Our theme is:
Letter of the Week is "C"
Number of the Week is 5
Check out our full weekly lesson plan on google documents: Pre-School at Home Week 3
Download the weekly theme header HERE
Showing posts with label Cupcake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cupcake. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Pre-School at Home: Week 3 Lesson Plan
Pre-School at Home Week 3!
Our theme is:
Letter of the Week is "C"
Number of the Week is 5
Check out our full weekly lesson plan on google documents: Pre-School at Home Week 3
Download the weekly theme header HERE
Our theme is:
Letter of the Week is "C"
Number of the Week is 5
Check out our full weekly lesson plan on google documents: Pre-School at Home Week 3
Download the weekly theme header HERE
Friday, November 2, 2012
We take on IKEA!
Our shopping day at IKEA! We got some Christmas shopping done and got some cute finds!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
A Pumpkin Patch Do-Over!
Since our first attempt at going to a pumpkin patch was a rain out, we had a pumpkin patch do-over day this weekend! It was lots of fun!
The girls got to see a lot of different activities, but I do believe the petting zoo was the favorite event!
It was a great day and we finally got to see some pumpkins in great Autumn weather!
The girls got to see a lot of different activities, but I do believe the petting zoo was the favorite event!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Our rainy day at the pumpkin patch!
We attempted to check out a pumpkin patch this week... but unfortunately it was rained out. We were supposed to be meeting a mom's group there for a fun kids day and the day that was blocked out in our schedule happened to be the worst day weather wise to be outside! (Isn't that always the way?) I already had the kids loaded up in the car and ready to go - when the mom's group event was canceled... but I decided to still go over and check it out, to see if we should plan a family day there on a weekend when Daddy could go with us.
Here's our day in the life, of pumpkin patches (sort of), and running errands!
Here's our day in the life, of pumpkin patches (sort of), and running errands!
Cupcake got to pick out some cute small pumpkins for Peanut and herself!
At least I got a few fun indoor pictures of their matching Halloween outfits!
A 2 year old version of "Cheese!"...
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Girls' First Fire Alarm!
"*The floor! The floor! The floor is on fire...* no really, we need to come check your dance room to make sure the floor isn't on fire!"
So the girls got to experience their first (thankfully false) fire alarm the other day, however the end scenario was kind of funny... so I thought I would share!
I do Zumba classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the girls go to child care in the building while I'm at class as well. Monday seemed like a normal day, until 15 minutes before class was to be over - the building fire alarms started going off. The instructor went to turn off the music (because in Zumba we get LOUUUUUD) - and everyone started looking at each other to figure out what was going on, a few seconds later someone finally asked if we should go out in the hallway to figure out what was happening... and asking which exit door we should use.
At that point, my Mommy instincts kicked in and without turning around to respond to anyone I scooped up my things (conveniently placed next to the room door - I think I may subconsciously take this spot in the room for exactly this reason - I dunno??) and was the first person out of the classroom door running towards the stairs to get up to child care. I could hear the instructor behind me saying, "Well, I guess we're going that way." (LOL... also funny after the fact!)
I wasn't necessarily in a panic, but I was on high alert - because we didn't know what the situation was and whether it was a false alarm yet or if something was in fact going on in the building that we needed to evacuate from. I high-tailed it to child care, where a number of parents were also there getting their kids - and workers were trying to figure out how many arms they had available to carry children out whose parent hadn't gotten up there yet. I scooped up Cupcake, who I spotted right away and happened to be right near the half wall near the entrance to the child care room...
Then I realized that Peanut was still in one of the swings in the baby area! One of the workers behind the wall was going over to get her out right as I was coming into the room - and I pointed to Peanut as she pulled her out of the swing, letting the worker know she was mine & I would take Peanut as well to free up her arms to gather up other children. All in all, it probably took less than 2 minutes to get up to the child care and get the girls out of the building... so I think that it went well as an alarm for preparedness.
I grabbed our stroller that was parked right outside of the child care - while holding both girls- and wobbly pushed everything & everyone outside, thankful for other kind gym members that were holding the exit doors open for people carrying children out.
