My Back Seat Driver

Funny thing happened on the way to the grocery store today, my son turned into the most annoying backseat driver ever!

It would be one thing if he just asked a question or suggested a different route, but having random instructions bellowed at you from the back seat, can be a little distracting while driving.

Have you received any of these driving tips from your 4 year old?

• Stop, your going the wrong way!
• Slow down, it's tooooo dangerous!
• Turn right, turn right, right right right!
• Oh no, duck!
• Look quick, over there! Oh never mind, it's gone.
• Big, big, big truck coming!
• Look mom, catch!
• I need the map now!

"Yes officer, so sorry. I do know where I want to go, but my 4yr old had the map."

The Big Chill!

Guess what this is?

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5Minutes for Mom and Mom.dot.

The Cat Who Came For Dinner

We've had a nightly visitor at our house for a few weeks now. This tough looking cat started showing up outside our garage door. At first, all I would see is two eyes peering at me and then a flash of black as he darted away.
After a few nights of me leaving out food and water, he let me watch him eat, but if I moved, he took off. Now we have a silent bond, if I don't speak, I'm allowed to get close enough to take pictures.

I can tell he is an intact male, maybe 4-7 years old. His ears have been torn down very short from fighting injuries and he has a large area of raw tissue under his neck.

He only has a 4 or 5 inch tail, not sure if he was born that way or if it was due to an injury. Other than that, he appears strong and well fed. Hard to say if he is feral or just someones outdoor cat.

He never makes a sound, no meowing or hissing. He will probably get friendlier and I will continue to feed him if he shows up.

Hopefully at some point I will be able to get him examined and treat his injuries. Meanwhile looks like we will have one more for dinner.

Photo Play

Just for fun.

I love all the creative ways digital artists find to manipulate a photo!

Someday I will have to learn how to Photoshop.

Make Me A Rainbow

Photo credit: National Park Service

I’ve mentioned before that because I’m a crafter, my son thinks I make everything. Even things that I bought, he somehow thinks I created them. I shop online a lot so the concept of going to the store to buy something, is somewhat foreign to him (other than groceries).

So the other day when we were talking about different clouds, he asked me to make him a rainbow. I told him I would research it and get back to him.
Here’s what I’ve found:

• I can create a rainbow with a sheet of paper and a glass of water, by following an experiment at Weather Wiz Kids.
• Or using a flashlight and a mirror at National Geographic Kids.
• I can make this delicious looking Rainbow Cake from Omnomicon.
• I can crochet a Lorikeet bird using this pattern from Crochetroo.
• I can paint a rainbow mural on his wall.
• We could recycle and make him some rainbow crayons.
• When he's 21, I can make him rainbow vodka (who knew)!

So there you have it, a lifetime of rainbows!

Cold Bunny

This little guy was huddled down in the grass on our front lawn today.

I went out to check to see if he was ok and he hopped away.

He was just sitting in the sun.

I guess Florida rabbits don't like 30 degree temps!

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Mom.dot for more Wordless Wednesday fun.

Sometimes We Learn By Teaching

I wonder what the cat is teaching him?

Happy Birthday Ben (Franklin)!

Today is Benjamin Franklin's birthday. He was born in Boston in 1706 and contributed a wealth of knowledge and invention to American history.

Known as the author of Poor Richard's Almanac and the inventor of bifocals, he also founded our first public library.

He led a complex life as a writer,inventor, diplomat, businessman, musician, scientist, humorist,civic leader, international celebrity . . . genius.

Franklin died at the age of 84 and was one of the most extraordinary human beings the world has ever known. With only 3 years of formal schooling, he is a prime example of the benefits of self-education.

You can find information on his life and an eight lesson pdf. download for teachers at PBS.org.

New Bookmarks

Just finished these fabric circle bookmarks. I had fun selecting the colors from my fabric stash, but cutting out the little circles took more time than I thought.
I laminated them and then added a yarn tassel.
You can find them in my Etsy shop.

Symphony Fun And Education For Children

My son like most children, enjoys music. He likes to pretend he's conducting or playing an instrument along with the song.

I recently came across Playmusic.org, a website with links to many interactive sites and games that expose children to symphony music and classic composers.

Playmusic.org is funded by The New York State Council on the Arts and ABC, Inc.

You'll find biographies, interviews with musicians, history and even an activity where you can try writing your own music.

