the time I spilt beer on my macbook.

So…hmmm…well this is embarrassing…… you see, I haven’t been blogging because, well, I spilt a beer on my macbook. It’s currently with a genius and taking longer than expected…. Oh, and of course I've thought of about 8000000 things I want to blog about. So I've been writing the idea's down and when I'm back to blogging - it's going to be good :)

the melting snowman

Surprise, surprise - we are battling another cold in our house! Stuffy noses, sneezing, aches & pains - all the typical symptoms of a lovely winter cold. Thankfully, Kale seems to have avoided catching it, but I am sure it's only a matter of time. On average, Kale seems to be the third or fourth kid to catch something in his class and this week I've already noticed a couple of absences. Dun-dun-dun..... 

Since our weekend snow adventure, Kale has been really keen to check out his snowman in the backyard every day. I mean, can you blame him? It really is a work of art:

The weather has been mild again, so our snowman has been getting a little smaller every day. I'm pretty sure that Kale does not understand that snow melts (maybe he does??), so I've been dreading the day that the snowman becomes a snow-puddle. I was convinced it was going to cause a "I'm-confused! I-don't-get-it! I'm-going-to-freak-out" type tantrum. So today when we got home and he rushed to push a chair up against the backdoor so he could peek out the window and I heard "UH OH!" I prepared for the worst. I came over to the window and he looked at me "go? snowman? go?" and I took a deep breath and told him the snowman melted - he was all gone.....and nothing. Kale said "snowman melt - bye bye." And that was the end of that. 

Just when you think you know them..... 

 

montessori monday: working with lids.

After last week's 'Montessori Monday Gone Wild,' I was hoping to come back with a bang for this weeks link up with Living Montessori Now and do something extra special. But then I woke up this morning thinking it was Sunday, only to find out it's actually Monday and, even better, it's a holiday! So I opted to keep it simple and enjoy the free time and decided to set up a tray of containers and lids for Kale to work with.

Activity: containers & lids (small muscle activity, practical life) 


Age: 21 months


Materials: tray, various containers with lids


Presentation: 

Part 1: Recognition of identity. 

I normally go in the room ahead of Kale and set up the activity. That gives me time to snap a picture for the title shot of the blog post and to think the activity through. When Kale comes up in the room he is always super excited to see a new activity set up (normally we don't set anything up for him - we let him choose what he'd like to work on from the shelves). Evidence of his excitement: 

 Part 2: Recognition of Contrasts


I had set out two glass containers, one stainless steel container, and a candle tin. Kale zeroed in on the candle right away and was pretty much convinced that it was lip chap. He tried for about ten minutes to scrape some wax out to put on his lips, before giving up and moving on to the other containers. He took all the lids off and then worked on putting each one back on. Despite my efforts to use different sized containers, a couple of the lids were interchangeable and so it probably wasn't as challenging as it could have been for him. 

Part 3: Discrimination between similar objects. 

Working with new materials is great because it gives us a chance to try new words. Since Kale was drawn to the candle, we worked on saying "candle" and "lemon." I tried asking him to show me the glass container vs. the tin container, but by this point he realized that the containers could hold water and so working with lids quickly turned into working with water......

   

 

snow day

I think if you asked most people around here they would say that this winter has been amazing for us Southern Ontarians. It's been really, really mild with only few small snowfalls. However, I have to admit that even though the warm temperatures and clear roads have been nice, I was really looking forward to playing in the snow with Kale this winter - something we haven't really been able to do. So yesterday morning when we woke to a blanket of the white stuff, I knew we had to take advantage of it before it melted away. 

FYI - this is not a full length window. Rather, this is my son standing on the windowsill (don't worry, there is a couch to catch him right under the window). 

I tried to convince my neighbour we should tie the sled to her chocolate lab. She didn't agree.

Kale isn't actually a giant - the snowman is just small.

Oh right, this is why we had kids.

 And for a little extra cuteness, I offer you this: 

We're still climbing...keep voting, please!

true love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(If you see a picture of this kid with pants on in the next, i don't know, THREE YEARS? - it'll be a miracle)

Today Kale celebrated Valentine's Day at school with his friends, making cookies, singing and dancing, and sharing the love. Once again, toddler's show us how it should really be done. Forget the flowers, chocolates, and dinner dates - take your pants off, eat a sugar cookie and DANCE! 

I made little s'more treats for Kale's classmates (thank goodness for pinterest and the fact that there are only six kids in his class) and so tonight after dinner, I popped one in the oven to share with Kale. I think he liked it.....

 This evening we took a couple of treats down to one of our neighbours who have four year old twins that absolutely adore Kale. Kale fell in love with a giant toy truck of theirs that flashes, makes noise, and has movable parts. The little boy was super sweet in telling Kale he could take it home to play with (thank baby jesus for that one because I was getting a bit worried about how to separate Kale and the truck without an epic meltdown). Once we got home, Kale refused to let the truck out of his sight, even making me hold it on his lap while he went to the bathroom. And since we're of the "choose your battles" mindset around here, this is currently going on upstairs:

TRUE LOVE. 

