Fun Child Learning Activities

Say What You Mean; Mean What You Say

2010-03-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

"Use your words."

This is a phrase that becomes quite popular through toddlerhood as we teach our children to speak and not to whine. To ask for what they want. I like to tell my children, "I don't read minds, and I don't speak whines." (I have lots of little phrases like that that my children HATE!)

But 8 year old Quinn has mastered the art of using her words, and is quickly becoming a master negotiator.

Q: Mom, can I have 5 cookies.

Me: No, Quinn. You may have 2.

Q: 4?

Me: 3.

Q: Yes! That's how many I wanted to start with!

I don't know where she learned this technique, but I do know that if she survives childhood, it will be an excellent asset to her as an adult in whatever field she should go into.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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This, I Won't Miss

2010-03-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a mom to 6 kids, my friends often tell me how lost I will be when my children are grown.

So, to counter that, and to prepare myself, I've decided I need to start thinking of things I WON'T miss.

This morning, after the kids all left for school, I walked into their bathroom to get some laundry, and spotted this:

Let me assure you.....THIS I won't miss.

Enjoy!

~Lisa

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House Cleaning: With Kids

2010-02-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

I try to have friends over at least once a month for dinner.   It's the biggest motivator I know for really deep cleaning my house.

Tonight, we're having 3 couples (and their kids) over.   My kids go loopy over the thought of all these people coming over to play, and are actually quite motivated to help clean up their rooms and the play room in anticipation.

I like to start cleaning a few days in advance, to get the really big jobs done, the corners, the cobwebs, under the furniture, behind the toilet, the stove top, and THE KITCHEN COUNTER (shiver!!!).   I was breezing along with my cleaning this week, and the house was looking pretty spiffy (under the clutter -- clutter is always last, because it's impossible to eliminate until the last minute for some reason).   I had only the stove top and the dreaded KITCHEN COUNTER to clean yesterday, when on Thursday night I realized that Luke did not have school on Friday because of a teacher meeting of some kind.   That meant my 3 hours of quiet organizational/cleaning time I had reserved for Friday had just disappeared.

His older siblings left for school, and it was just the two of us.

Here's where I'll confess: I gave him cookies and told him he could eat them in the living room while watching Spongebob.   He was speechless! This had never been done before (at least not when I was around), and he watched television for a good hour ("bad mommy!") while I scrubbed my stove top and sink and worked on organizing the chaos on my kitchen counter.   The errant clean dishes that were sitting on the counter because the kids can't reach the cabinet were put away.   The toaster was gleaming. The counters were scrubbed and the paper work had pretty much all been put away. I even got the shop vac out and moved the stove so I could clean under it.

Ah, yes. The shop vac.

That's when the fun began.

Luke loves to help me clean. He loves a big full bottle of Windex, a can of dusting spray, and a shop vac.   I have a spray bottle filled just with water that I give him so he can "clean" the front of the appliances and the kitchen table and the sliding glass door.   But he REALLY loves that shop vac. And when he heard it, all bets were off.

So I moved the stove and he went to work vaccuming.   I hadn't mopped the floor yet, so I asked him if he'd like to vaccum the corners of the kitchen for me.

While he was busy "helping" I went off to the living room to do a quick dusting and clean up the bigger of the cookie crumbs he'd left behind..   The shop vac motor was humming along, and I was feeling pretty good about how quickly I was getting everything done.

Until I walked into the kitchen.

Luke had discovered that if he removed the hose from one side of the shop vac, and put it in the OTHER side, that the air would BLOW OUT.   This was fun! This was exciting! He had blown all the papers off the front of the refrigerator and the few that were left on the counter. But more importantly, he had blown UNDER the REFRIGERATOR.   There was dust EVERYWHERE!   My formerly clean kitchen was now coated in a blanket of dust.   Gritty dust. And a few good sized dust balls, too.

But Luke was so excited about how well he'd cleaned UNDER the refrigerator, that I did my "mommy smile" and thanked him for being such a "good helper" and then asked him if he wanted to watch Spongebob and eat some more cookies.

How do you keep up with your housecleaning with kids underfoot????

Enjoy!
~Lisa

10 Things I Know About Parenting

2010-02-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

After all these years of being called "Mom", the things I know for certain about it can be listed on my 2 hands:

10 Things I Know About Parenting:

My life revolves around someone else's bladder and/or intestines, therefore I know where every public restroom is in a 25 mile radius of my house
Within 3 days of paying to have my carpet cleaned, someone will vomit on it; within 24 hours of mopping my kitchen floor, someone will spill on it
If I get down on my hands and knees to get toys out from under the couch, a child will jump on my back and want to play "horsey."
The amount of time it takes to get ready to go anywhere increases exponentially with each child. One child, 15 minutes; 2 children, 30 minutes; 3 children, 1 hour; 4 children 2 hours, etc.
Every time I back out of the driveway to go somewhere, I have to pull back in so I can run into the house to get something I've forgotten. (This is called Mommy Brain, I believe.)
I haven't gone to the bathroom by myself since my eldest child was born....22 years ago.
Clutter is beautiful. (I keep telling myself this, hopeful that I will actually eventually convince myself that it is true.)
Children will argue. Children will fight. It's called sibling rivalry and has gone on for centuries.
The laundry will NEVER be done.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing! in the world as wonderful as when one of my children runs up to me, hugs my knees, and says simply, "I love you, Mommy."

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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Have you read this awesome book yet???

I've never done a book review before....

2010-02-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

I've never done a book review before in my life, and I'm certainly not going to try to do one now. But since I spent the last 3 1/2 days of my life totally immersed in a book that I honestly could not put down I just had to tell everyone about it.

The book is The help by Kathryn Stockett.

Now, when I choose a book, I choose it in one of two ways:

Someone refers it to me, simply by telling me "You've GOT to read this book!" OR
I read the first (only the first) paragraph on the inside jacket of the book.

I hate to know what a book is "about" because it causes me to think ahead and try to figure out what's coming next.

So, instead of telling you what it's about (except that it is a novel, not a self-help book), I'll simply tell you how I felt while reading it:

Stunned
Amazed
Awed
Inspired
Ashamed

How's that for a list? Got your curiosity piqued yet?

Now, get to the bookstore, the library, or, heck, order it from Amazon......but you MUST read this book.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Hand Exercises for Pre-Schoolers to Increase Dexterity and Letter Formation

2010-02-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Luke's pre-school teacher sent home this amazing hand-out the other day, with a list of hand exercises to increase speed and dexterity and letter formation for elementary students.

Most of these look like a lot of fun, not exercises! Not only do these exercises strengthen our pre-schoolers' hand muscles to help them with writing, but doing these together can really amp up your together time, as well!

Roll putty into a snake. Pull off 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball using thumb and 2 fingers on just one hand. (No cheating by using the table or your other hand!)
Flatten all putty pieces and roll into a large ball. Rotate this ball in your fingertips (like the Earth rotating on its axis -- repeat for 30 seconds each direction).
Line up 10 pennies on the table. Flip them over quickly from left to right and return back to the left side.
Put away the 10 pennies by picking up 3 and storing them in your hand by trapping them with your little finger. Then rotate each coin singly out to your pinch and place the penny into a slot cut in the top of a margarine tub. Repeat until all pennies are stored in the bank. If 3 are easy, try holding 4 at a time.
Write 10 letters or numbers along the borders of an index card. Then challenge your child by calling out a letter or number and having him/her quickly place a paperclip onto the correct letter or number.
Make an "OK" sign with your thumb and index finger. Llink your fingers with a partner and play 5 tug-of-war games.
Play dice games. Cupping the hand is very important to build the arches of the palm.
Fingerspell the alphabet, or have your child spell his name using his hands and fingers to make the letters. See how fast he can do it!
Have your child hold a pencil in his/her best writing grip. Then, walk your "tripod" up and down the length of the pencil. Have a race!
Place 10 dots across a piece of paper. Have your child quickly make a circle (not an oval) around each dot. (This helps to develop greater distal control to form circles quickly.)

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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Mine! Mine! Mine!

2010-02-16T04:34:00.000-08:00

Sharing.   Why is it such a difficult concept to learn? Why is it such a difficult concept to teach? Why can't we all just get along!?

My house frequently sounds like that flock of birds from the movie Finding Nemo: "Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

I've been a parent for 22 years, so one would think I would have figured this one out. One would be wrong.

Nothing makes me more insane than dialogue like this:

"Mo----Om!   He won't let me play with his toy car!"

"It's mine! I don't wan't her playing with it!"

It makes not one bit of difference that the owner of the toy car (or WHATEVER! the object of the moment is) is not only not presently playing with the coveted toy, but in all likelihood hasn't played with said toy in days or even weeks.

However, the fact remains, he owns it. It is his. He does NOT want his sibling to play with it.

I always try to intervene with a bit of mom guilt:

"Come on, sweetheart, is it really that big of a deal if your sister plays with your car? You weren't playing with it. How is it going to hurt you if she plays very carefully with it for a while, and then puts it away....? It would make me so happy if you would share."

"No!   She never lets me play with her stuff, so she can't play with mine!"

Well, that got me no where.
How do you reason with that bit of logic?   Am I supposed to FORCE him to let his sister play with his toy? Is that really sharing if I intercede with force?

I have absolutely no idea......any suggestions?

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Oil changes, pap smears, root canals....I LOVE Waiting Rooms!

2010-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I got my oil changed today! Now, to most people, this might not seem like a sentence that should end with an exclamation point. However, most people don't have six children. I also end sentences like "I have a pap smear today!" and "I get a root canal today!" with exclamation points.

Now, don't get me wrong. It isn't the oil change or the pap test or the pulling of teeth that causes me to be so happy. It's the time I get to spend in the waiting room. The peaceful escape from the otherwise chaotic existence that defines my life.

I've read and heard about so many people who complain about this waiting period. There have been articles written and emails forwarded about people who actually send invoices to their doctors for the time spent sitting in a waiting room, or people who deduct dollar amounts from doctor bills equivalent to the hourly wage that person believes he or she is entitled to have been paid for his or her time spent waiting.

But as a work-at-home mother with six children, I say "Can't that lady over there go first? I haven't quite finished reading this article about Angelina and Brad. I'll just be another five or ten minutes."

I have actually always kind of felt this way about waiting rooms, even before my husband and I decided to take over the task of populating the earth. I think most businesses go to a great deal of trouble and expense to make waiting rooms cozy, and the trend is getting better each year. Take magazines, for instance. Where else (besides the library) do you have such a wide selection of magazines at your disposal? Fashion, pregnancy, tabloids, relationships, hunting, cars. It's a veritable free-for all. Sometimes the hardest part is deciding which magazine to read!

Don't want to read? Then how about television. And I'm not talking Disney Channel or Cartoon Network.....I'm talking NEWS! Really! News! I so rarely get to sit down and watch the news, that this is another one of those words I like to end with an exclamation point. And the news channels not only give you never-ending insight into the top stories of the day, but, apparently understanding that we are a nation of multi-taskers, the television news programs also have a scrolling bar (sometimes more than one) that let you know about stock prices and other top news and weather stories. All news. All the time. Ahhhhhhh.

Oh, and, please, let's not forget the refreshments. The car dealership where I got my oil changed today had a wonderful selection of coffees, teas, even hot cocoa! There was a basket filled with mini muffins --- poppy seed, blueberry, even apple-walnut (I know, I tasted them all!). The black leather chairs were big and cozy, and the flat-screened, wall-mounted television was quietly playing the news to an audience of one (that would be me).

Yes, oil changes, pap smears, root canals....bring 'em on! All completely uninterrupted by children tattling on one another. All completely uninterrupted by children asking for another snack, or climbing on the kitchen table. All completely uninterrupted by children fighting over the remote control, or flushing important objects down the toilet. What's not to love?

I actually considered asking the mechanic to go ahead and put a new engine in while he was at it.....I was in no hurry.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Did you SERIOUSLY just ask me that?!

2010-02-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

Having 6 children can pretty much guarantee that you will be asked – in all seriousness and in no particular order – at least one of the following questions when a person first learns of your propensity to populate the earth:

1.   Are you crazy?!

2.   How in the world do you do it?!

3.   Are you Catholic?!

4.   WHY!?

And, my all-time favorite:

5. Don't you know what causes that?!

My answers? “Some days”; “Well, when a man and a woman love each other...”; “Yes;” “Because my husband and I decided we didn't want 7” (thank you Bill Cosby for that piece of wisdom-filled reply); and “I sure do, and I have no intention of giving it up!”

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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How Do You Embarrass YOUR Child?

2010-02-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

My eldest son was about 13 years old and neck deep into that “please-don't-talk-to-me-in-public-or-act-like-you-know-me-or-even-open-your-mouth-to-speak-to-any-of-my-friends” phase when I was seven months pregnant with baby number 5.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was in the front yard wearing a tube top, maternity bib overall shorts, and my hiking boots, carrying a 40 pound bag of compost manure on my shoulder to put in my garden, when my #1 son ran frantically out the front door and demanded to know what I was doing.

Thinking he was concerned that his 'advanced maternal age' pregnant mother was over-doing it, I immediately experienced a profound feeling of love and pride for my first born, and thought he might actually offer to help me.

“Do you think maybe you could possibly work on the garden in the BACK yard today, mom, so the whole neighborhood (translation, “my friends who might possibly ride by on their bikes”) doesn't see you dressed like that?!” he asked me in a frantic tone.

I could have been offended, but instead I smiled at this loving, caring, concerned, considerate child of mine, the one who used to insist on wearing the same Ninja Turtle t-shirt, shorts, and cowboy boots to daycare when he was younger, and I explained to him that God had put me on this earth for two reasons:

To give birth to him; and
To do everything in my power to humiliate him.

I told him I'd accomplished the first, and that I was working as diligently as possible to see that I accomplish the second as well.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Looking to add to your child's home library? Here are some of my absolute, all-time favorite kids' books (you know, the ones that get read over, and over, and over, and over, and over....)

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If only life were this simple....

2010-02-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

I love the way a 5 year old thinks. Luke's logic is so simple and uncomplicated.

Yesterday afternoon, he broke something of his Dad's. When I expressed concern that his Dad was going to be very upset with him when he got home, Luke asked me, "When will Dad get home?"

I told him his dad would be home when it was time to eat dinner.

He thought for a minute, then said, “Don't make dinner.”

Problem solved!

Ahhhhh. If only life were this simple.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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Do Not Disturb....Needing Some Quite Time?

2010-02-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

We had a particularly looong weekend. Cabin fever is at its highest, and tempers were flaring. I'll admit (but please don't tell anyone!) that I've never been so happy to see a Monday morning.

I learned over the weekend that if I want to be sure that my children will talk to me when I'm older, apparently I will only need do one of the following:

Call someone on the telephone while a child is in the house;
Go to the bathroom (whether to use the facilities, take a shower, brush my teeth, anything!);
Tell them I'm going to my bedroom to read a book because I want to be alone and need some quiet time.

