365 fun- Daily Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Toddler 365 Fun: Making homemade lace Shapes

2011-05-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

I was looking online this morning on toys for fine motor skills which promote writing skills. I am using Pamm’s House Curriculum, which by the way is so appropriate for what she needs at her age. I am thinking of doing a Spanish version, so I’ll keep you posted on that project.

Any who… her curriculum is great for Mandis age level in writing, but I see that I could do more and I needed her to work on her fine motor skills. So I ran across Melissa and Doug products which reminded me of my mats. I already have these sets, but it gave me an idea to use my place mats and work with her in creating something. I had recently found these place mats at a thrift store for 25 cents. I knew I would use it eventually for a project and ta da! I found my project.

Using place mats is great because they can be washed and my Charis (9month) can play with them as well. Not only are they durable but they are very flexible so that Mandis can maneuver the lace through the different shapes.

As you can see... I punched holes just on the sides. At this age, they only need a small amount of them or else they will get overwhelmed and won't want to do it.

The best part about making your own is that you have full control on how you make them! Big circles, small triangles, three holes, six. As they grow and master this “toy”, you can add more!

Have fun making your own, just remember the ideas are endless when it comes to finding great stuff at the thrift store. Always keep an eye out for bargains at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, consignment stores, and much more!

(Don’t forget to wash your items, if needed, with bleach and water and let dry at least a day in the sun.)

If you want to go ahead and purchase lace shapes, I suggest Melissa and Doug products, they come in a variety and are very durable, vibrant in color, big, and affordable. I’ve added what I have for Mandis below and have included Melissa’s products so you can see the selection. They were my first set that I ever got for Elijah and he still uses them as of today.

43 Things Tags: place mat toys,lacing toys,homemade toys,making toys at home,toddler craft,toddler toy,toddler learning toys

LiveJournal Tags: place mat toys,lacing toys,homemade toys,making toys at home,toddler craft,toddler toy,toddler learning toys

Very Easy (Really!) Multi-Tabs for blogger

2011-04-26T21:53:00.001-07:00

I finally found this very easy way of putting the multi- tab that you see on my blog. I kept having to deal with css this, jquery that, replace here, html there. This tab allows you to put as many tabs as you want. (I refer you to a different site for the themes.. if you only want 3 tabs with no pictures or widgets inside them… just use his form.)

This one is a an easy 2 step process. !!~First Save your template~!!

Ok now….

Step 1. Getting the Multi-Tab into your page.

1. Go to your Edit HTML on your design page in Blogger.

2. Find (Ctr+F on Chrome) </head>

3. Paste The Following BEFORE </head>

</script>
<link href='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.6/themes/humanity/jquery-ui.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Like this:

You can go here and get the different looks (themes) that better match your page or blog. The only thing you will need to change is where the “href=’http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.6/themes/humanity/jquery……text/css’/> to the new theme link.

4. Save Template

Step 2. Changing the info inside the tabs.

1. Go to your Design page.

2. Add a Gadget (HTML)

3. Copy and Paste into the box (leave the title blank). In step 3.2. I will explain what the colors mean.

<div id="tabs">
<ul><li><a href="#tabs-1">Terms Of Use</a></li><li><a href="#tabs-2">Archive</a></li><li><a href="#tabs-3">About Me</a></li></ul>
<div id="tabs-1">YOUR TEXT</div>
<div id="tabs-2"><div class="widget-content">
<div id="ArchiveList">
<div id="BlogArchive1_ArchiveList">
<ul class="flat">
<li class="archivedate">
<a href="http://3es1.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html">April</a> (5)
      </li>
<li class="archivedate">
<a href="http://3es1.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html">March</a> (18)
      </li>
<li class="archivedate">
<a href="http://3es1.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html">February</a> (10)
      </li>
<li class="archivedate">
<a href="http://3es1.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html">January</a> (3)
      </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<span class="widget-item-control">
<span class="item-control blog-admin">
<a class="quickedit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3690224896443617835&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=editWidget&sectionId=sidebar-left-1" onclick="return _WidgetManager._PopupConfig(document.getElementById("BlogArchive1"));" target="configBlogArchive1" title="Edit">
<img alt="" height="18" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" />
</a>
</span>
</span>
<div class="clear"></div>
</div></div>
<div id="tabs-3"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NHSQe7zgjAod2_mt6Dgnp5MmLlCaG8rAyQneYKrKCzg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLPY0zq_WFK9CKYU-k5I5frRoFFSER23TbNCVZrZ5KJeRnjBgeEgMTqeF7B8MtE7L-K8xemAuQNcoVv8XafDXfqzwNNwp1FXasjGeqKD7nvjEwXgXy-Sfo9xPfge28HwqnIsi90mviHu4/s144/me.png" height="144" width="102" /></a>Hi, my name sis zaida and along with my husband we are in the Military (Army) traveling from one city to another. We are from California and are living in El Paso for the time being. I home school Elijah and soon Elizah. I tot school Amanda and soon Sarah. I teach through playing with all which is why you'll find a lot of learn through playing stuff on this blog. Be sure to let me know you stopped by, by commenting or visiting me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Bilangual-Life-School/136809039709185">Facebook</a>. Enjoy and God bless!</div></div>

