Adoption: Different thoughts

We have always planned to have two kids and adopt two kids when our two where about 8 years old. Things have changed for me. I think that the time is now. I don't even know if I want to have another kid. I don't like being pregnant and I hated the c-section. Even the thought of going though 9 months of all that make me want to sleep. (know weired but true) I feel that for some reason I need to adopt a kid now. Like start calling people today. Sweetdude is scared about adopting and thinks we should stay with our plan. So for now I wait and we try to have another baby like planned as I pray God changes Sweetdude's mind.

Friday Store

When Mr. Man and Tomboy came to stay with me I need away to teach them to listen with out yelling or punishments because of their home life. So I came up with the Friday Store. Each Friday this summer I open the Friday Store. To get things from the store they get Friday Bucks for acting good, helping out, ect. They love it and are good to get this or that that they wanted. From the day I got the idea I looked for cheep stuff I thought the kids would like. I didn't pay more than $5 for anything. Some came from the Dollar Tree but most came from the clearance bins. I will add picture after this Friday.

Claiming You Car Back

I don't know about you but my car and get crazy at time. Girlygirl crying while the big ones fight over who looked at who first. I have found that car boredom leads to all kinds of crazy things. The best way to bring the peace back to your car is have a plan to beat he boredom. I have learned a few great things.

• books on tape (if your car is new than my cds)- We just have picture books and each child has a turn holding the book. So we listen to each book up to 5 times. Most the time it works out good if they know when their turn will come. They have all enjoyed listening to the book even when they don't hold it. I do give Girlygirl a book to hold all the time.
• puppets- They do shows for each other or have them talk to each other. It can get loud at times but they do stay happy.
• play "I spy"- by saying "I spy with my little eye something..." then say a color, letter, number, shape ect. The bonus to this game is the little one will work on what the need to.
• play punch bug- We changed it and we all play together that way fights don't break out. On who saw it first. For those of you don't know it is a game that counts how many VW Beatles you see.
• I keep a bag of fast food toys under my sit. Then when I need something for the kids to do it is handy. For some reason kids love these and are small and good for the car.
• flash cards- Right now Mr. Man and Tomboy are working on multiplication so we do flash cards well in the card. They take turns keeping the cards they get right. At the end who ever has the most gets a "Friday Buck" (more about them tomorrow.)
• Bingo- (We have not done this yet because my printer is not working.) Make pictures/words of things find while driving red car, school bus, trees, cow, walking people, ect. on a bingo like board then give one to each kid and a pen. As a child see something on their list they call it our and mark it off.
• kids camera- (again I don't do this my old boss did. If i had them I would.) They are great you can DL pictures to your computer if you want or just delete them and let the kids go again. It will keep the busy for a long time. 
• magnify glass-you will be amazed at how fun they are. Keep one for each child or be ready for its not fair. Let the kids look at the world with them.
• coloring & activity books/pages- you can get them cheep at most stores the Dollar Tree has hundreds. With them you will need pencils, crayons, ect.
• Talk to them- If they are older talking to them about something you know they like. If you have kids in the car join in the talking. For little ones talk about what you see around you use colors of thing , reading signs whatever you can think of.
• King's Silence- You just have to teach them when you say 1...2....3...king silence that it is time to be quite. Remember it is good to talk to your kids in the car so don't over use this one.

Good luck in the car if you are driving near or far may it be in peace.

Learning with ADHD

I need a new plan for when Mr. Man comes back from boyscout camp. He will be gone all week that gives the girls a break and me time to think. I have been reading stuff on line and will be writing down what I needed to do to help him have a better time. Mr. Man is just staying with me for 2 weeks after camp before going back home. I thing I wish would never happen but that is a story for another time. Mr. Man's mom doesn't like the meds so he has none. He needs them. My goal is to give him a fun summer and teach him how to act. It has been harder than I thought. Now on to the planning:

• have a clear plan each day
• keep him near me most the time
• have him look at me when I talk
• have him say what I said back
• break up big task into smaller ones
• each morning have him write a to do list
• in same book have him write 5 good things he did each day
• allow him to do something as I talk *
• put up blockers when need: he doesn't need to hear or see what others are doing
• remember the good
• find was he doesn't have to write+
• break up the sitting time 15 min working 15 min playing
• keep work with one thing at time writing spelling math are not one thing and try not to make them.

*He may have a hard time just listening and be able to hear and understand what is going on better if he can do something else. Have silly putty, Lego's, block, make art, anything to keep his hands and moving so his ears can listen still have him respond to things from time to time. I know one thing I said is have him look at me this may work too. I am just trying this out here +Don't make him write down his answers with pen and paper use a white broad, stamps, chalk board, letter magnets, ect.

Be a kid too!!