I truly believe that when Hannah Montana, Spongebob, or the Waverly Place Wizards have my kids under their spell, I could stand in the middle of the living room, naked, with my hair on fire, and they would not even know I was there. Until a commercial.

You see, commercial breaks for my kids means that either they're going to be convinced that they will die (or be the least popular kid in the class) if they don't immediately own what ever is being sold them on that particular commercial, OR they use the commercial break time to stretch their muscles by hitting, kicking, tripping, flicking, or otherwise bothering which ever sibling is sitting nearest.

Once the commercial break is over, everyone tends to settle down to what appears to be a drug-induced stupor, watching the television.

I've always told my children that if I ever ran away from home, they could find me at the local library. That's the quietest place I know. Now I'm really, really wishing I hadn't told them!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

If you're looking for some truly unique AND inexpensive custom Valentine cards for your child to exchange with friends at pre-school, or even to mail to Grandma and Grandpa, check these out! We can do dogs, race cars, flowers, kittens, peace signs, you name it! Completely customized. Just $5 to set up, then $2 for 6 cards. Email me at Lisap@MyLittleRembrandt.com for details.

Valentine Traditions

2010-01-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

I know some people LOVE Valentine's Day, and others reject it outright. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. It's a fun day to focus on the people you love, and perhaps give a small gift to show that love. And the last thing in the world I want my husband to buy me for Valentine's Day is a big box of chocolates. I LOVE chocolate, but an entire box is way more calories than I need to be eating!

Everyone has different Valentine traditions. With 6 children, we like to make it a fun family day. Last year we all went bowling, then came home and ate tacos by candlelight, then had ice cream sundaes for dessert! How fun was that!?

We also like to give the kids small "love gifts" just to make it extra special. Here are a few ideas I've found for unique, inexpensive Valentine gifts:

These Snoozies Peace Slumber Socks will be treasured by my daughter. She LOVES fuzzy socks; she LOVES peace signs.

I was informed recently by Mr. Luke's preschool teacher that Luke plays endlessly with Mr. Potato head at his pre-school. So when I saw this Mr. Potato Head Valentine's Day Sweetheart Spud, I knew it would be just the right gift for him!

While shopping around, I came across this inexpensive I Love You Egg Shaper. Since Valentine's Day is on Sunday this year, and our family likes to have a big breakfast after Church on Sundays, I decided this would be a fun thing to do. I can't wait to see their faces when I serve their eggs. Even though the kids prefer scrambled, I'm pretty sure I can scramble the egg, then pour it in the mold. I wonder if it will work for pancakes???

When I saw these My Heart Beats for You Pillow Cases I was pretty sure I was onto something!

And the Romantic Couple Coffee Mugs are pretty darn cute, too.

I was thinking this Norpro Nonstick Heart- Sicle Pan would be perfect for a special dessert this year!

And if I forget about Sammy the dog, I'll be in big trouble. But these Hugs and Kisses Valentine Dog Treats are so pretty and so inexpensive....he's gonna love them!

Now, even though I no longer have one young enough for a onesie, while I was shoppping I saw this Personalized Valentines Love Bug T-romper and wished I still had one that little!

Oh, and if anyone knows My Better Half, could you tell him I would LOVE to have either of these Pink Peace Snoozies or Hearts Snoozies

Do you have any Valentine's traditions? Do you exchange gifts? Do you include the kids?

Enjoy!
~Lisa

World's Most Unique Valentine Cards Ever!

2010-01-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Luke's teacher sent home a note earlier this week with information about the upcoming Valentine's Day Party. She told us how many children are in the class, and recommended that we have our pre-schoolers get started signing their cards now, so they only have to do a few a day. This is really good practice for them.

Because I don't like to go with the hum-drum ordinary Valentine cards from the grocery store or WalMart, I was playing around on my computer a little while ago and came up with this (okay, I'll say it!) awesome, amazing design. :)

Luke LOVES race cars. He also LOVES trucks. (Last year we did a similar card, but with a big yellow dump truck with the back end full of hearts.) I didn't get too goopy and sentimental -- in fact, I didn't put a single heart on the design -- because these are for his friends at school.

I decided to offer this service to anyone who is interested! These are simply printed on 110# card stock. (Not photo paper.) The back reads "To: Friend" "From:_______" (where you child can write his/her name). Each card measures about 4 x 3 inches. I can include envelopes if you want.

Here's the cost: $5.00 for me to work up the design for you ... just tell me your child's interests, favorite colors, etc., email your child's photo (I can easily crop him/her out of a photo if you don't have an individual shot), and we'll work together to create the design. Then each set of 6 cards (they'll arrive on a sheet...you cut them) is just $2.00. If you want envelopes, I can provide 4.5 x 5.5 white envelopes for an additional $.35 per envelope. Shipping is extra, based on the number of cards and/or envelopes you wish to order.

Just email me at Lisap@MyLittleRembrandt.com if you have any questions or wish to place an order. You don't pay until you love the final design, then I'll email an invoice to you.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

See more fun, unique Valentine gift ideas at http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/

Confessions of a Former Neat Freak

2010-01-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

Aside from being tax season, it's also the beginning of school Spring fundraising season and I'm as busy as.....well, I'm swamped.

My "swampiness" is showing itself in many different ways, most notably is the HUGE pile of unfolded laundry and a sink full of dirty dishes.

This reminded me of an article I wrote a couple of years ago, just after I started my home business. I hope you'll find it entertaining...and find some consolation, if you, too, have slipped from Neat-Freakdom to Motherhood.

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER NEAT FREAK

When I rolled over in bed this morning and saw the bag of salad sitting on my night table next to me, I knew then that I had finally crossed the line. I’m not sure exactly where the line was, or even what it looked like, because it was no doubt covered with wet towels, stray socks, and perhaps, even, my oven mitt. But a line had, indeed, been crossed.

The change from neat-freak to the person I am today was slow and gradual. It snuck up on me, insidious, silent, like a bad smell that you somehow don’t notice anymore because you’ve grown used to smelling it.

In my former life, my best friend Diane called me Mrs. Applebee. I’m not sure where she came up with that name, but to her it represented prim, proper, neat, and organized. Diane made fun of me because I picked up my living room nightly before going to bed. She found it amazing that I vaccumed most every day, and made my bed every morning. She laughed because I washed, dried, and put away all the dishes immediately after every meal. She was stunned that I folded all the laundry the instant the dryer buzzed, before it even had time to cool off, and then put everything away. In the drawers.

I should have known I was getting close to the line when, a few weeks ago, I needed to bake a cake. Without giving it a second thought, I went straight to the kids’ bathroom toy tub and retrieved one of the beaters to my electric mixer. Another clue should have been when the pizza cutter went missing for several days. My teenage son was frantic (“I NEED that utensil, mom!), so I told him to check under the couch cushions. When my teenage daughter needed to use the cutting board, I nonchalantly told her, “It’s in my bathtub, next to the box of sanitary pads that Luke (our 2 year old) dumped in there the other day.”

Last week my husband was complaining that I hadn’t decorated the house yet for Halloween. “Just look around,” I told him. “There are plenty of cobwebs, why do we need to spend money? Besides, most of the decorations require a clear, flat surface on which to be set. We don’t own a clear flat surface.”

When I first became a stay-at-home mom, I was a pro. Of course, our two children were at school all day, and baby number three was on the way, so it was easy enough to keep up. Each day of the week was spent cleaning and organizing the house. The play room had bins where each toy was categorized and lovingly placed. The kitchen floor was always swept and mopped. The kitchen cabinets were organized. Most afternoons, fresh baked cookies were being taken from the oven, just as the bus pulled up to drop the kids off after school. Dinners were balanced…meat, fresh vegetables, fruit, milk. And after dinner, the dishes were all washed, dried, and put away.

But then we had more children. And then more children. And now we have six. And then I had a great idea to start my own business from home. Soon, I noticed the walls of the house seemed to be closing in. Or maybe those aren’t the walls, but just the toys and shoes and books and Legos that find their homes around the perimeter of every room in my house.

So, why was the salad sitting on my night table this morning? Because my 2 year old loves salad, and last evening he brought it into my bedroom (where I was working) and asked if he could have some. I told him no, took the salad from him, placed it on my night table (fully intending to put it away when he was otherwise occupied), and didn’t give it another thought until bedtime. At that point, my husband told me he’d put it away when he got up after the news to take the dog out.

Apparently, either the dog didn’t get taken out, or he just forgot about the salad.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Lessons My Children Have Taught Me

2010-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Puddle jumping. Kissing it better. Don't take no for an answer.

I was thinking yesterday about how different each of my children is.   But in spite of their different personalities, each of them teaches me valuable life lessons every day.

This reminded me of an article I wrote about 3 years ago.   It's one I need to go back to and read more often!

I wanted to share it on my blog....because I think its message is timeless.

LESSONS MY CHILDREN HAVE TAUGHT ME

I consider myself an educated person. I attended and graduated from college. I own my own business. I’m an avid reader. Yet, as a mother of six children, I find myself continually amazed by how much my children have taught me. And I honestly I think the world would be a much better place if we all followed the simple life lessons our children teach us.

Love your body. Have you ever tried to catch an 18-month old running naked through the house? My son’s new favorite game is to slip from my grasp after his bath and run, laughing, through the house. He’ll even turn and face me just long enough to do a little dance, before running off to another room, always keeping just out of my reach. He loves his body. He loves his bowed legs and his protruding little baby belly. He loves his stubby little arms that barely reach over his head. Too many of us are ashamed of our bodies. And while I don’t recommend running naked through the house (at least while the kids are home), I think we can all learn a lesson from a gleeful, naked toddler.

Take time to recharge. I’m a busy person. I’ve got six children and I run my own business. It’s not uncommon for me to get up at 3:00 a.m. just so I can get some work done before my children wake up. But I find that when I keep a schedule like this, I tend to be more than a bit crabby by about 6 or 7 p.m. Not long ago, I strapped my toddler into his high chair and turned my back to prepare his lunch. When I turned back around, he was sound asleep -- sitting up in his high chair. And just last week, he was walking through the living room, walked up to the ottoman, laid his little head down on it, and went to sleep. Standing up. Well, he was tired. And when we’re tired, we need to rest. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, does it? I now find time during each day for a 20 minute “power nap.” It does wonders for my patience factor when my older kids all come home from school each afternoon!

Get back up. Have you ever watched a child learning how to walk? Or even a child who’s been walking for several months, who isn’t really steady on his feet? His determination wins out over his pride every time. And that’s why he succeeds…because he never gives up. So you fall down. Big deal. You can’t just lie there! Stand back up and start walking again. And if you fall again, get up again. Eventually, you won’t fall as often, and you’ll get where you were heading.

Laugh from your toes. There’s nothing better than a room full of laughing children. One of my favorite things to see is my husband lying on our living room floor with our children, rolling and tickling and laughing. A child’s belly laugh is a sound to behold. We all need to remember to lighten up a little bit. Laugh a little more often. Laugh all the way from our toes!

If you can’t reach it, build a ladder. Yesterday, I watched with amazement as my toddler built the most elaborate ladder of pillows so he could reach his sister’s sippy cup that was sitting on the kitchen counter. You see, he knew it was there. He could see it. And he WANTED that sippy cup more than life itself. He tried reaching. He tried standing on his toes. He stretched and stretched and stretched! But when even stretching didn’t give him the desired results, he walked to the living room, got a pillow off the couch, and placed it on the floor next to the counter. Yes. He GOT that sippy cup. And even though it belonged to his sister, and even though it had more sugary juice in it than a good mother should allow her 18 month old to drink, I let him have that cup. He earned it.

Don’t take no for an answer. Anyone who has children will agree with me that kids are the most strong-willed creatures on the face of the earth. In all the years I’ve been raising children (my oldest is now 18 years old), I’ve never ceased to be amazed that “No” never seems to really mean “No” to a child. We should follow that counsel. “No” might just mean “not today” or “not exactly that way” or even “Okay, okay, yes, I’ll buy it!!!” So don’t ever take no for an answer.

What you say is not always as important as how you say it. My 18-month old has a very limited vocabulary. Mainly “mama,” “dada,” and “no.” But somehow, we always seem to know what he wants. He smiles and coos and snuggles and points and, usually, he gets whatever it is he wants. So I try to remember when I’m dealing with my employees, and when dealing with my customers, that what I say isn’t always as important as how I say it.

Kiss it better. One of the most amazing parts of being a mother is when my children come to me, with tears in their eyes, and ask me to “kiss it better.” No, I’m not happy that they’re hurting, but it’s astonishing to me that a simple kiss from someone who loves you can make the hurt go away. Just knowing someone cares about us goes a long way in determining how we feel. So I take my friendships very seriously. Because when I’m down, or having a bad day, or something hurts, it’s great to have someone to kiss it better.

Jump in a few puddles. My 5 year old is my puddle jumper. She is my mud magnet. She doesn’t care what she’s wearing, or where we’re going, if there’s a mud puddle, she’s going to find it. I’m learning to follow her guidance. I’m teaching myself to lighten up a little bit. I’m learning that life’s too short to never jump in a puddle.
__________________________________________________________________________

My thought for today....go climb a few pillow ladders, jump in a few puddles, and don't take no for an answer!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Simple Way to Save a Few Dollars for College

2010-01-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

As a WAHM with a houseful of kids who will eventually need to go to college, and a husband in sales in a poor economy, we are battoning down the hatches and looking at every way possible to not only save, but to spend smart.

I recently learned about and signed up for a free program called Upromise – Save for College the Smart Way!

The premise behind Upromise is that you've got to shop, you've got to buy groceries, so why not shop and buy from retailers registered with Upromise, who will then give you a percentage of every purchase.

Here's how it's explained on the website:

Simple Idea:

■Create a college savings service that harnesses the purchasing power of parents, extended family, family, and students to make it easier to pay for college.

■Members direct their spending to Upromise partners—including more than 600 online stores, 8,000+ restaurants, thousands of grocery and drugstore items—and earn money for college.

Powerful Results:

■Everyone can earn money for college—parents with young children; family and friends that want to contribute; students and graduates with eligible student loans to pay.

■Many members have earned hundreds even thousands of dollars for college with their everyday spending, and have been able to use those earnings to contribute toward college tuition, expenses, or loans–quicker and easier.

Plus..Upromise is Giving Away $250,000 in College Scholarships!

Remember, it costs you nothing to join...and every qualified item you purchase is money in the bank. Just thought I'd share.... let me know what you think!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Creative Art: Sensory Learning

2010-01-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

Often, Luke's pre-school teacher will send home a written explanation of what the pre-schoolers are working on and what that experience is teaching them.

Since my business is all about turning a child's artwork into gifts and apparel, when papers come home that pertain to the subject of art and creativity, I pay special attention.

