Harrison Halls: Plants Unit

Hello everyone! Harrison Halls has successfully completed our second unit: Plants! This unit went about two and a half weeks, a little longer than our previous one.

We started out by introducing the topic to the kiddos with a poster of the plant life cycle and read the book We Plant a Seed. We also added the song “Farmer Plants the Seeds” to our Welcome Routine to get them to go through the actions of planting and harvesting.

1- Sensory “Reading”

While reading our book the kids got some Play-Doh to hold. Little did they know we had put beans in there as a surprise! Sylas was the first to discover the surprise and it was great to watch his face look around to see if anyone was seeing what he was seeing!
In a rookie move (d’oh!) we did the water activity BEFORE the paint activity! What, are we new here??

2- Ice-blasters

We went outside for a bit too with this unit (it’s so hot here in Phoenix we can’t be outside for too long!) and tried to melt down ice cubes I had made and filled with plants from a walk Patrick and I had taken the day before. I also threw in a few drops of essential oils in the water before freezing it to add a fun little twist as well as a nod back to our 5 senses unit. The kids used their “ice blasters” (water guns) to release the plants inside! Some friends even got extra tools to help them with the task!⠀

3- Sensory Painting

We also used our plants as brushes and it was quite fun! I tried having secret messages out of white crayon show up with them painting but I used tempera paint instead of watercolors and it did not work out. The kids loved using the pain regardless, good thing we try to go with the flow over here! We tried it a few days later with watercolors and it worked out!

4- Counting Petals

This was a two-in-one activity that had our kiddos practicing their counting. We counted the petals on flowers and then matched the digit to the center of the flower. Kind of like the star activity in our last unit. Then they were given a digit to put on their paper and create their own funky flowers with sensory materials as the petals. Lots of fun and learning!

5- Science in Action! Avocado Life Cycle

Our in house plant lady, Ashley, was awesome enough to bring in an avocado plant in its different stages. The kids were able to see the seed still in the fruit, then a sprouted seed, then the big potted plant.

6- Plant Creatures

After posting about this activity on our Instagram, I learned that some people might call them Mr. Hairies and I love it. We got a bunch of chia seeds and mixed them in with some soil. Then we filled stockings with the soil mixture and added googly eyes and noses made with rubber bands. The fishnets worked best for the chia seeds because they didn’t have to struggle to grow through the tiny little holes in stockings. If we ever do this again, it will probably be done with grass seed as it grows thinner than the chia seeds.

7- If You Give a Pig a Pancake Sequencing

This was one of the harder activities done with our oldest kids and it involved sequencing the story If You Give a Pig a Pancake Sequencing. We read the story through once and then went through it a second time with our activity sheet. I’m going to do a second blog post for this because it comes with printables you can have!

8- Plant Parts Dash

This one was a fun review of our plant parts. We went over and labeled our class avocado plant with labels paper clipped to its parts. Then we did a sort of gallery walk around the room of different examples of all of those plants. Some of those areas also included actual plant parts (the roots area had beets and yams). Finally, we called out plant parts and the kids had to dash over to that area. It took quick feet AND a quick wit to play this game!

This unit was great and the kids are learning so much! Follow us on Instagram @sonoranstylemama to keep up with our fun!

Get Your Kids Moving- With Intention!

We all know that our kids don’t stop moving, like, ever. It’s in their nature to move as much as possible, especially in their younger years. You see it every day when you tell them to go get their shoes (for the millionth time) and they decide to literally spin all the way to their room and back. No? Just my kid? Let’s move on then. Whether your child is an active little jumping bean or a cuddly couch potato, movement is essential to their development. But even more important than just general movement is movement with intention! If you’ve been following our homeschool preschool journey, you know that we have been incorporating Fun-damental Movement Time into our school days (if you want to catch up, click here). All caught up? Awesome! Below are a few FAQs to help you gain a few nuggets of info. on Fundamental Movement and how important it is for your little ones!

What is Fundamental Movement?

Fundamental movement covers a wide range of skills that contribute to the physical literacy of the child. What is physical literacy you may ask?

Physical literacy is defined as the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.

