Nakai Learns at Home

Nakai embraces dirty

2009-07-17T17:09:00.005-04:00

My sweet boy...who doesn't like water dripping down his arms when he washes his hands...who doesn't finger paint...who doesn't like sticky fingers.....finally got to experience the extreme happiness that comes from feeling mud squish between your toes! Thanks Mary Diehl, for helping him to embrace the dirty side of life!

Monster Boy

2009-03-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

Special thanks to my little monster boy for modeling these super crafty monster softies for me! For his efforts, he was rewarded with his own special monster puppet (oddly, not pictured). Thanks Nakai! You always take the best pictures!

Mastery

2009-03-17T22:41:00.003-04:00

The Season For Nonviolence word of the day was "Mastery"....and Nakai certainly mastered this I Spy puzzle...all by himself! Great work, Sweetie Bear! He announced that he would no longer need to ask someone to help him, because he already knows how to do it all. by. himself.

Mama, I think it's a beautiful day...

2009-03-17T22:39:00.003-04:00

..."for blowing bubbles"

Mom?

2009-03-17T22:34:00.003-04:00

"I just have to get my hands in some dirt!"

I told him I felt the exact same way...and I do! I cannot wait until it is time to plant flowers and start seeds....it's coming and I'm trying to be patient...but it really is so hard. I gave him a packet of cosmos to plant because I could see that he felt the same way!

Mega house!

2009-03-04T00:04:00.003-05:00

Sweet Nakai spent quite a long time getting reacquainted with the mega blocks he found in the closet today. I had taken them out of rotation and put them in the closet, thinking that if no one asked for them in a few months, I'd pass them on. Being a sweet boy, Nakai decided to clean his room as a surprise for me today and while shoving everything into the closet, found the bag! (sigh) I guess we'll hold on to them a little longer. I'll admit, they did provide a distraction in all this blustery indoor weather!

Singing!

2009-02-25T18:12:00.002-05:00

Nakai has been sitting here playing next to me all afternoon. He recently started singing...
"Bah Bah Bless shee
Have you any more?
Yes, suh, yes, suh
three boxes of bull"...

Me: "Nakai?"

Nakai: "yes, mom?"

Me: "Would you like me to sing that song with you?"
Nakai: "okay"
...and we proceed, me singing the traditional "bah, bah, black sheep" version and Nakai singing his variation...

Me: "you see, the song is about a black sheep..."
Nakai: "Mom, you just made that up...the song is about a bull. A bull is aonther kind of Chinese way to say buffalo."

Me: "oh, I didn't realize that."

I love this kid!

Time for a shave

2009-02-25T18:08:00.002-05:00

Nakai and Andy shared a bonding experience the other night. Nakai walked into the bathroom while Andy was shaving and wanted to be included! I grabbed the camera and caught the experience for you! Too cute!

Root Viewer

2009-02-25T18:05:00.002-05:00

Nakai started some seeds in the root viewer that Gma Janet sent for Christmas and was delighted to find sprouts when he returned home from Dad's house!

Mama and Me

2009-02-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful that I still get hugs from this one!

Self-Portrait Monday

2009-02-25T18:02:00.002-05:00

Nakai wanted to post a self-portrait, just like mama does over at dalaimamasday.blogspot.com....check back often for more!

The Build It Brothers

2009-02-20T09:38:00.001-05:00

Nakai and Nolan were so excited to build their own jewelry boxes on Valentine's Day! I was thrilled to see them working together and enjoying themselves!

Get Cha Dance On!

2009-02-20T09:35:00.002-05:00

Teah invited Nakai to play Dance, Dance Revolution with her... and he accepted! These aren't the best action shots (those all turned out blurry) but I can assure you, they did get down! I'm proud of Teah for making this little guy feel included and cool enough to hang!

Sword Form!

2009-02-20T09:31:00.003-05:00

Yep. That's right. Apparently my little one has been learning a sword form at Daddy's house...who knew? Anyway, he was very excited to show it to me when he returned this week. As much as I'm not into weapons, I can see the value that martial arts adds to someone's life...perseverance, confidence, skill, control, all fine qualities, to be sure!

I could tell that he had worked very hard to master this form and he was so proud! Great job, Nakai!