I wanted to paraphrase some points that Luke's pre-school teacher highlighted reagarding Creative Art, because I think it's so important:

Our art program is designed to promote your child's creativity. We focus on the PROCESS, not the end product. It is OK if your child's dog doesn't look like a dog, or if he colors his apple purple. That is your child's work (not the teachers) and that is his/her level of understanding of the real world right now.

If your child's art project looks like a big gooey mess, keep in mind that it was a good sensory experience. He/she probably had a ball making his/her own creation. That is what's most important.

Many projects your child brings home are craft oriented, and we do not have a particular end product in mind. These are projects, not art. They are designed to enhance skill and cognitive development, rather than promote creative abilities.

REMEMBER: Our number one priority in art is that your child did it all by him/herself, he/she enjoyed doing it, and is proud of his/her work.

While my oldest daughter has some artistic talent, the other five pretty much just enjoy being creative, and as I've written in previous posts here on my blog, I LOVE nurturing that creativity in them!

So, as with most weekends, I plant get out those paints and markers and colored pencils and scissors and glue this weekend and have a sensory development/cognitive development-fest!

Now I've just got to find an empty vertical space on a wall where I can display the end product...

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Here are some fun things to help get your creative juices flowing....

Middle School Drama

2010-01-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

To my middle schooler, popularity is king, and friends = life.   At the age of 11, she's already begun the early evening ritual of secluding herself in her bedroom to talk on the phone, listen to her music, or do her homework.

All of my kids attend a very small private school.   There are only about 8 girls in my 11 year old's class.   This means that the heirarchy of popularity is pretty narrow.

At the end of last year, THE MOST POPULAR girl in the class left our school to attend the public school.   This opened the gateway for my 5th grader to slide (quite happily) into the top echelon in her class. She is now 'BFFs' with THE CURRENT MOST POPULAR GIRL in her class, making my daughter A POPULAR GIRL.

Ughhhh!

I know as parents we want our children to be liked. (Trust me, I have an Aspie son, and his social awkwardness breaks my heart sometimes.)   But the drama that goes along with THE POPULAR CROWD is almost more than I can handle.

My concern is not only that she will GET hurt, but that her actions may hurt others.   Nothing has happened yet....I just remember being in the 5th grade (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and everything was in black and white, as my kids like to remind me).

I recently came across a book series by author Annie Fox (if you Twitter, you can follow her at @Annie_Fox) called "Middle School Confidential"

The books look right on target for what my darling daughter is currently going through (especially the "Real Friends vs. the Other Kind") and I've ordered them hoping they will spur some good mom/daughter conversation.

We can always hope, can't we?

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Turn your child's artwork into unique gifts! Visit http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/

Making the Connection: "Getting It"

2010-01-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

I love the Helen Keller story. For me, the most powerful scene in the movie is when Helen "gets it." When the water is running from the well onto Helen's hands, and Annie Sullivan is signing those letters W-A-T-E-R furiously into Helen's hand. I think I read that book the first time when I was in the 4th grade, and it still gives me goose bumps to think about it.

As a parent, there is nothing more exciting to me than to be helping one of my children understand a complicated concept, and see that "get it" moment, that instant when the light bulb comes on and everything clicks into place in his/her brain, and the information makes sense.

Many years ago, when my oldest daughter (who is now a sophomore in college) was in kindergarten, her kindergarten teacher suggested to all the parents that we label common household items in our home. This was a great way, she said, to visually teach your children the connection between all those 26 letters they've struggled and successfully learned, and the written word. It's such a simple thing to do....

and 5 year old Luke feels so proud when he walks through the house reading and spelling words: "Clock. c - l - o - c - k. Door. d - o - o - r." In fact, he's even pointed out some items in the house that we should also label, and he's labeled them in his own handwriting (with me spelling the words...like "chair" and "shelf" and "refrigerator").

Just a tip I thought my readers might want to try....it works for me!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Study Tip for Grade Schoolers: Homemade flashcards

2010-01-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

Remember flash cards? I remember using them at school to practice memorizing my multipication tables and other math-related facts. I also remember not liking them very much!

However, flash cards can be more than numbers.   Every child learns differently, and I've recently discovered that for a couple of my kids, they LOVE flash cards.

I started using them last year when I realized that one of my children is a particularly strong IMAGE person. Let him watch a movie or a television show, and the information seeps painlessly into his brain.   Draw him a picture of what you're trying to teach him, and the same thing happens....easy, simple understanding.

Recently, rather than send my image learner to his bedroom with a notebook of facts to memorize, we've sat down together and reviewed his notes and his chapter.   Then I help him put the important information into picture answers. His recall on tests is amazing!   In fact, he's not just memorizing a fact, he's understanding a concept!

Oh, and I'm not talking about buying expensive sets of pre-made notecards...I'm talking about 250 notecards for $1.00 at the Dollar Store.

Here are a couple of flash cards we made recently while he was preparing for a Social Studies test:

On one side of the card, he wrote: Q: Why did Columbus sail west?

Q. What was the Columbian Exhange?

I've now started using this flash card idea with one of my daughters who has reading comprehension problems.

And the best part we've found, is that it's easier to split up the studying. For instance, if the test is in 3 days, and they know they've written 30 cards, they break their studying down into 10 cards per day.

Do you have any study tips you use with your school-age children? If so, please leave a comment. We can all learn from each other!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Looking for a truly unique Valentine's Gift idea? It doesn't get any more thoughtful than this... http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com/customphotocollages.html

Fridge Phonics is Fun!

2010-01-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

Refrigerator magnets have always had a special place in my heart. Twenty years ago, when my oldest was a toddler (yes, yes, I know, it's hard to believe I have one that old, go on, please, please, oh, thank you!), I bought my first set of simple refrigerator magnets. I was amazed (and thrilled) that such a simple, inexpensive toy could keep my son (and my husband, and myself!) entertained.

For some reason, these brightly colored letter-shaped objects are able to hold the interest of babies, toddlers, grade school children, and even adults.

Even today, 20 years later, I sill have a set on my refrigerator for Luke to play with. There are a couple of letters missing, and I know they're under that refrigerator.....I think I'll get those out today, now that I'm thinking of it.

Last weekend we were having dinner at a friend's home, and they had on THEIR refrigerator the latest version of the simple refrigerator magnet, and I couldn't pull Luke away! They had the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set and this toy is so much FUN and UNDER $15!!!

It helps teach the alphabet, phonics, even fine motor skills (and who doesn't love learning fine motor skills!?!). And Leapfrog says it can even be used as a speech development tool.

Your child places a letter into the reader (oh, and all the vowels are RED, to distinguish them from the consonants) , and then presses to hear the letter's name, sound, and a SONG! That's right, a SONG! In fact, this little gizmo also teaches the Alphabet Song....but relax, because there's a volume switch, and even a "sound off" switch, for when you've heard the song 20, 40, or more times, and just need a little "sound time out."

Luke's Fridge Phonics set has been ordered and is on its way.... I can't wait to play with it!

Enjoy!

~Lisa

Have you seen my selection of Big Brother and Big Sister shirts?

Love books. Love to draw. Gotta love this!

2010-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

If you've ever been to my house, or visited my website (My Little Rembrandt), then you will immediately know that I love it when my kids are creative AND when my kids read.

Most every vertical surface is covered with artwork of some sort, either a project from school, or something created at home. (In fact, the amount of artwork taking over my home is exactly the reason my business MyLittleRembrandt.com was born!) Bookshelves are jammed with books of every shape and size.  Reading is our family pasttime.

Sitting on the counter are plastic drawers filled with Colored Markers, Colored Pencils, crayons, stamps, scissors, stickers, glue, glitter, and more.   It's not uncommon for my kids to spontaeously just walk into the kitchen, grab some paper and start creating something.

So, when saw that the http://www.anrdoezrs.net/2t70hz74z6MOVOTUWOMVPQTWTT company has a version of their personalized children's books that is created using not just your child's name and date of birth, but also your child's artwork, I fell completely in love!!!

The book is called The World According To [Your Child] and is a personalized book that makes it easy to capture this precious stage in your child's life. This stunning, 20-page professionally typeset hardcover book features your child's own drawings and classic comments about his or her world. This book is perfect for boys and girls ages 4-12.

This amazing book is 8 1/2 by 11 inches and has a hard cover. The kit costs only $29.95  and includes sample interview questions to get some ideas flowing, 8 color markers, and special drawing sheets for up to 6 drawings. Simply mail everything back to the I See Me company, and 3 weeks later, you'll receive a beautifully printed book!

I've ordered several books from I See Me since receiving the My Very Own Name book for a gift when Luke was born. (Take a Virtual Book Tour of the personalized children's book "My Very Own Name".) The books have thick heavy weight pages, and the brightest most beautiful colors!    In fact, my neice just had a baby last week, and there's one on the way to her!

The quality of these books is top-notch and no doubt it will be one of those books that my kids will treasure even as adults. I'm ordering a few more of these The World According to books for my kids this week.... I'm going to put them away for birthday gifts later in the year, but I'm buying now, because I See Me is offering $5 off on orders that are over $40! (Use code FSR615 at checkout).

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Have you mailed your Christmas Thank You Cards yet?   Let me help you create the perfect thank you card using several photos of your child playing with the toys s/he received!   A thank you card photo collage....sure to go right on every grandma's or Godmother's refrigerator!    Save 10% with Coupon Code TY10 at checkout.

11, 12, 13, 14, 15 - Counting

2010-01-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

As any parent knows, that group of numbers between 10 and 16 seem to be the most difficult for pre-schoolers to learn. It's kinda like the "l-m-n-o-p" part of memorizing the alphabet.   The sounds always tend to get jumbled up in kids' brains.

Today, Luke and I were playing a game of inside Hide-and-Go-Seek (he wanted to play tag, "Come on, Mom, it's good exercise!" he even tried to bribe me -- didn't work), and he made the decision that we would count to 15.

When it was my turn to hide, I heard him struggling through 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.   Then I had an idea...

I suggested that rather than count from 1-15, how about we just count from 11-15, 3 times. At first he gave me one of those looks that only a pre-schooler can give, but after some convincing on my part, he decided to give it a try. I counted first, loudly, so he could hear me from his favorite hiding place behind the curtain in the living room. "11-12-13-14-15, 11-12-13-14-15, 11-12-13-14-15, Ready or not, here I come!" I even told him I would be the counter and he could be the hider for a few times so he could listen to me count.

After finding him hiding behind the curtain, under the table, and in the bathroom closet, I told him it was my turn to hide and his turn to count.

11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15!

He did it!

Later, when we got tired of hide-and-go-seek, we were playing with some of his toy trucks. We set them up to race, and counted to start the race: 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - Go!

We pretended one was a spaceship taking off into outspace, and counted BACKWARD....15 - 14 - 13 - 12 -11 - BLASTOFF! (That one was a bit trickier for him to master.)

So much of teaching pre-schoolers involves play AND repetition. I'm still coming up with more ways to practice these five tricky numbers. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please... leave a comment!

Enjoy!

~Lisa

Looking for a unique Valentine gift idea? Why not put your child's artwork on a sweatshirt for his or her Daddy?

Fun Craft Idea (aka Keep from Going Stir Crazy!!!)

2010-01-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is perhaps the 7th or 8th (or 139th, but who's counting?) day in a row where it has been just too cold to play outside.

We've baked (and eaten!) cookies (all wearing our custom aprons, I might add).

We've played board games (Scrabble, Apples to Apples Junior -- did you know there is now a Junior edition of this fun game? Must check it out! -- Electronic Pictionary Man, and Loaded Questions -- which is our family's favorite game of 2010 by the way).

We've watched almost every DVD in the house (not kidding!).

We've played charades.

Just the other day, 2 of my girls taped (blue painters tape) my 13 year old to a chair, then rolled him in front of a computer and turned on a Dora the Explorer video (I am not making this up!).

Today, we dragged out some of our favorite books, and one in particular, Snowballs, by Lois Ehlert (which, if you haven't read it, is a wonderful!!!!! book for young children!) tickled our creativity bone, so Luke and I decided we needed to create a "snow-something."

Luke is dying to grow up and go deer hunting with his Dad, so his immediate decision was to create a "Snow Buck."

I gathered glue and Cheerios and raisins and mini marshmallows and pasta and chocolate chips and even a can of celery seed. First, I drew some shapes on a piece of paper (I used a graphics program on my computer, because I'm anal that way), and then Luke went to work creating THE most amazing "Snow Buck" I've ever seen!!!

What a fun way to spend an hour.

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Hand-eye coordination, and spatial concepts, and fine motor skills! Oh My!

2010-01-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever put a 3D Puzzle
together?

Problem solving. Spatial concepts. Hand-eye coordination. Fine motor skills.   Ahhh, the words every parent LOVES to hear when referring to play time that can also be educational time.

But for the 3D puzzler, let's also add the words persistence and patience to the list.   Because these things, too, are being learned while solving a 3D Puzzle.

I always knew puzzles were fun, and all my kids have had many over the years.  I've recently, however, thanks to a gift 5-year old Luke received from Aunt Suzi, joined the ranks of a 3D puzzler, and I can tell you first hand they are fun, but also challenging.   But the sense of accomplishment that Luke and I both felt when we finished assembling Luke's 3D Puzzle was worth every bit of the effort we put in. And the parent-child time we spent together was priceless!

Luke and I were definitely flexing our logic muscles as we matched numbers and images to construct his Stegosaurus 3D Puzzle.   And the puzzle pieces fit so tightly together, that Luke now plays with it as one of his new dinosaur friends!

There are even 3D puzzles for children as young as 3 years, like Wild Animal 3D puzzles, Dinosaur 3D puzzles, and even Artic Animals 3D puzzles.

Older kids....? What about a 3d Jigsaw Adventure Computer Game, an engaging way to teach your pre-teen or teen the same important skills and concepts, but it's played on a computer....and it costs LESS THAN $6.00! Or go the traditional 3D puzzle route, and check out a 3D Empire State Building Puzzle (around $16.00) or even a 3D Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - Flying Dutchman (around $32.50).

Another terrific thing about puzzles? They're so inexpensive! They make terrific gifts not only for your own children, but consider all those children's birthday parties your kids get invited to.....you can get a great gift like a 3D puzzle usually for under $15.00.

Happy Puzzling!

:)
~Lisa

Valentines Day will soon be here....why not let me create a Custom Photo Collage for your spouse with a collection of all your favorite family photos!

Awesome, Fun, AND Educational Toy!

2010-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

5-year old Luke received the most amazing, educational, engaging, downright FUN, FUN, FUN toy for Christmas this year...I just had to share!

It's the LeapFrog Scribble and Write, and I am here to tell you, it's a slam dunk in my book!

As a mom, I always tend to lean toward educational toys, and as a mom of 6 children, I've bought my fair share of boring educational toys -- you know, the ones you feel so self-righteous spending oodles of money on, because you look as it as an "investment" in your child's future -- only to have my kids set the expensive gizmo aside in favor of something more, well, fun.

