012-03-03T00:51:00.000-06:00

just a reminder that right now, we are exploring how colors mix. of course, we couldn't skip Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh! it's one of our favorites!

source

after we read the book, i set out the book, paint, and fuzzy cat mice. i had a yellow and a blue mouse, but no red, so we used an orange one :(

we read the book a second time, when we got to the part where the yellow painted mouse goes in the blue i put yellow paint on the paper. then i added a small glob of blue next to it. Bear got to mix it around with the mouse, to make green paint just like the book.

we did the same with red and yellow paint to make orange.

and blue and red to make purple.

all that painting inspired my boy and he wanted to do some more with the paint he had created! so i taped some paper to the window.

linked here

a new look

2012-03-02T08:28:00.000-06:00

do you notice anything different about crayon freckles today?? if you've been here before, of course you do! it's a brand new look, huh? i'll be doing some tweaking here soon with some new buttons and easier-to-find organization of activity ideas. i've gotten some good feedback so far, but i'd love to hear what you think!

header

2012-03-01T14:20:00.002-06:00

pardon the kooky header... am redoing it and can't get the size right.

and a little sweet-cheeked blonde boy is asking for some snuggle time on the couch.

diy color wheel foam puzzle

2012-03-01T01:18:00.001-06:00

right now, our days are centered around coLoRS and how they mix. during all of this, i kept thinking of color wheel puzzles like this one from Pottery Barn Kids. and then i found out that they don't make them anymore.

from Pottery Barn Kids

so i thought i'd try my hand at making my own primary/secondary color wheel puzzle out of craft foam. so sorry that i didn't take pictures as i was doing it. i was too afraid of messing it up if i didn't concentrate! i used a margarine lid to make my template of 3 interlocked colors.. then i used the template to cut out the foam pieces. i double-layered them so they wouldn't bend as easily.

here's how it turned out:

a little jaggy here and there, but it gets the job done :)

i'd love to see any pottery barn or pbk

inspired posts you have!

linked up here

the painted globe

2012-02-29T08:28:00.001-06:00

i found this gLoBE at target awhile back and immediately liked it.

but i didn't like its $24.99 price tag. good things come to those who wait, though... a few months later, i found it on an end cap with some cLeaRaNCe items.

you know that i bought it at that price!!!

although it's not used for educational purposes, we've used it several to look at where other cities or countries in relation to where we live. one day i looked at it and the stark black and white-ness, looked so bad to me. so i decided to paint it.

Bear is even more excited to use it now! right now, we are participating in a postcard exchange through Teach Preschool. {more info in our Homemade Postcard post} i also solicted help from all of my friends on facebook to send us postcards too. we also did a valentine swap that Dinosaurs and Octopuses organized. the next mail project we will be participating in is a sticker exchange! so excited!

everytime we get mail, we put a sticker on our United States or World map.

so far we have received mail from

6 countries, 18 states, and 27 cities!

yours in prayer,

linked here

new etsy button

2012-02-29T00:17:00.001-06:00

not a big deal... just need to publish this to create code for it. but i've got a button for my etsy shop! not quite what i want, but it'll do for now!

also, this is a new header, i've been playing around with. any thoughts?

i'll have the **real** post for today in a bit :)

tip toe thru tuesday {feb: 4}

2012-02-28T00:01:00.015-06:00

hello my lovelies!! a bit of business before we get to the party...

i have to share with you my latest amazing etsy purchase! this bag from my amazing friend Kerry's shop LiviJoy. i special-ordered it to carry my Bible and notebook in for Bible study. isn't that fabric aDoRaBLe? she even let me choose the words printed on it. i love this bag. Kerry also blogs at my life...His Mission and is so inspiring to me!

if you remember last week's post i challenged you to reach 50 links. if you did, i would donate $10 to Mila's adoption fund ((from Adding an Angel.)) we didn't quite make it...i cheated and linked up 2 of my own in hopes of getting us there. we ended up at 45 links :( but i love mila's sweet face and am going to donate in your honor anyway.

also, there are just a few more days to get free shipping on prints from the Crayon Freckles Etsy shop. just use the code: LOVEISFREE depending on the print $2-$5 from print sales are also donated to Mila's fund.

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

Suess City from Madtown Macs

Homemade Musical Instruments from Train Up a Child

Classroom Facebook Wall from Breezy Pink Daisies

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links. wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

now get to linkin' so we can get to lookin'!!!

dot com

2012-02-25T15:32:00.000-06:00

well... i finally made the jump! i am officially a DOT COM!!! this makes it so much easier for you to find me!

www.crayonfreckles.com

i know that i said i wasn't going to post this weekend, but i needed a little piCK mE uP! and blogger makes it so easy. one click of a button and $10 a year and i'm set!

i love you all! thank you to all of you who gave me support in my post yesterday! i will be emailing you alll tonight :)

here's praying for better days {and nights}

sleep problems

2012-02-25T00:40:00.000-06:00

forgive me, all you lovelies...

i'm taking the weekend off because i can't focus. pardon my pity party, but here's why...

bear is having some major sleep issues...
he has always been a difficult sleeper, but never like this.

it takes sooo long to get him to go to sleep.

it's rarely without tears (his and mine)...

and then a few hours later, he wakes up screaming.

he's upset about odd things, like his blanket or his pillow.

it can take up to an hour to get him back to sleep.

i'm tired. so tired.

i don't know what to do.

i don't know how to fix this problem.

i don't know what i've done wrong.

i feel helpless.

i feel frustrated.

i feel like a bad parent.

construction worker dramatic play

2012-02-24T00:46:00.001-06:00

Bear's loves anything construction related. he has a crate in his room full of

construction worker dress-up and pretend play props.
gotta love that bedhead, right?

some of the items in the crate are:

safety vests and glasses

paint rollers and brushes

a toolbox

random styrofoam and foam cubes from packages

plastic toy tools (screwdrivers, drills, saws, etc)

Bear also likes to use his tools on playdough.

what are some dress-up themes in your house or center?

linked here

rainbow size sorting and art

2012-02-23T01:02:00.006-06:00

as you might remember from our rainbow homemade crayon post, right now Bear and i are covering colors and rainbows as part of a Noah's Ark unit. the other day, we did a rainbow size sorting math activity that turned into an art project.

to prepare, i cut out circles for each color of the rainbow (minus indigo) in staggered sizes, yellow being the smallest and purple being the biggest. i put them in a pile and asked Bear if he could put them in order from biGGeST to sMaLLesT.

after he was done sorting them...he wanted to do it about 10 times.... i gave him the materials to create a rainbow out of the circles. i haD pLaNNeD for him to put them in color order again with the biggest on top, smallest on the bottom and then cut the whole piece in half to create 2 rainbows.

Bear hAd aNoTHeR iDea. he wanted to split the circles first, then assemble them. so, i took the backseat and watched him finish how he wanted to.

you can see an almost finished product. i will post a pic of the actually finished ones in the morning.. i didn't realize that i didn't have one.. oops!

h a v e a c o l o r f u l d a y !

here's some other great rainbow activities from some of my favorite bloggers:
Rainbow Crafts for Kids at No Time for Flash Cards
Sponge Art Rainbow from hands on: as we grow
Colorful Rainbow Fun from Teach Preschool
Paper Rainbows and a Unicorn

linked here

our preschool area

2012-02-22T01:40:00.000-06:00

i've been wanting to show you our preschool area for a while now. but i just got around to having time to take pictures when it wasn't a meSS. this area is actually the back of the dining room. the little wall on the left helps to separate from the kitchen.

the shelf houses activity bins for

playdough, magnetix, alphabet milk caps, writing tools, etc.

a bin of homemade playdough and tools to use with it.

above the shelf, i hung three nails with clips on them. that way Bear can put up whatever projects he's pRoUD of... like his valentines, moose and Press Here book. we found this old watering can at a garage sale for 10 cents and he loved it. so i figured we'd put it to work as a pen/pencil/marker holder.

this little container holds Bear's special things, or "pRiZEs", as he calls them. they make me smile. the digital camera works and he takes pictures alot. i'm planning a post on it once i figure out the wording.

this cabinet houses all of our homeschooling and crafting supplies.

on top is where i keep our extra markers, momma's scissors and paintbrushes,

and supplies for the day's activities.

on the file cabinet is our felt board and books that we're currently eXpLoRiNG.

the file cabinet also holds our stash of paper...color-coded, of course!

this is the area where we do our focused work or where i set things out to explore. lots of time is also spend in Bear's room and our soon to be decorated playroom.

what does your home learning space look like?

linked here

tip-toe thru tuesday [feb:3]

2012-02-21T01:28:00.001-06:00

it's tuesday! last week's party was awesome! we reached 50 links, which means that i'm donating $10 to a Reece's Rainbow adoption fund! i recently "met" the greeson family via their blog, Adding an Angel. right now, they are in country visiting Mila, their darling new daughter. you can find her Reece's Rainbow page here. the family will be receiving $10 for every 50 links to this party! here is the receipt from the 50 links last week! do you think we can do it again?

also, for the month of February, you can get free shipping on prints from the Crayon Freckles Etsy shop. just use the code: LOVEISFREE depending on the print $2-$5 from print sales are also donated to Mila's fund.

