Simple Apple Math Center

I made 2 apple trees out of construction paper and added green, yellow, and red apple cutouts to them. I then added small bowls with tweezers and pom-poms to match the apple colors. My boys and my children at school loved sorting the apples and picking them up with tweezers (great fine motor skill).

Homemade Applesauce

I followed through with my applesauce. I cut up almost a whole stockpot. Put in 1/2 cup of brown sugar, a cup of water and a little cinnamon. The kids loved it.

Broke Tooth Fairy

Last night B lost one of his front top teeth. He woke up bright and early this morning to a crisp 5 dollar bill under his pillow. Within 10 minutes of finding it, he pulled out the other front tooth. At this rate the tooth fairy will be filing for government assistance by the end of the week.

It only takes a few minutes...

I am an extremely light packer. I only pack the bare necessities. As I am unpacking the suitcase from our trip to visit my family in West Texas, B runs out of the playroom and is screaming that there is poop everywhere. Then D runs out of the playroom, naked from the waste down, poop on his hands, shirt, and hair. We had seriously been home 10 minutes max and the boys are back to their usual shenanigans. Thankfully I have spared you the pictures. I got busy washing a baby, walls, carpet and toys.

Shopping List 9/25

What do I need to craft this week?

Michaels: 40% off coupon here. I think I need some stock paper while it is 5 for $1 to mod podge on some letters for Halloween. Also I need some craft pumpkins while they are 40% off. (thanks Pinterest for all the ideas)

Hobby Lobby: 40% off coupon here . I am going to grab some hurricane glasses to fill with candles and candy corn. They are 50% off.

CVS: Physician's formula makeup is spend $10 get $7 back in extra care bucks and one of my eyeshadows dropped on the floor so I am going to scope out what they have.

Walgreens: I need more candy corn to finish a wreath. It is 2 for $2.00 after register reward. My boys keep eating the bags I buy.

Carsick Already

If you know me, then you know I don't travel well. The day before I start to lose my mind. I get sick to my stomach, nervous, overwhelmed and wear myself out. It could be the fact that I have to pack for 6 people, deal with 2 carsick children (every single trip) or that I literally got sick on every car trip until I turned 25.

Today I am packing for my trip to West Texas to visit my grandparents. My husband is working his long weekend and not going so my stress level is already in overkill. My goal is to condense everything into one suitcase along with a diaper bag and my purse. (One can dream right?) My mother has already warned me that I need to leave my travel attitude at home because she can't handle a car ride with my dad and me being jerks.

Even though I have locked my only set of keys in the A-team van, had my teacher's aide leave class early an emergency, given a midday bath for unspeakable reasons, and suffered through an intense autistic meltdown all afternoon I am embracing my car trip and leaving my poor attitude on this entry. Wish me Luck!

Rumfelt House Laws

These are like Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. However, these apply to my house.

If you run a bath for the children, someone will have to poop before you have to sit in there for 30 minutes.

If it is a 3 day weekend, someone will get sick....on Friday.

If you are invited to do anything with one of the two friends you actually have, someone will get sick.

When running late in the morning for school, the baby will always poop.

Family pets can only die on Monday mornings before school.

Even if you make a 10 course dinner, someone won't like anything you have served.

Injuries only happen on days when your partner is working and you have all 4 crazies by yourself.

The one time you have a visitor at the door will be when all the children are naked.


Atleast 4 of these have happened today. I will let you pick and choose which ones.

Another Baby Powder Fiasco

In the middle of cooking supper tonight, I started to smell an overwhelming amount of baby powder. Remembering that not too long ago I walked into a war of baby powder, I took off in a sprint to the bedroom. I slipped walking into the door and nearly broke a hip and that is when I realized I was too late. I opened the door and found C in the middle of a booty-busting jump on the bed, squirting baby powder in the air yelling, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!" The other boys were sitting on the floor just letting it fall on their hair and bodies, except for D who was jumping trying to catch it while it fell. I guess tomorrow I will make sure I put all the baby toiletries away after I use them.

I feel like I have been here before. Unfortunately the disaster was too severe for me to get a new picture.

Red is a Dragon

Today we read Red as a Dragon. It is a cute story about colors and the pictures are bright and cheery.

Next we explored some color specific sensory bottles. They have all the random things we use in my classroom (poms, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, beads, stickers with the backs on, crayons, foam pieces, etc.)

We also stamped red circles with toilet paper rolls:

Also we put shaving cream in gallon bags with a dab of paint and squished and smashed it around (I used packing tape across the top after I zipped it):

These are a few cheap and fun activities we did today that all you moms at home can make! 