Mandigo, Francis, Lodewyk, & Lopez, 2012; Whitehead, 2001

So in other words, physical literacy is not only moving but moving well. Fundamental movements are the foundational blocks of physical literacy. These blocks generally begin their development around ages 3-5. Totally makes sense as to why these little friends are wiggle worms, no? While these terms may seem daunting, these movements are easily identifiable but not often practiced in your child’s day-to-day. For example, during school, our kiddos have been practicing walking backwards, something I honestly didn’t make my son intentionally do before. I thought, well he’ll just figure it out, I guess? I hadn’t really given it much thought! As it turns out, walking backwards works a child’s spatial awareness. Spatial awareness, in turn, contributes to more complex functions, such as navigating successfully through an environment (airports, concerts, theme parks) and driving. Even sooner than that, functions such as dressing also involve spatial awareness. That’s just one example of the many skills children have to work to develop. Other major fundamental movements include:

• balancing
• running
• jumping
• catching
• hopping
• throwing
• galloping
• skipping
• leaping
• kicking

Why is Fundamental Movement important?

Children who are physically literate will thrive. When children are confident in the way they move, that confidence is evident in other aspects of their life as well. They will be more willing to try new things or to make new friends all on their own. Fundamental Movement also promotes a healthy lifestyle. When children have developed fundamental movements, they excel in physical activity. It doesn’t seem a chore to have to move, on the contrary, it makes them feel good. The earlier children create healthy, active habits, the more likely they are to continue these positive habits into adulthood. It’s amazing how much the growth of a child involves movement. Success with fundamental movements directly contributes to the well-being of the “whole child”.

How can I get my child moving with intention?

As a parent, I’ve had to pay more attention to how my son moves and give opportunities to practice fundamental movements. We’re lucky to have Dustin of Phoenix Holistic, who is super knowledgeable, curating our Fun-damental Movement Time with our kiddos. Some of the skills we have been working on at school as well as at home are walking/hopping backwards, jumping from a crouched position with hands over heads, and standing/hopping on one foot.

Model the movement– Remember, these things don’t necessarily come naturally to children so you’re going to have to show them what it looks like to do any of these movements.

Provide support- Quite literally, lend a hand to your little one. Chances are, if these movements are fairly new to your kiddo, they’re going to have a hard time starting out. It’s like learning how to workout with correct form before adding any type of added resistance. They need to be able to feel comfortable in what they are telling their muscles to do and that may require a bit of hand holding at the beginning.

Make it fun- Our unofficial motto over here is “Learning Through Play”. Children learn so much better when they’re playing! I recently had the opportunity to take a million trips to the bathroom every day with my 3 year old as we were potty training and we were both over it about 2 days into it. So we decided to bear crawl to the bathroom, and frog hop to the bathroom, and tiptoe to the bathroom, you get the idea. During school, the kiddos were pretending to be seeds and crouched down and as they grew they popped up! Be on the lookout for any time your kid can practice these skills through play!

We’re so excited to be sharing our journey through our Fun-damental Movement Time with you all here on the blog so make sure to tune in for fun ideas and activities to get your kiddos moving with intention!

Also make sure to follow us on Instagram for even more fun!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEvhJrFSEK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

More information/references:

https://www.shapeamerica.org/publications/journals/joperd/JOPERD_articles/august-2018-free-access-article.aspx#:~:text=You%20can%20think%20of%20physical,are%20called%20fundamental%20movement%20skills.

https://www.healthline.com/health/spatial-awareness#signs-of-deficit

Mandigo, J., Francis, N., Lodewyk, K., & Lopez, R. (2012). Physical literacy for educators. Physical Education and Health Journal, 75(3), 27–30.

Harrison Halls: The 5 Senses Unit

Working with our five senses.

Like I mentioned in our previous post, we are starting a little homeschool preschool with the name Harrison Halls. Our philosophy for now is “Learn Through Play” so a lot of these activities have multiple skills the children will be working on while doing one particular activity. For example, our third activity, “I Spy Wall Ball” has the children using their sense of sight to find and throw a ball at certain objects . While we are reviewing basic preschool shapes and colors, we are also having them work on their hand-eye coordination with the game we chose to incorporate in the lesson.

Our first unit was just recently completed and it went great! Here are a few of the activities the kiddos got to do to teach them all about the five senses:

1- What’s In the Bag?

