Christmas Break Catch-Up

We've been going full throttle since Thanksgiving, which is part of why I've neglected my blog. But, with a wonderful 2-week break upon us, it's time for some catch up.

I think the biggest news of the last few weeks has been our health. I haven't had any stomach trouble or episodes of nausea in several weeks. Lately, I've had to watch my diet closely and be careful eating/drinking to minimize feeling awful. The upside is, fat and alcohol seem to be triggers for me feeling bad...so it's easy to maintain my goal weight! Other than a case of tennis elbow, I'm hanging in!

Devin may have set some sort of record. She was healthy & didn't miss a day of school until this week. She went from August 15th to December 15th...4 months without a sniffle. This week, she caught a cold and we kept her home a few days. After 2 days, she was actually ASKING to return to school. She also chose to attend a Parent's Day Out afternoon, we were thrilled.

This is round one of Xmas sugar cookie decorating. Years ago, I found THE BEST recipe for sugar cookie cutouts and frosting. They're very easy to make and delicious. Not too sweet, since all the frosting and candy add enough.

Devin has been sewing up a storm at school. Her teachers report that it's one of her favorite activities and she can focus for long periods of time on finishing her work. I thought these owls were precious.

But, then she brought home this tiny gingerbread house. So sweet:)

We all worked on Xmas decorations around the house. The website "Pinterest" is my new time sucker and I find all kinds of inspirational ideas browsing those pins. For our mantle, I used Ball jars, my Grandma's red glasses and epsom salt for snow. It really twinkles and shines at night, which was my goal.

I had a crazy idea to visit the Kentucky Expo Flea Market-Christmas Show last weekend. As you can see, we were not exactly dressed to see santa. But, Devin insisted and she got her wish. I think we'll take a mall trip this week, in a more Christmas'y' dress. Plus, you can't tell Santa enough times how much you want an American Girl Doll....apparently.

So, this week was Devin's first Holiday Performance for school. Her class (and all classes) rehearsed for weeks & she was very excited for the evening.

Although, she was a bit apprehensive in the first moments. The church was BIG!

Once her friends arrived, she was all smiles.

Thanks to Matt for even attempting pictures. I don't have a telephoto lens yet ($$$) and I wanted to just enjoy the music and the moment. This gives a slight glimpse into the coolness of having 3-6 year olds in one class. Devin can be a leader and a learner in her class. She loves to help the younger children learn how to thread a needle or show them a more advanced lesson. But, she also sees the 6 year olds reading and doing more sophisticated math lessons...which is a big motivator for her.

This is the last time we'll see Miss Katie for a while. She's (obviously) going to deliver in the next few weeks and then take 3 months off....so Devin will have to adjust. She is the lead teacher and Devin is very attached. Luckily, the assistant teacher is Montessori certified and will take over as the lead teacher. They also found a 3 month substitute, to help with consistency. I'm sure I will get some subbing opportunities, during the cold winter months!

(Small) Lady in the Water

We spent a week in Destin, Florida & this was Dev's first trip to the beach. She was thrilled to be missing school, riding on an airplane and renting a new car. It's the small things, right?

Here's her first touch of the ocean...

When the sun was out, the warmth felt amazing. The water, however, was too cold for swimming. But, that didn't stop our little lady. She was so drawn to the water, it was hard to stop her. She spent one afternoon jumping waves and having a blast in the ocean, with her swimsuit on. But, mostly we searched for shells and dodged jellyfish.

She found a struggling little butterfly in the sand & gently brushed off it's wings.

One highlight was the Dolphin Cruise. Devin got a chance to drive the boat!

It was beautiful to see the animals living freely and investigating our boat.

This day it was way too cold to be in the water and the red flags were up for rough waves and current.

I love the hair horns she's sprouted. That's the result of a small round brush getting hopelessly tangled in her hair and I had to cut it at the root.

But, there's plenty of hair to go around. That's for sure.

Some Late Halloween Photos

I forgot to post a few pictures from Halloween. We took a walk down the famous Halloween street, on a warm and wonderful late October day. Just about every house decorates a little, some go all out.