3.2

Green are the tabs… the more tabs you add the more you will have. Just follow the pattern. (If you are not clear with that.. please ask me on facebook. <---------- Click here.
Red is what’s going to go inside…. Google what you want such as “labels for blogger, archives, video html for blogger.”
Remember to open and close your tags (<div></div>) when ever adding new tabs. For pictures…

You start with <a href= then this is the link where you photo is stored at:

"https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NHSQe7zgjAod2_mt6Dgnp5MmLlCaG8rAyQneYKrKCzg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLPY0zq_WFK9CKYU-k5I5frRoFFSER23TbNCVZrZ5KJeRnjBgeEgMTqeF7B8MtE7L-K8xemAuQNcoVv8XafDXfqzwNNwp1FXasjGeqKD7nvjEwXgXy-Sfo9xPfge28HwqnIsi90mviHu4/s144/me.png" height="144" width="102" this is the height />

Then you close with </a>

4. Save and then move your multi-tab widget where you want to in your design page.

Save and your done!!! Remember, if you saved your template… you can always reset and try and try again. Practice makes perfect.

Amazon.com Widgets

LiveJournal Tags: multi tab for bloggers,blogging for moms

Technorati Tags: multi tab for blogger,blogging for moms,easy multi view tab for blogger

Toddler 365 Fun: Sprinkle the Grass

2011-04-11T18:29:00.001-07:00

It’s getting hot, were playing outside more often and we need activities that will actually work that are easy and fun! Well, at least I need that, with a baby and three small ones. I created a workstation outside as I do inside so that they can be occupied with a learning environment while playing outdoors.

Here was my first project which I found to be a long-attention-span-pleaser.

The kids played with these bottles for about one hour! As usual…. it was fast and easy. Just prepare before hand by saving your half gallons and gallon milk jugs. (I saved more half gallons than the gallon size because my toddler plays outside more than usual. She’s an outdoorsy girl. The gallons would be too heavy.)

Your Toddler will learn: Hand-Eye Coordination

Poke holes in the bottom of a large plastic bottle.
Go outside with your toddler and talk about the grass, the flowers and all the things in your yard. (Even if you have dirt for your back yard. Mud can be an interesting topic. )

Fill the plastic bottle with water from the hose and tell your child where to sprinkle water.

I asked Mandis (2 yrs. old) to sprinkle the slide, grass, the sidewalk, the flowers, etc. Each time she understood my directions, I praised her.

Sing to the tune of “This old Man” as they sprinkle.

Sprinkle time, sprinkle time,

Now it’s time for sprinkle time.

With a shake, shake, shaky shake,

Water everywhere.

Sprinkle time is here again.

Now go out there and have fun!! When you come back from a nice exhausting activity, you may want to read them these books:

Today with Brain Pop: (Health) Fire Drill

2011-04-11T17:25:00.001-07:00

Hi! Today we had a fun one, when isn’t it fun. Elijah even mentioned how he loved Moby (the Robot). Here are a few pictures of what we ventured off into at Brain Pop.

first we have a movie (which by the way… I love the song, it’s been a common routine to dance at the intro):

Today’s Main Idea:

Today’s Game… Here is the intro and here are the cards, the idea is to have the child with the mouse sort the steps of a fire drill. Elijah had so much fun figuring it out.

You also have it’s quiz… Easy or Hard. For Elijah I like to make it easy so he enjoys this program while learning.

Finally before Elijah got tired, he got to write a short sentence. The writing section question:

So this week we’ll be getting some fire related books.

Preschool 365 Bible: (Moments with God)The Why and How

2011-04-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, I have been wanting to do this for a VERY long time.. I just haven't gotten around to it because I didn’t know how to post it. You see I do these little “Moments with God” sessions with my kids everyday. It is just a simple thing I do that I don’t have much to photo blog about and I didn’t know how to go about posting it. I wanted it to be just as simple as I do it at home.

So here’s the intro, the middle, and the end.

These entries that I will start doing are not intended to be lengthy… They should just be moments you have with your child from your daily routine. Something you can easily say (remembered), do (if you need/want to) and read.

I’LL TRY TO INCLUDE IN EACH BLOG ENTRY:

1. The main idea (what you will be mentioning).

2. Print or Activity to go along with the main idea (Sometimes it will be something you can just draw while talking to your child).

3. Where the Bible mentions this idea(Addiel reads these passages for their bedtime routine).

I started this with Elijah at 2 years old, so it can be done from that age and up. The stories will go along with each prior story, (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) so the kids will know what you are talking about. You can pick up on any day, but it’s best if you just start from the beginning.

This is one of many methods I introduce the Word to our kids, we sing, play, draw, read, talk, and much more about God. It’s really a way of life, but sometimes (if you’re are anything like me) you just don’t know how to explain it.

I hope you are blessed with what I share and know that every moment can be a God moment.