Using their sense of smell, the kiddos had to guess the secret object hidden inside each bag. Contents included things like coffee, vanilla, and rosemary!

2- Sensory Finger Painting

This is also a fun no-mess activities for those of you that aren’t big fans of big messes! Clear, resealable plastic bags were filled with paint and taped to the window where the kiddos used their sense of touch to practice some writing. This is a really great activity to prepare preschoolers for more difficult tasks, like writing with a pencil!

3- I Spy Wall Ball

Our “I Spy” game had the kiddos find certain shapes and numbers in varying colors and sizes on the wall. The fun part was that once they spied it, they got to hit it with a ball!

4- Mood Dance!

“Mood Dance!” had everyone using their sense of hearing to match the mood of the song with their style of dancing. We played some Queen (P’s favorite!), Beethoven, Monster Mash and more to show all the different kinds of sounds we can enjoy and how many moods we can convey through dance!

5- S! Book Sort

Along with the five senses, our letter for the unit was “S”. We went through a big pile of books (previously chosen by me) and sorted them by titles that started with S and titles that didn’t start with S.

6- Count the Stars

“Count the Stars” was a fun little math lesson that involved counting up to 10. We got 10 pieces of black construction paper and taped it up to the wall then added star shaped post-its to them , each card having anywhere from 1 to 10 stars. Each kiddo got a chance to go up and pick a card to count with their friends. Once they figured out how many stars were on the card, they found the matching digit from a stack of cards from a previous activity to place on it.

All of our activities are geared towards learning through experience but we want it to be easy on us mamas too! We understand the pressure one can feel to make sure our children are being challenged and stimulated but not have tons of crafty things or the time, or the patience, to create something every day. So we’re mostly playing, but guiding the playing to make it more meaningful and deepen learning. So join along mamas, on this messy train, Harrison Halls!

A Mama’s Identity- Part 1

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Motherhood is savage. No, really, hear me out on this. From the second you start growing that little baby, your entire being jumps into motherhood mode. Nausea, insomnia, back pain- stretching, shifting, changing. 40 weeks of transformation. Then motherhood continues her savagery. Labor. Contractions and pushing, hours upon hours of it, for some. Motherhood doesn’t welcome a woman with open arms and a warm hug to fall into, full of comfort and security. A woman is plunged into it. But nature isn’t without grace, you get those 40 weeks to create your new normal. A crib, changing table, car seat, clothes, bottles, diapers- the list goes on and on. Bit by bit, your new life starts to come together. The nursery gets set up, your family and friends gather to shower your little one with love and wipes (both very important), your doctor’s appointments become more frequent, and with each passing day, change occurs in both mother and child. In one moment this becomes your life. The new you.

Raising a Child to Love the Outdoors

We’ve been knocked down by the cold and flu season! It’s one of those cycles where you all get sick and then it goes through everyone again, it is the worst! With all of us down and confined to bed all day, my son is getting cabin fever and itching to get outside.. which is a perfect segway into this week’s blog post: Raising a Child to Love the Outdoors.
In a day and age where children would rather sit in front of a screen than go outside, I am trying to find the balance between understanding that technology will always be a part of my son’s life and instilling the love of the outdoors. Here are a couple of tips to help your family get started and get outdoors!

Do It Often- Make it part if your daily or weekly routine, even when you don’t feel like it. It takes weeks for something to become a habit so if you guys are just starting out, try getting out once a week and then up the amount of days you do it per week the more comfortable everyone becomes. Remember, it’s supposed to be a fun time for the family so take it easy and go with what feels natural for your specific family situation.

Communication- Make sure your family establishes rules for when going out before the activity has started. Do your kids know to stay on the trails? What to do if they encounter something dangerous? What if someone gets hurt? These are all good questions to review before going out so that your family is safe while outdoors. The more they know, the more prepared they’ll be if something does happen. Now those of us with toddlers will be working on much more simple conversations. For example, with our almost 2 year old, the main rule is stay near mommy or daddy. If he wanders too far, he is working on responding to us calling out a simple direction, stop. The point is to keep expectations clear.

