Author: Raptor Mama

 

Lots of blurring this week.  I should really try to remember to ask Kate’s friends’ moms if they mind their kids being on the blog.  lol.That middle picture was taken underwater.  I can’t decide if it’s awesome or creepy.

 

It’s been a while since we did letter of the week, but now that Raptor and the girls are out of school for the summer it seemed like time to buckle down and plan a few more.  Next up, E is for Elephant!  Inspiration and credit for the cute elephant belong to this awesome blog.

I made 4 trays this week plus our sandpaper numbers (0-10) and letters (E e)which I’m leaving out.

First up are these sequencing elephants.  There are actually 5, but I couldn’t get them all in the picture.

Next up are basic numbers and counters, elephant style.  It would be obvious to use cutouts of peanuts for the counters, but E is allergic to peanuts so it seemed unwise to use them as part of a game even if they were the paper variety.  After a facebook poll, I decided to go with umbrellas instead.  I doubt that Raptor will want to do much with these as she’s pretty much mastered them, but I think they’ll be perfect for E (3 1/2).

Now for some math for A (5) and Raptor (almost 4.)  This will likely be too easy for A who just finished kindergarten, but I thought it would be a fun confidence builder.  Raptor’s preschool teacher told me that she was working on addition (wow) so I figured I’d see what she could do.  I haven’t gone all out and made the little board like they use.  If this is too hard for Raptor I’ll work on it this week.  As I understand it, she’ll add it using the elephants.  (So for this problem, she’d lay out 6, then lay out 3, then count them all, and write down the answer.)  I’m going to ask her to give me a “lesson” and see how it goes.  I laminated this so that the girls could do it over and over.

Last tray is just some wooden blocks and rods that I found at Hobby Lobby.  I figured the girls could match the colors and then work on some fine motor skills putting the rods through the holes.

I’m going to try something new this summer and try to do circle time in the mornings when the girls get here.  They’re all used to school now so I think they’ll like it.  I’m thinking of reading a book and then singing a song.  We might only last a week.  🙂

 

 

 

 

I kept it a bit more simple this week since I’m in catch up mode.

And yes, that card actually has text.

In other news, I sat down with the girls to make a summer bucket list.  We went around in a circle and took turns naming things we wanted to do.  Are you ready?

1. Play in the pool.
2. Swim in the pool.
3. Swim in the pool.
4. Go to the park.
5. Swing on the swings.
6. Swing on the swings.
7. Play in the backyard.
8. Swing on the bars.  (Part of the playscape in the backyard.)
9. Look at birds.
10. Look at peacocks.

I’ve come to 2 conclusions.  First, kids are really easy to please.  Second, I’m going to have to add some stuff to our bucket list or I’m going to get bored.  lol.

 

 

I made this page as part of a challenge to scraplift myself.  I’m pretty lazy at design so I do this all the time.  It would be more of a challenge *not* to scraplift myself.  lol.  At any rate, here was the inspiration.

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

I used the Martha Stewart punch to make the hearts and I liked it more than I expected.  I might have to invest in a few more punches.  Perhaps a butterfly?

I also cut out these tickets from the patterned paper.  It took a while, but I think it turned out cute.

I tried to “smoosh” my title together and I think it turned out looking pretty good.  Overall, happy with this layout.

 

 

 

 

Here we go!

Now I need to get cracking on week 6.  🙂

 

Oh man y’all.  It’s been a rough couple of weeks around here.  Largely because I had to take some medication for a few weeks that makes me feel like a psychopath zombie crazy person.  I’m finally finished with it and I’m starting to feel a return to normal.  I haven’t put anything up on the blog because I haven’t been creating anything, which puts me in a crap mood, which makes me even less likely to go create something.  It’s a vicious cycle!  Well no more.  I’m busting out of this cycle.

I’m finally working on digital project life again.  Hopefully I’ll have this spread (week 5) finished in time to post it on Friday.  I also just got in a big new batch of pictures and I’m scrapping with some friends on Saturday.  Kate and I also have plans for some DIY stuff for her birthday party.  It’s going to have a space them and she and I are really excited about it.

Letter of the Week has kind of taken a back seat for a while as Kate’s just not that into it.  Well, she’s thrilled to do each tray once, but then she’s bored with them.  I think because most Letter of the Week activities are geared toward younger kids?  For example, Kate already knows how to quantify numbers.  She taught herself addition and subtraction for pete’s sake so why am I giving her trays where she puts the numbers in order and then lays out counters?  No wonder she doesn’t want to do them.  I need to ponder this further and find a way to make it work for us.  I’m thinking that we’ll still have a theme (E is for Elephant) but then plan trays/ activities more around the theme than the letter.  Kate’s really interested in crafts/ story telling/ pretend play at the moment so I think I’m going to put the more academic trays on the back burner for a while and focus on more craft ones.  I think she’s just about ready to teach herself to read and I’ve decided to just get out of her way and let it happen as she wants it to.

And now a reward for reading all of my ramblings.  Here’s my crazy monkey on the monkey bars at the park.  She actually did this 5 or 6 times for me while I was trying to get a picture.  She’s such a good sport.  Also, a huge ham.  🙂

I love these pictures.  I’m kind of obsessed with taking pictures of Kate underwater and this was my favorite one from last year.  I’ve been saving it for some special paper.  🙂

Enter The Pier by Crate Paper.  I’m obsessed.  It has things like these chipboard slides.  ::drool::

Also these fun letters.  I stitched them in place.

 

 

 

 

We met some friends last week at the Zilker Botanical Gardens.  Wow!  This place is super cool.  I cant believe that I’ve never been before.They had a temporary exhibit going on which is tiny fairy houses nestled amongst the flowers.

Check out that tiny bridge!  These houses were amazing.

The girls thought they were pretty cool, but their favorite things?

Laying in the grass and terrorizing catching doodle bugs.  🙂

 

 

 

 

Oh Mister Huey’s.  Where have you been all my life?!?  I love the look of spray mists, but have been unable to make them look right until now.  I think I’m in love.  🙂

 

In fact, I’m considering buying some white cardstock.  ::gasp::  I made this layout using the filler paper from a page protector and, while it worked, it’s not as sturdy as I like.

I made some embellishment clusters with 2 strips of washi tape as the anchor.

I added a punched heart, a ticket cut out from a sheet of patterned paper, a brad, and a chipboard star.

For the biggest cluster I added more of the same.  This layout was a big change for me stylistically, but I *love* it.  I wish I had nestled the title together a bit more, putting the “walk” between the uprights of the “h” and “b” for example, but I think it was an excellent step into the world of misting.  🙂

 

 

 

I’m a bit behind this week, but I finished!  Here’s week 4.