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.

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?

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!

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.

Little Teaching Tidbits

Sometimes, getting Miss Moo to sit down to do any structured learning is next to impossible.  We have been able to clean up the playroom in the last few weeks, go through and arrange toys, and move out books so that she isn't as distracted by everything that is going on in her space. Doing so has led to some fantastic improvements.

Environment is Important

Cleaning things out has given us the opportunity to actually PLAY more in the playroom.  And the greatest thing about playing is that it leads to TRUE learning. We have built with blocks, colored, drawn and written, taken care of babies, read books, and cooked. Each simple activity has involved problem solving, dramatic play, creativity, motor skills (both fine and gross), and/or some basic subjects- math, reading skills, etc.

My Approach

I am trying to think more outside the box when it comes to homeschooling my children - learning the 3 R's is less imperative than learning life skills and thinking skills. The subjects will come as (and at times after) the foundations are laid. However, I do try to do something daily that deals with some type of "core" learning- whether it is patterns, counting blocks, letter recognition, cooking and measuring, etc.

One Example

This morning after playing with her babies and cooking some pizza, Moo found a little "worksheet" on her chalkboard. It was a simple exercise in letter recognition, letter sounds, and sight words. Once she noticed it I asked if she would like to give it a try. I'm trying to let the structured activities be self-initiated for a change to see if it leads to more interest in any subject areas.  At first she said "No, please," but walked to the chalkboard within a matter of 30 seconds.

Moo's "worksheet"- after Roo's additions.

I gave her no instructions- I simply asked what the pictures were on the board. She would identify the picture and then would tell me the first letter in each word.  She then took it upon herself to circle the correct letter and move to the next image.

At the bottom of the board were the words that corresponded with the images - I responded similarly when she asked what they were. She then related the first letters to the first letters that she has circled above. She looked at me and grinned. "I did it, Mommy!!"

Praise Her, Then Let It Go

I told her what an awesome job she had done and we high five'd. Then she moved on to her next activity of choice - loading produce onto her Whole Food truck. I gave the chalk to Miss Roo- who had been standing by to observe the whole thing - and she began coloring over our "worksheet". She scribbled over "BAT! BAT!" and Moo drove her truck around. 

Then I heard a slightly worried little Moo say, "Mommy, some of produce is missing. There are only 7 crates!"

Playing teaches everything.

Sticker Activity

Miss Moo loves doing activities with me as well as on her own. She loves to play school and do worksheets with me. We have learned that while some Kindergarten-age sheets are too advanced, the Preschool age sheets bore her immensely. We have been using all the Kindergarten sheets we can as she requests them and she's thriving.

It has been a challenge to get back into a routine from the holidays and the wave of illness that knocked down everyone in the house. With everyone starting to return to normal, so am I.  I have TONS to do to catch up on all the time the funk sucked away from all of us. Moo has been asking for school time again, so we're slowly doing sheets and activities once again in conjunction in the non-traditional lessons and unschooling that takes place in our home.

One day a few months ago, I was cruising around Pinterest looking for some homeschooling ideas. I ran across a pin to this link from Rockabye Butterfly.  I loved that the activities featured in this post were so versatile and focused as much on following the directions as they did basic academic skills. I made a poster for Moo to do that day and she happily completed it after nap time.

Sticker Activity

• Take a sheet of paper, turn it lengthwise and draw a line near the bottom of the page. I used a few scribbled on pieces of large drawing pads the first few time to be sure she would be able to see everything clearly.
• Write a few numbers, I usually use 4, under the line. 
• Assign a sticker to each number. 
• Write each of the numbers randomly around the paper over the line. I am sure there are at least 4 of each number at the top.
• Give the child(ren) the sheet of numbers and the sheet containing the stickers.
• Give very clear instructions on what they are to do: "Match the color of the stick of the number at the bottom to the same number when it appears at the top. Place that color sticker on that number only. " 
• Have them tell you what color sticker is with each number and have them identify/help them identify the numbers they are matching.
• Let them do the activity on their own.
• Look at their sheet when they are done to be sure they have matched all the numbers to a stick and have done so correctly.
• If there are any mistakes, work with them at their lead to find the mistakes and correct them. You can do this by prompting in a manner like "Let's point out all the green stickers and see what numbers they are on."
• Be sure to tell them they followed the instructions well.   Positive reinforcement doesn't always need to be based in academics. Hearing that they did a job despite any mistakes they may have made will give them desire and momentum to try again.

Moo's completed sheet.

This activity is simple and can be modified easily. We have used various types of stickers (shapes, colors, characters) to make the instructions more complicated and to be sure that she IS actually doing what is asked of her. We have also substituted numbers for letters and shapes to break up the monotony of the number she was doing often. My next idea is to begin using this activity for sight words and post the results of that adaptation.

I am always looking for independent ways to reinforce our "structured" learning time together. What do you do to foster independence in your homeschooling adventures?

