Butterbees and Bumbleflies

Fall Tree Activities

There are a ton of fabulous fall tree activities out there, but I’ve really been striving to be somewhat original in my activities. All of my ideas are of course spurred from something I’ve seen online, and in no way am I saying I’m the first to ever do these this exact way… because I’m sure I’m not. But here are three activities we’ve done in the past couple weeks to create fall trees different ways, modifying someone else’s ideas.

I’m loving contact paper activities. I saw this post from Allison over at No Time for Flashcards, and it really got me thinking. One of the fine motor activities I haven’t really done with Becca is paper tearing. So, I gathered three sheets of construction paper – one each of red, yellow, and orange, and I did something I’m horrible at… I drew a tree on contact paper. (Draw it on the non-sticky side.) Then, I got out my painter’s tape and taped it – sticky side out – to one of our back door windows. And I taught Becca how to tear paper! We had a blast tearing our paper leaves, and sticking them on the tree. And, I left the paper where she could access it throughout the past couple weeks, and she has added more leaves as time has gone by. Despite my disdain for my drawing abilities, she immediately knew it was a tree, and has been very proud of her fall tree! So, I count this one as a success!

I love buttons. Like seriously LOVE buttons. As a kid, I loved going over to my Grandma’s house, pulling out her button drawer, and playing with all the buttons – sorting them, stacking them, whatever. Just digging my hands into them. I guess it was my very own “sensory bin” back before that was even a term. HA! The cool thing is that I now have a button box – that includes all of Grandma’s buttons, all of Cody’s Mima’s buttons from her sewing table, and quite a few new buttons that I’ve added myself. It’s an awesome resource, and a ton of fun! So I saw this post from Maggy at Red Ted Art, and it got me thinking – I could create a button tree with Becca that was specifically fall! So, I found a tree clipart online (after having learned my lesson on the contact paper tree… Mommy can do lots of things, but drawing just ain’t one of them!), and printed it on some beautiful textured blue card stock. (Want your own tree? Get the free printable here! I simply typed “winter tree clipart” in Google and found this tree from ClipartBest.com and made it fit like I wanted on my document… I’m saving you the work!) And after the tree was printed, we sifted through the button box, found some fabulous buttons, and then set to work. Becca placed each button where she wanted it, and I used the hot glue gun to stick them down. We had some serious fun making this tree, and I think it turned out simply beautiful. She is so proud of her button tree!

I knew I was going to do this post, so I stretched myself, and said, ok what’s at least one more way I can do a fall tree? I had to dig deep for this one. But, I used what we had laying around – tops to Becca’s favorite applesauce pouches (thank you, HEB!) and decided to work on her random number matching skills. The girl can count – like mad. But sometimes just seeing a number (beyond ten), recognizing it, and then being able to match it to itself out of order… well, that’s still a little rusty. So here’s what I did. I drew on a large sheet of construction paper (again, apology for my lack of drawing skills, but she knew it was a tree, so who cares?) a tree, and then traced around a pouch cap to be sure my circles were the right size. I covered the whole sheet in contact paper since laminating and using twenty mins later wasn’t an option… Then I labeled each pouch cap with a number, and colored the circles on the tree random colors… and labeled them with numbers as well. It helps a little because they aren’t all one color, so she knows that the orange ones on the paper will be from the peach applesauce pouches, and the red ones on the paper will be from the plain applesauce pouches – so it helps her check the numbers and make sure she’s on the right track. She keeps going back to this activity and pulling out new numbers. I’ve found that she likes to start the activity in the morning before we go anywhere – she’ll place one or two pouch caps – and then later in the day she’ll place three or four more, come back later and place a couple more… she just doesn’t have the energy or patience to do all twenty of them at one time. Which is fine with me. I plan to stick these pouch caps in a bag, and pull this back out next fall – when she should be able to do all of them in one setting.

Oct 8- found

Screen shot- of a verse I found while reading tonight in Proverbs 13. God once again reminding me and encouraging me that we are making good decisions as parents. I love days like today when I see Becca literally stop in her tracks, re-think a choice, and change her direction to obey. Progress is slow with our young Padawan, but she is learning!

