Trains, Planes, and Patterning Things

What little boy doesn’t have a collection of trains, cars, trucks, or other vehicles? Caleb has all of the above. We were playing together in the camper the other day while Daddy had an event and book signing. As with most days, my toddler is my inspiration. We had all of his Thomas trains pulled out and usually he likes to put all the magnetic ends together to make a really long train, but today, he started putting trains together and mixing the colors. Unintentionally, he created a train combination that was an AB pattern. I spotted this and commented on the colors. 

Me: Look Caleb! What color is this train?

Caleb: Red

Me: What color is this next train?

Caleb: Green

Me: What color is the one after that?

Caleb: Red

Me: And what is the last train color?

Caleb: Green

Me: Let’s say them again. (I point to each one as he names them.)

Me: What color would come next?

Caleb: Red!

Me: Yay! That’s right! Good thinking! You made a pattern!

That one conversation sparked an interest in making more patterns with different color trains. With each success, he excitedly tried new patterns. As he fit together trains, he also, again unintentionally, created an engine, tender, engine, tender pattern. With another little conversation, he noticed what had been created and began to look further than just colors. At one point, he ran to his toy bin and grabbed some cars and trucks. He created a car, truck, car, truck pattern among several others. It was a wonderful experience of fun and learning that day.

On a side note, we had to stay in a hotel last night due to bad weather coming in. As we were unpacking our clothes to prepare for the next day, I noticed Caleb playing again with his cars and trains. He surprises me sometimes with his imagination. He turned the decorative carpet into a cluster of complex roads that he weaved and maneuvered his vehicles around in true boy fashion with sound effects included! Lily is also discovering her world in her own way turning an open cabinet into her own little exploration station.  I hope they can always see what they love in the ordinary things life presents them. 

 

In my classroom, I used my observations of my students to guide me in know when they were ready to learn something and how I could present it to them, so they could master that skill or concept. As a homeschooling/roadschooling mom, I'm enjoying the inspiring moments my children create that open opportunities for me to teach them something new each day as we play.  

 

In addition, I wanted to share this inspiration with you, so I created a Train Patterning Product that includes 3 activities to build AB, AAB, ABB, AABB, & ABC concept. I hope you enjoy it!

Have a Blessed Learning Day!

This post was linked up with...
Hearts for Home Blog Hop

Top Campground Preferences

This is a list that we have created from stop to stop of our preferences when choosing a campground to stay at. I wanted to share it with you, because you may be new to the camping world and not aware of some of the benefits different campgrounds offer. Your preferences may be different from our family, but it’s good to make a list to make sure the campground you choose will be a fun one for everyone.

Playground on site or close by – We have 2 small children who love slides and swings. Caleb especially loves a sand pit that he can put his tractors in and move the dirt around. Playgrounds that are well maintained and on site are perfect for a daily visit to release some energy for a 2 year old. Playgrounds close by would be a second choice just because loading the kids in and out of the car takes a lot of the fun time away. One campground in Helen, GA offered multiple playgrounds and an indoor play area for the kids in the clubhouse!

Spacious sites - Camp sites often offer options of having a deck, a grill or fire pits and while they are a perk, for our family they are not a must. We just don’t use them often at this time. Some sites offer little space for anything more than a picnic table and some chairs. Instead, we prefer having a site that is somewhat spacious and offers some grassy or sandy area for our children to play in. We look at the maps offered by campgrounds online and try to find a corner lot, one tucked between trees, or near a building. Sometimes these sites offer a little more room. We’ve even been known to Google Earth campground to compare site sizes and locations.

Fun attractions close by – Before choosing a city to visit for fun, we see what they have to offer for fun and educational opportunities. We look for Children’s Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, Historical Parks, Farms, Beaches, and more. On our last trip to Florida, we visited Alligator and Crocodile farm. Click the link to learn more about Gatorama.

 

Cheap laundry – Whether we stay for a short trip or a long trip, we try to check out the on-site laundry services. We have a small tow vehicle right now (hoping to upgrade in the future) so weight is an issue. Each person only has a limited amount of clothing. In addition, there’s towels and sheets, etc that need to be washed just like at home. Since we’re always on the road, there’s always laundry to do, especially with 2 kids! If we’re not mindful of this ahead of time, laundry can take a big bite out of our budget.

 

Campground amenities – This is something we mainly look for if we’re planning to stay a few months. While we love our camper because it gives us a homey place to sleep, we want to get out and be active. We often look to see if the campground offers heated or indoor pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, and fishing holes. In addition, using amenities such as karaoke, game nights, bingo, water aerobics, bocce ball, etc…is a great way to get out, meet others, and make great friends!

 

Price – We really don’t like to spend more than $35 a night for a short stay. We have discount memberships like Good Sam Club and Passport America.  There are others that you can join as well.

 

Safe area – When you’re staying away from home, you always want to feel safe where you are. We look at the pictures offered online of the campground. We Google Earth it to look at the campground and surrounding areas. We check reviews online to see what others are saying. If this research confirms in our minds that this place will be safe for our family, we book it!

 

Pull thru or back in options – On a normal basis, we don’t mind backing in to our campsite. Andy is quite good at it with me as his guide. We make a good team! That said, when we go on his book tour, we may be pulling into one site at night and leaving the next morning. When we do this, we’d rather have a pull thru since we don’t plan to even unhook from the car.