We stood outside for a minute, I helped the girls get their jackets on and stowed them away in the stroller... after only a few minutes it was determined it was a false alarm and we could go back inside. After getting back into child care, I waited for a minute because I knew they would want to do a head count to make sure all of the kids were accounted for - and gauged the girls' reaction to the alarm... (The visual alarm system was still going off, but the noise part was silenced.) They both seemed fairly disinterested in the whole alarm thing and more preoccupied with getting back to playing with toys and/or getting back to their swing. So I re-signed them in and went back to class to finish up the end of class.
After being back in class for only a few minutes into the first song, maintenance arrived with a ladder and plunked it down in the middle of the room! (While we are still dancing.) He started fanning the fire alarm in the ceiling, and shook his head saying, "Yep." As he got down off of the ladder, he jokingly told the instructor to take it easy on us - because it was OUR ROOM that set the fire alarm off!
Apparently, a combination of the heat from the room and dust in the fire alarm vent had triggered the alarm and they had to get up there and clean it out during the class following ours. So I guess the Zumba ladies are so hot... we set the fire alarm off!
Hope you enjoyed our little anecdote from Monday... thanks to my hubby for telling me I should share - it is kind of a funny scenario for the girls' first fire alarm!
So the girls got to experience their first (thankfully false) fire alarm the other day, however the end scenario was kind of funny... so I thought I would share!
I do Zumba classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the girls go to child care in the building while I'm at class as well. Monday seemed like a normal day, until 15 minutes before class was to be over - the building fire alarms started going off. The instructor went to turn off the music (because in Zumba we get LOUUUUUD) - and everyone started looking at each other to figure out what was going on, a few seconds later someone finally asked if we should go out in the hallway to figure out what was happening... and asking which exit door we should use.
At that point, my Mommy instincts kicked in and without turning around to respond to anyone I scooped up my things (conveniently placed next to the room door - I think I may subconsciously take this spot in the room for exactly this reason - I dunno??) and was the first person out of the classroom door running towards the stairs to get up to child care. I could hear the instructor behind me saying, "Well, I guess we're going that way." (LOL... also funny after the fact!)
I wasn't necessarily in a panic, but I was on high alert - because we didn't know what the situation was and whether it was a false alarm yet or if something was in fact going on in the building that we needed to evacuate from. I high-tailed it to child care, where a number of parents were also there getting their kids - and workers were trying to figure out how many arms they had available to carry children out whose parent hadn't gotten up there yet. I scooped up Cupcake, who I spotted right away and happened to be right near the half wall near the entrance to the child care room...
Then I realized that Peanut was still in one of the swings in the baby area! One of the workers behind the wall was going over to get her out right as I was coming into the room - and I pointed to Peanut as she pulled her out of the swing, letting the worker know she was mine & I would take Peanut as well to free up her arms to gather up other children. All in all, it probably took less than 2 minutes to get up to the child care and get the girls out of the building... so I think that it went well as an alarm for preparedness.
I grabbed our stroller that was parked right outside of the child care - while holding both girls- and wobbly pushed everything & everyone outside, thankful for other kind gym members that were holding the exit doors open for people carrying children out.
We stood outside for a minute, I helped the girls get their jackets on and stowed them away in the stroller... after only a few minutes it was determined it was a false alarm and we could go back inside. After getting back into child care, I waited for a minute because I knew they would want to do a head count to make sure all of the kids were accounted for - and gauged the girls' reaction to the alarm... (The visual alarm system was still going off, but the noise part was silenced.) They both seemed fairly disinterested in the whole alarm thing and more preoccupied with getting back to playing with toys and/or getting back to their swing. So I re-signed them in and went back to class to finish up the end of class.
After being back in class for only a few minutes into the first song, maintenance arrived with a ladder and plunked it down in the middle of the room! (While we are still dancing.) He started fanning the fire alarm in the ceiling, and shook his head saying, "Yep." As he got down off of the ladder, he jokingly told the instructor to take it easy on us - because it was OUR ROOM that set the fire alarm off!
Apparently, a combination of the heat from the room and dust in the fire alarm vent had triggered the alarm and they had to get up there and clean it out during the class following ours. So I guess the Zumba ladies are so hot... we set the fire alarm off!
Hope you enjoyed our little anecdote from Monday... thanks to my hubby for telling me I should share - it is kind of a funny scenario for the girls' first fire alarm!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Independent Play Time - SAHM September
Independent play time is an important part of our schedule that we've worked on since the girls were around 6 months old. It starts in the play pen (or play yard) with a few toys and for a minimal amount of time - a great chance to clear out dishes from the sink or Swiffer the kitchen floor. Slowly the time amount builds and what started out as 10 or 15 minutes can grow to 30 minutes or even longer.
