Summer Fun

 This summer we visited our old hometown in the Bay Area.  We were mainly visiting family, but we took a couple of days, just the 6 of us, in Santa Cruz.  We stayed at the Dream Inn-which I highly recommend.  We had a wonderful time!
  Now that summer is ending I came up with a way to keep vacation fresh, at least on Dotty's shelves.  What I did was print a picture of her doing something at the Boardwalk and make it the theme of a shelf.  Take a look....

This is the bi-plane ride she loved.  I found this wooded bi-plane online and added a sticker book.

Of course the carousel is a favorite!  We have a book, two figurines and a cd of carousel music.  (The music is fabulous and as soon as you hear it you are there.)

This is of course a beach theme.  Big plastic storage bin, play sand, seashells, and a bucket.  We keep this one for use on our porch.

I am so excited to create more activities based on her experiences, helping her engage in the present by reflecting on the past.  

Things We Do After Naps

Inspiration for "Things We Do After Naps" from Sew Liberated.  This is one of my absolute favorite blogs and Meg is the mother I long to be.  If you have never visited Sew Liberated, do it!

In true Pink House style, once again we are in the kitchen!

I have four daughters and only one, Dotty, is nap age.  (she turned two last month)  Dot almost always wakes up hungry.  The first place we go is the kitchen table where a snack is waiting.  A lot of times she needs to sit on my lap as she transitions back to the land of wakefulness.  An activity set out on the table also helps.  After a few snuggles she is ready to go!

   

Our homemade Halloween play dough made an appearance twice this week.

Nap time is also when I can get some cooking done.  I try to have one thing the older girls can prepare.  If they are still working when Dot gets up she will skip her snack in order to get right in on the action. 

This day we made pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

We changed things up one afternoon and instead of a snack in the kitchen, we had a tea party outdoors.

Kitchen Helpers

My girls always want to help in the kitchen.  They are never too young.  

Dotty came in while I was making dinner and I needed to come up with ways she could work along side of me.  

Adding cucumbers to the salad

Buttering bread for toasting (notice the bites)

This was my favorite and completely spontaneous-breaking spaghetti noodles and putting them in a bowl

Montessori For Home: Hand Washing

I set up a hand washing station for Dorothy (20 mos.) earlier this summer.  I used her kitchen shelves-seen here before hand washing supplies.

She needed a step stool to be at the right height to reach the bowl.  Here is what you need to set up a hand washing station.

• medium sized basin (bowl)
• small pitcher
• water source
• small dish with travel sized soap
• bucket for used water
• hand towel
• apron

Model this for your child

1. put on an apron. (not necessary) 
2. use water dispenser to put water in the pitcher, (some mamas are more comfortable getting the water for their child)
3. pour the water into the basin
4. using soap, wash hands (love making bubbles!)
5. rinse in same water
6. dry hands on the towel-rehang towel
7. pour water out into the bucket (for us it is the big pot on the floor)
8. use towel to dry table, basin floor etc...

This will be messy.  Patiently help your child clean up spills.  It can be useful to place a towel on the floor for your child to stand on.  (less slippery)  They might spend a long time with the soap part, repeat parts over and over or lose interest in the middle.  This is all okay.  Be available but try not to hover.  I like to wait until help is asked for or absolutely needed.  

Activities like this one or drinking from a cup, feeding and dressing themselves require much more of you in the beginning.  More patience and a lot more clean up.  Persevere and within no time they will be able to do it with little or no assistance.

Zen Gardening

This is the zen rock garden at the Portland Japanese Garden our family loves to visit. 

This is the spot we have had our pool.  Since we won't be setting it up for awhile we converted it into our own rock garden.

Raking in the garden is peaceful and calming.  We try to not leave a single foot print.

The placement of stones traditionally symbolizes Buddha or a tiger and her cubs.  The girls and I discussed this and since we worship Christ rather than Buddha, Grace chose to use the stones to represent the Nativity scene. 

Roll Your Own Dinner

While out to dinner at a favorite Vietnamese restaurant recently my salad rolls were served with a vase of hot water to dip the rice papers, fill with goodies and roll myself.  I knew the girls would love this so I duplicated the meal at home.  It was a lot of fun.  I also made a noodle soup and Vietnamese themed smoothies.  I love Thai and Vietnamese tea and coffees made with sweetened condensed milk.   I carried this over to smoothies using sweetened condensed milk, ice, and mangoes.  Delicious!

Dot's Shelves at 19 Months

Arcobaleno puzzle (actually too old for her at this time) All of our children have played with it and truthfully I like it more than they do.

Little wooden peg people bus, Fisher Price barn, books (Gyo Fujikowa), homemade vanilla playdough, small globe ball, chunky puzzle, shape sorter, pegs and ride on toy.

Her favorites pictured here are the pegs, books, barn and scooter.  She did go through a period of interest  where she loved the playdough so I have kept it out through several rotations but she's pretty much over it now.  I highly recommend the scooter.  It is on casters which makes steering fun and simple.  I also appreciate the clean simplicity of design which leaves lots of room for imagination.

Montessori Ikea: The Kitchen

Hand towels with loops for hanging in place

This is now the children's silverware in the cafe.  They are not for sale in the store.  But I am still impressed they did away with the plastic and hope to see them sold soon.

This is a fun serving dish.  Children love serving themselves at the table.  It can also be used as a transferring exercise.  Fill with cotton balls and use the tongs to transfer cotton from one dish to the other.

I believe infants should skip the sippy and go straight to a cup.  They can begin this as early as 8 mos.  These shot sized drinking glasses are what we use.

Sold as coffee spoons these are just right for toddlers.

Theses are small pitchers.  Perfect for pouring their own drinks.

Hang this low and your child can use the hand towels to wipe up spills.

Small hand sweeper, perfect for around the table after meals.

Sensory Bin Asia

      We have been doing variations of what I now know are referred to as a 'sensory bin' for years.  I was inspired by a few other moms to create one around a theme.  We chose Asia.  I am unsure a theme makes any difference to Dot, although it can't hurt.  It is beneficial for the older girls (who also love working with it) to put it together for her.  I hope they will create one for each of the continents over the next year.  She does this work on the floor and on top of a large towel to help catch spilt rice.

Montessori Ikea: The Infant/Toddler's Room

On a recent trip to Ikea I was on the look out for items that would fit a Montessori inspired home environment.  Here are a few of the items I found.

Unbreakable mirror to hang low on the wall near floor bed.  (buy mattress here too)

One of our favorite infant toys.

Very low shelves.

Books!

Hang low for magnet play

Rotate artwork and photos. (hang out of reach)

Sheep skins for tummy time

All of this is so exciting for me.  I had my first daughter nearly 15 years ago and items like this weren't easily found and when I did find them they were pricey.  We had items similar to the first two pics and the last and each cost us nearly $100.   You can buy all of the above for way less.

Beaded Napkins

We have this pottery water dispenser from back when we used bottled water. (for shame!)  We now sink fill it each morning so Dotty can get her own drinks.   Without the 5 gallon jug on top there wasn't a way to keep it covered.   We used square cloth napkins and the girls sewed beads around the edges to help them stay in place.  (We had doilies similar to this covering water pitchers at the Montessori school where I worked.)  Problem solved! 

The Things We Do To Get Dinner Made