Toddler 365 Fun: Pudding Paint

2011-04-05T13:54:00.001-07:00

Snack Time!! It was 10 o’clock and what did we do? We did some creative play. You can get yourself some INSTANT pudding and make yourself a snack while enjoying your toddler’s creative play time.

Elijah (5yrs old) had the day off of homeschool today so I asked if he could MEASURE for me.

Get you some paper bags from the grocery store… I have made it a habit to ask for paper instead of plastic. Now I always have great construction paper handy.

Make sure the paint brushes are only used for food art. I keep a set in my kitchen drawer and label them “kitchen”.

Glob a bunch on each child’s section and let them just create. Some kids don’t like to get messy but the more you involve them with this type of art, the more they will let go and start IMAGINING and PRETENDING which helps get their creativity going.

Toddler 365 Fun: Painting and Pretending with Jell-O

2011-04-04T13:07:00.001-07:00

You can do this with just about any unit you are currently working with. This activity is so much fun for your toddler and you, because the clean up is amazingly easy.

Make sure you plan this the day prior. I usually get all of my items ready on the weekend so all I have to do is get them out for Mandis the day of.

Some questions you can ask for this activity to increase vocabulary is:
1. How does this feel? Squishy, soft, hard, wiggly?
2. Is it cold or hot?
If your planning on mixing colors for the science affect:
1. What color can you make when you combine blue and red? (try preparing two colors at a time, per activity)
2. “I’m mixing yellow and red, what will I make?”

Place these globs of each color on a tabletop, highchair tray, plastic or paper plate, or other smooth surface. Your child will have fun pushing, squeezing, pouring, plopping about with this tasty activity, and eating it won’t hurt her a bit!

Smoothie Time: Pear and Strawberry Smoothie

2011-03-29T13:26:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a smoothie. I just got a new shipment of pollen and flax seed in from California. I had to try them with my fresh strawberries that I bought from Sams. Kid’s it’s Moothdy Time!

This one even the baby had a sip of. I omitted the French Vanilla, (which by the way, I have a new favorite. Instead of Coffee Mate try International. It’s richer in taste.)

Note: And just remember, this is not intended so you can follow it to a “T”. If you don’t have pears, add apples. If you don’t have strawberries, add blue berries. I just enjoy being able to have the kids enjoy the taste of fresh food.

Ingredients: (Add ingredients in the order as mentioned)

2 tbsp. Vanilla Coffee Creamer
1 tbsp. flax seed
1 tbsp. Pollen (You can get your pollen at your local honey farm or natural food store)
1 Vanilla Yogurt
1 cup of Strawberries
1/2 Banana
1 Pear
1 cup of ice

Side note: I’ve found that the seeds don’t grind up as well as the Vita-Mix so you can also omit if your using a regular blender.

This smoothie has a such a nice nutty and berry taste. Love the subtle taste. Enjoy!

Spring is here!!

2011-03-29T12:51:00.001-07:00

Well at least in our home. I basked in the sun and the thought that I would be able to let them out to enjoy themselves out in the fresh grass, not to mention being able to have the home to myself (for clean up of course) while still being able to hear them outdoors.

This year, Mandis is going to be three and it’s going to be exciting yet interesting to see how well they will get along having one extra person to play with, even though Mandis is as short as a 1 year old. Awe, my little Mandis.

I had to take my first spring pictures for the year. This was their first actual afternoon playing with the new swings we set up for them. We even had the neighbor girls come over. It’s great to see that there are still nice kids that the kids can play with.

Awe, spring.. can’t wait for the water projects, outdoor activities and new adventures. Bring it on 2011!

Vos Para Adentro y Para Afuera.

2011-03-28T20:17:00.001-07:00

Niños nunca son muy chicos para saber y aprender la consideración de otros. Hasta niños muy chicos pueden aprender esta simple regla y es un salvavidas en días de lluvia cuando tienen que estar adentro todo el día.

Pregúntale a tu hijo, "¿Cuantos ojos tengo?" ” ¿Cuantas orejas tengo?" "¿Cuantas manos tengo?" Empieza a explicar que también tenemos dos voces. Una grande y alta vos; a otra es mas chica y suave. Una vos es buena para fuera y la otra es buena para dentro. Pregúntale a tu hijo, "¿Cual vos seria buena para dentro?" y "¿Cual vos estamos usando ahorita?"

Estas platicas son buenas para hacer en cualquier tiempo y mejor temprano que tarde porque cuando necesites que tus niños estén callados, no estas estresándote porque no saben lo que quieres decir con, "Sh!!!" Simplemente dirás, "Niños, usamos vos de adentro."

Yo encontrado que mis niños me oyen mucho más cuando estoy calmada, tranquila, y controlada y EN LA CASA. El aprendizaje de educación y disciplina es mas fácil que se lleve a cabo en el hogar que en la calle donde están apresurados por el ambiente y la audiencia.

¿Tiene algún consejo para esta entrada? Otros lectores y yo nos gustaría saber. Por favor, hagan un comentario o visiten mi página de fans en Facebook ahora!

