Wordless Wednesday: Messy Face

Playing Games- A Learning Process

The first few times Miss Moo and I tried to play a game together, it wasn't so successful. She was more interested in reaching the final goal - whatever that was - and I was more interested in being sure she followed the directions properly.

In a lot of cases, we would both end up frustrated. She didn't understand why she couldn't just walk her person around the board or build her city. I wasn't sure why she couldn't just follow the directions.

So, I took a step back- from the games we had, from the places we played, and from the rules.

A New Start

Yesterday, we went to look for a new game to play while we wait for Baby Boy to arrive and in the days following when I won't be able to go up and down the stairs all the time. Even though I tried to steer her away, she kept gravitating toward Cootie. When I conceded- she HUGGED the box.

After nap time yesterday, we opened Cootie in our bedroom floor. Miss Roo sat in my lap. Moo asked me what the paper said to do and we began to play according to the rules. Soon, I could see that Moo was frustrated and Roo had lost interest. I didn't want this game to end up like the others so I put the paper and the die away.  I let them finish their bugs and we cleaned up to head downstairs for dinner.

Tonight after dinner, Moo suggested that we play "sumping" together before books and sleepy nap time. I suggested that we play Cootie. She seemed hesitant at first; once we were washed, brushed, and jammied she was ready to go.

Rather that start the game, I simply got all the pieces out and placed them on our bed- not on the floor. Moo looked at me and asked to build her bug. I told her to go ahead and I reached for a head and body without rolling the die. She seemed a little confused at first but then reached for the pink bug. The three of us started adding pieces and taking them apart. We counted legs, we laughed at silly head, lip, and eye combinations, and we giggled as heads fell off.

Moo building her Cootie.

Soon I noticed something - we were each taking turns with the die and then taking a piece to add to our bug after counting the number on the die.

Roo rolling the die.

Mama Learning

It's in moments like these that I realize that I am just as much a participant in the education of my children as I am a leader. I don't always have the answers or do the right thing. But, I do look to my children for clues into how they best learn and how the enjoy their playtime and "school time". I don't want our homeschooling journey to become more about "doing school at home" than it is about educating them in the best way possible for each of them. 

I never liked Cootie growing up, but after tonight, it's becoming a new favorite for me.

Motherhood is an Education

Tonight was a good start for each of us. Moo and I have been giving each other a lot of "Start Overs" lately- when we leave a store where were had a disagreement and we load into the van, when we reunite after a grumpy nap time sendoff, after a time out or a raised voice. We give cuddles, share a smile, and agree to start over again. She has taught me that we need "Start Overs" in our homeschooling lesson just as much as our routines, disciple, and general life.

My children are teaching me so much more than I could ever possibly teach them.  That is the biggest blessing of Motherhood.

Miss Roo's Birth Story

I featured Miss Moo's birth story as we neared her third birthday. As I constantly have birth on the brain these days, I thought perhaps I should take a few moments about a month from Miss Roo turning TWO to recollect her birth.

Roo was born here as opposed to NoVA like her sister. We had a different midwife, a hospital that called it's Maternity floor a "birth center", and a successful birth under our belts. Although we may have been told, earlier in the pregnancy that neither of us can recall,  we "relearned" at about 32 weeks that my midwife was going OUT OF THE COUNTRY for two weeks - starting 38 w 5 days and ending 40 w 5 days. She was the only midwife in the practice I was using and all the doctors scheduled to be on call during her trip I had never met before. She assured me that "I would be fine" with any of the on-calls because she would send out an email asking them to honor my birth plan.

We also decided we'd try to get Miss Roo out before she left. I now realize that this decision wasn't in my best interest, but I can't change it now. We started checking my cervix at 37 weeks. We stripped my membranes twice- nothing. I was dilating - a tight 2 at 38 weeks  - and effacing but just the occasional back contraction. Nothing promising. When I hit week 38 we started walking, having sex, eating pineapple, eggplant Parmesan, and anything spicy I could get my hands on at every meal. Nothing.

On the Saturday before Easter, I had a few regularly spaced contractions.  I was 38 w 4 days- 1 day to spare. While Miss Moo napped, I went to Target and walked the store for two hours. Contractions were coming ever 20 minutes or so and lasting 40 seconds.

