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Busy Bag activities on our Montessori Shelves

I had never heard of Busy Bags for toddlers until an invite to a local busy bag mom swap came across my Facebook feed. I clicked on it, saw the crafty things moms would be making and immediately loved the idea.

My general overview of busy bags is that these are homeschool like activities for pre-school aged children. They are meant to keep little ones busy home, taken on the go, to restaurants, waiting rooms, traveling, and so on. While they are not Montessori based (nor are they meant to be), I think a lot of the concepts borrow Montessori ideas as more parents seek out this learning method and ways practice it a home.

Therefore, I took the contents of my 17 busy bags from our swap and put them in trays, in a lesson format for our Montessori shelves. Even though my toddler is in full-time school now, one can never have enough things on hand to keep a toddler busy.

The small materials used to make the busy bags have a focus on hand eye coordination, sensorial objects and learning basic shapers, numbers and colors. All these things work perfectly for creating budget friendly,  home-like Montessori lessons. 

My older children (plus a friend) enjoyed checking out the new activities too. Because you know, they are new! It was a good thing, because they are good teachers for my toddler. Seeing some of the busy bags require reading the instructions and are not entirely designed to be independent work, as is traditional Montessori work. Or the kind of independent work moms need for kids when it comes time to cook dinner. You know what I mean? The mom who organized our swap put together a list of links including varying busy bags for for the participating moms to make. There were 17 moms who signed up to participate. Each mom signed up and chose one of the following items to make, and duplicate 17 times. Therefore we left the swap with 17 different busy bags. What an awesome concept! Right?

Shape Stretchies: Stretchable band with activity cards to make shapes.  http://thismamamakesstuff.com/2010/07/making-stuff-shape-stretchies-for-creative-movement/

Felt Letter and Number Tiles: Include one alphabet set and one numbers set(1-20): http://unsolicitedadvice-n-such.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-cheap-collect-no-junk-letter-and.html

Foam Shape Matching Grids: Please include 3 grids per bag like in the link posted. http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=298

Measure It: Measuring different sized ribbons and sorting them into their proper card. http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=311

Butterfly Matching: File Folder game matching butterfly wings http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2009/09/butterfly-matching-file-folder-game.html

Color Matching/Nutrition: Placing the food on the matching color “plate”. Please include 6 color sets  (red,  orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) per bag. http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/05/color-matching-nutrition-activity-for-kids.html

Lacing Cards: Please include at least 4 lacing cards, 1 plastic sewing needle, and yarn with each busy bag. http://totallytots.blogspot.com/2012/04/lacing-cards-simply-made.html

Paperclip Color Matching: Matching colors and using fine motor skills to place paperclips onto foam. http://totallytots.blogspot.com/2010/07/simply-made-paperclips-foam.html

Fabric Links: Strips of fabric with Velcro on each end to make links into chains(think paper chains from school). Your links do not have to be made into a page like in the link I posted. Please include 6-8 links in each busy bag. These can be made with felt if you do not sew. http://creating-sarah.blogspot.com/2011/09/quiet-book-fabric-chain.html

I-Spy Book: There is no tutorial link for this one but the idea is simple. Follow the link posted and print the images in the album(4×6) and put them into a small photo album. https://picasaweb.google.com/Pdyrland/ISpyBook?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCgjOfctqifdQ&feat=email

Felt Rainbow: Build a felt rainbow. Matching colors and color words. After clicking on the link you will have to scroll down a bit to get to the rainbow activity and template. http://www.playcreateexplore.com/p/busy-bags.html

Play dough Mats with Homemade Playdough: Laminated activity mats with homemade playdough. http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.ca/2011/09/busy-bag-swap-day-5-playdough-mats_05.html

Race car shapes: Roadway shape mats for shape identification. http://codyandchelseagroves.blogspot.com/2011/09/busy-bags-day-2-race-car-shapes.htm

Pool Noodle Lacing: Fine motor skills and pattern recognition. http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.com/2011/09/busy-bag-swap-day-2-pool-noodle-lacing_01.html

