Saying Good-bye

I've made the difficult decision to discontinue blogging. Over a year ago when I began blogging, I had no idea I would enjoy it this much or write one for this long. Actually, before I jumped head first into the mommy-blogging world I often turned up my nose at it, thinking, "Why would anyone want to spend so much time on the computer? I'd rather spend my time in the real world connecting with my kid and family." Haha, ignorant me.

The truth is, it does take a looot of time and energy, even for a small blog like mine with a small following. I started Be Present Mama because the one small guest post I wrote for the Carnival of Natural Parenting in  February of 2010, opened my eyes to the amazing group of moms out there in the blogging world and I wanted to be a part of it. I have felt privileged to be a part of the same community of writers such as Dionna @ Code Name: Mama, Lauren @ Hobo Mama, Starr @ Taking Time, Mandy @ Living Peacefully with Children, Carrie @ The Parenting Passageway and the huge community of mommy authors, editors and volunteers at Natural Parents Network.

I have also felt honored to be followed by friends, family and other fabulous authors over this past year. My hope at the beginning of this journey was that I would inspire many "someones" to try out natural parenting, cook and share a meal with their family, or create art with their kids or connect with them some other way. I think I might have done that with a few posts :)

However, I am following a calling to bring my energies back in from blogging world to my home, to keep connecting with my kids and my husband in the fleeting times that we have together. With my husband working full time and going to school at night, the last year has been very busy and rather short on family time, much less time to spend at the computer!

There is another reason, though.. Before having children, I taught public school art, mainly to elementary students and I looooved my job. I felt like I was born to teach art. Now,  I love my "job" as mom, too, more than anything, and I know I was born to be a mom.. However, since becoming a mom, I've also struggled to find what will continually nourish me as an individual. In that call to the Universe, I got a call to come full circle back to teaching art. Only this time I am branching out to teach homeschool art classes and focus my energy on the long road to developing my own creative business involving family arts.

Send a little light and love my way as I imagine what my life will look like taking the risk on a new part of me. And thank you, dear readers, for giving my little blog a chance to inspire!

Cloud Pictures

Every where we go Everett has been pointing out the things he sees in the clouds. It reminds me of his first summer when I would lie with him on a blanket in our backyard to watch the sky. He was mesmerized by the trees, clouds, birds and sunshine. They were the kind of magical moments that pause time.

I decided to put to paper what he's been seeing, so we took out some paper and cotton batting and created some fun shaped "clouds" of our own...

The Simple Beauty of Flowers

The boys and I are delighted by the bright colors of flowers popping up in our neighborhood this month. On a walk around the block, we pointed out colors and shapes of different flowers . I shared the names of the flowers I knew. We smelled the ones close to us.  I delighted, again, in how giddy the boys became even by the simplicity of a flower.

Inspired by their beauty, I pulled out some old Organic Gardening magazines and let Everett and (my nephew) Ryan create some collages with pictures of brightly colored flowers and bugs and embellished them with oil pastels.

Planting the Seeds of Love for the Earth

For young children, having reverence for the Earth, loving it and caring for it needs to be a daily part of life.  Children build from and learn from repeated experiences. Their love for the Earth must be a seed that you plant and tend to every day!

It's not hard, either, especially if you are already doing as much as you can to protect and care for the Earth. To plant this seed in your child, a fantastic, nearly effortless and very effective approach is through the language of play. 

Here are 10 simple ways to bring nature into your child's playtime everyday...

1. Mud or sand play- Just let them dig in and get dirty, explore and experience. 
2. Nature in the sensory bin- fill your sensory (messy) bin with sawdust, sticks, gumball seeds and pinecones or sand, rocks and shells. 
3. Natural toys- Buying ecofriendly toys or reusing toys from a thrift store is great, but what I'm talking about here is actually using pieces of nature as toys. One example is wooden blocks that are simply cut from branches and lightly sanded, not cut into shapes and painted like ones from the store. 
4. Dress up play- Provide some costumes that allow your child to role play as animals or stewards for the earth, such as gardeners or trash collectors. 
5. Songs about Nature- You can put on a CD of great songs, but what's even better and even more loved by your child is when you sing with them and teach them songs. If you don't know any nature-based songs for young kids, there is a fantastic list of lyrics and music at KIDiddles.
6. Storytime bags based on books or your own stories-  Reading a book about the Earth is a start, but stories and facts really come alive for children when they are told with props and puppets. Many libraries have storytime bags you can check out, but you can also create your own. Dalai Mama's Day sells open-ended storytelling bags on etsy,  An Amazing Child has an example of a storytelling bag for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, too. 
7. Outside artwork- You can bring the art supplies outside or bring nature inside. Either way, it's another opportunity for your child to connect with nature. Last June, I posted an article featuring five outdoor art activities, this June I'll be running a series of them. 
8. Bug hunts- Gather a magnifying glass, a pen and paper, a bug list or some age-appropriate books, and maybe a digital camera or bug box. Then set outdoors for some bug searching. Depending on your child's age he or you could lead in the exploration as you find and identify them, draw or write about them, observe and capture them (on camera or in your box). 
9. Regular walks and hikes- Again, the idea is to consistently be outdoors, not just once in a while, and to be outdoors together. Taking walks several times a week, and/or hikes several times a month as a family brings you together and centers you. It's an open activity that allows your child to observe and interact with nature at his own pace, opens the door for shared conversation, and gives you the opportunity to witness growth and learning in your child. 
10. Geocaching- While this isn't an every day activity, I'm really excited for the chance to try it out with the boys so I wanted to share. From the Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site,  "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."  Learn more at their website. 

