Not So Organized Chaos

Having sort of a crazy feeling morning....Chris needs his flu shot and was looking everywhere for his insurance card. Couldn't find it, wound up taking mine and putting in a request to Cigna for another card. I realized that I'd left two dozen eggs out overnight. Facepalm. Eggs in trash. However, I have like 8 dozen eggs in the fridge right now. I guess my rate of omelet making has gone down drastically! Time to bake some eggs for dinner. And lunch.

Picture me writing the check to the town for the car excise tax while Ladybug pours her water into her cereal. We'd already pulled apart my wallet looking for the insurance card, so that was all over the table too. I took the opportunity to clean out the extra cards I don't need to have in there. They'd have gone in the trash, but I gave them to Bug to play with. So I'll probably be cleaning those up repeatedly before I get sick of it and toss them.

One week to Thanksgiving and my house is almost total chaos. I kept hugging my husband and going, "I don't know why I'm so stressed this morning..." And he's like, "Um, cause it's kinda a zoo in here right now?" Speaking of zoo, I haven't fed the cat yet....But I did apologize to him for being low on the priority list. Not kidding, I patted his head and said, "Sorry Skimble, you're at the bottom of the list right now!"

I did remember to pull the stroller out of the car so that Chris wouldn't take it to work with him and leave us stranded.

While all this is going down Chris and I discussed which of three major purchases should be next: toy closet, chest freezer, or microwave cart. We decided quickly that microwave cart can wait as long as we get the pot rack up soon. Toy closet involves buying me a dresser so my clothes come out of the spare bedroom. Then we buy some shelving so all the toys can live in spare bedroom closet. This is important because Ladybug plays better (happily, independently) if her toys are organized and rotated regularly. As opposed to in a crazy mixed up pile of parts that get coated in that mixture of peanut butter, spit, and oatmeal that is Toddler Goo. Happy toddler = vying for very high priority.

Then there's the chest freezer. The fridge is bursting at the seams. Adding to my stress right now is that it needs to be cleaned out and is currently the source of mysterious ucky smell whenever I go in the kitchen. So gross! I'm not the best housekeeper (by any stretch), but my fridge is not usually full of random gross. I keep opening the freezer and noting that I have next to no extra space. How am I supposed to cook ahead for Thanksgiving, or anything else, if I can't store it properly....Chris says, and I agree, that the chest freezer is the next purchase. Then we launch into the discussion of where in the basement it will live, each mentally sliding furniture around and making our case for best location. Ladybug is gleefully pulling out brooms and mops and strewing them about in positions most likely to lead to tripping. She's doing this because I mentioned that we're going to clean today.

When Chris finally did walk out the door for work, I felt that "I'm here alone in the chaos with no other adults" feeling. I don't remember even feeling that way when he went back to work after our daughter was born! But today, yep.

One week till Thanksgiving. ; )

Two Good Reads for Preschool Halloween

It's almost Halloween again, so our usual favorite Halloween books are out. Ladybug's favorite is still Ghosts in the House! This adorable story involves a witch who takes care of her ghost problem by washing the ghosts in the machine and turning them into useful household linens like curtains and blankets. As a family we've developed a game where Ladybug tosses a blanket over a parent's head, shouting, "Haunted!" Then she yanks the blanket off. Ticklefest follows. I say the game was developed as a family because each parent claims to have invented it. I think Ladybug gets the credit.

The new favorite is Run Home, Little Mouse, which isn't marketed as a Halloween book, so it might be easy to miss. But it's a late fall, spooky nighttime book, making it a great Halloween read. As Little Mouse runs along in the night, he comes across glowing eyes in the darkness, visible through cutout holes in the pages. Turning the page reveals the animals who are peering out at him: fox, owl, weasel, crow, cat, bats, and eventually his own mouse family. This one was an instant hit with Ladybug, who read it repeatedly, recounted the plot to us, and requested it again this morning.

Bonus: we've started the "Spatial Relationships" chapter in math, talking about how things are positioned relative to one another. Bug's favorite is to run up the stairs or the playground ladder and shout, "I'm up above Mama! Mama is down peblow!" While reading Ghosts and Little Mouse, she pointed out the various positions of the ghosts all over the house and talked about how Mouse had to run past all the animals. I love quality book tie-ins that happen spontaneously.

Two Favorite Fall Books

Ladybug has been obsessed with Play-Doh for over a week now. It came in handy while her father and I were fighting off a bad cold this weekend. Other than occasionally demanding that a parent roll a dough ball for her, she has stayed occupied for long stretches of time with rolling, cutting, poking, and blending Play-Doh. She had air dry clay too, until we realized that she insists on eating it. She doesn't eat the Play-Doh though, so it's all good.