Well, this LeapFrog Scribble and Write is not only inexpensive, but entertaining AND educational! Luke has barely put this toy down since he opened the gift (thank you, thank you, thank you Uncle James!), and he is now routinely sharing his new-found knowledge with me.

Using a series of light-up dots, it teaches your child not just what each upper case and lower case letter LOOKS like, but the proper way to WRITE each letter. Plus, it verbally encourages and cheers your child. Then, by sliding a plastic bar across the screen, it is wiped clean, kinda like a Magnadoodle (remember those?).

You can purchase the LeapFrog Scribble and Write from Amazon for under $30! In my vast book of parental purchases, that's an EXCELLENT price for a toy that just won't be put down. (And I LOVE Amazon because returns are so darn simple.....just in case :)

If you want to read more unbiased reviews, and even watch a video that shows all this toy does, just click here.

Enjoy! And let me know if you have any opinion on this toy....I'd love to know your thoughts.

~Lisa

Be sure to check out my latest service, Custom Photo Collages, where I put a collection of all your favorite photo on one print!

What to do with all those Christmas photos

2009-12-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

As the new year looms, and visions of sugar plums have been replaced by visions of organization and order, I wanted to share with you the newest product I now offer: Custom Photo Collages!

If you're like me, you probably took hundreds(and hundreds!) of photos over the holiday. Do you have any plans for them? Are you going to print them? Frame them? Share them? Or (as I've been known to do) just leave them on the SD card in your digital camera until the next Kodak moment arrives?

With a custom photo collage, you can select several of your favorite photos from a single event (for example, Christmas morning), pick and choose the best shots of everyone, and I will crop them, border them, organize them, add a background and any text you wish. I will work with you, using your personal creative input, to select background colors or patterns, font styles and colors, wording, and completely custom-design your very own collage. When we're finished, you will have a beautiful keepsake photograph (in 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10 inch sizes) ready to frame in one single frame.

These are great for holidays, birthdays, weddings, or just a "Girls' Night Out" memory!

Enjoy!

~Lisa

http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/

Creating Unique Gifts and Apparel

from Your Child's Artwork

(and your photographs!)

Giving Thanks - 25% savings today only

2009-11-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today only, I'm offering 25% off any purchase http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/ .

Imagine your child's artwork on your family's Christmas cards this year. Or a sweatshirt or apron for Grandma featuring your little artist's one-of-a-kind creation. A set of notecards is loved by teachers and aunts. Even coffee mugs can be custom created.

This isn't like other "upload your photo" sites.... You send me your artwork and/or photos, along with your ideas, and I will work with you to create a stunning, unique product, adding borders and text, and your personal touch.

TODAY ONLY save 25% with Coupon Code BLACK25 at checkout.

(To qualify for the discount, you need only get your order placed today...you can send me your artwork and/or photos later, and then we'll work together to finalize your creation.)

Gobble, gobble.

~Lisa
http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/
Creating Unique Gifts and Apparel
from Your Child's Artwork

Veteran's Day - Rural American Style

2009-11-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day - from rural America

Living in rural America has its advantages.

Like our annual Veteran's Day Parade, for instance.

The entire school comes out for it....from pre-school through senior high.

And as I stood in the beautiful 60 degree sunshine, I was moved by so many emotions.

Respect.

Gratitude.

Awe.

Thank you, Veterans, and to all those who are currently serving.

Freedom, it's a beautiful thing.

(I hope you'll enjoy the photos.)

Christmas Cards from Your Child's Artwork

2009-09-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! It's not even Halloween yet! But I was just too excited about these new products I now offer to wait a minute longer. Introducing....Custom Photo Christmas Cards....featuring your favorite photo OR your child's artwork!

These beautiful cards make a wonderful way to send Holiday greetings to your friends and family, and are sure to be keepsakes as well.

They're professionally printed with glossy outside, and measure 5x7 inches.

PLUS, you get to completely customize the INSIDE of the cards as well!

So get out those cameras or dig out those colored markers, and get creating! Your little one will be so proud to have his/her artwork adorn this year's family Christmas cards.

For more details, visit http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com/CustomChristmasCards.html

Enjoy!

~Lisa

http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/

Most Unique Gift for the World's Greatest Dad

2009-06-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

We love to make personal and creative and unique gifts for Dad for Father's Day. We don't see it as a day to buy Dad an expensive gift, but as a day to really show him how much he is loved and treasured.

These "World's Greatest Dad" T-shirts are going to be a big hit at our house this year!

The kids have all been working hard to create JUST the right design that they want put on a shirt that Dad will proudly wear. I've added the "World's Greatest Dad" text to this particular artwork drawn by a child of one of my customers, but I can add any text at all, in a variety of colors or fonts, such as "Best Fishing Partner" ,"Greatest Baseball Player" , "Golf Dad" or "My Dad Rocks!"

These Dad Tshirts are Hanes BEEFY 100% ultra-thick cotton tshirts, not flimsy wimpy things. The design is stretchable, is applied using a professional heat press, is machine washable and dryable, and is never shiny or sticky.

I'm offering a 10% discount on my custom Father's Day Tshirts, or on any of the "Dad" Tshirt designs on my site, with Coupon Code TY10 at checkout. Here's the link where you can see all the designs available, and/or read how to order your own custom dad tshirt http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/fathersdaytshirts.html

Teaching Problem Solving -- The "Why Do You Think?" Game

2009-02-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of weeks, 4 year old Luke and I have created another new game....it's called "Why do you think......?"

The game came about one day while we were riding in the car. We had to stop for a red light, and Luke asked me (although he knew the answer), "Why did we stop?"

Instead of answering the question that he already knew the answer to, I turned it around and asked him, "Why do you think we stopped?"

He immediately responded, "Because the light is red!"

Problem solving is an important skill for toddlers to learn. It's sometimes difficult for us as parents, who have always taken care of our toddlers' needs, to step back a bit and let them 'stretch their brains.'

Many times Luke will try to shrug or say "...because!" but I try to insist that he think of an answer.

Now, several times as day, I'll ask Luke, "I wonder why.....?"

"I wonder why the sidewalk is wet.....?" ("Because it's raining!")

"I wonder why we have to sit quietly.....?" ("Because we're at Church!")

"I wonder why that lady over there is wearing sunglasses....?" ("Because it's sunny!")

"I wonder why that food is hot....?" ("Because Mommy just took it out of the oven!")

"I wonder why Spongebob is sad....?" ("Because Patrick is being mean to him.")

It's so much fun to see that little brain work and grow as he thinks things through and tries to come up with the best answer to my questions.

I also see it as just a little payback, for all the times he's asked me "Why?"

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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Teaching pre-schoolers with ryhmes

2009-02-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

"I keep the cold air out, and you walk through me to go outside. I'm not a chore, and I'm not a floor, I'm a ______________."

"This is where you brush your teeth and wash your face. I'm not pink and I don't stink, I'm a __________."

"I'm little and creepy crawly. I'm not a rug and I'm not a hug, I'm a _______."

"You see these when you sleep. I'm not steam and I'm not cream, I'm a ________."

Pre-schoolers LOVE to rhyme! This is a fun game 4-year old Luke and I recently discovered, and it keeps us busy while we're waiting in the car to pick up his older siblings after school, or even just snuggling on the couch.

"This is where we eat dinner. I'm not a stable, I'm a _______________."

Use your imagination! See what fun rhymes YOU can come up with!

Enjoy!
~Lisa

Let your child create his/her very own custom party invitations and thank you cards.

Teaching A Love of Reading

2009-02-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely LOVE to read. My bedside table generally has a stack of 3-4 books, waiting to be read. I seldom leave the house without a book in my hand (you never know when you might have to wait 5 minutes for a child to get finished with practice, or get stopped by a train).

My kids know that if I ever disappear (you know, run away), they will most likely find me in my favorite place on earth ... our local public library.

Because I find so much joy in reading (I'm currently reading eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert -- HIGHLY recommend it! In fact, I'm considering moving to Italy for a year as soon as I finish reading this book, just to learn the language...and perhaps to get some first hand glimpses of these Italian men with their "liquid brown eyes"), I am always trying to come up with ways to help my children fall in love with reading as well.

Yesterday, since Luke's older siblings all had to go to school, but Luke's pre-school had the day off, Luke and I ran some errands, including a trip to the library and then McDonald's for lunch. I hadn't taken many photos lately, so I grabbed my camera on the way out the door, and snapped pictures of our outing.

While Luke was napping, I spent about 30 minutes playing around with the photos, and created a book, starring Luke, titled Luke's Really Fun Day. I had a report cover in the house, so I 3-hold punched the pages, and put the pages in the report cover. (If you want to take a peek at the fun things we did, you can see a pdf version of Luke's book here: Luke's Really Fun Day -- Click on the title of the book under the letter "L" and then for a really cool view, click on the double page book at the top).

When Luke woke up from his nap, he was ECSTATIC to have his very own book. We've already read it 48 times, and he wants to take it to school next week to share it with his class.

I think he loves reading :)

~Lisa

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Reinforcing Numbers and Counting

2009-02-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

We count everything! When we set the table, we count the plates and forks and napkins. When we play with toy cars, we line them up and count them. And when we go to the grocery store, we count packages and cans and fruit.

Reinforcing numbers and counting is a great way to help your preschooler learn the basics of math. Many times, after counting books or toys, I'll take some away, and ask 4 year old Luke to re-count what's remaining. When he gets the answer correct, I tell him, "Yes! That's right! We had 8 cars, we took away 3 cars, and now we have 5 cars. So 8 minus 3 equals 5." I'm pretty sure he doesn't yet get what 'minus' means, but I'm just introducing a new word to him and using it in context.

Here are some other ideas for introducing and/or reinforcing numbers and counting to a pre-schooler as you go about your day:

When you're cooking, read the recipe to your pre-schooler as you add ingredients. For example, "The directions say to start with 2 cups of water." Then let him/her help you count the cups as you add them to the sauce pan.

When setting the table, instruct your preschooler to "put 4 plates and 4 forks on the table." Then ask him, "How many glasses do you think we'll need?"

When playing use numbers and counting, "can you put 4 blocks in a row?" "can you jump 6 times?" "Simon Says take 3 steps backward"

At snack time, count out your preschoolers goldfish crackers or Cheerios, and place them in groups of 4, 5, 6, etc., and ask him/her to count them. Then write the numbers on a piece of paper, and place the paper next to the correct group to reinforce the written number.

When reading to your preschooler, count birds on the page, tractors on the page, butterflies on the page, etc. And occasionally ask your preschooler "What page are we reading?" and show him/her the page number at the bottom of the book.

When you're grocery shopping, ask him/her to "put 3 cans of green beans in the cart" or "how many rolls of toilet paper are in that package?"

Enjoy!
~Lisa

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Repetitive Teaching

2008-12-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

If your preschooler is anything like mine, then s/he is loving the computer.

Each afternoon when I need to do some work, 4 year old Luke and I turn off the television and he sits at the family computer while I sit at my laptop. We call this our "quiet work time."

Sites like Nickjr.com can keep him happily occupied for a good 30 minutes or more.

One of the things I've started doing with him is having him type in his own letters to connect to the website he wants to go to. He loves this! As I say each letter to him, I point to it on the keyboard, and he presses the key. After only a week of doing this, many of the letters I only need to SAY and he can find it on his own.

Just another example of how repetitive play can lead to learning.

We also have a "Christmas countdown calendar" that I bought from Avon when my oldest (who is now 21) was first born. It's a cloth "calendar" with 24 numbered pockets and a little mouse that we move each day to a new number as we get closer to Christmas. Each day when the mouse is moved (and with 4 little ones in the house, we have to take turns), Luke watches closely as we talk about what number the day is. Today, we'll move the mouse to number 12 and Luke and I will talk about number 12 many times throughout the day, and count to 12 several times today.

It's so exciting to observe them when they learn at this age. They want to know EVERYTHING and are so thrilled when the are able to make a connection to a letter or number that they recognize.

Counting down....only 12 more "bedtimes" until Santa comes!

~Lisa

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Getting Creative for the Holidays

2008-12-08T03:58:00.000-08:00

As the owner of a business that creates custom Christmas cards from a child's artwork, I had really been struggling over how to approach this year's design incorporating the artwork of all 4 of my younger children on one card. In the past, I simply selected a child's artwork that I thought would look best on our family cards, or made several different card designs, and mailed them to my list.

But this year, I came up with an idea to use all four kids' artwork on one card.

Using 4 simple triangle Christmas trees, I had each child take a turn at "decorating" one. Then I added each child's name and age under his/her tree. I think it turned out beautifully and I can't wait to get these mailed to friends and family!

My children are so creative and one of their favorite things to do is sit down with paper and markers and scissors and glue and MOM. We can spend hours on a cold wintry afternoon drawing and cutting and pasting.

And it's such a simple way to spend time with them, nevermind the fine motor skills they're developing!

Have fun.

~Lisa

Tissue Paper Crafts!

2008-11-22T05:31:00.000-08:00

These were just too cute not to share, and it's such a cute craft idea for all ages, I had to blog about it.

Within two days, two of my children, 4 year old Luke, and 10 year old Analisa, brought home from school these adorable Thanksgiving turkeys. Using basically the same materials -- colored tissue paper, brown construction paper, and glue -- these two age groups created these fun turkeys.

Luke's turkey (on the left), involved his cutting out a pre-drawn turkey head, and then gluing it on a paper plate (with the center cut out), and then gluing several square-shaped pieces of tissue paper around the plate, like a wreath. He even colored in a yellow beak, and a couple of eyes.

Analisa, who is in 4th grade, took her project a bit further, and after cutting out her turkey breast and head and gluing it onto a piece of construction paper, she then "pinched" each piece of colored tissue paper before gluing it around her turkey, giving it a "feather" look.

A simple craft idea that kids of all ages can do! As a mother of 6, I know I'm always looking for ways to keep everyone entertained at the same time!

Enjoy.

~Lisa

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Let the Errands Begin!

2008-11-20T04:19:00.000-08:00

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and already I feel like my errand list has doubled in size. The look on 4-year old Luke's face when I tell him we have to "run errands" almost breaks my heart. The constant in and out of the car seat, the constant "no, honey, that toy is not on our list of things to buy today", is almost more than either of us can take!

So yesterday, before we left, I decided to try to make it into a game. I told him he had a mission (his big brother loves 007, so he knows all about spy missions!).

I told Luke we had to go to three places. At the first stop (the big hardware store), his job was to find 4 (his favorite number) blue (his favorite color) items and point them out to me.

Next, we went to Hobby Lobby (one of my most favorite places). Luke's job at this stop was to find 4 ROUND items. He spotted a huge round mirror, a round pillow, a round Christmas ornament, and try as I might, I can't remember the last round item he spotted!