To learn more about connecting your child to the Earth, visit Children & Nature Network.

How do you keep your child connected to nature? How do you plant the seeds of love for the Earth?

Onion Skin Eggs

Although we celebrated Ostara and decorated eggs then, I thought it would be fun to repeat this activity for Easter. This time, instead of the traditional food coloring-dyed eggs, we used onion skins and beet juice on brown eggs. I found very clear instructions online for onion skin egg dyeing here.

I have to say, they turned out beautifully!

The brownish yellow ones are from the onion skins, the purplish from the beet juice.

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Let's Go Fly a Kite...

The breezes of April have blown in and swept us to magical heights! This past weekend our dreaming expanded after a visit to Flights of Fancy kites festival put on by the Kansas City Kite Club. We were amazed by the kites of all shapes, creatures and sizes. We created our own kites (because fool mommy forgot our cool new dragon one!) and flew them in the perfect afternoon sunshine!

It was the first time we've flown kites this Spring, and it was truly magical feeling. Even though I have few memories of flying kites as a child, it still evoked in me a feeling of carefree and magic similar to what a child would imagine it feels to fly. Amazing how a small piece of paper, some tape and string can bring such joy and freedom!

Last week we also recycled some old art projects into our own mini kites to bring some of that Springtime magic inside

Connection as Prevention: National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and for more than the two little reasons asleep in our bed right now, this issue hits close to home. I'm certainly no expert, but I wanted to bring a little spotlight to the issue. I also thought it appropriate for Fingerpaint & Superheroes, of course, because I am all about connection. And connection, my friends, is one of the biggest steps to take in preventing child abuse from happening, or being kept a secret.

It turns out, actually, that Attachment Parenting over all is practically one of the Five Protective Factors by the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (that's a mouthful)!
For the month of April, their website features a Strengthening Families and Communities Resource Guide, The Five Protective Factors, Tip Sheets, an Activity Calendar and more. All of it looks like an incredible resource. I really encourage you to check them out and help spread the word about this resource.

One of the Five Protective Factors, Nurturing and Attachment, speaks specifically to building connections with your child:

A child’s early experience of being nurtured and developing a bond with a caring adult affects all aspects of behavior and development. When parents and children have strong, warm feelings for one another, children develop trust that their parents will provide what they need to thrive, including love, acceptance, positive guidance, and protection.

 I'd like to offer you 10 Simple Ways to Connect with Your Child:

1. Be affectionate. You can do this in so many ways with all ages of children- hugs and kisses, snuggles, holding or carrying, holding hands, rough housing, saying "I love you," or giving compliments.
2. Play with your child. Learn what they enjoy doing, do it with them and do it often. It's not just about he quality of time its the pattern and consistency of your involvement that builds trust. 
3. Eat together. Family meals are a perfect way to connect on a daily basis. Even if it's not doable 7 days a week, sharing a meal a few times a week is just as important. Be sure to put away the cell phones and TV so that you can be present to each other. 
4. Complete a project or goal together. This can be building a tree house or creating artwork with your little one. It could be running a 5k or redecorating the bedroom with your teenager. It gives direction and focus to your time together and sets up an easy avenue of communication. If you invest time in your child, he is more likely to open up to you.
5. Talk with him. The key is to talk with them, not at them. Show that you are genuinely interested in what they have to talk about, and be open to answer questions they have for you. Then, be willing to...
6. Listen to him. Because, sometimes, even children don't necessarily want to talk, but they need some one to simply be there and listen.  As a teenager, I remember feeling most comfortable opening up to the people who would simply listen to me without immediately spitting back advice or judgement if I came to them with a problem.. Just being there to listen and asking before giving feedback can go a long way.. 
7. Understand and know where he is developmentally. It helps to form appropriate expectations of your child if you know what they are capable of doing. If you are expecting something beyond their development, its easy to disconnect. As my boys grow into each stage of life, I research how they are changing so that I can continue to meet them on their level and speak their "language." 
8. Trust your child. Of course, this comes with age, but if you work to connect with your child in other ways and understand where he is developmentally, you can feel how much trust to give him. And if you give a little trust, you gain a little trust. When I was younger, the relationship I had with my mom was full of open communication and connection because of how much she trusted me. In turn, because she trusted me, I often trusted that I could be open with her. 
9. Find something you have in common and do it together. This seems especially important for an older child. Either way, this give your child an opportunity to see you as a confident, happy adult doing something that you love and validating what they love to do.
10. Get to know your child's friends. For now, most of Everett's friends are the children of my friends, but I know that won't last much longer. He'll come to the age where his friends will come from other places and, slowly, spending time with those friends will become more important than spending time with me. The same goes for everyone. But, if you take the time to get to know your child's friends, like I plan on doing with Everett's, you'll be more likely to stay in the main picture for longer. You may get double points if his friends like you, too. 