When they are younger, I found that I could be in an adjacent room where I could still see the play yard and my daughter would still play independently. This was important to me to not only let her gain the independence, but also get more comfortable with the idea myself. As she lengthened the time where she could play in the play yard, I could continue to add to chores that I could get done during the time that she was playing independently - and eventually it could even turn into a long enough period of time that you could get something essential done like take a shower.
For us, starting independent play time (IPT) early on really helped, because it eased the transition into the next phase of IPT once your child becomes a toddler... room time. Room time is a challenge all its own, as your child grows, they begin to explore their surroundings and want to expand their boundaries. Making sure their room is child proofed and a safe surrounding to have your toddler in for short periods of time independently is the foundation, once that is completed... you can begin your transition from IPT in the play yard, to independent play time in your child's room - or as we call it around our house, "room time".
Room time for us started early, before Cupcake's 2nd birthday actually... she was well adept at keeping herself entertained for up to a 45 minute period for IPT and was ready to drop her first nap. (When I had been taking my shower.) At this point, we decided to transition to toddler room time during her original first nap time and it has worked out great as far as time of day for us.
We started the transition over Christmas break while my husband was here to help with it. Once you begin the transition, it is like "starting all over again" - starting out with a short amount of time and slowly adding to it. We started out sitting in the room with her for the first week, then trialed room time for a short 5-10 minute period in the beginning - with one of us sitting outside of the door. That went well, so we slowly started adding to it and could move to other areas in the house on the second level. (Her baby monitor would be left on in the room of course, to hear the activity that was going on... and you could also use a video monitor during this time if you had one as well.)
Eventually, room time turned into the time on our schedule when Mommy was able to go take a shower, and also conveniently lines up with Peanut's morning nap time. (See my post on daily schedules for more about lining up a baby and toddler schedule together.
I'm very glad to have found out about the concept of independent play time and room time through our Babywise groups... these have worked out great for us and are an important part of our schedule each day. Do you do IPT or room time at your house?
Here's the link to the SAHM September video on Independent Play Time:
When they are younger, I found that I could be in an adjacent room where I could still see the play yard and my daughter would still play independently. This was important to me to not only let her gain the independence, but also get more comfortable with the idea myself. As she lengthened the time where she could play in the play yard, I could continue to add to chores that I could get done during the time that she was playing independently - and eventually it could even turn into a long enough period of time that you could get something essential done like take a shower.
For us, starting independent play time (IPT) early on really helped, because it eased the transition into the next phase of IPT once your child becomes a toddler... room time. Room time is a challenge all its own, as your child grows, they begin to explore their surroundings and want to expand their boundaries. Making sure their room is child proofed and a safe surrounding to have your toddler in for short periods of time independently is the foundation, once that is completed... you can begin your transition from IPT in the play yard, to independent play time in your child's room - or as we call it around our house, "room time".
Room time for us started early, before Cupcake's 2nd birthday actually... she was well adept at keeping herself entertained for up to a 45 minute period for IPT and was ready to drop her first nap. (When I had been taking my shower.) At this point, we decided to transition to toddler room time during her original first nap time and it has worked out great as far as time of day for us.
We started the transition over Christmas break while my husband was here to help with it. Once you begin the transition, it is like "starting all over again" - starting out with a short amount of time and slowly adding to it. We started out sitting in the room with her for the first week, then trialed room time for a short 5-10 minute period in the beginning - with one of us sitting outside of the door. That went well, so we slowly started adding to it and could move to other areas in the house on the second level. (Her baby monitor would be left on in the room of course, to hear the activity that was going on... and you could also use a video monitor during this time if you had one as well.)
Eventually, room time turned into the time on our schedule when Mommy was able to go take a shower, and also conveniently lines up with Peanut's morning nap time. (See my post on daily schedules for more about lining up a baby and toddler schedule together.
I'm very glad to have found out about the concept of independent play time and room time through our Babywise groups... these have worked out great for us and are an important part of our schedule each day. Do you do IPT or room time at your house?
Here's the link to the SAHM September video on Independent Play Time:
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Stay at Home Mom September!
I started a new video series on beingmommywithstyle called "Stay at Home Mom September" to address a number of SAHM issue videos that I had been thinking of doing for a while now! I'm excited for this new series, because I think it will be a great way to start dialogue on different SAHM issues and also help me develop on these topics as well.