Dinner: Pork, Sage and Apples

2011-03-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

Wow, I loved the combination of this dish, because of it’s sweet and tender texture, I even had to make more because the kids wanted seconds.

Not only was it a very kid friendly dinner, but it even has such an elegant and restaurant appeal to it. So the next time you have guest over, surprise them with some beautiful looking pork chops. It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp. Rubbed Sage

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. ground Allspice

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

4 pork chops (the thick ones work best)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 red apples, thinly sliced

1/2 cup apple juice or fruit punch

1 tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation:

Cut your onions and apples

Combine your sugar and juice

Combine ALL your spices, salt, and flour

Olive oil on Medium High Heat (to crisp the outside of the meat fast and still have a tender meat in the inside.)

Season the meat thoroughly (if you end up not having enough spice mix for the entire pieces, it’s ok, the juices will still give it a nice taste at the end.)

Brown meat both side

Once ALL the meat has browned, set aside

Add Onions to brown and caramelize with the residue that was left by the meat. (DO NOT CLEAN PAN)

Once onions are see through, add apples

Let apples sauté for a bit

Combine juice and brown sugar. Simmer for about 2 min

Add meats back again (Don’t cover yet!!)

If you want a nice creamy texture, get 1/2 cup of juice and 1 tbsp. of flour (mix) and add it now.

Cover and let it simmer for about 5 min or until you feel like eating.

Tadadaaa!! It is deeeee-lish!!

Happy eating!

Art: Toddler Always Easel

2011-03-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

Materials Needed:

Thumbtacks or nails

Fat Crayons

Yarn (Lots of different colors)

Easel Paper (or Large Glass Wrapping Paper from your local storage/moving company.)

I have a two year old that likes to get into everything that she can (I mean everything!!) as soon as I get to helping Elijah on his school work. So I needed to leave out some stuff that she could get her hands on for a while, but not make a mess. I sometimes didn’t have time to set out stuff or just didn’t remember. I found this great idea that has been working for me very well!!

I tape these big “wrapping” papers all over the house with different crayons and as she walks around the house she gets a hold of these and spends around 5 min on each. All I do at this point is switch out the paper.

When I want her to get creative I just leave it blank, when we are working on something like a tree for the letter T I draw a half done tree with the big letter T in block letter format so she can color it in. It’s done wonders for me!!

This works great for those of you who have kids that have a problem with keeping crayons off the wall. You can introduce this method of drawing and art making sure they remember to draw only on the paper. It gives them the freedom with guidelines. Now your toddler can draw anytime she wants without you having to constantly prepare and clean up after her.

Note: Make sure the string is around the middle length of the paper (2 feet). Mandis accidently went over the paper since the string length was a lot longer. Too short won’t give them the freedom to express their artful selves.

What they will learn with this activity:

Creativity

Art: Spring Toddler Popcorn Picture

2011-03-21T20:25:00.001-07:00

Remember the process of any art project with a toddler is not the end results, though it may be beautiful, it is the path to it. Using their little fingers, creativity, coordination is what we are focusing on. PLUS HAVING FUN!

Materials:

Construction Paper (Spring colors: Blue, Green, White, Pink etc.)

Made Popcorn (Optional: Colored)

Glue

Spring Color Paint

Glitter

Let the fun begin!

Mandis really loved the Glitter opportunity because I usually don't let her mess with the stuff if I can't be around.

I made her prepare all of her materials so she can also work on steps and instructions.

Did I mention how great this is for their fine motor skills? Look at her little fingers working hard to get the glue out!

You can also color the glue with food colors to do pastel colors. Makes great spring colors.

Try having your toddler count the popcorn (we are working with 17 so we had 16 and I asked her how many more did we need to make 17.

You can put glitter on the popcorn by putting the popcorn in a paper bag with the glitter. Makes for a very pretty scene.

Hope you had fun with this simple but yet effective Spring Popcorn Art.

Skills they will learn with this project:

Coordination

Working with their Fine Motor Skills

Creativity

Season Awareness

Different Color Pallet exposure (If your working with Pastels)

Numbers

Typical Day- Wednesday

2011-03-18T14:23:00.001-07:00

Here is another day, like any other day, we are not bound to the schedule I set out the day prior, but I do try to keep a routine for the kid’s and my sake. It helps them know what they need to do and stay focused. Typically we do “school” in the morning and the rest like art and reading in the afternoon.

Today I planned on going to our local story time at "Balfour Beauty" on Fort Bliss at 10 a.m so I told the kids that we had to hurry so we could have time for morning chores.

7:00 am Wakeup

7:10 Chore Cards

7:30 Breakfast (Today we had oatmeal with fruit) I didn’t take pictures because I hadn’t had my coffee :)

8:00 Fix Amanda, Sarah, and myself because the older ones already did that with the chore cards.

8:30 Elijah starts his school

To us, it is very important that we show respect to our country.

What I like about Abeka is that in the classes, Mrs. Bear (his k5 teacher) reminds them about God, His word, praise songs, and that they even have an entire class on the Bible.