I returned home for dinner, though I can't remember what we ate, and labor cake that Drew and I made.  We had bath and bedtime with Moo. I still had distantly but regularly spaced contractions. By 10:30 pm  they were at 10 minutes apart so I called my midwife to let her know it *might* be happening. She told me to rest and call her if they got closer together. I tried to lay down and rest but I was too restless. I got up and started walking the loop in our downstairs. The contractions kept coming.

We called Drew's parents, who are an hour away, to come stay in the house because we saw a hospital trip in our future. We called my parents to tell them to head out first thing in the morning. And I kept walking. And walking. None of the contractions made me stop but they slowed me down considerably.

Once Drew's parents arrive, the two of us got in the van after calling my midwife and headed to the hospital.  I had chosen the hospital furthest from us in order to HAVE a midwife and now that seemed like a bad idea. Especially because my contractions stopped. When I arrived and told my midwife, she said it was perfectly normal and we'd see where I was since my last check 4 days ago. I was dilated to 4 cm and 90 % effaced. Not bad. She suggested that we rupture my membranes so we'd have a baby in a few hours. I agreed and it was done.

Then I started walking. My contractions started picking up and after about 30 minutes I felt her drop into my pelvis and hit my cervix like a rock. As I passed the nurse's station my nurse told me it was time to get in the bed for a check. 

Wait, what?!? Get IN the bed? But I'm walking! Things are happening! Nope, hospital policy and nothing that my midwife could prevent. So, in the bed I went. Everyone was monitored for 15 minutes. I had ONE contraction. They let me up and after 50 minutes I was having contractions every 3-4 minutes  and they lasted 60-70 seconds. Then I had to get BACK in the bed to be monitored for 15 minutes again.

By this time it was 4 am and I thought we'd have already met our daughter by that point. My midwife told me to keep walking and she'd check on me in two hours. I told Drew to rest because this was taking a lot longer than expected. I was also concerned that he might have to go home to help with Moo as soon as Roo was born. He laid down on the window couch and I kept walking. For 2.5 hours. ALONE.

If you know anything about birth and labor statistics, you know that women who have a doula have quicker labors with less interventions. You also know that a woman left to labor alone usually has a high percentage of stalling out. That's exactly what happened. I got to 7 cm and stalled. Walking didn't help, the tub didn't help, massage didn't help. At 7:30 am I was 7 cm dilated and not contracting.

I couldn't go home because we had ruptured my membranes. I had been up 24 hours at this point. My midwife said the word I never wanted to hear  - pitocin. After talking with Drew and being told I'd only have a tiny amount, I consented, and wept. I felt as if I had failed everyone, especially my baby.  At 8:30 am, I was strapped to an IV, allowed to sit on a birthing ball, and watched as clear drugs dripped into the tubes going to my arm.

For the first 3 hours, the pitocin did practically nothing. I DID have contractions - but nothing worse than I was having before it was administered. At 10:45 the drip was upped to 5 units. Within a matter of 15 minutes, I was having one contraction on top of another. I'd contract for 2 minutes, come down for 30 seconds, contract for 1.5 minutes,  and rest for a minutes. Then it would start all over again. It was like transition with Moo X 3000. There wasn't time to prepare mentally for the next contraction before it was slamming into me.

I laid on my left side in the bed trying to cope as best I could- I only remember telling Drew over and over again that "This really hurts. It REALLY hurts." Suddenly I looked at my midwife and said, "She's right there, my cervix is just in the way!!" She checked me and I was 9.5 cm and her head was trying to come through. I pushed and she pushed back the lip of my cervix. 11:29 am.

That first push took me to a full 10 AND pushed her head half way out. I took a breath to deal with the burn and remember Drew telling me she had my hair. I pushed again. And that was it. Miss Roo was born at 11:31 am - two pushes and two minutes after I hit a full 10. That was the BEST part of my labor.

The next bit is a blur because I was so physically and emotionally exhausted from the pitocin and change in plans for my birth. I remember her as a lot fussier than Moo and I remember the trip from L&D to Postpartum. Drew went home to take my placenta for encapsulation and to see Moo. I may have eaten but I don't really recall. I remember nurses and Roo.

My postpartum was FAR better with Roo than Moo. Nurses checked on me every hour or so. The lactation consultants came in daily to check on us and offer support and a chat. Relatives came to meet Roo, starting with her big sister.

