Holiday Giving: Our Surprise in the Mailbox

I wrote on my other blog a few weeks ago about how much I DREAD the arrival of the holiday toy catalogs in the mail.  The moment they enter the front door is the last moment I have any quiet until Christmas is over. The air is constantly filled with, "I want, I want, I want!!!"  Leading up to Thanksgiving, I try to help everyone in our family to focus on the blessing of things we have instead of things we want.  It is usually pretty successful, and if I try hard to carry that over through the Christmas season, the "I Want's" die down to a manageable rate.

Throughout December the boys and I  focus our thoughts and energy on the simplicity of giving to other people instead of the intensity of keeping our Santa lists up-to-date.  This has been one of our favorite activities...

The Recipients:  The people who live on our street

The Activity:  Make & Deliver a small treat 

The Goal:  Add a joyful surprise to the mundane task of getting the mail.

Here's how we did it:

First, we counted out 10 chocolate squares, & 10 candy canes, then glued the top of the chocolate squares...

 ...and put the candy canes on top...

Next we tied ribbon around the candy "package". I would advise making sure the ribbons are long enough for a new knot-tier and then trim them up.

 Always let the kids choose a comfortable place to work...

The last step in creating our mailbox surprises was cutting out the tags and tying them on top. I used these tags, but also really liked these ones...

NOW ON TO THE DELIVERY!!!

My boys understand the concept of doing nice things for other people, but still, they're young.   I did want them to feel the reward at the end and had promised they could have some after we'd made our deliveries.  Still they were whine and beg to eat chocolate and candy canes. My ears bleed with the racket and I almost always prematurely decide the activity was an epic fail.  BUT, the minute we walk out the door, their whole attitude changes!  They get giddy, running from mailbox to mailbox and wanting to make SURE they don't miss anybody.  They get sad when a mailbox is empty, because that means the neighbor has already picked up their mail for the day.  I've caught them peeking out the window the next day to make sure those people get their goodies!

 I'd love to hear how you help your little ones understand the joy of giving or have you share this post with someone looking to add more giving into their holiday season!

Bobbing...Apple Bobbing

This is one of my favorite YouTube videos...it makes me laugh every time and it's so catchy my kids will sing it all day long!

And here are my boys trying out this apple bobbing...

Hope you have a Happy Halloween!

Apple Week (and Arkansas)

Last week we pulled out the postcard from Arkansas and discovered that 1) the state bird is the mockingbird, and 2) the state flower is the Apple Blossom.  I could have put it back in the bin until spring when, the apple trees would be blossoming, but decided to link it to the apple harvest of this time of year instead.

This was our week of apple learning...

First, we counted & sorted them by color & size. We also looked for patterns & more than/less than (i.e. stems v. no stems, red v. green, etc)

Then, we made a comparison chart. Beck colored each different apple across the top.  Our categories were: stems, red, not red, & spots/dots.  Does anyone know why apples have those tiny, tiny little dots?

We tried doing a taste test, but my kids didn't seem to think the apples tasted any differently.  After a few probing questions, I decided not to push their apparent lack of taste buds any further.

I found this superhero apple template on Pinterest and KNEW my kids would love it!

After printing, I glued the pieces to a cereal box cardboard, and cut the pieces apart in hopes of avoiding the frustration of tired hands.

Beck had a serious problem that his little brother wasn't putting  his apple together properly...

He forgot soon enough, though, unable to resist the lure of being a superhero!

 Our second craft activity of the week was an attempt at apple printing.  They didn't turn out the way I'd anticipated, but still the boys had a lot of fun.

 And the Apple Week Grand Finale was a field trip with cousin Claire to our local apple orchard!  The kids got to run up and down the planted rows in search of the perfect apple to eat right off the tree.  This picture doesn't show it very well, but these Galas were nearly as sweet as the doughnuts that were waiting at the end of the tour!

Do you have a favorite apple activity you'll be doing this year?

You Want to Know What?

Today's Teaching Your Children Joy focus is on asking and answering questions.  Specifically, listening and being available for all the questions your child is going to ask you throughout the day.

When I'm doing this, paying attention that is, I'm really really good at answering Beck and Peyton's questions.  That's how we ended up studying and learning about motorcycle sidecar racing.  I like to take their questions and interest-of-the-day and find activities and learning opportunities.  The days when I'm not doing it-when I'm preoccupied with cleaning (or shopping or the radio or the computer or a book or just myself) are always the days when I let myself be annoyed and the kids get bored, having taken my cues perfectly.

I'm trying harder each day to listen to the questions my kids are asking me.  Step into my world today:

"Mama, how are seals and walruses the same?"  
"Where do they live?"
 "Can I go see them?" 
 "And what about polar bears?" 
 "Why do they swim in cold water?" 
 "Can't they swim in warm water?"
"Do hospitals use red and white?" 
"So, then, that helicopter is going to the hospital?"
"Can I have strawberries?" 
"Can I have the mango things in the freezer?" 
 "Can I have a banana?" 
"Can I have a graham cracker?"
"When is Daddy coming home?" 
"Does he know I miss him?"