One thing that kids love about me is I will take the time to be a kid too. Sometimes it is great fun other it is just fun to see their joy. Go for a bike ride with your kids but don't be the mom race them home. Sit down and do the craft with your kids. Play dough is still one of my favorite thing to do with kids. I can distress this way. Get in a water fight or maybe start a mud fight. Laugh when your child plays a joke on you.

Trash to Treasure

Here are the big kids making my trash treasure. They had great fun. I just brought the stuff and they made stuff without help. They made stuff for over two hours. Tomboy made a tiger poster. She plan to take it to the zoo. They have a program that she can get free stuff. I don't know what we have not gone.

Big Sis made member card for the work out room. It is a game the girls play

Five worked with Mr Man to make a I don't know what But is was great to see and hear them work.

Saving your trash for kids to do art work is a good cheep way to have art time. You can give them ideas like building a train, car, bug, drum, doll or any other thing your child may like they can make. As you can in some of the pictures I did add other stuff whatever you have bring it out it is a let them go at it kind of thing. Be ready for a mess make sure they help you clean it.

What is Notebooking?

I have been reading a lot about notebooking. I believe it is what ever you want it to be. Notebooking is a great way to keep track of what you are learning without it feeling too much like work. You and your child can pick what you want it to be.

• To get started you will need a few basic things:

1. Binder-the kind with a clear pocket front will let you make your own cover page
2. Paper-there are lot of kinds out there use what you like best any paper can be used. A great idea is to use tracing paper to copy maps or others things hard to copy by site
3. Scissors- decorative and straight edged
4. Page protectors or three hole punch-you need a way to put all the pages you make into your notebook
5. Something to write with-crayons, makers, color pencil, pens (any kind gel, ball point etc..), oil pastels, and whatever else you think may get you child to want to write/draw in the notebook
6. Glue/tape- whatever you want to add the stuff to your pages

• To add some flair:

1. old magazines/newspapers-use picture and/or articles
2. clip art
3. stickers
4. stamps
5. fabric
6. ribbon
7. buttons
8. stencils
9. hole punches-they have many driftnets shapes and sizes
10. pictures-of trips and/or projects
11. pressed flowers
12. quotes
13. bible verse-those which match what you are notebooking
14. booklets-about the topic and/or from where you went

• Things to notebook:

1. Field trips
2. Writing-copy work, essays, short stories, etc.
3. Work book pages
4. Timeline
5. Poems
6. Songs
7. Alphabet-for the little ones
8. The world of learning is your limit. No matter what you are learning I am sure you can find a way to notebook it.

Keep coming back to see how notebooking works for me this summer. I will be caring for a 12 year-old and 9 year-old who are coming to stay with me. I will also have my Girlygirl as well as the two girls I nanny Five and Big Sis. I am look forward to it. I hope to have time to blog it all.

Teaching Sign Language

As you may know my husband is deaf. I have been trying to think of a way to teach the girls nanny and for other people to teach their children sign. Today when clean Girlygirl's room it hit me. When I saw Sesame Street learning cards I knew how to teach sign. I can use the cards to to teach the signs for the words. They are great because they are things you do everyday. So not only working with the cards but when you do everyday things you can sign to your child. Girlygril is only 23 months and has more signs than I can count. If you are worried about using sign because your child will talk late (although true for Girlygirl) that is not true. Girlygirl now can say as much as my friends kids but she signs different words too. So able to tell me much more. If you don't know sign I found a great site more for kids but the best I have found yet. The best of luck to you. Sign is a great way to "talk" with you young child.

You can do it

Tonight I was watching a movie about a fat girl who got voted prom queen. At one point in the movie the mom of the fat girl said to her daughter "You didn't need me to protect you; you just need me to support you." Now that is something to think about for any parent to think of. No matter what your child needs you to be there to say you can do it and how can I help. Your little one learning to walk, talk and play. Doesn't need you to say don't do that it is not safe but here let me help you learn how to do it safe. If you child wants to slide help him learn how to clam up. Don't do it for him just help him learn to do it. You may think it is too hard for your little one but don't stop them be there to pick them up when they fall. As you child grows the support moves to things like school and friends. You will not be able to keep them from being hurt or having a hard times. You can be there to help them with what they are trying to do and teach them what they want to learn. Your child may want read a book that is too hard but don't stop them be there to help with the words they don't know. Or maybe they need to learn something that is hard for them don't just not teach it help them push through it. No matter what our job as parents are to teach our children what they need when they grow up. Remember they need to fall to know they are okay when they get up. Hey you maybe shocked how well they do.

Illinois Museum

Today I  have been looking for more stuff to do. I found this great web site that list Museum all over the state of Illinois. I just wanted to save it. 

Back

Sorry for the long break. I have had a crazy life. My basement flooded and we have not been able to stay at our house. I am back now and hope if there are any readers out there they haven't left.