Shopping List 9/18

Michael's- Today for 4 hours (4pm-8pm) you can score an extra 20% of your entire purchase here .

Also there is a 40% off coupon here .

Hobby Lobby- 40% off coupon here .
I am going to grab some ribbon for wreaths while it is 50% off, and going to see if the wire and foam wreaths qualify for the 50% off floral.
Also I need some clear glass ornaments and they are 40% off this week.

Joann- If you are a teacher, go right now and sign up for the teacher reward program. It gives you 15% off everyday. (good for homeschoolers, chidcare professionals and ECE folks)
Teacher Rewards

CVS- Candy Corn is free after Extra Care Bucks. It is the cheap stuff so only using it for wreath making.  Also if you don't Amazon your diapers, you can score 3 packs of Huggies for $27 and get $10 back in extra care bucks.

 (Extra care bucks are just coupons that you can use on your next purchase, they are good on practically anything in the store)

For more on CVS go here. (Charlene at My Frugal Adventures has a great walkthrough)

Cheap Diaper Q & A

I have had 3 phone calls over this just this week.

I order my diapers from amazon.com. I get 1 case (Size 4 64 diapers) of Overnight Diapers shipped to my house for $13.84. I also get a box of Snug and dry (Size 4 140 count) for $23.45. If you get use Subscribe and Save then you get 30% off your diapers, they are delivered automatically and you get free shipping from Amazon Mom.

If you want to do this go here http://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome and sign up.

Next select what brand you want and they will be at your house within 2 days. I love this program because if I need more diapers, I go to my account and schedule a new delivery. I can also skip shipments if I need. Even though I am a coupon crazy maniac, I still find this is cheaper in most cases.

Also I use Swagbucks as my search engine for everything. Every 450 swagbucks I receive by searching, I cash in for a $5 amazon card to use on diapers. If I go to look at any website, yahoo, facebook, etc, I use the search engine to look for it to get more swagbucks. Go here http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/mamachelle and sign up.

Playdough Recipe

At my preschool, we make our own playdough. I have to switch it out often as the children leave it out or it is necessary for sanitary reasons. Today while D is sleeping I had to make a new batch. Next week is dedicated to red, so I needed some red playdough.

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
2 cups of water
3 tbsp of vegetable oil (i use way more than most recipes, it helps it not stick to the pan)
3 tsp of cream of tarter
coloring-I use Wilton gel colors like you would use for icing or Colorations watercolor added to my water

Here is the Wilton colors:

I am adding orange to help make the red more vibrant, if not it looks pink.

First toss all the ingredients in a large saucepan.

Next cook on medium low heat until it starts to clump together.

Now throw it on a piece of wax paper and knead.

Enjoy:

Best for Sensory Bottles

I am constantly scoping out bottles at the supermarket to see which ones would work best for sensory bottles. I found these Voss water bottles at Marketstreet and even though they were pricey at $1.69 a bottle, I think it was worth it. They did not have a ton of adhesive to remove and they were sleek. I think for toddlers Aquapod bottles still work best for their chubby hands, but these are awesome for more advanced children. This bottle is filled 2/3 way with Karo syrup, red beads, and topped with water with a few drops of red food color.

One Man's Trash...

Is your child's artwork! J got on me this morning because I have taken over the cabinet he puts his lunch box. I have been cutting the front off of boxes for an environmental print alphabet book, making him drink waters out of different containers to try for sensory bottles, and saving egg cartons to make into fire trucks or caterpillars(still have to decide). I know I am not the only Early Childhood trash collector

Animal Hospital

Mom finally had to play surgeon this morning on Luigi, Manny, Elefun, and Pokemon. At least the boys went through their stuffed animals.This was waiting for me when I finished cooking breakfast:

Busy Bags

I have seen posts everywhere about busy bags. I did this earlier this summer for our boys and it has worked out great. I grabbed some pencil bags from Target and filled each one with something different. These are in my A Team van for traveling.

Top left: mini playdoh tubs with cookie cutters.
Middle left: mini magna doodles from the target clearance.
Top right: small foam blocks from the target dollar spot.
Bottom left: books
Bottom right: matchbox cars

These are great for travel and tossing in D's diaper dude. Maybe I will get creative and make some games for them

The House That Jack Built

Today we read The House That Jack Built. It is a cute, old fashioned rebus story about a house full of animals and people. After we read the story, we cut out pictures from old magazines and glued them on a house cut-out. They turned out super cute and the children really enjoyed it.