Finally, the grocery store. This was a longer stop, and so I had to come up with something that would keep him occupied longer, so I asked him to count how many people were in each aisle, then he had to find 4 "orange" items (the color changed each aisle) in that aisle, AND to tell me what aisle number we were in by looking at the sign hanging from the ceiling. Then, when it was time to checkout, he was to count how many people were in line ahead of us, and as each person ahead of us finished her transaction, he had to re-count (5-4-3-2-1!).

The errands were completed with no meltdowns, Luke felt proud of his accomplishments, and I even bought him some sugar-free gum to thank him for his hard work of counting and finding.

Just another day of learning....

~Lisa

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Time: The Best Gift

2008-11-18T04:08:00.000-08:00

It's always a struggle in our busy lives to find "quality" time to spend with our children. But all our children want is our attention and time....and they don't judge us on quality.

4 year old Luke's preschool is a firm believer in sharing time with our children; so much so, in fact, that several times a year his teacher sends home a Family Coupon Book that contains "coupons," each coupon listing a simple activity we can do with our child just to spend some time with him/her.

I'm listing this month's coupon ideas, because I think it shows how simple it is to share a few minutes of time with our pre-schoolers:

Make and drink some hot chocolate together
Make and eat some popcorn together
Draw a picture together
Sing a song together
Play at the park
Match mittens or socks together
Bake some cookies (and eat them, too!)
Write a letter to a friend, and take it to the post office
Play a game together
Set the table together

In spite of the crazy, hectic daily schedules we all call our lives, I've found through these coupon ideas that it's really a simple thing to spend some time with our pre-schoolers (oh, and you get to eat a lot, too!).

~Lisa

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It only takes a minute

2008-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

So many people are shocked when they learn that I have 6 children...."how do you do it?" is a common question.

I won't say I never have bad days (just ask my kids!), but I try to be organized and that has been the key to my "success."

But busy as I am as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur, I've learned that we can teach our children through everyday activites that only take a few extra minutes of our time, especially if we include the "teaching" with the everyday activities that we're doing anyway!

Take laundry (PLEASE!!! Take ALL my laundry! I feel like I'm drowning in it some days!). 4-year old Luke likes to help me fold laundry, so I ask his assistance by having him sort the clothes. He makes a pile for each sibling and one for mom and dad, and one for the towels. You can't believe how much this actually helps me! Then when I start folding, I take one person at a time, and it seems so much simpler this way. Luke then likes to take his siblings' folded laundry and place it neatly on each person's bed (for that person to put away when s/he gets home from school). He also takes his folded clothes, which we've sorted into "shirts" "pants" "underwear & socks" and "pajamas" and he puts these away in the correct drawers in his bedroom.

Have fun!

~Lisa

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Let's Get Cooking!

2008-11-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

My kids have all loved to help me in the kitchen....well, up until the age when I started requiring them to help me in the kitchen! But 4 year old Luke is destined to be a world renowned chef! He absolutely loves to cook. (And he absolutely MUST don is "Le Chef" apron before measuring the first ingredient.)

Admittedly, I often have to shoo him away because I'm in a hurry or because, quite honestly, it's not the easiest thing in the world to cook dinner when a 4 year old is measuring and stirring and helping!

But when I have time, he's so eager to jump up on a chair and help me read the recipe, and measure the ingredients, and stir everything together, then open the oven door while I put our creation into the oven.

Sometimes while we're working together, we talk about "WHY?"

"Why do you think we only put a little bit of salt in this recipe?"

"Why do you think we don't put peanut butter in the mashed potatoes?"

"Why do think we have to cook the lasagna before we eat it?"

We also talk about colors (what color is the pepper, what color is the flour, what color is the corn? why is the potato brown on the outside, and white on the inside?) and textures (does the egg feel gooey or soft?) and smells (why does sugar taste sweet, but smell so bad? Does the onion smell sweet?).

He's always so proud when the family sits down to eat a meal that he made. And I have to admit, after having the opportunity to spend that time with him, and seeing the smile on his face and the pride in his stance, my food always tastes a bit better.

If your little chef needs an apron, check out the designs available at http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com/customaprons.html. You can even send me your child's artwork, and I can put that on an apron for you (or I can put it on an apron for Grandma!)

Bon appetit!

~Lisa

Let's Get Moving!

2008-11-12T03:29:00.000-08:00

Another cold and rainy day meant finding some fun inside activities. But we're getting restless with not being able to go outside, and we wanted to MOVE!

Luke played "Follow the Leader" at pre-school today, and wanted to teach me how, so I let him lead the way.

The version of "Follow the Leader" we played was similar to "Simon Says" except that we were walking, and I was following behind him. We walked through the house, with him announcing "raise your hand" and I dutifully complied. "Jump on one foot!" "Turn around" "Scratch your head" "Look in the mirror and make a funny face" "Touch your toes" "Jump 4 times" (I told you 4 is his favorite number.) "Lay down on the floor and roll around" "Do a somersault" "Jump on the bed" (yes, I allowed this one today, for the sake of the game). We had such a good time, we collapsed into giggles (a mother's favorite sound).

Then it was my turn to lead, so I threw in some "rights" and "lefts", such as "Raise your left hand" and "Touch your right ear." Since Luke was behind me, he was able to mimic my moves, rather than standing in front of me, when his "rights" and "lefts" would have been mirrored.

I have a feeling this we'll be playing this game frequently this winter...

Have fun.

~Lisa
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Honoring our Veterans

2008-11-11T17:26:00.001-08:00

I love that our community has an annual Veteran's Day Parade. Rain or shine (and today it was rain!), people line the streets and give tribute to some of the bravest, most honorable people to have walked the earth.

Many schools close today, but in our community, the children attend school and spend the day in celebration and remembrance, including participation in the parade.

Luke was excited to be riding on a float, waving his American flag, and singing patriotic songs.

I'm certain he didn't truly grasp the importance of what he was doing, but I hope that as he grows older, and learns more about his grandparents, and his uncles, and some of his older cousins, and the sacrifices they made for his freedom, that he will learn to appreciate the veterans, and will wave his flag with heartfelt pride.

~Lisa

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Sticky, smooth, cold, rough, flat, and soft

2008-11-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

As promised, when Luke got off the bus today, I had an inside scavenger hunt ready for him.

I decided to break away from colors, and focus more on other physical characteristics, so I went with STICKY, SMOOTH, ROUGH, SOFT, FLAT, COLD and WARM.

I was really curious to see what he would find for each of these physical descriptions, and he didn't let me down!

I think the most fun was sticky....when he opened a piece of Halloween candy, put it in his mouth, then spit it out on his hands, announcing that his hands were now sticky!

He found the outside of the refrigerator smooth, and the inside cold. The top of his dresser was flat. His blankie was soft. The basket on the table was deemed rough.

He wanted to play more, so I threw in some shapes (triangle, rectangle, oval, circle, and square).

It's always so fun to play with our kids, and when they are learning in the process, it makes it even more rewarding.

Enjoy!

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~Lisa

A Scavenger Hunt!

2008-11-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Today is another picture perfect day in Illinois....sunny, warm, absolutely not what one would expect in November!

Knowing that the cold rainy weather is on its way as early as tomorrow, when my pre-schooler hopped off the school bus today, I suggested that we sit out on the front porch for several minutes and enjoy the weather while he showed me his papers and told me about his adventures at school that day.

While we were talking, the falling leaves from the tree out front caught Luke's eye. He remarked, "Look, it's still Fall!" Which led naturally to a discussion about seasons, and that seasons are many weeks long, not like holidays, which are only one day. Our discussion then turned to things that we see in Fall, and the next thing you know, we had a list of things, including yellow leaves, and red leaves, and green leaves, and orange leaves, and nuts that fall from the trees, and sticks (small sticks, medium sticks, big sticks), and even rocks (small rocks, medium rocks, and big rocks).

With our list in one hand, and a bag in the other, we set off on a scavenger hunt to see if we could find everything on our list.

I think Luke most enjoyed finding the "big stick" which he insisted on dragging back to the house (although he was disappointed that I wouldn't let him bring it inside!).

When we returned to the porch, we looked through our treasures, and commented on the different sizes and shapes and colors.

It was a fun game, and Luke asked me if we could play it again tomorrow. Since the weather is turning cold and rainy, I'm thinking an inside scavenger hunt might be fun.....

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~Lisa

The Importance of Voting

2008-11-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

Today is election day.

As my kids have watched their television shows (i.e., Disney channel primarily), they have been told over and over about how important voting is in our country. In fact, I think it was the Disney Channel's website that actually had an online "election" where the kids could vote for either presidential candidate.

At school, my three grade schoolers (2d, 4th, and 6th) are voting in a mock election.

Voting is in the air!

I was thinking last night about my first venture to the voting booth. I'll admit it...I was terrified! I was afraid I would push the wrong button or completely mess something up. I was intimidated and absolutely certain that everyone else knew "how to do it."

So I decided I would take my children with me to the voting booth today and start familiarizing them with the voting process, so that as they eventually reach voting age, they will feel more comfortable. Plus, they're so eager that the candidate our family is voting for win, and the fact that this is such a monumental election, I thought it would be a great way to include them in a bit of history in the making.

Fortunately, we live in a very rural community, so when we arrived there were only 6 people in line ahead of us. As we walked through the line, the judges were so gracious as I explained to the kids about how they first ask for my identification, so they can first be sure it's me, and also to "cross my name off" because each person only gets one vote.

Next, they watched as the judge flipped through the book and found my voter registration form, and then asked me to sign the form so they could compare my signature to the signature on the form.

We stepped further down the line, where a very patient and kind judge explicitly explained the electronic voting procedure (we didn't have the option of a paper ballot this year), how to input the "secret 4-digit code" and then how to turn the wheel to select each candidate before pressing the vote button.

When at last we stepped into the voting booth, the kids gathered around, and watched closely to be sure I didn't make a mistake and vote for the wrong candidate! After all my selections were made, I pressed the "cast ballot" button, and we all double-checked the printed ballot that appeared, then, with their hands all on mine, I pressed the "cast ballot" button one last time and our vote was cast.

The kids then proudly wore their "I voted" stickers to school, and couldn't wait to share their story with all their friends.

On the way to school, I explained to them how privileged we are in America to have the right to vote. But I also explained to them that whichever candidate is elected, he will be our President, and even though that may not be the man we selected, he is definitely a person worthy to be president, and we should respect that he is in that position because of the "will of the people."

I just hope the excitement they are feeling today will stick with them as they mature into adulthood, and they will never forget that the freedom to vote for our candidate of choice is one of the many things that makes our country great.

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~Lisa

Fun Activites for Everyday Learning

2008-11-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a tumultuous several months as we've been dealing with trying to get a correct diagnosis for our now 12 year old son. Drake was "diagnosed" with ADHD at the age of 4, and was medicated for over 7 years. We're now closer to a true diagnosis (which appears to be Asperger Syndrome) and the past couple of months have been a roller coaster ride of emotions.

But, now it's time to get back to blogging and talking about fun pre-school learning activities!

Luke (who is now 4 and attending pre-school 3 hours a day) is growing and learning so much! But we always have time to squeeze in some learning in our everyday activities.

Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:

We were at a doctor's office last week, and Luke noticed the office number "4" on one of the doors (He's really into the number "4" now that he IS four!). We spent a few minutes walking up and down the hall pointing to each number and saying them out loud.... "1" "2" "3" "4" "5"!

Luke loves to sort things, so when I unload the dishwasher, I place all the silverware (that's not too sharp) on the table, and let him sort them, then put them away (this has also become one of his "chores" and he receives a weekly allowance for helping out).

We went for a walk and gathered leaves, then when we got home we separated them in various groups. First, we did colors (red, yellow, green, brown). Next, we did small, medium, large.

I've found that the best way to teach a pre-schooler is to keep it fun! And when I show an interest in sizes and shapes and colors, he is more excited to participate. Keep it positive....never push.

Enjoy!
Lisa

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A Can-Do Day!

2008-03-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, after a trip to the grocery store, I needed a way to keep Luke occupied while put things away. So, I put my canned goods in the middle of the living room floor, and told him to have fun building a castle.

This game has since become one of his favorites, and we play it together every chance we get.

I encourage him to come up with creative ways to stack the cans, and he always amazes me. Sometimes he stands them upright and builds a castle, or a "garage" for his cars and trucks; sometimes he lays the cans on their sides, supports the ends, and builds a pyramid; sometimes he lines them up like a snake.

Without fail, however, his favorite part is knocking them down!

But the last few times we played this game, I was thrilled with how he wanted to SORT the cans. He put all the green beans together; all the peas together; all the tomato sauces together, etc. (Sorting is a primary building block to math!)

There are so many fun and creative ways to play with pre-schoolers, that also encourage learning. I'm learning to look around the house with a fresh perspective to see what we can play next!

~Lisa

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Learning About Forgiveness

2008-03-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

Forgiveness is a tricky concept to teach. I don't like to force my kids to say “I'm sorry” unless they really mean it. I also don't let the forgive-ee brush off the apology with a simple “That's ok.” Because it's NOT okay. Rather, I teach my kids to wait until they really mean it, and then tell the offender, “I forgive you.” Sometimes it comes immediately; sometimes it takes a few days. But when it comes, it's sincere.

A few weeks ago, Luke had the time of his life with a huge bottle of baby powder. I can only imagine that it was calling his name. However, the result of his festivities was a sibling's room that was now covered in a layer of sweet-smelling powder (every single surface was covered!), and a lesson in asking for forgiveness.

I was in the kitchen when I noticed it was quiet in the living room. Too quiet for Luke to be in there! He couldn't have been gone more than a few minutes, but as I walked into the living room, he was walking up the steps from the basement where Victoria's room is. He had an extremely guilty expression on his face, and I immediately noticed that he was covered with a fine layer of powder. He smelled wonderful! Like when he was a newborn! He resembled Pigpen from Charlie Brown, with a fine cloud of powder trailing behind him. However, when I asked him what he'd been doing, and he said “nothing,” I knew I needed to investigate.

When I opened the door to his big sister's bedroom, I was overcome with hysterics! It was like a blizzard in there! I couldn't help myself. I laughed until I had tears rolling down my face. I only wish I could have witnessed the fun time that Luke had in that room by himself with that brand new bottle of baby powder. (He later told me he was playing “Smoke & Fire!” -- as he squeezed the plumes of “smoke” into the air.) I also laughed because I'd been asking Victoria to clean her room for several weeks, and now I was going to get my wish! You see, should would never allow ME to clean it (she's 18....her room is her sanctuary!).

I couldn't let Luke see me laughing about his antics, because I knew that in a few hours Victoria would be home from school, and he would need to learn about asking for forgiveness.

When I went back upstairs to talk with him about what he'd done, he was sitting in the middle of the living room floor with a blanket over his head, hiding. He was so afraid that his big sister was going to be angry and think he was a “bad boy.”

