WIKI Contributor Button and Thanks for the much needed love!!!

I have a button for those that are posting to our WIKI- if you have added stuff to our WIKI. Let me know what you think of the look/size. For those that are contributing, just copy the html code in the box and paste on your blog or website!

<a href="http://thehometeacher.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq117/ktoponce/wikicontributebuttonmedium.png" /></a><br/>

I recently received a couple of blogging awards that I would like to mention:

The first one is from Eva- an incredible blogger over at Handmade Beginnings. She presented me with the Awesome Award-

and I have to mention 7 things that make me Awesome (I should be saying Awe-summm but I had to correct the spelling while I typed- theres my OCD and spelling teacher coming through):

1. I make awesome lessons plans for my daughter (thanks to all the help from you!)

2. I have an awesome family that I love to pieces and fortunately they love me back!

3. I can make awesome homemade chicken pot pie

4. I have an awesome playroom/learning center for my daughter

5. I have an awesome rock collection from back in the day when I was going to be a geologist
6. My husband and I play awesome piano duets

7. I am an awesome dvd/ video editor! I just wish I had more time to do it!

Now I get to share this award with 7 awesome bloggers!
1. Orange Juice
2. ABC and 123
3. No Time for Flashcards
4. This sweet life of ours
5. The Fifth Street Palace
6. The Activity Mom
7. Superheroes and Princesses

The second award comes from my pal Jen over at Three Scoops of Chaos:

I would like to pass this award to Mozi Esmé- she has an amazing blog that is so much fun to read!

THANKS for all that love and recognition!! It feels good to get a pat on the back sometimes!!

Happy Teaching and Wiki-ing!!! :)

Letter Day Preview- Bb

I knew that our Bb day would be a blast! There are SO many activities to do with the letter B. In our busy day, we colored in our B book, ate dinner at a local Burger restaurant, celebrated Grandma's birthday (in which she received bracelets and books), and played with balloons! We also saw some bugs outside!

letter B coloring book

I will admit that we didn't do as much as I had wanted- but I was attending a conference and that limited my teaching time with my daughter. Despite all of this- she still picked up on the b sound! Good thing I will come back and go into the letters more in depth!
Happy Teaching! Tomorrow is C day and all things Canada!!!

For a more detailed description please check out our WIKI and look under the ABC link. I have posted some fun activities as well as videos, printables, music, and more!

Letter Day Preview- Aa

Hooray for A day!!! We had a fun day with this letter! My husband took our daughter to the airplane museum, colored the letter Aa, ate dried apples and drank apple juice for a snack, watched the Letter Factory and worked on the short a sound, and ate at Arby's! That's a lot of A's crammed into one day!
Did I do everything on my list? Heavens no! But that's why I consider this ABC month as more of a preview of all the letters. When I decide to do letters of the week, I will have more time to accomplish all of the other fun activities!
Happy Teaching!!!
For a more detailed description please check out our WIKI and look under the ABC link. I have posted some fun activities as well as videos, printables, music, and more!

I am in love with Letter Factory

I have listened to MANY of you teachin' mommies out there about this educational video called the Learning Factory. We were at a video store last night and picked it up- and I am already in love!We have watched it two times- and my daughter (at a little under 2 years old) is already saying the letter sounds! Yipee!!!! And it coordinates so well with her little leapfrog magnetic alphabet set (another new LOVE)... With this DVD, I think teaching the ABC's will be as easy as......well, ABC!

The Letter A is on our Wiki (or What I have been doing for the past 3 hours...)

I am putting together the alphabet pages over on our wiki site...Please go check it out! I only have the letter A done- but you are more than welcome to add your ideas to any letter (be patient with me as I put the pages together..) I am searching the web and sites like ABC and 123 and posting some of my favorite ideas for each letter.... as well as links to educational videos (my little one loves to watch videos on the computer). I am trying to get letters A-F done this weekend. So far, A is the only one done though!
As you can see, I am hoping that this will be a great resource for you in teaching the ABC's and that you will add some ideas of your own!!! Don't be shy- I love collaborating with other mommies!!

July's ABC Calendar

Here is my ABC calendar for July. I am getting really excited about this plan- esp. since Itty Bitty Curriculum will officially kick off in August. I am utilizing the last 2 days in June- I wanted July 1st to be "C" for Canada Day and then the fourth of July will be "F".... four, fireworks, and family! I have been keeping an "ABC Notebook" with some ideas for each letter (not so tech savvy, but hey- it works!) All the ideas that don't get accomplished can be used for the letter of the week. (if we decide to do that- if we do, it will be later on when my little one can learn to write the letters)


I am going to be posting our ABC ideas throughout the month on this blog as well as files available for download on our WIKI.... (thanks to all those that are adding stuff- I appreciate it!!!)
Happy Teaching!! :)

I hate spides!!! Augh!!!!!