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

Wallpaper Dresser @ Decorating Insanity

Humpty Dumpty Breakfast @ Mom's Heart

The Happy Entryway @ Meeha Meeha

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links. Please look at a few other links... Views have been quite low in comparison to the past few weeks and I feel like all these amazing posts aren't getting viewed. plus,

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...ali

2012-02-20T00:01:00.003-06:00

happy monday to you all! really, quick, i want to invite you all to my tip-toe thru tuesday link party tomorrow! i've got an awesome announcement and a challenge for you that could change a little girl's life!

today's guest blogger in the in {her} shoes series is Ali from at home with Ali. Ali's blog features tons of creative activities that she does with her kiddos. i always love seeing the amazing diorama-esque play sets that she makes with her girls...they've made a campsite, a unicorn garden, and an oil rig!

My name is Ali and I am a stay at home mum to my two daughters who are (almost) 4 and 18 months. I have always liked to make things from beading and crocheting to collage and painting. My 4 year old is just the same - her favorite thing to do is to 'make something'. I started my blog as a chronicle of all our creative pursuits. Her little sister is also well on her way to making her mark by getting involved in all our art and craft activities.

What is the most challenging part of being the type of mom you are?

Something I have had to work on is developing a quick reaction time. In my pre-kids days I worked as a graphic designer where there was time to think before you leaped. As a mother you have to respond immediately - whether that is catching a child before they tumble down the stairs or coming up with a creative project on the spot when my 4 year old suddenly wants to make penguins or crocodiles or a puppy house. This has been an adjustment for me and I am still working on balancing all the competing demands while still remaining calm... if that is possible!!

What is the most rewarding?

For me, there is nothing better in this world than seeing large smiles on my girls' faces. I love it when my kids really enjoy what we are doing. This can be in the park or out with friends or at home painting and drawing.

In your opinion, what’s the most important values parents can instill in their children?
Respect is an important value for us. I want my children to have respect for me and their dad, but also respect themselves and their own opinions. As a family we are trying to be more positive and to face life's little hiccups with a positive attitude rather than whinging about it. Hearing the kids whine drives me up the wall but I noticed that I was whining at them not to whine... so we are all working on this one together.

If you children could describe you in 3 words, which ones would they pick?

I am not sure what they would say! I hope they would say that I am fun - I do let them jump on the bed and I regularly chase them up and down the house. I think they would also say that I love to kiss, cuddle and tickle them. They might also say that I can be a little bit odd as sometimes I respond to them entirely in song - it does amazing things to cure a cranky mood.

And about my shoes: The gorgeous purple suede wedges were bought when I was three months pregnant with my first daughter - they have never been worn and sit in their box waiting for a time to shine! The other is a pair of flip flops which is what I wear most days at the moment (it is summer where I live).

faith printable

2012-02-19T00:01:00.003-06:00

i love this quote, so i had to turn it into a printable for you! hope you enjoy!

grow in water capsules

2012-02-18T00:32:00.000-06:00

when i was younger, i used to love these grow capsules! if you haven't seen them before, i'll explain. they are plastic coated (like a pill) sponge animals. when they are put in hot water, the plastic melts and the animals "gROw". i found them at our local dollar store and picked them up... partially for Bear to enjoy and a little bit for mYseLF, too.

Bear got a kick out of seeing them open up. ((we used the fork to push them down and keep them submerged))

see the plastic coating melting off?

i'll show you the animal results and what we used

them for next week!

Rainbow Fish book activities

2012-02-17T00:35:00.000-06:00

you might remember that right now, we are exploring colors. so it's only natural that we would read a favorite book, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. i love this book because it teaches friendship, kindness, and sharing with others.

i just went through a bunch of old data cds and combined several onto one disc. after i did that i saved them in the craft cabinet for another time. well, that time has come! we used them to make CD Rainbow Fish!

first we painted them.

after the paint dried, we went to glue the fins on and the paint started to crumble off. so i used a clear self-laminate sheet to cover Bear's fish.

rainbow fish cd

i didn't have enough self-laminate, so i used frosted contact paper on mine. ((i actually think that i like it better because it gives a scaley look))

the final CD Rainbow Fish products

the other thing that we did was a Rainbow Fish math activity. we used round iridescent sequins, a Chutes and Ladders spinner, and the foam fish that we made for our creation story display.

here's how it worked: we took turns getting a number with the spinner. i had Bear practice identifying numbers by telling me what number the arrow landed on. then that number of sequins was put on the fish to practice one-to-one correspondence.

as you can tell, Bear had fun and we played a long game!

for the record, the pacifier in the picture isn't actually Bear's.

he's never used a pacifier.

it belongs to the baby giraffe it's attached to :)

rainbow fish math activity

do you love The Rainbow Fish book as much as we do?

linked up here

homemade recycled crayons

2012-02-15T23:53:00.000-06:00

i've wanted to make recycled crayons for soooooooooo long. it's not a new idea, but was something that we'd never tried. the unit we're doing right now is eXPLoRinG cOLoRs and how they mix. so, this activity was perfect!

in preparation for it, i started peeling crayons. this was tedious work. then i got smart and soaked them in lukewarm water and the papers came right off!

we used a small silicone mini-muffin pan to make them. they popped out of it easily.

i put the silicone muffin tin on a baking sheet since it was going to be melty when i took it out of the oven. we baked them at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes. i kept checking them every 5 minutes or so. i wanted the crayons to melt, but still stay separated a bit. it took a bit longer because we had some of the cheap crayons in there and they took a bit longer to melt. and the result was these:

what other "old school" projects have you done?

Press Here book activities

2012-02-15T01:46:00.002-06:00

at the library the other day, Bear and i stumbled upon the book Press Here by Herve Tullet. it looked familiar and intriguing so we checked it out. it's already become one of our favorite books! since Bear was so into it, we decided to do some Press Here activities!

the book encourages iNteRAcTiON of the reader to push the dots or turn the book different ways, which results in the dots moving. Bear got the help of a little Lego man when we read the book (for about the 5th time in 2 days!)

i pulled out some of our craft pom-poms in red, yellow, and blue (just like the book) to practice patterns for math. after i created the patterns, Bear's task was to repeat the patterns. i also started basic patterns like red blue red blue and then had him complete the pattern.

then we sorted by colors.

for art, i provided materials for Bear to make a Press Here suncatcher using the main colors of the books. i had hoped that the outcome would look similar to one of the pictures in the book where the pRimaRY coLoR dots overlap to create seCoNDaRY coLoRs. i didn't have clear contact paper, so i gave him a laminating sleeve. it held the tissue paper circles in place surprisingly well... due to static electricity, i'm guessing.

laminating it worked quite well. i'd actually probably lean more towards this approach than the contact paper because of the clarity of the end result. do you see how the colors blended?

as we were reading the book for the first time, i realized where i had recognized the book from. awhile back i had read a Press Here book activity on Teach Preschool. so i popped over there and got the iNsPiRaTiON for this last activity: bOOk-mAKinG! i prepared a blank book made out of 4 pieces of blank white paper folded in half and stapled together. i set out the do-a-dots and bingo markers and let him create his book.

after he was done, stamping, i Let hiM diCTaTe the captions on each page. most of the pages were along the same lines as the book "press the dots" etc. except for the page shown above. Bear got a bit distracted and told me to write "the tv is on. the other one is on too. where is the purple dot?' i got quite a kick out of it. and he loves being read it!

so, now run to your library or bookstore

and buy this book, because it is that. good.

linked here and at Teach Preschool's Everyday Math Play

tip-toe thru tuesday [feb:2]

2012-02-14T00:01:00.006-06:00

happy valentine's day!!

just want to let you all know that you can subscribe to my posts via email now! the sign-up box is right under the followers box. also, for the month of February, you can get free shipping on prints from the Crayon Freckles Etsy shop. just use the code: LOVEISFREE

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

http://trainupachildlearnaswego.blogspot.com/2012/02/ocean-animals-letter-sounds-squishy-bag.html

Girl's Room Makeover @ Adventures of a DIY Mom

http://shabbygals.blogspot.com/2012/01/suitcase-gets-new-look.html

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links.