Some ideas I'm planning on addressing in the series are SAHM cleaning routines, daytime schedules, independent play time, activities with babies & toddlers (at home or outside of the house), and more! Please let me know if you have any specific questions you'd like me to address during this September video series! I hope to have a new video posted every few days during the month of September, depending on what time allows me to film.
Here is the introduction video to the series, on SAHM daytime schedules around the house:
I've found that schedules really help us to stay focused and happy throughout the day. Both the kids and myself know what is coming up next in the schedule and it keeps our day moving.
Our sample schedule is posted here in Google Documents and you're welcome to peruse it, just please note back its origin to Mom's Got a Brand New Bag or beingmommywithstyle if you use it elsewhere... Thanks!
Some ideas I'm planning on addressing in the series are SAHM cleaning routines, daytime schedules, independent play time, activities with babies & toddlers (at home or outside of the house), and more! Please let me know if you have any specific questions you'd like me to address during this September video series! I hope to have a new video posted every few days during the month of September, depending on what time allows me to film.
Here is the introduction video to the series, on SAHM daytime schedules around the house:
I've found that schedules really help us to stay focused and happy throughout the day. Both the kids and myself know what is coming up next in the schedule and it keeps our day moving.
Our sample schedule is posted here in Google Documents and you're welcome to peruse it, just please note back its origin to Mom's Got a Brand New Bag or beingmommywithstyle if you use it elsewhere... Thanks!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Our week of adventures!
This is a fairly week for us, going from one adventure to the next! This past Sunday, we visited Thomas the Tank Engine at the Illinois Railway Musuem in Union, Illinois! It was a great time, and Cupcake thought it was the coolest. (Peanut was pretty fond of the train ride as well!) The girls took their first train right, and it was a fun day.
We also did a quick vlog during the day to recap our visit:
Tomorrow we are headed into Chicago, our first shopping adventure in the city! We've been to the museums downtown, but this will be our first time hitting Michigan Avenue while we meet some friends that are visiting from Michigan. (The state!)
Wish us luck, I feel like at least for parking... I will need it!
We also did a quick vlog during the day to recap our visit:
Tomorrow we are headed into Chicago, our first shopping adventure in the city! We've been to the museums downtown, but this will be our first time hitting Michigan Avenue while we meet some friends that are visiting from Michigan. (The state!)
Wish us luck, I feel like at least for parking... I will need it!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
July randomness!
July has been a busy and crazy month for us! I wouldn't prefer to have it any other way though... it was great to have lots of visitors and do lots of activities! To close out the month, here's some of our July randomness...
Cupcake's new favorite dress-up item... a tutu that she found at her cousin's house! I will be looking into making one of these for her & will post up a tutorial on how to do them at home!
Reading to Luna...
Cupcake's new favorite dress-up item... a tutu that she found at her cousin's house! I will be looking into making one of these for her & will post up a tutorial on how to do them at home!
Reading to Luna...
Peanut sitting up:
And practicing standing!
Some sister time!
Ahoy me maties! Cupcake has a new obsession with pirates! (And saying, "Argh"!)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Cupcake's Super Why! themed birthday party!
Well, it didn't go exactly as I had anticipated... but we celebrated Cupcake's 2nd birthday (which was actually in May) this past weekend with family, and had a "Super Why!" themed birthday party!
Cupcake unfortunately turned out to be sick, and we canceled having any kids around her, so her family party turned into a - grandparents' party! We still had a lot of fun and she enjoyed her Super Why! themed party supplies. I ordered a cake and chose a background that I thought would be suitable with the SW! theme, since all of the SW! supplies had to be ordered online - and then gave the decorations that came with the cake (that turned out to be My Little Pony) to Cupcake to play with - which she loves!
I ended up forgoing the different themed areas idea that I had originally for the party, since we didn't have as many people in attendance and I didn't figure the grandparents would really care whether or not her playhouse was a themed "Book Club" area or not... I still really love the idea if you would be hosting a Super Why! party with a number of children in attendance or with a bit older kids that can get into the ideas of different stations. Our water table would have been the "Little Mermaid" theme, bubble wand station a "Cinderella" theme, play house a "Book Club" theme, bounce area the "Princess & the Pea" theme, and slide play area a "Rapunzel" theme.