9:00 Sleep Sarah

How I love this swing! .Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Glider - Butter Bunny

9:10 Time for toddler school for Mandis. Today was computer, sounds, and stickers (for fine motor skills).

I put stickers on the keys so she will know where to press.

She also knows that you only press the keys with the stickers.

Sesame Street: Sounds Around Town

This helps her learn to recognize the sounds around her, such as t

he animals, ice cream man, the mail man, etc. It’s a fun game.

Ok, so after 10 very educational minutes, she got bored.

On to the next one, since I knew that was going to happen,

I already had something else prepared for her…Math stickers!

Giant Sticker Activity First Words

What I love about this book is that, it’s not just entertaining, and if you

buy one that you can reuse it’s economic, but that it also

helps develop the fine motor skills to facilitate learning to write!

Did I mention Coordination?

9:50 Story Time

He wasn’t able to finish his phonics class, so

we had to bring Mrs. Bear with us.

We were in luck, Mr. Police-dog visited us! You don’t

need school to receive special visits…the libraries and

community centers also offer these types of activities. I

f not, you can call these places to find out when and

where they are visiting so you can plan to attend.

Elijah was sooo focused on what the policeman was saying.

At the end of the presentation, they gave hugs…even Amanda went!
Who says young “homeschoolers” are timid?!

11:00 am Alright...time to read books!

Mandis is starting to get more comfortable at story time, she went with Elijah this time.

11:50 We get home and time for lunch! Hurry cause Mandis is hungry!

It’s Elijah’s turn to prepare the food. I help him on the stove,

but he does the majority of the process.

When kids cook they are learning:

1. Coordination

2. Distress

3. Following step-by-step directions

4. Not everything has to be boring when we are learning!

MMMMM!! So good Elijah! Thank you!

Add the yogurt, and we have a VERY delicious lunch!

12:30 Clean and Prepare for "quiet time”.

1:30-3:00 pm Quiet Time (and Mommy time. =) Blogging, Clean the house

3:00 pm Studying on the computer (Today on “Brain Pop”: Subway System)

Even Charis is learning!

A little side note on BrainPop. I try to put on for 10 minutes a day, so that every day they learn something new in:

1. Science

2. Social Science

3. Math

4. Health

5. Technology

6. Art and Music

7. English and Spanish

4:00 pm Addiel gets home (Daddy) and the “education” ends so they can spend time together. However, this doesn’t mean that we stop “learning”.

Addiel reads them books when he gets home from work.

There are days that it gets out of control, so I try to adjust and still enjoy the day with my kids.

For those who think this is just for the ones who know what they are doing, let me tell you, there are days where I blow up at the kids, I give up for a brief day, I feel like I just want to send them to school instead, I sometimes feel like just taking them to a fast food restaurant, I feel like I just want to let them do what ever they want and suffer the consequences later, I feel like I am not getting anywhere or I don’t know how to do this the “right” way, and more. But I then recuperate and get back to my senses and remember what this is all for. THAT is what counts and that is what keeps me from really calling it quits.

I thank God for my life and the opportunity that he has given me to be able to do this, I must do the most with this opportunity. I hope this entry has helped. If you would like more over this blog, please comment and I will respond. :)

May God bless you and keep you driving on towards a better future!

Zaida (The Bilingual Christian Home School Mom)

Don’t forget to read my blog: A Typical Day: Monday in Spanish for right now.

Smoothie Time- Tropical Breeze

2011-03-10T18:38:00.001-08:00

I call this my Tropical Breeze because it was a breeze to make. Ha-ha, get it? Breeze? No? Well, It was funny in my head. The kids loved it and it was packed with Vitamin C with all the tropical fruits I put in it.

Again, all the ingredients are just simple stuff that you have already in your pantry and fridge. My intent to make these types of smoothies is not so that you can follow it to a T, but to get you to start thinking of how you can use what you have and turn it into a FAST, SIMPLE, NUTRITIOUS snack for the kids. Instead of giving them the same ole pb & j sandwich, or cookies that are loaded with unnatural ingredients.

So watch this video, get excited, go find what you have in your kitchen, and make it a SMOOTHIE TIME!

Spinach (yes, but really they won’t know!)

Papaya

Orange

Flax Seed

Frozen Orange Juice

Orange Juice

Peaches (canned if you don’t have the fresh kind)

Broccoli, Peas, Green beans (left over from super simple homemade baby food that I made in the morning.)

Honey for sweetness (try to minimize it as their taste buds get used to getting less sweet stuff, as you will see, I didn’t add any to mine. )

Ice

Don’t forget to comment or post back any smoothie ideas you have!

I will post them and mention your name.

Thank you for stopping by.

RACKET -Word Of The Day- 4-5 yr old- week 2

2011-03-10T15:50:00.001-08:00

Hi again!! I was finally able to record my lessons!! So now you’ll be able to see how easy, fun, and quick these lessons are. Don’t laugh, we are not professional actors.

