Montessori 101

Avery putting on his art smock and painting a rainbow.

Catching insects with his magnetized butterfly net.

Working with various shapes of magnets.

Sand work seemed to be one of his favorite activities.

Building blocks with dad.

Rolling up his rug after completing his block work.

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This past week was "Grandpersons" day at the preschool Avery attends, MSSA (Montessori School of San Antonio). Last year Mimi was able to visit during this special event, but this year without any grandparents close by, Shane and I decided we would make a showing. We were both excited to see Avery in action, since he shares very little about his daily happenings and like most Montessori schools, parents inside the classroom are not permanent figures (why you may ask...parents are considered a distraction when a child is concentrating on their "work"). Shane and I decided to send Avery to a Montessori school for many reasons (check out Montessori; The Science behind the Genius by Dr. Lillard). If you have a son and would like to know more about these reasons e-mail me and I would be happy to share. Additionally, I was highly influenced by the negative experience I felt boys received in a traditional classroom from my own teaching encounters, as well the article and book written by Peg Tyre; The Boy Crisis and The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do. Therefore, making the choice to send him to this school was easy but seeing the "real thing" when your own child is involved was an experience we couldn't miss.

A week in review

My grandparents are winter Texans and have been doing this since I was in 8th grade. Every year during harvest season, they venture their way down south to where the winter climate is more moderate than the sometimes harsh winters of Nebraska. They love their time and friends at a retirement community called "Bit-O-Heaven" and always make a trip our way before heading to their final destination. The kids love it when grandma and grandpa stop because this means new coins for their piggy banks, a few goodies, and lots of extra attention.

Baby Audrey at 36 weeks (yes Audrey is her name). Do you notice the Christmas tree in the background? I'm currently nesting and worried Audrey will show up earlier than expected. Therefore, I've done something I detest, decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving is over. However, with Shane's crazy weekend schedule and the long list of items on my "to do list" decorating early was a necessary evil.

This past Sunday we took the kids to see "Walking with Dinosaurs". Avery loves bugs, reptiles, snakes, and dinosaurs; so we thought a show including giant dinosaurs might be an enjoyable event for the little guy. Amelia had a difficult time sitting through the show and would have preferred pink, fairies dancing on stage as opposed to dinosaurs stomping around. For the most part Avery enjoyed the show and loved seeing T-Rex roar on stage.

Brachiosaurus was huge. The Velociraptors hunting in packs.

The grand finale; T-Rex. Pinacosaurus and his armoured plates.

Halloween 2009

Mmmmmm!
How many pieces can I have before I go to bed?

Mom I'm tired, pull me around.

Our neighbors haunted house.

I'm not afraid of a haunted house.

The first of many...."What are you dressed up as for Halloween?"
I guess Shirley Temple wasn't the obvious choice.

This Halloween Bash is fun.

I love bouncy castles.

Mom and the kids.

Our pumpkins before the squirrels turned them into lunch.

Dad taking over carving duties.

This smells stinky!

How long is this going to take?

Do I look bigger?

We started Halloween day by carving pumpkins. The kids last all of 10 minutes before running off to ride their bikes. Regardless, Shane and I had a fun time carving pumpkins before our psycho, neighborhood squirrels decided to make our latest creations lunch. Later that day our neighborhood friends had a Halloween bash with food, fun, and games provided. It was a great start to our highly anticipated evening. Avery and Amelia enjoyed trick-or-treating around our small neighborhood and collecting as much candy as possible. Shane and I enjoyed the wonderful weather Texas provides this time of year, and watching adults pull around their cocktails in their family kiddy wagons.