Magnetic Discovery Bottles: Exploring magnets! Scroll down to see the magnetic bottle. Instead of getting magnet wands you can make your own for much cheaper. Simply wrap magnetic tape around the end of pencils. If you pick this one and need more help, just ask! http://littlecrunchymama.blogspot.com/2012/04/more-discovery-bottles.html

Pom Pom Push: Pushing pom poms into their correct hole. The containers for this one can be found cheaply at the Dollar Tree, something like 4-5 in a pack for $1. http://brightlittlebuttons.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/craft-pom-pom-push/

Heads & Tails: Matching animals heads and tails. http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/Brown_Bear._heads_and_tails.pdf

I made the fabric links. Here was my basket of busy bags that I took to the swap. While I was sewing 170 fabric strips, I was thinking this busy bag swap should have been called busy mom bags. Because it was a lot of work! But it was worth it and I’ve already signed up to do it again this winter. 

To read more ideas featured on our Montessori shelves this summer, read Montessori lessons at home part one and part two.

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A Simple Moment

A Simple Moment is a post that appears here every Friday.
A photo I want to remember of a simple moment, with a few simple words.

If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link in the comment section for all to see and read.

Pretending to be rock stars with a few good friends. Have a rocking Friday!

~ The photo and caption is by my oldest daughter, who thought this moment was really awesome. ~

A Simple Moment was inspired by SouleMama. Visit her site to see many more moments.

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We have apple butter!

Last week I traded pears from our pear trees, for apples from our dairy farmer at Green Chin Farms. Lucky the apples survived the week long stay in my refrigerator until I could can them all – this morning.

I made apple butter and cranberry apple butter. Both batches were made overnight in two separate crock pots. This method, after four years of slaving away canning pears from our pear trees,  is the easiest way in the universe to can anything! Paired with an apple core/peeler that slices the apples too, like this one, this canning project was a breeze.

Here’s the recipe I used to make apple butter. For the cranberry apple butter my goal was to copy the one we love at the Flying Biscuit restaurant in Atlanta. I followed this copy cat recipe – except I cooked a crock pot full of plain apples over night that turned into plain applesauce. Then I doubled the spice mixture in the recipe, simmered it all together with the applesauce, and ran my emersion blender through it to dissolve the cranberry skins before putting the mixture into hot jars and a water bath for 20 minutes.

I just had my first piece of toast with the cranberry apple butter. And I positively deem it to be a success!

One of my favorite things about canning in pretty jars like those by Weck, is that they become instant teacher gifts for the holidays. I love that simplicity!

And talk about simple – this crock pot canning is the way to go. Find an apple orchard and give it a try. These recipes will not disappoint.

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Traveling, time warping, and finding a new routine

When I sat down at my computer today and looked at the calendar I realized it has been a full week since being at my computer, at all! A week since telling you about the first day of school.

So where have we been? We’ve been traveling, time warping, unpacking, and now finally, trying to settle into a school routine.

Getting back into a school time is a hard transition after a summer of late bedtimes and lazy sleepy mornings. Usually I would feel more organized about it all. But the upstairs renovations of our house is nearing an end and the girls will be moving into new rooms in the coming weeks. So I’m waiting to really get ready for fall, for school, for when it feels like a real change of season. And when moving day comes.

So right now, in this first week of full days of school for all three of my girls, we are drudging through it, trying to find a new groove. Last week was phase in week for my toddler, which meant for the three days she attended school I picked her up at 11:30. School is 20 minutes away so last week I was more or less stuck in the car.

Complicating all that, on Thursday morning we packed up a few bags, grabbed some movies, books, car snacks, and drove to Michigan. Yes Michigan! It was a 540 mile drive from Knoxville, Tennessee to Troy, Michigan (a northern suburb of Detroit) where we attended my grandmother’s 94th birthday party. It was worth every minute in the car, and taking the girls out of school for two days, on the first week of school!

My youngest daughter’s middle name is June, after my Grandmother June. And she had never met her! Everyone was SO SURPRISED to see us there.