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...sierra

2012-02-13T00:01:00.004-06:00

Sierra from H is for Homeschooling is her to share life in her momma shoes for today's in {her} shoes guest post. i have to start out by saying that i love Sierra. she's sweeter than a cupcake and does the most innovative learning trays in her Tot School with her son! after you read her post here, head on over to her blog and visit for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andie is one of the sweetest people I have “met” blogging and I was so honored when she asked me to share some of my story for the "in {her} shoes" series. Speaking of shoes...

Those are my shoes. Those are literally the only shoes I have worn since I got pregnant with my Boogie in January 2009. Except for when I wore heels because I was in my best friend's wedding this past fall. But I brought the Crocs to change into at the reception. If it is colder than 50, I wear the boots. And that is pretty much how I decide which pair I am wearing! Sadly, I don't even know where my sneakers are. Exercising is not a part of my routine at the moment. And fashion isn't really high on my list of priorities either. Pretty much, my routine and priorities center around loving my favorite three fellas in the universe.

That is my wonderful, amazing, awesome, [insert your favorite adjective here and then multiply it times 100!] husband and me, Christmas 2011. We have been married for five and a half years. We got married exactly 21 months to the day after he told me how he felt about me. He is the smartest person I know. He is handsome and honest and creative and real and I wonder every day how God could love me enough to bless me with someone like him.

That is our firstborn (taken in January), known on my blog, and affectionately in our home, as Boogie. I have no idea how that nickname started. I only know it was around the time he was four months old and it stuck. He is 28 months old now. Boogie is a perfect blend of Hubby and I in looks and personality. He is smart and funny and loving and sweet. He is a people-pleaser, which he gets from both of us. He loves learning and structure. He HATES sleeping, unfortunately. Some of his favorite things right now are cars, trains, buses, and monkeys. He is also an extremely fabulous older brother.

That is our youngest (and he is enjoying that while he can, since we plan on having a big family!), known in blogland and in our family as Bam Bam. He is almost 8 months old. He is the spitting image of my husband. I have only known two people in the past eight months say he looks anything like me. I don't see it at all! He has bigger, lighter eyes (they are a grayish/hazel kind of color) than my husband, but other that that- TWINS! Bam Bam is different than Boogie in so many ways, but one thing they share is extreme silliness. They both laugh and smile easily, which is such a blessing! Bam Bam adores Boogie and since he was a newborn would track Boogie around the room, soaking in everything he was doing.

I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and being around kids my whole life, I knew the basics of childcare. But you just can't ever know until you have kids how exhausting it is. It really is a 24/7 job and many people still look down at SAHMs, which is hard for me what with being a people-pleaser and all. I get very defensive when people ask what I do but then have a very lukewarm response when I tell them. It is NOT easy. But it is incredibly rewarding.

Being the oldest child in my family, I can be very bossy and demanding at times. Not only of my husband or children, but also myself. I think that is the biggest challenge I face regularly- having realistic expectations for the four of us so I am not setting any of us up for failure. It is a constant struggle. I feel guilty when the house isn't clean (which it often isn't). I feel like a failure if a craft or activity doesn't go exactly as planned (which it often doesn't). I wonder what I am doing wrong if Bam Bam doesn't sleep through the night. I put so much pressure on myself and those around me that I can forget to live in and enjoy the moment, with all the imperfections that make life interesting. Oftentimes, failure is only failure if you see it as failure. If you see it as an interesting outcome that you weren’t expecting, than it is not a failure, it is just unexpected. It is all a matter of perspective. My husband and mom are constantly reminding me that I need to take a step back and look at the big picture. I am so thankful for them!

When I remember to just live in the moment and let things happen as they will, the four of us have a lot of fun. Hearing Boogie learn new words, watching him try new things (like potty training at 26 months already!), seeing the gears turn in his head, all of these things make being a SAHM and a homeschooler worth it. Having Boogie sit with me and ask "Nugga (snuggle), Mama?" and not have anywhere I have to be or anything I have to do but sit down and snuggle my little boy is a gift from God and from my hard-working husband, beyond measure.

And that is one of the main reasons I homeschool. I don't want their learning to be dictated or censored by the state. I want to be the one who has "the talk" with them, and not leave it to their science or gym teachers who then tell them that anything goes and to be safe. The public school system is a scary place. Having been a teacher, I know this from both sides. I am fortunate enough to be in a position where I can be at home with them. I am fortunate to have a supportive husband who agrees that the best person to spend time with our children from 9-3 is me. I want to say grace with my children at all three meals. I want to teach our children about God throughout our days because both my husband and I agree that there is nothing more important that we can give them than faith.

Boogie is just learning to really express himself with words, but I like to think that if he could describe me as his mother today, he would use toddler-simple words like fun, safe, and push. Fun because we laugh together all the time. I will do anything to make Boogie and Bam Bam giggle, even if it means looking a little crazy. Safe because when my boys are sad or hurt, I am there to give a kiss, clean a boo-boo, wipe tears or say a prayer. And push because I do try and gently push my boys to learn things, try new things, do new things, and behave better at every opportunity. As I said, I want to have realistic expectations, but I also want them to always do their best and not be afraid to take risks, even if it means failing. Because I am safe to come to, in success and failure. Because the fun is in the trying. And because we can smile and laugh about it no matter how it turns out in the end.

Hope in Your Heart Printable

2012-02-12T00:59:00.000-06:00

if you like this, please feel free to save it and print it for your home. i made it for you :)

painting with a potato masher

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

i love offering Bear anything that's not a paintbrush to use in art. i found this back in our cabinet and LOveD the texture. so we tried it out with some paint at preschool time!

i love how Bear is leaning over to see eXacTLy how it was making the print!

what items do you like to paint with?

valentine's day sensory activities

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

it's been a cuPiD's woRKsHop kinda day here... we made lots of valentine's for our friends in the kid blogger network! so i thought i'd share with you what other valentine-y things we've got going on...

here's a peak at our valentine's day sensory bin.

it contains:

dyed rice

ribbon pieces

heart stamps

small heart erasers

large valentine erasers

mini and small pom pom balls

pink acrylic heart table scatter

pink and white pony beads

we also made pink strawberry playdough. i have a guest post about it over at Just the 4 of Us with more pics of how we decorated some sweet playdough treats and the yummy recipe we used! and you know that Bear had to let the trucks have a a turn in the pink stuff, right?

and now my lovelies, i'm off to type up another post for you tomorrow!

2012-02-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

checking in real quick while i recoup from a nasty stomach virus. nothing a quick trip to the ER and a bag of fluids won't cure.

will be back tomorrow (i hope) with you guys!

still a little green,

Make It Your Own...in honor of Susan Nieber

2012-02-07T01:47:00.002-06:00

The blogging world lost an amazing woman today. Susan Nieber from Toddler Planet passed away today after a 5 year battle with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Susan gracefully documented her journey online and inspired thousands of women with her words of strength. Through her, Team WhyMommy was founded to create support for Susan and to empower women across the globe to learn more about IBC and be advocates for their own health.

