Barto's Home-World

Our Education Choice

2012-02-01T19:59:00.000-05:00

I have frequently heard the phrase that Montessori is not for everyone. While I believe this can be true, I also believe that it's basic tenets are good for all learners and allow for more interaction and support between student and teacher. I say this from lots of sides of "the fence" - teacher, administrator, learning disabilities specialist, community member, private school supporter, charter school supporter, public school supporter and the two hats I wear the most, supporter of children and Mom.

I often have a hard time explaining Montessori clearly, but I can easily explain our choice: Montessori is kid-friendly and prepares kids not for the next grade, but for life. Don't get me wrong, they are prepared for the next grade, in fact, their school is high on assessments, diversity, and parent involvement. https://www.mischooldata.org/DistrictSchoolProfiles/ReportCard/SchoolReportCard/SchoolReportCard.aspx;http://www.northparkschools.org/, it's just that grade promotion is not the main focus and driving force of the curriculum delivery.

My girls are active, thoughtful learners who are consistently learning to work with others (collaboration), apply research skills both in groups and individually, and understand that what they are learning in school is connected with "real-life". Due to our degrees and my educational background, I know that many people attribute the bulk of our daughters' successes to my husband and me. I love the compliment and we do take credit for raising good daughters, but we are not the majority of why they are strong, sassy, intelligent, compassionate girls growing into leaders - okay, we do take the bulk of the credit/blame for the sassy parts. . . The school environment and a child's interactions and experiences within that environment cannot be the sole source for "making" a child, but a child's interactions and experiences within the school environment can definitely break a child beyond repair regardless of the strength of the home environment or other supports.
As a parent, this frightens me the most.

My husband and I definitely do our part. The reason I tend to get slightly feisty when people tell me what a relief it must be to "know what to do" with my kids is because knowing only goes so far. My kids are in an appropriate school environment. That is one of the main differences. They are taught in a school-culture of compassion, active exploration, diversity and acceptance, not taught about those concepts. Not everything or everyone they experience at school has the same values, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational background, or access to resources that we have in our home. Not everyone in my girls' classes are the exact same age and then move up together at the end of the school year. They learn everyday that life is about choices, compromise, tolerance and growth. This is not what I hope they learn at school; this is not what I see written on some worksheet or a chapter heading (though I'm sure those positive concepts are printed somewhere for frequent reminders); this is what I see them apply in their lives.

Yes, they argue with each other often and, yes, I am fully aware that my kids are not "perfect". We don't live in a utopia by any means and I don't believe that kids who do not attend this school are in some way damaged or learning less than my daughters. I am simply so aware of our home dynamics, that I am thankful every day for my daughters' teachers and school. I mean, their dad and I find the girls' never-ending inquisitiveness, always expanding (physically) creativity, seemingly endless activity, and desire for logical reasons (debate/arguing) to be valuable, but those are not qualities that can really be positively appreciated all the time. Translation: I know how exhausting they can be at home, so I have to be in awe of those who can balance them in combination with their friends all day long.

Existing in the world of education and working learners who share these traits of inquisitiveness, debate, activity and creativity, I recognize how often the school environment cannot afford to be tolerant of such diversity. In today's climate, reporting expectations for schools and teachers are so time consuming that it really is unrealistic to think that a teacher could interact with all of her students in a quality fashion, complete the records that would go along with that and still have anything resembling a life outside of the school walls. Something has to give.

Education reform exists to try to balance those factors, but what are the conversations around education reform really? Are they about teaching kids, or are they about teaching in a way that the general public is comfortable with and can see validated repeatedly on paper assessments? Education reform and its many facets can be, and most likely will be, debated long after I am no longer capable of even thinking anymore and that's not really what was on my mind this evening. What was on my mind is the realization that Maria Montessori was a brilliant person whose methods are still highly effective, but seem to still be seen somehow as "new-agey" or alternative for some reason. Then I saw an article on Facebook and it brought some of my thoughts all together (congrats for posting that article Matt or whomever was responsible, because bringing my thoughts together is not really an easy task!). Does reform really need to re-invent The Wheel, or just recognize the wheels that already exist?

Kudos to Huffington Post for bringing Montessori to the conversation and kudos to Laura Flores Shaw for her clear explanation and direct question to those who involved with education reform in her article, Montessori: The Missing Voice in the Education Reform Debate.

"Wait!", my Mom hat screams to my professional hats. More than kudos! A big, fat, bold THANK YOU for speaking for kids. THANK YOU for validating my children's education and the hard work their teachers put into Montessori education in a world that still seems to think it's a fad.

New Kid at Sundance

2012-01-30T00:22:00.001-05:00

Sundance
I have always known the name Robert Redford . . . watching him in movies with my mom while I was growing up, seeing him in some adventure films when I was in high school and college, watching the Sundance Festival grow into maturity through the "newsreels" and enjoyed films after they've made a name there. I am not ordinarily a person who knows what movies are actually debuting at the Festival or, truthfully, even when the Festival is each year. I do now. The Redfords brought Dyslexia to the Festival. There's a "new" Sundance Kid: Dylan Redford, brave son of James Redford and talented grandson of Robert Redford.

Dyslexia
I grew up with family members with dyslexia. We didn't know they had dyslexia until my sister and I were both adults. All we knew was that we had a wonderful roller coaster of emotions, creativity and love. We had some quirky family members, but doesn't everyone? Amazing though, that until there was a diagnosis of dyslexia and/or ADD, we didn't seem to fully believe that we also had some brilliant selves.