At the party were five cousins that have all been born since our last visit there, for my grandmother’s 90th birthday party. Too long, I know. But did you read – 540 miles!!! Cousins – look at all those sweet cousins, all very distracted by all the happenings and not one of them looking at the camera (oh well), and one happy great grandmother. My oldest daughter is holding the youngest one in the crowd, a precious 6 week old baby boy. I lingered on the opportunity to hold him. All my girls swooned over him.

I should add that the party –  for the 94 year-old grandmother – included a bounce house for the kids and a backyard pool for swimming. My girls quickly discovered how much colder Michigan pool water is, even in August! The bounce house got more play. And Grampsie, my dad. Grandparents really are the best. The kids always think so.

We had loads of fun taking a time warp  through my grandmother’s attic, which still has the same carpet from when my dad and his four siblings grew up there.

The childhood trains are still there. Last time we visited their were multiple train sets sprawled out on a ping-pong table, in what is still known as the boys room, in an intricate display and in great working condition. These days they have been retired to a shelf. 

My dad found his old rector set from a kid, which sparked his interest in building (he is home builder and master wood craftsman). We also drove home with two army issued foot lockers his family used while traveling home, by boat, from living in Taiwan when my dad was a boy. 

The girls found an old family photo of me, my brother and my parents from 1981. That was hoot. My grandmother was right there alongside of us looking. A hoot herself, with a few old hats lying around. She is an amazing 94-year-old who still drives to the grocery store, church, lunch with her friends, and her twice weekly bowling league events. Yes she still bowls! We all agree the secret to her longevity is a lot of humor and little bit of crazy, in every good possible way. 

While visiting my dad’s childhood home, my girls loved playing in the backyard and with this homemade marble run. My uncle made it. And it is designed to be exactly like the one my Grandma June played with as child that her dad built for her. Her sister Joyce has the original toy, even though it is really my grandmothers, so she says. Did I tell you she is feisty too?

The last photo is right before we took off for home. Oh yes, driving 1080 miles in four days was worth it. To have the two June’s together….finally. 

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Some mothering confessions about summertime

Well, now that summer break is over, let me just say……

1. I am one happy mom to have my kids back in school. I loved every dance party (just please, no more Girls Just Want to Have Fun!), every homemade cookie, every craft, and every sister hug that summer had to offer.  While I love, love, love my kids. I love them even more when they go to school, and we get a little break from each other.  After having my kids around all summer long, and teaching them things (crafting counts, right?) – I am always reminded that I am not meant to be a homeschooling mom. However, I’d still do for my kids, if we didn’t have such a great schooling option that fits our family.

2. I haven’t updated on our music lessons recently, because the girls came no where close to practicing their violin and piano 50 times this summer. There was three times when I completely forgot to take the kids to music lessons. I just plain forgot. But we’ll keep trying. Summer is not officially done yet. And the violin teacher has started texting me (thankfully) on the day of lessons so I don’t forget. Seriously. 

3. Last summer my kids watched one movie a week and zero TV. This summer we set out to have another TV free summer. However when the olympics started I gave the kids full reign of the TV to watch the Olympics. Hey, it only happens once every four years. And then I let the cat out of the bag, and I taught my oldest daughter how to flip the channel to PBS kids. She taught my middle girl, the mischievous one, how to do the same. Then they started saying, “We are going to watch the Olympics,” and quickly turned the channel to kid shows. I acted like I didn’t know they were doing it. Just to get a moment of quiet. Until one of them turned it off and the other one had a melt down. Then I was reminded why we have no TV in the summer.

4. I planned on taking the kids to the library every week. We went to the library one time, got the summer reading program, filled it out, met the goals, and missed the deadline to return it for the prize bag. I don’t really like the library. They don’t serve coffee and I end up with so many late fees that I might as well as have bought the book at the store, while enjoying some freshly brewed coffee. At least that way, we can resell the books at McKay’s, our mega, locally owned used bookstore. We will never do the summer reading program again. My oldest daughter who loves to read and does so often because it’s fun, became obsessed with making sure every five minutes of reading time counted towards reaching the goals of marking off the paper tracking her reading times. I’d rather have them reading for pleasure than rewards.