For more information on Inflammatory Breast Cancer, read Susan's full post here or go to the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Organization.

In Susan's last post, she captured a conversation with her husband, Curt. Here's an excerpt:

Curt: No matter what, you deserve to feel better right now, and you deserve a chance to enjoy family and friends, and if that means we use hospice, or go to the moon, or paint you green, then we will do those things. I have dibs on the paintbrush.

Susan: Green’s really not my color.

Curt: I have not yet encountered a color you could not make yours. Purple?

Susan: Purple.

This exchange made me think. Despite the war she was waging, Susan did not allow it to control her life. She faced the enemy head-on and did not let it defeat her. And what an excellent thought to leave us all with...

Let us not let any obstacles stop us from
making our life our own.

If you would like to help honor Susan's memory, feel free to post this button on your blog using the code above. (button will show in standard 150x150 size)

Donations can be made to the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Other Tributes to Susan
One Blogger, Thousands of Tears
In Honor of Susan Nieber
A Tribute to Our Planetary Star, Susan Nieber
In Memorium...Crazy Bananas
WhyMommy aka Susan Nieber...Thrift Store Mama

tip-toe thru tuesday [feb:1]

2012-02-07T01:16:00.000-06:00

it's february already.... i don't even know what to make of that... not much else to say today..

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

http://copy-cat-crafter.blogspot.com/2012/01/14-days-of-valentines.html

http://www.busykidshappymom.org/2012/01/fingerprint-dove-tutorial.html

http://his4homeschooling.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-light-box.html

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links.

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...rebekah

2012-02-06T00:26:00.002-06:00

real quick i want to let you know that i've got a sweet and smushy guest post up at Just Us 4 today! stop over and check it out!