Nakai loves Dinos!

2009-01-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

"Will somebody please play with me?" Who could say No to this face?

The Letter A

2009-01-03T15:41:00.002-05:00

Gotta love that child-led creativity! Nakai loves to make letters with his magnets!

Fire Chief

2008-12-28T22:54:00.002-05:00

I was so happy to come home from work and find these pics! Proof that my little guy had fun while I was away!

Nakai as "stylist"

2008-12-28T22:50:00.002-05:00

Nakai was thrilled and delighted when Teah agreed to let him be her "hair stylist!"...he's always looking for someone to play with him and he loved this idea! Teah was a great patron and only said "ouch" a few times! I'm proud of her!

SMILE

2008-11-28T22:36:00.002-05:00

who could look at this face and NOT smile? :)

Computer time!

2008-11-28T22:33:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since Nakai enjoyed computer time...we've been outside all summer and fall! He said to me the other day, "mama, when is it my turn to play on the computer?" I thought about it and couldn't think of a reason not to, so I told him, "right now!" He was thrilled...we got on www.starfall.com (a wonderful pre-reading resource) and had a blast!!! Then a short stop at www.pbskids.org and computer time was over! It felt good to tell this little guy yes for a change!

Remembering the Dinos

2008-10-04T08:12:00.003-04:00

It was time for us to disassemble the collage we made after visiting the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History and Nakai enjoyed remembering all the different exhibits we saw! Thanks for helping, little guy!

"I can do Magic!"

2008-10-04T08:09:00.002-04:00

Nakai is the greatest magician ever! At least for today :) He woke up and asked me to tie on his cape and then he was off to perfect some great magic tricks. We enjoyed the tricks all day long! I'm glad he's entering the imaginative world!

Helping out

2008-10-04T08:03:00.003-04:00

"I just have to tighten this one part, mom."
"It's still wiggly."
"maybe I have to bang it."

I just love these pictures. It's like total dejavu for me because I have a set of pictures of this same table being put together for the first time and Teah is the one under the chair helping to put it together! Funny to see Nakai in the same situation. What a feeling of pride and accomplishment he experienced in being able to help fix something for his family! They learn all the time!

water painting

2008-10-04T07:59:00.003-04:00

Water painting is such a fun thing to do on a hot day! Just fill a big bowl with water and hand over a dosing syringe (since we don't use them for meds, we might as well play with them, right?) and you will make your little one so happy! Nakai just played and played all morning, writing his name, squirting water towards the sun, drawing funny faces, you name it, we did it!

Sticker Fun!

2008-07-22T20:17:00.001-04:00

Stickers still provide hours of fun for this little guy!

Edible Fingerpaint

2008-06-20T20:50:00.001-04:00

So, I would like to try this recipe and see how well it goes over. I probably will not encourage my children to eat it though...since it has that food coloring in it...but, perhaps we could substitute some cocoa powder, or spirulina, or beet juice for color? Hmmm...something to consider..
Anyway, here's the recipe: (I'll let you know how it turns out)

1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (or 1cup milk and 1 cup water)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract (to make it smell yummy)

Mix all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan and boil for one minute.

Then stir in vanilla.

After letting it cool a few minutes, put into 5 RECYCLED yogurt cups and add food coloring.

Fun, Fun, Fun :)

Walking, walking, walking

2008-05-14T21:18:00.002-04:00

Nakai is getting a bit too big for this stroller!
Look, a goose family!
My little litter hawk!

