Notes From a Small Town

The LEGO Chronicles

Ronan is my builder. He prefers to work out his ideas with sculptures, cut-up paper pieces, wood blocks, and LEGOs. He is learning the process and realizing how to connect a set of pieces to make a particular object. (And, he is reading the instructions completely on his own...)

The helicopter below is a treasured gift from Aunt Randi. And, this one also came with instructions and a lot of tiny LEGOs. It required a bit of help from Joey. Also, it lives on top of the stereo so that baby brother doesn't smash it to pieces in his playing.

I didn't realize that this little helicopter was in the general LEGO instruction booklet because he just showed it to me one day. I was still duly impressed with his ability to look at the instructions and make it. I think it helped that we started him with these blocks. (In Montessori, you work from large and concrete to small and abstract).

And, of course, his own creations - complete with a covered truck bed to house all of the impossibly small tools his tiny LEGO man might need.

And, finally, the Duplos are still finding a lot of love here. We have gotten more each year since Calum's birth and it is the perfect "toy" for all of us to work together. Calum enjoys building very high towers while the rest of us work on some specific structure or object. This time, Ronan and Daddy created a zoo. Ronan's idea.

To your left is the largest snake in the world...blue and yellow stripes. No, it's not an anaconda (I asked), but there are two babies next to it. One has already gotten a blue stripe, the other is still awaiting his (or hers). Joey made those.

But, Ronan made these two animals. And, no zoo is complete without a zebra and a camel. Um, at least in the zoos we've been to...

a new appreciation for falling leaves

In our previous homes, we were surrounded by lots of trees...live oaks, mostly. The kind that shed their leaves in the Spring when the new growth shoots through and pushes them out. (We do things a bit backwards here in Florida). Our tiny patch of shared greenery has always been maintained by others, such is the life of a townhouse resident.

This year...we are once again surrounded by trees. But, these trees...these are our trees. We cannot claim to "own" them, but we are responsible for their care. They sit on our land, next to our house. They are numerous and we think they are mostly laurel oaks. They have (mostly) dropped their leaves and we are discovering the joys of being homeowners as we tend to these trees and our outdoor living space.

As soon as Joey or I get a pile together, the kids come along and the pile is flattened. But, the joyful squeals we hear, and the time spent outdoors working together, reminds me of why we chose to make this place our home.

our work

this morning...

 

...an impulse purchase from IKEA. Perhaps you noticed that they're plastic? The very thing I'm trying to avoid. But, the justification?  Oh, it's good.  We've come across this activity twice in the last few weeks. A number of friends have remarked on the hand strengthening that it produces, not to mention the concentration required to create a piece. It's quite in-line with Montessori principles and I have been looking for additional fine motor activities to help Ronan strengthen his hands in preparation for writing. This is a fun start. And, I figured that if we don't melt too many "masterpieces" then we can pass them along and they'll get reused. Right?

...and my curious wee one...

...in motion and into everything. He's been mobile for a long time, but his balance and reach are getting quite high. He still prefers to crawl most places, but he's mastering the art of stopping while walking to regain his balance in order to continue in an upright position. He'll walk across the room now - if he wants to. Of course, he'll walk anywhere in order to get that piece of paper that was just out of reach only a few weeks ago. 

...and a Montessori wrap-up (hopefully)...

...I'm finishing up my geography/history/science albums and the language portfolio. It's been fun to work on these "loose" ends of mine. And, I've thoroughly enjoyed using my teaching brain and getting excited about some new activities and materials to show Ronan. Though, if I see one more phonogram booklet, I really might scream. 

In the end, we're quite happy to be able to do our work on this day. A happy and productive way to boost our brainpower and increase our knowledge. Beautiful.

Blockbuilding Today, Architect Tomorrow?

Or maybe an engineer? Or a career in home renovation? He definitely likes the demolition part - a lot. Hmm...now that I think about it, he and his dad have that in common.

Regardless, there's always a lot of building (and demolishing) going on around here. Always. Sometimes it's the easy to clean up kind, and sometimes, well, let's just say that sometimes, I bite my tongue and realize that he is getting something out of his work and it will eventually get put away.

A few months ago, I stumbled across the book, Block Building for Children. It was literally a browsing accident and I am ever so thankful that I found it. Almost immediately, I had ordered it and stashed it away for Christmas. And, then, right before Christmas, I opened up the book and noticed that a particular set of blocks was needed to complete most of the structures. A little searching and my boys have been building (or chewing and destroying, in Calum's case) with this set ever since.

