My Montessori Journey

Birthday Card Work

We celebrated the first birthday of the school year in our classroom this week.  As part of the special occasion, I put out birthday card work for the morning.  This was something that was part of my Montessori training as well as something that was used in the school where I interned and taught previously.

Here is the work set up on a little table which I pushed up against the back of a shelf.  You can see that I used a page protector into which I inserted a paper with the name and age of the birthday girl.  I just stuck it onto the shelf with some of that sticky-tack stuff.  The table holds (from left to right) a basket with pieces of folded construction paper in several colors, a little clear box of birthday stickers, an empty basket to hold the paper from the back of the stickers, and a mug of skinny markers.  There is also a red placemat.

Here is a photo which shows the whole activity better.  I modelled the card-making in front of the class at line time.  I showed them how to choose a card, use ONE sticker strip (with 2 stickers) to place stickers on the card, throw the paper in the basket and draw/write on the card.  I pointed out that if they couldn't write their name on the card, they could go to their cubbies and get one of their name labels to place on the card so our birthday girl would know who the card is from.  When they completed the card, they were to take it to the birthday girl wherever she was in the classroom and wish her "Happy Birthday."  Several children chose this work during our work time today.  I think I should put it out more often than just on birthdays, however, because some students wanted to make a card for someone in their family instead of for our birthday child. 

In my training it was suggested that you provide some matboards with a shape cut out (like the ones you put into a picture frame to frame a photo) for the children to use to trace onto the card and to write the message inside.  I didn't, however, have any so I didn't put any out. 

You know you have too much stuff when............

...........you search for something on e-Bay and in the search results you see something that reminds you that you ALREADY HAVE the item you were looking for.  Yes, folks, I DO have an apple cookie cutter.  I just needed to remember that I had it.  In my defense, the set of cookie cutters that includes the apple one is not mixed in with the other cutters that we use for playdough.

No apple cookie cutter here........

Instead, the cookie cutter was in a little tin box in a kitchen drawer.  The scary thing is that I almost just bid on some cookie cutters on e-Bay until I figured this out.  I'm excited, though, because I was recently going through a bunch of stuff I printed off about math literacy activities and saw some neat ideas for making manipulatives with little cookie cutters and salt dough.  So........look for something like that on the blog in the future.

Capri Sun Pencil Bag

I was struck with what I like to call "bloggy-inspiration" on Wednesday.  Maybe I could coin a new phrase for this phenomenon............"blogspiration."  Anyway, I was reading Skip to My Lou's blog and found a super little tutorial to make Capri Sun pencil bags.  Since I love to make things with Capri Sun juice pouches (see this post, this post, and this post), I knew right away I wanted to try these.  We are leaving today on a little trip, and I thought it would be great to make one for each boy so they would have a place to hold their crayons on the trip.  (See this post for some of the things I did to make our last road trip go smoothly.) 

I stitched these two pouches up on Wednesday night.  They went together pretty well.  However, I tried using my zipper foot for the zipper, but switched back to my regular presser foot and it worked MUCH BETTER!

Here are the two little bags.  I showed them to the boys when they woke up on Thursday morning.  I told them they were for taking on our trip.  My oldest son said, "Oh, do you remember on our last trip how the crayons were falling all over the floor?  Well, now they will stay in these little pouches."  My thoughts exactly!!  My little boy liked opening and closing the zipper.  In fact, I had to remove a nutcracker from his before taking this photo!

Here you can see the inside of one of the pouches.  I also turned the yellow one over so you could see that I used red pouches on the other side. 

Next time I want to use a longer zipper so I don't have to overlap the ends as much and more of the logos will show.  I really love this project because it really supports "green" living, something we should all be thinking about and incorporating more into our daily lives.

We are leaving this morning for a short trip, so there won't be a post tomorrow.  I should be back on the blog Sunday night.  Have a great weekend!

