Teaching Tool Tuesday

I'm sharing one of my favorite teaching tools today. Coloring is a technique that comes over time and may be a little early to start at this age, but I love it, so I am introducing it to Audette. Although Audette is still far from Preschool, we purchased a Mead Preschool Workbook to work on together.

The book starts with colors and then progressively gets more complex with shapes, letters, numbers, etc. Audette and I are at the beginning and only do a page a week, or less depending on how busy our week is, but it is a perfect after nap or rainy day activity.

I usually do most of the coloring, but I pull out all of the green crayons for her and let her go crazy with the colors while we talk about the different things on the page, where we have seen them before, what noises they make and more. "Green is Dad's favorite color." "We eat green beans for dinner." "When we go outside today, we will collect some green leaves from the trees."

This book comes with a page of stickers, which makes for fun when matching up sticker colors and shapes with each page. You can easily use your own collection of stickers to do the same thing.

Even though Audette needs help cleaning up, she definitely is my daughter and loves putting things away. Clean up is a great time to teach too! (I am a broken record. I say that all the time. I think my mom must have scarred me as a child. Ha.) Talk about the different color crayons, let your child practice putting them in and taking them out of the box. Great motor skill exercise. Just make sure you don't let them go in and out of the mouth!

It's a Wrap

What little kid doesn't love opening gifts? Even babies love getting their tiny paws on wrapping paper and shredding. Audette has always been a fan of ripping something in two. She started with magazines and catalogs at just months old. We're just glad she doesn't eat the paper anymore!

This is a pretty straightforward and simple activity that takes a little time on Mom's part, but offers a fun surprise for any day of the week for your child. I grabbed a couple of books off the shelf that we haven't been reading for a while, all different shapes. Then I wrapped the books in some cheap Target wrapping paper I found in their Dollar Stop section. You can easily recycle and use old brown paper grocery bags or even newspaper, but that may get a little messy on tiny fingers. I also like colored craft tape, also found at Target, to help your little one easily spot places to grab and rip.

After bath time seemed like the perfect moment to let Audi unwrap. And even though we have read these books multiple times, Audette loves to read and it is always fun to find even her old favorites under the wrapping paper.

The books I chose to wrap:
Quiet Loud - One of my personal favorites. We bought it to help teach Audette the places we need to be quiet. She cracks up every time we read it, so I don't know if it is really getting the point across.
Farm Animals - Dad picked this one out for Audette and loves doing the animal noises. Plus, all of the animals are fuzzy, so you get to touch and feel along the way. Audette's favorites are the three little chicks with fuzzy tummies.
Ve, Perro. Ve! - Yes, we are attempting to introduce Spanish. I need to do more research on the best way to teach another language, but I love listening to Eric read this aloud to Audi.
Are You My Mother? - All time classic.
Olivia Dances for Joy - I think Audette is slowly turning in to this sassy little pig who loves to dance. Plus, my favorite colors are red and black and so are Olivia's. Definitely a must have.

I always feel like cleaning time is learning time. It took a little while for Audette to find the paper that got stuck on her little bum, but she was a wiz at collecting all of the paper in the recycle bag.

There's nothing better than ending the day with Dad and a couple of books.

Mommy's Mantra: Be Better Today and Tomorrow and the Next Day

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation", according to the dictionary. The word originated in India and is an essential part of the Hindu tradition. I know this daily log of activities puts so much influence on being busy, but I wanted to take one day a week to focus on the real transformation we are striving for in our home, especially in my life. Every Sunday look for a new Mommy's Mantra.

This quote comes from Lorenzo Snow, a prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It reminds me that I shouldn't feel overwhelmed by the desire to be the best mom, the perfect wife, the ideal individual. In fact, it isn't about that at all. Life is all about striving to be better each day. In that effort I won't be disappointed, in that effort I will find happiness.

Put Me In the Zoo

This may be a no brainer for moms, but the zoo is the place to be! A zoo pass is one of the first things we purchased when we came to Seattle. If you are looking for a zoo pass, do some research before you visit. Look online for "all city" passes or even museum and zoo passes to other cities that will give you access to attractions across the country. A quick google search may even bring up Groupon or LivingSocial deals.

We know taking Audette to the zoo is a sure fire way to keep her busy for the day, but an even better idea? Plan a trip with a group of kids! A darling mom we recently met, Summer, has become the self appointed organizer for group walks and outings around town. I am so impressed with moms like her. Not only does it take time, but a lot of patience to coordinate a bunch of schedules and make a group outings happen. We tagged along on the stroller brigade through the zoo with these lovely ladies.

