Yellow & Green, Tot School Week 3 (18 Months)

This mommy has been having a rough couple of weeks. We've had some crazy weather here in Arkansas and it's made my fibromyalgia act up. I've been in a constant flareup for months now and the doctors can't figure how to help me out of it. I've changed meds tons of times, tried physical therapy, tried old stuff and new stuff. Nothing seems to help. It's been hard for me to take care of Tripp some days. I'm very lucky, though. He's a FABULOUS child and can entertain himself for hours playing. I've been trying to work some Tot School things in here and there.

This week we focused on yellow and green. He seemed to pick up colors much faster this week than when we started. He had a lot of fun lining again!

He also had fun playing with yellow and green mega bloks, and picked up each color correctly when I asked.

And he successfully put the yellow and green bears in their respected cups.
 

 

Next week, we'll be working on some more fine motor skills, and going over all the colors we've learned so far. Hopefully I'll be feeling a little better.

Red & Blue 2, Tot School Week 2 (18 Months)

Since Tripp didn't get very far with figuring out red and blue last week, I decided to keep all my Tot School planning from last week the same to focus on the same colors, then change it up next week. I didn't take very many pictures this week because we were repeating a lot of what you saw last week. And because I was having a HORRIBLE fibromyalgia flareup that lasted most of the week. I had a hard enough time keeping up with Tripp to worry about the camera!

I'm happy to say Tripp made some progress with red and blue this week! It happened with the counting bears, which he can't get enough of! The bears and the sensory basket are his most favorite "school" toys to date.

He finally put the red bears in the red cup. Although he much preferred to put ALL the bears in the red cup, then put the blue cup on top and shake them up like he was making a martini! (He's never seen that in this house, I promise!)

I couldn't get him to put the blue bears in the blue cup, though. He would put all the red ones in the red cup. Then he'd add all the blue ones. I could tell he was getting tired of our purposeful play, so I started gathering up our Tot School toys. When I turned back around I found this:

He put the blue bears ON the blue cup! Close enough for this mommy!!!

We also had fun pushing poms! I took an empty snack container, cut a hole in it, then burned the edges to make them smooth. I made it just a little smaller than our poms. I had plans to mod podge scrapbook paper around it, but it hasn't happened yet! He's also figured out how to open the lid on his own, pull out poms, and put the lid back on.

 The sensory basket is still a favorite. I added some heart shaped bracelets I found on another dollar store journey. He had fun with the new addition, and was surprised to see them there. He put them on his arms, but his favorite was putting the small plastic hearts inside the bracelets.

 Be sure to tune in next week. We'll be working on yellow and green. :)

Long Time, No See...

Well, it's been a while!!! It's been a rough few months for me. I've been in a lot of pain. My fibromyaliga is getting worse, or there's something else wrong with me altogether. I've been to a bunch of doctors, and had a bunch of tests done in the last 6 months. Not to mention the last two months I've had very limited functionality in both hands, which has made computer time hard for me. I start physical therapy again next week, and I'm going through a round of steroids now. They haven't done much good in the past, but I'm hoping they'll help with my hands at least.

Tripp just had his 18 month checkup, and he's doing perfect. We've finally gotten out of the 25% in weight, which he's been at since birth (which of course, is normal and ok). He's on up to the 50%! He's also well advanced in language, saying 26 words and 5 sentences. Which has given me some new inspiration.

I've been looking over this site the last couple of months since I came across it in a Facebook mommy group called 1+1+1=1. She's a SAHM who homeschools her children, and has been blogging for a while. She has a wealth of information on her site about homeschooling, which Glenn and I plan to do, including something she calls "Tot School" for children age 3 and under. Basically, it's purposeful play with your toddler, teaching through playing. She's got tons of printables, and lots of great ideas which are being used "real world" with her own kids. She's also got a degree in Early Eduction, so she's got a teaching background on her own.

Glenn and I already do a lot of "purposeful play", but there are a lot of great ideas out there, and lots of new things I can do with my Little Sponge to help him learn and grow. I also feel like it will help me prepare for homeschooling in general. So, I've been preparing some stuff to start Tot School on Monday. :) I'm very excited to start this journey with my Little Man, and I hope to be blogging about it, as well.

Pin-Up.... WERK! (and new furniture)

So, we've had an interesting weekend here at our house. One of the many crazy and varied "jobs" I do to be able to stay home with my son full time is teaching Pin-Up Parties. The first part of the party, I teach how to do pin up style makeup, including putting on false eyelashes. Then I teach how to do different pin-up hairstyles. Victory Rolls, Bettie Page Bangs, pin curls, how to roll your hair in sponge rollers, etc. Following that, I set up three areas in my home to do pin up style photography. And I take a ton of pictures of the girls who want that done.

Something I haven't mentioned yet, I have fibromyalgia. So days like yesterday really, really exhaust me and make me freaking SORE. The last party I did (before I was pregnant with the Munchkin) I did everything myself. That was a huge mistake. So I called for reinforcements for the party yesterday. My awesome and very good friends, the Diamond Dames (the Little Rock burlesque troupe) came to help with the hair and makeup class. My fabulous husband was my gaffer (fancy word for "light-setter-upper"). My Munchkin stayed next door with my mother and grandmother. I'm so thankful to have had the help. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back in the swing of things.

To make things even crazier, we had SO MUCH to do in setting up the house for the party, not including the serious deep cleaning that had to be done. The sets were our bedroom, our kitchen, and our office/library was cleared out as a "blank room" for various props. The bedroom was the easiest. Fresh sheets and a made up bed, clearing off our bedside tables, and making up the bed really pretty. The kitchen, I had to clear off everything that wouldn't belong in a 1940's kitchen and find a place for it out of the way. You know, things like the coffeemaker, toaster, electric can opener, etc. The office, I had to clear out three chairs, some plastic drawer sets, and my desk. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except on a trip to Sam's Club on Friday with my mother, I decided to swing over and check out this furniture the hubby and I have been saving up for.... and it was on clearance. So I asked someone about it. They didn't have any in stock. Just the floor model. So I asked what kind of discount I could get on the floor model, if I took that. During all this exchange, I was texing the Hubs to see if there was ANY way we could buy it now. The associate came back with an offer for the floor model... which was HALF OFF the original price. So I bought a beautiful overstuffed couch, chair and ottoman. All leather. All BEAUTIFUL. For $649.

Of course, the Hubs wanted to go pick up the furniture that day (I did, too), which means not only were we storing all the office furniture in the nursery, now we had to get a couch and a loveseat in there, too. Plus there was all the time of going to get a truck, then going to get the couch. Taking that home, then going BACK to Sam's to get the chair and ottoman. Did I mention it was raining, too? Thankfully, not enough to stop us. I was so happy we were able to go ahead and buy it. It's the best furniture the hubby and I have ever owned. And the first NEW furniture I've ever owned. Hopefully it will help my back, because our last couch was REALLY hurting my back. It was getting a little too worn out.

Now, I just have to go through a few hundred photos this next week so I can get all the girls their photos. At least I can do it on a comfy couch or chair!!!