Day 230 - August 18
We went to Elmo's company picnic and then
broke our record by finding 5 geocaches in one day!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Mamatography 2013 - Week 34
We went to Elmo's company picnic and then
broke our record by finding 5 geocaches in one day!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Am I a Liar?
The first thing that pops into my head when I think of how my parents parented me (both of them, even though they were divorced) was how they handled misbehavior. I can remember times when I was falsely accused of things and it pissed me off beyond belief that my parents didn't believe me. I could understand if there was evidence, but if not... what ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
We clearly did not have trusting relationships. Because of this... and come to think of it, I think I've written about this before, I just can not outright accuse my children without proof. I think this has possibly had a negative impact on my parenting. My kids might be getting away with more because if I can't prove it, I can only ask them if they're guilty.
For my husband's part, he was beaten as a child... often. It was "discipline," but many of his stories just do not sound very supportive to me at all. My heart hurts for him when I hear some of his stories. So gentle parenting has been a stretch for him. Its honestly been new ground for both of us. We believe in the approach, but when its not working, its harder for us to figure out what on earth to do about it.
Neither of us feels close to our parents. My mother called her mother every day. I went through phases like that, but mostly I feel like dealing with my parents is an inconvenience. How sad is that? I want better for my children. I want them to feel that I trust them. I want them to trust me. I want them to know that I support them in everything that they do. And I want them to grow up to become contributing members of society that want to keep in touch with me.
Do you have a close relationship with your parents? Why (or why not) do you think that is?
Visit Momma Jorje and Hybrid Rasta Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Taboo Carnival! Enjoy the posts from this month’s Carnival participants!- I Am Not My Parents — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares a guest post from a mama whose tumultuous childhood witnessing the daily volitility of her parents' dysfunction empowers her to provide her children with the peaceful, respectful, non-voilent childhood she longed for..
- Confessions of a "Latch Key Kid"... — Lois at The Myth of the Perfect Baby talks about being left alone after school as a young child and her thoughts on extended breastfeeding at the dinner table.
- Am I a Liar? — Jorje of Momma Jorje *really* didn't appreciate being considered a liar as a child. Click to read how this has affected her relationships.
- Sometimes Families Break Down — Joella at Fine and Fair shares a guest post about how a mama ended up being estranged from her family and what she hopes to do differently.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Mindful Learning
As parents, we think a ton about how our children learn, and what our role is in facilitating and guiding their education. That's why I'm happy to be an affiliate for this new eBundle on Mindful Learning!
The Mindful Learning eBundle holds 6 carefully selected learning resources, with a focus on early reading (handy if your little one, like mine, is extra interested in letters and reading). This is a practical bundle with over 1,200 pages of learning fun and numerous printables.
If you're stuck in a homeschool rut, if your child keeps asking for fun learning activities and you've no inspiration left, or you just want to refresh your learning approach? This is THE BUNDLE you need for countless hours of learning fun!
So what's in this bundle?
The Third Edition of the Montessori At Home! eBook is the most complete resource available for parents who want to do Montessori activities at home with their 3-6 year old children. This full size, 512-page, $10.95 PDF eBook looks great on all computers, and is optimized for viewing on the iPad. Hundreds of full color photos and links to blogs and videos expand on the information in the eBook, providing a unique resource for parents. Instead of spending months of time during your child’s most formative years researching what to do, you can start doing activities in 1-2 days and have a complete plan at your fingertips for moving on. Over 4000 parents all over the world are using Montessori At Home!
The first chapters contain exactly the information parents need to know to get started quickly and with a firm understanding of Montessori. They include information on Maria Montessori and her observations of children, the neuroscience of early childhood, implementing Montessori principles in parenting, and using learning materials at home. Clear descriptions for over 300 activities and hands-on materials follow in the areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Art and Music, Digital Life, Science, Language, and Mathematics. Complete sequences for teaching your to child to read and master Montessori math are included. Recommendations are also given for over 225 of the best tablet apps for preschoolers, along with guidelines for safely introducing digital learning to children. 76 pages of free printables are included, as well as the eBook.