I hugged him and assured him that, yes, Victoria would likely be very upset. But, I explained to him, you can't hide from what you've done. I told him that when Victoria arrived home from school he would need to tell her what he had done, and tell her that he was sorry. Then it would be up to her to forgive him. I warned him that it might take her some time, because he had made a very big mess, but I was sure that she would eventually forgive him, and that no matter what, she would always love him.

As for Luke, well, he thought that telling Victoria he was sorry might work; however, he still stayed under the blanket for most of the afternoon, just in case.

~Lisa
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Looking for unique party invitations? Let your child create his or her own custom birthday party inviations! http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/

Teaching gratefulness

2008-02-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

In the past 4 weeks, I've learned things about four women whom I know personally and admire and, I'll admit it, even sometimes envy.

These women are beautiful, well-off financially, have lots of friends, great kids, active in their church and their community.

In the past 4 weeks, one of these women (a 40-something year old mother of 9) was diagnosed with breast cancer; another separated from her husband and is preparing for divorce; another had her foot amputated (complications from diabetes); and the fourth discovered that her youngest child (only 20 months) has severe physical disabilities.

After learning of each of these situations/illnesses, I was initially stunned. Afterall, these are women I admire! These are women with beautiful homes, flat stomachs, gorgeous hair, new cars, good kids. How could this be?! And watching them accept their situations with grace has been a real eye-opener for me......would I react the same way?

In any event, I've become extremely grateful for my good health; I've become grateful for my house that I wish was a little bigger and a lot cleaner; I've become grateful for my 2-year old van that is littered with goldfish cracker crumbs and stray gum wrappers; I've become grateful for my children who bicker and argue most days, and who don't always get As and Bs, and who aren't the best athletes on the team; I'm grateful for my friends, whom I don't spend nearly enough time with; I'm grateful for my parents, who raised me with a good work ethic and a strong faith; I'm grateful for my husband who loves and adores me and, after 6 children, still tells me almost daily that I'm beautiful and that he loves me,and who remembers to thank me for dinner every night.......

I could go on and on, but the point of this post is to say how important I think it is that we teach our children gratefulness.

Since Lent begins in just a few days, I'm planning a "gratefulness lesson" for my family. Each day, I'm going to ask each of them to tell me one thing they are grateful for that day. How hard could that be?

Perhaps it will open their eyes to all that they have to be grateful for, as well.

~Lisa

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The importance of creativity for our children

2008-01-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is long, but it is sooooo powerful!

It will really make you stop and think about the way we teach our children, and how important creativity is....at least, it made me stop and think.

I hope you'll take 15 minutes to watch it.

Amazing!

http://epresence.tv/Presentation/205

~Lisa

The connection between counting and reading

2008-01-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

Pointing and counting.

I learned an interesting thing when Analisa was in kindergarten.....there is a direct correlation between math and reading.

I wish I could tell you the exact terminology (and perhaps if there is a teacher reading this, you can fill me in!), but Analisa's kindergarten teacher explained to me at a teacher conference that Analisa was struggling with what I think she called one-on-one correlation.

In other words, if you were to place 10 pennies down on the table, and ask Analisa to point to them one at a time as she counted them, she would come up with 12 pennies, or 13 pennies, or any other number. Her counting was not in time with her pointing. She was saying the words 1-2-3-4-5 in the correct order.... and she was pointing to the pennies; however, the timing was off. She would be saying the number 3 while her finger was in the air between pennies, or the number 5 while her finger was in the air between pennies.

I thought she was just uncoordinated, but her kindergarten teacher explained to me that this ability to count and point is a basic building block in learning to read. Amazing!!

She stressed that it was VERY important that we practice this basic skill.

Analisa is now in 3rd grade, and has officially been tested and found to be "learning disabled" in both math and reading. I don't know if we didn't practice enough, or if this is just a skill that Analisa was unable to grasp.

In any event, I'm taking the information I learned from Analisa's kindergarten teacher and hoping to help 3-year old Luke become proficient at this important skill. When we read our books every day, I always ask him questions about the pictures he sees. Now that he's grasping the concept of "how many?" I ask him on many of the pages that we read "How many _______ do you see?" and then we POINT and COUNT the butterflies, or the chickens, or the apples, or whatever.

I hope this will help him later as he learns to read...in the meantime, it's just another way to make our reading time more interactive, so it's something we both enjoy anyway!

~Lisa

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We love personalized books!

2008-01-22T03:58:00.000-08:00

Shortly before Christmas, Luke was the fortunate recipient of a personalized book from Aardvark Adventure Stories (http://www.AardvarkStories.com). This isn't your typical personalized book, where your child's name is scattered throughout the story; this is a custom-designed story book featuring your child!

I first selected a story line from the many available at the website. Since 3-year old Luke is currently torn between being a race car driver or being a baseball player when he grows up, it was a difficult choice, but we decided on Zoom Zoom Zoom! (subtitled even!!! "Let's Go Zooming with Luke John Pallardy").

In this sturdy, hardback, brightly colored book (that even includes a front page bio), Luke is personally involved in a variety of adventures involving race cars, cranes, boats, helicopters, spaceships, trains, submarines, and more!

The book is LONG! (over 30 pages!) and I think my favorite part is that I was able to submit several of my favorite photos, and the creative geniuses at Aardvark incorporated the various photos and facial expressions into the story in a way that makes them look like Luke was there for a photo shoot for this exact story!

I wish I'd received it earlier so I could have told everyone I know about it in time for Christmas shopping, but with Valentines Day and Easter approaching, this is definitely a fantastic gift idea that any child will love and cherish (and it's such superb quality, I can imagine Luke keeping this book forever, and even reading it to HIS child some day....).

You'll want to bookmark this site! http://www.AardvarkStories.com

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A custom sweatshirt featuring your child's artwork is the perfect Valentine's Day Gift for Grandma! http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com/customtshirtsandapparel.html

L is for "Luke"

2008-01-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, Luke and I are busy working on letter recognition. Naturally, we chose to start with the letter "L."

As we read books every day before nap time for the past few days, every time I see a capital "L" in a book, I point it out to Luke, and then say, "L is for Luke! and L is for Lisa!"

We were at the grocery store today, and saw lots of Ls on labels and signs (lemons and lettuce and lemonade).

While I don't think Luke quite yet understands the sound of L, he's learning what L looks like.

Our plan is to take one letter at a time, beginning with the first sound of the names of all our family members --- with 5 siblings, that will take up quite a bit of the alphabet, and keep us busy for quite a few weeks!

:)
~Lisa
__________________________________
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Over, Under, Beside, Behind....

2007-11-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about Sister Rosemary teaching us prepositions in the 5th grade!

For the past few days, Luke and I have been playing what he likes to call "The Hiding Game." I have him leave the room, and while he's gone, I hide one of his toy hot wheels cars.

My older kids like to call this the "Hot & Cold Game" and when I play with them, we use degrees of temperature to indicate how close the seeker is to finding the hidden toy. But Luke, who just turned 3, was pretty confused with the entire concept of "hot or cold," so I thought this would be a fun way to practice concepts such as "on" and "behind" and "beside" and "under."

So when Luke comes into the room, I give him clues using those words. I tell him is car is "behind" something. If he goes to the chair that is next to the couch, I tell him that his car is not behind the chair, it is behind what is NEXT TO the chair. Continuously giving him clues until he "wins!" by finding his toy car.

This is a fun game that he loves to play over and over and over.

I've just got to find more places to hide his car!

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Want a free copy of my "Ready, Set, Go" E-book? If you want a free copy of my e-book to read with your pre-schooler, just sign up to receive email notices (top right of my blog). I'll send it to you to print out and read over and over (and over, and over, and over). (If you already receive email updates, just send me an email at Lisap@MyLittleRembrandt.com and I'll send you a copy.)

Repetition, repetition, repitition...

2007-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

When I was in the 5th grade, Sister Rosemary was my English teacher. On the first day of school, she handed out a list of 3 columns of words titled "Prepositions." She told us that we would be required to memorize these 20-odd words.

Every morning, after attendance was taken and morning prayers were recited, we got our preposition list out and, as a class, read the list of prepositions.

Every morning.

Every day.

About 5 or 6 weeks into the school year, Sister Rosemary told us that we could NOT take our papers out that day; she wanted to hear us recite the prepositions without looking at them that day.

Well, let me tell you.... about, above, across, after, against, among, around, at, before, behind, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except....

I remember that entire list to this day!

The routine I've adopted with Luke (3) involves lunch, then a book or two, then a song, then nap. Everyday for the past few weeks, I've been softly singing the ABC song to him as he lies down to sleep after we finish reading. Sometimes I sing it several times. But it's become our routine.

Yesterday, we were running errands in the car, when I heard a little voice in the back seat, singing, "A B C D E F G...."

I guess this repetition thing really works!

~Lisa
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Feelings. Nothing more than feelings.

2007-11-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

We've been in need of a lesson on empathy around our home lately.

Not sure if it's because of the impending holidays, or because my businesses have been keeping me busier lately, resulting in (bad mom! bad mom! bad mom!) Luke spending more time watching television while I get work done.

Whatever the reason for the less than stellar behavior, I thought it was time I worked with Luke on how his behavior affects other people.

I made this simple print out. Basically a circle with a nose. The 2nd page has a collection of eyes and mouths. By cutting out the eyes and mouths, I was able to make a "Mr. Feelings" for Luke to play with.

Of course, he had fun making funny faces with "Mr. Feelings," but I used it as a teaching tool by showing him how his brothers and sisters felt when he broke their toys; or how mommy feels when he refuses to listen; and how Daddy felt when Luke gave him a big kiss before he left for work this morning.

I think it's so important that we teach our kids how much their behavior affects other people.

I'd love to send "Mr. Feelings" to anyone who's interested. No cost, just send me an email at Lisap@MyLittleRembrandt.com and I'll send him right to you.

~Lisa

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Is there a lesson in there?

2007-11-01T07:08:00.001-07:00

If your kids are anything like mine, they are completely FIXATED on their booty of Halloween candy they brought home last night.

So, how do we turn this dentist's delight into a learning experience for our children?

And I'm not talking about teaching nutrition here (although that would be a good lesson, too). I'm talking MATH CONCEPTS!

Here are a few ideas:

First, my kids have a 5-pieces-of-candy-a-day limit. (You may find that's too much, but in my opinion, they faster they get rid of this stuff, the better!). So this morning, they each got to select FIVE pieces of candy. 1-2-3-4-5. They chose the candy they wanted and counted it out. Counting, 1-2-3-4-5.

But now that they've selected the 5 pieces they will eat for the day, there are still lots more fun learning ideas inside that orange plastic bucket!

I had Luke (age 3) pour all his candy out onto the floor, and then he sorted out all the suckers.

Then, I had him sort the candy by colors: Orange candy wrappers in one pile; brown candy wrappers in one pile; red candy wrappers in one pile, etc.

The older kids (11, 9, and 6) were able to sort their's even further...chocolate candy in one pile, suckers in one pile, fruit flavored candy in another pile.

Another idea....M&Ms and Smarties and Skittles are fun to sort and count. Sort by color, then count how many of each color are in the bag.

Then eat them!!!

____________

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Exercising the Imagination

2007-10-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Our local newspaper is sponsoring a pumpkin decorating contest. Not the usual kind of pumpkin decorating, where a real pumpkin is used....but more like a virtual pumpkin, where a picture of a pumpkin is decorated.

The online edition of our newspaper provided a link to a picture of a pumpkin. Everyone (kids AND adults!) was to print out the pumpkin and using imagination and creativity, decorate away! The winner gets his/her creation published in the Halloween edition of the newspaper (how's THAT for a prize!).

When I mentioned this contest to Analisa and Quinn, they almost tripped over each other racing for the markers and glue and construction paper.

As I stood by and watched, I was AMAZED at their creativity and ingenuity! Never, in my wildest dreams would it have occurred to me to make a "Puppy Pumkin" (that's Quinn's idea!) or a "Franken-Pumpkin" (that belongs to Analisa). They also made a "Queen Pumpkin" and a "Princess Pumpkin" complete with crowns, big eyelashes, Angelina Jolie lips, and dangly earrings.

I was so impressed with how creative they were, I just wanted to share it on my blog.

It's always so important that we encourage creativity and imagination in our children. So let 'em go, and you may be more surprised that you bargained for!

~Lisa

_________________________

Turn your child's artwork into gifts for grandma and teacher!

The Spelling Test Game

2007-10-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

A family favorite in our household....studying for the weekly spelling test!

Honest!

Many years ago, I came up with an idea that would combine my kids' love of card games, with their love of spending time playing with Mom, with their dread of preparing for their weekly spelling test.

The answer...the Spelling Test Game. Also known as The Matching Game. I just had to share this...

For a 10-word spelling list, I simply take a piece of paper and cut it into 20 fairly equal size rectangles. (For 15-word lists, you'll need 30 rectangles, etc.). Then I print each of the weekly spelling words onto two rectangles. Place all of the rectangles face down on the table and begin.

When a piece of paper is turned over, the person whose turn it is must read the word, and then spell the word. The object, of course, is to find the matching word; however, even a mismatched word offers an opportunity to read and then spell each of the spelling words.

We try to play this game several times each evening during the week. By Friday, without even trying, and without it even hurting, my kids have learned their spelling words, and we've spent some fun time together!

~Lisa

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Bringing Nature Inside - Fall Decorating Idea

2007-10-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Today, without a doubt, is a day that, if it had the chance, the Midwest Chamber of Commerce (if there was such an entity) would have special ordered. The sky is the bright blue that children color it when creating artwork; the air is clear and crisp; the sun is shining brightly (like those suns in the upper right hand corner of a child's artwork), and the leaves are turning the most glorious shades of yellow and orange and red.

Luke and I were playing outside this morning, and as we looked around at the trees, and Luke told me all the different colors he saw, it occurred to me that soon all the leaves would be falling off the trees. These spectacularly beautiful days of fall don't last very long.

I decided, then, that it would be fun to bring some of nature's beauty inside.

I lifted Luke up to reach the tree branches of a beautiful tree filled with yellow leaves (he said it was his favorite tree today). He plucked some clusters of yellow leaves, and we brought them inside when we were finished swinging and playing outside.

Using different lengths of thread, I hung the clusters of leaves on the light fixture over the kitchen table (which currently also sports Quinn's 1st grade Halloween artwork). My hope (and I honestly have NO idea if this will happen), is that as the leaves dry, they will begin to "fall" to the table, thus giving us yet another teaching opportunity, as we talk about how the leaves fall from the trees.

In the meantime, I just think it looks so pretty!

~Lisa

_________________

Turn your child's artwork into your family Christmas Cards.

The Pumpkin Patch at Grandpa's Cabin

2007-10-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, our family's favorite place in the world to be is at Grandpa's Cabin.

It's only a 45 minute drive from our house, yet when we're there, it feels like we're in another world.

