operation BIG boy

Sam will be 4 in just a few months and I've realized there's a BIG list of things I still do for him.

He needs to:

dress himself...can but won't

wipe his behind...can but won't

thumb sucking...ok speech therapist and dentist

puppy pants(a pillow pet)...the source of many a tantrum

buckle his seatbelt...can but won't

put on his shoes...does but stresses about how they feel

This parenting thing is tough! I know no one said it was easy but the 3's with Sam have be exhausting...don't get me wrong there are lots of joyful months too. Tanner was so hard at 2 but a breeze by 3 so I just thought I had the perfect child since Sam was an easy 2...NOPE!

So over the next few weeks OPERATION BIG BOY will be in mode. Next time you see same he will be dressing, wiping and buckling himself!!

{thankful for}

43. a Saturday with no plans

44. Sunday lunch at my parents

45. the boys teachers

46. a run on my lunch break

47. grace

48. worship time after dinner

49. a date night at Local...yummo

50. modern medicine

Snow Day Survival

About twice a week I plan a few activities and set them up in the living room at night when the boys are sleeping.  The boys love it and it keeps them entertained so I can get a few housekeeping things done.  It's so funny that they will play for hours with a toy because I set it out yet it has been on the playroom shelf for months.



Snow Sensory Bin
...packing peanuts, cotton balls, styrofoam balls, pine cones, straws, scoops and snowmen erasers

Snowman
Tanner-cut a snowman from felt and foam paper.
Sam-He had a felt snowman I had already cut.

Matching colors.

I don't know the technical name for these math blocks but Tanner loves them.  He makes patterns, designs, shapes and now 3-D creations. 

Some other everyday not seasonal things I use frequently include:

for Tanner
floor puzzles
rolling dice and counting out number of objects
his journal(he draws a picture and I write)
writing: name, address and phone number
shape stencils
anything to cut
cards with picture and words/baking pan and magnet letters to spell words on
lacing cards
sewing with plastic needles and yarn **big hit
dominos
rice box to trace letters
scavenger hunt...clipboard with drawn pictures or words...find and mark off
lincoln logs


for Sam
3 piece knob puzzles
color sorting bears and cups
pouring rice or beans from cup to cup
poring water from cups **I know...give them a sponge for the mess
beads to string on aquarium tubing
putting pompoms in ice cube tray using tongs to squeze
using a spoon to scoop pompoms from one cup to another
playdoh with plastic roller, knife and scissors
a dust pan and short handled broom
magnetos
barnyard bingo

Organizing the School Stuff

I starting digging though my teaching stuff and found my charts. I thumb tacked (yes thumb tacked) them to the kitchen wall and I am rotating games for Tanner.

Letter Sound Match and Address/Phone Number/Birthday

I saw this ALPHABET BOX on the blog: http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2009/09/preschool-in-box-abc-box.html . Tanner and I made this one for about $35. We had most of the items in the boxes at home already. B is open and inside is a block, bug, bell, butterfly, balloon, etc.

This is just the beginning of organizing our SCHOOL and ART supplies. Chris is building shelves in the living room closet for us...when I get it organized I will reveal before and afters!