So I was going through my blog feeds this afternoon since little Boo is taking her nap. I came across this great post on organizing educational activities-
handmadebeginnings.blogspot.com/2009/06/getting-organized
While in the middle of my commenting to this post, I looked at my unorganized teaching drawers to see how I could implement this idea and to my HORROR saw this:


I hate spiders!!! I brought down the Fabreeze to squirt the yucky spider to death (couldn't find the windex) but instead was able to courageously dump the nasty thing into the toilet and flush it far, far away. Good thing I was brave enough to clean it out so we could color today!!!

ABC planning nearing an end....

I have feverishly (literally- with some yucky cold virus) been putting together my ABC plans for my little Boo. After much thought.... I am thinking that I will make July and August my "ABC Prepareness" months prior to doing a letter a week. WHY you may ask??? I am way too impatient and the thought of WAITING 5 months before my daughter knows all 26 letters is driving me batty. I also think that she would benefit more by having the shorter amounts of time with one letter... this will allow her to have background knowledge on the alphabet when we do the letter a week. Don't get the impression that she is completely unaware of the ABCs now- she (on her own somehow) knows the letters k and m- and she'll blurt out to bless the BC's (as she calls them) during prayer! :)
I just want to spend one day focused on one letter with an art project, puppet, snacks, and fingerplays.
Any thoughts on this plan?

Getting Ready for the Alphabet

I had hoped to have the time to set up my Alphabet Kit by tomorrow so I could do a week of alphabet fun before we do the a letter a week. But that didn't happen, so we will work on getting that ready for next week. My Boo has some colored sterilite drawers in her playroom with blocks. books on tape, and other small toys- I have cleared out a couple that I want to use for alphabet activities such as magnetic letters or an ABC puzzle (still need to get).
I wanted to show you a few of the things that I have collected for our ABC kit.

1. Alphabet rug- we bought this a year ago at Lakeshore Learning on sale. It has been her playroom rug and now I hope to incorporate some sorting and matching activities with it.
2. I have a big blank book to make a Baby&Mommy Made Alphabet Book- there is one page per letter. Not sure what I will put on each page- any ideas of course are always welcome!
3. Alphabet stickers- variety of colors. Fun for a collage, or to wear a selected letter during the week we are focusing on it.
4. I have puppet outlines for each of the letters- this is something I think that my little one will have fun with! This will become part of the weekly letter focus curriculum for sure!
5. Cute LITTLE metal letters for scrapbooking. I want to use this somehow in either a necklace (where I weekly add the focus letter) or some other cute craft.
6. I bought this book awhile ago that has some pretty cheezy learning songs... not anything I would run out and buy again, but since I already have it I figured I would use it. There is a song for each letter of the alphabet (a little tricky I think for a tot, but then again, my Brainy Boo just said her first sentence tonight "I see the ball." I am so proud of her!!)

So here are the BEGINNINGS of an extremely fabulous and educational ABC kit. I want to add materials such as alphabet stamps, flashcards, cookie cutters, coloring sheets, list of websites, a cute letter to post on an ABC wall (put one up weekly, by the end of the learning time there will be the whole alphabet on display). My mind is going 100 miles an hour with ideas UNFORTUNATELY my frail little body says otherwise.
Stay tuned for more additions and PLEASE let me know if you have any fun suggestions! :)

Honest Scrapper Tag

I was tagged a few days ago by my blogging pal at Orange Juice. I have been thinking about the answers while laying in bed with the flu- I'm feeling a bit better today so I thought I would write up my response!!


The rules are:
* tell everyone 10 things about you they may not know, but are true
*tag 5 bloggers with the award

10 things about me:

1. I don't have a favorite color. If you were to ask me my favorite color, I might freeze for a bit. I mean, I love different colors for different things. I love the bright green of trees but I don't like wearing green. I wouldn't paint a wall pink but I like my pink phone. I think everytime I am asked that question I answer with a different color. Is there something drastically wrong with me 'cuz I don't have a favorite color????
2. Planning fun things is almost as much fun (if not equal to) as actually doing them. I get a great thrill out of collaborating and collecting materials and events. Dream Job- an Anniversary Planner (not as stressful as weddings). My husband and I plan these culture-themed anniversaries each year and I have to tell you they are not only memorable but a lot of fun. Including the planning!!! :)
3. I am an extremely picky eater. I hate to admit that- I don't like people thinking that I dislike their meals. I just have a hard time eating food with weird textures- like clams in chowder. So if I have ever been to your house and not eaten- it's not your food, it's my issue!!
4. My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice- BBC edition. Collin Firth makes the BEST Mr. Darcy. And as a side note- I thought the line "You bewitch me, body and soul" from the latest P&P movie was actually in the book. I read the entire book expecting that line at the end. I was a little disappointed, I must admit, to not read that climatic line. :(
5. Favorite book is Jane Eyre. It took me awhile to read it- in fact, I got the book as a present about 15 years ago and just recently read it for the first time. It is a little hard to get into, I admit, but once you are involved with the characters this story becomes vibrantly real and you FEEL so much hope, despair, agony, and joy. I haven't seen a movie that is an equal to the book- so take the time to read it if you haven't yet!
6. My dream home would be designed completely by Pottery Barn. I LOVE that store!! They have the cutest dishes, linens, furniture, organizational ideas,... everything! A girl can dream- right? As of right now we have a grand total of 2 items from that heavenly store.
   