The kids look forward to this everyday. Get them excited to learn!

CLICK HERE for your Word PAPER

Props: Pots and pans or anything that makes a lot of noise.

Questions to ask or just have your child hear my video and go along with the kids.

1. Which of these would make a RACKET?

a dripping faucet
children yelling at a ballgame
a stack of pots and pans falling over
a goldfish swimming in a bowl
three dogs barking at a cat

2. In what kind of place is it all right to make a RACKET?

3. Where is it not okay to make a RACKET?

Time As A Parent

2011-03-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

Every second counts and we are not in this world to take that for granted.

One day, we were driving towards Church on a Wednesday afternoon. The afternoon was very, very windy. So windy that the van every now and then felt like it was about to be tossed from one side of the freeway to the other. It was pretty scary. We had all four kids in the car, nonchalantly singing their favorite car songs. Then I started thinking, what if... What if we did get into a crash and we died! Were we ready?

Looking towards the back, Elijah was 5, Lichis was 4, Amanda was 2 and little Charis was 6 months. Were we ready to leave this world and possibly have the kids be looked after by someone else? Would they be together? Would they care for them as much as we did? Would they tend to their nutritional, educational and emotional needs as much as we try to? I even turned to Addiel and gave him the scenario and asked him if he was ready.

This made him really think too. It was a profound realization. NO! We were not ready and I also started thinking, "Am I doing everything I possibly can to achieve excellence in the role I was in right NOW?"

Being a mom is not just looking after a couple of kids. Being a wife is not just being married to a man and trying not to get into each other's way. Being a daughter (God's daughter) is not just surviving in this world. God has a purpose for us and we must take the mile and go 2! Matthew 5:41

Be there for your kids so that when they grow up, they can be proud of what they had. So that they can appreciate and want to be even more than what you were for them. Give them tools that they will use not just now but for the future. Give them the advantage! Give them the power to take on the WORLD just as you did when they were little.

A lot of people can't wait for the day to end, for what? For the next day? What is so wrong with today? You might be having a bad day, but what makes you so sure tomorrow wont' be even worse? Change your circumstance and don't let the circumstance change you. Be a leader and show up to the day that God has given you.

You wonder, "when will I have time for myself." Time passes so quickly that soon you will be seeing your home so quiet you won't know what to do with your day. Seize the day now because in 20 years.. you will still have 40+ years to "have time for yourself" and then what, you will wish you had more time with your kids.

Be a responsible role model, be your husband's (wife's) best friend and enjoy each other. Live each day with a purpose and be that role model that your kids can look up to. A boy will look up to his father if he's there. A girl will look up to his mother if she's there.

If your a dual working parent family, is it because you can't afford the bills (expensive car and gas, entertainment center, video games, clothes, cell phone bills, etc.) or is it because you can't afford the time with your kids? Just think about it, what would your kids enjoy the most, the new LCD, HD, 3D, 70inch TV with 900 channels that you don't watch or time with you in the back yard playing jump rope or reading a FREE book at the library? Think about it parents!

Back to the home is what we realized we needed to be and I thanked God right then and there that there was still time.

Super Simple Homemade Baby Food: Lentil Soup (6m and up)

2011-03-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

No Tomatoes, to much acidity. Nothing but what you see on my pictures, babies do not need all the added flavor. All of my foods I use organic.
It is much better for their little tummies since this is basically the first time solid foods are being introduced to their bodies. There is just too many chemicals being added to regular food (even vegetables).

Charis’ look when she sees me making her food.

LiveJournal Tags: baby food,6 month old,how to make home made baby food

SHIVER- Word of the Day- 4-5 yr old- Week 2

2011-03-08T14:27:00.001-08:00

Today's word is SHIVER (by the way, if this is the first time that you read my word of the day post, text that is in bold is what I say to the kids, so you have an idea of what to say.)

My props were: Each other!
This one was a little difficult to explain to my 4 yr. old, but we got through it.

Mandis stopped by here and there throughout our lesson.

Print this out first... VOCAB PAPER (I am working on trying to get these on video so you can see how I explain and how the kids really enjoy the words.)

START-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I started by explaining what SHIVER means right off the back because it would be hard for the kids to distinguish cold and shaking. They would automatically think it meant cold. Which yes it means your cold but it also can be used when you are scared. Does anyone know how to pronounce this one? S-H makes a SHhhhhhh sound. E-R go together to make an ER sound. Ready? Spell it out. S-H, SH-I-V-E-R, ER SHI-VER SHIVER. Good!
Go ahead and write your new word into you dictionary. My Dictionary Booklet
Q. So what do you think SHIVER means? (Point at your VOCAB PAPER) Wait to see what they say and write it on their booklet for them, if they don’t know how to write yet.. Ok here is what it means:

DEF: SHIVER is shaking when you are cold or afraid.

So let me see how you shiver. This is about the time I wish I had a video camera to show you how goofy they get with this exercise.

Ok let me give you a sentence for this word.

I SHIVER when I get out of the shower because of the cold air.

