Rainy Day Jar

My boys have been outside so much this summer that the playroom has hardly been touched.  We have had a few very rainy days in the past and it is always good to have a few mom tricks up your sleeve.  Since there have also been some particularly muggy and hot days coming up, and I have a home daycare, I thought I might bring out our rainy day / Magic Jar again!

Basically I found an empty jar and some scrap paper.  I wrote down as many simple activities as I could think of, on the paper and put the individual papers in the jar.  Now you could go all out and decorate the jar too if you'd like.

Throughout the day each child had a chance to pull an activity out of the jar.  It helps to have all the supplies ready to keep your day running smoothly.  I used old gift bags to prepare for each activity.  They were all lined up in my bedroom ready to go so we wouldn't have trouble with transitions.  Once it looked like an activity was winding down we moved on.

Here are some ideas:
play dough
painting
Make a fort
balloon tennis (we made cardboard paddles)
collage
baking
sensory bins
bath/water play
hair stylist
story time with stuffed friends

Play Dough Aliens - we were given some fun green sparkly play dough.  We added some small craft supplies to make these great aliens.  

Build a Fort - this was simply a large bed sheet that we attached to the curtain rod and draped over the couch.  The kids ran and gathered pillows, blankets and toys to play with.  Later we had a rest and stories in the fort.

Balloon Tennis - we made some simple paddles out of cardboard and popsicle sticks.  Add in a few balloons and you've got a lot of fun!

Painting - we unrolled some paper on the kitchen floor and used paint in tubes and some washable paint along with a variety of interesting object.  We used whisks, grass, feathers, hands, cookie cutters, etc. to paint with.

I'd love to hear you ideas for some more activities to add to the jar.

Our Family Rhythm (Part 2)

Last week I posted about our family rhythm - Our Family Rhythm Part 1 Today I'd like to share with you a few things I am learning along the way while trying to keep this rhythm.

One of the biggest changes as been around my sleeping.  Melissa suggests that going to bed early and rising early will allow us all to be more rested and get a head start on the day.  I have seen the positive difference it has made for me.  I am still working very hard at going to bed early, there always seems to be one more thing to do on my list.

Getting up early is great because I have time to pray and read my bible.  This consistency gives me strength and encouragement before my day even begins. I am also able to do some work for our company, Integrity Fire and Control Systems Inc., and get prepared for my day with the kids.  This has become essential as our home daycare has plans to grow. I find even if I wake up just a few min earlier than MJ or take some time while he watches a show, it does make a big difference in my over all attitude.

Another big change that I am working on is how much we are home.  When I looked at our week I realized that we were out for play dates at least twice a week, then there was groceries, errands, family evenings out, church, etc.  How could I work on a strong rhythm when we weren't even home?  I also noticed that my boys behaviour has been a challenge too so being at home allows me to work on that.  Tj is a highly sensitive child and I am HS myself, being at home more allows for some peace, order, and consistency, which helps a lot.  So if you notice that I am not getting together with you as often, please don't be offended.  Our visits with you will be more engaging and rewarding!  We don't seem to get bored being at home, in fact given the options, the boys would rather play here and explore our yard.

If you have children that nap I strongly suggest that you respect rest time!  We have had one too many disastrous afternoons this past week, including a rather embarrassing mommy tantrum.  I am learning through experience that it may be better to reschedule an activity if possible, than to drag some tired children around.  If I had rescheduled then we may have had a more enjoyable time and better memories. So with that in mind I will be saying no more often to afternoon activities over the summer.

Finally I am learning that with all new things I need to be patient, and keep trying.  We may slip now and then.  This week has had a minimal rhythm as we have been completely focused on major house renos.  Things will come up, but each new day is an opportunity to try again!  Here is a great blog post about how rhythm really is tied to you! Rhythm With a Crazy Life

Our Family Rhythm (Part 1)

What is rhythm?  According to Wikipedia (okay not the best source)


Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός—rhythmos, "any regular recurring motion, symmetry"^[1]) may be generally defined as a "movementmarked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions."^[2] This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or frequencyof anything from microseconds to millions of years.

For our family and many others rhythm is the regular pattern of our life.  Rhythm is different from a schedule in that you are not tied to the clock.  You know what you'd like your day, week, year to look and feel like.  It is more of a natural flow to your day rather than checking to make sure that you are on schedule.  Today I am going to share our daily rhythm, and in another post (as this will get too long) I'll share some important lessons I have been learning about creating and keeping our rhythm.

I have been struggling for a long time now with having some consistency to our days.  Our situation has changed several times over the years and my adjustments to it have been okay, but there isn't a sense of peace.  While researching different forms of homeschooling for our children I came across Waldorf education.  What I read really resonated with me and I realized it was more of a lifestyle than a specific curriculum. I'll be posting more on that all later too.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have joined the Thinking Feeling, Willing (TFW) program from A little Garden Flower: Waldorf Essentials. Over the next year I'll be sharing with you some of what I am learning, what the kids are up to and the projects we make. The first Mom lesson is about rhythm.  TFW was a great help because there is practical help along with some great articles addressing different areas of concern many other moms have encountered.