3. My soon to be three-year-old started school full-time Monday.  And I am completely okay with it. I didn’t cry a bit when I said goodbye. And neither did she. I love that she will take take nap at school, on a little nap mat because that’s what everyone else is doing. She still nurses to sleep for nap time, or sleeps in the car, or not at all which make for a very cranky toddler come 4:00. She has never lied down and gone to sleep independently. However, I know from doing this twice before, that she will be FINE. The teachers are patient back rubbers and she will sleep. When I pick her up at 2:30 she will be well rested and thrilled to see me. I will feel the same in return.

4. I wanted to tell you guys about the awesome Big Latch On Knoxville that happened last Friday.  I wanted to go and support all you great young moms, like I used to be. But now I feel old. It’s no secret that I’ve spent a long time nursing babies/toddlers.  And I just didn’t want to drag my two older kids, on their last day of summer, out of the house at 8:30 AM to a nursing party. Moms who nurse rock. I will always support nursing moms. Always! But I think I’m done nursing. And, opposed to where I was in January,  I am finally okay with that. Which is a really good feeling.

5. Despite my husband’s disappointment that my girls have never done a team sport. I’m really glad to not be a soccer mom, or a basketball mom or a lacrosse mom. I don’t want to have multiple commitments for one activity in one week – for three seperate kids – ever. I hope. Right now our semi-private swim lessons that both big girls take together, while I swim along side with my toddler who thinks she is in the class, is just perfect for us. (Minus the chlorine part. That kind of icks me out.) The big girls are learning to dive now, and swim the breaststroke. I encouraged them to watch swimming during the Olympics more than gymnastics. I am 5’9″. My husband is 6’3″. His sister is 6′ tall. There is no way I am raising a gymnast. So our summertime swimming lessons will continue into the fall.

6. Our house is undergoing major renovations, and it has been all summer long. You would think I would be DONE having contractors in my house everyday. But the truth is they, the Clinch River Custom Builders, are really nice guys and I enjoy having grown up conversations with them throughout the day. I like making big decisions on a moment’s notice – like where I want a wall to go, or a closet, or an outlet, or YES I want a laundry chute there! It’s exciting, the options that come with having a handy man around on a daily basis. Which is a good thing, because they are not leaving anytime soon. The kitchen renovations are still to come!

For more humorous, straight up parenting confessions, check out Playgroups are no place for children. Her post inspired me to do the same, here. 

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First Day of School Dresses

Today was the first day back to school for my girls. To welcome getting back into the school routine, I had some surprises laid out this morning. Including these new dresses, sewn by me.

My goal was to sew one for each girl, using this 3 Tiered Peasant Twirl Dress pattern by Teeny Couture on Etsy. But my midnight oil ran dry (around 3 am), and there was not enough hours for me to finish a third dress for my toddler. Instead she wore a new dress by Hanna Anderson, that I bought for a back up incase I didn’t get hers done.

But for the official school age girls, there were new made-by-mom dresses waiting for them at the breakfast table. Plus a special treat of cinnamon rolls that was enjoyed by all, and a message of on the mirror. To write on the mirror I used Chalk Ink, one of my new favorite things.

The girls go to a Montessori school that doesn’t have official grades. My oldest daughter will be a second year student in her mixed aged classroom of what could traditionally be referred to as, first, second and third grade. And my middle girl will be third year student in her mixed aged classroom, otherwise known as kindergarten! So yes, I have a kindergartner. Although it’s not a big rite of passage because she has been attending this school since she was two. Still, the first day of school is always a big deal.

What’s even a bigger deal, is that my toddler will be attending full-time school this year, opposed to going only 12 hours a week like last year. So other than having enough time to cram in a run to the grocery store and make it back in time to pick her up, this will be the first time in nearly eight years I don’t have a baby or a toddler home with me for extended hours during the day. So yes, it was a BIG morning.

Here are the dresses in action, with twirls and sister smiles. And a toddler going to big school for the first day – to the same school as her sisters.

Into the car and off we go!

The girls ran into their classes, anxious to see their friends. My husband and I took our time walking this little sweetie to the toddler class, stopping to see the flowers along the way.