We woke up with some energy and decided to see how it would be to walk through our day. We walked Teah and Nolan to school, found a shortcut through the woods (avoiding the traffic and road), spotted several birds, rabbits and squirrels and smiled the whole time. Then we came back home and encouraged Andy to walk to the grocery store with us to pick up some acidophilus milk that I had forgotten on my trip the day before. We brought along the stroller just in case Nakai got tired and because there is one stretch that we have to be on the side of a very busy three lane road and I feel more secure if he's restrained and safe! So, we walked down our new found wooded shortcut and into town. Nakai was amazed that we'd walked the whole way to a streetlight! He could'nt believe we were walking (strolling) where the cars drive. We finally made it to the walkway where we began our three mile journey to the grocery store. We really enjoyed our walk, it was a beautiful morning, lots of folks were out....we saw a blue heron, some doves, cardinals, a blue jay and a sweet goose family that we stopped to look at and count. We took a rest halfway under a nice little pergola. We finally made it to the store, got the milk and Nakai decided we needed tea and chai for the way home...I agreed! We got a few other things too, since we were there and had a cooler under the stroller. Then everyone went potty and we started to head back. We kept a very comfortable, casual pace and really tried to soak up the positivity in our day. We picked up trash all along the way. People are such slobs and have zero respect for our earth mother... We made it back home just in time to take Nakai to preschool! Hard to believe a trip to the store took almost three hours! Made me really thankful that we don't HAVE to walk to the grocery store, but also confident and empowered that we could if we did have to. And you know what? I'm thinking about doing it once or twice a week just because, once school is out. It's good for us and saves on gas. And what a fun way to spend a morning together!

Walking...it's a good thing! (Do I sound like Martha Stewart?)

Aliyah sleeps over!

2008-05-14T21:15:00.002-04:00

Nakai had his friend Aliyah sleep over recently (her older sister also slept over with Teah) and had a great time! They played and played everything from babies to rescue heroes. She even came to his soccer game (above)! I was surprised at how easy it really was to have five children here overnight. We went to the playground, played outside at home, ate dinner, watched a movie, went to sleep...pretty uneventful. I'm glad they enjoyed each other's company.

Jack Be Jimble

2008-05-14T21:12:00.002-04:00

Nakai learned a new nursery rhyme at school today. He recited it for me with composure, focus and concentration:

"Jack be jimble,

Jack be sick,

Jack jump-ed over

the candlestick."

I asked him over and over to repeat it....and I tried reciting it for him....so did his teacher...to no avail...."jack be jimble" he corrected us....adamently!

I love this age!

Table play

2008-05-14T21:10:00.002-04:00

We played at the table all morning today! Nakai woke up and grabbed these transformers and had serious dialogue surrounding them that just had to come out! He's so much fun! I enjoy my mornings with him so much more now that he's away in the afternoons!

backhoes and four wheelers

2008-05-14T21:07:00.003-04:00

What more could a four-year old boy ask for?

Andy took Nakai out to visit his parents and apparently they had tons of "boy" fun!

Daycare?

2008-05-14T20:57:00.002-04:00

Finding eggs
"I found one!"
"Did I get ten yet?"

Yes, Nakai started going to daycare. It is in the local hospital. He went for three weeks. I had to finally face the fact that I was going to have to find some work outside of the house. I decided I would try and work within the school district so the hours would be the same as the children's. I was accepted as a substitute teacher aide/cafeteria aide (yes, the lunch lady!) for the local elementary schools. I just had to wait for my clearances to come in. In the meantime, I decided to look into care for Nakai and get that lined up and him acclimated while I had time to be "on call" and see how he adapted. Well, the hospital was the only place with an opening before August (when school is no longer in session), so against my better judgement I enrolled him. He went from 9-4 (so long) Mon-Fri. He didn't really like it, I didn't really like it, but I felt I had to do it. Well, I finally pulled him out when I showed up and found the staff watching television...and not only tv, but the news, in front of the children! I was devastated about it. We all know the effects of harmful media on children. Especially fatal media stories about children. Anyway, so I pulled him immediately and reported the center to the state licensing agency. He now attends a preschool program at an elementary school five half-days per week. I am happy, he's happy, the program is high-quality with excellent staff and programming and I can still work half a day. All is well.

Valentine's Day Party!

2008-05-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

Nakai is ready to join Nolan at school!
He got to sit with Nolan at his table...
He felt so grown and part of the group!
He was polite and enjoyed the snacks and games.

Nakai got a dose of Kindergarten fun when he came along with me to host Nolan's Valentine's Day party. The class was really nice to him and made him feel comfortable. Nolan took him under his wing and showed him the ropes. He had a really nice time!

Montessori

2008-04-14T21:06:00.003-04:00

So, many of you know how devoted I am to Rudolph Steiner and his philosophy on child development...Waldorf, Waldorf, Waldorf! However, you may not remember (or know) that I was also initially interested in the Montessori Method. Recently, while cleaning out a box of educational resources, I came upon a notebook in which I had written many, many notes on various types of preschool/early childhood approaches. I'd like to record them here and pitch (or pass on) the notes.