Journey to our Solar System

There is such magic to a bedroom ceiling covered with glow-in-the-dark stars. As a chld, even as an adult, it takes you to far away places within the only place bigger than the vast expanse of our universe- the imagination. Everett has really taken to the planets and stars in the last several months, and why shouldn't he? There are few such magical and mysterious places than the skies above us.

After placing his stars, we were inspired by the book, Stars Above Us about a little girl who's father helps her recover from her fear of the dark by making glow-in-the-dark stars with her. While he is gone at war, she adds to their little solar system with planets and shooting stars. Everett immediately wanted to add more to his solar system.

We've continued checking out books about our solar system, such as Going Around the Sun: Some Planetary Fun and Stars! Stars! Stars! to introduce Everett to the various astral bodies out there. Then we set to work. We papier mached some planets and painted them...

Then, a couple weeks ago at our preschool group, we made paper rockets and added them, too...

Everett loves his new solar system. Even though I never explained that we were making any specific planets (I wanted to keep it all about his ideas and imagination) he still named the planets afterwards with names he learned from our books.  The blue, green and yellow one he named Earth, the reddish one iss Mars, and the other is Jupiter.  We are still adding shooting stars, perhaps a sun and more planets over time.

One of his recent favorite books from the library,Martian Rock, has inspired our next step, making our own little Martians and their vehicle. Where ever his imagination takes us, we'll go. It's an exciting journey!

Messy Play for Older Infants and Toddlers

Recently, I posted about Everett and his cousin, Ryan, getting their fill of messy play with some overcooked barley. I am continuing to use our sensory bin more, and took out an old cannister of dry noodles and beans from our art room and poured it into our bin.

This time, Kellan joined Everett in this (less) messy sensory experience. Older infants and toddlers benefit just as much to this style of play. 

 They get to explore new textures, objects and colors....

It helps develop motor skills...

It allows them to play uninhibitedly in a safe space...

I came across a very informing article about the importance of messy play for preschoolers you should check out. It looks like a great blog, in general, actually. Might want to stick around and check it out, too- Not Just Cute.

And, here are some more items for a sensory bin...

• cooked noodles or grains
• colored noodles of different shapes
• cotton balls, pom poms 
• dry cereal, oatmeal
• packing peanuts
• easter grass, shredded paper
• yarn, ribbon
• feathers
• seashells, rocks
• sticks, tree seeds, natural objects
• fake flowers and grass
• sand, pea gravel 
• water, ice, snow
• whipped cream, shaving cream
• jello
• mashed potatoes
• tubes of toothpaste and tooth brushes
• pudding, yogurt
• playdough, clay, floam, goop

And some tools or toys...

• plastic utensils of various sizes
• ladel
• measuring cups/spoons
• funnel
• shovels
• sifters
• wash cloths
• basters, pipettes
• cups, bowls
• potato masher
• playdough tools
• strainer
• sand/playdough molds
• egg beater
• little people or animals
• "dinosaur bones" (clean chicken bones)
• tubes
• toy cars

Roughousing with a Superhero

We've been doing a lot of couch wrestling recently. The fourth year has seemed to add to Everett's endurance and energy so it's been an absolute necessity to rough house with him almost every day. Rough housing with your child is like speaking their language. It gets you down on their level, playing and goofing around, providing affection and love through physical touch and creating connections of trust. 

Last October I wrote about a book that was recommended to me (by my good friend Dionna at Code Name: Mama) and now I find myself recommending it to nearly every parent I know: Playful Parenting by Dr. Lawrence Cohen. This book taught me a lot about the language of play and it's the reason Everett and I have our routine of rough housing. Everett is more easily able to calm down at quiet times and bed time, he is more willing to cooperate through out the day, and we're both more relaxed. 