Leave Unstructured Time- Let them get bored! Kids are so used to having their whole day filled by activities, school, clubs, and technology that the second they have nothing filling that time, they don’t know what to do with themselves. It’s at that point that you can either find something for them to do or let them go outside and figure out how to fill that time themselves. It’s a perfect moment for children to learn and explore on their own. When they create their own experiences learning, even through play outdoors, is much deeper and more meaningful. At first, they will definitely not see it that way! They’ll think you are torturing them or something but stand fast, mama, it’s a productive struggle that will pay off! No whining!

Be Patient- One day I decided to go out on a trail with my son and very quickly discovered that we were not going to cover much ground. He was obsessed with pointing out every. single. rock. It was driving me crazy! Here I was trying to create this special moment with my son and all he wanted to do was look at stupid rocks! 35 minutes and no more than 50 yards later, I gave up and gave in. We spent the rest of the time picking the rocks up, chucking the rocks, and stepping over the rocks. My idea of what the trip was supposed to be like clouded the awesome exploring my son was experiencing. Yes, even stupid rocks. Be patient and don’t get upset if the trip is what you thought it would be. Part of being outdoors is to guide your children but also to be present in their experiences, that’s where you’ll find the memories.

Just Dance

2019, the year that Janeth got her blog up and running with regularity (she hopes). I feel like so many of us start off the year with the best of intentions, “I will clean out this garage”, or “Seriously, I’m going to use that gym membership this year”, and my favorite “I’m gonna get that laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away every week”. What a joke, right?

We quickly realize why those thoughts were easier said than done. School starts back up again and you start up the crazy schedule full of practices, projects, play-dates, birthday parties- the list goes on and on.

And I don’t know about you guys but it all starts falling apart one excuse at a time, “We’re running late- I’ll just eat pizza with the kid”, “I got it all washed and dried, I’ll fold it tomorrow”. Let me tell you, I do not get it folded tomorrow. Before I know it, I’m back into bad habits with mountains of dirty dishes and clean clothes all around me.

In that moment, with the mess before me and the long list of things I have yet to accomplish it is so easy for me to bring myself and everyone in my home down into an environment of grumpiness and impatience. Little by little and easier with each time, I focus on the negative in other aspects of my life. The meetings are dumber than usual, the lines at the store get longer and slower, the kid is throwing tantrums for EVERYTHING, and it all just starts to suck extra. Anyone else feeling me? Anyone? No? Okay moving on…

What if I were to rewind to that moment of feeling anxious and overwhelmed and intentionally stopped for a second to find one positive thing about that moment. Or stop to create a positive moment? I’ve been thinking about that a lot, how much change could one positive thought or moment bring to my day?

Instead of being hard on your toddler take a moment to read that book to him. In the middle of the morning rush, tell your spouse you love them. On your way home from practice, when the kids are arguing with each other, appreciate the sunset and another day almost survived! While you’re getting to those clothes you are finally folding and your favorite song comes on, just dance.

The Weaning Mama

Hello friends! I know I haven’t been around in a bit. I have been super busy at work and home, you now how it gets. Baby P is one day away from not being a baby anymore! His party is tomorrow and we are all very excited to celebrate him. I will make sure to post our little get together on here when I get the chance (hopefully before his second birthday!).

As P got older, I knew the time would have to come when we weaned him off of the breast milk. I researched information on weaning babies and the best approaches. I read stories on how some babies refused to be weaned and how mamas everywhere were exhausted and out of ideas.

I prepared myself for the worst. My husband and I had a whole plan on how to do it slowly and gently but this boy threw a wrench into the works. He just stopped.

That was the last thing I had expected. Over the course of about a week he slowly started to eat less and less and in turn I was producing less milk. I started to freak out at work because I was pumping an insanely low number per day (stupid me, I didn’t even connect the dots that he was eating less so I wouldn’t have to produce any more!).

Finally, I mentioned it to my husband and he said, “Well maybe it’s time to get him off the breast milk.”

I was ready for the weaning to be a process for him but he just left me high and dry (literally). I also didn’t realize that the whole process would leave me little sad. I mean, my baby wasn’t my baby anymore. Since the day he was born and for almost a whole year after, my son was nourished with something that my body made for him. I got to share this amazing experience of breastfeeding with my son. It was something that he and I had for a really long time and I guess I was expecting a little more time before that time in our journey would be over.  It turns out, I was the one who needed the weaning process, not him.