Chore Chart

My husband has been asking me to do this for a while. I love our little boys, but they literally have zero responsibility and it is time for us to make them accountable for themselves. I looked at buying some at Mardel's, but I am too cheap to do that. I found this one from http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/ . It is printable and pretty easy. I am going to hang it up using command hooks in the play room. I am going to get a smaller pocket chart tomorrow and hopefully we can start this on Monday. What I love about this chart is that she has pictures with the chore as well has some easier chores for C and more advanced ones for B and A. I will post updated pics tomorrow with my new pocket chart and with it hanging so I won't have glare.

Paint Everyday!

I believe that paint should be available at preschool everyday. Today we had paint on the tables to stamp with cookie cutter cars. One of the girls walked up to ask when we would put paint at the easels. I told her that after outside time, I would get some out. She informed me of the colors she wanted and I pulled them out of the cabinets. Unfortunately the purple looked like it had settled. I keep all of my paint in coffee creamer containers because I have to grab it from the art closet upstairs from huge bottles.So I grabbed the bottle and shook it up when all of a sudden I had an explosion of royal purple paint! FYI my skin is still stained after a shower.

Homemade Finger Paint

 Tonight I have not been feeling well so in my quest to entertain my children and keep my sanity, I made finger paint. This was mainly for C and D because the older 2 were in the middle of building an epic train track. It was really easy and C loved it.

Fingerpaint Recipe

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

1/4 cup clear liquid dish soap

food coloring or food coloring paste

 

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar and the corn starch in a small pan. Slowly add the water.

2. Cook over low heat until it turns into a clear gel.

playdough/paint coloring needs)

 

 

 

 

Paint Roller Test=Success

Everyone who knows me knows that I can't halfway do a project. My paint roller is a huge success. I will not buy anymore from Michael's again!

Wait until my mom sees that I used her plate to put paint on! So simple and so FREE because I already had everything on hand.

Paper towel paint roller

Only other people who work with young children appreciate paper towel and toilet paper rolls like I do. I seen an idea for making stamps by using foam stickers on lids and thought "Hey that would be awesome to put on a paper towel roll and make a roller!" So I did. I will try it out tomorrow when I have paint on hand. I don't feel well enough to try and make some. Here are the pictures of what i have:

A Special Friend

Sure this looks like an ordinary piece of broccoli, but it is C's new friend. On a lunch date with Grammy and Evelyn, C decided he loved broccoli and left Cheddar's with a piece. He refused to eat it and carried it around awhile. It went to the grocery store with us and rode in the basket, it sat in the seat beside him in the car, and the I found it in my purse. (he said he had to hide it so nobody would eat it) This is proof that children do not need complex and pricey toys. They can find just about anything and make it fun, even a piece of broccoli.

During the typing of the post, C decided to eat his broccoli. Hope he doesn't get sick considering it was over 2 hours old and has been in some questionable places.

A small laughable moment

B always manages to do something outrageous as we are sitting down to eat. It usually is moving seats repeatedly because he refuses to eat beside C. He also thinks it is funny to do inappropriate bodily functions. Yes, I know he has a social disorder, but he is very smart. He knows that everytime he does a belch or the other, he will serve the time.

Yesterday, he pulled the typical "I am not going to sit by C, because he is not my friend. I like everyone in the family, but not C." So we sent him off to his spot and flipped the timer. As soon as we all were seated and hands were folded. He says "Atleast wait for me to say grace sheesh" with his little lisp. So, of course, we all waited the timer out and he came up to the table so we could pray and eat. It is those funny little things that made me want to start my blog. I don't want to forget the silly little things that happen in  my day and make me love these little boys so much.

Here is the wildman after he decided to "glue" (gel) his hair all by himself

Feeling Crafty? UPDATED

So I love doing crafts, but most of the time it has to be planned out way in advanced and the stars have to line up just right so that nothing interferes. However, tonight I braved the elements and found a quick and easy wreath I have been wanting to make. (seen it on Pinterest of course)

First I bought my supplies : A metal wreath for $2.99 at Hobby Lobby and then I got the fabric rolls (2) from Joann's for $7.50 each. It was a little pricey for me, but I liked the colors.

Next I cut my fabric strips into 61/2-7 inch rectangles

Then I sparadically tied on the strips on the wire wreath frame. Time consuming, but the Rangers are playing and the children are in bed.

Finished Product:

Simple, but crafty. I think I will buy another roll of fabric for this one because it is not as full as the one for our house. I will take another pic after I add another roll of fabric and in better light! D was asleep on the couch so I only had the lamp on.

Here it is in better light and after I added another roll:

Here is the one I made for our house.I used the rolls from Hobby Lobby and there was more fabric in it. I found a cool "R" to hang in the middle but I will definately have to glam it up first.

