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magpiegirl

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Everything posted by magpiegirl

  1. I didn't mention it above, but the small groups are just 6 people so you make and mail 5 busy bag activities to the other moms and receive 5 different ones in return. The groups are small enough that some moms are opting to join more than one, and also if you have kiddos in different age groups, you can join more than one group and not get overwhelmed.
  2. Hello! I just wanted you all to know about this really fun group that I created - a busy bag exchange group. It started last month on Facebook and has grown to take over a forum page on the internet. Lots of creative families are making simple learning activities to send through the mail to their small groups and receiving a variety of fun things in the mail in return. This is purely a volunteer organization (no profits being made). We will have sign up for March groups open until March 7th, and busy bags for March must be mailed by April 1st. If all goes well, we plan to make it a monthly event. We have age groups from newborn all the way up to age 12, and some fun specialty groups this month including an Eric Carle group, Harry Potter group, felt food exchange group, quiet book age exchange group, mama gift exchange group and a special "giving" group where people volunteer to make one extra busy bag activity and send it to a family in crisis. This group is open to families in the U.S. and Canada. If you want to join, here are the important links: Our Facebook group (not required to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/busybagexchange/ Our Forum (required): http://busybagexchange.proboards.com/index.cgi Our sign up form (required to participate for March): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dDc1b3p4eThPcU1TNXpXRnc3T2d6bGc6MQ#gid=0 After you register at the forum (free) you can read all of our information to get an idea of the rules and guidelines. Also, more than 50 photos of the busy bag activities that people made and mailed in February can be viewed on our Facebook page. Thanks for looking! Melisa
  3. Hello! I just wanted you all to know about this really fun group that I created - a busy bag exchange group. It started last month on Facebook and has grown to take over a forum page on the internet. Lots of creative families are making simple learning activities to send through the mail to their small groups and receiving a variety of fun things in the mail in return. This is purely a volunteer organization (no profits being made). We will have sign up for March groups open until March 7th, and busy bags for March must be mailed by April 1st. If all goes well, we plan to make it a monthly event. We have age groups from newborn all the way up to age 12, and some fun specialty groups this month including an Eric Carle group, Harry Potter group, felt food exchange group, quiet book age exchange group, mama gift exchange group and a special "giving" group where people volunteer to make one extra busy bag activity and send it to a family in crisis. This group is open to families in the U.S. and Canada. If you want to join, here are the important links: Our Facebook group (not required to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/busybagexchange/ Our Forum (required): http://busybagexchange.proboards.com/index.cgi Our sign up form (required to participate for March): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dDc1b3p4eThPcU1TNXpXRnc3T2d6bGc6MQ#gid=0 After you register at the forum (free) you can read all of our information to get an idea of the rules and guidelines. Also, more than 50 photos of the busy bag activities that people made and mailed in February can be viewed on our Facebook page. Thanks for looking! Melisa
  4. Hello! I just wanted you all to know about this really fun group that I created - a busy bag exchange group. It started last month on Facebook and has grown to take over a forum page on the internet. Lots of creative families are making simple learning activities to send through the mail to their small groups and receiving a variety of fun things in the mail in return. This is purely a volunteer organization (no profits being made). We will have sign up for March groups open until March 7th, and busy bags for March must be mailed by April 1st. If all goes well, we plan to make it a monthly event. We have age groups from newborn all the way up to age 12, and some fun specialty groups this month including an Eric Carle group, Harry Potter group, felt food exchange group, quiet book age exchange group, mama gift exchange group and a special "giving" group where people volunteer to make one extra busy bag activity and send it to a family in crisis. This group is open to families in the U.S. and Canada. If you want to join, here are the important links: Our Facebook group (not required to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/busybagexchange/ Our Forum (required): http://busybagexchange.proboards.com/index.cgi Our sign up form (required to participate for March): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dDc1b3p4eThPcU1TNXpXRnc3T2d6bGc6MQ#gid=0 After you register at the forum (free) you can read all of our information to get an idea of the rules and guidelines. Also, more than 50 photos of the busy bag activities that people made and mailed in February can be viewed on our Facebook page. Thanks for looking! Melisa
  5. Hi there! I've been organizing a Busy Bag Exchange by mail if any of you want to join in. We are finalizing our groups today. We have almost 100 people participating in US and Canada and have small exchange groups of 6 people in age categories ranging from newborn to age 12. You make and mail 5 busy bags per group, and then receive 5 different ones back. Mailing deadline is March 1st and they are supposed to be simple, inexpensive busy bags. Please visit our forum and register, where you can read all about it and sign up for groups here:http://busybagexchange.proboards.com/index.cgi We also have a Facebook group, but Facebook has been having glitches in their groups and erasing comments, so we have moved to the forum to organize - but you are also welcome to check out our FB group. If you want some examples of busy bags and you are on Pinterest, you can check out my toddler/preschool activities board and my older kids board here: http://pinterest.com/pixiekidstoys/ and there are also links to examples on the forum. We are absolutely finalizing groups for this exchange today, so sign up soon if you want in Melisa
