preschool lessons...for me.

Diego has been so excited about doing preschool.  He would slip his arms through the straps of his backpack, come find me in the house and say, "Come on, Mom, it's time for school!"  You can't beat that for enthusiasm.   We've slacked a little lately, but that's okay.  It comes in spurts.  And sometimes, learning happens when you least expect it.

One of the first art projects we did for Halloween was this haunted house.  The basic idea that popped into my head was to cut out shapes from black paper and glue them together to make a spooky house.   Doing crafts with Diego is one of the best ways we 'do preschool'.  It gets him cutting (which he loves to do) and glueing (which he hates), not to mention writing and thinking creatively.

While I was satisfied with just the house and the ghosts, Diego wanted to add things on with a black pen.  I got a knot in my stomach thinking, "Oh no, he's going to scribble on it and mess it up"...but I couldn't have been more wrong.  He started with the bats.  Then added the spooky black trees.  There's also a pumpkin, a spider and a moon.  By the spider, there is a white cat, and then by one of the chimneys is a sign that says 'no cats'.  I have no idea where he learned to draw like that, but each of these additions was thoughtfully planned out by him, which is one of the major lessons I've been learning--let HIM do it, so HE can learn.

And I love it even more because it was all him.



This reminds me of the lesson learned on September 6th during our calendar time.  Can you tell what it was?



I think the thought that literally went through my head was, "What the heck are you doing, Susan?" Why was I the one writing the numbers on our little cards?  I'm not the one that needs to practice!  And over the course of a month, Diego has gotten great at writing his numbers and is starting to know which one is which.



I haven't really planned out any school lessons...I've just been winging it using the seasons, months, holidays, and books we check out at the library as the backbone of what we do...with a whole lot of Pinterest inspiration thrown in.



The paper plate mummy is where we learned that Diego really hates glueing.  Tearing paper into little pieces: really fun; glueing them down: not so much.  It was supposed to only be the head, but Diego noticed he didn't have a body so we decided to add one.  I think Diego's an 'out of the box' type of thinker.



Since we were on a roll with the paper plates, we decided to add the green monster...that is an example of mommy doing way too much on a project. He had painted the plate green, but there was still a bunch of white on the sides, so I just smeared the wet green paint out to cover it.  Why did I do that?  And those little black lines on his body were glued on, mostly by me...I should have just had him draw on the body.  As it turns out, this is the one we like the least!  Lesson learned: back off, mommy.



And our favorite... the ghost.  I did make the chain for him, but Diego figured out how to get the ghost to hold it.  This one was a joint effort.  Lesson learned:  sometimes working together is okay, too.



We've been reading a lot of Pete the Cat around here.  So much so, that he can now read it on his own, without even reading the words.  Or is he?  I bet that big R-E-D on the page is starting to look familiar to him.



And finally, I thought we'd try a little experiment with a dried bean.  We put it in a ziploc bag along with a wet paper towel and taped it to the window.  Meanwhile Diego cut out a little castle in the sky for our Jack and the Beanstalk experiment.  Sure enough, a few days later, the bean had sprouted roots!  It took us a while to find some dirt to put into the cup, but when we finally did, that bean plant took off.  Diego enjoys giving it a little squirt of water each day, and we were both amazed at how fast it grew.  He even starting putting tape on the window to mark how far it grew each day.  I'd say it was more than an inch a day.



Last night at dinner, I asked, "What's the only mammal capable of flight?"  It was basically to get the older kids to stop arguing about whatever it was they were going on about.  Spouting off knowledge has been a great way to do this, lately.  But it was Diego who was the first one to blurt out, "BATS!"  (Thanks to the picture book, Nightsong, about the cutest little bat ever, for that little tidbit.)

I'm not sure who was more excited about his answer, him....or me.  But I am sure he's not the only one doing some learning around here.

the zoo in fall

One cool morning last week, I had finally penciled in the time to hit the gym after dropping off the kids at school.  Only the zoo is right next to our school.  And when Diego piped up, "Let's go to the animal zoo," how could I say no?  Besides, there's a lot of walking at the zoo.



When we joined the zoo this year, they gave you a coupon for some free stuff.  We used the snow cone option up on our first visit, but this time, I decided to brave it and get the cup of animal food.

Diego excitedly said, "You never buy me this, mom!"

He was ever so careful with his paper cup of who-knows-what pellets.  He would throw just one at each animal.  One little pellet.  We were all the way to the back and he still had a whole cup of food.



This little guy was persistent and Diego didn't like it.  That goat wasn't taking one for an answer.



We finally moved on to this pretty deer.  Diego didn't like feeding them by hand, even though I encouraged him to try it.





There's a reason they have that long tube to the camels.  They're spitters.  And boy is that tube nasty.