You Can Read is a simple sight word program developed with younger readers in mind. Children learn to read at different ages and some show the reading readiness signs at much younger ages than others. These children are ready to learn words and reading skills, they just aren't ready for complex worksheets and activities often available to children who are a bit older when they are learning. Carisa created this program for children who are showing reading readiness signs at a younger age, approximately ages 3-5. Older children can use these printables and activities also; they were just created with a younger reader in mind!
The printables are based on the Dolch Pre Primer and Primer Sight Word lists, as well as a few I added in, for a total of 72 words. To see the entire word list, and list of activities included in each set, see the You Can Read Information Page
Everyday Sensory Alphabet Activities is your go to solution for wriggly jiggly children who want to craft and play with alphabet activities that focus on the process along with audio from educators about alphabet learning to set things going in the right direction.
Follow raising playful tots on Twitter - Facebook - Pinterest
What if you could get your reluctant reader to love books?
Kids don't like to read for four reasons: too tricky - too blurry - too boring - too sitty.
Discover why your child doesn't like to read … and what to do about it!
Then turn it into Book Love!
In Book Love, you'll find lots of unique, fun, and exciting ideas for your child based on why he or she doesn't like reading. What else will you find in Book Love? - book lists by interests (with links) - alphabet and phonics activities and crafts - sight word games - favorite reading products - rhyming word play games - printables - and more!
Do you want your child to love reading?
Then you need this book.
A Practical Handbook on Learning Without School: People who feel drawn to the philosophical principles of unschooling often ask 'How do you unschool?' While acknowledging that each family approaches the unschooling lifestyle from a unique standpoint, I offer the details of my family’s experiences, along with specific advice for meeting legal requirements without sacrificing your ideals.
More info here.
Are you a homeschooling parent, or do you want to be? Maybe you wonder how learning can fit into everyday life. Or maybe you’re sure it can, but some days you and your child simply run out of ideas of what to do that’s not the same old-same old.
This sale lasts for only 4 days, so you'll have to be quick! The sale starts Sunday, August 25, and ends Wednesday, August 28! Buying this bundle is a great way to support this site, since I earn an affiliate commission for each sale through the links here. I would never share a product or book that I didn't think fit here, though. I hope you enjoy this series, too. Thank you!
The Mindful Learning eBundle holds 6 carefully selected learning resources, with a focus on early reading (handy if your little one, like mine, is extra interested in letters and reading). This is a practical bundle with over 1,200 pages of learning fun and numerous printables.
If you're stuck in a homeschool rut, if your child keeps asking for fun learning activities and you've no inspiration left, or you just want to refresh your learning approach? This is THE BUNDLE you need for countless hours of learning fun!
Grab your chance to get these six fabulous e-resources at 75% off! That's only $12.50 USD for over $50 worth of learning materials!
So what's in this bundle?
Montessori At Home! by John Bowman of Montessori at Home, 520 pages and numerous printables, value $10.95
The Third Edition of the Montessori At Home! eBook is the most complete resource available for parents who want to do Montessori activities at home with their 3-6 year old children. This full size, 512-page, $10.95 PDF eBook looks great on all computers, and is optimized for viewing on the iPad. Hundreds of full color photos and links to blogs and videos expand on the information in the eBook, providing a unique resource for parents. Instead of spending months of time during your child’s most formative years researching what to do, you can start doing activities in 1-2 days and have a complete plan at your fingertips for moving on. Over 4000 parents all over the world are using Montessori At Home! The first chapters contain exactly the information parents need to know to get started quickly and with a firm understanding of Montessori. They include information on Maria Montessori and her observations of children, the neuroscience of early childhood, implementing Montessori principles in parenting, and using learning materials at home. Clear descriptions for over 300 activities and hands-on materials follow in the areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Art and Music, Digital Life, Science, Language, and Mathematics. Complete sequences for teaching your to child to read and master Montessori math are included. Recommendations are also given for over 225 of the best tablet apps for preschoolers, along with guidelines for safely introducing digital learning to children. 76 pages of free printables are included, as well as the eBook.