Holiday Homeschooling Backpack - When We School on the GO!- MAM December 2012

It is completely unsurprising that the Holiday Season can really throw a wrench in the schedule and routine of most children. There are parties to attend, trips to take, photographs to shoot, and general schedule changes caused by longer and longer to-do lists. As a preschool homeschooling family, our school schedule has been off since the week of Thanksgiving. Travel, cooking, cleaning, and seasonal errands have made our daily safety net almost nonexistent.  I’ve come up with a plan on how to keep schooling during the holidays and it all fits nicely into Miss Moo’s backpack.

The Pack

Moo has a backpack from her preschool days and she’s still proud to put it on and wear it about town. She has become aware of our altered school schedule and now tends to ask for school when we are trying to get things done during time she’s used to doing an activity. Drawing on the idea of what I packed for our Thanksgiving journey, I’ve set up a traveling “school” on her back. She loves the notion of something to be responsible for as well as taking pride in her autonomy . We packed it together with items we both chose to include to incorporate her interests as well as the skills and concepts that we have been building and those that we need to work on.

To read what she chose, what I chose, and how we use it, head on over to Modern Alternative Mama!!

Teaching....Childbirth???

Miss Moo is much more aware of my pregnancy this time around. When I was carrying Miss Roo, she was VERY young and only could comprehend that there was a baby in my belly. This time she wants to feel him kick, know what he eats, how he moves, etc. She's interested in who my midwife is and what she does when I visit her. I tell her what she does and how she checks on the baby. I've also told her she can earn a solo visit with me after Christmas - she's getting a stethoscope from NanaPop so I'm sure she'll be excited to go.

We are always very clear and honest with our children when it comes to anatomy and biological processes. We talk about bodily functions openly and clearly so that we know what is going on with them and to teach them how to properly identify their parts and tell us of any problems. Given all the educating that we do with regard to our bodies and their cycles, I should have been ready for the inevitable question she asked me the other day. I SHOULD have been ready but I didn't let myself think she'd  "get" it that well. I had also hoped I would have been better prepared to answer it and in a better setting - not driving on the interstate.

"Mommy, how is my baby brother going to get out of your belly?"

I didn't want to lie to her and I didn't want to scare her. I also had to think fast. So I told her a brief version of the truth.

"You know how you and mommy have vagingas* that make us special? Well it is even more special because it lets babies come out of Mommy's belly. That's how you and Roo came out and your brother will come out the same way. Some Mommies have problems or really big babies and they need help - so they make a cut in their bellies and get the babies out. But Mommy is blessed to have you all with the help of her vaginga."

I glanced in the rear view and could see the wheels turning. Slowly she asked, "If I have a baby - it has to come out my vaginga?"

"Well,yes, but you don't have to worry about that until you are much older, Baby Girl, and we can learn more about all that then."

"Otay, Mommy."

So, now - faced with our planned home birth - I must enter a new level of education with regard to pregnancy and birth. I must decide what involvement she'll have in the prenatal learning as well as the birth. And, I need to find resources to help educate her gently. Although I think the Birth Doll is cool, I don't want to spend the money and I'm not sure we "need" it. There are several books I've seen mentioned around the web that I am considering purchasing for us - specifically We're Having a Homebirth!

But mostly, I'm just going to talk to her. I want her to feel excited about our new family member, her role in his life, and how special and loved she will be by him. If I want to openly communicate with my daughter, I have to do it at every age level and for every situation. I have to talk when she wants to discuss things and educate when I have the opportunity. And above all, I have to make her feel comfortable, listened to, and loved.



*Vaginga is what we have always called vaginas since she started pointing to body parts and naming them - she couldn't get the pronunciation right and we found it endearing.

I Don't Do ALL The Teaching....

It's been an adjustment for everyone this year not doing Preschool and trying our hand at homeschooling. We haven't done as much organized learning as I'd planned, but we're making our way through things daily and Miss Moo seems to be learning more basics, broadening her vocabulary, and comprehending and applying many more concepts than I thought possible.

One objection that many people have to homeschooling is the lack of socialization that my child, or any child, will suffer by staying at home all day. There are many myths here that evolve from this belief, one of them being that we stay home ALL day EVERY day. We go to the park, we go to the library, we go to the grocery store, to play areas, and other general errands. My girls see other people AND children at all those places and Miss Moo has NO problems having a conversation with any of them.

But we also do other things for our girls, like gymnastic. Moo goes to gymnastics for an hour every Tuesday morning. It's wonderful because she is such an active, physical child and she can channel that energy and learn along the way.

She also learns other things in her fabulous gymnastics class.

• She has to form a line and stay in it.
• She has to follow the leader.
• She has to listen to instructions.
• She has to be able to repeat instructions given to her.
• She has to FOLLOW said instructions.
• She has to wait her turn.  
• She has to try things on her own after being shown once.
• She has to do things as a group that require working as a team.
• She has to interact with other children her age.
• She has to listen to other adults as authority figures.

I could go on with this list, but I think the benefits of her experiences are clear. I don't do ALL the teaching- I've never professed that I could. I firmly believe that it takes a village to raise children and I'm blessed to have found such a wonderful, nurturing place like River City that is teaching my daughter all I had hoped and so much more.