I am taking the time to slowly digest what I am learning and putting it into practice.  I look forward to starting some of the children's lessons with TJ and the daycare children once I get some time to read through it.  There are also sections for handiwork too, as you know I love that side of things.

I started by writing down what our current week looks like.  I realized how much we were out and what gaps we had during the day.  Slowly I worked on what I wanted our week, and each day to look and feel like. Here is our current rhythm that is starting to work for us:

Wake (Usually between 5-5:30am)

Bible

Mommy time (Emails, shower)

Breakfast        (TV time)

Daily chores   (Play or help)

Circle Time

Snack

Activity of the day / Outside

Lunch

Chores / Free Play

Quiet Time      (Nap for MJ)

Office work

Timmy Time

Diner prep

Outside/Free play

Dinner

Free play or activity

Activity of the Day

Monday – Handiworks

Tuesday – extra cleaning or outings

Wednesday – painting/crafts

Thursday – Baking

Friday – Sensory/Water

Saturday – Gardening/Nature

Sunday – Church/rest

For more about the program check out the links above.  If you are interested in finding out more about rhythm here are some other good posts or do a google search.  Stay tuned for some lessons I'm learning about keeping the rhythm!

Ordering of days - Waldorf Essentials
Rythm: Part One - Parenting Passageway
Creating Family Rhythm - Imperfect Homemaking
Beginners Guide to Creating Family Rhythm - Natural Parents Network

For more on Waldorf or if you want to know what I'm up to with the kids check out the sites below.  I will be posting about our homeschooling decision later once we are sure that is more of a reality for us.

Waldorf Early Years Orientation

What is Waldorf Education?

Considering Waldorf Homeschooling for Kindergarten?

Waldorf Curriculum Overview

More of MJ's birthday photos

Good Morning Birthday Boy

Here are some photos of what we did for MJ's actual birthday on Tuesday.  We mostly played at home for the day.  I asked TJ if he feel like going to a splash park, but the boys enjoyed  the house more.  We played bubbles, painted, looked at photo albums and had a wonderful day together. Dinner was MJ's favourite meal of spaghetti ('gebby') and ice cream for dessert.

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New Socktopus and bottle quickly found their way into the truck

painting with bubble wands, balls, etc.

Body painting

More body painting

MJ covers himself too

Foot prints

 The boys loved this messy painting.  They enjoyed the feeling of the paint on their feet.  The lawn looks bad, but should clean up after the next mowing.

Happy Birthday my little one!

MJ's Birthday Photos

Here are some photos from MJ's party on Saturday.  We went to Lowville park for a picnic with family and friends.  The kids had fun playing in the river and playground.

Dirt cups with pudding and cookie crumbs

Dirt cake pops

Nanny and Cousin James

Grampy and Aunt Bonnie

TJ found the perfect climbing tree

Cousin E isn't too sure about the gummie worms

Uncle Steve and Baby James

I'll be posting some photos of what we did for MJs actually Birthday soon. We've been focusing on our daily rhythm this week, so the blog isn't top priority.

Happy Birthday MJ

I can hardly believe my little MJ is already 2 years old.

He brings such joy to our lives.  This year he has really begun to communicate.  He started with signing and quickly moved on to a few words, and now he won't stop talking!! I love the running commentary of his day.  It also help greatly now that he can tell us what he needs and what is wrong.  He also love to sing!   

MJ is also a mover.  He has already learned to ride a tricycle, the teeter-toter swing in the swing set, and climbs anything!  He loves to run all over and wrestle too.  And MJ is all boy, anything with wheels is a delight for him, along with sand, mud, puddles...

My little MJ is also a cuddle monster.  He loves his bottle and 'Taggie' and suggling with me.  I think he would enjoy being carried everywhere (except when he is running around).

MJ at the hospital a few hours old

On Saturday we had a birthday party for MJ.  I had decided to make cake pops (photos coming) so we had to have some cake for breakfast! I spent the morning with Aunty Bonnie making desserts while the boys went on a special mission to buy a toy boat to replace TJ's.

TJ is thrilled about cake for breakfast!

 In the afternoon we went to Lowville Park for a picnic.  We joined by some family and friends to play in the river and eat.  It was a wonderful time.  I'll be posting more about that and what we are up to today a little later.

Handmade party hats for the boys.

If you are interested in a party hat you can contact me through my Facebook Page

Sand Playdough

Here is one variety for our typical No cook play dough.  We simply left out the drink powder, as I often do if we don't have anything on hand, and added some sand to the mix.

The kids also loved sprinkling sand on the table to add in.  Some other ideas you could add would be glitter, or rice for a new texture.  Get creative because you really can't go too wrong here.  I've even tried different flours in the recipe too.

Instead of getting out the typical play dough toys, we used shells, rocks and other natural objects.

Cousin E thoughtfully adding more shells to her creation.

TJ making imprints with objects

MJ's little island

Thanks for visiting today I would love for you to leave a comment.  What else do you do with play dough?