today's momma guest poster for the in {her} shoes series is the amazing Rebekah from The Golden Gleam. she is a sweet lady who does some really fun activities with her little girl. here she is...

~~~~~~~

Thank you to Crayons and Freckles for the wonderful opportunity to share a bit of my life with you. One of the most rewarding perks of being a blogger is connecting with amazing mothers all over the world. The In Her Shoes Series shows that mothers share the same joys and struggles, and there is nothing more powerful than a mama's love. Thank you for being in my shoes for today.

I am a mother to an energetic, passionate, brilliant, and stunning 4 1/2 year old girl and wife to a devoted, handsome, hard working, and intelligent man. I have been working with children since I was a teenager and taught elementary school in New York City prior to becoming a mother. I am so lucky to be a stay at home mom to my precious girl, and I think it's the best job in the world. I get to be the boss (most of the time), use my creativity, and spend my days with my daughter who thinks I am the best mama in the world.

I feel like I have been on my feet for over four years. It seems like for the first five months of my daughter's life she screamed non stop, and the only way to soothe my screaming newborn girl was to hold in her in my arms and dance or take walks with her in the stroller. What a way to lose that pregnancy weight, and it was a good thing I already favored comfortable shoes since I was always on the move. For that first five months, I held her almost all the time because she would scream uncontrollably if awake in someone else's arms or not being held. It was exhausting to not have any personal time or space, but I relished every single moment of it. Due to infertility we had waited almost four years to hold a baby, and it was a dream come true that I had a baby who needed me to hold her.

At that time, I learned to trust my own instincts as a mother. I didn't spoil her by holding her all the time, and she didn't turn out to be a child who screams all the time. I threw out all my preconceived ideals about how I wanted to raise my child, and learned to be deeply connected to the needs of my daughter. If I find myself struggling through an issue with my daughter, I stop to reflect and listen to what my heart tells me, respond out of love, and try not to react from my own negative emotions. The connection I have with my daughter is the most rewarding part of being a mother.

Building a connection is my ongoing work as a mother, and with that comes challenges. There have been phases my daughter has gone through that have tested me. I find myself reverting back to reacting to her out of negative emotions because I am scared about her future. When I start worrying about her future, I forget about focusing on the person she is now. The fear of the future never has never improved the situation. It may take time to grapple with that fear, but I eventually come around to realizing that worrying about her turning out to be an unproductive member of society isn't helping the matter.

I hope the love I show my daughter will model for her how to love other people. My greatest hope for her is that she will build deep relationships with others as she grows and learn to show others love by giving, listening, forgiving, and understanding.

So four years after her birth, I am still a mother on the move who needs comfortable shoes. As a family, we love to be active by hiking, playing, walking, traveling and creating. If you want to see more of what goes on in our home, I'd love to have you over at my blog, The Golden Gleam.

Here I am to Worship

2012-02-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

if this speaks to your heart, feel free to save and print for yourself.

how to get rid of a gingerbread house

2012-02-04T00:56:00.000-06:00

so this may seem LaTE, but our family never does anything on time. we didn't even get our gingerbread houses made until january 11th. after they had sat on the counter for a few weeks, i realized that we needed to dispose of them. Bear was quite proud of his creation (as were Pip and the Sergeant) so I felt bad just tossing them in the garbage bin.

so i thought i'd give my little construction worker some buidings to demo.

notice the safety glasses he's wearing?

they're real and from his construction worker dress-up stuff.

as soon as he found out what we were doing,

he ran and go them.

i actually think that we're going to make some gingerbread buidings again just so he can knock them all down! he had sooo much fun!

favorite ways to spend time with my son

2012-02-03T01:47:00.002-06:00

as you know there are days when there just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything that you need to do. saturday will bring another fun project. until then, here is a glimpse into our typical days.

love and blessings to you all!

letter sounds scavenger hunt

2012-02-02T01:25:00.007-06:00

i picked these aLpHaBEt fLaSH caRDs up at dollar tree because i knew they'd be perfect for something. that was last year...here's what i finally did with them.

i cut them in half to make letter/object sets. this way Bear could play a matching game to identify the first letter sound each item's name makes and match it with the appropriate letter.

beginning letter identification

i divided them into four groups (like the abc song does). i gave Bear the a-b-c-d-e-f-g set first. i set out the letters and handed him the half of the card that had the objects on them for him to match up.

activities like this help develop phonological awareness.

that's the understanding that every letter has a sound

and being able to identify those sounds in words

AND

it's a key reading skill

Bear had fun with that little activity, so we went on a letter scavenger hunt similar to the one in our color hunt post. i placed the alphabet cards on our long bench and then we looked around the house to find small items that started with each letter.

alphabet letter scavenger hunt

here are some other ideas to help your child practice/learn letter sound identification

talk about what you see: point out letters on building signs, trucks, and/or store items
use rhyme: don't skip those rhyming books because they drive you bonkers [i'm so guilty of this]. your kiddo can learn from them....and all their bouncy-wouncy boogey-woogey rhymes.
use alliteration: put strings of words together that all start with the same letter. this is fun to do in the supermarket for two reasons. 1) there is a variety of items to inspire you ~AND~ 2) it's fun to see the looks you get from other shoppers when you dance around while chanting... "i'm putting the pretty peaches in the crazy, cruisin' cart." ((just make sure your kiddo is with you when you do this))

i'll a-b-C ya later!

linked up here

foam shape window clings

2012-02-01T00:26:00.000-06:00

i saw this foam window art idea on Art for Little Hands last summer and have wanted to try it since.

why does it take me so long to do these fun things i see?

anyway, we have a glass patio door in our dining room that is peRFecT for wiNDow ART: window markers, static clings, and these... foam craft snowflakes. it's been the dryest winter we've seen here in quite some time. so i thought this would help winter-fy our house.

when Laura did it, she used a bowl of water. we tried a wipe instead and it worked pretty well.

we've got to have some snow this season, right?

linked here

tip-toe thru tuesday

2012-01-31T00:38:00.000-06:00

what a busy week! last week i told you that if we got 50 links i would donate $10 to little Shannon's Reece's Rainbow adoption fund and send one of you an orphan bracelet that the family makes from discarded [orphan] beads. we had 35 entires, but i'm so committed to raising money for little Shannon, that i'm still going to donate $10.

if you'd still like a bracelet, they're available for a $10 donation to their adoption fund. you can buy one by donating to their Reece's Rainbow fund here.
and the challenge for the 50 links still stands... spread the word.

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

A Spruced Up Space @ Shabby Love

Valentine Crayon Art @ Loopy Loop Creations

"I Love You More Than..." Interactive Art @ Signs by Andrea

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links.

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...TC

2012-01-30T00:01:00.039-06:00

today's in {her} shoes guest post is from the charming TC

from The Mommies Mad Me Do It.

i met TC through the Kids Blogger Network that we both belong to. she is a funny, creative, and an all-around great mom. you've got to go over to her blog and checkout all the fun things she does for her little Chief.

Hi, I'm TC, the blogger of The Mommies Made Me Do It. I'm a military wife and SaHM in Washington, DC. My hubby and I have a 20yr old daughter in college and a 3yr old son in preschool. Yep, that's a pretty big age gap. I guess if we look on the bright side of it we should be thankful we got to focus on raising one kid before raising another. But, if given the choice, I would've loved for them to grow up together. My husband has so many great stories about the fun he and his slightly younger brother had growing up. And you can still see that bond between them today. I think my son sees his big sister more as a second mom than a sister. I guess that's a great bond to have too. When he's an older kid he'll have another woman to confide in when Mom is getting on his nerves :/

I used to be in the US Air Force. Now I'm an Air Force wife stationed in Washington, DC. I love being a military family. I've always looked forward to moving around the world and experiencing different cultures. Our daughter, however, didn't think moving was so great once she reached high school age. But we were VERY lucky to have been able to stay in one spot (Las Vegas) for all her high school years. Our son probably will never have to experience constant moving because my hubby will be retired before he starts Kindergarten. And we plan on staying in the DC area. That is, until the day he graduates high school. That will be the same day hubby and I move far, far away to some tropical island exclusive only to empty nesters!

Our daughter is a Washington Redskins Cheerleader, so YES, I'm a Washington Redskins fan! Go 'SKINS!! The most rewarding part about being the mom of my beautiful 20 year old babygirl is seeing her living her dream. Since she was 3 years old, all she wanted to do was dance... that's it... nothing else. Now she's in college pursuing a dance degree, she works as a dance instructor, and she's an NFL Cheerleader performing for fans all over the world. She's doing exactly what she wants to do with no obstacles or setbacks in her way. I happen to think we did an ok job of instilling 2 important values within her... self respect and work ethic. Now let's see if we can do the same with the little guy so we'll be 2 for 2!

My everyday life is filled with hotwheels, baseballs, spiderman underwear, and everything else "boy". Yes, part of my brain is still reserved for worrying about my daughter out in the world playing grown up. But at the forefront is this little 3yr old jumping bean that demands my attention 24hrs a day. I was truly unprepared for raising a boy. Before he came along, I would've never considered little boys and little girls to be different... but they are! I'm getting the hang of it, though. I can now mimic all the cool sounds like airplanes, motorcycles, sirens, and explosions. I know not to lie down on the floor unless I want to be jumped on and wrestled. A trip to the barber twice a month is easier than doing hair every morning. And, oh yeah, everything is a sword or gun... everything!