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.

"Staycation" at NanaPop's

The Moo and Roo Crew traveled to Roanoke last Thursday to celebrate Pop's retirement after 30 years of dedication and service to his company. Here's a little recap of some things we have done.

Poor quality, but happy family.

Daddy was able to come with us for the weekend so we were FINALLY able to take him down to the Lake.  I grew up 30 minutes from SML and used to "sneak" down there from time to time with friends.(Don't tell Nana. ) It has changed quite a bit in the past %#*% years.  There is now a Downtown Moneta where there used to be only a few old buildings of character featured in What About Bob?  There is now Eastlake as well as Westlake, and some condos next to Bridgewater Plaza. So bizarre.

After exploring around the lake, and perhaps letting the girls sleep a little, we went to one of my favorite spots, Homestead Creamery.  We all enjoyed a little ice cream and the girls enjoyed the animals to pet and the sandbox to play in while I enjoyed shopping  for local meat and eggs. It''s been a challenge to eat real food when travelling because I'm not always familiar with the area. Coming home is a bit different, but still a challenge.   A friend recommended Mountain Run Farm to me a year or so ago, but I just haven't been able to manage the logistics of a pick up there with the girls in tow. Being able to entertain them AND get local meats, eggs, and produce was a wonderful treat for me! It's the little things these days.

We all also enjoyed a yard big enough for us to really play. NanaPop's house sits atop 12 acres in Bedford County. They have about 1.5 acres around the house cleared and that lends itself nicely to adventures, soccer games, and excavations galore. Miss Moo and I were the first ones up on Saturday morning. We spend over an hour outside excavating in the driveway, gathering acorns for squirrels, and cleaning up sticks for Pop. We were both in heaven. The girls were also able to just play. They could run anywhere, go off the deck without rules, and just be kids. No neighbors to watch our volume levels and not disturb, no cars speeding by to be aware of and adjust our behavior accordingly. Just the outdoors and fun.

We also took Daddy to one of NanaPop's favorite Nom Nom spots - Three Little Pigs Barbeque.  Admittedly this restaurant doesn't satisfy all the real food requirements that I should look for these days. But it is local and we know the owners. They have good food, many options for the children that are gluten free, and a simply, family friendly setting. Fun was had by all!

If you are ever in Roanoke, you must visit the Star.

 A neon landmark forever holding a piece of my heart, the Star for me is one of two things that signify home. (The other is the gorgeous "Blue Mountains!!" as Miss Moo calls them.) After dinner, we traveled up the mountain so the girls could see the Star in all her neon glory. Moo was amazed at how big she was after reaching her. Moo wasn't quite sure how all the pretty lights below were the city so I am hoping to take her back up during daylight this week. It was truly special for me to take my kids up to the Star that I always looked for on the way home from vacation and from MBC once I was on college.

Amazed at how big the Star is.

Sadly, Daddy had to return home on Sunday.  The girls and I stayed on for a little Staycation. We have a few more things we'd like to do:

• Mill Mountain Zoo - admittedly the girls don't favor zoos to farms, but there are animals that are indigenous to the area (cougar, otter, etc.) that I'd like to be able to teach them about.
• The Salem Duck Pond
• The Virginia Museum of Transportation for Grandparent's Day
• Maybe a little trip up the Parkway - the Peaks, anyone?

I'm doing my best to stay connected to the world. After having Daddy here I was spoiled at how easy it was to manage the girls. Two parents is certainly easier than one. NanaPop are terriffic, but nobody, and I mean nobody, can do bedtime like Daddy.

Daddy's little girl.

Little Thing You Say DO Sink In

Miss Moo, Miss Roo, and I went to Busch Gardens for the first time last week. I was amazed at how well they behaved with just me taking them around. After a full day of fun, we headed home. Each girl had her water bottle as we took the ramp down to merge onto 64.

Roo began coughing on some water she gulped too quickly. I began telling her to calm down and breathe. She was a little red but still breathing okay so I didn't pull over.

"Put your arms up!! It will help your breathe!!" Moo suggested to her. Roo did as she was told and began to return to normal breathing patterns.

"Very good, baby girl! Thank you for helping your sister!"

"You and Daddy tell me to do that, right Mommy?? It helps us breathe!"

"That's right baby girl! Great job!"

Moo beamed from the backseat.

It does sink in. All those things your try to teach, and explain, and teach again ad nauseum.  Our children are listening. They look to us each day for guidance, love, support, and the opportunity to learn and gain your respect. Children respond best to accolades and acknowledgement that they have not only done something well, but they have learned it and applied it successfully. So keep trying. Even on days when you are ready to hit your head against the wall, perhaps even more than once, try to remind yourself that it's worth it.

Tonight at dinner, Roo began to choke a little on her water. Drew and I asked her in unison if she was alright. She lifted her  arms over her head, coughed once more, took a deep breath, and grinned from ear to ear. We were so proud of her and so was her sister. We all told her that. And she beamed.

It's all worth it.