Someone needs to flush that out with a hose.  Yep, this trip I decided I'm so thankful I don't work at a zoo.  Besides the stinky animals, there were yellow jackets flying around, which Diego simply calls "jackets".  Why are there always bees at the zoo?  I wouldn't even let us get snow cones this time because I didn't want to attract them anymore than my red jacket was already doing...I'd already done the crazy lune dance several times on our walk trying to get away from them.



So we came full circle and Diego finally gave in to this guy.  He debated about throwing his cup of food away at this point--he was tired of carrying it--but I convinced him to give it all to this hungry fellow.



Carmen woke up at some point and was content to see the world from the warmth of her stroller.  Her eyes are changing...no more vivid blue...more like hazel now.



My favorite animal at the zoo...the elk.  Especially at fall.  Look at those massive horns.



Plus, this one often gives off a call while we're there.  It shudders through you and always reminds me how glad I am not to be hearing that in the forest around my own house.



Sweet passive deer.  Most of the animals were quiet while we were there, or snoozing inside somewhere.  Except those howler monkeys.  You can hear them a mile away.



A sweet peacock with her little baby.



Diego stopped to see how far he could jump.  It was about five feet, but several hops later he said he finished around 18.



And here's a peek at their new exhibit, the meerkats.  It's smaller than I imagined.  I can't believe there was a whole show on TV about meerkats.



Love this boy.  He convinced me to buy a stuffed cheetah on our way out.  If you know me, I don't need much convincing about a stuffed animal.

A day at the zoo with Diego beats the gym any day.

fall carnival 2013

October is the busiest month of the year for me, but so. much. fun!!  I love making the kids' costumes and the challenge to scrape them together from odds and ends around the house.  

For a boy who loves all things that live under the sea, this is the most fitting costume.  We've been reading a great book, Down Down Down, each night and learning so much about the amazing creatures that live in the deep.

Naturally, this costume was not my idea...but found  here.   I had to buy the hose, sponges, velcro, and gray spray paint...so I probably spent $13.  Wait...I bought the black hooded sweatshirt, too, but since he can use that all season, I really don't count it.  He already had those awesome goggles (which he lost at the carnival!), and that mouth piece was some kind of kitchen gadget we had.  The spear was a last minute idea made out of a cardboard box.   He ended up ditching the sponges which kept falling off--they're supposed to be weights that keep the diver down--and then I remembered the shark from the fish game we made and pinned it on him.  Look for it in the other pictures.



Isabela has wanted to win the costume contest ever since she first won it in Kindergarten as the Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George.  There's been tears some years and 'who cares--I love my costume' other years; but this is her last year at elementary school, so the stakes were a little higher.

She was thrilled when I suggested, "How about dia de los muertos?"  Isabela loves all things international, and I'm not sure I've ever seen someone dress up like this here.

Here's her costume breakdown: I bought a fake flower stem and scarf (ACMoore going out of business), the skirt (Goodwill) and the face paint.  I researched face paint since she has sensitive skin and found out that the Klutz face paint book had the best kind...so I splurged and got it off of Amazon. Definitely worth it.  It went on easily and didn't crack or break her out.

The shawl is actually a table runner, and the flameless candle we had around the house.  The necklace was given to her from her abuela in Bolivia, and she also carried rosary beads thanks to Aunt Leah Ann.



Next up...Snow White.  I couldn't resist this one from Target.



Joaquin insisted on heading off to the carnival without the usual family pictures...so I tried to snap some in the car, and I only got his stick dog.  He went as a stick man skeleton.



There he is...I bought tape and a piece of black poster board for his.  Very simple.


There's that shark I was talking about.  Doesn't he look ready to fall over backwards into the water?



Here's a close-up of Isabela.  It probably took me twenty minutes to paint her face...it was so fun for me, like painting a picture...but I had to keep telling the canvas to stay still.



They brought the pumpkin contest back this year!  This was one of my favorites.



And Diego won the cake walk!  He chose a box of iced cookies that we devoured.



So we basically passed time waiting for the costume contest to start.  I headed over to the smores bar with Diego (which he apparently doesn't like--lucky me!), while the big kids went through the haunted house.  And there's sleeping beauty...I mean snow white.


Imagine my surprise when Isabela showed up for the contest like this:



My jaw dropped.  It turns out the haunted house scared her so much she cried!  OMG.  I think I was more upset about it than anyone.  Everyone else remained calm and told her she looked even scarier, which was the truth.  She'd just have to do the contest like that.


The little kids went first.  It said K thru 1st, but I asked if a four year old could go, and they OK'd it.  Guess what that cute face means:  he won!


And I couldn't believe it, but guess who else won?  Yep.  And the prize was a pillow pet blanket!



Joaquin looks so disappointed here.  Sad skeleton.  I just love his drooping puppy.  I think a little trick or treating will cheer that face right up.