 

And, the best part...Joe and I really love building these structures as well. Many of them are a bit sophisticated for four-year-old Ronan to do on his own, but it's a great family activity and if the structures don't look exactly like the picture, well, we like that just fine too. In fact, our foreman will often call for some last minute changes and since he's the boss of these projects, we adjust the building plans.

Besides, there are lots of other buildings to be made...infinite, one could say. These are heavy blocks (and will leave marks on your younger brother if you accidently hit him with one) which makes them perfect for intricate structures. Or, maybe it's just another way to play with the other toys.

 

And now that the tiger has a cage, he needs a zookeeper...and some food, of course.

weekend chores

This weekend we were able to help out my parents a bit (with the yard) and repay back some of the glorious free babysitting that we take advantage of. Though, if you saw it through Ronan's eyes, it was a time for fun.  Yes, it was his work and he was very, very proud of the help he gave, but he also thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was a time to be outside - with two of his favorite male figures.

There's some landscaping to be had at their house and Ronan went to work with his own pint-sized shovel (courtesy of my father). He worked alongside Joe and my dad and they were outside for hours. And, oh, yes, I played the baby card. It's a bit too hot for Calum to be outside for that long. (I did have a great time chatting it up with my mom, though).

While, I am not outside everyday, there are a number of chores that can sometimes seem tedious and downright boring to repeat. There are days when I leave the dishes and run away (taking the kids with me) to the park or a friend's house. Sometimes we just need a break to realize how important - and fun- that work can be. Our work has a purpose, whether it is to till some soil for new plants, scrubbing the toiler, or baking another batch of muffins.

The next time I look at the dirty dishes piled in the sink and sigh - I'm going to try and stop and think about the excitement I once had for this chore. And, when I finish, we'll run off to the park to play.

always learning

We've been hard at work - playing, self-teaching and observing. As we navigate this learning at home journey, I find myself riddled with doubts.

 'We should be doing more.'

'He's going to fall behind his peers.'

'I need to get more organized.'

And, although there is a lot of truth in all of those statements, I will admit that I am not too worried about his learning - not yet. Thankfully, I see a lot of value in learning to love exploring, observing and playing - and we are helping to establish a good foundation for all of these. And, every once in awhile my doubts settle and I can really pay attention.

 "Mommy, it's just like the very hungry caterpillar."

(Orientation for picture-taking, notwithstanding...)

And, of course, my little one is working on his own type of learning. And, no, we're not trying to sway him one way or the other toward college. He just likes this Gator blanket. Promise.

I'm feeling very good about the work that's going on around here. Now, if I can only find the time to get started on my Christmas knitting projects.

leading the way

 
(Photo take by Natalie's dad )

This kid's got confidence. There is no doubt about that. After watching the adults figure out the map, he asked for it and began plotting our way. (Of course, his friend Natalie helped too).

One of the many things I love about this parenting journey is being able to sit back and watch the thought process unfold. Ronan is an observer. Give him a room full of children and he will sit and watch their actions for a long time. It takes him many, many sessions to decide to participate in any organized type of event. 

He is the child who, when given three choices, will suggest a fourth (much to the occasional frustration of his parents). If it involves building/fixing/demolition, he is the guy for you. He will jump right in and help you install a sprinkler system or put together a cabinet. He has a confidence about these activities - he's not afraid to jump in and try and fail.

With other activities, he needs that time to figure out how it works. Thankfully, we are able to give him that time. He can follow his own map for his life journey. Its path has yet to be determined and right now there is only a pencil to use - easy to erase and make a new mark, a new a path.

We will continue to offer choices and make suggestions. We will be his guide on this journey - helping him to recognize that we are one big community - responsible to each other in the choices we make. But, as the same time, he is already leading the way. 

(A car he made from his building supplies. He designed it to work on the carpet.)

He can do it himself

This morning, I peeked open one eye as Ronan quietly creeped out of bed and into the kitchen. Usually, he was off to get a bowl of dry Cheerios to enjoy while I slowly awoke to start the day. But, today he decided that he would like a peanut butter and jelly for breakfast - and he said, "I can make it myself," - quite matter-of-factly.