And I was able to room in with her and keep her by my side. She was healthy and happy and we were blessed.

But the experience was still bittersweet - mostly due to the attempted manipulation to get Roo out before she was ready.  Our experience with her birth was the beginning of the journey for this pregnancy and has ultimately led us to the decision for a gentle, non-invasive home birth with this baby.

 I never want Roo to think that her labor was bad or wasn't worth it- I would do it all over again to get her here to us. I just want us all to learn from it and grow - just as we did from Moo's birth.

 We always have choices when we choose where we birth. We just need to be sure that our choices expand beyond the threshold of the door of our choosing.

Wordless Wednesday : Splish Splash

Mama Splurged!

Self  portrait in the van.

Today, with the help of our fantastic friend Lizbet, the girls and I went to lunch, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Carter's outlet. I was trying to kill many birds with one stone. Starting with Miss Roo.

This year for Roo's birthday we are doing a few small gifts and one large "experience" gift.  Her gifts (big girl panties, cloth pull ups, a baby wearing sling, a Vera duffel that I got on super-ultra sale, and a rainbow wand) are already purchased and together ready to be wrapped. We plan on going to Busch Gardens for the day and taking her to eat lunch with Elmo and play in "Elmo-Land" (as they call) it to celebrate the big 2.

She is much more girlie than Miss Moo was at this age and is constantly trying to take her sister's sterling silver bracelet and any of my Yurman bracelets she can reach. In an effort to keep gifts to a minimum, we asked NanaPop to get her the same bracelet as her sister.  I went to Colonial Williamsburg to grab one while we were already there and to give the girls some time to stretch their legs, see some history, have a small adventure, and look for horses. We didn't see any horses, sadly, but we DID see a very cute and very dirty sheep.

After gathering some spring summer clothes for the girls at Carter's, Lizbet offered to sit in the van while I took 15 minutes ALONE in a store. I chose J. Crew and entered giddily. I spotted a dress that can be worn three ways - long halter, short halter, and as a skirt! It's cotton, stretchy, coral, and perfect for nursing in! Not only was it an outlet price but it was also 40% off the ticket price!!  Finding the dress took less than 5 minutes. Deciding to actually BUY it took well over 10.

But, I splurged and grabbed it for myself.  I will be able to wear "real" clothes and have belly free dates again with my husband very soon. So, it didn't seem too terribly frivolous. At least that's what I'm still telling myself. We then headed home with a van full of giggles from the backseat - for a few minutes.

Thanks to LizBet for snapping this photo for me! :) 

The girls, by the way, had a GREAT time.

Wordless Wednesday : Double Feature

A Simple Sanity Saver Before Dinner

In our house, we begin dinner between 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm most nights, unless Drew's work day has been hectic and I've adjusted times accordingly. Generally, this means I start cooking around 5:00 pm and the girls are asked to play in the Play Room while I do so. Although they have matured a little in the last few months, leaving them to their own devices in the playroom for 45 minutes or more results in hurricane like forces turning the room upside down. This has forced me to rethink the way I cook dinner and the resources and activities avaliable to them during "the witching hour."

Sometimes it is play dough, tools, and cookie cutters. They both enjoy the tactile experice of playdough and often are cooking just like I am at the time. Sometimes, we pull out the magnetic paper dolls. Miss Moo can sit and play with those for hours- switching outfits back and forth among the dolls, creating stories around their outfits, and creating dialog among the dolls themselves.  Miss Roo isn't as entertained with these dolls for as long as Moo tends to be, so I usually supplement the magnet dolls for her with a few books to "read", some blocks or legos to build with the dolls, or some small animals from our felt farm.

But my best tool is the art station. We have a little organizer from Ikea that hold all our paper, crayons, stickers, markers, and other various creative goodies. Some nights they get stickers, crayons,  and construction paper. Others, they washable markers and activity placemats. Sometimes they get huge pieces of paper and they make their placemats for dinner.*

Art is a great outlet for most people, but especially for little children. Allowing them to explore without instruction and expectation yield a great learning experience of creation for process sake rather than forced product. Moo has moved from scribbles to creating snowmen, animals, people, and forming letters on her own. Roo now repeats the way to make letters, such as "up down up down" for a M, even if she doesn't make the letter at the time. Her scribbles are starting to be more controlled and she's interested in using more than one color of crayon, marker, etc.

