Rainy Days Rock!

Yes they do!  It's a rainy day, and I've got my niece and nephew Austin and Amber with me, so we are playing with shaving cream!

I told them to write their names in it, but after that the pictures and just plain silly fun started!

Princess even got into the fun, except she did try to eat it . . .

Sammy loved getting messy - he even scrubbed up his arms!

See - shaving cream is fun for all ages!

By the way, shaving cream is an awesome tactile learning tool.  PLUS, it cleans your table! 

Blackberries!!!

Every year, I try to take the kids to one of the local farms in the area and have them pick blackberries.  I think it's so important for children to learn where food actually comes from - not just the produce section in the grocery store.  Plus, I just plain love picking blackberries!  The place we went last year, Blackberries of Houston, was all out of blackberries by Memorial Day weekend, so we drove just a bit farther to the Matt Family Orchard.  We had to walk a bit farther, but overall we still had a great time!

Sammy and Grayson had a great time palling around!

And Sophia enjoyed eating blackberries!

As did Sammy - look at that bucketful of blackberries!

Sammy, Sophia, Bailey and Grayson

What a great day - after picking to our heart's (and heat's) content, we loaded up and headed to an air-conditioned restaurant.  Yes, we enjoyed our trip down Memory Lane, but at the same time, it's way too hot!  Too bad blackberry season has to be in the hottest part of the year!

More Natural Consequences

You know how they say natural consequences teach more than any punishment you could devise?  Not so much with Sammy . . .

Today we went to the park with our playgroup.  We were there to make bird feeders.  Apparently, it is National Feed the Birds Month - we're supposed to help feed and shelter birds.  So we were making bird feeders out of milk jugs, and hanging them with cheerio stringers.  It's pretty simple - cut a hole in the milk jug, decorate it with leaves and twigs, then fill the bottom with bird seed.  String cheerios on twine, tie off, and loop the cheerio stringer through the milk jug handle as a hanger.

Part of making the bird feeders was a mama's job.  You were supposed to use kitchen scissors to cut the hole in the milk jug.  So we used kitchen scissors.  We had several pairs of them.  And after we finished with them, we left them on the picnic table.

Fast forward a few minutes.  The kids had a great time playing in the park . . .

Evan, Matthew, Sammy & Grayson playing with the hippo!

Sophia and Abigail playing in the clover!

After playing, it was time for lunch.  Sammy and his best friend Grayson were sitting at the picnic table.  The picnic table where the kitchen scissors were also sitting.  You know what's coming . . . Sammy and Grayson were sharing food.  Sammy gave Grayson some cheese, Grayson shared pudding with Sammy.  I gave Sammy baby carrots and walked over to push Sophia in the swing. 

Princess Sophia just a 'swingin!

When all of the sudden I hear a cry.  And I look over to see Sammy screaming.  Turns out, he wanted to cut his baby carrot in half to share with Grayson.  And instead he cut his finger.  With kitchen scissors.  Are you kidding me?  I thought he would have learned the other day.  He did it so fast that my girlfriend Debra didn't even see it - she was sitting right across from him and he just did it. 

My mommy instincts kicked right in.  I held him, I hugged him, I stopped the blood . . . and he cried.  It was so rough - especially given that I couldn't hold Sophia as well.  I'm so glad my girlfriends were there.  Debbie, and then Phyllis all stepped in to help with Sophia, and I finally got Sammy to calm down as well. 

On the plus side, I think he finally gets not to play with the scissors.  If this didn't make an impact, I don't know what will, because I was afraid he'd cut his finger off . . . He'll heal, even if he doesn't like bandaids . . . And what did Mommy learn?  Put the kitchen scissors away - ASAP!

Playing with Scissors

Sammy loves scissors.  He's constantly asking me if he can cut circles.  Why does he want to cut circles?  I understand the fascination with the scissors, but circles?

Today I let him use the scissors.  He cut paper.  He sliced paper.  And he diced paper.  Then I looked up just in time to see him holding up a hunk of hair and aiming with the scissors.  "Sammy - put the scissors down."  "But Mommy, this hair is old and stinky."  "I agree, son, but we're not going to cut it.  Let's take a bath instead." 

Then he tries to cut his leg.  I keep telling him not to cut himself, and finally I give up arguing with him.  "Go ahead, Sammy - cut your leg."  I figure they're safety scissors, they can't do much harm right.  "Mommy, my leg doesn't cut."  Ok then, see - natural consequences.

Speaking of natural consequences . . . two seconds later he starts screaming bloody murder.  Come to find out, safety scissors can't cut legs, but they can sure cut fingers.  It was a small cut, more like a paper cut, but his reaction was pretty reminiscent of the foot injury from the Y. 

Guess who gets the bad Mommy award today?

A Lesson in Density

Before you think we are all play and no learn, allow me to share a bit of our science lesson today . . . I saw this on A Place of Our Own yesterday.  I love that show - it comes on PBS during naptime.  I try to catch it when I can, and I should honestly DVR it, but I need room for my shows!

As my fellow scientists know, liquids have many properties, including density.  Here's an easy way to demonstrate density to your child by using items you have have in the house already!

Materials:

• Shampoo
• Water
• Cooking Oil
• Dish Soap
• Large clear tumbler glass
• Measuring Cup

Gather all materials and get set up!  Occupy your little one . . . Sophia loves to jump!

In the following order, measure 1/4 cup of water, cooking oil, dish soap, and shampoo.  Assist your child in pouring each liquid into the tall clear tumbler glass.  Point out to your child that although you poured in the water first, it does not stay on the bottom, but moves to the top each time.  Ask why the liquids separate.  Discuss that density is how heavy or light an object or a liquid is.  Point out that the water is lighter than the shampoo, which means the water is less dense. 

After all the liquids have separated, you can pour them into a different glass to mix them up again, and watch them separate.  It's pretty cool!  Your child will be amazed, AND they are learning! 

I love this picture because he looks like the mad scientist that he is!

Sammy told me emphatically that we were not supped to drink this because it was nasty!  Agreed, kiddo!

Did you discover anything new today?  I discovered wonder and amazement in the eyes of a 3 year old.