Then this toddler walked to the gate, opened the latch and continued onto the deck and into her class. Just like a big kid. Just like her sisters have done before her.

Ahhh, school is back!

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A Simple Moment

A Simple Moment is a post that appears here every Friday.
A photo I want to remember of a simple moment, with a few simple words.

If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link in the comment section for all to see and read.

 Paddleboarding on the Tennessee River. It’s great living in an urban area with some much to do outdoors. If you don’t know about Outdoor Knoxville. Check it out. You can rent standup paddleboards at the Outdoor Knoxville Adventure Center, centrally located next to the Tennessee River and greenway.

A Simple Moment was inspired by SouleMama. Visit her site to see many more moments.

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Zucchini Bread Recipe

Squash and zucchini has been filling up the produce drawers in my refrigerator the past few weeks. So we’ve been making lots of zucchini bread. And I’ve found that using squash works just the same, really making it squash bread.

Yesterday took some zucchini muffins (that was a mix of squash and zucchini) to a toddler play date. Several moms asked for the recipe. So here it is, pasted in from my old blog, called The Brown House News. Enjoy!

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Inside our fridge with raw milk

I have long been curious about raw milk. I have friends who have been getting raw milk for years. We already get all our vegetables (and some fruit) from a CSA where we know exactly where it is all coming from. We enjoy having a friendly relationship with “Farmer Megan,” as my children refer to her, and being welcomed to visit the farm.

Since we did the 10 Day Real Food Challenge I have been making a constant effort to cut down on buying processed foods, and basically anything that comes in a box or a plastic container. Our family eats a lot of dairy, a lot of yogurt, a lot of real butter.

For a couple years, on and off, I have made yogurt using milk from a local farm – which still gets pasteurized. I always wanted it to be better, to taste like my friend’s delicious homemade yogurt, who uses raw milk. I knew the answer meant starting with non pasteurized milk, rather than reheating milk to make yogurt out of something that has already been pasteurized once. I also wanted to make mozzarella cheese for our homemade pizzas. I wanted to make butter.

Basically, I wanted to experiment with milk, make more things, be less dependent on the grocery store and have a relationship with a farmer where I knew exactly where our dairy products (at least some of them) are coming from.

When Erica over at Child Organics (who I met years ago though the Holistic Moms Network) wrote a post about finding a local farm to get raw milk, I immediately contacted her for more information regarding her experiences. She had glowing reviews about visiting the farm, and her experiences in dealing with the farmers at Green Chin Farms.

Everything she wrote in that post was how I felt, about wanting to get raw milk, about supporting local farmers and connecting with our community through food. A good local connection was what I needed to make the raw milk jump.

I was impressed by the farm’s professionalism from the beginning. Their thorough paperwork detailing every step and procedure Morel, the woman running the farm, goes through when milking and caring for Crema the cow. Crema is her pet. Her only cow. She does all the milking and all our milk comes from Crema. She has goats too, offering the most delicious fresh goat cheese you’ll ever taste. When we visited the farm I could immediately tell all the animals were all taken well care of by Morel, and that the animals liked her in return.

I had several conversations with Farmer Megan about raw milk, since she (also a vegitarian) has worked on a farm milking cows and her husband grew up on a dairy farm. I talked with other farmers I have grown to know through farmers markets and our local food co-op, about drinking raw milk and what to look for in finding a good raw milk farmer. I read the book The Raw Milk Revolution. I met Crema the cow and Morel the dairy farmer. And I decided to make the leap for our family.

And now….this is what the inside of our refrigerator looks like, after one afternoon of yogurt and butter making.

I use a dry erase marker to write on the glass containers so we all know and remember what is what. Every week we get three, two quart mason jars of raw milk plus half a cheese share, which we rotate week-to-week between getting mozzarella cheese (that I still want to start making myself) and cheddar cheese. From that, I skim enough cream off the top of the milk to make butter, saving the buttermilk for my husband to use while making his weekend biscuits. I make two quarts of yogurt (see how here). And I strain the yogurt (using cheesecloth) to make a thick greek style yogurt, and keep the leftover whey for an added boost of protein in smoothies.

