Memory Game. An Update.

In my first blog post, I mentioned how I've used the Original Memory® Game as an educational game. This game has been through a lot in our house and continues to provide endless learning opportunities. You may or may not remember the latest idea I wanted to try: use the cards to teach categories. Well, there's a little update.

What you need

For this game, we only use one of each pair. I knew there was a reason why I kept all the cards that have lost its pair. At any rate, before calling the boys over, I set aside various categories from the cards: food, bugs, animals, things that fly, things with wheels. Plus, I add one item to each group that does not belong in the category.

How to play

1. Set out the cards for the category, plus the card that does not belong. Start with something more simple, like "foods."
2. Talk to your child about what items are there. Here, you can be overly obvious. You can talk about the colors, the sizes what they are. 
3. Initially, you may have to coach them through. Ask, "Can we eat some of these?" They will likely say, "YES!!!" Then, point to each one and ask if that item can be eaten. I promise you, they will laugh when you get to the obviously wrong one. I asked, "Can you eat an airplane?" After the giggles subsided, they shook their heads, "No, Mommy. That's silly!! You can't eat airplanes." Follow up with, "Does this belong with the other foods?" You will help them say, "No."
4. Quickly move on to the next one. This is why I suggest having all your categories ready. It keeps their attention.

The boys, specifically Regus #1, really love this. He has even chimed in on creating his own categories, as well. It's so much fun to see their little brains getting a workout. Plus, they think I'm pretty funny when I ask if you can "eat" an airplane.  See, I'm not always so serious.

I've found that the Original Memory® Game is the most versatile, as they are not movie related. I've heard that some of the movie versions are actually hard because there are only slight variations between the different pairs. That sounds cool, but I like that I can get so much more value out of the original version by sorting by color and category. I really shouldn't slam another version until I try it. Well, I guess that means I'll be on the lookout for a clearance-priced Memory® game.

What other ways do you like to teach categories?

Card games are everywhere

I love how card games provide an opportunity to promote good sportsmanship skills and healthy competition. Someone wins and someone loses. As a parent, it's my job to help my kids navigate those feelings of winning and losing — hopefully inspiring them to continue to work hard to win again the next time they play.

Earlier, I posted a kids' version of the UNO game — using regular UNO cards. Well, this has been a HUGE hit in our house. The boys love playing several rounds of this a day. Hubby (the math wiz of the house) came up with an awesome way to use the cards to teach number placement. Alas, I'll save that for another post... let the anticipation begin! At any rate, my boys (geniuses, really... I'm only slightly biased) found away to apply the concept of the UNO game (matching color and number) to the Candy Land game, which is another favorite.

What you need

• Candy Land cards (Picture cards optional. They can be used as a "wild" card, if the children can understand that concept).
• Space on the floor or on a table.
• 2-4 players.

How to play

• Deal 5 or 7 cards to each player. Have each player line up cards in front of themselves. Use 5 cards for a shorter game.
• Place remaining cards in center and flip over the top card into the discard pile (like UNO).
• The first player must match the number of squares or the color on the top card.
• The next player does the same.
• If a player can not match the number, he or she must draw a card from the center pile. If that card matches the discard pile, then he or she may play the card. If not, the play goes to the next person.
• When a player has one card left, he or she must shout, "CANDY LAND!" This was the boys' idea. Hubby suggested that they say, "UNO;" but Regus #2 was adamant that they say, "CANDY LAND!"I love it!
• The player that uses up all his or her cards wins! This will last longer than you might expect.

Encourage the other players to congratulate the winner. Here, it's usually High 5's all around the table. The winner should reassure the other players that they will eventually win, too.  It's so rewarding to see my boys cheering for each other. I pray that we can continue this, as they mature.


What card games do your kids like to play?

Learning to count and learning to slow down

When I first started teaching colors, numbers, and letters to Regus #1, he was about 2 1/2 (and Regus #2 was around 6 months). Teaching concepts to a toddler and having a newborn was initially daunting for me. Then, I thought about other friends and family that had many more kids than I did, and they clearly figured out how to do teach their toddlers with a baby in tow. I don't know that I figured it out, but I just made do.

Initially, I tried teaching him about numbers and pairs and colors (the basics) at the kitchen table. If you were paying attention, you're probably laughing now... trying to get a 2 1/2 year old boy to sit still at the kitchen table is pretty hilarious. I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong... he just didn't care to learn. Was there something wrong with him? Was there something wrong with me? Yes, it was a downward spiral. It's laughable now, but I was distraught then. After some searching, I found a great online curriculum: Brightly Beaming Resources. This site was put together by another mom. She has shared some basic curriculum for teaching children of all ages (from babies to elementary ages). From reading over her ideas, I found that I was trying to cram in too much information each day. Instead, I starting covering a few concepts (one letter, one color, one new word) a week at a time. Plus, I ditched the table as our place of learning. Now, I was using toys, books, and household items to teach him. One of her tips is to have a "learning board" that covers everything you cover that week. I used a cork board, and it was (and still is) his favorite part. When we finished something, he was eager to post it on the board. Then, when Daddy came home, he would pull him over to his board to show what he learned that day. He was really having fun! And I was no longer pulling out my hair.

