Adventures in Being

Yes, I am a huge fan of Little Einsteins!
From the classical music and art to the places they go, Oh My!

I recently found our newest "Pat, Pat" treasure at our local bookstore for the wonderful price of $3.99! (On Ebay they have one for $17! Why?!)

The book, is a 22 page storybook with photos in steps for drawing. This little book is being enjoyed to the fullest! Below is a rendition of the face of one of our all time favorite music composers. Notice the eyes, nose and mouth.

This past weekend Papai and Ashley went to Home Depot for a few goodies and among them brought home a miniature measuring tape for little Ms. Abby. For the remainder of the day she measured everything from the sofa arms and doorways to our legs and feet, the plates and pieces of chicken - you name it and she measured it!

How better to instill a life long love for math than to make it a daily discovery and part of play.
Thank you Papai and Ashley!

I can hardly wait for December!

While I thoroughly enjoy every season, Christmas has to be my favorite. This past weekend Ashley and I purchased an Eric Carle Advent Calendar!!

There is an accompanying book called Dream Snow from which the calendar was made. This will be our next purchase!

Summary of both:
"It's almost Christmas and it hasn't snowed yet. As the farmer naps on his small farm, he dreams of being covered in a gentle blanket of new snow. Then, one by one, he dreams of each of his five animals (aptly named One, Two, Three, Four, and Five) being covered as well. When he awakens, he discovers that real snow--not dream snow--has fallen. And "Oh my! Oh my! I almost forgot," the farmer shouts, and, bundling up, hurries out to his tree (named Tree) with a box and a sack, looking remarkably familiar in his white beard and red suit. After decorating Tree, the farmer shouts "Merry Christmas to all!" and pushes a button for a surprise Yuletide jingle."

Melissa & Doug are one of our favorite children's lines for quality educational toys.


"This brightly colored wooden train is over 17 inches long and includes 18 interchangeable pieces to get any child's imagination rolling! The solidly built engine and two freight cars have sturdy pegs for linking the cars and stacking the colorful wood "cargo" blocks. Get on board for a high-quality, value-packed adventure!"

Among the lessons to be learned while playing with this delightful toy: colors, shapes, numbers, hand/eye coordination and I am sure there are others. :D We all enjoy sitting down and playing with this new addition to our collection.
Be sure to click on the photo to go right to their site. And always check your local TJ Max for great discounts on this and other children's toy lines.

I think wipe off books are amazing! (Be sure to click on the photo of the book to see many more options.) Hours of learning while playing and when you are finished, simply wipe the page clean and you are ready to go again!

Who knew you could learn so much from making Rice Krispie Treats!?

This is a simple and yet enjoyable way to teach and or reinforce a wide variety of things, such as colors, counting, pairs, matching, sorting etc.

Patterns and Sequencing:

Patterns and sequencing are such a crucial part of life at every stage. As a parent, I am always looking for ways to incorporate patterns and sequencing into our every day lives. One of our favorites involves the dishwasher and eating utensils. I will place a fork, knife, and spoon in their respected "places" and then hand Abby a hand full of mixed utensils with directions to sort and match them to their partners. Not only is she learning patterns and sequencing, but also the skill of listening and following directions.

What are some of the methods you use to teach basic lessons to your little ones or not so little ones?

Below are several links you may be interested in for all ages. Please be sure to share your favorite sites as well!

Fun Brain: This site is a true treasure chest for grades K-8. You will just have to visit the site to see what I mean. It is amazing!

LINKS Learning: Just like the letters in our alphabet teach us how to speak, read, and write; so math is a language of its own which teaches us a language of patterns and symbols. I personally have learned a lot from this site!

AAA Math: Basic Math Skills, Unlimited Interactive Practice, Explanations and Examples, Challenge Games - Be sure to scroll all the way down this page and explore the site in general. At first glance I was not impressed but once I explored some I really like this site!