I have worked with learners with dyslexia for...well, for enough years now that I know my stuff. Educating kids and communities about the gifts of non-traditional learners is not only my job, it's my passion. After my daughter was diagnosed in 1st grade, shining the light on the fact that dyslexia is not a negative thing became even more of a passion. Finding materials for her and my students that show both the challenges and the fabulous-ness that comes with a dyslexic brain can be difficult. Many of them are good and filled with important information, but they still leave a reader or viewer with a sense of pity, a sense that "if only" . . . . that their lives would have been better in some way. Why? Because they'd be more like everyone else? The world would be a pretty boring place then.

That does not mean that all the challenges faced are necessary or even acceptable. The truth is, that no matter what, they will have challenges - challenges learning to read or remember accurately language-based concepts and/or tasks being just a few. They most certainly do not need the additional challenge of judgement or feeling inferior because their brains process language differently then expected in school settings. The only way to reduce that obstacle is through education. Good information in good places to spread the message. Thank you Dylan, James and Kyle Redford for leading the way!!

The D-Word Movie: Understanding Dyslexia

The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia skillfully explores the complex and often challenging world faced by those who have this disability. - Sundance Film Guide,

I now know that The Sundance Film Festival is held each year, mid-January, in Utah.

I am nowhere near Utah, but this year it's been like waiting for the new Star Wars or Harry Potter for me.

Dyslexia makes a debut at The Festival:

The D Word gets an A-grade; it's an exemplary example of educational documentary filmmaking. - The Hollywood Reporter, Jan. 26, 2012

Such as review is like sharing icing on the yummiest cake imaginable, even though I won't truly get to eat a piece.

On top of that, the film utilizes a unique perspective by not just educating on the downsides of dyslexia, but also what it truly means to be dyslexic, and the creative pluses that can come from such a condition. - Film Threat Reviews, Jan. 21, 2012

As a sister, a daughter, a friend, a teacher, an advocate, and most importantly to my heart these days, a mom of someone with dyslexia, Mark Bell's review at Film Threat brings tears of joy to my eyes. It's about time! The creative pulses that most often emerge from the brains of individuals with dyslexia are those that change our world for the better.

A New Kid In Town
I have not seen this film yet, but I have been spreading the word as much as I can. I am hoping this film will make the rounds in our area as well as on HBO. I am working to help this happen. I look forward to taking my daughter to this film so she can be proud.

I grew up with Robert Redford as an already established icon. I'm sure my mom had a poster or two with him on them at some time. I have a "poster" hanging in my work cubicle of The D-Word Movie. I have a strong feeling that in a few years, my daughter will also recognize the Redford name, but for a more personal reason. She will know that Mr. Redford "get's it". I will probably even have to ask her which Mr. Redford - and I can already hear her older voice in my head responding, "Duh. Dylan mom!". He will be her Sundance Kid.

Over Break: Updating a Desk

2011-12-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

The girls and I have created a few small projects here and there to keep busy over break. Along the way, my older daughter raised the topic of a desk in her room. Our house is on the market so we've been working to hold out on new furniture until we move. With the changes in my job(s) this fall, we're also not really looking to acquire new furniture for a bit yet. However, she is in fifth grade and could really use a desk for homework. She did have a desk which is now in her sister's room (as a sewing table), so we really needed to move on this topic, but really? Where were we going to find a cheap desk that is sturdy enough to hold up to her busy-ness and would fit in her not-so-big room AND go well enough with the rest of the room that showings still work out well?

A Case of Seek and Ye Shall Find
We bought our house from an estate almost ten years ago and with it came a bit of stuff from the original owners who were here over 50 years. One of the items left behind was a table top desk which is now considered old-fashioned. This was not the flip-top desk with a seat you can display and it looks "cute and antiquey". This is the institutional-looking table top kind with the small under trays and steel legs that weigh a gajillion pounds. We had used it in the kids playroom for quite a while as a craft table, but since a garage sale a few years ago, it's been in our garage holding boxes. Translation: it's old and filthy.....

but it would be no cost, go pretty well with her natural wood furniture and could help us reuse even more that was part of this home originally. Worth a shot!

First Step
Wipe it down (removing all the little critters that may have been seeking temporary housing over the last year or so). We were thinking that we didn't want to deal with painting in December. We figured we'd leave the natural look and add some contact paper type material that was chalkboard and/or dry erase so we set to sanding what was left of the shine off the top.

Ahh, a little better. Time to move it inside.

Next Up: Add Some Personality

She had a great idea - cut letters out of the material. The challenge was to make them thick enough that she could still write on them if she wanted. To leave space for not smearing on her arms when she worked at her desk, we worked out some space toward the "top" and left the rest for workspace. This gave space for the first four letters of her name.

The material was self-adhesive and repositionable, so when she wished for the short version of her name rather than the first four letters, that was no problem. The top of the desk had cleaned up so nice that we just wiped it down, added the letters, and called it good.

A Little More Personality.....
We thought again about painting the legs, but decided it was too cold to paint outside and we didn't want spray paint inside, so decided we were all good. While I was putting away the materials, I remembered some furniture trim I had bought when we moved in. I seem to remember thinking I could refurb a coffee table, but decided against it in the end. I had actually tossed the trim in a White Elephant box for the time it might be needed as such. Imagine the excitement of "hey, I might finally be able to actually use that!". Worth a shot :).

I was able to nail the trim all around the edges of the desk. Ahh, DYI and crafty satisfaction. Thinking I just might have to paint that bottom this Spring!

