HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MAGGIE GRACE!!!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

We LOVE you!!!!

Quiet boxes...

I was sent this idea from my sister. She got this idea from here. They are bins that they use for quiet time. Max has not taken a nap for quite some time. When Molly was a baby and still taking a nap herself, Max would go in his room for quiet time. Then we moved & away went Molly's nap & Max's quiet time. Maggie came and with them all sharing one room and it being right next to ours her nap time took priority over everything. So the kids ended up staying downstairs and playing. Good-bye to quiet time.
Now I really want quiet time back. I think I am going to put the older two in our room for some quiet time with their new daily boxes.

Each one has crayons, paper, books, puzzles, and then a special activity to do.
Such as:
stamps/stamp pads
foam sticker pieces with foam bookmarks, visors, doorknob hangers, etc.
doll that you dress (shown above...has different clothing for her....all magnetic...love it!)
dominos
lacing pieces (ours are farm animals)
beads & pipe cleaners (making bracelets & necklaces....swords, for Max)
Noahs Ark game
small coloring pads
colored clothespins (for sorting, pattern making, counting)

Got most of this stuff at the Dollar Store of course.
Oh...and I put our puzzles in zip loc bags. I cut the picture of the puzzle and then dump it all in a baggie. It helps with fitting the puzzle in the bin, but I started doing it several years agao after Max would destroy the box in which the puzzle came.

Have fun!
If you think of anything else fun & exciting to put in the boxes please let me know.

Fantastic info & some updated kiddo info....

...or at least I think so.
Have come across some FABULOUS sites, info, ideas, etc. over the past several days. Now that I am finally getting around to posting some of it, well, blogger is about to shut down. We'll see how much I get done before that happens. Ok...here goes....in no particular order of fabulousness:

• www.shiningdawnbooks.com They have nature themed books. I bought two of them at a homeschool fair yesterday. I purchased Hard as a Rock & Animal Signs. Go to their site to learn all about it.
• www.ourlifestyleoflearning.com An on-line forum for homeschooling moms.

(Yes, I'm sure you're noticing a theme & yes, Aaron and I have discussed homeschooling the kids. And, yes, I believe that we are going to do it. Very excited, scared, mostly psyched!!! )

• http://thecurriculumchoice.com/ Haven't had enough time to really explore the site, but I am looking forward to the few minutes I may have tonight/this a.m. to check it out.
• www.keeperofthehome.org This one I got from my sister. Again, haven't had too much time to get to far into it, but my dear sis did send this post to me. The kids and I ventured out to the Dollar Store tonight and got the bins and a few things to put inside of them. Looking forward to them working!

I know that there is more, but I can't find my list at the moment. I'm sure I'll think of it as soon as I shut the computer down.

Maggie is growing so big! Where did the past 51 weeks go? Only 6 more days until she is a big one year old! We recently started rolling the ball back and forth where she was getting the concept. She will smile so big and try so hard to roll that ball back only to have her little baby arms bring it right back to her. Tonight we were doing a little rolling and the kids and I would clap for her. Oh her smile was so big. Around the 4th time or so the kids and I didn't clap fast enough. She looked at us, smiled big & then clapped for herself. Then when she rolled it back I said, "Momma caught the ball. What do you do?" Maggie immediately started clapping. Oh, my heart. I love how little ones clap too. The take their arms all the way back, bring their arms forward & then barely connect their hands. LOVE IT!

I can't wait to celebrate her 1st birthday this weekend!