 

Full hook ups – This usually includes water, sewer and power, which is all we need. Some sites also offer cable. We don’t have a tv (nor do we want one), so if they don’t have cable we aren’t bummed out.

 

Wi-Fi – While we carry our own Wi-Fi hotspot around with us, we’re not on an unlimited plan. Some campgrounds offer it free, while others charge you for it. Here’s a note of caution for you… If you don’t have a Wi-Fi hotspot or other internet device and you need it while you are on the road, NEVER rely on the fact that the campground has free Wi-Fi. As you know, the campground Wi-Fi will be affected by your location in the park and how many other people are using it. We have not been to one park where the free Wi-Fi was not frustrating to use at times and usually when you need it most.

 

 

Beautiful scenery – When you are camping, you can see many beautiful sites. Why not stay in the midst of a beautiful landscape?

 

 

We’re aware not every campground is going to be perfect and offer all of our preferences the way we want them, but we look at each campground and weigh out what we like and what we don’t like. Obviously, there are some non-negotiables like a safe area and a reasonable price. I encourage you to make a list with your family to make the most out of each camping experience.

Do you have a list? Please share, what are your preferences? Did I miss any that you would like to add?

 

God Bless Your Learning Days!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day from our family to yours! Thank you for following my blog and supporting our family in all that we do! 

Today, I wanted to share with you the fun Valentine’s Day cards we have made for our friends here at the RV park…

We’ve made three different cards for our friends.

“Bee My Valentine”

1. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half.

2. To make the bee…

Trace handprints (Best for a child 1 year and younger, otherwise the bee will be too big.)

Using water colors, have child paint fingers black and palms light blue. Have child paint a sheet of paper yellow. When dry cut out an oval to match the size of the hands. Cut out a semi-circle of black for the head. Have the child glue the yellow oval down. Then, glue the hands with glue on the fingers only so the wings (palms) pop up a little like 3D wings. Then, glue the head at the top of the oval. Have the child add wiggly eyes. Add foam shapes for fun.

3. Inside…

Fold a sheet of white paper in half and lay the child’s hand on the paper with the forefinger and thumb touching the fold to create ½ of a heart. Trace the hand. Cut out the hand, but do not cut the fold where the forefinger and thumb touch the fold. Have the child use water colors to paint. When dry glue inside. The hearts at the bottom are fingerprints.

“Our Hearts Open to Your… Friendship”

1. Fold the short ends of a sheet of construction paper in half. You should have a long rectangle. Then, fold the left side in 1/3 of the way and the right side in 1/3 of the way to make the ends meet.

2. Outside…

Paint the child’s hand and lay the hand on the paper with the forefinger and thumb touching where the edges meet. Paint the child’s other hand and place the hand on the other side to have the edges  meet. Make sure the line up the thumbs and forefingers to create a heart shape in the middle.

3. Inside…

Draw 10 hearts with a pencil across the middle of the page. To do this, I started in the middle and drew 1 heart on each side of the middle. One half of a heart should be on each of the fold lines. Then, have your child tear and glue one color of tissue paper to each heart. It’s ok if the go out of the lines slightly. When dry, use a permanent marker to outline the hearts and write one letter of the word “friendship” in each heart.

“I love you.”

This one was for my sign language teacher here in the RV park.

1. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half.

2. Outside…

Dip your child’s finger in paint and touch the paper four times to create the petals of a flower. Then, use green paint on a paint brush to whisk in some stems.

3. Inside…

Trace your child’s hand and cut it out. Have your child glue them to the card, but do not put glue on the middle and ring fingers. Bend down the middle and ring finger and place a foam sticker heart on top.

Enjoy your special someone!

God Bless Your Learning Days,

 

 

Spreading the LOVE with a "Thank You"

I am not a perfect mom. I struggle from hour to hour juggling things I need to get done with meeting the needs of my children and husband. I get overwhelmed. I get stressed out and I have mommy tantrums myself. Not something I ever thought I would do. I mean, I taught 24 kindergarteners each year in the classroom and I was good at it! I have learned that having one 2-year old is much more difficult than having 24 five-year olds. I often feel like I’m a terrible mom. I’m doing a terrible job. I don’t know what I’m doing. I pray every night that God would help me know what to do!

In my discouragement, God has spoken to me a couple of times. First, through a message by Jenae from I Can Teach My Child. Her blog post, “Untapped Resource” was a refreshing perspective. Another amazing message, "when satan steals your motherhood" by Christie Elkin, encourages you to realize where those negative messages are coming from and fight back!

Second, is in a, “Thank You.” In fact, several “Thank Yous” from some people I know and some strangers. They say, “Thank you for doing a good job.” “You’re children are so sweet. You are doing a great job.” “We love having your children in church. Thank you for bringing them.” Every time I hear one of these “Thank Yous,” I am refueled. I am uplifted and being in a better spirit also helps me cope better with those difficult 2-year old moments. 

The next time I see a mom or dad in the grocery store, at the mall, at the park or anywhere, I am going to find a way to say, “Thank You!” “Thank you for what you are doing with your children. You are doing a good job!” We need to support and encourage each other. It’s not easy raising and molding a child into a God-fearing, kind, respectful, loving adult, but it’s worth it! 

On the days you are tired and worn thin, DON’T GIVE UP! You are doing a GOOD JOB!

THANK YOU!

God bless your learning days,