blessed with a ray of light

yesterday, at an event at my daughter school, I glanced over at her and thought she looked a little tired. by the time she came home from school, it was clear that she had come down with something. oh poor thing, to not be feeling well as she gets a break for the holiday. and my plans to start and finish up some gifts these last few days were not looking so good either, especially seeing that my other little one has been sick.

so today, we kept my daughter out of school so she could rest. my husband went out in the morning to stock up on his toys to put under the tree. the children and i stayed in and did some snuggling until my little ones went off to their room to play. i took that time to do some quick cleaning then i needed stop to help clean up and organize the children's bedroom. the result of a 2 1/2 year old getting into a 7 1/2 year old's things, a reminder that we need to simplify again. (although we managed to sift 3 barbie dolls out)

the morning went by rather quickly and all were ready for lunch. as we were eating, the sun peaked around the side of our house as it usually does this time of year, bringing direct sunlight into our kitchen. my daughter moved her seat over to bask in the sun and a ray of light caught her swarvoski crystal bracelet (part of her mermaid halloween outfit, a reminder that i have lots to share). With joy she exclaimed, "LOOK, MY BRACELET IS MAKING RAINBOWS" and oh how we all love these rainbows. 

i had already accepted and felt fine that my christmas projects were going to have to be pushed back for upcoming birthdays as i have two little ones that need me but i was a little unhappy thinking about the type and amount of daddy gifts that were going to stocked under our christmas tree. but after that moment of joy and glee brought about by dancing rainbows, i just decided to let the ill feelings of commercialized toys go and just know that when i sit back and be present in these small moments, i will be renewed with wonder and awe and my children will be blessed with the same.

A happy solstice indeed.

sorry no pics today. but i am reminded of how much i enjoy capturing the light here. happy solstice everyone

a snowy day

:: snapshots from our beautiful snow-filled day

outdoor ice pictures

:: first we had a little walk outside to gather up some supplies. it has been in the teens and below zero with the wind chill, so it was a brief walk. inside we gathered some cranberries, bowls, and jute cord. we selected our material and arranged it in the bowl then we slowly added water. we submerged the ends of the jute cord in the water to allow it to be hung. then put the bowls outside overnight. in the morning our ice pictures were frozen solid and ready to be hung. they are beautiful hung outside a window.

springs a coming

only a trace of snow remains in some spots. the weather mild. the sun was bright and warm. the skies were a beautiful blue. and there was a feeling of spring was in the air.

it brought an awaking inside of me. a refreshing feeling. a newness.

we head to a park in between the baby's feedings.

happy new years

.... wishing everyone the hope, joy, beauty & wonder of a new year.

childhood memories

from as young as i could remember, my family had the tradition of gathering at my great grandparents house to celebrate and rejoice in the holiday with food, good cheer and song. the house was filled with great aunts and uncles and lots of cousins and our evening went late into the night singing christmas carols together. when we decided on which song to sing, everyone would be flipping through their books trying to find song, some seemed to flip longer than others because back in the day, we all had different song books. these days, we all have the same song book which makes it very easy to help each other find the page. this year our helper announced the song and the page and gave us a 10 count. and i sit back, filled with great joy and gratitude to share these beautiful traditions with my little ones. and as we start new ones of our own, i know they are the beginning of new magical childhood memories.

parcels in winter

:: one of my most looked forward to threads on the mothering boards have been regarding books. i love mothers coming together to share their favorite books to mark the seasons or celebrations with their children and family. lovely books to celebrate winter and wonderful classics that i feel blessed to have found and be able to share with my little ones. especially the out-of-print books, which i would not have discovered on my own. it is a wonderful feeling to be apart of keeping these stories alive and be able to pass them on.

the beauty of buying used books is that your parcels trickling in a lovely manner. some books will be wrapped and tucked nicely under the tree and other's have been enjoyed on cozy, snuggly, hot chocolate-filled afternoons. winter stories we have enjoyed in the past like 'twas the night before christmas, owl moon, the big snow, the snowman, stranger in the woods, and stone soup. and a few new stories to read and share togther, like, night tree, when winter comes, snow tree, the christmas magic, the story of the snow children, frog, bee and snail look for snow and baking bread with children. i shared some pictures of a new favorite book by tasha tudor's, a time to keep. what are you favorite books for the season?

Make a nature sculpture

This nature sculpture project is triple the fun and is great to do any time of year. Your nature inspired preschool arts and crafts project starts off with a nature walk to collect natural materials. Then, you get make super sensory playclay, which will be the base of the nature sculpture. Finish up by arrange all your natural material into the playclay.

Playclay
3/4 c flour
1/2 c salt
1/2 c cornstarch
Add warm water as needed, until mixture forms a ball.

I love hot chocolate

I love the chocolate. I love the whip cream & marshmallows. I love the sprinkles.