Montessori Toys:

matreshka dolls
color paddles
jacks
pick up sticks
chinese checkers
cylinder blocks
sorting tray and shells
hammer board
lacing board
The Farm
rubber band car
catapult ball tilt
sound tubes
temperature bottles
sound track listening game
swedish angel chimes
8 cooperative games

Three Main areas of "Practical Life" activities:

Care of the environment-

cleaning, sweeping, washing clothes, gardening, etc.

2. Care of the person-

dressing, brushing teeth, cooking, setting the table, etc.

3. Grace and courtesy-

walking carefully, carrying things, moving gracefully, offering food, saying "please and thank you" and so on.

Maria Montessori believed that "school time" (for the preschooler) should be no more than 1 1/2 -2 hrs. and should be at the same time each day.

Children should have child-sized chair and table with tablecloth, child-sized cleaning equipment.

Chores for preschool aged children:

-empty the wastebaskets

-cleaning their room

-putting away groceries

Busy Board or dressing frame

You will need an old shirt front with buttons on one side and holes on the other. Cut the shirt front to the size of a board and staple on.

Present to child in buttoned up state

Take it apart slowly while child watches, then reassemble slowly.

Let child count the buttons, feel the fabric and then attempt to button the shirt on their own.

Pouring Rice

You will need a tablecloth, small tray holding a small glass and a small pitcher(or a one cup plastic measuring cup) which is half filled with rice.

Point out the various objects and name them.

Grasp pitcher handle with first two fingers and thumb.

Grasp glass with other hand.

Pour from pitcher to glass.

Repeat until performed "perfectly".

Dusting

You will need a duster (feather or fleece mitt), wastebasket and dusty table

Notice dust on the table.

Brush away from the body with the duster working from the near to the far side.

Dust table legs and sides as well as top.

Pick up anything that interferes and dust under them, not around.

Put everything back in order.

Shake duster into wastecan. (or take fleece mitt to washer)

Purpose: To learn that dust, which gathers daily, must be eliminated...and to learn neatness and responsibility of keeping things neat and clean. Control of error: If not done properly, some dust will remain.

Folding a Napkin

You will need a square napkin.

Lay napkin flat on table.

Bring sides together.

To make an oblong, fold once again. To make a triangle, place diagonal corners together.

Flatten crease with hand.

As you make folds, mention to your child the names of the shapes you are forming.

Setting A table

You will need a table, silverware, placemats and napkins.

Place mats on table.

Arrange silverware, explaining where each piece goes.

The first few times work with just the knife and fork.

Then add the spoon and napkin.

Add other things as child becomes adept at the basics (ex. salt &pepper, plates, cups, flowers, etc.)

Bottles & Tops

You will need 4-6 bottles or jars of different sizes with tops.

Place on table in front of child.

Slowly and silently unscrew tops and then replace them.

First do them in order then mix tops and let child do the same.

Sewing

use wool or burlap and wool or cotton thread and allow child to use a running stitch to sew along an outlined shape.

Sew large buttons on fabric.

Show how to thread a needle and knot thread.

The Three-Period lesson

First Period: Recognition of identity make the association between the object being shown and it's name. "This is ___________." Repeat until you feel the child understands.

Second Period: Recognition of contrasts to assure the child understands, say "Give me the ________________."

Third Period: Discrimination between similar objects. See if child remembers the name himself. point to the various objects saying, "Which one is this?" He should be able to say the name correctly. If not, help him. Repeat until he's able to do it.

2008-04-14T21:05:00.001-04:00

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
~Albert Einstein

Fingerpaint recipe

2008-04-14T21:03:00.003-04:00

Mix together:
1 c. laundry starch
1c. cold water
3c. soap flakes
Add a small drop of food color

Voila! paint away :)

I wonder if an all-natural version could be made by using potato starch or corn starch and spirulina for color? ....hmmm..maybe next week during painting time!

More rhythm fun

2008-04-14T20:59:00.001-04:00

clap clap stomp
clap clap stomp
clap clap stomp
(do this yourself, then with your child, then see if your child can do it alone!)