What do you normally see on your skin when you shiver? Elijah: OOOOH, OOOOh bumps on your skin!

Ok, what I want you to do is SHIVER when I say a sentence and you think it will make you SHIVER. Ready?

Uncovering yourself in a cold night. (Shiver)

Making warm bread.

Hearing the house creek on a windy night. (Shiver)

Jumping into a cold pool. (Shiver)

Watching a movie on Saturday night.

What do your teeth do when you shiver?

Great job!! Now draw me a picture of shivering.

THE END------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drawing gave it a nice end to the lesson. I love seeing them get excited to learn! It makes my job even more enjoyable.

Hope you liked this one... let me know what you guys did with this word?

LiveJournal Tags: 5 years,5 años,vocabulary for K5,word of the day

Review- Word of the Day- Week 1

2011-03-06T17:03:00.001-08:00

So we have finished the week with an awesome start! Lichis was able to pass her test, so I’m beginning to think, maybe I should move Elijah up and keep these words for Lichis. But I think that will be too much work.

Here is the review for CRUNCH, DASH, GENTLE, and ODOR.- Week 1
Start-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Write the words or have your Word Paper ready and set them out where the kids will be able to point or pick up to show you.
2. Review the words, example:

“When you CRUNCH on carrots, make lots of noise, right?”
“Show me DASH.” (Lichis runs across the room.)

3. Once you have review the words you begin the testing. (Have stickers ready. I told them that once they get 8 questions right, they earn a gum piece. Sugar free of course. )
4. Questions.
Point to the word that describes the skunk’s spray. (odor)
Point to the word that reminds you of a nice person. (gentle)
Point to the word that tells you to run! (dash)
You would do this with a pretzel. (crunch)

I like the sound when I _______ on my carrots. (crunch)
I ______ to the bus stop because I am late! (dash)
The flowers have a nice ________. (odor)
The girl is ________ and does not yell or hit. (gentle)

I _______ on popcorn at the movies. (crunch)
A stinky _______ comes out of the garbage can. (odor)
Make sure you _______ to win the race! (dash)
The _________ teacher has a soft voice and never yells. (gentle)

True/False
The dogs DASH when they smell food. (true)
I CRUNCH on yogurt. (false)
The girl is GENTLE because she hits her sister.(false)
An ODOR is something you can see. (false)
Finish------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How did your week go? I would love to see what you guys came up with or did. It’s fun to see our kids learn and help them enlarge this world we live in with knowledge!

Word of the Day Booklet

2011-03-06T16:37:00.001-08:00

I love this new program I’m doing with Elijah (5yrs) and even Lichis (4yrs). He is learning so fast and it’s so simple and easy. So I made this booklet so that they can remember their daily words even more. I think you guys will like it too.
So keep an eye out for my daily words, the best thing is that you can always do it, there is really no planning except for the writing process, but even then you can easily just have them write the information on a peace of paper and keep it in a folder for the end of the week review.
This will help you also see how your child is advancing. Hope you all like this new FREE download.
Click here to download The Booklet

Click here to download The Booklet

All about spelling…. FREE download

2011-03-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

I was able to download these simple books, I love this curriculum. The great thing about this program is that you don’t have to be homeschooled to benefit from it’s great system. This program I find advances any child’s ability to read and spell. A few time a week is enough. This can be added to your child’s school program and it won’t interfere.
The activities in this e-book focus on listening comprehension, which is a precursor to reading comprehension. You can foster listening comprehension by discussing stories and characters, expanding vocabulary, and exposing children to a wide variety of activities. Sequencing activities--such as those found in this activity book--are also great for improving comprehension.
Not to mention that he actually likes and ENJOYS these books.

Go here to download a free sample.
Here’s the whole series… they also have some free downloads.

LiveJournal Tags: curriculum,5 years,spelling and reading

DASH- Word of the Day- 4 to 5 yr old- week 1

2011-03-02T23:46:00.001-08:00

Today's word is DASH
My props were: The beautiful outdoors!
This a fun one. I was just as excited to do our first outside lesson for the year!

Mandis was asleep this time!

Print this out first... VOCAB PAPER

START-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This time we went outside in the backyard. I had them get in line and run from one side to the other side of the yard. When they got to me again I told them to very slowly walk the same distance. Of course it took a lot longer so I asked, Which one was faster? Running! Did you know there is another word for running? So I took out my paper. Tell me what this word says. You can tell that Elijah was using his awesome phonics lessons with ABEKA to spell it out. DASH!
I quickly went into tell them the information since this is word will stick to them faster than any of the words this week because of our activity and what you can do with it. (Always making sure that you say the words we learn through out the week.
Q. So what does DASH mean? (Point at your VOCAB PAPER) Wait to see what they say. Here’s the definition:

DEF: DASH is something you do quickly.

Do we DASH when we: (Mandis kept acting them out. Good moment for her to do some coordination and exercise.)

Run?

Walk?

Crawl?

Race?

Hop? They had to think of this one for a sec.

Here’s the sentence:

I must DASH to the store before it closes.

