Family Birthday Fun

We had such a fun evening!  S' s parents threw the children a family birthday party. One of S' s cousins brought her 3-year-old daughter A along so T and F had a playmate. T loves his cousin A. Thank you C for coming.  It meant a lot.

Grandpa and Nana ordered a strawberry cake. So yummy. T really wanted strawberry.  Nana made some cupcakes too. Butter yellow. Yum!

Preparing for the party was time consuming but surprisingly relaxing. We had a ball. I found drawing,  coloring,  and cutting out paper fish with T rather therapeutic. 

Since F was too young to lick her candle T handed it to cousin A. Oh did they enjoy themselves.  There's something almost magical about candle-licking isn't there?

F hit the musical jackpot this birthday.  She will be bringing home a small collection of handheld musical instruments.  I'm sure many new memories will be formed with them in the days ahead.

Paper Airplane Fun

Chick-Fil-A has done it again. They've put the most fun toys in their kids meals. We've spent a lot of time folding and flying the airplanes in the kit we found in T's meal on Monday. Each plane is designed like a bird. Nana, F, T, each one of us is having a blast. They fly differently which makes it all the more fun.

What is it that makes flight so fascinating?

Wordless Wednesday: In and Out

What started as a fun math game using blocks for T became a fun drop in pull out game for F.

Merrily Making Musical Memories

We try to start the day after breakfast with music. It's a marvelous suggestion I read in Simplicity Parenting. Before now we've had music after lunch. So far I think this is better.

I have wanted to put the kids in a music class like Kindermusik, First Steps, Gymboree etc for a while. But it's at least $60 a month for each child. That's a lot when you think about it. So some investigation led me to the curriculum used by many music educators.

First Steps In Music The Curriculum by John M Feierabend

It is laid out simply. There are two volumes. The first is for 1-36 months. Volume two is for 3-6 year olds. It lists the lessons, the music and rhymes and instruments needed. The cost is a fraction of class and I can do it right here at home. You just need to know how to read music to teach it!

They follow along each other's lessons.
We start out the day with F's level. She just started year two of level one. There are lullabies,  hand claping games, circle games, and even tickls to enjoy.  T often demands "give me a turn!" as F laughs and laughs and laughs. Then we move on to the preschool lessons for T. There's pitch exploration,  echo songs, arioso, movement, beat, and at the very end I have to sing a story. It's delightful. 
We have all been delighted with it. T never liked singing before. Now he's not only starting to keep a beat, learn pitch, he's also singing his own songs.

Here you see F learning to tap along with the beat as we listen to some music.

Dancing With My Milk

Music and milk make the perfect combination.  At least according to F. She paused briefly in the middle of a dance to ask for her milk.

But the music still called even as she drank. F didn't even hesitate. Sippy cup in hand she twirled around the room.

Why not indulge in both? To delight in milk and music at the same time like a toddler.What a wonderful world.