Alas, it was not to be... and Cupcake is a bit too young to "get" it anyhow, so it turned out okay.
She opened lots of fun packages!
And the dress up clothing was definitely a hit! We couldn't convince her that the tiara was supposed to go ON her head... she just knew that it was meant to be sunglasses instead!
All in all, although it wasn't what I had originally envisioned - still a fun day!
Cupcake unfortunately turned out to be sick, and we canceled having any kids around her, so her family party turned into a - grandparents' party! We still had a lot of fun and she enjoyed her Super Why! themed party supplies. I ordered a cake and chose a background that I thought would be suitable with the SW! theme, since all of the SW! supplies had to be ordered online - and then gave the decorations that came with the cake (that turned out to be My Little Pony) to Cupcake to play with - which she loves!
I ended up forgoing the different themed areas idea that I had originally for the party, since we didn't have as many people in attendance and I didn't figure the grandparents would really care whether or not her playhouse was a themed "Book Club" area or not... I still really love the idea if you would be hosting a Super Why! party with a number of children in attendance or with a bit older kids that can get into the ideas of different stations. Our water table would have been the "Little Mermaid" theme, bubble wand station a "Cinderella" theme, play house a "Book Club" theme, bounce area the "Princess & the Pea" theme, and slide play area a "Rapunzel" theme.
Alas, it was not to be... and Cupcake is a bit too young to "get" it anyhow, so it turned out okay.
She opened lots of fun packages!
And the dress up clothing was definitely a hit! We couldn't convince her that the tiara was supposed to go ON her head... she just knew that it was meant to be sunglasses instead!
All in all, although it wasn't what I had originally envisioned - still a fun day!
Friday, June 1, 2012
What a week...
It was a rough week. Cupcake is sick, we're preparing to have family in this weekend for her birthday party... and I'm not even sure she will be in the party mood by then! We did however have time to get a few candid shots of the girls on Memorial Day, and that has been the one highlight to the week.
 |
| Typical Cupcake... going the direction SHE wants to, with a smile on her face... |
And we didn't get any outside shots of Peanut before it started raining, but luckily did get a few cute pictures of her before leaving the house...
 |
| Peanut enamored with having her picture taken! |
Thursday, May 31, 2012
More gorgeous flowers from GiaCoco!
We received a few more gorgeous flowers from GiaCoco in the mail this week! I'm just loving her flowers, and may even get adventurous enough to try the purple one for myself in an updo!
These are from the 2012 Summer "Alice in Wonderland" Collection:
I'm loving the sparkly middles and tulle mixed in with the flowers. Her designs are just so original! Thanks to GiaCoco for some more great hair accessories!
These are from the 2012 Summer "Alice in Wonderland" Collection:
I'm loving the sparkly middles and tulle mixed in with the flowers. Her designs are just so original! Thanks to GiaCoco for some more great hair accessories!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Happy birthday, Cupcake!
Today my little Cupcake turns 2 years old!
She's sweet as can be, and lots of fun too! So happy birthday, Cupcake! Today belongs to you!
She's sweet as can be, and lots of fun too! So happy birthday, Cupcake! Today belongs to you!
Love, Mommy
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Toddler Soccer!
Well today was our second week of toddler soccer - and while Cupcake's listening skills still haven't really improved much, it was still a hoot and lots of fun! I feel like she's probably a bit young for the class but we will finish out the session. I paid more attention to the ages of the kids this week, and it seemed like most of the "toddlers" were speaking in full sentences and had enough gross motor skills to be able to kick the ball between their feet. Cupcake was definitely the youngest one there!
This week there was also machines working on one side of the field replacing the glass around the outside, so she was more interested in watching what they were doing and waving at them, then following the teacher's instructions. (And as a former dance teacher, I realize that this sort of pupil is kind of a nightmare, sigh...) She also had extreme interest in waving "bye bye" at the machinery and crawling into the soccer goals... insert Mommy sigh here.
Still... I would have liked if her listening skills were a bit more and the middle of class tantrums were a bit less... so I'm hoping that by the end of the 10 week class I will see a marked improvement from the nearly 2 year old that started the class. We'll see.
Regardless, she does make not playing soccer look super cute.