We have our different styles of rough housing. We have cuddly morning wrestles and full-out pillow fights. We have sword fights that end up in a bunch of rough housing. When Everett is especially full of mischief or has been upset, he runs at me (sometimes full speed!) tackling and trying to knock me over. We also include Kellan in some of our rough housing, allowing Everett the opportunity to practice self-control and build a relationship with his brother.

And, of course, like last week, we had lots of superhero battles. I play the Wicked Mama Mia and Everett plays Spiderman. He has no idea, really, what the real Spiderman is about because he has never seen the movie or cartoons, but he loves him nonetheless. The addition to our battles last week was a pair of Spiderman pj's that I found at a kid's sale. They were too small, but the black webbing at the arms couldn't be missed out on so we cut them both to make short sleeves. 

The best thing about superhero rough housing is catching the jumps on camera... 

** For more information on Playful Parenting and Dr. Larry, including his new book, The Art of Roughhousing, see his website here.

Experimenting with the Five Senses

A few weeks ago, our preschool-age homeschool group came to our house for a little science of the senses. I introduced them to our five senses, or as I explained to Everett, what we use to experience the world. For our class I set up five stations for partnered experiments, one for each sense, so that the kids (or scientists!) could come and go to each experiment at their choosing. 

For our sense of hearing there were two experiments. The first explored distance with sound. First, the scientist closes his eyes or is blindfolded while holding a tube up to his ear. Any tube with at least an inch diameter would work. His partner taps on the tube at different spots, asking each time if the tap was close to his ear or far away from his ear. This was tricky, even for me! 

The second experiment worked well for multiple ages. For the original experiment, the partner selects a scrap from a group of various "papers" (aluminum foil, parchment paper, tissue, lined paper, etc). Then, the blindfolded scientist tried to identify what kind of "paper" it was as his partner rustled the scrap by his ear. This worked great for my 4-year-old son, Everett, and his 5-year-old friend, Hugo. One of the other moms created an alternative for her younger son by simply identifying, exploring and comparing the sounds of the "papers" 

Experimenting with our sense of taste, the scientists were introduced to the five different tastes and our taste buds.  I set out bowls with honey water, lemon juice, salt water, cocoa powder, and vegetable broth (umami taste) that were labeled with their coordinating taste, and a box of Q-tips. The scientist could dip a Q-tip into each bowl to taste, or with the help of a partner, he could look at a diagram of his tongue and compare the same taste on different parts of his tongue.

For the sense of sight, they simply explored how differently some brightly-colored pictures looked through colored cellophane. I set out two pictures and asked the scientist to talk with his partner about the colors in the picture. Then the scientist could hold a piece of cellophane (or two different colored pieces) to his eyes and note how the colors in the picture changed. 

Everett's two favorites were the experiments for sense of smell and sense of touch. 

The smell experiment was a simple blindfold test, as well. I set up several baby food jars with orange peel, cinnamon, dirt, coffee, peppermint toothpaste, and chocolate...

The scientist (Everett in this case) sniffs each jar as his partner opens them, and he takes a guess at it's contents. Everett, sneaky boy that he is, started guessing correctly right away and I was impressed until it donned on me that he was peaking from the bottom of the blindfold!

Lastly, for the sense of touch I gathered several random objects in a closed bag and gave that to the scientists's partner. The partner selects an object from the bag and holds it up to the blindfolded scientist who tries to identify the object as he touches it with different parts of his body.

First, he touches with his elbow...

Then with his feet...

And lastly, with his hands.

This one could also become more challenging if you selected similar objects, such as several types of balls, for the scientist to identify. 

Overall, the experiments were a success. The activities were short and simple, they were created mostly by objects I had around the house, and they introduced the five senses in a fun hands-on learning experience appropriate for multiple ages. 

3-D Felt and Fabric Collage

The best way to unleash the creativity of a young child is to simply set out some supplies and materials and let them explore. One of Everett's favorite activities is cutting, so I often set out materials for him to cut up like scraps of fabric, string and ribbon. 

In order to capture a product (none of which he really cares about in the moment) that we can enjoy later, I help him with gluing down some of what he has cut.  Of course, seeing the finished product hanging up later does instill within him a sense of pride and a value for beautiful things.

I do most of the glue squeezing, but he chooses where the glue goes. I find the easiest way is to blob out the glue in several different locations and allow him to set materials into the glue at his pace and choosing. If you have a little one that doesn't like glue on his fingers (even Everett want to immediately wipe it off) keep a wet washcloth handy or use a popscicle stick or pair of tweezers to press materials into the glue.

This activity keeps Everett quite busy for a long while. If you have an older toddler you want to do an activity like this with, perhaps focus more on just playing with the materials, scooping them in and out of the box, comparing the different textures, placing fabric onto felt and practicing cutting together (I started using scissors with Everett about age 2). Do remember to keep your talk short and simple. The best way for little ones to explore is without much thinking done for them!