To make butter, I have done it by hand with the kids, like this. But to get the job done easier, after the kids loose interest in helping, I just put it my KitchenAid mixer, like this.

In one other small jar I take some of the yogurt and make vanilla yogurt, sweetening it with agave nectar and vanilla extract. I have one child who doesn’t like honey. But the rest of us love our individual servings of yogurt sweetened with honey and topped with granola.

I absolutely love this site in my refrigerator, of homemade goodness in glass containers, using fresh raw milk.

We technically own a share of Crema the cow (or part of the cow), which is how it is legal in Tennessee to buy raw milk. I love that Green Chin Farms is a small, family organization with Morel going out to milk the cow twice a day. It seems like this is the way people are meant to live, the way people use to live. Except today we are finding a way to do it, realistically fitting into how we actually live.

Because you know, if I can’t talk my husband into having backyard urban chickens, I’m definitly not going to talk him into owning a cow! At least not the whole cow.

This is Crema the cow, during a birthday cerebration hosted for her recently, during an open house on the farm where families were invited to attend. This is the photo I like to think about when I serve my children fresh milk, from our fridge. The man in the background is the man behind Green Chin Farms, and the husband to Morel.

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There’s been a whole lot of canning going on here

Our demo plans for our kitchen have been pushed back a couple of weeks. Because we decided to have our contractors hand build all the windows and doors for our mudroom, being built off the back entrance way to our kitchen. The glaze is drying on the windows, and the final door is being made in their wood shop.

All this means I am still savoring every day that is left before we go a month with no kitchen. SO, I have been able to get all my tomato canning and pesto making out of the way. When demo day does finally come, I can say I will be over all my canning projects, with all the jars boxed up in the basement waiting for a new home in my new cabinets.

But for now, here are some shots of the finished jars, and the work of canning. 

This year I skipped making jars of marinara and pizza sauce because pealing 25 pounds of tomatoes was too daunting. So I blanched them, let the skins slide right off and canned whole tomatoes to make sauce at a later time. 

Salsa! Made using my new Tattler tops and our shinny new stainless funnel that I loved enough to take picture of. For the salsa I started with a recipe from PickYourOwn.org. And then I added and tasted, and tweaked until it fit the taste buds of our family. All my girls LOVE blue corn chips and salsa, and it’s a snack I love for them to have. Which sparked this year’s first ever salsa canning adventure here at the Simmons house.

The recipe tweaking entailed only 1 jalapeño pepper (instead of six – YIKES) , only 2 onions and 2 garlic cloves. I had two large colanders overflowing with romo tomatoes to start out with, but I don’t think it equalled the 25 pounds the recipe called for, so I put a little less of all the other ingredients in the seasoning mix to balance it out. I added apple cider vinegar and more cumin (my kids like cumin and their favorite local salsa from the store has apple cider vinegar in the ingredients). We all gave it a final thumbs up taste taste before the salsa went into the canning jars to get preserved.

I love pesto. And, these little five jars were just the beginning. Last Wednesday Farmer Megan (our CSA farmer) had a bin full of basil that sat on hot ashphalt at one of her stops for too long, that she was going to toss at the end of the day. And since my house was the last stop for the day, I happily saved it and made 12 more jars of pesto that night.

For pesto – I use olive oil, parmesan cheese (or sometimes feta or a mix of whatever is in my fridge), pine nuts or walnuts or pecans depending on what I have, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I fill my food process to the brim with fresh basil, add about half-one cup of oil, a handful of nuts, a generous amount of fresh grated cheese, juice from half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Then I happily put pesto on everything – from pasta, to pizza, to sandwiches, to crackers with fresh goat cheese. I love pesto!

But wait…there is more canning to come. The pear trees in our backyard are ready to be picked. And, I’ll be doing a fruit swap with our dairy farmer for some of her apples to make apple sauce and apple butter.  YUM. 

And then, I’ll stop canning and do barely any cooking at all for a month, while we get a new kitchen. Soon, we will bid a final goodbye to these red formica countertops with the shinny chrome trim. Next up is a gorgeous white (or gray) marble counter top – that will be even more fun to use as a backdrop for photos like this.

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