Although I absolutely love the zoo, at this age it can be a little difficult for kids to pick out all of the animals up in the trees and far off in the distance. Sometimes a little prep at home will make all the difference for your trip to the zoo. We love animal books that allow us to practice picking out the animals on the page and work on our animal noises.

Audette's top picks:
Put Me In the Zoo
Dear Zoo
Moo, Baa, La La La
15 Animals

I also love an idea my friend Kim posted on Instagram recently. They are prepping to go to the San Diego Zoo and bought their little guy plastic animals to practice their animal noises. How great that they are not only teaching their son, but helping him build a little anxiety for a big trip!

You may even find that your little one enjoys people watching more than checking out the animals. Don't be afraid to just sit and people watch. This is one reason going with a group can make the adventure more fun for your kid and yourself.

Another important thing to remember with little ones, plan for break time. We packed lunches and snacks to keep everyone occupied throughout the day. Audette's favorite part of the day: eating and hand holding with her little buddy.

Making New Friends

Spring is the perfect time to get outdoors to enjoy the occasional sunshine and beautiful green grass. (If you live in Seattle, that is. All of you Phoenicians who are eating up the beautiful weather every single day in April, I'm jealous.) It seems children appear all over the city here when the sun creeps out. This is one of Audette's favorite reasons to go outside, to meet new friends.

I am a relatively outgoing person and I don't have a problem talking to strangers, but because my family (as a collective three) is OVERLY outgoing, sometimes I tell Eric to help me keep Audi out of people's personal space. She doesn't need to hug EVERY kid or touch EVERY dog or try and hold hands with EVERY adult. I get nervous that some people don't know how to handle little ones or that they are bothered by them. I don't know what type of person you are, but my tendency to hold back isn't always the best idea. At least I changed my perspective, after the experience we had this past evening.

We were on a huge stretch of grass at a park overlooking the Sound, when off in the distance, Audette spotted a little girl. Her immediate reaction was to run to her and hug her, which she did, much to my chagrin, especially when I saw the girl recoil. The father of this girl quickly ran up to the two little ones and Eric made his way over as well, as soon as I rushed him along. I stood back and watched the encounter. Pretty soon Eric and this dad were deep in conversation and the dad was kneeling down on the grass with the two little girls. After minutes passed I decided to make my way over to the group. I started to piece together their conversation. This little 2 year old was blind and had been running around listening to her dad's voice, trying to recognize the images in front of her. She was going through several surgical procedures to help her vision, after being born blind, and was regaining some of her ability to see blurry objects that were right in front of her. She may have been a little intimidated by Audette's gregarious greeting, but her dad was on his knees in the grass with his daughter, teaching her and encouraging her to interact with and try to see this new friend as someone just like her. There is truly no better way to help a little one learn than to allow her to be involved in the teaching process. I hope I never squash Audette's desire to love other people, even if she oversteps her boundaries a little, because it was such a treat to see Audette help this dad teach his beautiful little girl the importance of other people and making new friends no matter what her limitations may have been.

Out & About

Let's talk cell phones. I used to be one of those people who said, "I will never hand my baby a cell phone or some sort of electronic device to keep her occupied." Then I became a REAL mom and I got REAL. It is impossible to spend every day doing cute, crazy, creative activities, right? Or maybe it's just me. But every so often moms need to get out and run some errands or go buy themselves a new pair of jeans. (Ok let's be honest, most errands usually involve grocery shopping or buying something for your kids.)

The first time I introduced the cell phone was on a shopping trip. My younger brother was buying shoes with my mom and Audette was not loving being in the stroller. Plus, I knew the second I took her out she would clear the entire Nordstrom shoe display. So many friends had told me their babies loved looking at pictures, videos and all kinds of apps for toddlers. I downloaded my first, then and there: Fisher Price. Since then, it's been a big hit. If you haven't ventured in to the world of cell phone apps for toddlers, I would highly recommend the Fisher Price apps. In your app store, search Fisher Price and you will find a collection to choose from, all based on your babies age and learning level. They focus on repetitive learning: everything from the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors and animals. Simple, straight-forward learning.

I would love to hear what you moms have to say about the wild world of personal electronic devices. How often do you use them? When are the best times to introduce them to little ones? Are you completely anti or have you broken down and given your kid their own iPod or similar device?

