Nerd-o-rama!

Happy Nerd Day!  I hope this doesn't offend anyone.  To make everyone feel better, I truly consider myself to be quite nerdy.  Maybe I 'll shed some light on my reasoning behind that in a later post.  Today is "nerd day" for the boys at school, and we had a fabulous time getting into character!  One of my favorite things about teaching was having special dress up days throughout the year.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a "nerd day?"  Although I never did this while I was teaching full time, I think it would be cool to celebrate the r controlled vowels "er, ir, and ur" with some special days. . .You could have a "nerd day," a "birthday party [for everyone in the class or a class mascot]," and a day to bring a "furry friend [one that's stuffed of course]."  When I jump back into the classroom I hope I remember this idea!

 Earlier this year, I mentioned this book in a post, and I would like to revisit it now.  If you're a parent, I highly recommend it!  Whether you have itty bitties, elementary aged students, adolescents, or children who are on their own, it's a great resource.  The whole idea behind the book is that parents have to make a conscious effort to make sure that their child has a full "love tank."  Even though as parents we say or think, "my kids know I love them," this book points out that kids have to receive love in ways that they understand and feel. Giving one child hugs and cuddle time means the world to them, but another child may just want to hear you say "I'm proud of you. You did a great job on your science project."  

There are 5 basic love languages.  They do overlap in some areas, and we do need to feel loved in all of these ways.  However, there is one way that you probably enjoy the most 

[your primary love language]. 

1.  Quality Time

2. Acts of Service

3.  Gifts

4.  Physical Touch

5.  Words of Affirmation

I want to share a few things that I gathered from reading this book.  About 7 years ago, when when we were newlyweds, my husband and I read the original version of this book together.  This book helped me to understand Mr. Perry a little better and see things from his perspective.  I discovered the one for "children" last year, and it has really helped me to understand my boys more clearly.  As a mommy of three boys, you would think life would be pretty simple.  Let them play and run around as much as possible and keep food on the table constantly!  That does work well [for the most part], but I find that if I don't do a few extra things to make each one feel unique, we have much more chaos and crying than usual.  

Look at these three little faces.  They have so much in common.  They share so many of the same characteristics, but at the same time they are SO very different!

Christian, my oldest son, is the typical first born.  He looks a lot like me.  Very creative thinker.  High achiever.  Talks non-stop.  Can't stand when there's nothing to do.  Slight perfectionist.  People person. Math rock star.  Always doing something.  Early reader.  Kind of bossy.  Animal advocate. Loves to spend time with family members and friends.    His primary love language is "quality time."  If I spend at least 25-30 minutes of uninterrupted time with him reading, doing art, cooking, playing a game, or just goofing around he is so much happier.  Also if he has a problem, he's more likely to ask for help instead of feeling like he has to figure it out all on his own.

Solomon, my middle guy, looks just like his daddy.  Takes his time getting to know people.  Kind of shy.  Loves bowling and contact sports.  Needs at least 30 minutes of cuddle or wrestling time each day.   Enjoys rummaging through stuff and exploring.  Loves to sing and dance.  Computer savvy.  Can be a bit flirty once he warms up.  Very articulate.  Very aggressive at times [especially if you make him mad].  Loves to play the drums.  Sometimes mischievous.  His primary love language is "physical touch."  He tends to give hugs and kisses all day long.  If he doesn't get a few hugs soon after he wakes up, it's going to be a rough day!  The more time he spends getting hugs, kisses, or high fives, the more cooperative he is during the day.  He is my cuddle bug!

As for Jaxon, my littlest guy, we're still learning!  He loves to explore the world, knock down trash cans, and chew on whatever is in his hand.  Pretty typical for a 9 month old.  He also loves to cuddle, sing, and play.  More of his personality will shine as he grows and develops.  I think his primary love language might be physical touch or words of affirmation because his face lights up when he hears someone saying how handsome and sweet he is.  He also loves when his brothers hug him and play with him.

Having three boys who are so unique makes me appreciate God even more.  He is our Father, and He has billions of children.  He knows just how to love us and make us feel special!

I hope you're having an amazing Tuesday.  I'm off to see what Jax is up to.  He has crawled out of sight and around the corner. . . oh boy!

Winner Winner!

CoNgRatUlaTioNs to dbednars!  

You're the winner of David Carter's 100 Lift the Flaps and 

Learn to Count!  I know you and your students will LOVE it!

Please check your e-mail for details!

Valentines & a Great Giveaway!

Happy belated Valentine's Day. . . we were SO busy around this place making valentines for 48 friends and 10 teachers plus our grandparents, that {perspectives} has been a bit neglected, but I'm back!  

The boys had a great time making their valentine boxes.  It was super easy, cheap, and fast!  I love how they turned out!

