No Toys Needed

We spend A LOT of time in the kitchen.  It is the heart of our home and school.  I am always looking for things to help Dotty (2) be involved in the goings on.

In these pictures you see her transferring liquid with a handled measuring cup and a medium sized dropper.

Below she is helping to fill the canister with lentils we buy in bulk.  This was part of putting away the groceries, an activity even the youngest can help with.

Above and below Dotty is having a snack that involves sharpening her fine motor skills/hand eye coordination, seeding a pomegranate and shelling pistachios.  Other possibilities are peeling oranges and eggs, slicing bananas and other soft foods.  It can change the way you see everyday items.  Montessori classrooms are set up using many household items.  Look at a catalogue like Montessori Services and ask yourself how you can duplicate the work at home.  Some catalogues also give a description of how the materials are benefiting your child that can encourage you to see an activity like sweeping the floor as so much more.

The Baptizing Tattooer

Friday Papa tattooed my nephew Josh.  Afterwards he and his wife took us out for dinner.

Saturday morning Papa had the privilege of baptizing a dear friend.

Our Gracie also got baptized, making me one happy mama.  It was beautiful. 

You may think you see a kitchen table, but it is a covered wagon.

Loaded with all the essentials.

Sunday night my sister threw an Italian themed dinner party.  Here we are arriving Ellis Island.

My niece and sister in the kitchen.  Solanah was a flamenco dancer visiting from Spain and my sister was ready for Carnivale. 

My oldest daughter Ruth got all Jersey Shore on us and my nephew was the suave Guido.

This picture cracks me up, and disturbs me at the same time, because they look like a biker couple.

Pictures pirated from my niece and Instagram queen Mamas Cosplay.

Playhouse Tea Party

Pearl and Grace invited friends to a Valentine's tea party.  The playhouse was a perfect setting.  (I loved that they were all not inside the house)

Decorations hung and the table set

This was the diorama the girls created for Valentine's Day using little pet shop animals.  I hope we can rotate themes through out the year.

Happy Valentines Day!

Save The Art Of Handwritten Letters

There are times I am certain my life would be sweeter and simpler without a computer.  Yes, I see the irony here.  

I am slowly unplugging things like Facebook, Instagram and Google+ (although that one was easy)  I just gave up my iphone and went back to a dumbphone. (is that the opposite of smartphone?)  

While I may indulge myself, I have always resisted the idea of children needing to be so wired.  This article here sums up how I feel.

Being the old fashioned mama I am, my girls are practicing their penmanship with cursive.  I hope it will benefit them even if they don't need it later in life.  I desire to instill a love of letter writing and maybe help it not to become a totally lost art.

"A good handwritten letter is a creative act, and not just because it is a visual and tactile pleasure. It is a deliberate act of exposure, a form of vulnerability, because handwriting opens a window on the soul in a way that cyber communication can never do." New York Times

 I made a letter writing folder and hope each of us will write and mail one letter a week.  Who knows maybe we will even get a reply.  That would be very exciting!

For The Love Of The Bob

At 2yr and 4mos. Dotty was overdue for a haircut.  I had trimmed her bangs in one quick snip a few months ago, but this time we took her to my friend and hairdresser Kari. 

Here is her after picture.  Cute as a button!  She even got some sparkles to go with her lollipop.

  I am a big fan of my girls wearing short hair.  We do not have to use bottles of No More Tangles just to brush their hair each morning and it is out of their way.   Of course about age 6 they want to begin growing it out.  I am always a little sad when that happens and have said that is why I keep having babies, so I can bob their hair.

Gracie

I couldn't resist adding these pictures of my other little girls with their bobs.

Pearl

Look at that amazing a-line, on a 2 year old!

Ruth

Many years before Miss Suri Cruise brought it back into fashion.

Hush Puppies

I just stumbled upon Hush Puppies 1958 collection and put a few in my Zappos cart.  I love them because they mainly consists of flats.  (did you know I am taller than Papa?)

The sandals are my favorite.

Homemade Bath Paints

Here is a something fun for bath time. Put some shaving cream in a container and mix in couple of drops of finger paint.  (or any non toxic washable paint)  Give your child a paint brush and let the fun begin!

Dotty spent her bath time painting and washing Kewpie!