  6. Hi there! I've been organizing a Busy Bag Exchange by mail if any of you want to join in. We are finalizing our groups today. We have almost 100 people participating in US and Canada and have small exchange groups of 6 people in age categories ranging from newborn to age 12. You make and mail 5 busy bags per group, and then receive 5 different ones back. Mailing deadline is March 1st and they are supposed to be simple, inexpensive busy bags. Please visit our forum and register, where you can read all about it and sign up for groups here:http://busybagexchange.proboards.com/index.cgi We also have a Facebook group, but Facebook has been having glitches in their groups and erasing comments, so we have moved to the forum to organize - but you are also welcome to check out our FB group. If you want some examples of busy bags and you are on Pinterest, you can check out my toddler/preschool activities board and my older kids board here: http://pinterest.com/pixiekidstoys/ and there are also links to examples on the forum. We are absolutely finalizing groups for this exchange today, so sign up soon if you want in:) Melisa
  7. These are some great suggestions, I really appreciate it! Melisa
  8. My husband and I would like to learn Latin along with our DS8. I got the Minimus books from the swap board, but I feel like we need something more introductory, more comprehensive, and with pronunciation keys. The Minimus books are great, but I see them as a supplement. Any suggestions? I'm looking at the Rosetta Stone software because I've tested it out before for Spanish and at least know what I'm getting. We need something fun, easy to implement, and secular. A supplement that could be listened to in the car would also be nice. Thanks in advance! Melisa
  9. If I were you, I would investigate and research the district curriculums that are in use in your area. Every curriculum has strengths and weaknesses - then you could design your afterschooling to truly complement the program rather than "reteaching." One thing that I notice, working in a school, is that science, history, geography and art are virtually non-existent in traditional classrooms in this day and age of No Child Left Behind. Most students get 90-180 minutes of language instruction per day, 90 minutes of math instruction, then little time for anything else. You might want to leave the math and language alone for awhile (unless you see a major need) and concentrate on the areas that may not get much time in the classroom. Also, most traditional classrooms give a lot of homework, and it might be too overwhelming to do what you are proposing on top of their required homework. I'd keep the diagramming sentences and intensive math supplements for holiday and summer break times and try to spend as much time outside of homework time enjoying learning with your kids - do science experiments, cook together (great for math!) read great books together, create art, explore nature, etc. Just my 2 cents! Melisa
  10. Hi! I started a yahoo group for advanced readers and most of the members are between 10-15. It's called "Gateway to the Great Books" and here is the site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gatewaytothegreatbooks/ Here is our schedule for 2008 if you are interested: **March: Begin reading Watership Down by Richard Adams to discuss on April 10th. April (begin discussion on April 10th): Finish and discuss Watership Down by Richard Adams May (begin discussion on May 10th): Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen June (begin discussion on June 10th): Walden by Henry David Thoreau July (begin discussion on July 10th): Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte August (begin discussion on August 10th): The Story of My Life by Helen Keller September (begin discussion on September 10th): The Call of the Wild by Jack London October (begin discussion on October 10th): Story of the Greeks by H.A. Guerber **November: Begin David Copperfield by Charles Dickens December (begin discussion on December 10th): Finish and discuss David Copperfield by Charles Dickens January (begin discussion on January 10th): Story of the Romans by H.A. Guerber They are definately some that are more "girl books" (at least probably according to a ten year old boy) but he is welcomed to participate in any of the readings if he wishes. Melisa
  11. My DS6.5 thinks that George should explore on the atomic level next time. His favorite insult right now (in joking) is "what a weak boson!" <giggle> The idea definately has possibilities :) Does anyone else have any related suggestions for books for the young science fanatic? Melisa
  12. My DS6.5 is in a public Montessori class and has had impulse control issues (likely ADHD but not seeking an official diagnosis right now) since he was a toddler. Last year in a regular kindergarten class, I think he spent half his time on the "quiet carpet" for talking out of turn and the other half of his time being bored to tears with coloring. This year is so much better and part of it is that his teacher is sooooo great with accomodations for him and intervening before he gets "past the point of no return". Some of the things we've tried that work - Brain Gym exercises (google "Brain Gym" or talk to an Occupational Therapist), scratching his back and giving him a back scratcher when he seems to be getting tense (when most of the impulse control that he DOES have tends to go out the window) having him do heavy lifting or things that exercise his proprioceptive sense - tightening and releasing muscles. His teacher has him go tighten screws on all of the stools in the classroom with a wrench and this works out tension for him. She is also really good (much better than me, I must admit) with keeping a calm tone with him and not reacting when he gets like that. This seems to calm him down. Now the kid still runs in the halls every chance he gets and occasionally gets sucked into a dispute that he should stay out of with his friends but I have to emphasize that the difference between his behavior this year and last with all of these interventions is like night and day. One more thing that calms him down and seems to help impulse control, although I don't quite know the exact connection yet (probably part of the gifted thing) is that he does EPGY math at an accellerated level. 20 minutes working on challenging math for him seems to have an overall relaxing effect on him. Sometimes when he gets tense or tired of waiting he asks me to give him math problems to do. I guess when things seem all discombobulated for the little guy, he like the order of math. Melisa