You can Read! by Carisa of 1+1+1=1, over 300 pages, value $10
You Can Read is a simple sight word program developed with younger readers in mind. Children learn to read at different ages and some show the reading readiness signs at much younger ages than others. These children are ready to learn words and reading skills, they just aren't ready for complex worksheets and activities often available to children who are a bit older when they are learning. Carisa created this program for children who are showing reading readiness signs at a younger age, approximately ages 3-5. Older children can use these printables and activities also; they were just created with a younger reader in mind!The printables are based on the Dolch Pre Primer and Primer Sight Word lists, as well as a few I added in, for a total of 72 words. To see the entire word list, and list of activities included in each set, see the You Can Read Information Page
Everyday Sensory Alphabet Activities, by Melitsa Avila of Raising Playful Tots, 99 pages, value $9
Everyday Sensory Alphabet Activities is your go to solution for wriggly jiggly children who want to craft and play with alphabet activities that focus on the process along with audio from educators about alphabet learning to set things going in the right direction.
Follow raising playful tots on Twitter - Facebook - Pinterest
Book Love: Help Your Child Grow From Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader, by Melissa Taylor of Imagination Soup, 130 pages, value $9.97
What if you could get your reluctant reader to love books?Kids don't like to read for four reasons: too tricky - too blurry - too boring - too sitty.
Discover why your child doesn't like to read … and what to do about it!
Then turn it into Book Love!
In Book Love, you'll find lots of unique, fun, and exciting ideas for your child based on why he or she doesn't like reading. What else will you find in Book Love? - book lists by interests (with links) - alphabet and phonics activities and crafts - sight word games - favorite reading products - rhyming word play games - printables - and more!
Do you want your child to love reading?
Then you need this book.
Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning, by Sara McGrath, 120 pages, value $4.99
A Practical Handbook on Learning Without School: People who feel drawn to the philosophical principles of unschooling often ask 'How do you unschool?' While acknowledging that each family approaches the unschooling lifestyle from a unique standpoint, I offer the details of my family’s experiences, along with specific advice for meeting legal requirements without sacrificing your ideals.
More info here.
What Will We Learn Today? Easy Homeschooling Activities, by Lauren Wayne of Hobo Mama, 154 pages, value $5.99
Are you a homeschooling parent, or do you want to be? Maybe you wonder how learning can fit into everyday life. Or maybe you’re sure it can, but some days you and your child simply run out of ideas of what to do that’s not the same old-same old.That’s where this book comes in. It’s an ideabook of more than 550 fun and creative ideas that teach and reinforce learning under eight key curricular subjects. Whether you’re homeschooling, unschooling, or regular schooling, your preschool and school-age kids will enjoy these quick and fun activities that engage their minds and creativity.
The ideas are time- and child-tested activities that our kids enjoy. For them, there’s no division between “learning” and “life” — it’s all of one piece. These idea-joggers use very little in the way of special materials or money but give a lot in terms of natural learning and family connection.
This sale lasts for only 4 days, so you'll have to be quick! The sale starts Sunday, August 25, and ends Wednesday, August 28! Buying this bundle is a great way to support this site, since I earn an affiliate commission for each sale through the links here. I would never share a product or book that I didn't think fit here, though. I hope you enjoy this series, too. Thank you!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Mamatography 2013 - Week 33
Day 223 - August 11
We had this crazy phenomenon after camping. I froze the jug of Koolaid, then we used ice for a couple of days. It took a couple more days for the ice to melt away from the jug.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Simply Celebrate
Ronni was initially raised as an only child. I've changed a lot since then, but even for his first birthday... I felt like I needed to invite every. single. person that loved him. We actually had a party at his uncle's house that included my father's side of the family and his father's father's side of the family. (We both had divorced parents so gatherings were... difficult.) I also had a very small party at my mother's house and we also celebrated at his father's mother's house. Talk about a stressful mess!