Thank you, Andie, for inviting me to your "In Her Shoes" series. I'm honored to be in the company of all these creative Mommies on your fabulous blog!

Be Prepared Printable

2012-01-29T00:10:00.001-06:00

feel free to save this and print it out for yourself.

i'm sorry

2012-01-28T00:10:00.000-06:00

i don't have a post for you today....

another semester of class has started for me.
bear is having some sleep issues.
i am having some sleep issues.

if you've emailed or commented,
i'm not ignoring you.

if you're a blogger i love,
i haven't stopped following you.

i'm a tad behind, but i'll be following up
with each and everyone of you lovelies
that brighten my day!

we'll talk soon!

our play room...before and in-between

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

not too long after i started blogging and started seeing all of these aMaZiNG pictures of pLayRooMS, i wanted one for our house. we have an average sized split-entry home with 3 bdrms and a bonus room/den for my hubs. up until recently, our family room had a pull-out couch in it that had only been used about 10 times. the room itself was rarely ever used. so it was just wasted space. enter Craigslist. we listed the couch and were able to sell it in a couple of weeks. i ~~threw~~ ~~dumped~~ placed everything that was going to go in the room in piles. it looked like this:

not much room for Bear to play, right?

after a bit of work, it now looks like this:

absolutely nOT what i'm envisioning in my head... but it'll have to wait until spring when i can open the windows and PaiNT :)

What does your ideal playroom look like?

feel free to post your links!

stopping boredom with a clothes basket

2012-01-26T00:01:00.003-06:00

isn't it funny how our children can have all of these toYS aNd gAmES, but there are some times that they can't immerse themselves in anything? Bear was BoREd. so bored. nothing that the hubs and i could come up was working to keep him occupied.

until i got out an empty laundry basket

and our foam stamps.

empty clothes basket activity

do you see the intensity in his body language? funniest thing i've seen in a while.

what boredom busting games do you come up with?

feel free to post your links!

linked up here

the definition of play

2012-01-25T00:01:00.004-06:00

how do you define play?

what is it?

what does it look like?

sound like?
feel like?

here is my take on it...

definition of play for educators

how do you define play?

**thanks to The Nurture Store for the inspiration to do a video presentation**

linked up here

tip-toe thru tuesday

2012-01-24T00:01:00.010-06:00

what a busy week! do you remember this post about the Shpak family that is trying to raise money to adopt little Shannon? well, they met their goal amount to turn in their Dossier! right now the family is still raising money through Reece's Rainbow to prepare for their next step.

((isn't she a doll?! her little smile warms my heart everytime.))

right now, they are currently selling "orphan bracelets" which are made from discarded [orphan] beads. bracelets are available for a $10 donation to their adoption fund. you can buy one by donating to their Reece's Rainbow fund here.

if we can get at least 50 links to this party,

i'll donate $10 to Shannon's fund and

have one of these bracelets sent to one of you!

winning number is the number assigned to each link.

winner will be picked by random.org.

double links will be deleted.

winner announced jan 31

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs. if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page.

http://watchmeplaynlearn.blogspot.com/2012/01/edible-play-dough-cookie-variety.html

Valentine's Day Decor @ Everything Under the Moon

Baking Dinosaurs @ Happy Whimsical Hearts

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links.

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...maggy

2012-01-23T00:01:00.017-06:00

Maggy from Red Ted Art is another amazing woman i've met through the blogosphere. she offers a wide variety of resoureces on her blog; from printables to recipes and projects to ebooks! pop over there for a little inspiration today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello, my name is Maggy and I blog over at Red Ted Art. I regularly get crafty with my children in my weekly kids crafts and also like to make things “for myself” in my weekly tutorials. What kind of mum am I? A very busy one for sure. I decided to “stay at home”, to spend time with my children. In order to keep my mind active I started blogging and rediscovered a life long passion of mine – crafting. It is now more than just a hobby and I hope one day to make a proper living from it.What is the most challenging part of being the type of mom you are?

I am always "very busy", doing lots of different things - this includes running around seeing friends with the children, as well as making and doing things at home. So I guess the main challenge for me and my children is to find some "down time". I think it is very important that children "experience boredom" and learn to play of their own accord. They shouldn't constantly be entertained and stimulated. So each week I try and keep at least an afternoon or two free of any activity for them. Similarly, I need to time for me to wind down and do nothing. I regret that I often forget my friend's birthdays. I used to be SO good at remembering them. These days my heads is just too full of stuff!

The other is the classic “work life” balance and not letting myself get too carried away by my blogging activities – remembering that I am here first for the kids... and then to blog!

What is the most rewarding?
Spending time with my children. Seeing them grow up and knowing what things they really like (e.g. getting their Christmas presents 100% right). Having fun together and I do love a cuddle on the sofa with them. The holidays are best as there is no rush to get anywhere and we just get to hang out on our PJs and take it easy!

In your opinion, what’s the most important value(s) parents can instill in their children?
Being thoughtful and caring for others. I do hope that they grow up to be compassionate people and that they may take an interest in doing charity work and helping others.

Followed by trying to do your best and working hard (I am not too keen on laziness!).

If your children could describe you in 3 words, which ones would they pick?
They would probably say strict. I would hope they would say loving and also fun. I just asked my almost 4 year old and he said "You are pretty, you are lovely and very very special". Aaah. I hasten to add, that we often talk at night and I tell him, that "You are handsome, you are thoughtful and very very special" - so I guess that that has been prompted a little! Still made me smile though!

As to my shoes: you will see that they are rather sensible and practical. Easy to slip in and out of (especially when you are helping others put their shoes on all day), flat (for walking everywhere in a hurry) and black (goes with everything).

God's Canvas

2012-01-22T00:01:00.003-06:00

if this inspires you or touches your heart, feel free to save it as a printable for your home!

you know you spend a lot of time around children when....

2012-01-21T00:01:00.008-06:00

the idea for this post popped into my head the other day when i used a random rhyming phrase. [i can't remember what it was for the life of me]. why did it make me giggle? only because the words rhymed and it sounded silly. that's how i know i spend alot of time around kiddos.

i wanted to get some other people's responses to this, so i asked some of my friends in the Kid's Blog Network. here are their answers!

you know you spend alot time around children when...

...you think that play-doh, shaving cream, and tempera paint smell better than any scented lotion, body spray, or perfume on the market.

me, andie

...you arrive at playgroup and are told that you have "A star attached to you back", "Rice cake on your jeans" and "Something of unknown origin in your hair"

Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum

‎... you're okay talking about poop on a daily basis.

Jamie @ hands on: as we grow

...you go to pay for groceries and find Lego in your purse.

Cathy @ The Nurture Store

...you reach in your coat pocket while at work and find a diaper or even worse, a pair of little kid's underwear. (Both of which happened during my working years when my two were in daycare!)

Terri @ My Creative Family

...going out for the day involves checking the backpack has enough diapers, wipies, snacks, toys, juice boxes, the favourite plush, spare socks, pants, shirt, book, a coat, the pet rock collection, some pieces of paper, a pen, a pencil, some plastic scissors, the favourite DVD (no DVD player in the car), some pretend kitchen utensils, a flashlight, a pillow, a rocking chair and something else...oh yeah, the child!

Alex @ Glittering Muffins

...your fingers and fingernails are constantly stained green...purple...blue...

Kristi @ Creative Connections for Kids

...when your walk-in pantry is 2 third full of art supplies, toys and books :)

Caroline @ De Tout Et De Rien

...when you tell other adults you have to go potty.

Allison @ No Time For Flashcards

...when you have holes in the knees of most of your pants from crawling around and playing on the floor all day.

Rebekah @ The Golden Gleam

...you'd rather save your cash for a college fund or Batman Imaginext Lair rather than that Cole Haan purse you used to covet.

Tricia @ Critters and Crayons

...the inside of your car is never ever clean any more...

Deborah @ Teach Preschool

...when you are reading an interesting article from the paper to your husband and he lovingly asks you to use your real voice and not your "Once Upon a Time" voice. :)

Danielle @ Mommy and Me Book Club

...you get giddy when you get to go grocery shopping by yourself, but then you spend the whole time having mini-panics and having to remind yourself that, no, you didn't lose someone, they are simply home with daddy...

Alissa @ Creative with Kids

...your heart beats louder of joy of playing with lego or something you have bever experienced before when you were a kid...and when you get hugged by two or more little arms, those precious moments.

Angelique @ AngeliqueFelix.com

...automatically put everything dangerous on top of the fridge or a bookcase that is tall.

Deirdre @ JDaniel4s Mom

and now it's your turn to finish the sentence.

(below it says to vote, but it will just open up a window for you to add your answer!)

you know you spend a lot of time with children when...

if you give a moose a muffin

2012-01-20T00:36:00.005-06:00

picture from The Moose Store

since we're on the Letter Mm, i used on of our favorite books to do some activities. i'm going to condense all of the If You Give a Moose a Muffin activities into one post, so it's a little long. we had 2 project fails, so reader beware :)

the first activity was Bear-requested. he wanted to make a mOOsE. so i cut out a head, ears, and nose hole shapes out of paper. then i traced his hands on cream paper for the antlers. he decided not to use a glue stick. he wanted to use some of our homemade colored glue. see how his moose turned out in the next picture.

next came the If You Give a Moose a Muffin math activity. ahead of time, i used a marker to write the nuMBeRS 1-10 on the bottom of muffin liners. i let Bear put the liners into the muffin pans. he put them in random spots, which was a good thing. with them not being in numerical order, it helped him to practice identifying the numbers. then we used Keebler Gripz Graham Crackers so Bear could give his moose some muffins.

then Bear counted out the appropriate number of "muFFiNS" into each cup to practice one-to-one correspondence. he needed help on some of the bigger numbers, but with a little guidance he got back on track.