Voila!
Thankfully, my husband was around to help me take it up the stairs to her room, because there I didn't have a way to make that thing any lighter.

We repositioned the letters one more time after we got it in place to make room for the lamp and some other desktop items. The chalkboard paper was much sturdier than the dry erase paper, so the C and the K will be replaced in the near future. We were able to remove a bookcase/shelving unit from her room by adding this desk and a small natural wood crate on top of her dresser. She has room for writing, art and crafts at a desk sturdy enough for her.

Since the dry erase paper and chalkboard paper were from another project idea from over a year ago, those were also no expense at this time. Total time was about an hour. Total cost $0. Total happiness of daughter, priceless!

Brain Moments of the Season

2011-12-15T10:06:00.004-05:00

I have learned to love that Holiday Music is played so close to Thanksgiving: 1) it's not trashy a.k.a. there aren't any surprises that I have to explain to my fifth or third grade daughters that I really have to cringe about; and 2) it's now created "Pick your song".

"Pick your song" is our new mantra when we get in the car to go somewhere. Sounds silly in my head, but it's become a great bonding activity for me and my girls this Holiday Season.

What is Pick Your Song?

It started in the car, we each pick a Christmas song. If that song is played on our way to wherever we're going, it's worth a point. Ta-da.

Great for all ages, flexible - you can change your song every time you get in the car or not - and a great distraction when the girls start being girls and picking at each other right when they get in the backseat ("move your bag", "stop looking at me", whatever the hormonal irritant is of the moment).

Brain Moments

Recently, I've had discussions again about how my girls have gotten "so smart". It's assumed that since I'm a teacher and brain-focused that it's easy for me/them and I must know what to do. What programs have I used? How much time do we spend on math facts or reading each night? How awesome it must be that I can "teach" my own kids. I can honestly say that they are smart-mouthed because of my husband and I, but their smarts are from development, not direct teaching.

We have never done a structured time for skill development in our house. We have never done flash cards that I can remember - though one of the girls' teachers did assign 10-20 min of math fact practice a night (that story is for another post :) ). We do have lots of brain moments though ..... anyone can, so I forget that it's anything special really. I definitely can't "teach" my own kids - I can only model. They have parent-as-teacher radar and it usually ends up as a "what do you know mom?" kind of moment so I choose them very carefully.

Use the Season for Brain Moments

Pick Your Song has become one of my favorite Brain Moments. Do not mistake - most of what I can call my genius brain moments have come from desperation and/or luck! We heard Frosty the Snowman on the radio at home one day and my younger daughter announced that she was sure she had heard that song "at least 100 times" already that day. Since she'd only been up for 45 minutes or so, that was surely an exaggeration which is something that we have been working on at our house now that we've hit the pre-teen "alwaaaaays" and "neh-ver" stages. Since I agreed that it felt like 100 times though, I felt her pain! Enter the A-ha Brain Moment. How often is it really played?

We don't have a system for keeping track of our points really, but I think the girls are in the process. We have laughed and chatted about Christmas songs now more that I ever could have imagined, but I could feel it mold into one of those bonding traditions when they designated we had to pick a song when we decorated the tree.

Why are they Brain Moments? Okay, I'll get out the jargon now:

Language:

Vocabulary - "what's a chestnut?", "what does goodwill toward men mean?"
Discussion including some of the deep stuff like goodwill, or words with multiple meanings
Critical Listening which has developed some social listening skills, and surprisingly a way for me to let my girls know that I think of them during the day and smile ("I heard your song today")
Remembering specific names of songs that all kind of sound the same
We have also corrected many mis-hearings of words (phonological awareness at work). Example: it's "Hippo Hero standing there"

Math/Science Skills = Technical Thinking:

Probability - "which song is played most?", "is there a time of day a song is played more?" (before school, after school, before bed...), "which song has more versions than others?"
Hypothesize/Estimate: What do you think - and then you can prove or disprove it. You can also change your theory without penalty, so always a chance.
For longer trips, we also guess how many times we think we'll hear it.
Graphing - we could, but haven't yet. We keep score in our heads really.
Using Data -data is not just a chart given to you to solve a problem. It's something you collect through observation or experiment. I might stick with a song because it's my favorite, or because I heard it yesterday, or it seems to be played the most. Using data to refine decisions is a skill I know my kids must have to be successful in life, but school is for direct teaching and tests - but I can definitely assess how my kids can do these things through experiences and help them develop the skills!

It supports all of our attention spans too, which is terribly hard to do at our house. We've also ended up with discussions about how more than one person can pick the same song because it's about hypothesizing. There isn't a specific right or wrong, which is an important skill for life, flexible thinking is a related technical term for that one.

Ties with reading: making predictions, making inferences, critical listening/language analysis, increasing background knowledge, rhythm and word memory......

Straight Up: These Brain Moments make neural connections in their brains that make other learning make more sense. The fact that they make our lives a little happier and easier along the way is just a major bonus!!!

Today's Find

2011-10-17T16:17:00.000-04:00

Running errands and car rides sometimes are more draining for me than a whole day at work. Three females, one confined space and generally I'm the only one operating on my agenda. Today's great find were some great big pads of advanced Look and Find that I found in the Bargain Space at a local Barnes & Noble. I got two and both fit in the pocket on the back of my passenger seat. They can use crayons, colored pencils or even just a pen or pencil which we generally have somewhere.

I got this one and one called Scavenger Hunt, but I couldn't find an image of that one. They also had dinosaurs, something princess-ish and a few pads that were learn to draw... I was excited about these look and finds because they help with visual discrimination and memory as well as have tons of stuff to do in each spread so it's not just a rush through and make a paper mess in the car.