Cake in a Cup

NOTE:  I didn't mean to do two posts today.  Actually, I was experimenting with Typepad because we are going to be out of town for a few days and I thought I could set this to publish tomorrow morning on its own.  But it published today instead.  So..........I'm just giving you a heads-up that I am going out of town and will be back on Sunday night.  See you then!

The other day we tried out a "Chocolate Cake in a Cup" recipe that I had gotten from a link on Melissa's blog (scroll down for the link).  We don't eat many sweets around here, so it was really fun for the boys to stir up and make these little "cup" cakes.

Here are our gathered ingredients:  flour, sugar, oil, cocoa, and egg (milk is not in the photo).

Little hands measure the dry ingredients.

Stirring up the wet ingredients.

The batter is all mixed up and ready to pour into.............

   two mugs.  (I sprayed the mugs with cooking spray first.)

Then into the microwave to bake for 3 minutes.  You can kind of see from this photo that the cake in the white mug puffed WAY up over the top during the baking process.

Here are the finished cakes fresh out of the microwave.

The little cakes slid right out of the mugs into the bowls.  Then we sprinkled on some powdered sugar and ...................yummmm!!!

For your convenience, I copied the recipe into a word file.  You can download it here.

Download chocolate_cake_in_a_mug.doc

Also, I made some "cake in a cup" mixes to give as Christmas gifts a few years ago.  I am making the recipe I used available here.  This recipe makes about 8 servings, I think, and uses packaged cake mix as a base.  It also includes a glaze mix that you pour on the top.  As these cakes tend to me a little on the dry side, it is nice to have the glaze.  Finally........the recipe is for orange cake; however, you can substitute any flavor of cake mix.

NOTE:  The first document is the recipe.  The second is a sheet of directions labels you can print and attach to the mugs.  These would be great teacher gifts!!

Download orange_cream_cake_in_a_cup_recipe.doc

Download orange_cream_cake_in_a_cup_directions_labels.doc

Number 3 is just for me!!

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you may remember the other two Pleated Beauty handbags I made this summer (if not, see them here and here.)  The pattern is from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing book.  I LOVE this pattern.  And for a very long time (all summer, in fact) I have planned to make one just for me.  And "sew"..............here it is.....FINALLY!!

We are going on a little trip this weekend, and I really wanted a roomier bag which would carry my wallet, sunglasses, Kleenex, camera, box of wipes, etc.  This will be a perfect size.  It is really roomy and has a large divided pocket on the inside.

Here is a squishy looking photo of the inside.  The lining is an Alexander Henry print.  The outside and pocket are green linen.  I really love this pattern so much and I LOVE that Amy suggests using flannel instead of interfacing.  It really gives nice body without the stiffness.

Setting the record straight

I have thought about writing this post for a while now, and I had a conversation with someone last night which prompted me to do it today.  During our conversation, this person said she had been reading my blog and it was making her feel.........I don't remember the exact adjectives she used.........but the gist of it was that she was feeling inferior as a mom.  She remarked on how she didn't know how I find the time to do what I do, how I do the blog and the projects, etc.  A few nights prior to this conversation, my husband was making a similar point, not reflecting on how the blog makes HIM feel, but speculating that others might feel that way when reading the blog.  (And DH knows from 15 years of firsthand knowledge that this lady ain't perfect.  Amazingly, he still wants to keep me around. Bless him!!) Anyway..........I am determined to set the record straight on all these false notions.

First, I am an ordinary person just like any of you reading the blog right now.  I have MANY flaws and shortcomings and there are many things that don't get done around here.  I lose my temper with my children much more often than I'd like to admit, but I'm admitting it here.  I often feel inadequate as a mom and as a wife.  I am not the world's greatest housekeeper.  I could keep going on and on here, seriously.