For me, cell phone play tends to be my last resort for shopping outings. I've found that discovering helpful little places to play along the way keeps Audette entertained and engaged. A great place to take a break is the dressing room. I used to avoid these like the plague because it seemed too difficult, but then I remembered my little girl is a bit vain and likes to stare at herself in the mirror. (Wonder where she got that from?) Most stores have the dressing rooms big enough for a family circus, which means just enough enclosed space to run around and check out the different mirrors and benches. It's a good snack time break too, just make sure you set limits on crawling underneath the doorways. That could be a disaster!

Empty elevators are also a fun place to let out some energy. I'm sure I've been caught hundreds of times on security cameras singing and dancing to little Audi in an empty elevator. She always appreciates the extra focus when we are alone together, since shopping malls and stores can be overwhelming.

When it comes to food on an "out and about" trip, anyone who knows Audette, knows having something handy to munch on is imperative. Tupperware or Ziplock baggies full of dried or cut up fruit, cheese or crackers can keep her busy through several stores, but it is always fun when we throw in a little bit of a spin and meet up with Dad for a special snack.

Even if it means getting in the car and driving to Dad, I think both dads and kids can't get enough of those special moments together. And when Dad isn't available or close by, even a special stop with Mom shows your little one she is just as important as those groceries you had to pick up for dinner tonight.

Seattleites or future visitors: Top Pot Doughnuts is a fun local treat. And if donuts aren't your thing, they also serve ice cream! Salted Caramel is heavenly.

Now, I really want to hear what you have to say about handing toddlers electronic devices! Let me know what I'm missing or what mistakes I'm making in this unknown world.

Pajama Play

Let me preface this post by saying you may choose to do this activity at a different time of day. We choose to do it at the WORST, bed time. The only benefit is that Audi gets a little tipsy at this time of day, so we get a good laugh as she attempts her new tricks.

I recently visited a good friend of mine, Jesica, and her two little girls. While we were playing she started doing somersaults with her little ones. Her youngest is only a couple weeks older than Audette and it had me thinking we should try our own little gymnastics session. Pretty soon Audi was rolling all over the place. The more we practiced, the more aware she was of her body. We would say "put your head down" or "your hands down" and she would follow. We don't quite have the over the top somersault mastered, she mostly just rolls on her side when she is trying all by herself. I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before she is rolling all over the place on her own.

And I know I said bedtime isn't a good time for somersaults, but I don't know what it is about pajamas and silly babies drunken with tiredness, but somersaults just come out better for us when everyone is all giggles.

Daddy Plays Best

There is something special about a dad. Some of our best activities for the day start when we decide to pick Dad up from work and go find a new place to explore. Today we went to one of our favorite beaches, Discovery Beach.

Whether it is picking blades of grass, making silly faces or throwing rocks in the water, Eric brings a new sense of adventure to our daily play. I like to sit back and watch them interact together, especially because she gets plenty of play time with me every day. He has a way of reaching Audi in ways that I can't.

It is a small miracle how quickly little ones learn. Audette loves to mimic her dad and in no time she was throwing rocks in to the water, or plopping them in. We also took home a couple new treasures. I tried to steer Audette towards the seashells, but this girl has a mind of her own and just wanted to take home fists full of dirt.

Being a Mom and Dad team can be tough. Eric and I are learning every day how to work better together. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times each of us thought we knew the best way to raise Audette. We're pretty stubborn people and I am the biggest culprit. But it's moments like these that I remember how important it is we act, teach, play and love Audette together. Everything that I am not, Eric is. I really love this man, this father.

Stickers Get Stuck in Silly Places

Here's a little activity inspired by a couple of our friends and they don't even know it! Our friend from Arizona, Nikkie, posted a darling picture of her little boy playing with stickers the other day and it reminded me how much Audette LOVES stickers. (Who doesn't?) Then on Sunday two little boys pulled out a page of bug stickers behind us and decided to share with Audi. Mid-meeting I turned around to see Audi putting yellow butterflies all over the little boy's chin. She was cracking up the entire time. It was a little disruptive, but it got the wheels turning for our Monday morning activity.

Most of Audette's toys are still in storage, but we have a couple of dolls she received recently from darling friends and family, so we pulled them all out and sat them in a row, while Audi started peeling back her favorite stickers. And then we went to work. "Audi, put a sticker on your doll's nose."

Sometimes they got stuck in silly places, but Audette started getting the hang of it. Plus, her little fingers got a workout pulling off the stickers and figuring out how to get them unstuck. Not only did we practice different body parts, but it was a good practice of possessive adjectives: my nose, your nose, her nose, his nose, the doll's nose, the bear's nose. No, I didn't use the word "possessive" with Audette during our little game, and, yes, I did get a couple layers of stickers all over my face too. :)