We can also take them in when we eat at restaurants which I'm thrilled about since my older one is getting beyond the Kids' Menu games.

Wanna Play?

2011-10-16T22:16:00.000-04:00

Last week, I read an article that gave tips for communicating with children around 10. I do not remember which magazine it was other than one in the waiting area of our local haircut place, but I do remember that it had great suggestions. One of the tops was her explanation (I do remember that the author was a woman) that playing games can be a low-key way for kids to parents to gain insight into their children's lives. The game takes the focus and provides a venue for question-response-discuss that doesn't feel like a quiz bowl or hot seat for kids.

"Wanna play?" is one of the most common phrases around our house right now. We try to have games around to stimulate creativity, communication and just to have alternatives to TV/screen time. As both a mom and a teacher, I found myself nodding in agreement through the whole article, so I thought I'd post some of them. Enjoy!

Monopoly

We have the traditional game as well as a Junior edition but in all honesty, I usually cringe when the girls ask if we want to play Monopoly. I love the game, but playing with 8 and 10 year old siblings can be like standing on a balance board on a moving boat, or in other words, one of those "was I thinking when I agreed to this?" situations.

Monopoly Deal is one of our newest games. We've had it about 3 months and I'm not even sure if we know where the box is. My girls play almost every day. My older daughter is not always the most receptive to new, so introducing this game was quite an ordeal. The rules seem quite complicated until you play once or twice. After those first few times, she discovered this is her favorite game. In fact, she has played with her friends, with her sister and with our friends. It's also fun for us to play with our friends and I love to find games that we can play with the kids as well as with our friends since it takes up less cupboard space that way!

Basics

round typically takes 20-30 min
up to 5 players with one game
ages 8-adult
Affordable: $6-$7

Pros

portable (and can easily be played in a hotel room or even a restaurant)
builds problem solving skills
does not have tons of little pieces
calculator not needed
set instructions are written on cards
good for our varied attention spans
Action Cards and short rounds keep play varied

Icks

rules are challenging to interpret until it's been played a few times
keeping track that only three cards are played on each turn

My son has become a non-stop talking smart mouth! Is the age?

2011-10-10T19:28:00.000-04:00

I opened my inbox for my email and I had gotten an e-newsletter with the following heading. I don't have a son, but many days I feel I like this life!

My son has become a non-stop talking smart mouth! Is the age?

Allowance Management for Non-Dummies

2011-10-09T21:07:00.005-04:00

Whenever the topic of allowance comes up, my husband and I often feel like dummies.

How much do we owe them? When was the last time we paid them their allowance? Have they earned it? What should they be able to do with it? And, the killer - who has cash to pay them?

Neither of us are dummies. We are both successful in our careers and have multiple degrees, but we are often defeated by The Allowance. Well, my engineer husband came up with the winner for this one: FamZoo.

FamZoo

FamZoo is a virtual family bank designed to support parents in teaching their kids responsible money management skills. Parents set up chore lists, allowance distribution and parameters that fit the needs and values of their family. It includes features for long-term savings, setting for charitable giving, budgets and loans which makes it usable for any age child.

Background

We had tried using a calendar, using a chore chart, using an envelope to keep track of earned allowance, bonus chores and debits. When my job had gotten quite busy last year, I handed the reins to my husband. I was sick of arguing and being quizzed when we weren't near the calendar but looking at that shiny new object of the allowance-affection. The last straw was when they - they being 8 and 10 now, explaining to me that I was not fair because I never carried money so I was really lying to them every time I told them I'd pay them soon.

They weren't wrong. So I handed it over to the parent who is better with time management and details. He tried a spreadsheet and printed calendar. He ran into the same challenges and decided he'd start looking online for a better program.

Initial Reaction

I cannot tell a lie. I laughed inside for a brief moment of mom vs. dad justification - you know, the relief that it wasn't just me. Then, I huffed. "We're not stupid. Maybe we should dedicate some more focus to our kids and suck it up". Like we really needed to rely on technology for one more thing. What kind of example would that set?

Reality

Wow - when I asked it that way, I realized that I was being foolish. We use technology to maintain our bank accounts and other tools like our calendar, tasks, etc... We use our phones, our computers, wireless access, etc.... and should teach our children to do so wisely.

Okay, good for them (if we use it right). Good for us. Uh-oh, are we really going to buy one more software program? Nope. He found FamZoo online.

Pros

Automatic deposits for their allowance weekly. We have it set for weekly on Fridays I think.
Makes earning concrete rather than Mom and Dad are "making it up".
Can make notations with credits for Bonus Chores or debits for money they spend or Charges.
Can download an app for our phones so we have access away from home.
We established a charitable giving percentage and it's calculated weekly also.

Cons

I get asked for access to the internet more.
We still get quizzed when we're away from home (just found the phone app).
(another I cannot tell a lie) I can't fudge when I think they might have saved more than they need.

Barto Credits

Bonus Chores: chores that mom or dad usually do or have to do that can be done by the kids. Examples: I pay them Bonus for picking up (extra) after the dog; or folding towels and putting them away; picking up the branches after a storm.
Transfers: needing to pay her sister for items broken on purpose or over the top negligence OR periodically they do say they'll pay the other for help (so we make sure they follow through). ** do not include real "oops" accidents. Examples: when one used a toy that belonged to the other to see if something thrown off the playset would really break. She "didn't think it would", but she didn't want to use something of her own either; OR when one used a container that belonged to the other in an experiment and it "wasn't supposed to get ruined".