Sensory Table #3

This week is my table at school. We are just opening this center so it is very basic. There is some sand, river rocks, trucks, and road signs. I always keep a small broom and dust pan under the table and have 1 child who sweeps all day.(the teacher's pet clearly lol)

My new obsession with Pinterest

If you have not logged on Pinterest, then you are missing out. There are tons of ideas for your home, children, recipes, gifts, and cool products. I am completely obsessed with it and have a ton of must do activities:

Okra Painting from http://paintcutpaste.com/okra-stamping/

Drawing Dough from http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/drawing-dough-673210/

2/3 cup of water
2/3 cup of salt
2/3 cup of flour

Using a whisk, mix it together in a mixing bowl. Separate in 2 bowls and add a few drops of tempera to color. Pour in a squeeze bottle. Enjoy.

Snow Paint from http://www.momendeavors.com/2011/01/snow-paint.html

Use equal parts of shaving cream and glue. It is also recommended to use a heavier weight paper such as card stock. This is supposed to dry fluffy and soft.

Finally and excuse for my coffee habit...I needed paint cups for my room.

Painting with Cars/Trucks

Today was a great morning to freshen my centers because Daddy had C. I spend most mornings picking up after my children instead of getting my room in order. Most days it is time for their morning poo and I am dealing with that chaos. (TMI?)

I felt brave with this class so I laid out paper, paint, and trucks to paint with. The children were apprehensive at first, but eventually gave it a go. It is too hard to put down all the new toys in the centers.

Weapons are Everywhere

No matter how much we try to protect our children from weapons, they are going to be exposed. I hear "No weapons at school!" all the time. I am not crazy about keeping it out of our house. (It is actually really hard with my husband drawing comic book characters and video game concepts on a daily basis.) This picture sums up my point. If there is a will, there is a way. Here is A with a water sword in his shirt, the stakes from the horseshoes in his pockets and the ladderball balls in his hands.

Shopping List

Here are my must haves for the week:

Michael's- I am going to use the 50% off one item on a Toob for the boys. I am making a knight/dragon sensory bin. Here is the coupon link http://weeklyad.michaels.com/ . Also I am going to get a couple bags of River Rocks because they are 99 cents a bag. These will be good for story stones or alphabet stones.

Hobby Lobby-There is a 40% off coupon this week! I am need a foam wreath for a Halloween craft. Here is the coupon link http://hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm

Albertson's- Velveeta skillets (these are awesome dad-friendly meals) are 99 cents (limit 4), but I have $1.00 off coupons from the Sunday Paper a few weeks ago. Also going to stock up on Jello for playdough at .49 a box.

CVS-I need some dawn dish soap for some density sensory bottles and bubbles. It is 99 cents and there were coupons last week in the paper .25 cents off.

What do you actually teach children that young?

I always dread when parents ask me this question.  The first thought is “If you are not sure why you enrolled your child, then you probably shouldn’t have done it”. It is so hard for parents to realize that children learn through play. I believe in developmentally appropriate practice so we do not have worksheets or television.

Everything I have in my class is set up in centers to allow for exploration, problem solving, and investigation. It is important to keep fresh, new items out for the children to be interested. They also need to know how and what the toy’s purpose is. I like to think of myself as a mediator and a moderator. I patrol the room and search for teachable moments or places that might need guidance.

Children in my room will hopefully grow more confident in socially situations. I like to help children learn to express their feelings and maneuver their way through uncomfortable situations. Most times, this is their first time away from their parents and they are extremely anxious. It is important for them to realize that their parents always come back.

Another goal for children in my class is for them to become more socially aware. It can be difficult to share or work in a group if it has never been required of you.

The children in my class start to learn to acknowledge and obey other adults. We meet several adults in our time at school, the music teacher, director, substitutes, youth minister, and other teachers.

Of course we will learn colors, shapes, basic math skills, new vocabulary, songs, learn how to walk in a line, cross the street, clean up after themselves, drink from cups, potty train, etc, but it is important to foster the whole child’s needs in order to truly teach them.

People for Block Center/Dollhouses

I had my boys pose for these. We haven't made them for school yet. I uploaded them on the computer, printed on cardstock, and laminated. Then I used the jumbo paper clips from walmart for the bases. One of my favorite ideas from training this summer.

Sensory tub #2 Outer Space

This is just 2 bags of aquarium rocks from walmart, scoops and condiment cups from walmart, an outer space toob from mardels, a bag of jacks for stars and bouncy balls from dollar tree and tin foil wadded up to make meteors. The boys overfilled this one, but they made it so they love it even more.