  13. My DS6.5 just discovered the recent book by Stephen and Lucy Hawking called "George's Secret Key to the Universe" and we are loving it so far. I thought I'd pass it on - it's "targeted" to 9-12 year olds. Melisa
  14. I just thought of this as my DS came and asked me to get down his toy aircraft carrier. I've put most of the toys in boxes by category and have them stored in closets and labeled. DS knows what is there and all he has to do is ask for something and I'll get it down - but ONLY after he picks up the last box of something that he had. In order to get the aircraft carrier down, I asked him to go pick up his box of dress up clothes from yesterday. It doesn't keep his room totally clean, but it does help a lot and there aren't usually overflows into the rest of the house :) This is a little more difficult for a three-year-old, though. I do think that having toys out of sight also makes them more fun when you suprise them sometime by getting down something that they have forgotten about. This is something I learned from my mom who had an in-home day care for years and she followed it religiously. Her daycare area was always clutter-free at the end of the day. Melisa
  15. I agree with this, although it is hard. I've also had some good suggestions from Flylady (http://www.flylady.net) although I don't use them all. She has you start small with your maintenance of your home, which helps me because I get overwhelmed. I've also been getting good ideas from the "once a month cooking" type of websites out there about how to cook multiple meals ahead of time and freeze them. My favorite cookbook is "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. This book is AWESOME and I use my slow cooker at LEAST once a week. This saves so much time and stress between getting home from school and dinner time so that I can pay attention to other things. The house gets pretty cluttery by the end of the week, but I try to keep up with the laundry and dishes as we go. Either Saturday or Sunday my DH and I spend a few hours cleaning and try to at the very least straighten and clean the kitchen, vaccuum and sanitize the bathrooms. My DS6.5 has certain jobs that he is required to do all the time (like picking up his own laundry, cleaning the litter box) but on weekends he has the opportunity to earn some money for extra jobs like folding all the laundry, picking up sticks in the yard, mopping the kitchen floor (with a child sized mop) and usually he does at least one of these things. He doesn't get much - 50 cents to a couple dollars depending on how much time is spent on it (and we require NO complaining in order to be paid - this is a big deal in our house because I'm not paying him to hear him complain about a job for an hour, lol!) Another thing - routine is a good thing. At least for us it is. We try to limit outside activities during the school week, but it's hard since I am on three committees and we try to work out also. We have a rule about DS being in one sport at a time. Right now he is doing gymnastics at the rec center twice a week while DH and I work out (otherwise this would definatley never get done). Other times he does soccer. We try not to eat any later than 6:30 and immediately after that we start our bedtime routine, even though DS goes to bed at 8:30 (sometimes a bit earlier if he is tired). I aim for getting to the "reading" part of our bedtime routine no later than 7:45 and sometimes this is hard. For afterschooling - most days during the school week I have DS read for 20 minutes (which he can do while I wash dishes or make dinner) and do his EPGY program (math) on the computer for 20 minutes. Sometimes this happens before school, sometimes after school. We also run through spelling words. I read aloud daily - try for 30 minutes at the very least. Most of the other extra stuff is reserved for weekends, like projects that take time or make a mess. I do try to plan for the projects so that we have our supplies on hand by the time the weekend comes. Hang in there - part of what I had to do is sort of lower my expectations for myself too, lol! You can't do everything! Melisa
  16. Our favorites (besides Raold Dahl and the Harry Potter books, because you already have that!) have included: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (my DS6.5 just LOVES this book, and anything by this author, it's very out-doorsy!) Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (you wouldn't believe the vocabulary in this book, but since most kids are already familiar with the story, comprehension really shouldn't be a problem) The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Holling C. Holling books like "Paddle To The Sea" - this book looks short but it is very very detailed. Melisa
  17. I love it that people reading this thread were encouraged to give this book another try. About the "disobedience" in the book - it's been great reading it aloud to my DS6.5 who can be quite mischevious himself at times. We talk about right and wrong and the consequences of Tom's actions in every chapter - it's really been a great story for teaching! I was suprised, too, how much my DS hates Tom's brother Sid - another good lesson here in how pointing out other's bad behavior all the time can also be an unattractive trait in a person. The only parts that DS rolls his eyes at are the parts about Becky Thatcher - he's in that "girls are gross" stage right now, lol! Melisa
  18. My son really likes "Popular Mechanics for Kids". It's a Canadian show from about the mid-nineties and covers a lot of science topics. You can get dvds on amazon for pretty cheap. We also love Bill Nye the Science Guy, but it's so expensive - we've managed to get a few from the library and watch some on youtube. I know there is someone on ebay who "sells" rentals of his Bill Nye dvds that might work well for a road trip - I've never used it though. Netflix has the "100 Greatest Discoveries" Bill Nye series that is supposed to be much more serious, but good. I haven't seen it yet. For history, I really like the Michael Wood "In the Footsteps" series. Netflix has it as well as my library. I haven't tried this for a child as mine is just six. I think an older child might be interested. He goes to historical places in this series to travel "in the footsteps" of historical figures. I've seen the Shakespeare, Troy and Alexander the Great ones and they are all good, especially the Shakespeare one. Melisa
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