happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

We've already been cruising around the neighborhood, 

checking out decorations - in full-costume, of course.  

I don't know who's more excited for trick-or-treating tonight... 

me or Elise!  Ha! 

If you celebrate Halloween, I hope your day is "bear-y" sweet and spooky!  ;)

guest post at Grow Grow Grow today!

Hello, friends!  I'm guest posting today at Grow Grow Grow!  Please head over to check out my simple, autumn craft idea:  pressed leaf place mats.  If you're not already a Grow Grow Grow reader, you're in for a treat - this is one of my all-time favorite Montessori parenting blogs!  :)

muffin tin tuesday

In honor of Halloween (which is only next week - eeeek!!!), Elise and I filled a muffin tin with orange-colored foods for our afternoon snack.  It'd been awhile since we'd had a special-themed snack in a muffin tin, and Elise LOVED it.  Food is such a fun and meaningful way to explore colors, textures, and shapes - I need to remember to do this more often with her!

from the top left:  

chipotle tortilla wedges, sweet mini pepper, goldfish crackers, orange juice
shredded golden beet, rotini pasta, sesame stick crackers, mandarin oranges
cheddar cheese cubes, garden carrots, dried apricots, sun gold tomatoes

Did I mention Elise LOVED this snack?!  She really did.  While she's usually an eat-and-run kind of girl, this snack captured her attention for awhile.  Maybe all those little muffin tin compartments appealed to her sense of order?  ;)

Do you ever make special-themed muffin tin snacks for your little ones?  I'd love to hear your suggestions!

spooky spooning

What's spookier than a bowlful of spiders?!

A bowlful of hidden spiders, of course!!!!

EEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!

This past week, Elise has enjoyed using her wire strainer 

to sift plastic spiders out of a bowl of red lentils.

If you don't have a wire strainer, try using a slotted spoon or just your hands.

It's quite thrilling to sink your fingers right into the lentils, and feel around for the spiders...  

that is - if you dare!!!!!

Happy weekend, friends!

pumpkin scrubbing

On a recent trip to the grocery store, we were delighted to discover 

the pumpkins had arrived!  Yipee!

Better yet, they weren't your typical, shiny grocery store sugar pumpkins...

Oh, no - these little gems were cheerfully coated in a layer of pumpkin patch grime,

just begging to be scrubbed!

As soon as we got home, Elise gathered her supplies and went to work:

This activity should more appropriately be titled "pumpkin spraying" 

because that is without a doubt the part that two-year-old Elise likes best  

- after the pumpkin, of course.  ;)

My girl is completely enamored with that little, orange squash,

greeting it each morning with a kiss 

and calling out a "Good bye, pumpkin!" every time we leave the house!

Spray, scrub, dry

repeat!

Even though out little sugar pumpkin has been quite clean for several days now, 

Elise continues to enjoy the whole process.  

That makes this Montessori mama happy because

nothing beats scrubbing for strengthening little fingers!

If you're uncomfortable about all that soap and water inside, 

try pumpkin scrubbing al fresco.

That's what we did last year, and it was a HUGE hit!

Happy 1st day of October, friends!