The Ability to Read

A small exert from the great Toddler Times, a valid point I felt earnt the re-post.

"The Ability to Read

There are programs and gadgets and even educational curriculum that promise to teach your toddler to read. While they explain how, others ask: why? Why should a toddler learn to read? Some do, but it's not a necessity and your illiterate toddler is not falling behind. What's important: books everywhere and someone to read them"

There is some much pressure on pre-schoolers to read & write that many youngster can't cope with the structure and attention required of them by teachers. I have seen first hand, forcing a disinterested 3yo to trace their name by "guiding" their hand while the look the other way is in no way productive. In fact in Europe -who don't start school intill 6or7- are constantly beating us in education figures, so lets let up on the pressures for our little ones. How about better childcare options from the government (in Europe nursery is heavily subsidised) so that parents can still work without putting their little tots into that school uniform.

Blizzard at Sandy Hook

Paper snowflakes from all over USA and the world have been sent to Sandy Hook for staff to convert the new building into a winter wonderland for students when they start the spring term on January 14th. A blizzard of support came in following the request last month, and over 100,000 of paper snowflakes were posted to Newtown.

"We know that each snowflake represents the emotional outreach of the person making it," a message posted Jan. 1 on the Connecticut Parent-Teacher-Student-Association State Office's website reads. "We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around not just the country but the world. At this time, we have enough beautiful snowflakes to blanket the community of Newtown. Therefore, with regret we must close the snowflake project to further donations."

I suspect that even though the project is closed that many still sent their snowflakes anyway! Will post again on Monday when news of the kids return to school surfaces - I can't wait to see what it will look like and how the students will react to this amazing out reach from the children of the world.

Play Kitchen

Ikea hack is an excellent website with creative posts customising flat pack furniture, with so many wonderful ideas. By far the most popular item to make is a play kitchen- which is great as that is exactly what we have been building! Wooden play kitchens cost a lot and with a small amount of DIY experience an injection of flash christmas cash from Nanny (my mum) I set about our own kitchen project. (Actually my husband is a carpenter but I did half the work and it is simple & easy to do even without training!)

After some research, into what is apparently a very large DIY sub category, we decided to stick loosely to this design. Our design incorporated an oven with pyrex door, hob with turning knobs and dog bowl sink. My dad is a plumber so he is keeping an eye out for a small basin facet to use with turning handles to make it even more awesome.

We started off with 2 RAST bedside tables at £9 each. We went to Ikea to have a mouch about for more supplies and also bought a rail and hooks from FINTORP. As it is ikea we also bought lots of bits we don't need, some relevant toy utensils and pots as well as the obligatory soft toy.

Sink has a wooden tap

Doors, handles and even a towel rail!

I put up the first beside table to use 
as a basis and Dave used the 2nd table to make the doors on the front as well as a separator and top shelf. Dave cut out a hole for the sink and used plywood to make a back board for the shelf and pots to hang from - i will put a little kitchen timer on there too as Lucas seems obsessed with my real one. The finishing touches was to put all the knobs and handles on, including a larger "handle" horizontally to use as a towel rail next to the sink.  

Almost perfect :)

I am so excited about how well this turned out! It still needs "glass" in the oven door and all the accessories ie pots and pans are gifts so will have to wait a few days for Santa to bring. As a result of our spate of DIY Lucas is currently more interested in using the screw driver and drill on the hinges / screws of the kitchen! but once he has the right tools I doubt it will be long before he starts using the kitchen to whip up a 3 course meal for his wonderful parents.
 

role play seems to be emulating his Daddy atm . . .

Sandy Hook

I just got wind of the most beautiful idea - a group putting together a mountain of handmade snowflakes from children everywhere, to help decorate the new halls of the brand new school where the Sandy Hook elementary students will be returning after the holidays.

The information is on the National Parent-Teacher Association Facebook page, but the gist is simple: Send handmade snowflakes to: Connecticut PTA, 60 Connolly Parkway, Building 12, Suite 103, Hamden, CT06514

Now obviously not every parent has talked to their children about the recent tragedy, nor should you. I think you could still get your younger kids involved by telling them that you're making snowflakes to help some kids in need to decorate their classrooms. No need for a lot of specifics.

"One thing I've learned, is that children love helping other children, whatever the reason. Another thing I've learned-paper snowflakes bring peace. To those of us making them, and to those of us who get to come home to them. Especially in Connecticut in a few weeks." -Liz
Please send snowflakes to the Connecticut PTA  for arrival before 1/12/13.
For other resources and ways to help, please visit PTA.org

Scrap girl

Digital Scrapbooking is pretty self explanatory in its name, a hobby that uses vectors and images layered in Photo-shop to make frames and decorations for your pictures.

I say hobby because it costs money, is time consuming and very addictive! There are plenty of websites selling special sets of vectors and "papers" cashing in on the addictive nature but many of them are adaptable and easy to modify to create a wide range of looks. I created a 20 page book for less than £25 including printing by using only 3 bundle sets and scouring for freebies.

To say I love the idea is an understatement. I have always liked scrabooking but never had the funds to do it properly - damn those papers are pricey! - so I have always used self adhesive photo albums, mounting photos, decorating and add journalling with memorabilia ie tickets etc.

Like wise photobooks give us an opportunity to print the hundreds of digital photos we have gathering metaphorical dust on our hard drive but the limit in editing layouts and decorating pages always made them too modern and crisp for my liking.

The aforementioned book is made from family photos during my sons first year, I spent around 36 hours on it and really enjoyed digital scrapbooking as a past time (whilst DH dominated the TV with his Xbox). The hardest thing is keeping my designs to myself as its a Christmas gift. Boo no showing off!


Digital scrapbooking is a revelation for creative types who want to express themselves and give those photos a chance to be out in the sunshine :)

Quiet front

Howdy blogger readers,

If you have read my blog before you may have noticed how the posts seems to be spread a bit thin this past year and this is mainly due to my lack of time for blogging! I do still keep up to date with politics of life and general and always have good intentions to post about interesting topics buuut as a full time mum to a toddler, army wife and a "promotion" in my part time volunteer role all mean I'm busy living my life! 

Since having a baby in sept 2011 my life has been even fuller, a statement many would concur with so I intened to no longer use it as an excuse for not jotting down a few things I have been thinking about. I have been tying to do more posts (some of which are back dated) recently and after the drama of Christmas is out of the way my new years resolution will be to start blogging once a week again, a feat that should totally be plausible now that Lucas is old enough and not need direct supervising 100% of the time. 

So ill coin an over used phrase for want of a better was to express the meaning: watch this space :)

PS If you have been a reader in the past leave me a comment as I do wonder sometimes if there is anyone out there actually reading this ramblings!