Second, what I write about  on the blog is only a TINY TINY snapshot of what goes on in my life and in my home.  I am choosing to show you the best so that you may be inspired (as I so often am when I read other blogs, more on that in a minute.....). The last thing I would want is for someone to feel WORSE after reading the blog.  I have chosen to start the blog as a way to communicate with others about one of my passions, Montessori education.  Along the way, I have chosen to show other things that I enjoy and do.  Please know that my purposes are pure.  In no way am I trying to portray myself as some kind of WonderWoman, because that portrayal would not only be inaccurate, it would be ridiculous.  I struggle on a daily basis to be the kind of person I want to be.  However, I am choosing to keep that struggle private.  Today's post is intended to shed a little light on that part of my reality, however.  I just want you to know that I don't have it all together.

Third, I am the type of person who is easily inspired by what others do.  When I read about or see cool things someone else did, I rarely beat myself up for not thinking of it first or for not doing it myself, etc.  Instead, my typical reaction is: "Wow!  That's cool!  I'd like to try that!"  (To maintain perspective:  there are many, many things other people do that I am NOT interested in doing myself.  And I don't let myself feel any guilt about it.)  As I have grown older and wiser (nearing my 4th decade!!), I have come to realize that not everyone is like me.  This was best illustrated to me about 7 years ago when I was eating lunch with a group of teachers I worked with at the time.  We had spent that morning listening to a speaker talk about implementing a new reading strategy in the classroom.  I had come away from the presentation energized and excited to try many of the new things that were discussed.  At lunch, I asked a fellow teacher (a veteran teacher with many more years of teaching experience than myself) what she thought of the presentation.  I was SHOCKED when she said that she felt BAD after hearing the talk.  She came away feeling down on herself and her teaching because she wasn't doing everything just like the speaker said.  I am serious here, I was really BLOWN AWAY that 2 people could hear the same presentation and come away with two polar opposite responses.  It was really very enlightening (and sad, actually).  Not deterred by my colleague's negative reaction, I went ahead and tried many of the new ideas in my classroom. 

I am sharing this story here to encourage you to take away from this blog the things you may find inspiring, can the rest (along with any associated guilt), and live looking forward not backward.  I used to be more of a person who read about lots of cool ideas, but didn't try many of them.  In a completely ironic twist of fate, if you will, it was only when I started blogging that I experienced sufficient motivation to actually TRY many of the ideas that I had been thinking about.  I've said it before and I'll say it again...........blogging has enriched my life and the life of my family. 

I will end by stating that my sincerest hope is that you will read this blog and feel GOOD after reading it.  I could not stand it if I thought it was making anyone feel negative.  So..........even if you've never posted a comment here before, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post.  I have read similar posts on Jo's blog and Jennifer's blog and I admit to feeling "better" after reading what they had to say on this topic.

OK........enough rambling.  Take care and send me a comment.  OK???

SCORE!!!!! and add Project #399 to the list :0)

I am not getting to work at school today.  However, I have scored big time.  My parents are down-sizing and moving into a condo soon.  As a result, I just brought 3 new (to me) pieces of furniture into my home for FREE!!

This is a dresser that we will use in my little boy's room.

And THIS is an upholstered rocker that my mom was going to GET RID OF!!!  My response (voiced with shock, dismay and perhaps the tiniest bit of whininess) was a resounding, "Mother!!  You can't get rid of that rocker.  You ROCKED me in that rocker when I was little.  I remember rocking in it with you every morning when it was still dark outside and I wasn't awake yet........etc, etc."  I swear I wasn't being manipulative, I just thought she should keep it for HERSELF so that, by default, I could hold onto the memories.  However, imagine my surprise and JOY when she offered to GIVE ME THE CHAIR!!  So we brought the chair home today and I couldn't be happier.