Did you know that when mixed, hot pink and black Play-Doh make a lovely eggplant purple color? Good times.

As usual, I have a ton of books in the house selected for the season and the concepts I'm focused on. Right now that's fall and describing words. I wanted to mention the two autumn books that Ladybug has really latched on to.

The Little Yellow Leaf is a sweet story about a leaf that isn't quite ready to fall from the tree. Not yet, not yet he keeps repeating. He hangs on even after the first snowfall. But after he makes friends with the scarlet leaf also hanging on tight, they both feel ready to let go and fly off together. It's such a gentle story for a child who is reluctant, slow to transition, and prefers to watch a little before jumping into something new. Or just to validate that it's okay to be where you are and feel how you feel. The book's theme was definitely not lost on my child. Each time she asked for the story, or even saw the cover, she repeated fervently, "He wasn't ready. Not yet." 

The other surprise favorite is Autumn Leaves, which Bug requests by name even if the book is out of sight. It's time for me to stop being surprised by my kid's preference for non-fiction science books. I married a scientist, after all. Autumn Leaves is a book of detailed close-up photographs of the leaves of thirteen different kinds of trees, along with surprisingly nuanced discussions of their variations. It talks about veins, symmetry, shine, shape, and more. Did you know that the compound leaf of the hickory tree is actually made up of five leaflets? My preschooler does, thanks to this book! As Bug would say, "Yeah, dat's right Mom!"

Math: Naming How the World Feels

We've been doing the first chapter in Count on Math, which is about attributes of materials. That's curriculum-speak for adjectives. We went to the beach and felt hot sand and cool, rumbling waves. Before the weather got cool, I set up outside water play with toys for pouring, sinking and floating. I listen as Ladybug observes that the sack of potatoes is very heavy, the food is very hot, water is very wet, and oatmeal is very sticky.

The opportunities for discussion are so numerous that I lose track. I have approached this unit with several books, a few planned activities, and a lot of listening. Bug was already excited to talk about her world, so this gave her another way to do it. She has enjoyed Spiky, Slimy, Smooth: What is Texture? and Wet Dog! We also checked out Dry or Wet by Bruce McMillan.

We've done some cooking together, usually where Bug helps me dump and mix muffin ingredients. We also took a walk and collected leaves, which went along with art (and obviously science). The leaves were brought inside and we fingerpainted them. Today we took about five minutes and played with one "hot" coin and one cold coin.

In between it all we've been seeing friends and getting out in the community. Church School began again, as well as Joyful Noise, our music class. Ladybug was overflowing with happy energy during the first music class. I'm reflecting that, much like her father, for this child music is a necessity that satisfies a very deep need.

When I mentioned to my mom that Ladybug likes poems, mom reflected that poems give words to a feeling or experience, often one that we didn't have a way to talk about before the poem. It seems that the life of a small child is all about these types of intense experiences without words. Parents of toddlers eventually figure out that naming the child's feelings can help with temper tantrums and other outbursts. It's so validating. Mom's idea was that poems are a similar kind of validation. For us, this math chapter has been in the same vein: empower the child to express how her world feels, looks, sounds, and smells.

Packing Up Summer, Easing into Fall

Most of the books I ordered for fall have arrived. There was only one I was really disappointed with (Sounds the Letters Make), but I'm glad to have the rest around. As all this curriculum was delivered to our house, I pondered how I can place such a high value on child-led learning and still crave curriculum. The answer seems to be that the books are mostly for me. I like to read through them and cull ideas, which are then filed away and help to inform my observations of what Ladybug wants to do.

Of the books I ordered, one of my favorites is Count on Math. The first couple of chapters are full of sensory-play ideas--actually appropriate for a very young child. This book is perfect for me. The planning side of me is satisfied with having a mathy book with lesson ideas laid out in a row. And the side of me that's concerned with free play is thrilled that the activities are just that: set up an environment for the child to explore as she will. It reaffirms for me that when we are playing at the beach, stacking toys, or digging in the dirt, that Ladybug is doing and learning exactly what she needs to.

Homeschoolers really enjoy the freedom to create their own family schedules rather than follow the ones required by school. I'm starting to feel that freedom this year. As the days get a little cooler, I think to myself, "Is this it? Are we starting? Should I 'ramp up' or do anything 'official' now?" And I answer myself no, just relax. Keep doing what you're doing and ease into it. Last week we spent a lot of time out of the house, so this week we're doing a lot more just hanging out. Going at a comfy pace.

