Close encounters of the giraffe kind

It's no secret that I have a love affair with the zoo. 

No, really.  It's one of my favorite places in the world.  I don't know what it is exactly that I find so enticing, given that in some ways the captivity of hundreds of animals is sort of sad.  Except that I totally don't think it's sad at all, I just think it's super awesome and so much better than getting eaten by a lion on the savannah. 

So when we trekked down to Colorado Springs, I knew that this time we would have to go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  We've talked about it before, but for various reasons (most of them involving nap times) we've never actually taken the plunge.

And, you guys?  It was magic.  M-a-g-i-c.  Largely because of this:

Casey only got to stay with us for about 45 minutes because he had to work, but we were all lucky to experience this moment of awesome together.

 

 

I love this picture.  I think her face so perfectly captures the emotions that were written on my heart.

We arrived right as the zoo opened, so even though they have a truly amazing outdoor habitat for the giraffes, we spotted them when they were all coralled together indoors.  It was pretty cool, too.  There were probably a dozen or so of these beautiful creatures, including one baby who was absolutely adorable.

The best moment, though, was this one:

So much fun.  Giraffes are not as soft as you might think.  They're definitely more on the prickly side, slightly more coarse than horsehair but a similar feel. 

Despite the fact that Casey was called off so much earlier than we had anticipated, and despite the fact that Logan missed his morning nap which made life a little tougher on all of us, we had an absolute blast at the zoo.  It is a truly amazing experience. 

And, if I ever had any doubts that there is a connection between humans and apes, it has been definitively dispelled.  They have an incredible mountain gorilla exhibit which included a momma gorilla and her baby, born exactly two weeks before Logan.  I watched in sheer awe as this mother gorilla did so many of the same things that I do.  She picked up the baby and drummed on his hiney; she licked her finger and wiped goop off of him.  Probably most amazingly, she lifted up both her arms above her head, and then the baby mimicked her.  All I could think was, how big is baby?  SO BIG!  It was exactly the same thing we do here at our house. 

I will admit now that I was a little bit nervous about having the kids in the Springs.  Even though we went down to visit Casey, he had very little time to actually spend with us, so it was just me on my own with my two littles.  Off our schedule and out of our element, without our usual food, bed and surroundings.  It was a perfect recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, everything went just fine.  It wasn't anywhere near as stressful as I had anticipated, and  I'm feeling so much more confident about managing our lives - more than that, about thriving in our lives when it's just me and the kids.  I even recieved several compliments from different random strangers about how well I parent my children.  It was a very much needed and appreciated reassurance that I can manage well on my own, even though I'm outnumbered. 

If you're ever in Colorado, I definitely recommend the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  Even if you're not in love with zoos like I am, I guarantee you'll be won over by this one.

Letters Found: A household scavenger hunt

Hi there, friends!

Thanks for the feedback on my calendar activities post.  Kudos to those of you who tried it, and thanks especially to the uber-creative reader who sent me her pictures. And can I just say, you totally rock at making calendars that are special and personalized!  Puts my pre-fab ones to shame.  It seems that was a fun activity for many of you, so yes, I will try to do more along those lines.

Here's another activity.  Today, we're teaching letter recognition and initial consonant sounds. 

Step one: Cut out a few BIG letters.  You can freehand them as I did (rather quickly below), or print and cut for a more precise look.  Either way, think BIG.  Practice your middle school bubble letters.  They DO NOT have to be perfect, just recognizeable.

 

I did it backwards so that when I cut it out, there would not be any pencil lines.  'Cause I'm crazy like that.

 

 

Step two: Show the letter to your preschooler. Ask what sound the letter makes.  If they're stumped, make the sound for them.  C says /S/ and /K/, but start by focusing on only one sound at a time.  This is why we don't do vowels sounds first - all vowels make at least two sounds.

Step three: Ask your preschooler to find something in your house that starts with that letter (ideas: S - Stairs, W - Window, R - Refrigerator or F for Fridge, T - TV, telephone, C - couch, L, Light, etc.)

Step four: Give your preschooler the letter with a little blue tape on the back and let her run around until she finds something that matches.  It doesn't matter if she finds the thing you were originally thinking, or the stove instead of the stairs.  The goal here is to have her recognize the connection between letters and sounds.  You can give hints if she's stuck, like "I see two things in this room that start with the letter T!" or "I see something we eat on that starts with T!", but be sure to give her a real chance before jumping in.  She'll probably get there on her own. 

Leah found coffee, cup, and couch before finally deciding she wanted to hang it up on the fridge (because that's what we do with art in our house, and she liked the purple letter that much).  I convinced her to keep it on the couch for fun. 

What to do if she pairs the wrong letter with the wrong thing?  Tell her, Great thinking!  But let's listen again.  Stairs - /s/, /s/, /s/.  This letter says /k/.  Let's try to find something that starts with /k/! 