While the cabin is complete with hot running water, indoor facilities, a shower, a full kitchen, and, of course, a stone fireplace, the one thing that is NOT found at the cabin is a television. And that's the way we like it! We spend hours there playing outside, enjoying nature, riding the 4-wheeler, playing hide-and-seek. We often cook dinner on the open fire, and s'mores is always the favorite choice for dessert. When the weather doesn't permit outside fun, we have a stack of board games that keeps us entertained.

This year, Grandma and Grandpa bought a $2 packet of pumpkin seeds and tried their hand at pumpkin farming. Well, they ended up with a bumper crop of pumpkins, and no idea what do do with them! Afterall, our family only needed six.

So, the little entrepreneurs that are my children, they wanted to take all the pumpkins home (good thing we drove both the van AND the Suburban that day!) and sell them.

They set up a table on the driveway, donned their Halloween costumes, and flagged down passing cars. They were completely in charge of marketing (signs were everywhere in our yard), pricing, and selling. Within 2 days, they each had an extra $10 in their pockets!

What a terrific learning opportunity for them!

Teaching children responsibility

2007-10-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Do your kids do chores?

I was lining up the Saturday morning "chore chart" today when I got to thinking about the reactions I've received from many parents when I tell them about the chores my kids are responsible for. Most are envious that I get my kids to do these things, and want to know how I do it.

First, let me say that I was brought up in a home where everyone was responsible for something. We didn't have a "chore chart" (I don't think that term had been coined yet back in the dark ages when I was young....kinda like "play date" you know?). But every Saturday morning, my sister and I were responsible for dusting and vaccuming the living room/dining room, cleaning the bathrooms, and cleaning our bedroom. We also were in charge of cleaning the kitchen table off and washing (by hand) the dishes, drying them, and putting them away (no air drying for my mom!).

I will admit that assigning chores for my kids wasn't my idea. I'm a bit OCD, and like things done a certain way....MY way!

But one weekend many years ago, when my sister was visiting from out of town, she witnessed how I never sat still, I wiped up and swept up and dusted up and folded up and cleaned up non-stop around my covey of kids, while they sat contentedly in front of the television. She not so subtly pointed out that "those kids need to help out around here!"

So, thanks to Aunt Brenda, the chore chart was instituted! (See, it's never too late to get started.)

During the summer months, when the kids don't have school, they all know that in addition to practicing at least 10 math problems every morning (THAT's another blog!), they have to check which chore they are responsible for that day, and complete it to the best of their ability (or they'll just have to do it again), before they can go outside and play, or even before they can turn on the television (I'm the meanest mom in the world! Just ask my kids!).

The chores aren't difficult, or even time-consuming. Most take only 5-10 minutes. But it's just fact that they are contributing. That they are helping out. That they are pitching in as a responsible member of the family.

Here are some of the jobs they're responsible for:

unload the dishwasher
dust the furniture
vaccum the living room
sweep the kitchen floor
windex the appliance fronts in the kitchen
clean the bathroom sink and counter
clean the front steps
pick up the toys in the playroom
vaccum the playroom
shake the rugs

Some days they trade chores, which is fine. Just so everyone does one, in addition to making their beds and picking up their dirty laundry.

During the school year, the chore chart is only done on the weekends. (Except for bed-making and dirty laundry picking-up.)

It's a great system that works well for my family. And, as a fellow stay-at-home dad once said to me, "Wow! What a great idea! But what do YOU do all day?" (Right!)

~Lisa

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Christmas cards made from your child's artwork.

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Teaching children through music

2007-10-12T11:38:00.001-07:00

I LOVE to sing. My children HATE it when I sing, so that probably tells you a bit about my talent level.

I've been asked to NOT sing outside the house (and have even witnessed my kids scoot themselves away from me when I sing at church!), and have been kindly (and NOT so kindly) asked to PLEASE not sing when friends are over!

However, despite my obvious lack of talent, I persist. It pretty much drives the children crazy when most any every day phrase sets me off singing a tune that I'm reminded of.

A few years ago, when Quinn was 3 or 4, I was trying to teach her her address and telephone number. It occurred to me that all children learn the alphabet by first singing it. So, I thought to myself, why not learn her address and telephone number that way, too?

I set our address to the tune of "76 Trombones in the big parade" (I have NO idea why, but this tune jumped into my head, and the syllables fit, so I ran with it). I wish I could tell you the tune that I used to teach Quinn her telephone number (I think it's "Jenny....remember? 647-5309? At least I think that's what it's called.)

After a few weeks of singing these tunes daily, she could easily recite both her address and telephone number.

I'm using the same tactic now with Luke. Whenever we are driving home from whatever has taken us out that day, when we are about a block from home, I announce excitedly, "Look! We're almost home! What's your address?" And then we sing our address song, which leads naturally into our telephone number song, which then ends with "...that's my phone num-ber, Cha! Cha! Cha!"

Cha! cha! cha!

~Lisa
_________________________

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Learning Numbers and Shapes

2007-10-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Luke turned 3 last Friday....what fun! For weeks leading up to the big day, everything he saw, he pointed at it and said, "I want that for my birthday." (I think he may have learned that from his older siblings, who have also been having birthdays recently .... see my previous post about "Birthday Season" at our house.)

This week, then, I decided that learning to recognize the number three would be a top priority, as well as learning to count to three. And since we're working on threes, I also thought it would be a perfect time to teach Luke about a 3-sided shape called a triangle.

We've been busy counting three fingers, three cars, three books (that's how many books we read before nap time each day), three cookies (okay, he usually only gets 2 cookies, but I made an exception today!).

While running errands, we look for signs everywhere with the number 3 .... addresses, price tags, store signs, we even found "Row 3" in the parking lot at WalMart!

And for lunch today, I cut our sandwiches into three-sided triangles....pb&j never tasted so good.

~Lisa
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It's Birthday Season!

2007-10-10T04:01:00.000-07:00

Our family is presently smack dab in the middle of what I call "Birthday Season."

Most families celebrate a few birthdays scattered throughout the year, but our big family has all its birthdays concentrated in 6 consecutive months.

Brandon kicks the season off (right after we celebrate our nation's birthday) in July (he's 20 now!); Quinn turned 6 in August (I had a birthday in August too, but I can never remember my age, so I just won't put it here :). Analisa is next, she turned 9 in September. Then Luke and Drake, on October 5 and 6 (yep, two separate kids, two separate birthdays, 2 separate cakes). So Luke is now 3, and Drake is 11. A few days after Halloween, while we're all still gorging ourselves on Halloween candy, on November 3, Victoria will be 18. Then in December is Jack. And, the grand finale....Jesus.

Whew! That's a LOT of presents, and a LOT of cake!

This was the year that Analisa got to celebrate her "school birthday" which means she got to have a birthday party with her friends from school.

My kids think I'm mean because all their friends seem to have big parties every year, where they invite the entire class to celebrate. But in my opinion, that's just too much. And honestly, it gets tiring to me (I know, I know, this can be a very controversial subject!) to buy birthday presents year after year for my kids' classmates (note: I didn't say my kids' "friends"). And in turn, I just think it's too much to expect my kids' classmates to buy birthday presents for my children every year. That's why mine only get one big bash...when they turn 9 in 3rd grade.

And after surveying the haul that Analisa brought home from her big party this year, I'm only more convinced that one party is enough. (I may be borrowing cash from her to fund my Christmas shopping this year!)

The other sticking point I have about birthday parties is the tradition of "goodie bags" given to the guests at the end of the party. After paying to rent a swimming pool and private party room, and feeding all the kids cake and ice cream, I just think the expense of "goodie bags" (filled with cheap toys that will most likely be broken within a matter of days, or candy that will cause "sharing" fights between siblings ) is extreme. So I just don't do them. I wish other parents would forego this unnecessary expense. In fact, I'd like to start a "no goodie bag" revolution!

Anyway, this post is a bit off topic, but it was on my mind.

Now, I've eaten a lot of cake lately. Time to go work out.

Let's Talk - Conversation Starters for Families

2007-10-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Jack and I are always trying to come up with better ways to engage our kids in meaningful conversation. Asking "yes" or "no" type questions rarely results in any kind of discussion that tells us about our kids' days, so we've learned to ask more specific questions about their days, i.e., "Who did you play with at recess today?" "What was the hardest question on your science test?" "Who did you sit next to at lunch? What did you talk about?"

While surfing the internet today, I decided to see if I could find other information on family type conversation starters that went deeper than school, questions that would help all of our family members to take time to talk and learn about each other.

I was thrilled to find this incredible site http://www.tricitypartners.org/alcohol/conversationstarters.htm

The site sells, for just $5 (and I make NO MONEY from referring you there!) small paint cans (with a colorful label) filled with hundreds of thought-provoking conversation starter questions, from thought-provoking, to serious, to just plain fun!

Don't want to spend any money? Get this! If you scroll down to the bottom of the page (the tricitypartners link above), they GIVE you a link to where you can download the label AND the questions, completely free!

I've already got mine printed out, and I can't wait to get started interrogating -- oops, I mean talking with -- my family!

Enjoy!
~Lisa
____________________

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Encouraging our children to try new things

2007-10-02T12:59:00.001-07:00

When Victoria, our 17 year old, was selecting her classes for her final year of high school, she found that she was faced with having to tread some formerly unknown territory in the way of electives.

Wanting to find an "easy A" to help her GPA, she couldn't for the life of her decide which class to take.

Remembering her love of all things art when she was younger, I encouraged her to try an art class. She fought me on it, claiming that she couldn't draw. But in the end, it was the only elective that would fit into her schedule, so art it was.

It's been such a joy to watch her! She's discovered not only that she loves her art class, but that she's pretty darn good at it! (And, combining art with her love of Michael Barrett, she created the stunning pencil portrait I so proudly display here on my blog!)

This was a big reminder to me that that we always need to encourage our children to try something new and different. The same goes for ourselves. We just never know what we might discover!

~Lisa
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Making homework fun - ideas for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders

2007-09-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

Off the path from pre-school activities, I wanted to share a fun way I've found to help my 1st and 3rd graders study for their spelling tests: A WORD SEARCH PUZZLE. I found it here http://www.puzzle-maker.com/WS/index.htm and it's completely free. Simply type in their weekly spelling words, and make a different puzzle for every night of the week.

I've found that my girls enjoy working the puzzles, and it familiarizes them with their spelling words. They don't even realize they're learning!

There's also a free CROSSWORD PUZZLE MAKER http://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/ . I use this for helping my 5th grader Drake study for a test. I spend a few minutes going through the chapter, find the important words and concepts that he will likely find on his social studies or science tests, and phrase a question or type the definition of the term. He needs to answer the question to fill in the blank on the crossword puzzle. Again, he's practicing and learning, and enjoying the challenge!

I make a different puzzle for him to work on for two or three nights before his test. It's done wonders for his test scores!

Circles are EVERYWHERE!

2007-09-29T05:22:00.001-07:00

The kids didn't have school yesterday, so we went to the library. I thought while we were there we'd look for a book about shapes, but we saw so many circles on the way to the library, that I took lots of pictures and decided to make Luke his very own CIRCLE book.Before we even pulled out of the driveway, Luke looked up at the basketball hoop and shouted "circle!" (What an interesting way of looking at it!) Getting into the van, he pointed at the ignition and shouted "circle!" Along the way, we had to stop when Luke saw a large round bale of hay. Then, while sitting at a stop light, which last week he called "red" he now saw the red light as a circle. The library has a beautiful tower clock on it, shaped like a circle. And while we were at the library Quinn and I played a game of checkers (circles) while Luke "cooked" me lunch on the toy kitchen and served it to me on a circle plate.Who knew there were so many circles out there!

Shapes Puzzle

2007-09-27T09:07:00.001-07:00

We're having fun with circle shapes today, starting with this neat circle shape puzzle I created on my computer, using one of my graphics programs.

I made this beautiful flower, using many different colors of circles, then I printed two copies of it.

One copy I left intact. The second copy, I cut out all the circles.

One by one, naming the colors as we went ("yellow circle," purple circle," "red circle," etc.), Luke laid the various colored circles on top of the matching circles.

I also cut out the stem (rectangle) and leaves (triangles), but 2 year-old Luke had a bit of trouble matching up the leaves. So I tossed them, and today we just concentrated on the circles.

Want a copy of my circle puzzle flower to print out? Just send me an email.....no charge. Lisap@mylittlerembrandt.com I'll email a copy for you to print yourself.

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Circle Cookies

2007-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it...I've had a craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to figure out how to incorporate cooking-baking into some kind of lesson with almost 3-year old Luke.

Circles! That's it! Cookies are shaped like circles!

So, we took a detour from colors (a much needed detour, because I think Luke was tiring of our color hunts) and are concentrating on shapes for a while. Starting with the circle.

We baked yummy circle cookies.

Hmmmmmm! Yummy! The best circle cookies we've ever tasted! And such a fun and delicious way to learn our shapes.

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Red Light, Green Light

2007-09-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, while I was working, Luke was playing with his cars on the living room floor.

I heard him talking to himself while he was playing, so I stopped to listen. "Red light. Stop," he said. "Green light, go now."

I was so excited and proud! I stopped what I was doing, crawled down on the floor with him, and played.

He truly is learning his colors.

The Sorting Game - Teaching Colors

2007-09-21T07:36:00.001-07:00

Today we played the "sorting game" to get more practice with the color yellow.

I filled a bowl with an assortment of different color Legos. Then, using one of the yellow napkins that Luke and I bought at the store last week on our yellow hunt, we removed the Legos, one-by-one, from the bowl.

If the Lego was yellow, we said "YELLOW!" and placed it on the yellow napkin. If it was any other color, we set it on the white paper plate.

When we were finished sorting, we counted all the yellow Legos as we put them back into the bowl.

Then---what else?---we played with Legos!!!

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Yellow, yellow, everywhere!

2007-09-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

Luke and I were playing outside yesterday, when he excitedly yelled, "Mommy! A yellow butterfly!" (Okay, he didn't actually say "butterfly" it was more like "flutterby.")

I couldn't believe when I looked where he was pointing and there sat a small yellow....well, is it a moth? We'll call it a butterfly.

I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots.

It's amazing how many yellow things you can find when you focus on one single color.

A yellow train!

2007-09-15T04:45:00.001-07:00

I couldn't believe our luck! While out running errands yesterday, we were stopped by a train...a YELLOW TRAIN!

I was so glad I had my camera with me, and Luke was so excited to see a yellow train.

It's really amazing how quickly Luke is learning his colors just by focusing on one color at a time.

Yellow has been more difficult, however, and I think we'll concentrate on yellow for another week before we move on to learning another color.

Fun Child Learning Activities - Colors

2007-09-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

We took our fun color learning activities outside, when, while driving, Luke spotted yellow flowers out the car window.

I found a safe place to pull over, and Luke picked some yellow flowers for me.

He was so proud when I put them in a jar and placed them prominently on the kitchen table for all to see.

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Yellow Jello

2007-09-15T03:55:00.001-07:00

As we continued our learning activities about the color yellow, a trip to the grocery store was in order.