 

montessori monday gone wild

One day a few weeks ago I was feeling kind of blue and sulking through my dinner. I was overworked, stressed out and feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. In an attempt to cheer me up, Kris commented that he'd read one of my Montessori Monday posts and it looked really good. Then he said, "if I didn't know you, I'd totally think you have it together." 

I paused. Our eyes met. The corners of his mouth started to twitch. And we both burst out laughing. 


Because, wow, I so do NOT  have it together.


But if you've looked at some of my Montessori Monday posts, I can see how it's possible to think that. Not only might you think I have it together, but you might also think that my kid is incredibly focused, calm and patient. I mean, that's how it looks in the pictures, right? 


And so I bring you...Montessori Monday Gone Wild. 

Kale had been working with these bees and pods all week. He was so pleased with himself as he worked hard to pick up each wooden bee with the tongs and carefully place it in a pod. Sometimes he focused extra hard and matched the colours, which got me really excited because I was beginning to wonder if he was colour blind. 


I was really looking forward to sharing this activity for the link-up and had this whole post in mind about how you can find Montessori materials around the house, in a craft store, at a toy store (like the bees from Plan Toys) or from a specialty store. 


I prepared everything, took the first shot and then brought Kale in to get to work. At first, he was soooo excited to see the bees, pods and tongs: 

But then he lost his little toddler mind and with one sweep of his arm, every bee and pod was flying across the room. This was accompanied by stomping feet and screaming. A true toddler freak out. 

For whatever reason, I'm always still a little shocked when Kale flips out and before I could recover, he was doing this: 

And so I took his picture (wonderful disciplinary, I know). 

But like any good Montessori kid, he realized things were in disarray and dutifully started to clean up. He lined up all the pods, but despite all encouragement, he decided to move on to something else. In the meantime, someone else decided to give it a try: 

This, of course, caused Kale to lose his mind again. How dare Bubbie work with his materials??? 

After snapping this one last shot, I quickly had to break up a fight between a toddler on the tear and a cat that thinks he's Maria's next protege. 


And that my friends, is how Montessori Monday went this week at our house. 

 

We're almost in the top 50! More votes = less toddler tantrums...I swear! Help us out! 

21 months.

This week Kale turned 21 months, which makes him officially "almost two."

What Kale loves: 

• The potty book. Kale is really into the book 'Potty' by Leslie Patricelli. When I ask if he wants to read a book, he runs to grab it, brings it to me and asks "knee? knee?" Then he sits on my knee and we read 'Potty' 6000 times. When the baby in the book pees on the toilet, Kale cheers like crazy and then asks "more? more?" How am I supposed to say no to that?
• Pingu. Kale pronounces it "Kan-goo" and it's the first television show he's expressed any interest in. He'll sit and watch it for a solid ten minutes which is the longest he'll sit still for anything. It's pretty much the only way I can brush my teeth/do my makeup/dry my hair/eat breakfast in the morning (and yes, that all happens in 10 minutes). 
• Hack Hacks. This is what Kale calls back packs. It's also what he says when he wants a piggy back ride or, even better, when he wants to give you a piggy back ride. This involves awkwardly walking around with his head stuck between your legs. Yes, it's as weird as you're thinking it is. 
• Karl. Kris's brothers name is actually Kyle, but we call him Karl (long story...that I'm not actually sure I know). Anyway, it's going to blow Kale's mind one day when he finds out Karl is Kyle. Kale LOVES Karl and spends a good part of every day looking for him. 

What Kale hates: 

• Leaving school. Earlier this month Kale had a couple rough days at school, but we can chalk that up to both his regular teachers being off sick and a new kid starting the program. Once things returned to normal and the new kid adjusted, Kale was back to LOVING school. This is awesome - except he doesn't want to leave. It easily takes us 30 minutes to get out the door, which leaves me zero time to eat my lunch before rushing back to work (late).
• Clothes. Since we started toilet training, the only time Kale wears clothes at home is at night when he's sleeping. Convincing him to wear even a shirt is pretty much next to impossible. Good thing it's been a warm winter around here. 

Things to celebrate/milestones/big events: 

• Toilet training. We started two weeks ago with no expectations and are really surprised at how well he's doing. Today he had no accidents at school and just one at home! We know we still have a long way to go, but we're pretty happy with how well he's doing so far. 

• Kay-ah. This is how Kale pronounces his name and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever. However, now everything is "Kay-ah's." This means the dreaded "mine" is just around the corner.  