What do you think she meant by that? Lichis 4yrs. answered….. she had to hurry so it won’t close.

Ok show me how you DASH to the other side of the yard. Go!!

When do we DASH in our house? To Church because we are always almost late! (Elijah) The answers made me realize we are always late to something.

Final question, what is this word… An Adjective, A Noun, or A Verb? Elijah blurted out “VERB!” Lichis was still thinking about it. It looked as if she was a bit confused, I reminded her that an Adjective is something you describe. A Verb is something you do. Do we DASH or are we DASH? Then she got it.
THE END------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was right before quiet time, so it worked out great because they got nice and tired!

Hope you liked this one... let me know what you guys did with this word?

LiveJournal Tags: 5 years,5 años,vocabulary for K5,word of the day

Super Simple Homemade Baby Food: Oatmeal Cereal

2011-03-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

I love oatmeal because my chiquita Charis eats it like if it was ice cream, (ok, only I would reference that statement to ice-cream. I love the stuff... who wouldn't- even babies!)

It's super simple and doesn't require much, a lot of people think they have to buy the boxed kind. You already have it in your pantry, why not? All you need is a coffee grinder and baggies.

1cup of Whole Oatmeal (not the instant kind).

1 cup is sufficient, so it won't go stale on you.
Keep the grinder on hand so you can make as you go.

Try to use the ORGANIC stuff, their little tummies will thank you for it!

Clean the coffee grinder well and use it only for that purpose, I bought mine at a thrift store for 3 bucks!

before and After. Go as fine as you can.

Depending on baby, 7 months should be a good time to start them on oatmeal cereal.

Keep them in clean, new, zip lock bags in a dark cool place.

Now you cook it when ever you are going to use it.

Another way is soaking it in distilled purified water over night.

Great thickening agent.

You can add it into anything!!! Apples are her favorite!

If you all don't know, I don't feed her meat because I don't think a baby needs such a thing. She gets her protein in so many other foods that really there is no need and unless I buy a whole organic breast just for her, which by the end of the process 99% ends up in the freezer, so why bother, besides, isn't this blog about SUPER SIMPLE stuff?

Now, when you can make such simple stuff that is oh so good for your baby, why buy the boxed stuff?

hope you guys get motivated to do this at home... let me know about your experiences!

GENTLE- Word of the Day- 4 to 5yr old- week 1

2011-03-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today's word is GENTLE

I took out a baby doll, some blocks, a toy car, a stuffed puppy or bear, and a mirror for this word.

The kids were very excited to see the props.. they wondered what the mirror and blocks had anything to do with each other. Hmmmmm, I wondered too, haha.

Mandis kept looking at herself and making faces with the mirror. She kept distracting me, she's my silly one.

So here is what I started with.

Print this out first... VOCAB PAPER

START-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I set up the blocks in a way where they can easily fall down. I set the baby doll and stuffed toy next to me and the mirror I gave each one, I was able to find three small ones. I drove the car into the blocks in a dramatic way. Do you think that was gentle?

Q. Who can show me gentle with their hands? (Point at your VOCAB PAPER) Wait to see what they do, mine gently caressed their arms? What if I gave you a push as I walked next to you? (They gave their wise answers, letting me know I would not be a nice person) OK, what if I came to you in the night and gave you a soft kiss on the cheek and said, "good night." Would you like that? (Oh they liked this question, this is their favorite part of bedtime chores)

Let me go ahead and tell you a sentence that will give you a better understanding of GENTLE. But I think you already know what it means.

"The GENTLE teacher spoke softly to the upset child and dried his tears. "

So, why didn't the teacher yell at the student? (Because he would of cried even more, Elijah said.)

OK, sounds reasonable... now let me tell you the actual definition. PAUSE right the word Adjective on the bottom of your VOCAB PAPER paper. It's an ADJECTIVE. PAUSE What is an ADJECTIVE? let them answer, even if they're wrong. It's fun to see what they come up with, where their imagination takes them. Plus if you've gone over this with them, it's awesome to see that they remember. Can you be or do a ADJECTIVE? Point at the word ADJECTIVE Remember, an ADJECTIVE describes something or a person. Are we a something or a person? Can I say, Zaida is Gentle? Can I say Zaida eats gentle? So (Point at your Vocab Paper) GENTLE is something I AM.

Def: A GENTLE person is careful not to hurt people or things.

Elijah GENTLY get the doll and rock her. (He slowly grabbed the baby doll and started rocking her ever so gently.. he he) Look at your mirrors... make a sad face.... now smile.... would smiling at someone who is sad be a GENTLE thing to do? This is a fun experiment because they get to practice self awareness. Now get the stuffed bear and show me how you would be GENTLE. (They can play after this and try to practice being gentle.)

While they are playing, here are few questions to ask:

1. Would petting a sick pet be gentle?

2. If you yelled when you don't get your way, would that be gentle? (Which they do aaaaaaa lot)

3. Pushing a friend so you can be first, is that gentle? (This is great so you can remind them of manners)

THE END------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you liked this one... let me know what you guys did with this word?