In Memory…

October is breast cancer awareness month. The reminders are everywhere- and if you watch the NFL, it’s a bright pink reminder nearly all the players are toting around in some form or another. So many people have jumped on the early detection bandwagon (for lack of a better word), and I’m greatful they have!! I know personally several breast cancer survivors, and I appreciate the fact that it’s not taboo to talk about the importance of annual health checks – because early detection can truly save lives. I am so greatful for the lives that have been saved- and have impacted me. From a professor, to a mentor from church, a friend, and countless others- former coworkers, friends, and neighbors.

But October is also awareness month for something that IS still taboo to talk about. It’s a month when we remember the infants whom we have lost. Whether through miscarriage, at birth, just after birth, or through SIDS. People don’t talk about these losses. Like they are somehow taboo. I can talk about my boobs and say that my last breast screening was clear, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief, and says how great it is to have those check-ups. But when I announce that I had two miscarriages between Becca and Grayson, the room goes silent. Noone knows how to respond. I have several friends who have experienced similar losses. Miscarriages are the hidden struggle that MANY couples deal with. Alone. My doctor told me that 1 in 4 pregnancies doesn’t result in a live birth. 1 in 4. Most of them are termed “chemical” pregnancies- because the fertilized egg doesn’t correctly attach to the uterus wall, and therefore can’t receive the nutrients it needs to live. Lots of women who have chemical pregnancies don’t even know they are pregnant. I did. And I grieve that loss. I firmly believe that my little boy is in Heaven, waiting for the day Mommy will come- and he’ll greet me, along with his sibling whom we lost a little bit further in, at about 8 weeks (I’m not certain, but I think a girl), and they’ll have open arms waiting for me. I can’t wait to hold them both and hug them. And tell them how very much their Daddy and I love them. They are up there with three great aunts/uncles, and countless other angels that never saw the light of day until they saw the Light of Heaven.

They are also there with a sweet angel I’ll never forget. Her name is Sophia. She was born just a couple short weeks before Becca, and with every milestone Becca meets, I think of her- and of her family. Sophia was born with some major health problems, and only was here on earth for a very short 4 days. Her loss was catastrophic. She is truly an angel in Jesus’ arms. And I know she’s waiting to see her Mommy and Daddy and big brother again, too.

So for all those I love touched by breast cancer, I light a pink candle and think of you.

And for all those who have experienced the loss of a precious little angel, I light a blue candle (blue because of my first little boy) and think of you.

May God keep all of us near, and may we be encouraged that this world is not our home, and someday, we will see all of our loved ones again. Let’s work to get the word out- and not be afraid to speak up and talk about our losses.

Wacky Wednesday

Well, somehow we’re here again… to another Wednesday! My, how the days fly (and drag) by! Isn’t strange how when you’re in that moment of a toddler tantrum, the day seems to last forever, but then suddenly three have passed and all you did was blink? Yup.

“There’s another one hiccup in my mouth!”
Activity= “Actippery”
Sensory= “Sempory”
So Sensory Activities = “Sempory Actipperies…”
“Mommy, Can I have another one sempory actippery now?”
“Ok, I go do my nother one sempory actippery with the acorns now. I’m a little squeeerle.” (Squirrel)
“I want another one cracker please mommy. Thank you SO much!” (Note how we’re in a “another one” phase?)
“I’m Sister, this is Brother. Hi Baby Brother!” Then later on – “I’m Sister, this is Brother, and this is Mommy.” She could definitely do introductions for us anytime. She knows who we all are!
Becca: “Come here little bunny rabbit! Hop hop hop!” (Hops around and then says) “I’m not a bunny rabbit any more, Mommy.”
Me:”What are you?”
Becca:”I’m a kitty cat! Come here little kitty cat! Meow meow meow! I’m a kitty cat, Mommy.” This girl. You never know what animal she’s going to be.
When her Daddy laid down on the couch to attempt an afternoon nap after work: “It’s good morning time Daddy! The sun come up for you!” Poor Daddy. She bugged him til he got up. Though she did lay down next to him for two seconds and pretend to be sleeping, too.