It was at this point that he was really struggling with counting. I couldn't get him to go past the number two. Uh, oh... time to get frustrated again. Not this time. The search began for something or some way to teach him.

He loves to be moving. Can I use this movement to help him?

After scouring through his toys, I found these toy screws. As you can see, I stood them up on the screw head. Next, I asked him to say a number, as he was knocking each one down: one, two, three. After demonstrating, he tried it; and he said, "One, Two, THREE!!" I think I cheered for several minutes. He did it!! Normally, I would rush to the next number. Instead, we stayed on the number 3 for a whole week. Everywhere, we found sets of 3 things and counted them. At the grocery store, let's find 3 apples. In the kitchen, let's find 3 spoons. Outside, let's find 3 pine cones. He was having a blast, and I was honored to watch him love to learn.

At 5 years old, he's now counting to 100. His favorite thing to do right now is reading the house numbers on mail boxes. If we've been to your house, he knows your house number... so funny!

I must give recognition to a friend for helping me get him to 100. We both had the 1-100 number chart, but I could never keep him focused. She suggested using a flashlight to point to each number, as he says it.

Boy + dimly lit room + flash light = A winning combination

It worked like a charm to keep him interested. Thanks, Stephanie!!

I'm learning to embrace the constant motion that defines boys. Don't push it aside or try to stop it. Use it to fuel their love to learn. They really do love to learn!

Date Night: Almost On Purpose Style

As a stay-at-home mom with two boys and a plan to get out of debt, "date nights" seem to be a little too rare these days. This Saturday, hubby and I unexpectedly found ourselves without the boys. The boys wanted to play with their cousin, and we were shoo'ed out of the house for a couple of hours. Um... what are we supposed to do now?

At first, we wanted our impromptu date night to be filled with errands that we normally can't do with the boys. That didn't seem to work, since we've been working on taking the boys with us everywhere (in an attempt to make them act civilized in public). Next, we went into "Where do you want to go?" "I don't know. You decide" mode. Clearly, we were getting nowhere... FAST!!! You'd think that in striving to be organized, I'd at least keep a running list of all the places we'd want to go in town. Nope! I'm not nearly that prepared for life. So... the flip-flopping continued. We decided we'd at least start driving somewhere.

Where did we end up? None other than Starbucks. Ah, yes... when you run out of ideas, surely there is a Starbucks nearby. Hubby recently got his Starbucks Gold card and was eager to use it. OK, coffee in tow... what now? Since we didn't know what to do, we decided to take a leisurely stroll around the shopping center. Ah... that's more like it. We just needed a chance to walk without chasing down our boys or try to find them lurking in the garment racks. It was nice. to. relax.

Next, we headed over to a department store and dared each other to try on at least one outfit that we would not normally select for ourselves. We had a blast! I even got hubby to try on a purple pinstriped shirt. He looked AWESOME! He was surprised that it looked nice. I even ended up getting a cute shirt out of the deal... sweet! It did take some coaxing on hubby's part.

We stopped by a few more stores and gawked at the 80s clothes on the racks being touted as the "latest fashions," and then decided to find something for dinner. Hmmm.... what to eat? We decided on a little Greek restaurant we've been wanting to try because we wanted something different. It was great to have a conversation with my hubby that didn't revolve around dinosaurs and light sabers. We talked about our hopes and dreams. It was wonderful. I was smiling like we were on one of our first dates. When we were first dating, we always smiled so much that our cheeks hurt. Yes, we were that cheesy couple. I'll have to save our story for another post.

After dinner, we took our time getting back to pick up our youngest son. It was a beautiful evening, and it was all unplanned. For me, that was a feat in itself. We realized that we do need to carve out small moments of time to be with one another. Normally, we only see each other after we've put the boys to bed and have crashed on the couch in front of the TV — clearly not the best place for developing great conversations. No one said a marriage was easy, but it is so worth it! I'll take a date night any way I can get it... even if it wasn't at all on purpose.

Foodie Friday: Why I love to cook

Something about cooking brings a smile to my face. I think it is the memories I have created with my Mom and other family members. The kitchen is a place of give and take… and lots of good conversation. In the small kitchens I grew up in, two cooks were the max. Even then, you had to get along (or just be nice) with the other cook, or you’d be driving each other nuts!

My cooking adventures began when I was 6 or 7, when my Mom recruited me to help peel the potatoes for some kind of side dish. I do not remember the side dish, just the awful work for peeling potatoes.

Honestly, why do I have to do this? There really is a law against child labor, right?

My motions with the peeler weren’t nearly as smooth and purposeful, as hers; and I really couldn’t hold onto the potatoes all that well. I just wanted to give up. I was a failure! Well, my mother didn’t let me off quite so easily.

After a few pointers on how to hold the potato and a simpler, peel-away-from-your knuckles technique, I finally got a little faster. Granted, mom could still peel 2 to 3 potatoes in the time it took me to do one. At such an early age, my mom was so patient with me.