As he got just a little bit older, we held a picnic and told everyone they could come or not! Still, we felt the need to invite everyone we knew. After all, that means more presents! And yet we'd complain about all the crap we'd have to load up to take home, too.
Ronni's 7th Birthday Party
I'm older and (I'd like to think) wiser now. Last year my girls had their birthday parties a day apart (they're actual birthdays are 2 days apart) at a local park. We invited family and a handful of friends to each. We had water and cupcakes. There was a playground for entertainment. It wound up being cold (darned September birthdays, you never can tell what to expect), but the parties were fine. Not stellar, but fine. Best of all? They were low stress!
Sasha's 2nd Birthday Party
Notice the simple, homemade cake?
September is coming up again and I'm starting to think about how to do their celebrations this year... I definitely plan to keep it simple again! How do you celebrate your kids' birthdays?
Thank you for visiting the Simply Living Blog Carnival cohosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair. Read about how others are incorporating simple living and parenthood. We hope you will join us next month when we discuss Money Matters!- Parties - sustainablemum explains how and why she keeps her birthday celebrations for her eldest a simple affair at his behest.
- Simple Birthday Celebrations - Birthdays are kept simple at Living Peacefully with Children. Mandy shares how her family celebrates birthdays without the stress and expense.
- Countdown to a Simple Christmas - Start now to prepare your house and home for the holidays. Steps to take each month to enjoy a much simpler approach to Christmas.
- Simply Celebrate - Jorje has tried celebrating kid birthdays BIG and small... which one do you think was more simple? less stressful?
- That's a Wrap - At Parentwin, Darlena describes her experiences with wrapping gifts and how she has changed her ideals when it comes to gift giving.
- Simple Celebrations - Laura at Authentic parenting shares how her family keeps celebrations simple.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Tupperware in the Woods
I've been interested in geocaching since I first heard of it. Alas, I couldn't afford a GPS unit of my own. I took a short class in it at a Girl Scout Leader training event and it seemed easy enough. I went to a volunteer appreciation camp and borrowed a GPS unit from them to find some of the caches on site. Except the unit they loaned us didn't work. A while later, I got a phone that actually had a map program on it. I headed out to find my first cache... no such luck. I didn't yet understand where to look, I was wearing a baby and I just... couldn't find it. I found all of these attempts discouraging. I actually joined geocaching.com 3 years ago and had never found a single thing. Until now.Wait, what is geocaching?
"Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location."
Not Tupperware!
We recently got Windows phones (Nokia Lumia 521 - we love them!). It occurred to me to look for a geocaching app and the Windows version from the site is free!
Now mind you, we're kind of homebodies. We have plenty appointments out and otherwise stay home a lot. I worry that my kids don't get enough outdoor time and we look forward to having a fenced yard for them at some point. Anyway, I got onto the site (linked above) and worked on picking out my first cache. As I was planning the hunt, my homebody husband volunteered to come along! He has great eyes and I knew he would be an asset.
We found that first cache on August 4th. August is Geocaching month! Tomorrow is International Geocaching Day! We have, since then, found at least 1 cache every single day! That means my children are getting outside time (at least a little) every day! We have hunted for almost all of them all together (except for the teenager). This has been such a great hobby for us to pick up as a family. We love it! Now... if only the mosquitoes weren't so bad this year.
Sasha with our first Ranger Rick find.
Lock-and-Locks are much more popular than Tupperware these days.
You can see some photos from our first geocaching adventures in this week's Mamatography post. Sometimes the caches are larger, sometimes smaller. If big enough, they usually contain "SWAG" (small toys, mostly). We carry a cloth produce bag full of "SWAG" to trade. We sign a log in the caches and I log them on the website, too. Today my husband arrived home, noting it was a gorgeous day, and suggested we go out "treasure hunting" again. (We'd already logged a cache this morning.) I'm loving all our family time!
Have you ever gone geocaching? Is there some other family-oriented outdoor hobby you enjoy?
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
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