then, in the spirit of the moose's activities in the book, we made soCK puPPeTs.

our last activity was also a major project fail. i thought that it'd be a fun idea to make some homemade blackberry jam for Bear's dad to put on his english muffins. i even found a super easy recipe online that didn't require pectin.

mashing the berries and mixing the ingredients up was fun. about halfway through the cooking time, it smelled like it was burning. after it was supposed to be done, i poured it into a corningware dish so it could cool. a few minutes later, i went to get a small taste and realized something was wRoNG. it had cooled and turned roCK soLiD. i just threw the whole dish away... there was no way i would've been able to get it out.

you win some, you lose some...right? i think it's good for him to have experiences where things don't come out as expected every now and then. ((it helps him learn to deal with disappointment)).

the counting activity was the one Bear seemed to like the most.

we moose-t do it again!

linked up here and at Teach Preschool's Everyday Math Play

microwave science experiments

2012-01-19T00:01:00.008-06:00

not too long ago, while at a linky party, i saw a link that was titled

"put a marshmallow in the microwave"

((so sorry i'm not sure what blog it was... i didn't read the post))

so i thought...hey, why not?

i'm not sure what i thought was going to happen,

but both Bear and i were extremely disappointed with the results.

all that happened was the marshmallows puffed up, then burnt.

pRojeCT fAiL.

the only consolation was that we paired the burnt marshmallows with chocolate animal crackers to get a s'more like snack :)

after this failed experience, i was bound and determined to do something cool. so i did a bing search for microwave science experiments.

and i found the awesomest experiment ever! though i had to admit that i was a bit scared at first. all that ehow.com said was to put a bar of soap in the microwave and watch what happens. i had no idea if it was going to explode or melt all over the place or what.

i found myself wondering

would i have a microwave after this?

after contemplating on how i would explain soap all over the inside of the microwave to my husband, i broke off a small piece for us to try first. i let Bear handle putting it all in the microwave. he even set the timer for 1 minute. ((it's good practice identifying the numbers 1 and 0))

the results were so neat to watch! the soap did this LaVa-LiKE pouring out. it was quite similar to what those black tabs you buy on the fourth of july do. here's what they looked like:

i think that the texture was the coolest part. it was a bit RuBBeRY, but cRumBLeD when we squeezed it between our fingers. the only drawback was that the only bar soap i had was jergens. so our kitchen and microwave smelled pretty strong when we were done. but i left the microwave door open and the smell was gone by dinnertime.

Bear and i did two pieces. then another when Pip got home. then another when Gramma came over the next day. and we'll do it again in a few weeks, i'm sure. next time i will definitely use an UNsceNteD sOAp, though.

so... are you going to try out this soap-er experiment?

for another experience and more awesome science activities check out
Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

linked up here

when preschoolers develop fears

2012-01-18T00:01:00.003-06:00

Bear (who is 3) has recently developed a feAR oF tHe dARk and going to sleep. i will admit that this surprises me, especially when we have a family bed. it has gotten so that it is a 45-sometimes 90 minute struggle to get him to go to sleep for naptime and bed. as you can imagine, this leads to a grumpy Bear and a disgruntled Momma.

after talking to him about his fears, he told me that he's afraid to go to sleep because he doesn't want to have baD dReaMS. this current development has prompted some hard thinking on my part about how sleep times are handled in our house. as a practicer of attachment parenting, i want to do everything in my power to help my son feel secure and safe... and to be assured that it's okay to feel the way he does.

there are a many things that children can be afraid of:

the dark

monsters

bad dreams

strangers

animals

doctors

thunderstorms

people in costumes

the flushing of the toilet

haircuts

being alone/without parents

i will openly admit to being afraid of clowns/mimes/some porcelean dolls and drive-thru car washes. silly and irrational? absolutely. but are they paralyzing to me? absolutely.
knowing that i have these fears, i want others around me to validate them.
i don't want to be made to feel stupid or embarrassed about them.
i take all of this in consideration when dealing with Bear and his fears.

how can we deal with these fears that strike our children so hard, but are illogical to us?

Make your child comfortable. shoving your 3 year old towards the great-aunt sally he sees once a year is likely to induce even more anxiety in your child causing them to cry or cling to you.
Don't share your fears with your kiddo. for instance, my fear of clowns really shouldn't be shared with my son, though i admit to doing it. [mommy fail]
Try bibliotherapy. there is such a wide variety of children's books out there that cover fear inducing topics such as: monsters under the bed, first haircuts, going to the doctor, the first day of school, etc. reading books of this variety may help children to deal with their fears.
Sympathize with your child. try not to belittle their feelings by telling them that they shouldn't be afraid. instead try an approach that shows you understand and validate their fears. for instance, "i know that thunderstorms can be scary because of all the noise. would you like to cuddle and read a book/sing a song/watch a movie/pray together?"
Turn to your faith. if you are a family that practices a faith, pray together that you can hand your fears up to God. A simple verse is "Don't be afraid for I am with you." Isaiah 41:10, NLT

these are just the approaches that i've used with Bear. but i'd like to know:

how do you handle the fears of your child?

Resources

Parents.com: Top 10 Toddler Fears

Baby Center.com: Easing Your Preschooler's Fears

linked up here

tip-toe thru tuesday

2012-01-17T00:01:00.011-06:00

welcome back to tip-toe thru tuesday!!

it's already the middle of january, can you believe it?

here are the toP 2 pOSts from last week plus one of mY faVEs and one of Kerry from my life...His Mission's faves (she co-hosted last week). if you're featured, grab a fEAtuRed button from my button page and Kerry's blog button!!

Queen Bee at Farewell Office

How to Make a Diaper Cake @ Sarah's World

This Post Does Have a Purpose @ Tiaras and Bowties

Fabric and Vinyl Rug @ Happy Go Lucky

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Feel free to share several posts

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few other links.

wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

in {her} shoes...breena

2012-01-16T00:01:00.001-06:00

Hello wonderful followers of the Lovely Crayon Freckles! I am so very honored to be asked by Miss Andie to guest post on her awesome blog for you today. Just between us, this is my first time guest posting! (Eeee, I’m excited!)

First things first. Miss Andie asked me to show you a pair of my shoes today…

I couldn’t just show you one of my pairs of shoes, because like my different moods, I have various shoes for all those many different occasions (but instead of showing you my entire closest, I’ll just show you a few of my most frequently worn).

Just to share a little bit about myself before I begin…. I’m a full-time stay-at-home mommy of two darling little girls, a per diem speech-language pathologist, and a whenever possible portrait and wedding photographer. I’m a lover of books, cooking, cycling, scrapbooking, crafting, traveling, and cuddling. My daughters are Ava, two and a half, and Audrey, almost one year. My husband is the most wonderful man alive. We’re going on our fourth year of Marriage coming up this May!

The most challenging part of being the type of mommy I am is the constant MESS. I am, and have been for as long as I remember, a serious neat freak (like, border line OCD). I have always had to have everything in its place, ALWAYS. Keeping the house clean and organized has been a huge challenge having two little girls around. One of which is a tornado on most days {Ava}, tearing things out of every nook and cranny. Thankfully, though, she is getting to the age that she is beginning to understand rules and requirements, like putting her toys and belongings back where she got them once she’s done playing with them. She has even taken initiative on various occasions to clean up the room without being asked. I love those days! For all those other days, even when the day has come to an end and the house isn’t in the shape I’d like it to be, I’ve allowed myself to learn how to not stress over it. I know it’ll be there waiting for me when I do have time to come back to it. I’m learning how to realize it’s just no big deal!

I’d have to say the most rewarding aspect of being a mommy is seeing my girls develop a love for one another and for others. Both my husband and I want to teach the girls how to love others the way God loves them and to offer kindness to everyone around them. Sharing can definitely be a challenge for my girls, as I’m sure it is with most children, but when those precious moments of willingness to give to one another out of love and kindness do occur, it makes my heart melt.

I suppose if my girls could describe me in three words, they’d be patient, loving, and snugly (I can never get enough snuggles in!) ;) (At least, that’s how I would describe myself… when they’re older I’ll have to ask them myself).

To wrap up, I’d like to thank you all (and especially thank Andie) for allowing me to share a little bit about my story here at Crayon Freckles today! It’s been a blast!

open-ended sculptures with junk

2012-01-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

junk.

i've got no other word to call the random stuff i save in our craft cabinet.

egg cartons

cardboard corners from picture frames

toilet paper rolls

scraps of foam sheets

the list goes on and on

i got a bunch of it out one day along with glue, pipe cleaners, scissors, the stapler, and my low heat glue gun. i put them on our preschool table and began fiDDLinG with them to see if Bear would become interested. soon he came over and began building a sculpture like Bob the Builder would (according to him).

***if you let your child use a stapler or glue gun, make sure they are properly supervised***

the final product:

linked up here

shaving cream snow

2012-01-13T00:01:00.007-06:00

we like playing with shaving cream at our house.

this is the kind we use. Bear has extremely seNsiTiVE sKiN and some eCzeMA, so i have to be careful what i let him play with and eat. this type of cream is made for sensitive skin and smells really good! plus we can pick it up for less than $1.

it was a bit of a down moment the other day and Bear was struggling to decide what he wanted to do, so i offered up the shaving cream. of course, he agreed. i squirted some of the table and was amazed at what i saw.

as some of you may know, i'm a supporter of child-directed play, art, learning. granted, there are times when we do crafts for gifts or something. but a lot of times i like to put things on the table and let him go off in his own direction.

as i was spraying the shaving cream on the table, he did his little trying-to-fly-happy-dance. then he ran and got some of his little trucks. then he used this sNowPLoW to move the "snow" around the table. his inventiveness makes me smile.