We bought some cards for grandparents.  The we {signed}, {sealed}, and {delivered} them with love! After my mom [Granny Lin] got hers in the mail, and she said it brought an "instant smile to her face."  That's the effect we were going for!

A couple of years ago I purchased this book, and it's adorable.  We had a blast using our candy hearts in so many creative ways.  One of my favorite things about this book is that it talks about consonants, vowels, rhyming words, color words, and so many other skills that are relevant for beginning readers. The boys were incredibly creative with these hearts.  They stacked them, sorted them, counted them, made letters and numbers with them, made shapes with them, and then of course. . .gobbled them up!

It has been way too long since I've done a giveaway.  Way too long!  So when I got an invite from Sterling Publishers to participate in a book promotion, I was so excited.  You can view a clip about the book in the video that's below.  I think this book would be fun for any classroom.  My boys fell in love with it instantly.  It's a perfect read aloud for the 100th day of school, you could also use it to discuss setting, it could be used as a writing tool to help students write lists, or you could practice counting skills.  There are really numerous ways that it can be used to engage students for reading, writing, science, social studies, or math. Take a look.  If you're interested in this amazing book, leave a comment below.  A winner will be randomly selected on Sunday night (2/24)!

Flaps upon flaps upon flaps—100 of them—are layered on top of each other like gift boxes filled with surprises!  Acclaimed master paper engineer and illustrator David Carter offers children a magical experience as they uncover an array of 100 wonderful things in a treasure trove of landscapes.

One Proud Mama. . .

Christian loves reading.  He reads every. single. day.  He reads in the grocery store.  He reads menus when we go out to eat.  He reads to his brothers.  He reads at school.  He reads to family members {or anyone else who visits}.  He expects to hear bed time stories.  He reads by himself.  I am even considering putting some books in the bathroom for him {though we did have some during potty training time}!  I will probably get him a magazine subscription to Ranger Rick or Highlights for his upcoming birthday.  I think he would love the feeling of "getting mail" and being "like a grown-up."

I am so proud of him.  Not just because of his excellent reading skills, but even better than that. . .he has a love for literacy, and that will last a lifetime!  Check out the video of him reading "Frog and Toad."  I love how it's the part about "bathing suits."  This serves as a wake up call to me. . .bathing suit season is approaching quickly!  I didn't tell him that I was going to record him so at one point he looks at the camera to see what I'm doing.  I was also holding Jaxon at the same time so I'm just glad I was able to record without him grabbing the camera from my hands.

Groundhog Day, Home Depot Love & Super Bowl Sundaes!

I LOVE Groundhog Day SO much!  I think I have about 30 books about groundhogs & the history of Groundhog Day (embarrassing. . . i know)!  I was pretty excited that it fell on Saturday so that we could celebrate properly. . .ha!  We read TONS of books, made a little groundhog buddy (from Kimberly Edgerton), and enjoyed eating a little bit of "groundhog grub."

This adorable snack/treat idea is a freebie from The Teaching Resource Resort. . .

http://www.teachingresourceresort.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-01-31T19:04:00-08:00&max-results=7

This weekend we also went to one of our favorite places. . .The Home Depot!  It was the first bit of environmental print that Sol recognized.  We could not drive by the place without him saying, "That says Home Depot."  He did it every single time.  I love Home Depot because I love to decorate, redecorate, craft, and build things.  I also love it because of the community events that they sponsor. On the first Saturday of every month they have a Kids Project.  It's designed for kids aged 5-12, but if both of my boys do pretty well with a little bit of extra help from their dad.

You get a kit with everything you need to complete a special project.  You also get an apron, a pin, and a certificate of completion.  This time we made some Valentine holders.  The boys didn't get to finish them so we still have to add the paint and the heart that belongs on the front.  If you have young children, I highly recommend visiting a Kids Workshop.  Your kids will love it, and they're so proud of themselves for working hard.  I love to see my boys use the tools as Mr. Perry helps them.  It will be a sweet memory for many many years.  They are learning so much and they don't even know it!  It's not just for boys either.  I have seen plenty of girls use the hammer and nails like nobody's business!

Yesterday night we watched kinda watched the Super Bowl when we weren't too busy with a few activities.  We made some "Super Bowl Sundaes."  The paper kind and the edible kind.  I think we will continue that as a "Super Bowl" tradition each year.  

I can't believe it's already February!  My big guy turns 5 later this month, and I seriously don't know how time flew by so quickly.  I feel like I'm going to blink and he's going to be graduating from high school!  Even though time flies I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it!  February is one of my favorite months of the year. . .Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, lots of candy, President's Day, dental health month, heart awareness, lots of candy, a few birthdays in the family, lots of candy. . .