Lovin' Ed Emberley

Middle Man has always loved Ed Emberley but lately he has become quite the enthusiast! He is so proud of this drawings. Here's one: I'm happy something interests him that doesn't require too many supplies and is also portable! This book is one of the many Ed Emberly books available and it is so much fun.
PEACE
MM

Happy Hat Day! ART+PLAY

With only one more Art+Play class left before we break for summer, today was ton o' fun. We made paper bag hats! Using paper shopping bags we decorated them with pom-poms, pipe cleaner curls, ribbon, and colored paper. Some were more extravagant than others but everyone left with a very fun funky hat. I think the parents may have enjoyed this project even more than the kids! I can't believe Art+Play is almost over. I am going to miss these kids so much and their parents. I've enjoyed playing and creating with them but most of connecting. Being a parent can be lonely at times, we worry if we are doing well, if we will ever be able to finish a sentence again, if in gaining this amazing person (people) if the part of us we loose will ever resurface? A deep reflection maybe, but connecting with other parents of young children, even ones you only see once a week for an hour, is so important for one's sense of self.
I hope you are able to finish a thought today. It took me over an hour to post this! While typing the following happened:
I changed a poopy diaper, made a cup of tea, made two lunches to go,
I finally got my oldest son to add his contribution to Dad's father's day gift before he caught the bus, my husband came home from work (yes, at 6:30AM) and went to bed, I helped Middle Man with his science homework, unclogged a temperamental toilet, drank 1/4 of my now cold tea, un-stuck an unfortunate toddler from under the dinning table where he found himself stuck and screaming, looked up the weather report on line to know what Middle Man should wear for school because even though his bus doesn't come for another hour he is SO excited about school today that he wanted to be dressed and ready to go....
let's see I imagine more than that happened but that's what isn't a blur. Did I mention I only had a 1/4 of my cup of tea? Now it's 7:06am....I hope you get to finish a HOT full cup of whatever gets you going this morning. The point of this post was to share how much I appreciate connecting with other parents...
In PEACE,
MM

Another 7 Favorite Blogs

Here is another list of some my favorite blogs. I have so much admiration for people who share of themselves with the world. It's such a gift to connect with so many interesting and talented people simply by moving and clicking a computer mouse about.

Here is this month's list and the reasons why I think you should check them out also:

Everyday Unitarian: If only we lived closer! Some Sundays I don't actually pull it together and go to church but thanks to this spiritual Mama I can stop by her blog instead. I've always felt living the seven principles of the UU faith to be a tall order; this talented and prophetic writer challenges me to live the principles and to examine the way I take care of our earth, raise my family and voice my concerns and opinions. With grace and humor she informs and makes me aware. I am so thankful for her.

Doobleh-vay: This lady knows how to write! This mom of three, entertains and inspires me weekly. Check her out when you want to test your song lyric skills or learn how to make fabulous shadow puppets. She makes me smile every time.

The Write Start: Being that I am a visual learner this Mom's photos delight and impress me. She has such a gift and lucky for us she shares it with the world. Creative ideas and (did I mention) beautiful photos? (Honestly, I have dial up and I wait for them to load). She's clever AND crafty, such a wonderful combination!

A Bit of This and That: On the other side of the world there lives a Mama after my own heart. She is most certainly a kindred spirit and every week I learn something new when I stop by to visit. Her little boy is oh so photogenic and bright! She even has Montessori materials she has created for sale. A Must See!

Walk Beside Me: This artist and devoted Mama of one, shares about her adventures in homeschooling using the Montessori method. She creates most of the materials her son uses and motivates me to think creatively.

Mama's Village: Do you like pizza? Organic food recipes? This urban Mama loves to share her amazing food creations and stories, so it's time to pay her a visit. For some reason I am unable to leave her messages! I don't know why but it never works :(
I hope she reads this and knows how much I enjoy her blog.

The Artful Parent: Every time I read this amazing Mama's blog I feel like bowing and saying, "I'm not worthy" she is AMAZING! Did I say that already? You'll be so happy you paid her a visit. As a writer for many parenting magazines, the leader of a toddler art group and as an artist herself, how she has time for writing this blog is beyond me. But I'm so glad you do Jean, thank you!

Well, there you have it another list of favorites...I will post another set when time allows me in July because there ARE so many other great ones out there!
I had a lovely day today. I hope you all did too. I shared a celebratory end of the year lunch out with my fellow Cornerspring Montessori teachers and I spent some time with my two younger boys creating a father's day gift for Montessori Papa. (he sometimes reads this, so I will share after Sunday).
In PEACE
~MM

Classroom Affirmations

My end of the year gifts to teachers are complete! Phew, finished and ready to be wrapped then delivered. I made each teacher a 25 card set of Affirmations to share with their future students at morning circle (or whenever).

Together Middle Man and I thought up the sentences and I encourage you to write your own with your children. That, on it's own, was a creative and learning experience for us both.
I brought a set with me to church this weekend and even the older children (ages 11-14) wanted to pick one and seemed to enjoy sharing with the others the card they chose. It's fun and a nice was to connect as a group.

I am selling these sets with bowl/dish for $20 locally. If you live in the area and would like to purchase a set please contact me via email spirals@gwi.net if you want to buy a set and do not live locally still contact me and HOPEFULLY I can get paypal up and running and complete some order requests.