And now.............project #399 (AKA the third piece of free furniture):

Yes, people, this is an antique pie safe/cupboard soon to be our new ART CUPBOARD!!  When my parents had a garage sale a few weeks ago, I spotted this beauty in the back of their garage.  Of course, I had seen it many, many times.  It was in our basement in my childhood home.  In fact, I think Mom actually offered to give it to me in the past and I turned it down.  However, when I saw it THIS time, all I could think of was Amanda's art cabinet that is pictured in the link here as well as in her book.  Since I have been trying to make a concerted effort to do more art projects with the boys, I love the idea of having a cabinet right in our living space which holds all the supplies.  Right now, aside from the art materials near my son's table in the computer room, most of the other "artsy" supplies are downstairs.  So, I'm really excited about the cabinet.  HOWEVER, you can see from the photos that it is in a pretty rustic state of being right now.  My plan is to clean it very well, then strip it, then prime and paint it.  I don't think the wood is nice enough to stain.  It has been MANY years since I've taken on a furniture refinishing project. Not since I've had children.  But I'm excited about this one.  I think it will be pretty easy.  I'm hoping to tackle this project over Labor Day weekend, so expect to see the AFTER photos sometime in September. 

Finally, if you have any great ideas for what color I should paint it, let me know.  I'm NOT afraid of color.  So leave a comment with your thoughts.

More Let's Explore goodies!!

We haven't done a project today and I'm not getting to the classroom either.  So........for today's post I decided to write about what I just received in the mail from my new favorite online store.......Let's Explore.  In addition to really great, unique products, their shipping is amazing.  Every time I order from Amy she has shipped my order the SAME DAY!!!  In two days, I have the goodies.  Of all the places I order online, she has the fastest shipping and great customer service as well.  Each order is accompanied by yummy organic lollipops!!   

First, I purchased two Art Totes, one for each boy to get for Christmas.  However, my oldest boy was coming downstairs when I was opening the box, so I didn't take a photo.  I plan to fill these with some neat new art supplies and paint their names on the outside.

This photo doesn't show these very well, but they are the Leaf Rubbing Plates.  These will be on the art shelf in my classroom probably starting in late September or early October.  They are pretty thin plastic, so they should fit under papers pretty easily for coloring.

I also purchased the Letter and Number ice molds.  I am hoping to make Alphabet Crayons with them spelling the name and age of each child in my classroom.  I will give these as a birthday gift from me and the assistant teachers.

I bought the Nature Stencils too.  I am planning to use these for pin-punching on the art shelf or science shelf as we study different things in the natural world.  They didn't photograph well, however.   And I bought a couple more sets of Crayon Rocks.  I have a set for home and wanted some to have on hand to give as gifts.  They are on sale right now too, which is a real bonus!!

Finally, I wanted to share a book I bought recently that I think I will use a lot for art projects this year.  I love almost every activity in this book, and I think the kids will too.

100th Post and........I won an award (twice!!)

I can't believe today's post is already my 100th!  As many in the blogging world have said, starting a blog is really an amazing experience and it is constantly full of surprises.  I love the fact that I can connect with kindred spirits all over the globe from my little spot in cyberspace.  And it is so gratifying to know that others are discovering this little place and taking away thoughts or ideas that they find useful.  I read and treasure every single comment.  So thanks from the bottom of my heart to all you readers out there who make my day every time you take a moment to leave a comment.  It really does mean a lot!

Last night I received a very exciting email from Jo, who has nominated my blog for this award.

Then this morning, I was checking my Typepad stats and noticed several referrals from Stephanie's blog, so I clicked over there to check it out and realized that she had nominated my blog as well. 

Thank you, Jo and Stephanie.  I humbly accept the award :0)  It is great to know that others are finding useful information here.  Now I have to go forth and nominate 7 more blogs.  This is hard because I read several every day, and Jo and Stephanie's are two I really enjoy.  However, I have decided to list 7 other ones that I really like.  So here goes..........

1.)  Meg at Sew Liberated was one of the first blogs I ever became "addicted" to, back when her blog was called Montessori By Hand.  Meg's blog was a very major inspiration for me when I decided to start my blog.  I immediately loved that Meg and I share a passion for Montessori education and sewing.

2.)  Stacy at Stacy Sews is another inspiration.  We share a love of sewing and I love to see all the projects she is working on.  Talk about a productive person!