Barto Charges

Maid Service: they've been asked to take care of things more than twice or rooms are not cleaned by the "due date".
Referee Fees: arguments beyond the scope of adult patience that have continued after things have been discussed and worked out.
Diva Control: we work hard to help our kids develop techniques to calm themselves and problem solve. Sometimes, they just refuse - yeah, ADD or hormones, pick a day - so I let them know that they will be charged if they won't work with me after a while. This is really when I can't even take a Mom Time-Out because they follow me along perserverating about her sister looking at her funny, or always being treated unfairly.

The Barto FamZoo Experiment
As school started, we embarked on the next Barto Experiment with FamZoo. We have started on a Free Trial but fees are $30 per year ($2.50 per month). We're pretty sure that it's going to be worth the stress relief and I give my husband total credit - using the internet/computer wasn't a cop-out this time!!!

Today's Observations

2011-10-05T19:19:00.002-04:00

Now that my schedule has changed, I am able to take my girls to school everyday. Today's observation was from my 10 year old as we crossed an expressway: "When I look out over the trees like that, they look like a box of crayons. God's crayon box."

What an awesome start to my day!!!!

Being Superwoman Means Sometimes Not Doing It All

2011-09-19T20:27:00.006-04:00

What does it take to be a Superwoman or a Supermom? The real answer is that it is different in every home.

The most important facet is balance. Is there one or more things taking so much out of you that you're not on top of things somewhere else? Not the usual, behind some or needing to catch up. I'm talking about the "oh my goodness, will it never end" followed by the "how did I not get to that" with the dreams of lists and lists and drowning under a clock. And that being the everyday pattern for over 8 months. For me, there was the "mohhhh-m" everyday and that daily Linda Blair feeling. Life didn't need to be that way.

I will admit that I didn't really initiate the change to re-balance our Home World, but I did take the option when it opened up. A friend of mine posted the following last week (might be a quote from someone else, so if it is, sorry to the actual owner):

‎... that in order to move forward you must open yourself to new experiences. There is no failing, only results. Be courageous and push yourself to new heights. Besides, what is going to happen if you make a bad decision? - You will learn from it. The more results you make, the faster you will reach your destination...

My new experience brought: cutting my responsibilities about 85%; leaving the Principal's office returning to the classroom a bit; expanding our admin team by a smidge; and knowing that I am still part of an awesome team - just no longer in charge of it! Sure, it also included a significant decrease in our family income in a short period as well as a significant decrease in the responsibilities I enjoyed; but, the most important change was that it made my children grin ear to ear and jump for joy. I truly felt like Superwoman/Supermom. I'm very proud of that result so far!

Summer Update

2009-08-13T00:03:00.004-04:00

Agh! Like most moms, my time is not my own and it's amazing that you blink and summer is gone. It seems like yesterday, we were worried that Nic's struggles with blending would become serious reading problems and Ali was in diapers. Now, Nic is reading chapter books like a fiend and Ali is reading Level 1 readers. Ali hasn't even spent one day in first grade yet! What a different experience with this second child. As all siblings are, our girls are two very different individuals and it is awesome to be able to see each grow in her own direction and develop her own gifts to share with the world. It can also be exhausting - the listening, the structuring, the playing, the debating and the experiments!!!Aaaah, the experiments......

Today's journey to work consisted of leaving six kids in the house (one was the almost adult babysitter) and humming because I was headed out to work where it would be quiet - as I walked by Duncan our "new" toad and my punch bowl glasses on the porch. Apparently my glassware had been turned into mini-terrariums for some experiment..... the powers of imagination well at work. Which will win - the imagination or the glassware? Will I really care about the glassware in ten or fifteen years? Probably not; I'd just be leaving if for my girls if it survives anyway. Will I care if their imaginations had been nurtured? Absolutely!

Soooooo I went to work shaking my head, but still humming and smiling.

Celebrating Our Young Author!

2009-06-11T20:03:00.004-04:00

This winter, my older daughter has taken a shine to writing. She is showing strong talent and steadily creates and creates! She frequently includes words larger than she knows how to spell consistently and sometimes the b's are backwards or syllables get mixed, but that's all part of the drafting process (and that's what editors and/or moms are for anyway). We thought we'd share some of her writings here this summer (especially since I'm not really ready for her to have her own blog just yet). Enjoy!

Mummies of the Dead by Hamilton Jones (her pen name)
Age: 7 3/4

Started June 2009

(edited by reading to Mom; Typed by Mom )
Chapter 1: Finding Crime
There was once was a hero that did not really have crime to fight! His name was Croakeo. Now he went to find crime to fight with his crew. But he took half of it just in case crime fights the castle! So he brought his sister Snico along. She learned Kung Fu from her master HeeeHeee.

Croakeo went to a cave of cavemen that let them stay for the night. Snico did not trust them. “Croakeo I wouldn't trust them okay” Snico said. “There’s nothing to be be afra…” Croakeo did not finish the sentence because the cavemen roared because big fat army men were attacking the Croakeo’s army the cavemen were even helping the bad guys!

“Croakeo., where are you?!” Snico cried in fear.
Croakeo yelled back.

“I’m fighting behind you” Croakeo fiercely said. Croakeo’s army killed everyone just in time for night to come.

Just then Grrrrrrrrrr. Grrrrrrrrrr.

The army huddled together. Grrrrrrrr.

Even closer as it got closer Meow it was a kitten that scared them. Snico kept the kitten and named it Casa. Along they went still looking for battle.

