Transportation Week

It's been several weeks, but I finally jumped back into "themes" to keep me on track at home with my lil guy. If you're just catching up or new to my site, basically I like to come up with a new Theme of the Week to keep me and the kiddos inspired for book reading, discussions and craft times.  Now that my daughter is attending Kindergarten, I took on a couple kiddos to watch during the day on a part time basis. This not only helps to fund my crafting addictions, it gives my youngest son some friends to play with while at home. Themes help me to stay on task!!

So, when I can, I will post some of the stuff we do around here. First up, Transportation Week! (This was actually done the week of Oct 1st - I'm trying to catch up!)

Our library is a GREAT resource and I use them weekly to help me out. They have these "Kits for Kids" that you can checkout for up to two weeks at a time and they usually include 4-5 books, a coordinating movie, a toy of some sort to match and an Activity Sheet that includes various songs or finger games to play that also coordinate with the theme. I picked Transportation for this one. See:

An example of something on the Activity Sheet is "Hurry, Hurry Drive the Fire Truck" to the tune of 10 Little Indians-

Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck, (hands on steering wheel)

Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck

Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (Shake hand like ringing a bell)

Hurry, hurry, turn the corner (lean to the right)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner (lean to the left)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner (lean to both the left & the right)
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (Shake hand like ringing a bell)

Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder (pretend to climb a ladder)
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (Shake hand like ringing a bell)

Wasn't that so cute? That was my sons favorite of the week.

CRAFT TIME!! We made stop lights first! I saw this idea on Pinterest but unfortunately didn't repin the idea so I cannot give proper credit. Using cheap construction paper, a circle cutter and crayons:

I used the circle cutter as a template only and traced the inside with the color coordinating crayon

I tore small pieces of the construction paper and put it in the middle of the table. The kids were to try and match the paper to the correct colored circle.

Ta-dah!! This is now taped on the front of my sons door :)

Second craft of the week was painting wooden cars or trains using Crayola's Washable Paint Markers (I LOVE these!):



Next up we made construction paper trucks using basic shapes. I got the idea from Brilliant Beginnings Preschool Blog. I pre-cut the shapes and then handed over the glue sticks and a sample picture. I let the kids glue them how they wanted them! So adorable they are!!

This was the precut layout and how I put them down in front of the kids

Hard at work!

All done!

This was lil baby A's final work

And this one was lil baby R's final work - complete with slobber LOL



We finished out the week with a stroll through our neighborhood looking for street signs. The kids pointed out the ones they saw and even included a fire hydrant :)

Of course we did other things like play with our train sets, I made sure that the toys I had out for circle time were cars or trucks or something related. It was a busy week of kids that week but we had a great time and hopefully they learned a thing or two!

Have you done something similar? Please, leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by!



Fall Hiking Spree - Summit County Metro Parks

 I LOVE LOVE the Metro Park system here! Yes, I've mentioned this several times so I'm sure I sound like a broken record but it was a welcomed surprise upon moving here. I don't get out there as often as I like but we do go often. Every year the Summit County Metro Parks host an event called Fall Hiking Spree. It's basically promotes getting outdoors, quality time with nature, friends and family. They've been doing this since 1965! You can read more about it here.

First year county resident hikers earn a free ($10 for non-resident) walking stick and a badge upon completion of 8 trails from the list of 14 trails. The trails range between easy, moderate and strenuous. Each year, veteran hikers earn a new badge to add to their walking stick as a way to show off your accomplishments.

The family and I have have signed up and Ryan and I completed our first of 8 trails two days ago. My plan is to document via photos our trek on the trails when completed (I intended to do this during out Spring Spree too... took all the pictures, but never posted any!). You can follow along here as I will just continue to add pictures chronologically to the end of this post. So, check back often!

Trial #1
Cherry Lane/Fernwood located at the F.A. Sieberling Nature Realm, Rated a 1 (easy) = 1.1mi
You can see the trail map here.

This was our second time on this trail so I didn't re-take any photos that I already had but here's from the most current walk.

Ryan found several Rollie Pollies and had to try and catch 1!

Got one!

The side view of Echo Pond. We sat at a bench that had

one of those "In memory of" plaques on it. This is the view

from that bench. The girl named on the plaque was only 14

when she passed. Made me take a moment to reflect and be

grateful that all three of my beautiful children are healthy

and happy. I also thought that while sad, the benches placement

was perfect, at a beautiful serene spot.

Ryan checking out the fish in Echo Pond

FISHIES!!

Okay, for the record I'm deathly afraid of grasshoppers... probably more

so than I am of spiders (or snakes). I HATE that they can jump and you

really can't get away from them! haha Anyhow, Ryan spotted this one sitting

along our path and I took a picture (from a distance!)... this is the zoomed up cropped

version but I must point out... is he SMILING at me?! See... he was ready to pounce!!



Fan Page!

Recently, a successful blogger  (Thanks Brandy!) I met suggested that I create a separate fan page on Facebook for Tara's Stamp Pad, my Etsy Shop. I guess I had thought of it before, but never did anything about it?! After speaking to her for a few minutes and picking her brain about her success, I decided I wanted to be her to create that Fan Page. It took me a few days of a million interruptions in the evenings to creat it, but I did it. Please, go see at: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/TarasStampPad. 

This is where I'll update when new items are in my shop, specials etc.

Thanks so much!!

Creating!

Yesterday I threw in the kitchen towel and did nothing but play in my craft room!! It's been a LONG time since I've done that. There are a whole 7 new listings in my Etsy shop. Check 'em out!! Here's a few preview pics:

Angry Bird Mania

We're a bit late on the craze, but over here we all have Angry Bird FEVER! I saw this post on Pinterest the other day and new we had to recreate it somehow. I bought the ingredients and the kids and I went to work. What do you think?! Not bad huh?

Visitors!

With August approaching, we are reminded that our summer is coming to an end soon and our entire list of summer "to-do's" (painting the bedrooms, putting in a fence, landscaping the back yard with a cool kid play area...) just isn't going to happen... and we're okay with that!

Since living in Akron, we've had my brother and his wife and son here, my mother-in-law, one of my BFF's and her husband, and the most important, my oldest son has been here. What a great way to welcome a new household and enjoy a first summer in a new city. We've been enjoying the beautiful summer weather here, the free concerts, the zoo, the local AAA baseball games, the awesome farmers markets, the library here is amazing and the Metro-Parks... wow. These are all things that when moving here, I wanted to take full advantage of and we have been.

I hope that you are finding your summer to be just as eventful? Please comment and let me know. Thanks for stopping by!

New Growth

BUSY. That's what we've been here... visitors of all kinds! This post originally went into draft mode back in June! As I mentioned in my last post, the kids and I sent off for one of those Butterfly Grow Kits from Insect Lore.

The day our first butterfly emerged, I called the kids in excitement to hurry into the livingroom to see-

Me: KIDS HURRY COME HERE, COME HERE!!!

Ash: What mom?!

Me: Look, our first butterfly!!

Ash: Oh {long pause} But I thought you were gonna tell us that we're going to Disneyworld.

*sigh*

However, after two emerged, they were much more engaged and even named them - Rapunzel, Lightning McQueen, Lila and Rocky. Below is a picture timeline for your enjoyment.

 

  

 The cycle of life was very cool for us to watch. I look forward the next set and we're thinking of getting the ladybug home that Insect Lore also has to offer on their website.