I can't personally imagine any other reason in the world to purchase a box of yellow jello! And while we were there, we bought yellow plates and yellow plastic cups, too.

We also took lots of fun pictures of yellow fruits and vegetables, yellow mustard, and even yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants halloween candy buckets.

Even though Luke didn't like eating the yellow jello (he did try it, but quickly spit it out), we had fun "cooking" it together. And he was more than amazed when, several hours after putting it in the refrigerator, it was no longer water!

I couldn't talk anyone else in the family into eating the yellow jello, either.

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Learning Lellow

2007-09-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

Yellow is such a difficult word for small children to say, so in addition to learning to recognize this color, we're going to work on saying in correctly, too.

Yesterday, we took Brandon and his friend to the train station to catch a train to Chicago to catch the Cubs/Cardinals game (Cubs won, by the way :).

I wanted to catch some pictures of Luke with Brandon next to the train, but Luke got pretty nervous when it came into the station and didn't want to get anywhere near the train....he just wanted mommy to "hold me!"

We didn't have any problem with the instructions over the loud speaker to "stay behind the YELLOW line."

However, although Luke decided to assert some independence and not pose for pictures for mom, I did manage to snap a quick shot of him doing a Power Ranger move next to a bright yellow pole.

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Learning our colors - Red

2007-09-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

With the weather being wet and rainy the last two days of Red Week, we turned to inside activities to learn the color red.

Our "red hunt" was a blast! We took a shopping bag and walked through the house collecting red items: We found a red apple in the refrigerator, we found a red towel in the bathroom, and the toy box was a treasure trove of red cars! We found a red pillow, a red comb, and Brandon's red car sitting in the driveway (except we couldn't figure out how to fit that in our bag!)

After the hunt, we got out the coloring book and crayons we received from the firefighters we visited a few days ago, and colored this great big fire truck picture.

Another fun week, filled with lots of fun activities for spending time with 2-year old Luke, while also learning all about the color red.

We're thinking yellow will be the color next week....

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Field Trip Rain-Out

2007-09-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

We tried our best to make it to the playground with the red slide and the red playground equipment, but we got rained out.

We drive by this playground every morning taking the big kids to school, so Luke and I decided it would be a fun place to visit during red week.

Minutes before we arrived, it started sprinkling, and I told Luke we might have to go to the red slide another day because it was going to be wet. But Luke thought about it a second and then announced, "I know! We can take a napkin to dry the water off the slide!"

He was so certain this would work, and I always have an extra stash of McDonald's napkins in the glove box, so we decided to give it a try.

Well, as soon as we parked the car, the downpour began in earnest. He did climb quickly to the top of the play structure, but even his napkin wasn't enough to dry the slide, so he refused to slide down it, fearing his pants would get too wet.

I got one quick picture before we ran back to the van.

We'll have to make a rain date for the red slide outing....

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Our RED field trip

2007-09-05T11:09:00.001-07:00

I decided that RED week wouldn't be complete without a trip to our local fire station to check out the big red fire trucks!

Luke and I stopped by the Pekin, Illinois Fire Department completely unannounced, and were treated like royalty!

Luke got a chance to climb on every single fire truck. The fire fighters got a kick out of how excited he was, and kept asking him "what color is THIS truck?"

When we left, Luke received a "Jr. Firefighter" badge, a red plastic firefighter hat, some stickers, a firefighter baseball ("strike out fire!), and a coloring book, so he can color his own red fire trucks.

Such a fun time!

______________________________________

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Seeing Red

2007-09-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

This week is RED week, and are we ever seeing red!

Yesterday, we did the usual errand runs, and had fun at WalMart picking out red apples and red peppers and red towels and red shirts and red trucks and red trucks and red trucks (Luke LOVES trucks!).

But by far, my favorite picture was this one of my little male model posing next to a red fire hydrant.

I swear, I didn't tell him to pose that way....he's just had his picture taken so many times in the past week and half, that he walked right up to this bright red fire hydrant, leaned provocatively against it, and said "Okay, mom, take my picture."

What a ham!

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Teaching the kids about money management

2007-09-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Fancy title "teaching the kids about money management" -- actually, we just went garage-sale-ing!

Saturday was a nice day, and Jack was out of town. The kids were super helpful doing their chores without too much complaining, so when I doled out the weekly allowance, I added an extra $3 to each of their open hands and announced we were going to check out some garage sales.

Well, you would have thought I told them we were going to Disney World! They were so excited they could barely contain themselves!

We soon set out looking for signs to guide us to untold treasures.

Here were the rules: Each child had $3.00 to spend. If you spent it all at the first stop, you'd have no more to spend if you found something you liked better later. So, you'd better love what you're buying, or pass. (That's where the "money management" comes in.....kind of like real life, isn't it?)

The first place we stopped was a treasure trove of free goodies (it was already 10:30 a.m., so many garage sell-ers were ready to start slashing prices, but I'd never seen one mark so many items FREE this early on a Saturday!) Analisa picked up an electric typewrite (*free*); Quinn grabbed a racquetball racket and a couple of tennis balls; I snagged some dishes (plates, bowls, cups....I keep thinking eventually 20-year old Brandon WILL move out!).

Quinn was the first to go broke, and was extremely disappointed when the shopping continued but she had no money. However, she had acquired some fun things....like a dancing gorilla, and a tennis racket-shaped bug zapper (I thought it was a toy!), and a jewelry box.

Drake bought some great Jurassic Park Books, but then was disappointed and wished he'd held onto his money. But then he found a bubble umbrella (circa 1976) and an old wooden airplane, so he was happy.

Analisa, usually my spendthrift, was the big winner. At our last stop, she found a REAL telephone! The "old fashioned" kind with the rotary dial. I wasn't thinking clearly, since I'd spotted a gorgeous set of lamps for my newly painted bedroom marked down to just $3.50 for the pair, and I told her she could buy the phone. She's having a blast with it ("My very on phone!") but I think her friends' parents are tired of Analisa calling!

Luke came home with a toy amublance (which he calls a fire truck) and couldn't have been happier.

It was a fun morning, and I hope they learned a little bit about budgeting their money. Although they were all broke when it was over. Next time, I'll need to give them a lesson on saving some of their money....

Green shirt, green paint, green clay

2007-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

On the final day of "Green Week" I surprised Luke with a homemade "green" shirt! He didn't have a single green shirt in his closet, so, since I am the owner of http://www.mylittlerembrandt.com/ I thought, duh! Make him a green shirt!

When he woke up in the morning, I surprised him with his new shirt, which was a simple white t-shirt with a green block in the center of it, and the word "green" on it. He was so excited....until I asked him to put it on. It took me several promptings to convince him to wear it, but once he had it on, he loved it!

Also today, we got out the green paint and the green clay and read his green book that we made earlier in the week.

I think with our next color, I'll use his artwork to make a t-shirt. Hopefully he'll be more inclined to wear it!

~Lisa

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The Green Chair

2007-08-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Luke and I went on a small field trip this morning.

I belong to our local Freecycle Group (if you don't know about Freecycle, check it out at http://www.freecycle.com/), and the other day someone posted that he had a green recliner to give away.

Now, when I read this post for a free green recliner, two things popped into my head:

"Jack's chair" in the living room has seen better days. The cushions are threadbare from so much lounging and reclining and television viewing, and we'd just been discussing that we needed to replace it (we bought it 10 years ago at an antique store for $20 and had it reupholstered. We've definitely gotten our money's worth out of it, but the style no longer matches our style, so it's time for it to find a new home!).

Green! Did you say green!?

I've gotten several good items from Freecycle (the entertainment center in our downstairs family room, for starters), and I've gifted several items to other Freecyclers. However, when someone posts that they've got a green recliner, clean, good condition, pet-free, smoke-free home, they just got a new chair and this one no longer fits in their house, I thought, "Woo-hoo! My lucky day!"

So off we went to pick up our new green recliner.

Well, I've learned a valuable lesson in that everyone has his own definition of the words "clean" and "good condition."

Brandon, my 20-year old son who went with me to lift the chair into my van, at first refused to even get out of the van! Only when he saw his poor mother attempting to lift it by herself, did he grudgingly get out to help. Once it was loaded into the van, Luke began yelling and crying in the back seat to "get the chair out! Get the chair out! Get the chair out!"

Jack and Brandon both asked me why I didn't just leave it, and I said because that would be breaking the code of the Freecylers! If you say you will pick something up, you must pick it up. "No shows" are the worst! They waste your time! They require that you then repost and have to deal with another possible no-show.

So, I'll put the GREEN chair on the curb, stick a "FREE" sign on it, and it will ultimately be gifted to someone who appreciates it.

It is green (although it looks a little blue in the photo).

But it won't be coming into our house!

Outside Green Play!

2007-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful sunny 77 degrees with low humidity, so Luke and I took our GREEN learning outside.

We ran and played and rolled on the green, green grass.

We climbed the tree with the green leaves.

We swang on the green swing set.

Whew! I think it's nap time.

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Cure for a Migraine Headache

2007-08-30T04:49:00.001-07:00

I have discovered the cure for migraines --- GREAT KIDS!

The scientific community will be knocking on my door!l

Yesterday afternoon I had a migraine. I get them every month.

I just needed to lie down for a while, because the Imitrex makes me so sleepy.

Luke was napping, so I had a little talk with Drake, Analisa, and Quinn and explained to them that I had one of my really bad headaches and needed to rest for a while. With Drake in charge, I asked them to quietly watch the new DVD we'd picked up from the library the other day while I rested my eyes for a few minutes.

About 30 minutes later I emerged from my room to find the living room cleaned, the kitchen table washed, and a bowl of the chocolatiest concoction of my favorite things -- CHOCOLATE!

Drake had poured some Rice Krispies into a bowl, added several Whoppers candies, and then, to make it extra special, he also threw in 4 or 5 Dove chocolate candies (the kind with the caramel in the center). Sitting proudly next to the concoction was an ice cold Caffeine Free diet Coke.

Heaven in a bowl, and a refreshing drink to wash it down.

Now, while feeling slightly nauseous from my headache, I was urged to sit on the chair that the kids had covered in a blanket, and which also had a pillow sitting on it for my comfort. They had placed a fan on a nearby chair to keep me comfortable. And then the three of them watched with excitement, waiting for me to eat.

What else could I do? I'm a mom. They had cleaned the house! They were concerned about me. They were taking care of me.

Many times we have to do things that are uncomfortable (or even stomach-turning) for us for the benefit of our children.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm, good!

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A Green Field Trip!

2007-08-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Green Field Trip Day!

I took my camera and Luke and I strolled through the aisles of our local Super WalMart. Since it was 93 degrees outside, it was the perfect day for an inside field trip.

It's amazing how many green things there are INSIDE.

Watermelons, green beans, broccoli, Mountain Dew, apples, grapes, limes, laundry detergent, tape, slippers, shirts.

When we got home, while Luke was napping, I printed about 15 of our "green pictures" from our field trip, and put them in a clear plastic covered report cover folder (how convenient that the one I found in our office supplies had a green background!)

Luke was so excited when he woke up from his nap and I presented him with his Green Book. He proudly showed it to all of his siblings, and couldn't wait to read it to Daddy.

I had no idea how much fun I would have with this. Luke is learning, and we're spending fun time together. I love it!

I wonder what we'll do today...

My baby girl wants to join the Army

2007-08-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

She left this morning for her preliminary physical.

I'm really struggling with this.

Just less than a year ago, our beautiful baby girl (okay, she's 17 now, but she'll always be our baby!) announced her intention to join the military after high school.

I thought it was just a passing phase, and for a while, when she fell briefly in love with a terrific young man, I began to think she would change her mind.

But she's now a senior in high school, and is determined to pursue this path.

Victoria has never been the "conventional" girl.....she stopped wearing dresses at the age of 5, has never been interested in make-up, and despises her thick, beautiful hair (that some females would KILL for!) because "it's so hot! I can't stand it on my neck!" so she pulls it up into a ponytail. Her favorite outfit is a rock band t-shirt and a pair of jeans (big baggy shorts if the weather is warm).

On the one hand, I'm so proud of her! She's never truly adapted to the whole "school thing" and has struggled academically for the past 12 years. I admire that she accepts that she needs some kind of training after high school so she will be employable, but doesn't see that training coming in the form of a college degree. So she's investigated the benefits the military offers, and has decided this is the path she wishes to take.

On the other hand....hey, I'm a mom. This is my baby girl. Can she handle the rigors of boot camp? Will she be happy with her career choice? What if she isn't? I can't rescue her from this one.

Maybe that's the hardest thing I'm dealing with....the letting go. Once she signs on the dotted line, there's no turning back, and there's nothing I can do to help her. Except pray.

She left at 1:30 this morning to drive 3 hours to have her preliminary physical. I'm so proud. I'm so scared.

Today is Green Day!

2007-08-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Green Day! No, not the band. And no, not the new environmental use of the word. We're talking green---the color!

Five of my 6 children returned to school this week, leaving 2-year old Luke feeling completely lost and alone.

So, in an effort to fulfill my promise (to myself, the hardest ones to keep) to spend more time playing with my children, and less time working, I designated this week "Green Week."

After my morning workout, Luke and I returned to our (finally) quiet home, and did those necessary morning chores....wipe the table and counters, load the dishwasher, start a load of laundry, vaccum the living room.

Then, the fun began!

I found a large shopping bag (the kind with handles) and announced to Lukey that we were going on a "Green Hunt!" Then I began singing a slightly altered version of "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" that my older children learned at pre-school, except I sang, "We're going on a green hunt, a green hunt, a green hunt. We're going on a green hunt, to find lots of things that are green!"

He looked at me quizzically, having no idea who this woman was, and and wondering what I had done with his mother.

I grabbed his hand, and we began marching around the house singing this silly song, and finding as many green items as we could place in the bag (I'll admit....I planted a few green toys so that he could easily spot them).

We started in the kitchen, where Lukey found green beans and green peas and green pickle relish and a couple of green drinking glasses. Then we picked a leaf off a plant in the living room. Into the bag went these items. We found a green hair brush and a couple of green tooth brushes in the bathroom.

When we strolled past the laundry room, Lukey spotted a spray bottle of Spray N Wash, and a refill bottle, too!

Then, while walking past his sisters' bedroom, he saw Analisa's big, soft, green blanket! This wouldn't fit in the bag, so I threw it over my shoulder.

Luke's bedroom was a treasure trove of green toys! Green trucks and green toys and a big green bucket!

Our bag was now full, so we marched back to the living room to admire our catch.

I spread out the green blanket, and then Luke one by one (while saying "green!" "green!" "green!") laid out each of the green items we had found.

I took his picture, printed it, and posted it prominently on the refrigerator in the kitchen (where all the important stuff goes).

What fun we had! This afternoon, before nap time, we're planning to read a couple of books. I wonder what I can do with this to make it green.....