My little jack-o-lantern has lost another tooth (on the bottom) since this picture!

This is Dev's lead teacher doing some pumpkin carving. Nothing like a long, sharp knife near a pregnant tummy to make me very nervous. But, she did a great job and the children were thrilled. As the room mom, I spent the day helping at the annual Harvest Festival. We painted pumpkins, scooped seeds, toasted the seeds and ate pumpkin muffins. It was a wonderful look into Devin's school world and how their day functions.

This was one of the houses from Hillcrest Street. The aquarium was on and bubbling.

Halloween Prep

Devin and I have a few events we're supposed to dress up for this Halloween, so I was trying to decide what to be. She chose Rapunzel ages ago...as in the day after the last Halloween. We watched Tangled last weekend and I decided to be Mother Gothel. A quick Google search turned up homemade patterns and the like, but no actual costume I could buy. A ran across a blog describing her costuming and it mentioned a Renaissance dress.

So, Dev and I visited Caufield's. We're year round customers, even though the manager said around 60% of their yearly revenue comes in October. I found this dress, which actually looks a lot like the mean ol' Mother Gothel. We chose a wig with lots of frizzy, black hair.

Everyone should visit Caufield's in Louisville, at least once.

Our mantle:

Yesterday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather & went to the driving range. Devin thought we were going to get a cart and play the par 3 course, but we'll save that for next time!

I was surprised to see this picture....both her feet are off the ground and one hand is off the club. She was really getting into it, apparently.

We finished up with some putting practice & headed home for rest and dinner. In true Devin fashion she asked, "Can we come back and play golf tomorrow????"

Cool Montessori Short

This is a cool and very basic explanation of Montessori vs. Traditional learning:

Montessori Fast Draw

I noticed myself (at the Open House) urging prospective parents to visit the classrooms in action. Last year, when I visited the school for my observation time, the deal was sealed for me. I watched children deep in concentration, uninterrupted...doing what they were interested in that day. I observed several children interested in puzzles and working together. I also saw 2 kids decide that it was snack time and fix themselves some yogurt and fruit. A few others were working independently on practical life works.

The more I learn about Montessori, the more I love it.

Open House-The Journey Continues

This past weekend was MSL's (Montessori School of Louisville) first Open House of the year. Devin's teacher asked if we would like to attend the event, with Devin showing how she "works" in the classroom. It was fun for me to watch her in action, as we haven't started classroom observations yet. Her comfort and knowledge of the space, warmed my heart.

One of her favorite works is the Africa puzzle. It's a daunting thing, with no words and no key. Parents filed in and out of the room, observing her concentration and talking with me about our experience. (She finished this by herself...which I'm not sure I could do!)

The school is as waste-free as possible, using real cloths and dishes. No paper or plastic! Another of Dev's favorite works is laundry. She loves to roll and organize the washcloths. This is carrying over nicely to home, as she helps with the dish towels and washcloths.

Zinnia from the school's garden and the sponge ready to clean up after lunch.

The children change into slippers, before entering the classroom. This helps keep the space clean, as well as the children comfortable. Devin's rocking furry flip-flops:)

They go outside unless the weather is really bad...it's great to have her rain gear at school all the time.

I had to capture the peacefulness of the room's "Peace Corner." This is a space the children can go to relax. Dev says, "...only one child is allowed at at time."

We also attended a 50th Wedding Anniversary party this weekend. 50 years! Wow!

When the weather cooperates, Devin's been interested in hitting golf balls. When she connects, it's hilarious. She's been hitting from our house, out into the fairway....a good 50 feet.

We were wandering around the Parent-Teacher Store the other day, when Dev spotted this game. She's loving her Chess Club on Mondays at school & we have been playing "chess" on our board at home.

This game is wonderful for kids or adults learning chess. There are cards marked with each piece, reminding you how it moves. We draw cards and move the piece on the board as if we were playing. So, you don't have a choice as to which piece to move...but the game plays out like chess otherwise.

Yesterday, she beat me. A few minutes later she says, "OH!!! I forgot to say CHECKMATE!"