“Snico was right we shouldn't have trusted them” sighed Croakeo. So on their journey continued.
Grrrrr. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Chapter 2: Fear of a Cry
Meow Meow “Casa what is it?” Snico asked as they stopped at a cave.

Just then is when we realized there were live creatures in there just then it grabbed Snico and Casa. Croakeo yelled “Attack!” But then, again they found crime.

“Attack!” and they attacked. After they fought some, they found they were fighting . . . . ANTS?

They were big ants too!!

Yes indeed, they found large ants. Snico and Casa darted off looking around and stopping to Grr and fight.

“Wait”, yelled a non familiar voice. Just then, of nowhere a cuckoo bird killed and ate the ants. The cuckoo bird was just about to attack the Army and Casa and Croakeo and Snico. and “Bang, Bang!”

Casa and Snico said., “What can’t a kitten and a girl help?”

“Grrr Grrrr Gr Grrrrr Grr Gr Grrr Grrrr” meowed and grred Casa.

Chapter 3: Attack of What? Flying Bombs!?
After the coincidence of the cuckoo bird coming at the same time as the ants, they still had to go on their really big journey. They were still looking to fight crime.
Then they stopped at a Lake. “Oh no! Now you stop us on our journey?”, snapped Croakeo.

Just then someone or something came shooting out of nowhere.

Guess what it was—flying bombs!

Flying bombs were coming from everywhere. On them it said “Prepare to do the tango dance”.

Again it happened, “Bang, Bang!”. "Fire Power!".

They all looked at Snico again and Casa again.

“Just helping like girls do” said Snico.

“Grrr Grrrrrr Grr Grrrr Gr”, Grred Casa.

Croakeo looked embarrassed that his cheeks were burning in redness.

Just then someone said “Fire Power!”
Then everyone was like “Fire Power!” too.

Croakeo easily got into it too.

Chapter 4: Girl Help

Stay Tuned!!......

Family Games: Dutch Blitz

2009-05-10T20:42:00.002-04:00

One of the things we have done consistently since the girls were small was to play games as a family. Not only is this important for quality time and sportsmanship skills, but for strategy development, sequencing, recognizing patterns, turn taking and following multi-step directions. One of our new favorites is Dutch Blitz.

It reminds me of Skip-Bo, but faster paced because you don't really take turns. All four of us play and we tweak the rules only a smidge for our kindergartener - instead of taking three at a time off her Wood Pile she can go through one at a time. Since we've only been playing for a few weeks, we also don't keep score yet, we just count the cards that make it in the middle.

The World of Chapter Books

2009-03-01T13:14:00.007-05:00

As my younger daughter is mid-way through Kindergarten, we are growing weary of picture books at bedtime. She struggles a little attending to chapter books without pictures and it's quite challenging to find early chapter books that my older daughter has not read or does not sneak off to finish during her reading time. I also struggle with what would be a good topic and strain to connect with both girls.

About a month ago, I just couldn't take looking for another picture book once more and decided we were going to start with chapter books at bedtime no matter what. The big question was where to start. I had run across Pippi Longstocking at the library and thought why not. I remember seeing the movie of Pippi when I was young and always marveled at her strength and independence. When the day was done, I was thankful for my family, etc.. but who wouldn't have wanted to have all the money they needed to buy candy and have adventures, not go to school and meet all sorts of interesting people all the time! But, I had never read the books that I could remember. I thought Pippi might be great for my girls even if she is a bit rambunctious.

We are in love! I find that there are enough layers to this straight-forward seeming story that we are all enjoying it. My husband and I alternate bedtimes and we're finding we miss the chapters that are read by the other and I often try to backread to catch up! My girls are big fans and Pippi could be enjoyed by boys as well. We laugh together, talk about what's a good idea and what's not, we talk about being nice to people and how sad it would be to not have a family. We were starting the second book before either of them even asked if there was a movie of Pippi! Interestingly, we've also talked about authors, Sweden, how publishers use excerpts in the front to show you part of the book and the table of contents. There are only three published Pippi stories though, so we're getting close to "what next"!!???!!!

Fun Finds
Making a Pippi Costume

Scrubbing Day (on YouTube)

Fast Food and Literacy

2008-08-17T23:22:00.005-04:00

I would love to say that my kids don't eat much fast food, but I'd be a liar - especially this week. My husband is remodeling our kitchen and had to rip everything out and start from scratch basically. He ran into a day and a half of unexpected electrical work, so when the kids and I returned on Friday, still no stove, microwave or sink. ARGH!

Anyway, back to Wendy's. As I said, we eat a lot more fast food than I would like and have enough of those little toys floating around underfoot that I feel I could start my own shop. BUT, I am thrilled with Wendy's right now because instead of adding to our plastic-movie minutia, they are increasing my children's literacy skills. I have to admit, I've been digging Arby's because not only can I find healthier choices often, but the kids meals tend to come with mini-books. This week however when we went to Wendy's we came with two happy kids and two Magic Treehouse books on CD!!!!!! I was thrilled - something I am happy to have and will want to keep. That was one of the best rides home from Wendy's ever and I have two new CD's stocked in the van. Wahoo!!

Pay Day

2008-07-18T22:12:00.004-04:00

Had our first "pay-day" for bonus chores this week. My older daughter did quite well and my younger one, who chose to not do bonus chores, not as much. Both were fine, but my older one has now saved up enough to get a webkinz like she wanted and, since they were on sale, she had an extra dollar to get a slush. She was not only excited, she was proud of herself. I was proud too and, for now, am loving this new system at our house.