According to Kale: 

Kale is starting to put two words together more and more and repeats almost everything we say (including "gee-shush" when I curse jesus...oops). His two word sentences usually have something to do with him asking for more food - "mo' snack? mo' cracker? mo' juice?" He also loves to rhyme off the names of the kids in his class tell the cat to get away from his peanut butter and toast ("Bub bub! No! Down! Kay-ah toast!"). 

My favourite pictures from the past month:  

 

What to give Kale a special 21 month birthday present? Give us a vote! We're almost in the top 50!

Montessori Monday: Transferring with Tongs

This is my fourth week linking up with Living Montessori Now and quite possibly the longest I've ever stuck with a regular feature on this blog! If you're also linking up, please leave your blog address in the comments so I can make sure I check your Montessori and Montessori-inspired activities out! 

Activity: transferring with tongs (fine motor activity) 

Age: 20 months (for two more days!) 

Materials: four coloured bowls, small stainless steel tongs, large silicone tongs, tray, cotton balls 

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to teach children to move small objects using tongs. This helps them to develop their fine motor skills. Also teaches concentration, coordination and control. 


I had a hard time finding tongs that were small and flexible enough for Kale's small hands. Someone gave me the suggestion of checking out bar set tongs, but most were too difficult to squeeze and the edges seemed really sharp. After searching for awhile, I finally found a pair that were really flexible and smooth. I also tried larger tongs made of silicone that are more narrow that your average set of salad tongs. Of course, you can purchase tongs from many Montessori sites, but they tend to be on the expensive side. 

I've seen this activity with ice cube trays and with boxes that have different compartments so that objects can be sorted, as well as transferred. However, Kale doesn't have much interest in sorting yet and so I picked up these small coloured bowls that he could use and then ended up being perfect. 

Presentation: 

Part 1: Recognition of identity. 

Kale was eager to check everything out and spent time looking at each of the bowls and touching the different tongs. Once he had an opportunity to check out all the materials I'd laid out, I added a few cotton balls and he immediately started transferring them from one bowl to another with his hands. 

Part 2: Recognition of contrasts

I showed him how he could use the tongs and he was really into it! The level of concentration on his face was awesome to see. We asked him to try the small tongs and the big tongs, and to put the cotton balls in the red bowl, etc. Mostly he was so deep into the activity that catching his attention to ask him a question was difficult! 

Part 3: Discrimination between similar objects

We tried to get Kale to name the colours of the bowls and to say "tongs," but like I said, he was so deep into the activity that it was hard to get his attention to ask. We don't push it - we let him take the lead and enjoy himself and sit back and watch. 

I can see this being a great activity that can be adapted as his motor and verbal skills improve. It will also be great to use this transferring technique with sorting activities once he starts showing more of an interest. 

Have you tried transferring with tongs? Any suggestions for how I can adapt this activity to work on different skills? 
 

 

 Looking for other great Montessori & Montessori-inspired activities? 

Go check out the Montessori Monday link up!

Mind giving us a vote? Click above and then click on the owl on the left!

Thanks so much!

mama? mama! ic-ture?

For MONTHS its been pretty much impossible for me to snap a picture of Kale. As soon as I pull my camera out, he sprints toward me, pulls the camera from my face, and demands to look at the view screen while simultaneously jamming away at every.single.button on my speedlight. This all happens in about 3.2 seconds and, at best, I end up with a close up of his left eye and three fingers as he dashes toward me. 

We let him use our old point and shoot, but we were running through batteries way too fast. I then bought him a plastic toy camera, which he uses, but insists on being about 1mm from your face (or the cats face) with it to take a shot. It wouldn't be a problem, but when you click the button, a little clown pops out the front and punches you in the nose. 

Anyway, yesterday Kale suddenly got the idea that I should take his picture. I was thrilled because I literally have three pictures of him looking at the camera from the last 6 months (the rest are all of him doing something that's distracting him or sleeping). So when he asked "mama? mama? ic-ture?" - I happily obliged. 


Of course, Kale still has the most beautiful smile in the world......

On a side note, we do dress him - we're just in the midst of attempting toilet training, so be happy he's wearing anything at all. 


Kale also requested I take pictures of the following (a few of his favourite things): 

Bubbie the cat.

Kale cleaning his vacuum.

Pingu crackers.

Coffee. He doesn't drink it - but loves to help make it.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for my blog this week!!! Don't be afraid to, um, you know - do it again. 

 

a vote, please?

I took my blog off Top Baby Blogs awhile back because I didn't think it brought me any new readers and I hated asking for votes.

When I mentioned this on here, I was surprised to find out that quite a few people did in fact come to my blog from there! 

I've been waiting until they reset the numbers to rejoin and they did that today, so, yeah, umm......can you vote for me? 

Click the button above and then the owl on the left (the instructions are just in case you haven't already been asked to do this 8000 times today by other blogs).