Giving them this freedom, and often sitting to color and create while I can if something is boiling or roasting, has made our dinner transition much easier. The girls look forward to our art nights and I look forward to the gentle time I see them spending together. They are learning to share without an adult sitting right with them. They color and create on one another's papers and occasionally together.

I am learning how to allow them to explore without feeling the need to interrupt in order to teach or direct. I'm also using their creations as a way to foster their love of art by asking questions in a supportive way - "That's beautiful! Would you tell me about your picture?" rather than "What is this a picture of?" 

So give it a try- grab the kids, some big paper, and set them at the table. Ask them to make a placemat for themselves for dinner. Let them create. Ask them about their picture. Start a pre-dinner tradition.

What simple solutions do you use for your "witching hour?" Do you ever participate with your children?

The Diapers are READY!* - Cloth Diapering a Newborn

Cloth diaper storage for Baby B.

We are 95% cloth diapering family. There are times when we have/do use disposables. Every time I do, however, I lament that I have the girls in disposables rather than cloth. We decided to continue cloth diapering with Baby Boy. With Miss Moo, we had a diaper service for the first 7 months.

Cloth Moo.

With Miss Roo, we did more disposable that I care to admit because we didn't have enough diapers at the time to keep two in cloth and I didn't have a diaper sprayer when she was born.

Cloth Roo.

Where to Start

Now that all of those issues have been solved, we are charging full steam ahead into newborn cloth diapering. I was on a bit of a learning curve this time, so I did some research to see what was recommended in terms of  the number of inserts and covers we needed, AIO's vs. prefolds (vs flats vs AI2), brand name inserts vs. "generic", and suggested rotation cycles. 

There is A LOT of information out there about cloth diapering. If you aren't familiar with CDing at all and just decide to do a "simple" Google search, you could lose your mind. I know I was beyond overwhelmed as a first time mom and it doesn't always get easier. I highly recommend finding a friend or online community that supports and uses CD's. 

Resources 

Here are a few resources you could use:

Getting Started with Cloth Diapers by Kate Tietje, Modern Alternative Mama

The Cloth Diaper Report

The Blog at Diaper Junction, a local diaper store I use a great deal.

Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering on Facebook


Our Plan

At First, At Home

Covers and prefolds in the top drawer.

After all my re-research and experience, we decided to initally use prefolds in Thirsties covers. We had quite a few from Miss Moo and wanted to build upon what we had. I want to be able to wash diapers every 2-3 days, so we have 13 (because I can't count when I order) newborn (x-small) size covers. I used reward points from Diaper Junction to build our stash. 

For inserts, I purchased all 29 newborn size Bumpkins prefolds that our local store, Franklin Goose, had in stock the day I was there. Nana also had 9 leftover Carter's cloth diapers she had purchased as burp cloths when Moo was born. I brought those home to supplement my stash. I also purchased some cloth inserts from Babies R Us - a pack of "girl" and a pack of "boy" diapering totalling 8. These diapers are the colors of the rainbow and I plan to use the color as a warning that I need to wash diapers when I see them pop up in the rotation.

At First, On the GO

Additional prefolds and Newborn AIO's in the 2nd drawer.

Even thought I have been using cloth diapers when out and about for over 3 years, I still look for ways to simplify it. I especially need it simple with both Baby Boy and Miss Roo in diapers and the possibility for accidents from an almost potty trained Moo. I decided that rather than dealing with inserts, covers, and folding when out, I was going to get some newborn AIO's.  We use Bum Genius pocket diapers and GroVia hybrid diapers with Roo (and did with Moo), so I started there. I found that the GroVia newborn AIO's were well reviewed, avaliable locally, and well costructed. Using reward points, I purchased 4 to use when we are out of the house in the first month or two to make his diaper changes quicker and easier.

After the "Newborn" Stage

I have 6 small size Thirsties covers. We can move to those as grows, his nursing habits level out, and we learn his schedule/ routines. I can double up the newborn size inserts to use in them. I also bought 3 GroVia AIO's to use when he outgrows the newborn size until he's big enough for the GroVia Hybrids and the Bum Genius pocket diapers.

And, Just in Case
Roo had TINY hips when she was born. There was no way for us to use any of the cloth diapers that we had on her because her hips were just too small. We had to use Preemie disposable diapers on her for almost a month even though she was gaining weigh because she was just too tiny for anything else. So, with this knowledge, our last drawer holds this:

The bottom drawer.