My younger daughter realized that $3 was not going to get her too far, especially with the things she was looking at plus a slush and I have to admit that my heart broke for her a little when she was disappointed. She is only 5 after all; but, she didn't ask me to buy it for her anyway. That was awesome and very well worth it. She got her slush and put away her extra two dollars for a later day!

Allowance and Chores

2008-06-27T20:59:00.002-04:00

I wish I could say that I am organized enough that my kids get an allowance regularly or that we had a set system for how that works (I'm not sure why I wish I could say that, I just know I do), but I can't. Right now though, we seem to have found a system that is working well.

The girls earn $2 a week standard allowance (remember, they are 5 and almost 7 right now). They choose right now if they will save or spend it and when I give them their allowance I put a $ on the calendar so I remember when the last "payday" was. Then, if they would like to earn extra money, I have an envelope of Bonus Chores. Those are each worth different money values (.50 to 2.00) depending on how much I really don't want to have to do them myself. These are things like fold towels, clean up the yard (we have a dog), sweep and dust the basement, straighten shoes/coats in the basement, sweep and dust the playrooms, sort the recyclables...... then the girls added: water the garden, weed the flower beds and empty the compost pail. Any that are just reminders for mom or dad have Mom or Dad written on the slip of paper.

We have a small bulletin board by our computer where I post these and we've worked it out this way: the ones that need to be done ASAP, I tack up and then Dad and I take care of them as needed tool; they may also choose from the envelope and each girl has an envelope on the board. As she completes a chore, she puts the slip of paper in her envelope and on allowance day, we'll go through envelopes to see if they receive any extra. My oldest is saving for a skateboard and a new Webkinz and she seems to love these.

I have thought about it for a while and I think this is because she feels some sense of ownership in the chore because she chooses it herself. She has a great sense of accomplishment when she feels she can earn extra money like mom and dad and she is learning that she doesn't really get money for nothing, or whenever she thinks she "needs" something.

Also, I have not had to clean up dog poop for two weeks and she is excited to do it! We are all loving this and it is manageable for all of us. I see this system being around for a long time!

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus

2008-06-14T10:29:00.005-04:00

Okay, I know there is controversy over Hannah Montana right now - actually it's more like Miley controversy, but we are just getting into the Hannah phase at our house. My soon-to-be-seven year old is the real reason my newly five year old has been exposed, but the interesting part to me is that the younger one is much more enthralled with Hannah, in fact we had a Hannah Montana birthday party a few weeks ago for a group of 5 year olds. As a mom, I struggled with whether or not Hannah was too old for this group, but we have one of the CD's and as an educator-mom I have to say that the music on the CD is great for them. Positive lyrics, a good beat, keeps them up and moving and I can stand it too.

Miley
As for whether or not Miley is going down the wrong road, only time will tell truthfully. One article that I liked was by Shelly Palmer at the Huffington Post.

People are all bent out of shape about the "semi-nude," seductive picture of Miley Cyrus. As if somehow this photograph defiles this supposedly clean-cut, virginal 15-year-old role model/icon. If you look at it closely, you can argue that her expression is anything you want it to be. Put your fingers across the photograph to cover her body and if you look only at her face, she could be thinking or doing anything. It is non-descript in the extreme. Her back is bare. So what? Anybody with a long lens could catch a much more disturbing picture of her in a bikini at the beach.

The truth is, that none of my interpretation matters. The only thing that matters is what you think! What does this image say to you? Whatever it is - you are right. And, more importantly, you are entitled to your feelings and they are valid. That's what makes Annie Liebovitz an artist as opposed to a Paparazzi. She can evoke emotions from you that are under her control.

He goes on to ponder thoughts about society and presentation of 15 year olds. There are days I am truly amazed at the things 15 year olds read, watch on TV or see in the movies that is considered appropriate. There are girls posting pictures on YouTube or other sites that are TEENAGERS and they often have less on and in a much less artistically presented way than Miley in the Vanity Fair picture, and they are not making the front page outrage anywhere.

I'm not too concerned about my girls seeing the cover other than in the checkout and I'm not really sure they would recognize Miley on that cover. If they do, than that's a perfect time for me to talk to them about what is okay at our house and what is not. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a teenage star at any level, let alone the parent of one. All I know is that Billy Ray has made many good decisions in his career and one can only hope that he and his wife make good decisions for their children. That's all we can hope for anyone. As for me, though I will continue to keep an eye on people who influence my girls - as any good parent should - right now, I have to agree with Shelly Palmer:

. . I must remind everyone that there is not one single consumer in the Hanna Montana universe who reads Vanity Fair, or at least there wasn't until now.

Bella Sara on Nintendo DS

2008-04-12T16:01:00.002-04:00

Bella Sara is a phenomenon amongst 5-12-year old girls and has sold over 40 million trading cards worldwide since the series debuted in 2007. Each Bella Sara card features a fairytale-like illustration of a horse along with a positive and inspirational message for young girls, such as "Beauty comes from within" or "Be the hero in your own story". A unique code on every card activates a virtual horse that can be cared for in the Bella Sara online world at www.bellasara.com. The site, which features hundreds of virtual horses, a variety of age-appropriate casual games, customizable cottages, puzzles, colouring books, interactive stories and more has amassed more than 2 million registered users from 240 countries.

And, now Codemasters will be publishing Bella Sara video games for Nintendo DS and PC in the 4th Quarter of 2008!

Read more at: GameSpy

Kids Online

2008-04-11T13:13:00.003-04:00

I never imagined that I would have entered the world of worry over my kids being online with them being 6 and 4, but we started last fall. Our parental controls block quite a bit and they are only on a few sites, but this has peaked their interest in what else is out there - though the Shining Stars and Webkinz they got for Christmas really did the trick.

