Sept. OPAM

This month's OPAM (one project a month) was my garage sale - and it is OVER!! I really do like having garage sales - even though they are a lot of work. We did a really great job going through stuff so I feel like I got rid of a lot! My sister, mom, and a friend all participated and we ended up making a total of $432! We still seemed to have a lot left over - we took most of it to Goodwill. I am going to take some books to the library and a few clothes to Once Upon a Child.

I am thankful for all the help - Alison, Jenny and Mom! I am exhausted, but glad we did it.

The girls had lots of time with my nephews, Ryan and Will, and Grandpa Steve! They wore each other out - but had a great time!!

Kevin was fabulous about keeping the dishes clean and getting food put away! Thanks Kev!

Next month's OPAM is Halloween costumes and beginning Christmas shopping.

Night One Recap

The girls did great!! Norah slept all night! She was quite proud of herself this morning and excited to put a sticker on her chart! Lucy woke up about 9:45 crying very hard. If Kevin hadn't been around, I might have given in to her because she looked so pitiful. He kept reminding me that breaking both of their habits is easier on us in the long run - I know he's right, but Lucy looked so sad and she just doesn't understand. She cried for about 15-20 minutes - even with me rocking her or rubbing her back. She was awake again about midnight - this time for only a few minutes. She woke up this morning around 6:30 and couldn't wait to take her gloves off! She was also excited to put a sticker on her chart - however, she ripped hers off several times through out the day. She's obviously 2.

Lucy didn't nap - I tried, but she cried and cried. I gave her about a 1/2 hour and then let her get up. It was a long afternoon for all of us - but we survived and Lucy fell asleep tonight within 15 minutes!! Yea!!

Norah just went to bed - so we'll see what happens tonight!!

Night One - Breaking the Habit

Well, we decided to try to break the girls' habits of finger-sucking.  Tonight is the first night.  We have been talking about it for about 10 days so they knew it was coming.  We decided not to take their blankets away.  I don't think it would matter with Lucy, but with Norah we'll have to see.  Her finger-sucking has almost always been triggered by something/anything silky.  

They both are wearing pink gloves with athletic tape around the wrists.  So far - it hasn't been too bad (knock on wood).  They were both EXHAUSTED today.  They had MDO and didn't nap (Norah doesn't nap very often anymore, but seems to need one every so often).  We read several books and after rubbing back for awhile, we shut their doors by 7:15.  Lucy started crying right away - no surprise.  Norah started crying, but when Kevin went up there to talk to here, she was upset because one glove needed to be fixed on her fingers.  That was the last we heard from her.  Both girls were asleep by 7:45!  I know Lucy sucks her finger often throughout the night (every time I get up to go the bathroom - several times these days - I hear her).  I anticipate Lucy being awake in the night - but we'll see.  Here they are - sleeping angels!!

Elephant in Review

Norah's science theme this week was elephants. We always start our week off with a K-W-L chart - we list in a journal what she Knows, what she Wants to know, and later, what she has Learned. After visiting the zoo many times and going to Grant's Farm a couple of weeks ago, Norah already knew a lot about elephants - I am always amazed at the little details she remembers.

Each week there is a math page for her to do. She draws a number from a cup and then draws that many items on her paper. This was fine to do when she writing number 1-5, now that we are up to 15, she gets frustrated. She starts drawing and then has to keep going back to count how many she has. I made up some math boards. I used boards like this when I was teaching and I thought it accomplishes the same thing.

I made up boards for 1-20 (she is really good at 1-to-1 correspondance, so most of this is review, but I can use the boards for Lucy, too). I shuffle them and turn them upside down and Norah picks out 2 or 3 boards and then counts that many objects onto her board. This week she used zoo animals. She is much happier to do her math this way, than the worksheet.


We also played a visual memory game this week. I put out 4-5 animal pictures and she named them all for me. Then, she turned her back to me and I took one away. When she turned back around, Norah had to guess what picture was missing. I could just as easily do this with the zoo animals - we may do that next week.

We read some interesting books this week.
1. 10 Things I Know about Elephants
2. African Elephants
3. The Elephant Who Couldn't Forget
4. Stand Back, said the Elephant, I Think I'm Going to Sneeze


The book African Elephants talked a little about elephants being in danger because people want their tusks and because people are cutting down the trees and building homes in their natural environments. Norah was quite interested in that - all week she has asked me questions about it.

Off to plan for penguins!!

Thursday Cooking

This week I had a cooking activity for both girls. I think this was the first time that I have let Lucy help. Cooking with Lucy is much messier and takes much longer, but I knew she would love it.

Lucy and I made Oatmeal Squares from this cookbook. They have a ton of butter and brown sugar - so I need to figure out a better way to make them, but it is super easy.

Oatmeal Squares

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 T corn syrup

2 1/2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup raisins (we did 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup dried blueberries, & 1/4 cup dried cranberries and apples)

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease 7 x 11 pan.

Melt butter, sugar & corn syrup in saucepan over low heat, stirring carefully until butter is melted.

Take off heat and add oatmeal and dried fruit - stir well.

Pour into pan and press it down. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool, then store in airtight container.

Norah and I made Cinnamon Apple Muffins. The recipe is a combination of several and I have adjusted it to make it a little healthier.

Here is our recipe:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

2 T. milled flaxseed

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup skim milk

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 cup finely chopped apples

Preheat oven to 375

Grease muffin tin

Makes 12 muffins

Sift flours and milled flaxseed into bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, & cinnamon and stir. Add remaining ingredients and stir until flour is moistened. Spoon into muffin tin.

Bake 18-23 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Toddler Theme Thursday

Teaching Tinytots at Mommy School has started a toddler theme Thursday challenge. This week's theme was shapes.

Some of our activities included:

1. Read I See Shapes

2. Made shape collages with circle, square, rectangle, & triangle cutouts and star stickers

3. Shape peg board

4. Copied this idea from Chasing Cheerios

Our Sweet Little Lucy

This was Lucy's prayer at bedtime, "Dear God, Please help the baby in mommy's tummy to be healthy and poopy."

I don't even know what to say about that one.

Her new favorite phrase, "You drive me cazy, Mom."  She says this ALL the time - if I make her sit on the potty for more than 2 seconds, if I give her some sort of direction that she doesn't like, etc.

Her new favorite question, "Who do you like the best?"