Snow came today and I braved the cold for a wee while. With my shortness of breathe, lack of being able to zip up my jacket and all around just wanting to be inside, my little one had some fun. We zipped inside to get warm and enjoy some hot chocolate and back we go outside. She loves it so much, how could I not.

A year of activities

Over the last year, we have captured parts of our day and parts of our journey. I hope to capture more throughout this year, as we provide our little one with opportunities to explore, discover, create, imagine and experience through nature, art, music and hands-on discovery. Wow - it's fun to see all the different things we've experienced. Whatcha think Dad??? (who likes to read our blog)

Winter nature study & activities

Winter birds & animals
- observe winter birds
- build bird feeder
- make pine cone feeders
- find abandoned bird's nest
- observe squirrels & deer
- discover animal tracks
- make snow tracks

Biology study
- collection caddy
- discover dried flowers and weeds
- nature wreath
- bark investigation of birch & cedar
- study conifers & cones
- study evergreens leaves & berries
- plan garden

Winter sky
- star gaze
- identify constellations
- observe length of daylight
- observe weather patterns
- observe moon phases

Earth science
- crystal & rock study
- fossil study

Natural science
- freeze water
- melt ice
- make ice suncatcher
- make ice ornaments or ice votives

Making winter ice votives

This is a little project is especially great this time of year. It really recognizes the winter season and gives kids a change for hands-on exploration. First, you will need 2 containers of varying diameter. I chose a large ice cream container and a plastic cup.



Fill the center container with river rocks, sand, anything to weigh it down.


Then, fill the space between the containers with water and maybe something seasonal. We chose holly branches and leaves that we have in our yard. Make sure center container is in the middle, so the ice votive will have a consistent thickness and place in freezer overnight.


Now it's time to reveal the ice votive. If you use an ice cream container, it can be easily torn off.

There you have it, a seasonal ice votive.

Groundhog's Day

Little groundhog, little groundhog,
Down below, under the wintry snow.
Come on out and tell us true,
Is Spring coming?
Is Winter through?

Crystals, fossils, and pearlized shells

The beauty of crystals, fossils, and pearlized shells are a welcomed addition to our winter nature table. Their sparkle, shine and shimmer mirror the beauty we see outdoors - icicles, snowflakes, and a silvery coat of white on everything. The facets of the crystal reflect the sun and add a sparkle of light. Very magical.

It's also fun to break open your own geode. You never know what surprise is waiting inside. The natural formation of the crystals vary from stone to stone. Be sure to grab a magnifying glass and take a closer look.

Some fossils were added to our nature table by my little one - which is a new interest of hers. An iridescent ammonite fossil has a rainbow of colors.

Winter songs, verses and fingerplay for children

Little, Little Snowman

A little, little snowman had a carrot for a nose

Along came a bunny and what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny was looking for his lunch

And he ate that snowman's carrot nose...

Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!

Snowman

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman

Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall

Then the sun it melted, melted, melted

And made the snowman small, small, small

The Wintery Wind

The winter wind blows

The winter wind blows

It gives me the shivers

From my head to my toes

Snowflakes Falling Down

Snowflakes falling down, down, down

Falling on the ground, ground, ground

Great, big white flakes, flakes, flakes

That do not make a sound, sound, sound (whisper)

Snowflakes
Snowflakes, soft snowflakes
gently are falling
Magically making
everything white

Snowflakes, Snowflakes
Snowflakes, snowflakes, dance around
Snowflakes, snowflakes, touch the ground
Snowflakes, snowflakes, on my nose
Snowflakes, snowflakes, on my toes
Snowflakes, snowflakes, twirl around
Snowflakes, snowflakes, touch the ground

Sledding
Crunch, crunch, crunch
up the hill
so slow, slow, slow. (walk fingers up arm)
Wee, wee, wee
down the hill
we go, go, go. (slide down arm)

Little Snowflake by Emilie Poulsson
Oh, tiny little snowflake,
So lightly floating by,
A long, long way you've traveled
To visit from the sky

Come, rest upon my window
You've journeyed very far.
You're such a pretty snowflake
A silv'ry winter star!

Popsicle stick snowflakes

Popsicle stick snowflakes are easy and fun to make. My little one loves adding sparkling confetti and glitter. I think they are a great addition to our nature table.

Check out our paper snowflakes here. Here's a fitting verse from our Music Together class and a compilation of wonderful winter songs, verses, and fingerplay that we have enjoyed.

Snowflakes
Snowflakes, soft snowflakes
gently are falling.
Magically making
everything white.

Window Stars for preschool kids

Just a few supplies (tissue paper stars and contact paper) from the store and we were able to make a window star picture. The magic really happens when the pictures are hung up in the window and the sunlight shines through.



:: wooden stars for play