Mommy Vlog of our toddler soccer day to follow shortly (hopefully tonight) on my mommy vlogging You Tube Channel: www.youtube.com/beingmommywithstyle
This week there was also machines working on one side of the field replacing the glass around the outside, so she was more interested in watching what they were doing and waving at them, then following the teacher's instructions. (And as a former dance teacher, I realize that this sort of pupil is kind of a nightmare, sigh...) She also had extreme interest in waving "bye bye" at the machinery and crawling into the soccer goals... insert Mommy sigh here.
Still... I would have liked if her listening skills were a bit more and the middle of class tantrums were a bit less... so I'm hoping that by the end of the 10 week class I will see a marked improvement from the nearly 2 year old that started the class. We'll see.
Regardless, she does make not playing soccer look super cute.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Lolly Wolly Doodle Dress!
I stumbled upon Lolly Wolly Doodle when a Facebook friend sent me a link to their page asking if I had heard of it. I had never heard of the company, but apparently they have developed a cult like following of their flash sales that are regularly on Facebook. (9am, 1pm, 9pm, & 11pm daily EST.) After spending only a few days following their sales, I too was sucked into their adorable designs and checking back to see what new items would be posted.
They have a "once its gone, its gone" philosophy, and most items that are posted are in limited quantities - only made in one or two of a size.
I have my first Lolly Wolly Doodle on its way to me, the collared zebra dress below:
I can only hope that the quality of their items lives up to the hype that surrounds them, but I have a feeling that I won't be disappointed. I'll do a proper review once we've received our dress, which I ordered in a toddler size for Cupcake to wear.
Learn more about Lolly Wolly Doodle on their Facebook page, and also visit their website HERE.
They have a "once its gone, its gone" philosophy, and most items that are posted are in limited quantities - only made in one or two of a size.
I have my first Lolly Wolly Doodle on its way to me, the collared zebra dress below:
 |
| Lolly Wolly Doodle, www.lollywollydoodle.com, Quantities limited |
I can only hope that the quality of their items lives up to the hype that surrounds them, but I have a feeling that I won't be disappointed. I'll do a proper review once we've received our dress, which I ordered in a toddler size for Cupcake to wear.
Learn more about Lolly Wolly Doodle on their Facebook page, and also visit their website HERE.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Good job, Bella!
Cupcake (aka. Bella...) is this phase where she has started repeating "Good job, Bella!" back to us, when ever she gets praise for something I thought it was adorable and finally got her doing it on video the other day. She usually will sit next to me or play in her play room while I'm getting ready... but she's decided lately that she MUST sit on my lap and do her makeup along with me.
I thought it was adorable.
Lots of love and cupcakes to you! Hope you're having a great weekend!
I thought it was adorable.
Lots of love and cupcakes to you! Hope you're having a great weekend!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Ohhhh Room Time - How I love and loathe you, all at the same time...
So we do something at our house with our toddler called "room time"... it is basically independent play time in her room to gain independence and also works well in the mornings for Mommy to take a quick shower. We did a sleep training method with Cupcake called "Babywise" by Gary Ezzo, and the idea behind room time or independent play time comes from the follow-up book - "Toddlerwise", also by Gary Ezzo.
Basically, as your toddler gets older you put some structured independent time into your daily schedule to bolster their independence. Ideally, I believe they suggest you start working on room time (having previously had independent time on a blanket or in a play pen previous to this) around ages 21-24 months. I had to start Cupcake slightly earlier though, because with the arrival of Peanut... and Cupcake's new found ability to climb out of a crib and play pen around the same time - I had to come up with some way to take a shower on a daily basis. Cupcake had always excelled at independent time in a play pen, which I used when she was younger to do chores during the day or make dinner... so I figured - what the hey, we will give it a go.
We started the week after Christmas, so that Daddy was home to help keep watch and ease her into the transition. You start with a lower time limit, around 10-15 minutes and the goal is to work up to a time length as long as 45 minutes of independent play time in their room. In the book and on other blogs you see an image of a well behaved child, quietly playing with some non-electric toy, in a pin neat room for the entire length of independent play time.
This is not my child.
Cupcake is a... spirited toddler. And very creative. She can find the delight and humor in the most simple of things. Like throwing clothing that used to folded neatly in her dresser drawers into the air while yelling, "Wheeee!".
So while I delight in the fact that Cupcake has taken well to independent time in her room in the mornings, and worked up to the 30-45 minutes that I need in the morning to get in the shower... I also never know what I'm going to walk in to when room time is over. Some days it is not too bad, some toys here and there - books strewn through the room... other days... it looks like a hurricane of Q-tips and clothing has swept the room.
