A Sleep Tight Basket

There is something so precious, so memorable, so comforting about waking up in the morning with little ones snuggled around you. We didn't set out to have our girls sleeping with us all the time, and they do actually sleep in their beds--some of the time anyway--but our little ones were ending up in our bed every night. Both of our girls have loved having Mommy nearby as they slept during their baby stages, and I have cherished that time dearly. And their daddy is an undeniable favorite for our oldest when it comes to snuggling, so with that being said, it was clear that our family was outgrowing our bed!

As much as we love their endearing snuggles, however, I do think it is important for children to learn to sleep by themselves, and I need some time with that sweet husband of mine too! Since our youngest is 15 months, she's still clinging close to Mommy at nighttime. But our oldest, who is 3, was calling for us halfway through each night. Sometimes she would seem visibly upset during the nighttime hours, and I just could not bear the thought of requiring her to stay in her bed if she was having night terrors. So we came up with a solution: The Sleep Tight Basket! As you can imagine, our Easter basket was still fresh, and plastic eggs were still gracing our pantry shortly after the Easter holiday, so they made for great surprises in the morning. I filled each egg with some sweet treats to be found when she wakes up, and if she can stay in her bed until the sun comes up, she is able to select an egg from the basket. She immediately took to this, and though we've had to refresh the idea a few times, it has still been successful. She has takent the initiative to carefully ensure that it is okay to come into our bed after the sun rises, lest she should lose out on a precious treat! And now it is surely a win-win: Daddy and Mommy get a restful night (most of the time!) while still getting to snuggle with our babies for a short while before getting up!

Music Corner

I love to start the day with something new and fun for the girls, so I was excited to set up a musical corner in our kitchen for a few days. Our new recorder was a definite hit, and the harmonica and kazoo from The Dollar Tree were also lots of fun. And I must pass on the information about this recorder because... are you ready? It came with several music books full of Disney music, including our beloved princess selections. And, of course, some of the more traditional musical selections were included as well. We're currently working on getting our fingers in the right placement for the tones. And on that note, thank you to my dear mom, who when I shared the news of our new recorder, reminded me of my early years, when she remembered attending my recorder concerts... now that's a great mom for you!

Farm Sensory Bin

I couldn't wait to organize our farm sensory bin after seeing this lovely idea at Playing House! I loved the idea of using popcorn kernels in our plastic container, and it was fun collecting bits and pieces of different toy sets to add to the bin. I also added a teaspoon and measuring cup set that I purchased just for the girls, which I thought would coincide wonderfully with our math time. This should be lots of fun for both of our girls!

I know Easter is over...



We found this adorable egg decorating kit at Target.

...but I just cannot part with this delightful set of decorated Easter eggs completed by our oldest daughter! We undoubtedly completed these about three weeks ago, and our little girl was soooo proud of these. This project took most of the afternoon to complete, and she worked so hard to get her royal egg family set up just perfectly. I displayed these on the dining room table for us to enjoy throughout the remainder of the Easter season, and as I prepared to clear the table this past weekend in preparation for a few dinner guests, I thought it would certainly be time to say goodbye to this unforgettable royal egg collection, as hard-boiled eggs would probably not be the most endearing of crafts to savor in the coming years. But... I just couldn't toss them! How could I when our beloved little one had worked so diligently? I will hang on to these a bit longer, and perhaps the jotting down of this memory and the collection of a few priceless pictures will fill a mother's heart just enough to allow me let these go... another day.

Frog Went A-Courtin'



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We are IN LOVE with John Langstaff's rendition of Frog Went A-Courtin'! We found a copy of this beloved classic at the library several months ago and have been singing our version of it ever since. So I was quite excited when our own copy arrived in the mail this week, reviving our interest in this 400-year-old tale. Feodor Rojankovsky's illustrations are beautiful, the words are catchy, and I cannot help but think of our little girl sitting on the floor, "reading" and singing this to me as I worked in the kitchen this weekend. And, of course, I dare not forget our occasional nighttime dances when we must dance as the "old gray goose" who picked up her fiddle and "cut loose!" And our less-than-refined but oh-so-delightful version would not be ever-so-perfect if it were not sung to the tune of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain," instead of one of the more traditional tunes. A regular mmm..hmmmm.... is all that we need to keep us on cue throughout the song! What a fun memory-making book this is!

Getting it Right with Handwriting

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I recently mentioned that we were not in love with our current approach to handwriting. Well... that has all changed! I'm so excited to share what we've been doing with our new set of materials from Zaner Bloser. I just love the materials included in the Teacher Resource Package. Our oldest loves the brightly colored illustrations in her workbook, and the little chalkboards are a definite favorite. And our one-year-old has taken to the alphabet strips and enjoys "singing" her ABCs while she points to different letters. This package was a bit pricey, but almost everything is reusable, so I think it's a worthwhile investment. And along with our Write & Wipe Alphabet Practice Cards from Lakeshore Learning, our handwriting lessons have become so much more fun!

A Friendly Old Bear

I just love a particularly friendly old bear without any brain named Pooh. This chubby little guy who can think of nothing else but his sweet pot of honey around eleven-ish is absolutely, unequivocally endearing. And while I have always found him sweet, I have never really taken to him... until now. Our oldest and I have enjoyed our visits over the last couple of months to the Hundred Acre Wood in the beautifully written, delightfully imaginative, and wonderfully funny stories of Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner.

I cannot help but devote an entire post to this special collection of tales by A.A. Milne and the beloved illustrator Ernest H. Shepard because these are some of the most precious, wonderfully told stories that I have ever read. Who could forget Eeyore's dreary rhetoric, or Owl's notable spelling abilities, or Pooh's round belly that didn't quite make it through Rabbit's door, or the lovely haycorns which Piglet so often enjoys? I am so thankful to be sharing these stories with our oldest. What a memory it is to share late-night giggles as we ponder the happenings of these lovely characters! And so, my little girl, I must accidentally say on purpose that I just love you!