So now we're finding we had to investigate the chat features, teach the kids to log in and learning to speak (or at least comprehend) more kid lingo. Apparently, there are Little Kinz and what must be Big Kinz? TY has their own online pets now and my older daughter has ventured into Bella Sara, which tops my faves I must say! Here's what I've figured thus far:

Bella Sara
Bella Sara is an on-line world of horses. It started in Denmark and is now in 19 other countries.

You purchase trading cards that girls can collect, trade or play games with and each card has a code on it that activates a horse in her stable on the website. When she visits her horses, she needs to clean the stable, brush and feed the horse. Each horse has it's own inspirational message and there are 5 different series of cards now I think. Each one has it's own theme, like Norse gods or Native American tribes. . . and there are games and a bazaar on the site. Girls can earn horseshoes (currency) which they can spend in the bazaar to buy things for their ranch at their cottage. They can also earn trophies through the games.

It was designed for girls so it's full of pink and purple, but the colors are peaceful and the music is pretty mellow. It's not overstimulating and well-organized to get around the site.

Of course, the horses are amazing! There are also different types - some are pegasus, some are seahorses, and most are land horses. The artwork of each horse is magnificent and I find myself looking at them almost as much as my daughters. I also like that there isn't a chat feature, so when they are visiting Bella Sara, they are safe and I know for sure what they are doing.

One of my favorite things so far has been an indirect result. My 1st grade daughter has one friend at school who also has Bella Sara cards, but when she started to get doubles of cards instead of trying to trade with her friend, she gave them to her little sister because she knew she didn't have any yet. Now anytime she gets a pack, I remind her that she might get some she already has and she tells me, "That's okay. I'm lucky I have a sister I can give them to if I already have them. Then she can play too".

The Era of the American Girl

2008-04-09T17:30:00.003-04:00

The world of the American Girls has met the world of Barto. For each of the girls' second birthdays, Grandma got them an American Girl doll. Thus, Sally & Katie entered our family . . . . and lived under blankets and Dora toys. . . . Katie got to have purple marker tatoos once (when the girls discovered temporary tatoos) and the trundle bed has been repaired from experiencing a moment as a chair for a two-year old visiting boy. When Sally was added to the family - with baby buggy, Coconut (the white dog), and gymnastics outfit, Nicole received the cowgirl outfit and the Horse (Kaya's horse I think).

Now, it's been almost five years after Katie's arrival, 3 years after Sally's) and many of my own mini-anxiety attacks over the care of these wonderful (but expensive) investments, it's official. The American Girls are gaining priority over the Little People and Dora the Explorer. My girls are starting to get a little glimpse of the care needed for these items and for this new found appreciation, I thank the American Girl Store in Chicago!

We took the train down for two days of Spring Break this week and Nicole made sure to bring some of her allowance money she's saved up. She discovered just how far $15 can go in the American Girl Store, as well as how much more is out there. Both girls were in awe and selected birthday presents for their sisters as their dad sat on a plush bench wondering where he lost control of Tuesday afternoon.

And, me . . . I walked around shaking my head over the cost of everything, smiling as I saw the quality and types of materials that came with the dolls and in awe as I realized that I would've been in heaven if they had had those when I was a kid. These blow away Cabbage Patch Kids and Strawberry Shortcake in the scope of the play and learning that "comes with the package".

We're talking appreciation and access to history, reading, different levels of involvement so we can add "levels" as the girls get older and the dolls will then have more staying power. Katie and Sally can shift to a displayable collectible when the girls really get out of the doll stage and through those years, they can learn a lot too. The American Girl books and products promote positive thoughts and can help my girls keep a solid self-image. There are topics that will be interesting to them through the years and don't promote so much video game time, computer time or makeup. There's not the pressure to grow-up too early or focus on materialness that comes with some other products. All the body parts require no extra explanation and the videos and books do not include the bickering, boy-crazed slang slinging that I don't want coming out of my children's mouths for as long as I can avoid it anyway!

That said, to be able to own a doll or even an outfit requires some commitment to materialness as they are certainly not for the light-spender. $20+ for an outfit?? $40 for a matching sweatshirt for my soon-to-be 5 year old who will wear it for one or two years????? Ugh! And, how do I teach my kids to care for these special friends when I'm not too sure myself. So, I turned to the Net.

Unfortunately, I didn't find too much help for my questions. I found some basic care information on the American Girl Site and some information about the company, but I was looking for a little more.

I Goodsearched American Girl and came up with some reviews, the official website, some news reports and some fan blogs or myspace sites. I didn't wander too far and didn't go into any parenting bulletin boards because I tend to get lost. But those usually come up with a search anyway. So where're the resources for the new parents of American Girl dolls? I tried the FAQ section of the main site and all of the answers were for using the website, ordering, etc.... so, we'll see what the web brings out.

Information Needed
Here's some of our current questions for other parents of American Girl Girls:
* What kind of hairbrush are we supposed to use to comb their hair?
* What's up with the string hanging from the back of their necks? Are we supposed to cut it off after purchase, you know, like the tag on a mattress?
* Do people really buy multiple dolls for the same child? (Dumb question I know, but I have to ask anyway!)
* What is the proper attire for having brunch with your doll-friends?

If you can help, thanks! And, thanks too to Pleasant Rowland for her brilliant idea 20 years ago. I love having something to look forward to sharing with my girls as they grow up!