favorite springtime reads

A few books that are currently giving us spring fever:

• Snowy Flowy Blowy by Nancy Tafuri
• Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
• Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
• And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
• A Book of Seasons by Alice and Martin Provensen

What have you been reading lately?  I'm getting the list for our next trip to the library, and would love a little inspiration!  :)

a spring road trip

3000 miles in a rental car with a toddler - yeeee haw!

Hello there, friends!  Our little family is just getting back from a BIG adventure on the west coast.  First, we spent Easter weekend in California with family, and then we decided to take the looooong way back.... cruising up the coast through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and finally home to Montana.  We had so much fun exploring new places - Elise saw the ocean for the first time, ate kumquats, and stared up at the giant redwoods.  The whole trip was a huge success, but I won't lie - spending the week in a car with my toilet-learning toddler was exhausting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO enjoying being back home!

a simple spring experiment

Here's a little something to satisfy those first tingles of spring fever.... I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! Even though there's still snow on the ground and we have to pull on hats before going outside, there's a tiny, warm voice whispering in the wind "GROW!"

Elise and I responded to Mother Nature's call by force-starting some cuttings from trees and shrubs around our neighborhood.  It was basically as easy as cutting a few branches, sticking them in a vase of water, and bringing them inside our warm house - the plants did the rest of the work themselves!  In just a few short days, buds began to open.  Now, two weeks later, the buds have turned into leaves and flowers, and even more thrilling, there are roots!  

An older child would probably enjoy recording the transformation of the branches.  21-month-old Elise and I have enjoyed just discovering -  we've delighted in the tiny green leaves and ever-lengthening roots. Elise's vocabulary now includes buds, leaves, flowers, and roots.  Whenever she spots the tiniest spec of green outside, she exclaims "GROW!"

Here's to Spring! 

good things come in small packages...

Last week, an intriguing little package arrived at our door...

Elise, Mama, Papa, Rosie - who could it be for?

We opened it up as quickly as we could!

And, oh my, were the contents ever so good!

Did it contain a magic pill that made our family shrink?!

No, although the resemblance IS quite uncanny, don't you think?!

custom felt family by Jen's Felted Jems

(visit her on etsy and on facebook)

*UPDATE* 4/16  No, friends - this is NOT a pregnancy announcement!  Although, in hindsight, I realize that it kinda looks like one!  Ha!  The baby is just because Elise is so baby-crazy!  Maybe someday....  ;)

a little tour: e's practical life shelf

^^e's practical life shelf^^

A few lessons I've put together to support the development of Elise's coordination and control of movement...

 ^^posting toothpicks^^

 ^^fragile objects^^

 ^^transferring eggs (whole hand)^^

 ^^transferring pom poms (melon baller)^^

^^play dough^^

^^threading^^

Lately, I've been debating whether or not to continue preparing these types of lessons for Elise...  Is it as meaningful to spoon pom poms between two bowls on a tray as it is to scoop spices into a pot of soup?  Yes?  No?  While I don't think these lessons should replace authentic practical life exercises - cooking, cleaning, caring for oneself, etc - I do think they can be offered as a valuable supplement. 

Like authentic practical life exercises, these lessons:

• develop strength, coordination, and muscle control
• encourage concentration, carefulness, and precision
• provide indirect preparation for writing, reading, and mathematics
• foster independence 

Ultimately, the biggest benefit I see in preparing practical life lessons for Elise, in addition to including her in authentic practical life work, is that it offers her freedom of choice - she can decide when, where, and for how long she wants to work.  Honestly, at 21 months of age, she has limited freedom in choosing authentic practical life work - she often has to wait for me or work at my pace to reach my adult goals.  I know this will all change as Elise gets older, and I'll probably reevaluate the purpose of her practical life shelf several more times...  but for now, it stays.  

What do YOU think?  Do you prepare practical life lessons in addition to including your child in authentic practical life work?  Why or why not?