Hint: make sure you are having fun.  Be animated!  Be encouraging!  Laugh and chase her as she looks around the room.  Your preschooler wants to do this because it's fun and she's spending time with you, not because she's learning.  The learning is just a happy byproduct of the game. 

Fair warning: we did this with four letters, and it was nowhere near enough.  I improvised with letters on sticky notes, but it wasn't as fun. 

If you try any of these projects with your preschooler, let me know how it goes!  You can comment below or e-mail at melissa.strassner@gmail.com.

Happy learning!

The view from up here is fine

The number of moments on which I'm forced to confront the fact that I am a super-adult! are becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

For example, we recently spent a few days in Colorado Springs, which is located about an hour and a half from our house.  Leah, Logan and I were driving down as a threesome, because we were joining Casey who was working down there.  I was just giving myself props for how we'll I'd orchestrated the whole driving thing - everybody fed and entertained, Logan's nap perfectly timed for our arrival, Leah happily singing away - when a little voice rose from the back.

"Mommy, I have to go potty." 

That's cool, I can handle that.  Except that we were on the highway.  With nary a nasty, germ-filled gas station bathroom in sight.  What's a traveling mom to do?

The answer, as Jeff Goldblum told us right before a T-Rex crashed through the bathroom, is: when you gotta go, you gotta go.  Even if you're on the highway in the middle of nowhere. 

And we did.  And it was the first of many girly things I'll teach Leah throughout her life.  Cure cancer?  No.  Squat on the side of the road without dripping on your shoes or shorts?  I'm your gal.

See what I mean about being a super-adult?  (You might think I'd have caught on either time I made people, but nope.  Even hormonal teens can do that.  Being a super-adult! is when it hits you that you've become your parents.)

The windows in our house are awful.  I'm pretty sure the inspector tried to tell me this before we bought the house, but, in the scheme of everything else that was wrong, windows didn't crack my top ten.  In hindsight, they probably should have, because let me tell you - windows cost a pretty penny to replace.  And our windows aren't wimpy little windows.  They're the giant kind; the kind that a window company will happily charge you double for, and there are quite a lot of them.   

But since Leah's window didn't even have a screen and one of the panes of glass was broken, and since none of the windows did what they are supposed to do in terms of actually keeping out heat, cold, water or bugs, it seems like a good thing to invest in.

Before:

 

A little construction...

 

Ta-Da!

 

After:

 

The master bedroom was pretty bad too:

 

 

and the screens looked like this:

 

 

Yuck.

 

After:

 

 

Look at that big, beautiful window!  It's like Christmas morning in a frame.

 

Yes, these are the things I get excited about now that I'm a super-adult-exclamation-point.  We only did the upper level, because it took our entire tax return and most of Leah's college education to have these done.  But I think they're pretty snazzy.  And they do cool things, like not letting bugs in, and keeping the outdoor temperatures... wait for it... outdoors!  What a concept!

And, in case you're wondering, I get excited about my Dyson vacuum cleaner, too.  Super Adults, unite.

You can take the teacher out of the clasroom

In need of a simple project for your preschooler this summer?  How about teaching days, letters, numbers, and calendar skills all in one shot?

It's a super simple project, and you can do it entirely at home with no other tools than your home printer and a pair of scissors.  Or, for about $12, you can purchase them pre-made from your local teacher supplies store (or the lovely internet) as I have done.  Because, let's face it, $12 is totally worth the two hours it would have taken me to make these on my own. 

What you'll need:

::Months of the year

::Days of the week

::Weather cards

::Numbers 1-31

::Something nifty to display them on

I also had mine laminated (which again can be done at your choice of school supply stores for about $1 per foot; mine cost $8 but it's soooo worth it in the long run) so that they can be re-used and abused forever. 

Leah and I decided to hang ours in a place we'd be sure to see them everyday: the sliding glass door to the backyard.  It sits right next to the kitchen table, so it's an ideal location to keep her engaged.  Hint: I used blue painters tape to adhere everything to avoid yucky tape residue.  Yes, these are the tricks of the trade they don't tell you about in MA classes.

Stumped on how to use this besides the obvious?  Here are a few suggestions.

Read the name of the month.  As you read, point to the letters and make each letter sound seperately.  /J/ /oo/ /n/ Tell your preschooler that sometimes, at the end of a word, the letter E is a helper letter that doesn't make any sound!  WOW!  Have them repeat each sound.

Rather than setting up all 30/31 days on the calendar, add each day individually and practice number recognition and counting skills.  Every day, count all the days that are already on the calendar, and have your preschooler pick out which one comes next (from a group of only about three so they don't get overwhelmed).

Set out all the days of the week.  Tell your preschooler, "today is Monday.  Mmmm, Mmmm, Monday.  Can you guess what letter Mmmmonday starts with?"  Then, have them find the card that starts with the letter M.

Create a days of the week song.  I like this one because there's a book to go along with it, and I heart everything that includes a book.  I use a modified version of this song where I've taken out all the food stuff, but we sing it every time we talk about the days of the week.  It doesn't matter what you do, even if you totally make it up.  As long as there is a rhythm and repetition, your child will learn and repeat it.