3.)  Jennifer (AKA Montessori Mama) has a blog about Montessori education that I find very grounded and peaceful to read.  I love to read about her thoughts on children and parenting as well as to see what beautiful art she is creating.

4.)  Melissa's Day to Day is a blog I discovered right before Christmas last year.  She is from Australia and writes about her life with her two beautiful children along with information about her crafting.  I always come away with great admiration for her as well as inspiration for what I could go out and create.

5.)  Mary Beth at Salt and Chocolate writes a blog that I also really like.  She seems kind of like a kindred spirit to me in the way she is choosing to raise her children.  I really enjoy reading about what her family is up to.

6.)  Nikki at Whimsy Love is a blog I only found recently, but I really like it.  She does so many very cool crafty projects that I can't wait to see what she is going to do next.

7.)  Lori at Montessori for Everyone writes great blog posts about Montessori education in addition to creating and selling some really great products.  I have purchased many of her card sets and love them (as well as the Free Downloads :0)). 

Take some time today or sometime soon to check out these blogs. You are sure to find some new inspiration.   

 

15 years

I wanted to share with you some very happy stuff that happened around here this weekend.  My husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this summer.  To us, that seems like a milestone and we wanted to do something a little special to acknowledge it.  Ten years ago (before having 2 kids) we thought we'd go to Hawaii for the 15th.  But..........not happening!  So..........we decided to have a vows renewal ceremony.  We did this at our church on Saturday since my husband's mom was visiting us over the weekend.  We kept things REALLY simple and just had my parents and my husband's mom (his father is deceased) and our two little boys.  Since I try to maintain privacy on the blog, I won't share any really personal photos here.  However, I do want to share with you a few neat things we did as part of our special evening.

When we met with our pastor a week or so ago to discuss details about the ceremony, we told him we wanted to do something to include the boys like a unity candle.  He suggested something we hadn't heard of before...........doing a unity sand ceremony.  He said many people are choosing this over candles, especially for outdoor ceremonies (ours was indoors) and for times when two families are blending together in a second marriage scenario (our is first marriage, FYI).  We really liked the idea and included it in our ceremony.

We had a little table set up which held a vial of sand with one color for each person in our family.  The boys and I had decided ahead of time which colors would be theirs and daddy got the leftover color (mine was pink, of course, since I am the only girl in the family!!).  At the center of the tray was a jar to hold the layers of sand.

The boys came up front with us for the sand pouring.  The pastor read something while my husband and I poured our sand in simultaneously.  Then the boys poured their colors on top of ours.

The result is a jar with beautiful colored layers representing each special member of our family.  Since the 4 little bottles didn't fill the jar, I think we will add some more layers at home to fill it to the top.  The pastor's wife suggested sealing the top with wax so the layers don't shift over time.  We will also add a printed label to the outside with details about the occasion.

In addition to repeating our vows (with some variation since this wasn't a wedding, but a renewal), our pastor blessed the rings again and we each read a statement we had prepared.  I knew I would be emotional reading aloud the words I had written about my husband, but I was actually a real mess.  I totally bawled!!  But that's kind of me.  My emotions are always pretty close to the surface.  It was a really touching ceremony and I am really glad we did it.  My good friend, Amber, took the photos for us and we are very grateful to her for helping to preserve this very special day.

Afterwards, we headed to our local metro area (about a 20 minute drive away) for dinner at a nice restaurant followed by a horse and carriage ride around the historic part of the city.  This was really awesome because our oldest son was so excited about the carriage ride.  The little guy was too, but our oldest son was really, really into it.  Our parents also really enjoyed it.  (And we did too, of course!!) 

   

The carriage picked us up at the restaurant and here is a photo I took of the driver approaching.  The horse's name was Strike, and he gave us a wonderful, relaxing ride.  It was a truly beautiful evening and I am happy to be able to share bits of it with you here on the blog.