The next step cloth diapers are stored with some Newborn disposables and some Lansinoh wipes, just in case. Like I said, we're a 95% cloth diapering family and I recognize that we will use a disposable on occasion. And, just like I do every time we use them now with the girls, I will curse them for the leaks, the blow outs, and the mess each time he wears them.


Now, On to the Diaper Bag
Cloth diapering always presents a problem of space when on outings and traveling. So I did some research and ordered a FANTASTIC diaper bag for the cloth diapering Mama. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to read all about it! ;) 



*Okay, they have been for a while. I've just been forgetting to haul the camera upstairs for the last month or so ;) 

Explaining Homebirth to the Girls

Image by K. Mochel.

When Drew and I made the decision to have this little boy at home, there were a lot of discussions to be had. We had to be sure we were both okay with the decision. We had both sets of parents to tell and answer a few questions. We had some friends that we wanted to tell in person due to our feeling they might be a tad  - apprehensive -  about the idea. And, of course, we had two little girls to tell.

I struggled with how to tell the girls that Mommy was having a baby at home. We started with Miss Moo, who at 3 has a better understanding of the physiology of the birth process than her sister. She has also experienced a sibling addition before- although I don't know if she truly remembers it or not.  Miss Roo has been present for all the discussions and questions. We've also done a lot of talking to her about her Baby Brother in my belly and his inevitable arrival in our home.

I wanted a little more support in our education process, so I purchased the book We're Having a Homebirth! This fantastic little book is written by the fantastic Kelly Mochel and is available through her website as well as Amazon. If you don't know about it, check out her site and keep reading!

We're Having a Homebirth! is a fantastic little book, narrated by a little girl who's mama is about to have a baby. It explains concepts such as prenatal visits, early labor, transition and delivery, as well as the initial postpartum hours in a simple, concise way that is easy for little children to understand. The images are vivid, modern, eye catching, and simple. (More sample pages can be found here.)

The size of the book is PERFECT for little hands that want to "read" it on their own or closely investigate the action in the illustrations. Moo often asks to read our copy after breakfast and before "school" time starts. She loves pointing out that the new Baby Brother is eating the Mommy's boobies like she and her sister did. She also asks new questions every time we read it,
"Will my baby brother cry a lot?"
"Can I help you take care of him?"
"Will my Baby Brother want to cuddle with me?"

This book has been instrumental in helping her understand what is going on with my body, her Baby Brother's body, and the steps of the impending birth happening in our home. It also gives her a way to be involved "I can make him a birthday cake!!" and the opportunity to ask questions in a comfortable setting by sitting with us to read it.

I highly recommend this little book for your own collection, your midwife's, your doula's, and any (and all ;) ) of your friends! Please feel free to ask any questions you have - but most importantly grab this book!  Although the homebirth community is growing, it's still a small one. We all need to support one another and pass along all the help and information we can!

Wordless Wednesday: Simple Moments

Mommy Guilt - I Worry They Don't Learn Enough

Sometimes, I worry that I'm not teaching my girls enough. Our structured school time isn't happening as often as I'd like it to be. We do "school" 2-3 days a week. I try to remind myself that if they were in preschool, that would be exactly the same amount they would receive there, but its not easy for me to accept. I feel like I fail on any day that we don't sit down to a table to have school.

Playing magnet paper dolls with Daddy.

We do lots of learning that isn't traditional by many people's standards. We cook- measuring, mixing, applying heat, timing dishes. We do laundry- sorting colors, following directions, learning processes and being able to repeat them, gross motor skills. We color a LOT. We build a lot. We role play a lot, especially with their magnet paper dolls. And we follow whatever interests the girls display on a given week - maps, sharks, butterflies. We read, discuss, and talk CONSTANTLY.

However, I spend time worrying that they aren't learning what they "should" be at their ages. Miss Moo can count and do simple addition and subtraction, but she still struggles to recognize and identify numbers correctly. For Miss Roo, every color is blue- so she is occasionally correct when we do color matching but seems to have problems retaining the correct colors long term. 