D-I-E-G-O

So proud.  Both him and I.


He's such a quick learner.  And his big sister is playing teacher right along with me.  How do you make the letter Y?
"Draw a smile and then add a hook."



Finally, someone who thinks neat handwriting is just as important as I do!

carmen learns

My very favorite place in the whole world....the public library.  Especially when books like these jump off the shelf at you!

This past summer, we discovered books on CD.  We listened to People of Sparks, The One and Only Ivan, and Infinity Ring, The Trap Door.  While those CDs played in the car, the children sat quietly in rapt attention...even Diego, despite the books being a little above his head.  The only possible drawback of books on CD is that the reader's voice is almost certain to get on your nerves at some point.  But it's not really a drawback because then you get to imitate the way they talk and burst into fits of laughter.

Since the summer, we've also listened to Love That Dog and Knucklehead, two of the B.O.B. books for elementary school.



So now, more about Carmen.

She has been dying to taste what we are eating at the table.  She stares at the food going to your mouth with hers watering.

I would occasionally give her the bottom of my cup to pretend to drink from and she'd be overjoyed.  That cold porcelain probably feels so refreshing on those toothless gums.





But she's six months old now, so it was time to try something new.  The American first food....Rice Cereal.  I even had to make a special trip out to the store just to pick some up because I had forgotten to buy it while grocery shopping.

So we excitedly mixed up a spoonful, and I sat her on my lap since she's still too tiny for the high chair.  She was just as excited as we were, and I had to wrestle the spoon out of her hands to place the first bit of cereal on it.  Carmen was all smiles as she opened her mouth to take that first bite.

But the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  I think this face says it all.

apple mountain

Just in case you weren't sure where to turn.....



...we had our first fall adventure last weekend.  For me, it was all about taking some pictures.  It was nice to have my camera back in my hands.  Ever since Carmen has been born, I haven't been snapping as many.

I love the age difference between these two.  I think this will be one of those photos when they are older and they think 'remember when...'.



You can't beat Target for cool shirts.  The skull on his shirt is made up of lots of little skulls.  Just a warning...you may see this shirt in every photo this month.



Isabela snapped one of Carmen and I.  It's so sweet when she reaches for your face...until she grabs two fistfuls of cheeks.



The first apple of fall!  Look at that leaf on the end.  I didn't realize until half way through that they had been pulling the stems and leaves off!   Those help the apples last longer, so don't do that.



We tasted a few along the way.  There were a LOT of apples on the ground so there was a smell in the air of apple cider gone wrong.  Joaquin is super sensitive to smells, so he was about ready to go as soon as we got there.



This is why I don't take many pictures now....if I'm holding Carmen and have my camera strapped around my neck, it doesn't work out as well.  Although every now and then, I still get a good one.



Juan Pablo actually was the one who suggested we go apple picking.  Forty dollars later, I'm not sure he'll do it again.



When we got out of the car, I had told them to only pick four apples each.  Nobody listened.  They charge by the weight, you know.



We probably were only on the mountain for thirty minutes total.  Everyone else had decided to go apple picking that day, too--way too crowded for us to enjoy.

Diego and I went to get a view of the beautiful valley before we left.  He's got such an imagination...I didn't tell him to pose like this.  I asked him after I saw the shot, "Are you pretending you're falling off the mountain?"  Yep.



So here's where the adventure really begins.  We decided to head to the city to eat.  JP pulls over in a park to text someone for recommendations.  Meanwhile, I let Carmen have a little freedom from her car seat and grabbed some cute photos of the kids.



She can almost fit that whole fist in her mouth!



On a side note, I'm an old-fashioned car traveler.   Before we left, I quick printed out this list of things to spot on the way there...in spanish.  It had pictures to go along with the words.  There was one that stumped us...pantano.  Any guesses?  It's a swamp...check, we have one right near our house.  As we got closer, Joaquin started writing down everything he saw...grass, mommy, sissy, pants, and more.  Funny.



Keep in mind, by this time, we are ALL STARVING.  We get close to the restaurant JP wants to try-it's near a large shopping center.  So we're driving through the shopping center looking for it.  It's nowhere.  And here we are passing every restaurant known to man....and ones we've never heard of that look just as good.  The kids and I see a pizza joint called Slices and then Ben and Jerry's- we know where we want to eat, but JP is on a mission to find this place.

He's getting frustrated because his phone says it's right here, but we can't see it.  The kids are whining because they're SO hungry.  I try to nicely say, "Sometimes you have to choose your battles and know when to give up," but this isn't one he's willing to lose.  I'm not sure why he was so intent on this place, but sadly, after many u-turns and red lights...we found it.  It had long been closed down and abandoned.

Guess where we ended up?