And finally,

"What are capers?"  I needed them for a recipe, but then decided not to buy them when I saw the price.  Two aisles further through the store Beck was picking up everything at eye level asking, "Is this capers?"  After explaining that he was holding jalapenos or salsa or tuna fish, I realized I needed to take him back to the aisle with capers and introduce them to him.

It was inconvenient.  I was a little annoyed.  But it was an important moment where I could choose to be a grumpy lady shopping with a boy or I could be my son's mom, teaching him something he wanted to know. We're having capers tonight for dinner.

What questions did you answer for your kids today?

A Gift For the Birds

"Spend time feeding and watching the birds"

-Teaching Your Children Joy

We haven't seen a lot of birds around our house lately.   Because of that, we started today's lesson by talking about the reasons why (the trees don't have any leaves or seeds, the worms are too far underground, etc).  We decided to make birdfeeders as a Christmas gift for the birds.  FINALLY, a nature activity that makes sense to be doing in December!

Holiday Bird Feeders

Here's what you'll need:

Christmas (or other) Cookie Cutters

Stale Bread (either let it set out a few days or, if you forget like I did, throw it in the toaster)

Peanut Butter & knife for spreading

Birdseed (That huge bag is only $3.00 at Walmart)

String and a Straw

To make your birdfeeders:

Spread peanut butter on your bread and accept right now that this is going to get messy.

Push your cookie cutter into the bread (It might take mom strength to get all the way through).

Use your knife to push the bread out of the cookie cutter.  Let the kids eat the outsides.

Then put your bread peanut butter side down in the bird seed.

Spread peanut butter on the other side of your bread. Then flip that side over into the seeds as well.

Use the straw to poke a hole through the top of your feeder and push a length of string through.

Tie a knot, set the feeder aside, and start all over again.

Hang your feeders and watch for the birds to come enjoy their Christmas feast! 

Finishing Up The Joy of the Body

I'm really eager to get on to the next chapter in Teaching Your Children Joy, but today we're looking at second to last activity focusing on the body...making good food choices.

I'm lucky that both my boys love fruits and vegetables.  Beck's friends look at him so strange when he shows up for a playdate with a stalk of broccoli as his chosen snack, and last week he and Peyton got in a knock-down, drag-out fight in the front yard over an entire crown of the hearty green vegetable.  They definitely like their cookies and candy, but are just as content nibbling on bell peppers, an apple, or fresh berries.

Here are some of the ways I've helped them learn about healthy foods and "special snack" foods:

• As I'm preparing dinner I have no problem letting them eat the vegetables as I cut them up.  I used to get upset thinking they would ruin their appetites, but then decided the important part was that they were eating the good stuff.  It doesn't matter to me anymore if they're eating it at the table or while we're cooking.
• Awhile back Target had cute divided lunch trays in the $1 sections.  This tip is more helpful for me than for them, but having four different sections I have to fill at lunchtime has done wonders in getting them a well-rounded meal.  The portion sizes are right and it's fun for them to eat their way around the plate. (Check out these cute trays at Target and Amazon)
• Grocery Shopping is a great time to teach about different types of food.  I like to cut images out of the weekly flyers and then give a few to Beck that he can "shop" for at the grocery store.  He's getting good at exploring the produce section!  

A fun activity:  

Gather the weekly grocery flyers, a brown paper bag, some scissors and glue. 

 Let your little ones cut out their favorite foods and glue them onto the bag. 

 Great opportunity for recycling, 

and now they'll have their very own shopping bag to fill on your next grocery run!

Popcorn Popping...

I've tried today's Teaching Your Children Joy activity before.  It's one of my favorite childhood memories and I tried to re-create it about a year ago.  It went disappointingly wrong...

"Pop popcorn without a lid."

See, the first time, I sent my husband on a wild goose chase to find the exact popper I remembered as a kid.  It had to be round and the lid needed to turn over into a bowl.  My mom used to turn ours on in the middle of the living room floor and let the popcorn kernels fly...it was always a huge party!  With my idyllic childhood memories, what could go wrong, right?  A couple things, apparently.

I followed the normal popcorn popping directions: 

    1.  Put oil in the popper and then add popcorn.  

    2.  Turn on and wait excitedly for the popping.

I added:

    1. Leave the lid off the bowl.

    2. Put my child close enough to hover over the popping machine.

When the corn started popping it was as exciting as in my memories...for about 2 seconds.  After that the oil started spattering and spraying a hot mist around the room and onto both Beck and me.  He was terrified (though it wasn't enough to cause any danger) and went running away, and I was saddened to have ruined a great experience through my own bout of not thinking.  

So, it was with great apprehension that we tried this activity again today... 

 It was everything I'd hoped a year ago that it would be, but please learn from my mistake: 

 It works 100% better without the oil in the bottom of the pan!