7. I usually don't like ice cream. It's not a treat I have ever really enjoyed. As a kid I would sit at the table stirring a bowl of vanilla ice cream until it turned into a liquid. Then I would drink it. :) If I had to pick my favorite kind of ice cream it would be cake batter. Put that in a waffle cone and I'll happily eat it up.
   
8. My favorite shoes are flip flops. I am a pretty casual person so they suit my style well. And they are comfortable! :)
9. I don't have a favorite flower. As in #1- I like different flowers for different occasions. I think daisies are sweet, roses are elegant, and lilacs have a delicious smell. I love the color and natural look of a spray of wild flowers. I think a row of tulips in bloom can brighten any garden.
10. As you have probably guessed, I struggle with making decisions!!! I can't decide on a favorite color or flower- let alone what we are having for dinner for the week!!! And this is the #1 reason I hate shopping- I can't choose what to buy!

I need to tag 5 people- if you are reading this post and want to participate, then TAG you're it!!

Well, it's time to rest... still need as much as I can get. I hate being sick!!!!

Picnic Talk- Arts and Crafts

As with all picnics (on rainy days), it seems that there is at least one person with a runny nose or miserable cough. That person would be me. So if I am incoherent or babbling non stop- you'll know why!

Today I am going to post 5 artsy/crafty projects that I have done with my Boo to inspire the artist in your little one.

1. Bunny footprint Craft- Read more about this craft here. I really like this craft because it showcases my daughter's little feet as well as her thumbprint (nose).








2. Who says art can't be yummy? We had fun mixing the food coloring in with the white frosting. Here we are trying to frost some fish cookies to go along with Dr. Seuss' Book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. The blue frosting was too tempting for my little one!





3. When my daughter was itty bitty we would fingerpaint with different colored applesauce. It was messy but she had a blast!







4. Paper lanterns- a very easy and festive decoration for any holiday!











5. We won the Itty Bitty Curriculum from an ABC/123 Giveaway a little while ago. Here my daughter is showing off her monkey art project that went with the book "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" She had a blast making this monkey- and it is SO cute to see her make the monkey "jump" on the bed while I read the story! I am excited to use more of this great curriculum's projects!

A Color Movie

It has been awhile since we celebrated our color days. I made my daughter a little video of what we did each day to help enforce learning the colors. (since she loves to watch movies of herself I thought -why not make them semi-educational???) Here is OUR YELLOW DAY for you to enjoy!!!

Picnic Table Talk- The Alphabet

It's Thursday and that means only one thing in the teaching blogosphere- Picnic Talk! This is a great way to collaborate with other home teachers! This week's theme is the alphabet- which I love because I am in the process of developing my alphabet plan for my little Boo. So if you plan on posting your picnic talk to ABC and 123 I will most likely read it! I need all the ideas I can get my hands on!!

I thought I would share an ABC list of 26 different ways to learn the alphabet!
A- create Art projects with each letter of the alphabet! This is also where I am tying in a brief ABC book review- I checked out Art Across the Alphabet from the library and they have some cute ideas!
B- play with ABC Bean Bags or Blocks
C- Clap the letters as you recite the ABC's (my daughter loves to clap along as I sing them to her)
D- make a Dance to the ABC song
E- Eat the letters! Use alphabet cookie cutters to cut out letters in their sandwiches or find foods that already incorporate the alphabet- such as Alphabits cereal or the alphabet tater tots.
F- Foam letters- lots of fun in the bath tub!
G- play a fun ABC Guessing Game where you spy a letter, and your little one tries guesses
H- make an ABC Hat using all letters of the alphabet, or practice Handwriting with each of the letters
I- use your iPod by creating a podcast of your little one saying the ABC's
J- Jump up and down while reciting the ABC's
K- crown an ABC King (or queen) for the day that is in charge of everything alphabet, or make an ABC Kite
L-Listen to cool alphabet songs- such as A you're Adorable
M- alphabet Magnets- no fridge is complete without 'em!
N- make an ABC Necklace with beads
O- make 26 ABC Object boxes with things around the house that start with each letter of the alphabet
P-Paint the letters
Q- ask Questions to the grown ups (students become the teacher and ask us to identify the abc's)
R- Read lots of different ABC books, or think of a Rhyme for each letter of the alphabet
S- Stamp the letters, Sign language, or make Sandpaper letters
T- Trace the letters with stencils
U- create a banner of the alphabet Universe- with a different planet for each letter (and draw, cut/paste objects of that letter to each planet)
V- use different Voices to say the ABC's - such as scary voice, whisper voice, even a mommy voice!
W- go on a Walk and hunt for the ABC's in your neighborhood!
X- become an eXpert of the ABC's by creating a letter project showing off your new skill (make a collage poster, create a video, write your own ABC book)
Y- You Tube alphabet videos (my daughter requests the Elmo Alphabet song OVER and OVER)
Z- search for the ABC's at the Zoo