Then:
clap stomp clap stomp
clap clap clap stomp
stomp stomp clap

These are like tongue twisters for your body!

rhythm drills

2008-04-14T20:55:00.001-04:00

Clap your hands
On the beat
steady sounds
are so neat

clap your hands
on the beat
stead y sounds
are so neat
clap to the beat

Monkey in truck

2008-02-26T22:29:00.002-05:00

Nakai has been zooming this little guy around for days now.

Toga Wrestler

2008-02-26T22:25:00.004-05:00

Doesn't he look fierce? Really. Wrestling has been so on the brain for Nakai ever since our friends Isaac and Skylar last visited! Isaac is wrestling this year and entertained us all with his skill! Apparently, Nakai is also getting a dose of wrestling action at his dad's house....

Sir...Lancelot?

2008-02-26T22:22:00.003-05:00

Nakai has been so very, very, very, very, very into being a knight lately. He swears that his name is Sir Lancelot and he rides around with his helmet on his wooden horse, defending the honor of me, a Princess! (hey, at least someone still treats me like royalty..I'll take it:)

Gonna be a rock star?

2008-02-26T22:20:00.003-05:00

Perhaps! This was taken on a day when his Papa stopped by to hang out and ended up giving an impromptu music lesson! ahem...okay, maybe he had a little persuasion from me, but really, I did get the wee ones new instruments for Christmas, and everyone knows I'm not musical...

Gotta start 'em early

2008-02-26T22:04:00.003-05:00

sewing, of course!
these lacing cards are great for hand-eye coordination
just look at these guys, both gettin stitchy!
makes a mama's heart so, so glad!

I've been knitting a lot lately, trying to hone my skill and all. I also make a point to do it around the children to show them an example of how to fill your down time, your quiet time...to give them ideas of positive ways to be still....

So, on this particular snowy day, Andy and I were knitting while Nakai was building a a marble run and then some connecting flower motorcycles (his own creation). After awhile he announced he needed someone to build for him because he was tired of building. We told him that he didn't have to build anymore, he could take a rest, look at a book, listen to music, try his hand at sewing, or just hang out and talk to us. A short time later, he went and found the basket of lacing cards and brought it over and began to lace...his focus and determination were evident, but it didn't take long for him to get into a rhythm and relax with it. I could hear his breath slow and see his posture relax. He was so proud of his work! And...I was so proud of him:)

The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

2008-02-26T21:36:00.004-05:00

feet full of four year old energy

feet quiet and still

i love the pitter patter of little feet. All the time. Even in the middle of the night as they're coming towards my bed....(if they're not already there:)

I know that the sound won't always be there....someday there will be no more pitter patter...and I'm sure I'll miss it when it's gone.

Magnetic wonder

2008-02-26T21:24:00.002-05:00

Nakai was entertaining himself on my bed and watching me roll my knotty head after a shower when suddenly he said, "look mommy, my cool race car is in triangle jail"...

Okay, so maybe I'm the only one who is excited about this...not the jail part, silly, the triangle part. Okay, remember weeks ago when we were working on shapes? It's always rewarding for me to realize that retention is taking place! I didn't even have to stage a recall lesson...Yippee!

Nakai loves these Magnetix...little magnets with little silver balls...you build with them...very open ended....I love those little magnets, they are sticking on every metallic surface throughout my house. Those little balls though....they...are another story. They are not used in building structures as suggested on the package. No, no...they are used to zing across the floor as mommy walks by (or anyone else for that matter)....when I sweep and mop, I must first pick up hundreds of those tiny silver balls. Yes, yes, the children could pick them up...if I weren't sweeping and mopping when they were away. They do a great job of tidying up, but somehow these little bitty balls seem to show up in the strangest places.

On a side note, these toys have also been recalled for being a choking hazard...something to do with swallowing them and having them attract to each other in the intestinal wall and perforating it...okay. So, I am hopeful that Nakai decides it's better to play with them than eat them because he really likes them. I don't want to send them back, but...

Teah always put things in her mouth...and still does...at age nine.

We'll see, but for now, they stay.

Sweetie face!