Use these cards as a jumping off point to talk about seasons and weather.  This could also turn into  discussion of weather appropriate clothing using stickers, drawings, pictures on the computer... anything! 

I also have to shamelessly plug preschool workbooks.  Yes, your child can do this.  Perhaps not as effectively or independently as they will one day be able to, but don't sell your child short.  They're hugely capable if you're willing to take a little time to help them.

Today, we practiced big/small letter recognition, following directions and coloring inside the lines.

Yes, this single activity taught all of those skills in about 15 minutes.  And perfection?  It's totally not the goal here.

We also practiced writing:

Helping your child to learn to love learning and discovery is really easy, especially at this age.  They're naturally drawn to anything that is new and exciting.  And, it's worth noting that a child's lifelong learning capacity is formed in the first five years of life.  That's a pretty awesome opportunity.

Happy learning, friends!

MIMI has all straight lines

Our grandma Mimi's birthday is at the end of April. 

A great amount of thought was put into what would be written on her card.  There was quite a day of storytelling that followed, largely from the backseat of my car with a waterbottle in one hand and a Rapunzel doll in the other. 

When I asked her if she wanted to sign the back of the card, she initially told me yes. 

So I wrote out her name for her and prepared to help her write it.  She's getting quite proficient at it these days.

Then, she told me that since the card was for Mimi, she wanted to write her name.  And also because "it has all straight lines."

You know what?

 

MIMI does have all straight lines.  You know what else?  Smart girls are so totally awesome.  Get down with your straight lines, kid.  And don't ever - ever - stop writing.

Dear Olympics: You'll be seeing us in 2028.

Because, for reals: we're going.  Olympics, here we come.  Why, you ask?  Because someone...

...had her first gymnastics class today. (And completely rocked it, I might add.  You know it must be true if it comes from her mother.)

 

That right there is the face of determination.

 

I didn't take any pictures in the gym, but it was sooooooo-ooo much fun to watch.  She was a bit nervous going in.  We talked to God and told Him all about her fears.  It was, after all, her first big-girl class completely independent of her momma. 

 

The first ten minutes were a little dicey as she tried to take it all in.  She didn't shy away and she wasn't afraid to leave me, but she also didn't participate at all.  Instead, she just looked around and watched as the other kids stretched; a move that absolutely typifies her personality to a tee.  She is not a joiner.  She is not one who jumps right in.  She has to test the water, evaluate, and decide it's okay to go forward.  I adore that about her, by the way.  I may have prayed {often} for exactly that quality while she was in my belly.

 

Once the whole concept passed though, she blossomed.  She summersaulted.  She walked on the balance beam.  She hung on the rings.  She jumped on the trampoline.  She hopped on one foot.  She totally stuck the landing. 

 

It was pretty impressive for her first time.  And this kid of mine cannot wait to go back. 

 



Love that girl.

Despite our brown thumb, we saved the yard.

You all remember the "great" American Dream, right?  (Or is it the great "American Dream"?  I can't seem to get those straight...)  Perfect husband, high-heeled wife, 2.5 kids, white picket fence.  You know the one.

When we bought our house, we were a little short on the white picket fence scenario.  (Not to mention, we had a screaming baby, tempermental two-year-old, and a slightly insane, sick and sleep-deprived momma.  At least I'm clear on where the air quotes go in "American Dream.") 

In fact, what we had was this:

And we were thrilled, don't get me wrong.  We love our house.  And the slow process that has been getting it into a condition where it actually looks like we love our house?  We're getting there.

In the fall, it looked like this:

We dressed it up a bit.  Notice the flowers and pumpkins?  How obvious is it that I was trying to distract from the fact that the yard was mostly dead and the flower bed full of weeds?  Anybody?

Even as spring came to a close, that front yard still looked more like cows lived on it than people thanks to the giant holes in the "lawn" (aha!  This time I'm sure those air quotations belong there).

But we think we've really got something special here in our home.  It may not look like it from the outside.  Yet.

I do believe we're familiar with the terms elbow grease and weekend warriors at our house.

So, as the summer begins, here's what we're working with after nine months of residency:

 

Not too shabby, eh?  Kinda looks like, you know, people live here!

Materials used for this transformation:
1 storm door, installed by hubby and FIL
Aeration and seed (and also: aeration and seed for good measure)
4 rolls of sod
3 bags red mulch
2 packs (4 lights total) solar LED walkway lights
4 flagstones (left over from our first backyard transformation at the old house)
American flag
2 pots with miscellaneous flowers

And if I sound like I'm bragging, it's because I am.  Because the back yard is completely full of weeds and can't be salvaged, so I have to celebrate where I can.

I may not love the seven-gazillionty projects we have left to do and still in progress, but I can tell you this: I could not love our home any more.  It fills my soul to the brim with happy to think that we get to spend our tomorrows here. 

White picket fence need not apply.