Most of the "school" books are set aside in the basement for me to check out in the evenings. Ladybug did ask me to read "Math Play," so I read the first activity to her and we wound up singing and clapping and stomping "1 2 3!"  Our current Winnie-the-Pooh is Eeyore Has a Birthday, because several friends have birthdays around now. That fits in nicely. And we've continued reading our poems for each month in Treasury for All Seasons. With my reluctance to let go of summer, I was a particular fan of the final poem for August, "What Shall I Pack in the Box Marked 'Summer'?" The image of carefully storing the fun summer memories is a sweet transition to the new season.

Okay, Some Fall Planning

Just days after writing my post, "August," about how I'm not going to think about Fall yet, I have placed a large order of books in anticipation of this homeschool year. I'm thinking of it as our first year of preschool. I just love learning things! The other homeschool moms got me all excited posting their curricula, lol.

So here's what I'm thinking. Unit studies based on children's literature. Books selected based on seasonal appropriateness and from lists of recommended books.  Move forward with pre-reading at a very gentle pace -- whatever works for her. I'll try to borrow most picture books from the library, but I did purchase a lot of curricula today.

Math
Count on Math: Activities for Small Hands and Lively Minds

Math Play! (Williamson Little Hands Series)

Twelve Hats for Lena : A Book of Months

Pre-reading - I went a little nuts here. I have no intention of sitting Ladybug down in front of the "Learn to Read" curriculum and doing a phonics force-march. Many of these are for me to read so the ideas are in my brain to be adapted when the moment is right.

Letter Sounds (Rock 'n Learn)

Hape Happy Puzzle Alphabet Puzzle Wood Toy (and the lowercase one too)

Sounds the Letters Make or A Phonic Alphabet

The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons

The Monster Book of ABC Sounds (Picture Puffins)

Teach a Child to Read With Children's Books: Combining Story Reading, Phonics, and Writing to Promote Reading Success

Art - I loved First Art for Toddlers and Twos, so I bought the author's preschool program (ages 3-6).
Preschool Art: It's the Process, Not the Product!

Science
Project Garden: A Month-by-Month Guide to Planting, Growing, and Enjoying ALL Your Backyard Has to Offer

Autumn Board Book

Poetry
Julie Andrews' Treasury for All Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year   

Literature - I'm focusing on Winnie-the-Pooh in Easy Reader format. I blogged about this here. I ordered four more Pooh readers today. Maybe early next year we'll do read-alouds from unabridged Pooh.

Pooh Invents a New Game: (Dutton Easy Reader)

Eeyore Has a Birthday (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)

Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition (Dutton Easy Reader)

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees (Dutton Easy Reader)

...And because I'm a sucker for anything matched up to seasons: Five in a Row Holiday : Through the Seasons. I might put the word out on the homeschool lists that I'm looking for the rest of the Five in a Row books as well. 

The one thing missing from this order is a bookshelf! There's no way I'm springing all these books at once. Some will need to be stored for later. That shelf will also give me a good place to put all the out of season holiday books. I will have to carve out another corner of basement for this!

Leaf Collecting

Just adding this to the "scrapbook." One of the many leaf collections Ladybug has assembled this fall.

Seasonal Books: Halloween & Thanksgiving

I haven't wanted to let this much time go by between blog posts, but here we are. Halloween was an absolute blast, with a party of three toddlers that was actually enjoyed by parents too, followed by an evening of first time trick-or-treating. I wanted to orient Ladybug to all the festivities, and for us that means a ton of books. She continues to enjoy them now that it's mid-November. So in the spirit of recording what we've been up to this (last) month, here are our favorite Halloween books this year:
Ghosts in the House - What a sweet twist and adorable art.

Moonlight: The Halloween Cat - Much requested. Ladybug says, "Sometimes there's a owl!"

Where Is Baby's Pumpkin? - She just never tired of this one. Memorized it and was "reading" it to me.

Room On The Broom - A fun rhyme, and more text which is nice for potty time. We were reading it still this afternoon.

And here's what we have coming up for Thanksgiving:

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Thanksgiving Is...

Thanks for Thanksgiving I love the art in this one.

Little Bear's Thanksgiving

Bonus: I wanted some kind of introduction to Hinduism in honor of Diwali. This isn't a Diwali story, but it is so adorable and age appropriate: Ganesha's Sweet Tooth

Phew, now I can rest knowing I won't totally forget the memory of the year I tried to read every toddler Halloween book I could get my hands on. And then planned to do the same for Thanksgiving. ...and Advent...and Christmas....