And then, there are days like today. While on a trip to gather a stockpile for the pantry from Trader Joe's, Moo saw a dotted circle around a logo on a can. She picked it up, pointed at it and said, "Mommy look! We need to trace this line!" She then played with another girl her age at the mall play area and was able to interact,communicate, and lead with no problems. She assisted in counting and unpacking all our goods and telling me how many were left and where they belonged in our pantry. She also sat down with her Tag Reader and attempted to read with it as Tinker Bell shared her story.

For Roo, we talked about colors constantly on our errands, but she rarely got them correct. Walking into Hobby Lobby feeling deflated as a mother, she looked up and saw an E in the words on the side of the building. She told me that E stood for her.
"Good job, Roo! What about Moo?"
"M is for Moo Moo!"
"Yes, and who else?
"MOMMY!!"
"Good job, Baby Girl! And what about Daddy?"
"D for Daddy!!"

So, yes, we could do more structured learning. I could force them to sit daily and memorize more facts and standards at the ages of almost 3.5 and almost 2. We could play with flash cards in a standard manner, only follow a set, recommended curriculum, and ignore the interests, learning styles, and strengths our girls display. Or, we could keep doing what we're doing, spend as much time together as we can, and realize that my little girls will only be little for a short time. I want to enjoy it with them rather than worrying that we're lacking in our learning time together.

They're learning and that's the goal.

My Girl is Home!

Miss Moo is home. She and her sister have been running around screaming ALL NIGHT.

Thankful for a bedtime full of girls. And also for the quiet it brings. :)

My Heart Is Spread Across the State

This morning, Miss Moo had gymnastics as usual. She was a little sad that Miss Roo was going with us  and she'd miss Mommy time but seemed to warm to the idea when she saw I was packing a few of her favorite toys, along with her "Punzel" blanket and a mysterious duffle bag, into the cargo area of the van.  She was even happier when we piled into the van after gymnastics to run errands and I pulled her baby doll from the back for her to play with. After a quick stop at Target for some random items I wouldn't have been able to explain (and thankfully she didn't ask) we traveled off to a mystery location for lunch.

We arrived and the 3 of us went in to grab a table. What was going on? Why weren't we eating? Suddenly I pointed out the window and who appeared???

NANAPOP!!!

A surprise lunch with NanaPop! And the news that she was going home with them ALONE! If a 3 year old can glow, my daughter did for a solid hour. She talked with all of us. She told me lots about what she planned to do. We played with her baby together for a bit. Then Roo and I loaded in the van to gas up and head home and Moo climbed into NanaPop's backseat. There were no tears from children nor from me - because I kept myself distracted by planning the rest of the afternoon in my head.

Roo and I returned to town to hit the baby store for some nursing and car seat items for Baby Boy and the pet store for food for Lady. Moo went to the grocery store with NanaPop to select some juice and fruit and then to their house to play with a new mermaid (be still her heart!). We spoke on the phone a few times. The 3 of us went to dinner together- very different from our normal family outings.

Now Drew and Roo are sleeping in Moo's bed- bedtime was a little different, too. I'm sitting here pondering how my heart can stretch so much for my girls - and how it will possibly be able to stretch more in April.

My heart is spread across the state tonight. My girls are happy, healthy  and surrounded by love. Sometimes I can't believe all the blessings in my life.

Snow Much Fun!

Thursday night brought us our first "snow" of the year.  I use quotes on snow because it started as ice pellets so it wasn't the delightfully fluffy and packable stuff I prefer to play in. The last two winters haven't provided us with much of the white stuff, so the 4.7 of us headed outside with Miss Lady to enjoy it while we could! Here are some of our pictures.

Our snowman was more of a snow penguin.

Happy Saturday! Enjoy your weekend with your family!

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Girl

Sisters

Having two little girls has been the greatest blessing God has ever given me. As they grow, I can really see their relationship becoming one that will last a lifetime. It makes all the work seem worth it, even on the really tough days.

On Friday, Miss Moo, Miss Roo, NanaPop, Daddy and I ALL went to Lewis Ginter  to see the Butterflies one last time before the exhibit closes. Last night I was going through the pictures of our adventures and came across this one:

What a pair! Partners in everything. And the owners of my heart.

Butterflies!! A Travelling Homeschool Lesson

We recently (as in last week) joined Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. I had only been there once to see the GardenFest of Lights when Miss Moo was barely a year old and had a cold, I was pregnant with Miss Roo, and Drew had to carry Moo around. Being there for the lights was great but I was sure there was much more to do in the daylight.