Seeing as how I was still a wee bit groggy, my internal sensors weren't quite up to par and general laziness prevailed (i.e. I didn't offer to make it for him or even consider the potential mess). I opened the jars when needed and extracted the rice cakes from their container and by the time I got out of bed, his sandwich was made - and there was only a little bit of jelly on the counter.

When did my baby get so grown-up?

In keeping with the Montessori philosophy, we have tried to set up the house so that he can do as much of these things "by himself." We do our best to provide child-sized tools that are fully-functional - and the rationale is to provide him with pride in his work and to know that he is learning a life skill (and, allowing me to stay in bed for another 10 minutes is a nice side benefit as well).

Can you tell this is one proud mama?

(His cabinet full of plates, cups, silverware)

Of course, he was helping later in the day with our weekly homemade pizza dinner. I think that he has the best seat in the house - great views of the cardinals and squirrels that have been working outside in the front yard. Just perfect for rolling out dough - and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

(Table is from Michael's and the child-sized roller is from IKEA).

We are looking forward to a weekend full of laughter, hugs, sand, sun, and squeals of delight since the cousins are coming for a visit. I hope your weekend is just as rowdy as mine will be! See you on Wednesday.

we've been experimenting

This week has seemed full of experiments for our clan. Some of them have been intentional and others, well, not so much. (Apparently, we are trying to see how long we can avoid mopping our tile floors. Let me tell you - it ain't pretty). Regardless, we've all had our own curious ventures this week.

Ronan: "What happens when an ice cube melts?"

This book did not get put away with the rest of the winter books and has been a bedtime favorite for the last month. And, seeing as how Ronan’s favorite phrase is currently, “why?” he was wondering what happened to the snowball in Peter’s pocket. (Spoiler: it melted when he came inside his house).  Well, first you have to describe snow in terms that your three-year-old Florida native can understand. It seemed like a bit of an abstract concept. So, I related it to an ice cube. And, then it began…

He's repeated this experiment almost daily for a week. But, most of the time, once the ice melts he comes back and drinks the water (he's quite eco-conscious, you know). I'm not sure which he likes better - drinking the water or getting an ice cube out of the freezer.

Me: I've been trying to discover which foods Calum can (and can't) handle. So far, it seems that broccoli, onions and ice cream are out. Thankfully, chocolate is still okay - although, I may be ignoring the signs because  - it's chocolate. When I do come across a food on the no-list, we do a lot of dancing in the Moby wrap.

Calum: He's been working on trying to determine why a tiny hand keeps trying to get in his mouth - and how he can make it stay there permanently. Either that, or he's in a contest to try and see how many times I can change my shirt on daily basis due to spit up.

And, finally, we have Joe, whose gardening experiments have taken over the tiny patch of dirt we call a backyard.

Behold, the great lima/bush/pole bean experiment. This plant started it all, ironically, a home experiment with some grocery store lima beans and a wet paper towel. Ronan was curious how plants grew and remembering my kindergarten lima bean experiment, we soaked a paper towel and voila - three days later - we had sprouts. Finally, something we could actually grow! So, of course, Joe had to try some more space-saving techniques.

The plastic mesh is patiently waiting for a vine to sprout and begin making its way to the top. (These were planted just a few days ago). The ingenious-ness of this device is that Joe designed it to move with the sun. Our backyard gets very little sun, but this way he figured he could move the plants during the day and they would have enough sun to grow. An experiment, indeed.

(Bean pods)

I think that one of the nicest things about being able to stay home with your kids is being a constant observer in the learning process. And, while I can’t wait to use some petri dishes in our experiments, for now, I am just impressed with the desire to find out what happens - something which I am thankful we all seem to posses.

Happy weekend experimenting!

Work is Play

We each have our own work that we need to concentrate on...sometimes it is for outside pay, sometimes there is a handmade present that needs to be finished, and sometimes it is learning how to share. But, yesterday, we all went to our respective corners and went to work.  I reveled in the return of my sewing machine (it has been at the day spa being pampered for the last 2 weeks), and got to work on my long list of projects. So, while I was working on this...

Yes, that would be some bias tape that I need to bind a quilt that should have been finished, um, two months ago. But, I digress.

My boys, on the other hand, were working on a completely different project. But, having a wonderful, bonding experience.

There are so many days when this is an impossible activity (Mommy has to go to the store, Daddy has a call and we need to work on our inside voice, or quite frankly, I just don't want to deal with the mess). So, this is so exciting when they both get to let loose and enjoy the day.