Seashell Scrubbing

After our visit to the beach I invited Ava to rinse the shells we found. I am going to use the shells for a counting work so I needed them cleaned. Ava used just a simple nail brush and water. Ava had a tray of water, nail brush, shells and a towel. She took each seashell and gently scrubbed the sand off and out of each seashell. She then placed it on a towel beside her to dry.

Lucy watching big sister while sucking on an orange slice.

This work brought to my mind the seashell scrubbing work I had in my classroom one year. This work allows the development of order, coordination, concentration and independence. Children really love this work because of the water play and of course the bubbles. Not to mention the wow factor from taking something dirty and the pride they feel once it's clean. Table Scrubbing is one work the children do in the classroom, but a child can use these same steps to scrub anything. (rock, pumpkin, dinosaur, chair)

Picture borrowed from Just Montessori

Memorial Day

We were blessed to have some of our family over for Memorial Day. It's always special when we get to spend time with the ones we love. I didn't take too many pictures but we really had a great time.

Chris grilled up a storm with hotdogs, hamburgers and chicken shish kabobs. Chris's mom brought Spanish rice and potato salad. Our cousin Colleen brought some yummy Asian slaw and chips (thanks for putting the kabobs together). My folks brought the sodas and cups since all we drink around here is water and every once in a while Motts Juice haha. For dessert we had cheesecake with frozen strawberries and Biltmore Italian Mascarpone Torta (my favorite dessert). The kids played in the sprinkler, took a drive in Ava's mini cooper, played on the swing set, flew some kites, blew bubbles, played in Ava's room and ended with a bike ride. Before everyone left we tried out some sparklers and a few mini fireworks. (the kind that stay on the ground) Looking forward to the next time!

Sorry it's blurry

Sand Between Our Toes

We decided to take an impromptu trip to the beach. We figured the water would still be chilly but we were desperate to get our toes in the sand. It was rather warm but the cool breeze by the ocean made for an enjoyable visit. As soon as we set our stuff down Ava was begging to get in the water. We got set up and Ava and daddy took off running. Ava didn't seem to mind that the water was rather cold. She jumped right in! This was Lucy's 2nd trip to the beach outside of mommy's tummy. It was her first trip where she could actually sit up and enjoy the beach. Lucy and I hung out under the umbrella and dug in the sand....Well, Lucy tried to eat the sand. Later Ava and I collected some seashells for a work that I'm putting together for her. She was set on finding the biggest seashells she could find. Daddy and Ava dug a big hole and covered themselves with sand. Overall we had a great first visit to the beach Summer of 2015.

Feeling the wet sand for the first time.

Blowing raspberries and sand haha 

Trying to get the umbrella.

The first big seashell she found. 

Sticking her toes in the water for the first time. 

Collecting seashells with mommy.

Enjoying the beach with daddy.

All About the Process

Ava was working with her shape cube up in her room. I watched as she took each shape in her hand while looking at all of it's sides. She enthusiastically found the correct hole and slid the shape in. I watched as she waited for the clunk sound as it hit the bottom of the cube or other shapes. After putting all the shapes in the cube and sliding the lid on I was sure she would place it back on the shelf and move on to something else. She sat for a few seconds gazing at the completed work. She then opened the lid and proceeded to dump the shapes out again. While watching her do this work I was reminded of this quote “Repetition is the secret of perfection” – Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child, p. 92

E.M. Standing, author of Maria Montessori Her Life and Work, compares how adults and children view work. He discusses that an adult usually works toward an end goal or a finished product, what is considered an external aim. A child, on the other hand, is more intrigued by the process of a task (internal aim). Standing further exemplifies the difference of the adult and child's work by providing an illustration of shoveling sand into a wheel barrow. An adult may shovel sand into a wheel barrow with the intent to use that sand to build something. A child may shovel sand into his barrow only to dump it out and start the process again, because the process itself is intriguing. While the adult has an end goal in mind, the child simply goes through the process led by curiosity and the discoveries that are being made. Discoveries such as the texture of the sand, the difference in weight when the sand accumulates, the sound the sand makes as it hits the barrow or is shoveled, and the dust that comes up from the sand. 

Here is a video and a great example of repetition. This little girl repeatedly takes off her socks and puts them on again. As an adult viewing this video you are probably thinking "what could she possibly be getting from taking her socks on and off so many times?" But for this little girl she is meeting an inner need and drive. Each time she takes them off and puts them back on she is getting something from the process she didn't receive before. 


Tips for allowing your child to enjoy the process through repetition:

1. Give your child toys (works) that have a specific purpose and allows for open ended play (Exploration). For instance, fitting lids onto pots and containers. 
2. Stand back and OBSERVE before interrupting a task your child may be engrossed in.   How many times have we unknowingly interrupted a child's work? We all know how we feel when we sit down and are consumed in an activity and someone or something interrupts what we are doing. Our concentration is broken and we lose our place. When you need to talk to your child stop before you speak and interrupt. If your child is focused on a particular activity, even if they are using something not for its intended purpose (as long as it's not destructive), wait until they are finished to talk to them. This can be difficult when we are in a rush or need something right away. 
3. When you've read that same book for the 100th time or your baby has thrown that toy off the edge of his high chair for the gazillionth time....be patient and read it one time and pick it up one more time. All that repetition is feeding an inner need. 


Love this quote from Montessori Candid Approach

Coming to one’s own conclusions, making and self correcting one’s own mistakes and learning through one’s own repetition is far more fruitful and long lasting. It is this experience that makes learning fun and lively. This important freedom to repeat and explore instills lifelong love and thrust for learning and exploration in a child which is utmost necessary to progress in practical life. 

Strawberry Picking

We have been talking about visiting a local farm to pick some strawberries for a while now. A few days ago we finally found the time to go. We went to Strawberries on 903. Ava was so excited about picking her own strawberries. When we arrived we got our basket and Ava took off for the fields. We instructed Ava to only pick the red ones. She followed the directions and picked the red "small" ones. hehe

Before we left we took a look at the chickens, roosters, goats, peacock, pigs and cows. Ava gave us a giggle as she stood in front of the chickens and impersonated the sounds they were making. 

When we got home we washed the strawberries right away. Ava couldn't wait to taste them. I have to say, they were the juiciest we've had in a long while. 

  

So YUMMY! Lucy even got to taste her first ones that were not pureed.  Looking forward to visiting again!