Lewis Ginter drew me in when they advertised BUTTERFLIES!LIVE! I talked with Moo a little about what butterflies were, how fragile they were, and how beautiful they would be to see. But seeing them first I felt would lend way to learning more about them much in the way that giving her a map made her want to learn directions.

We entered the Conservatory as a trio with Mookie and his Mama.   I was struck. Although it was a small  space there truly were butterflies everywhere. The plants were all raised up off the floor in beds so that you would be able to see the delicate creatures more clearly when they landed on the floor.

Moo with the first of many discoveries.

There were plates of rotten food to illustrate that not all butterflies fed solely on nectar.

Moo found the butterflies eating the fruit particularly interesting.  We had discussed how caterpillars and butterflies ate plants and flowers, but not food that we would eat.

There were chrysalises for children and adults to observe the way in which they changed as a caterpillar became a butterflies.

There was an ENTIRE TABLE of resources for children - fact sheets, games, search and finds, and magnifying glasses. I was a little distracted making sure that my girls didn't trample any of the delicate creatures to really look at the loads of resources on the table -that's my plan for our next visit.  I did notice that my girls were mesmerized with using the magnifying glass.

After a little while of using the magnifying glass and learning to use it correctly, we began identifying colors of butterflies and plants and which butterflies seemed to be eating what. After about 15-20 minutes, we were done and headed out to view the other parts of the Conservatory and the garden grounds.

After playing in the fabulous children's area (which deserves a post of it's own) we ate lunch and travelled home for nap. After naps we went to a local park to play and Moo flew like a butterfly quite a bit. I decided to take advantage of this continued interest and stopped by our library for a few books on butterflies.

Our favorites so far are:

Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards  - With characters like Clara, Cornelius, and Catisha, this book is a hit!

A Butterfly is Patient by Diana Hutts Aston -  This book was listed about the girls reading/listening level as a 5-10 year old book. However they both listened well and Moo even commented that we had seen butterflies eating rotten fruit at the Butterflies Place when we read the educational page on food and nutrition.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert - I LOVE anything by Lois Ehlert. This book was actually in the children's area at Lewis Ginter and reminded me that it existed. Roo takes particular interest in this book's vivid collaged illustrations.

The more I attempt "structured" educational learning with my girls the more I learn that traditional structure doesn't work best for us. Moo seems to learn "backwards". Trying to sit her down with a book to teach her about butterflies is pointless because she won't be able to focus because she isn't interested. However, if you first take her to see butterflies and THEN get the resources, she is mesmerized because the subject matter is real to her. Each day I find myself trying to teach her something and result in working on something else entirely. We are both on a learning curve with this journey.

Roo seems to follow in her sister's footsteps with one exception. If she sees something in a book that she finds interesting, we will talk about that FOREVER. Moo will move on once her immediate curiosity is satisfied. Roo wants to marinate on the wonder of her discovery.

Homeschooling is a daily adventure for us all. What a wonderful classroom nature has given us.

Summer Reading

Miss Moo has always loved books. Ever since she was old enough to sit up she wanted to hold books, even if it was to rip pages or eat them. Miss Roo is at a similar stage now. I spend hours daily picking up all the books strewn all over the house. Sometimes I complain, but most days I feel blessed that my girls love reading as much as I do.

 This summer Miss Moo has begun "reading" to us. She has countless book memorized and sits to read them to us. She's asking about letters and spelling things to me, though she doesn't quite realize it yet. (So far, her favorite things to spell to me is Target ;) ) I have collected a few chapter books to begin reading to her. So far, she LOVES Betsy Tacy.  Three Tales of My Father's Dragon is patiently waiting. I'm considering a few other classics from my childhood, but I want to wait and see how she does with these before moving on.

Miss Roo actually enjoys sitting for stories right now. Her favorite thing to do is turn the pages. I'm trying to baby proof our bookshelves by placing the sturdier books at her level. Think that's working? ;)
We read the same books over and over. And occasionally they each surprise by pulling out something new and loving it immediately. They're amazing, these girls.

Now I must go, I was just thwacked on the leg with Dora Duck and emphatically told "BOOK BOOK!!!"

A few reasons why.....

I  LOVE my job.

She's One!!

My baby is one. I missed Wordless Wednesday, so I'm making up for it today.