The area my son enjoys the most is the link to Carnegie Hall for kids. By playing an interactive safari game, he now knows the names of all the orchestra's instruments and what sections they belong in. He can also identify each one he hears in audio clips of the classics.

I'm thrilled that he is so captivated by music! He has now told me he wants a bassoon and a string bass for next Christmas. If his interest continues, I may be looking at music lessons in his future.

If you want to expose your child to classical music in a fun way, have a look at Playmusic.org.

Look To The Stars In 2009!

We are avid astronomy fans around here and I'm sure it won't be too long before I have to get my son a telescope (need to start researching those, maybe I can find a used one). So we were very excited to find out that 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of when Galileo first used a telescope.
Astronomy2009.org is a terrific source for events and information worldwide.
There are links to astronomy groups and resources for educators as well.

Also be sure to check out the full moon tonight. According to Black Holes and Astrostuff, this will be the largest full moon of 2009!
Enjoy the inspirational video.

My Future Potato Farmer

A few months ago I posted about how our potato plants had sprouted.
Well, yesterday it was time to dig them up.

My son's potato pot has produced a bountiful harvest of three perfect tiny new red potatoes! That's his hand holding them, so as you can see they are small. Grant you they won't feed a family of six (maybe six mice), but we are very proud of them.

We spared no time in washing and roasting them along with some turkey thighs and carrots.

Then I put together a simple unit study on potatoes for his science lesson tomorrow. With my photos and a few printouts from the web, it covers life cyle, nutritional value, regional growth and biological parts of the plant.

I also just realized that I spelled potato with an E

at several spots in the lesson.

I will be correcting that (must be a carry over from my own English school system lessons). You know tomatoe, tomato etc.

Now he is excited to try his hand at growing other vegetables.

I Spy!

Happy Wordless Wednesday.

I'm on the case and I'm watching you!

Three Kings Day

When I was a girl, we lived in Puerto Rico for three years and I remember how excited my friends were about Three Kings Day. Dia de los Tres Reyes is is also known as The Epiphany and is the last of the 12 days of Christmas. It is observed on January 6th by Hispanic cultures.

Children in Puerto Rico put out boxes of straw at the foot of their beds, for the kings horses or camels to eat. They leave their shoes out as well to be filled with treats or toys. Parents remove the straw and leave the treats (kind of like Santa's cookies).

Three Kings Days was anticipated more than Santa and the celebrations included strolling musicians singing traditional songs and fabulous food! I remember the Three Kings Sweet Bread made with dried fruit. We ate it for breakfast or dessert.

I imagine many Spanish/American families will be celebrating Three Kings Day in their homes this year. I feel it's so important for children to learn about the different cultures in the world. You can read more about it at Three Kings Day or El Boricua.

Help With Preschool Bad Behavior

Since tuning four in November, my son has been trying out some new tactics:

• Arguing
• Back talk
• Mocking
• Lying
• Stalling
• Ignoring

The ways I would handle this when he was a toddler,
are not working very well now.
I’m loosing my temper too often and inadvertently
reinforcing the behavior.
When I was met with tears before, I could distract him with a fun activity or change of scenery.
Now attempts to change the subject are met with defiance, demands and back talk! My requests, even for things he likes to do are either ignored or flat out denied.

Intellectually, I know he is trying to exert his independence. I also think he is trying to gain a sense of belonging by establishing control of his environment. However, when I’m tired or in a rush, I sometimes run out of patience and become angry. Of course that leaves us both feeling bad about ourselves.

So I went looking for help and found a great book!
How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe PH.D. gives you easy to implement suggestions on avoiding power struggles. Dr. Severe’s philosophy is that children’s behavior often reflects that of their parents.

I can see this with my own son when he mirrors my reactions to things. When I argue, yell and stomp around angry, he learns that he can do it too. At first I would hear him get angry at his toys or the dog, but now he uses it on me.

It’s going to take a great deal of work and self control on my part to learn new ways of communicating with my son, but it’s up to me to work this out now before his behaviors became permanent lessons and I have raised a child without boundaries or self control.

If your being faced with a stubborn, defiant preschooler who is bordering on become a deliberate misbehaver, give this book a read. I think you will find it very helpful!

Happy New Year!

I wish each and every one of you a happy

and healthy new year.

May all your dreams come true in 2009! DJ