Looking back now, I see that moment as my Mom welcoming me into the kitchen as a sous chef. Albeit, she would always let me help mix the cake batter or lick the brownie spoon. However, this time was different. I was apart of the meal-preparation process. To this day, my favorite part of cooking is the prep work: chopping and peeling. Give me a chef's knife and some veggies, and I'm a happy girl.

One of my first cookbooks was a handy-me-down from my Mom. I think it was a Betty Crocker’s cookbook for kids. It was spiral bound with illustrations from the fifties. I still love spiral-bound cookbooks because they lay nicely on the counter – you don’t have to use your elbow to hold the page open when your hands are too dirty to touch the book – but I digress.

One year, for Mother’s Day, I desperately wanted to make my mom the heart-shaped cake out of that cookbook… all by myself. I don’t know if it was out of pity or just not wanting to eat my cooking, she helped me. I was so proud of being able to make a cake. I don’t remembered how it tasted but that the adventure was just so much fun!

Although I don't get to cook with my Mom very often, it is a special time for us. We share stories, laugh about the day, or just use the time to relax. I am very blessed to have such amazing in-laws. It has been an honor to cook alongside my husband's grandmother. I feel like she is sharing history with me, when we cook together. I pray that I can pass down this tradition to my children.

When did you start cooking? Do you have a favorite memory?

Re-usable bags

Before I get started, just wanted to let everyone know that I finally set up a facebook page for my blog, and I hope you "like" it. Plus, there is a link in the sidebar of this blog to get to the page, too.


On to the bags... I like finding unique uses for bags. My husband can tell you that I have way too many bags. Mind you, they are not purses. I have only a few of those. I'm talking about messenger bags, makeup bags, toiletry bags, overnight bags... you name it, I like it. Well, I'm trying to cut back on this excessiveness and only keeping those bags that can be used for more than one purpose. Sigh. Ok, I'm done with my pitty party. Now, on to the challenge!

Today, I'd like to focus on those clear bedding bags. Many of us have one size or another, whether for the comforter, duvet set, sheet set, or valances. In the past, I've always used them to store other bedding items. Not very inventive, I know.

 

Over the past few months, I've found several uses for them. The obvious choice is for storing out-of-season or, as in my case, maternity clothes. No, I'm not pregnant; but we are hoping to have more in the future. 

Ok, on to the another use... for a smaller bag, we've started putting all our "learning time" (AKA school) stuff in one bag. That way, we can take the fun stuff wherever we need it. Plus, it prevents us from scattering the school items all over the house. So far, we just store some of the smaller games (alphabet tiles and alphabet bingo), activity books, phonics books, and my lesson planner.

I'm also rediscovering my love of sewing and craft projects. With sewing, comes lots of odds-and-ends fabrics; and I love the remnant bin! I can use the bags to store similar fabrics.

The photo (it's fuzzy, sorry) below shows these three uses: clothing storage (large bag in back), school supplies (smaller bag in front with red trim), and fabric remnants (medium bag in front). Since they are clear, it's easy to see what is inside.

Oh, just had another idea... for the dancer in your family, you can store all the extra tights, leotards, and shoes for safe keeping. Plus, if you have a year-end performance, you can just stick that clear bag into her performance bag. That way, you'll have an emergency bag for the inevitable snagged tights or broken shoes. Been there. Done that!

Do you have these bags at home, too? What do you like to store in them?

The bright side of the terrible-two's (or three's)

Screaming fits. Unpredictable moods. No, I'm not talking about a teenager. It's a toddler going through the terrible two's. Keep in mind that it doesn't always happen at two. My first one was a terrible two, and my second was a thrashing three (and I hope we're almost through it).

Now to the title of today's post: How can there be a bright side? Well, let's think about why it is happening. Our children are gaining more control over their bodies and voices. They are testing and trying, and this is a good (no, GREAT) thing. They are exploring the world around them. However, they can't always master everything the first time. They often get frustrated. Sometimes it's hard to see past the grumpy kids, but we are guiding them through these new freedoms  and obstacles in their lives.

I've recently finished reading Dr. Meg Meeker's Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons. To me, it was not the typical parenting book because it didn't talk about discipline techniques. Instead, she just shared the physical and psychological facts about boys and tips on how to help them grow into well-adjusted men. Albeit, I did get lost in some of the medical studies. However, it really made me appreciate my boys.

I grew up with three brothers, and I believe it's no accident that I have been blessed with boys. Going from a sister to a mother does have quite a few differences. With that said, I'm pleasantly reminded of my childhood when I watch my boys fight off the dragons in the backyard with their blazing swords (a few aptly selected twigs). I love watching them carefully inspect a new limb that was knocked out of the tree by the previous night's storm. They circle it, trying to imagine how it fell down and what creatures might be lurking inside. Regus #1 is my tinker-er, my engineer. He's always trying to make a new gadget. This makes him SO much like my middle brother. I'm thankful for this because I love getting tips from him on how to make games for him or ways to challenge him. Regus #2 is my thinker. He'd rather think his way through something. Often, this prevents him from being a little more adventurous, but it's adorable!


I look forward to the next challenges and victories with my boys.