he came up with an awesome winter sensory activity!

after a while, he wanted to clean the truck off so he could start over, to i pulled out the hose and let him waSH iT oFF. little bits of water on the counter, clothes, and floor. but if you don't make a mess, you're not having enough fun :)

there's a trick i've found to cLeaNiNG uP shaving cream. use a spatula to scoop it all up like this. then there's only a little amount left to spray and wipe up.

so there it is. i'm hoping that some of you will have fun with this winter play idea!

so go on.... get messy!

linked up here

Links citing this post
S is for Snow: H is for Homeschooling

The Mitten: making felt mittens

2012-01-12T00:01:00.003-06:00

we're currently doing the letter Mm and we're doing winter activities... so it only makes sense that we read one of my favorite stories ever!

Jan Brett's The Mitten

source: Amazon

i thought it'd be fun to mAKe ouR oWN miTTeNS. sure, we have lots of sets floating around the house... but i'd never made them before. i figured if i was excited about it, Bear would be too!

i used some old felt that i had lying around and traced a mitten shape around Bear's hand on it using a pen. i went about 1"-1.5" bigger than his actual hand to allow for the glue and stretching spaces.

once i got them cut out, i offered up several things for him to decorate them with:

bingo markers

pom pom balls

sequins

glitter paint

he opted to just use the bingo markers...

((by the way, i got several different colors $1/piece at Dollar Tree

if you have one in your area, it's a great source for craft supplies))

do you see his little Barbie helper?? ((more on boys and Barbies later))

i used a thin line of glue around the outside of the mitten to seal them.

after they dried, Bear wore them around the house for quite a while! he thinks that they're the greatest thing to wear while he plays with his winter sensory bin.

so... are you smitten with The Mitten?

what are your other favorite winter books?

linked up here

when chocolate playdough becomes mud

2012-01-11T00:42:00.001-06:00

i saw a great idea for hot chocolate playdough on Teach Preschool and used the same chocolate playdough recipe from The Nurture Store. i've always wanted to make our own playdough, so i thought we'd give it a shot.

Bear loves to cook and mix, so i measured most of the ingredients out and let him do his "kiTcHEn mAGiC" as he calls it.

it was a fairly easy process. i will say though, that the cooking part is not for the weak stomached. ((totally not trying to be gross or offensive, but when it cooks and begins to thicken up, it slightly resembles throw-up.)) i'm sure that it wouldn't have been so bad had we made another color :)

after it had thickened up to this consistency i put it on a cutting board so that it could cool.

chocolate playdough

i offered some coffee cups and marshmallows, but Bear wasn't interested. instead, he ran to get his tRUcKs. then he played with the "muD" we made. which was a nice tie-in since we are learning about the letter Mm. i love how his little imagination works. the trucks loaded and dumped the mud.

it was definitely a fun activity! we'll be making more in february! yay!

have you ever tried making your own playdough?

linked up here

tip-toe thru tuesday with my life...His Mission

2012-01-10T00:01:00.005-06:00

here we go! it's the first tip-toe thru tuesday party of 2012!!!don't forget to check out and link up your best project of 2011 here:

i can't see what you've got to start our new year off!

my co-host this week is my dear friend Kerry from my life...His Mission.

i met through the blogosphere somehow... isn't it funny how sometimes we don't remember how exactly we met our greatest friends? it's such a bLeSSinG and an HonOR to be able to call her friend. kerry is a beautiful woman who inspires me to be stronger in my faith and in my stewardship. she offers such amazing posts that will lift your spirits and make you take stock of your life. now on to party!!!

take some time to day to go over and meander around her blog!

PoST aNYtHiNG you've created (show me some etsy shops and giveaways!)

Link back to my page somewhere on your blog

Stay around and check out a few of the other links. wE aLL LovE fEEdBaCK!

happy linking!

in {her} shoes...kim

2012-01-09T00:01:00.001-06:00

happy monday to you all! today's guest blogger for the in {her} shoes series is my wonderfully amazing friend Kim from Tiaras and Bowties! i "met" Kim several months ago after i found her at a linky party. like many great friendships go, we just clicked immediately! she has an amazing heart and a wonderful spirit! i hope that you enjoy your little glimpse into her life.

Hello, Crayon Freckles readers!

I am Kim. I blog over at Tiaras and Bowties. I am honored to have been asked to participate in this wonderful series about Moms. Yes, honored, and truth be told... a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. It has taken me forever to write this post for Andie. It can be a bit frightening to open up and keep it real in blogland. You know, to actually tell the tale behind the glitter and glue sticks.

Life in My shoes is much like all of yours after all... but with a twist!

I am a painter and a crafter but I am also a wife and a Mommy to 2 amazing children, Alexis {15} and Austin {10}. While I consider both of my kids special, it is Alexis who is medically complex with special needs. Alexis' main concern is a rare syndrome called Albright's Hereditary Osteodystophy. She is also Mentally Handicapped with a few physical challenges as well.

Albright's is an endocrine disorder that is very complex, affecting almost all of her body's organs and systems. We as a family faced many difficult challeges following her birth. Alexis was born full term via an emergency C-section seemingly healthy although a bit small. Within her first 12 hours of life she was transferred to the Neonatal ICU as quite the sickly baby; her heart rate would slow to 20 beats per minute, she would stop breathing and turn purple. Teams of Doctors and Specialists would scrutinize every inch of her from the shape of her face and ear lobes, to her shortened forearms. We were offered many "diagnosis" from the geneticists only to be told hours later that they were wrong. The only thing we knew for sure was that something was indeed very wrong with this precious baby of ours. Alexis stayed at our local Children's Hospital as an inpatient for 3 months, almost dying 3 times before she was 9 weeks old. Alexis received a Trach at that time and we were finally able to bring our precious bundle back home where she belonged. It took geneticists a year to finally give a name to the syndrome that plagued her. Her trach was finally removed around her 2nd birthday.

Austin came along 5 years later. I had many mixed emotions about my second pregnancy even though we were reassured the odds of any of it happening again were little to none. By the grace of God, Austin was born perfectly and beautifully healthy.

Life in my shoes often is full of great joy. Our struggles have only tightened our family's bond. To be given God's greatest gift in the form a tiny baby is amazing, but to almost lose that gift makes you cherish it even more. It's as if your heart is ripped from your chest and every emotion fathomable to mankind consumes you. Great sorrow can lead to great Joy, we are proof of that! God's Grace is amazing that way... your heart is then made whole; able to experience love unconditionally.

Hey, it's not all a bowl of cherries either! Most days you would laugh at me. Often walking in circles forgetting what I was about to do. Medications abound here as Alexis requires upwards of 30 pills a day to remain healthy. We spend alot of time at the doctors for different things. Alexis has had quite a few surgeries along the way. I am quite forgetful. I get angy and often a bit sad. I deal with lots of "Mommy Guilt" on a daily basis trying to divy up my time with each child in different ways, wondering most days as I lay my head on my pillow if I have managed to do enough. Oh, and I think I may have forgotten to mention that I have a live in mother in law with Alzhiemers which, as you might imagine, makes our crazy life just a bit... more interesting!

I manage (most days) to keep a clean house, shower, and maintain a good relationship with my hubbie. Some days I'm even able to whip up a cute craft to share on the blog. As the kids continue to grow and Alexis' health for the most part is stable, I am rediscovering myself and the next chapter in my crazy twisty turn filled fairy tale life. I'd be happy to share more with you, but I've already rambled on an on. So, I invite you stop over to Tiaras and Bowties whenever you get the chance, say hello or follow along if you'd like!

Andie, thanks again for inviting me here today to share a glimpse of life in my shoes!

for more in {her} shoes posts go here

John I. Snyder's Your 100 Day Prayer book review

2012-01-08T00:46:00.000-06:00

Your 100 Day Prayer
by John I. Snyder

I pray often over the course of my day. What John I. Snyder enabled me to do with his book, Your 100 Day Prayer, helps readers to focus their prayers around specific ideas. At the beginning of the book, Synder asks readers to identify one struggle that they're having to focus their prayer on. Each day of prayer opens with Scripture to consider throughout the day. In addition to the scripture is an explanation on how the verse applies to our daily lives. It closes with a basic prayer based on the verse. There is space in the book for the reader to keep notes on their reflections of that particular day.

This book moved me so far ahead of where I was spiritually. The focused daily prayers drew me closer to God as I learned about how to seek His will for me. Snyder's writing challenged how I view life and made me realize that I'm totally and forever dependent upon god and His mercy. There were some segments in the book that I focused on for more than one day because of their appeal and relevancy to my life. Through both scripture and his own words, Snyder helped me to realize that my burdens are meant to be surrendered to the Lord.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in developing themselves spiritually through prayer.

"Today, Lord, with your help, I'm going to put you first

and seek your perfect will in everything I do."

For more information on Your 100 Day Prayer or a full screen flipbook preview go to The Thomas Nelson website

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Mm is for mud painting

2012-01-07T09:47:00.000-06:00

one of my favorite things is painting with uNcoNVeNtioNaL iTeMS.

this approach usually gets Bear to the preschool table faster than anything else.

right now we are talking about the letter M- identifying the upper/lower case versions and the sound it makes. Bear was bored the other day, so i busted out the paint and some cars for him to paint with. i honestly had nO inTenTiON of making him use a specific color. but he choose the brown paint because it looked like mud. works for me!

he poured the paint onto our paint tray and muddied away painting with the cars!!! ((our paint tray is a plastic shoe box lid))

for more posts on painting with everyday items, check out these posts:
painting with toy figures
painting with legos
baby wipes
shake ball art
key
kitchen utensils
egg crack painting

happy painting!

linked up here

i'm over at raising 4 princesses

2012-01-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

hey all! i just wanted to let you know that i've got a challenge for parents

going on over at Raising 4 Princesses

my wonderful friend maria holds this inspiring segment every week!

stop over and see what my take the time to challenge is!