But, I will say this is an easy project to do on your own and with your children; I encourage you to try it yourself and enjoy the process most of all.
In PEACE
Montessori Mama

Eye dropper transfer

Here's a little something I cooked up for a five year old friend of mine. Some of you may remember this dino suction cup dollar store find from the marble transfer work. Well here he is again this time holding drops of colored water.

*NOTE: there is WAY too much water in the vase. My little friend helped me mix the colored water and he preferred it that high, and because he was part of the process (creating this work) I honored his idea that this was the amount of water he would need to fill the suction cups. When the work was complete and all the suction cups full, he said to me, "I didn't need that much water."

This practical life activity is one of my favorites for the five year old child. *It takes great amounts of concentration and fine motor skill.
Preparation activities: Baster, other works were trasfering liquid takes place.

Materials needed:
soap pad (used here a dino shaped one but not at all necessary)
eye dropper
small vase or vessel for holding water
colored water
sponge (*the sponge would usually accompany the work on the tray, I offered a sponge to my young friend off camera)

Have fun and enjoy!
~~MM

This is Me, Every Morning...(minus the lipstick)

Years ago a dear friend sent this post card to me (she knows me very well). Anyway, I crafted the post card into a magnet and every morning it is the first image I see when I retrieve my lemon water from the refrigerator. And it is soooooo true. It makes me giggle to myself and also take inventory of what still needs to be done around here. A tidy house is important to me, I guess because I am a bit of an overachiever? (Please don't comment on that, I'm working on it really) I'm guilty of wanting everything in it's place and needing order to feel comfortable.

My girl friends and I have discussed this a number of times. The verdict is in, I'm a contradiction. I DO want a clean house, so much so that I create a list of 'To Do's every morning after looking at this post card. However, at the end of the day I've probably crossed off three out of the ten I wrote. What happens is a BIGGER part of me likes to PLAY and yet another part of me is very slug-like when it comes right down to it. How important IS a well kept home?

I grew up in chaos (sorry Mom & Dad) the third child of artists. We would often pile up papers and move paint and brushes to clear a spot to eat dinner. It worked, it was fine, everyone was fed and clean and healthy. We didn't entertain much but we made beautiful pictures and sang along to the radio and drove to the beach most every evening to watch the sun set together.

Let's face it there are more important things than a clean house, right? Then why do I feel so uncomfortable when I look around and everything is a mess? It drives me nuts. There are five of us in a very small house and we have allot of stuff. I hate it but we do. My husband talks about becoming minimalists and traveling some day...(honestly that freaks me out MORE than a messy house).

Yesterday I taught Little One how to use our vacuum cleaner. It was shear bliss I felt when I watched him master pushing it about the room, sucking up pieces of rice cake he had dropped.
I take pride in raising three sons who one day will disprove stereotypes and clean toilets, wash dishes and fold laundry!

Anyway, this post is mostly a personal ramble, sorry and thanks for reading. We will return to your regularly scheduled Montessori programming in the near future. I hope all of you take time every day to play with your kids and that if your carpet looks like mine you are able to roll with it. Do we really want them to remember we kept a clean house or that we played farm with them, making all the animal sounds? "MOo, BaA, Hee-HaW"
Signing off from creative chaos central,
Montessori Mama

Lost and Found

While shopping at our brand new Goodwill store I made a wonderful discovery! I found a copy of Nature Crafts for Kids by Gwen Diehn and Terry Krautwurst, a book I had once owned and treasured. I lost my copy years ago when we moved to Maine and have longed for it every summer because of the wonderful nature crafts it possessed. And yesterday I found it! Stuck between some children's stories and only $0.99!!
Some of the craft ideas it instructs with beautiful photos and easy to follow step by step instructions, are:

• How to make paper with inlaid leaves
• Walnut printing
• turnip lanterns
• Mushroom spore prints
• Making nature kaleidoscopes
• How to make sun prints
• Wild Flower candle making
• constructing a cement bird bath

...and the list goes on....
I highly recommend this book for parent/teachers working with elementary age children.
~~MM

Heroes

Today's Heroes:

Jiang Xiaojuan and her baby
Maria Montessori
Little Warrior and her family
Julie Clapp's husband Jon
The people who thought this up:
www.freerice.com/index.php

I know this is a short list, but I am planning on posting this type of list weekly. I was inspired to do so by the ever inspiring and ecologically minded Shannon of 'Unmitigated Bliss' and my oldest son who sadly recently said, "All news is bad news, have you ever noticed that?"
and I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Who are your heroes today?
In PEACE
MM

Gluing Buttons

The back of this watercolor doodle got tea spilled on it sooo...
I gave it to Little One to decorate with buttons. He had a blast!
Surprisingly (unlike the blue playdough) not one button went in his mouth. I was so happy. I watched over him very carefully and helped him with dispensing the glue. My only regret, not enough buttons! This activity could have lasted much longer if I had had more buttons or bottle caps or something else for him to glue down.
Happy Tuesday!
In PEACE
Montessori Mama

Playdough Fun with Little One

I should begin by saying that this lovely playdough experience ended with Little One eating a fist full of blue playdough. That said, the actual sculpture making experience was lovely up until the snacking started. So if your little one is not hungry and enjoys playdough play I recommend giving him or her sea shells to stick in the dough. PS: My nine year old enjoyed this also.
I have been experiencing computer troubles lately and getting frustrated, things seem to be better now (my husband is my savior!).
More to come!
~~MM