It’s been a couple of days now and I am feeling a little more regulated when it comes to my emotions and dealing with this short, abrupt process. Looking back, I should have expected this from my little guy. He has always been fiercely independent, so why expect anything different when it came to weaning?

I’m proud to have such a grown up little dude in my house and I hope he continues to have that independence and confidence as he grows up. It’s all I ever hoped for in my children.

Out of the Box Date Night Ideas

I get it, trying to find time to spend time with your spouse can be hard. When you finally DO get that time scheduled out the age old questions arises- “What do you want to do?” While you could always do the dinner and a movie thing, here are 5 great out of the box ideas to shake things up a bit!

1. Participate in an IKEA photo scavenger hunt.

I was going to suggest doing a city-wide scavenger hunt where you and the hubby go out and take pictures of local monuments, restaurants, etc. But I came across this list in my research and it looks hilarious!!! This is a fun activity if you are getting a couple of your friends together for a double date. The rules are pretty simple:

• Get a group of friends and divide into teams (couples vs. couples, men vs. women, etc.).
• You and your team try to get as many pictures taken as they can by the end of the alloted time (time is up to you).
• Losing team buys dessert!

I am really excited for trying this one out and although my husband does not enjoy IKEA (who doesn’t enjoy IKEA?? Is it a guy thing or just my guy??) I think I can trick him into having fun with this neat idea! I feel this date idea will work for other stores or shopping centers. I can totally see myself making a list for us to use at Cabela’s!

2. Date night at the Science Center.

The Science Center isn’t just for chaperoning your 5th graders field trip any more! With their Science With a Twist, the Science Center hosts a monthly themed event that includes music, cash bar, and live demos. It is a 21+ event with a $12 admission fee for non-members. It also includes access to all four levels of the Science Center! The inner nerd inside of all of us is crying happy tears right now.

For the naughtier crowd, the Science Center also offers Lasers & Liquor. This event will have you rocking out to bands like Pink Floyd and Metallica synchronized to a laser show projected in the Science Center’s planetarium. They offer concessions and karaoke beforehand. Admission is $10.

3. Go star gazing at the Estrella Star Tower.

This is a really romantic (and free!) spot to go with your date. The Star Tower is set on the edge of Estrella Mountain. Arrive a few minutes before sunset and watch the stars come out. The tower itself has a fun design and the whole atmosphere encourages visitors to cuddle a little tighter while there.

Address- S Estrella Pkwy, Goodyear, AZ 85338

4. Attend a free car show in Scottsdale at Talking Stick.

This event occurs every Saturday from 4-8 pm and features over 300 cars and motorcycles. Not a big car fan? Go for the same reasons I do, FOOD! Many food trucks show up and it’s a fun way to catch dinner and enjoy the gorgeous Arizona weather.

5. Go to the Desert Botanical Garden for their concert series.

If you love music under the stars, this date night will be just for you! The Desert Botanical Garden hosts Music in the Garden, an event that showcases local artists of all different genres. The best part is that you will be listening to music among the beautiful landscapes of the Sonoran Desert. This guaranteed to spice up your date night as you are being serenated in a gorgeous desert setting. This is a 21+ event with a non-member fee of $30.

Finding time together can be hard, so why not make it an exciting and different night? I myself have not been to a couple of them and am eager to create some new, fun memories with my hubby!

 

 

 

Life With a 9 Month Old

I have been so busy lately that I feel like I don’t even get to sit down and write anymore! It makes me so sad because I feel like writing helps me process my feelings and thoughts and it gives me time to think through some of the situations that happen to me on a daily basis and create a plan of response. As a New Year’s resolution, I am trying to take some time away to be able to sit and write. About whatever! I was trying to think of really interesting things to write about because OH MY GOD IT’S A BLOG AND EVERYTHING I WRITE HAS TO BE SOME AMAZING AND MEANINGFUL POST. Stupid, I know. So from now on I am going to try to write about whatever I feel I need to put down “on paper” at the moment.
Anyway, moving on…
Life with a 10 month old is SO FUN! I was able to spend 2 weeks with him while I was on Christmas Break from work and the amount of growth that my boy made was amazing! There’s teething, crawling, standing, and communication happening all at once.
Teething has been pretty rough on our little guy. He got his two bottom teeth in a couple of months ago and now all four of his top teeth are wanting to push through and he is not comfortable at all! My husband and I bought these single use swabs and they seem to help. It’s Orajel, just not in a tube so it cuts down on messes and is easier to apply to the baby’s gums. If you have never tried them and are curious if it will work on your little one here is the link:

https://www.target.com/p/baby-orajel-teething-swabs-12-45-pk-46/-/A-10963129
We are also putting some essential oils in a diffuser for him at night so that we can provide him with the most comfortable sleeping environment we can. We got our as a gift and so far it works very well in his room! Here is the link for that in case anyone is interested:

Over the last weeks our little one has become a little zoomer in our house. We have had to reinforce our home with gates and straps and covers. I’ve scanned the house and had to ask myself, What could my little trasvieso get into when I am not watching? (Travieso means a mischievous person in Spanish, p.s. I am bilingual!) My husband and I are trying to find a balance between OVER baby-proofing and baby-proofing a safe amount. I don’t want so many things in my house that it hinders me from being able to do what I need to do, like, I am not going to bolt every little thing down and wrap it all in bubble wrap. I do, however, want to make sure things are sturdy and safe, as he is leaning on everything to try and walk around. This is my motto, Safe, but not too safe. Haha! Do you think that’ll catch on?!

The most fun, in my experience has been the communication. I have been amazed at how naturally I can understand what my baby wants to tell me. From asking for more food to arguing with me when I tell him to stop turning the Xbox on and off constantly. His communication style is such a big part of who he is as an individual and I am loving getting to know him in that way.

Becoming a mama has completely changed how time moves for me. It is a whirlwind now that I look back even though sometimes (on those long nights) it is moving at a snail’s pace and I think he’ll never get to sleep. 9 months? More like 9 seconds! And 9 years. Fast and slow, highs and lows, this mama is having a blast on this roller coaster/lazy river ride of motherhood.

Why Millennial Dads Rock

A coworker and I were pulling into the parking lot at the same time and I asked her where her baby was. She responded, “She’s at home with her daddy today.” And I laughed and said, “So is my baby! Who would have thought the women would be at work and the men would be at home with the children?” And that thought has stuck with me for a couple of days. This generation of parents have really made parenting their own thing. Millennials, especially the men, have been stereotyped in the media as soft, lazy, and lacking common sense. And like all stereotypes, it’s not true for everyone. The millennial fathers in my life are all strong, hard-working men that are not easily swayed from their beliefs and values. While millennials get a lot of hate, I am here to tell you why millennial dads are the greatest.

1. They don’t let labels get in the way of parenting.

While this wasn’t the case in every home, for the most part in the past, mothers and fathers had very clear roles inside the family unit. The men were in charge of the home’s finances and the women were in charge of the children. That is not the case anymore. Men are regularly going on play dates and taking daddy-daughter dance lessons. They are making dinner for their families and helping with the dishes afterwards. They realize that groceries need to be bought and laundry needs to be put away and it doesn’t really matter who does it.
2. They are staying home with their children.

Like I mentioned earlier, who would have thought that the fathers would be at home with the children while the mothers went to work? It just didn’t happen that often. But in today’s society, we are seeing fathers at home with their children on a regular basis. This is awesome for me because I don’t have to take him to daycare when I go to work. I know that my husband will be home and he and our son will spend some quality time together.

3. They’re involved. 

You’ve seen videos and pictures of new dads changing their baby’s diapers, giving their children baths, and potty training their sons and daughters. Millennial dads help with homework and go to parent teacher conferences. I’ve personally had my husband let me sleep through the night so I could get some rest while he woke up every time the baby needed something. Millennial dads are actively taking a bigger part in the upbringing of their children.

4. They are a true support system in a marriage.

Millennial dads get it. They understand that both parents work hard (whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working-in-an-office mom) and that it’s better to support each other instead of expecting things from each other. They understand when you’ve had a bad day and need a break. They sit and listen and give advice and, in my case, ground us and show us what’s really important in life. They see you as an individual with personal goals, not just as “Mom” and want to help you reach them. They appreciate that those goals are what makes a person well-rounded and see that the realization of them will only better wellness of the family unit.

Millennial dads have shown the world that they’re prepared to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty with parenting.