Let's not leave it up to me to give you a written description though... They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so for a week I brought the camera up to her room after room time to capture what room time means at our house.
I will say, she's getting better. Messes are not as frequent - and this was a particularly "spirited" week when I took the pictures. She's still a few months away from being 2 years old... so I think as she gains a bit more age, it will keep getting better and better. For now, I will keep perfecting my folding skills...
Basically, as your toddler gets older you put some structured independent time into your daily schedule to bolster their independence. Ideally, I believe they suggest you start working on room time (having previously had independent time on a blanket or in a play pen previous to this) around ages 21-24 months. I had to start Cupcake slightly earlier though, because with the arrival of Peanut... and Cupcake's new found ability to climb out of a crib and play pen around the same time - I had to come up with some way to take a shower on a daily basis. Cupcake had always excelled at independent time in a play pen, which I used when she was younger to do chores during the day or make dinner... so I figured - what the hey, we will give it a go.
We started the week after Christmas, so that Daddy was home to help keep watch and ease her into the transition. You start with a lower time limit, around 10-15 minutes and the goal is to work up to a time length as long as 45 minutes of independent play time in their room. In the book and on other blogs you see an image of a well behaved child, quietly playing with some non-electric toy, in a pin neat room for the entire length of independent play time.
This is not my child.
Cupcake is a... spirited toddler. And very creative. She can find the delight and humor in the most simple of things. Like throwing clothing that used to folded neatly in her dresser drawers into the air while yelling, "Wheeee!".
So while I delight in the fact that Cupcake has taken well to independent time in her room in the mornings, and worked up to the 30-45 minutes that I need in the morning to get in the shower... I also never know what I'm going to walk in to when room time is over. Some days it is not too bad, some toys here and there - books strewn through the room... other days... it looks like a hurricane of Q-tips and clothing has swept the room.
Let's not leave it up to me to give you a written description though... They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so for a week I brought the camera up to her room after room time to capture what room time means at our house.
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| 1/25: This day's theme was apparently "Q-tips"... |
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| 1/25: Looks kind of annoyed that I crashed her party! |
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| 1/26: Room time must have been so exhausting this day, that I came in to find her taking a bit of a rest! |
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| 1/27: Pretty tame day... |
Then we had a few uneventful days... she was saving it all up for the finale...
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| 1/30: The Grand Finale... empty drawers, Tah Dah!! |
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| "Nevermind cleaning up this mess, Mom! Let's get straight to reading books! " (We have reading time after room time.) |
I will say, she's getting better. Messes are not as frequent - and this was a particularly "spirited" week when I took the pictures. She's still a few months away from being 2 years old... so I think as she gains a bit more age, it will keep getting better and better. For now, I will keep perfecting my folding skills...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Cupcake has grown by Leaps & Bounds
The past few months have brought moving... Halloween... and Cupcake, most definitely, turning into a toddler. She's grown before my eyes, and I've been amazed how you can reflect on some weeks to realize that she's gained so many new skills or words in only 7 days time.
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| September 2011 - Playing at the Chrysler Museum (She's totally getting one of these toddler tables for Christmas! Shhh...) |
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| September 2011 - One of the first pictures taken at our new house. |
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| October 2011 - Visiting the pumpkin patch. |
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| October 2011 - Wearing some Halloween gear to start getting in the spirit! |
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| October 31, 2011 - Our little monkey was a monkey for Halloween... and her favorite little stuffed animal, Monkey, dressed up as HER for Halloween! (Did you get all of that?) |
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| October 31, 2011 - Cupcake as a monkey with Mommy |
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| November 2011 - Showing off one of her new toddler skills that is essential for every girl, talking on the phone. ;) |
I will admit, I'm looking forward to her becoming even MORE verbal - because we're in that kind of awkward stage that brings on a lot of temper tantrums, where she can't quite communicate what she's feeling or wanting... so a meltdown ensues. That gets frustrating at times for Mommy, but I'm just glad to know that it should hopefully only be a short while longer before she gains a more useful vocabulary to (hopefully?) cut down on some of the meltdowns.
For now though, I'm enjoying the new words that she's learning every day... and hearing the occasional, "Cowwww... Mooooo...." coming from the back seat. :)
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