2008-02-26T21:18:00.001-05:00

Clay play

2008-02-26T21:11:00.003-05:00

We've been exploring different textures and consistencies of clay...today was a modeling clay (as opposed to natural clay, playdoh, play-dough,beeswax, bread dough) It took a bit of time for Nakai to understand that you really have to work it in your hands for awhile before you can create with it. We made snails and nests with eggs in them and a rainbow and then Nakai decided that it would be best if we just made balls!

Chillin with the computer

2008-02-26T21:07:00.002-05:00

Nakai loves to play computer games while I sew at the sewing table. We're still hanging out together and we chat and sing and talk about how to make words and listen to starfall books and put together robots on wow wow wubzy. It makes for a chill afternoon. Once we've done errands and some reading, some YMCA time, we're ready to enjoy the craft room and yes, the computer!

Soccer anyone?

2008-02-26T21:00:00.002-05:00

Can you see that the shingards are different? And that one is upside down? He's definitely ready:)
look at that action shot!
"wow, it went right past me!"
Puttin on the brakes!

It is time once again to sign up for rec soccer. My children are all thrilled, but none as happy as Nakai! It is his first season to play after being a tag-a-long for two whole seasons. He's ecstatic! When I asked him if he wanted to play, he said, "be right back, mom." He came down and he was ready! He had found the packed away soccer bag and donning two different shinguards and cleats, holding a ball, announced he was ready to go and play soccer with his team! "Where is my shirt and my coach?" He asked.....I then had to explain that though it was indeed time for signing up, soccer was actually still two months away. Poor guy, he was crushed. So, we played soccer together, since he was dressed for it and all...

Puzzle Time!

2008-02-26T17:19:00.004-05:00

Somehow I always post my pictures in the wrong order...not sure how that happens. Nakai has suddenly developed quite an interest in puzzles. He's been doing this one that he loves ( from Melissa & Doug) over and over again. Hmmm..maybe add puzzles to his wish list...I'll have to remember that.

Juicing!

2008-02-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

He loves to juice! Could do it all day...
Cantaloupe juice anyone?

Box fun!

2008-02-21T20:20:00.001-05:00

Nakai played in this recycled box all day long!! It was a tree, then he was in a rocket, from there morphed into robot, etc. He even asked if he could sleep in the box!
Who needs commercialized toys?

Artsy-Fartsy!

2008-02-21T20:17:00.001-05:00

Nakai painting an "N" to hang in his room.
A picture frame for Daddy...
look at that concentration, the focus...
Nice!
Gorgeous!

Letter Recognition...

2008-02-14T23:07:00.002-05:00

...letter recognition, box play, knitting interest....all of the above! So, Nakai created this game where he has to find the letter (that I should call out) and stab it with the knitting needle! Doesn't that sound fun? So my question is, "why do we purchase toys?" A box and a sharp object kept him occupied for most of the day!

So special!

2008-02-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

Shadows

2008-02-14T23:04:00.000-05:00

Is he turning into a great photographer or what?!?

Nakai plays Twister

2008-01-22T21:27:00.002-05:00

He's pretty flexible, isn't he? Working on our left and right and color awareness! Keep it up, Nakai!

Nakai loves his Christmas gifts!

2008-01-22T21:21:00.000-05:00

Nakai loves his gifts so much, he's pulling them around in the wagon everywhere! Thanks everyone!

Djembe!

2008-01-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

Look at him, he should be around a fire!
He's still working the kinks out...
Nakai got a djembe for Christmas!

Nakai and Ayden have a playdate

2008-01-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

Magnet play...cooperatively
Ayden makes a secret Christmas gift for Mama
"are you taking these pictures for my blog?"
Nakai made one too!
So Proud
More magnets

See Mama C, they weren't hooked on the media during the whole playdate! They just needed to warm up a bit.....You did send him into a waldorf-y environment...sort of!

Got TV?

2008-01-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

Ayden came over to have a PLAY date with Nakai while Mama C went Christmas Shopping. Ayden really wanted to watch a video, so I did allow them to watch one video and this is how they looked through the entire 30 minute video! HA! Can you tell they don't watch much TV?

Christmas Nakai

2008-01-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

Upon preparing to send out Christmas cards this year, Nakai and I discovered that Teah and Nolan had school pictures, but he didn't :( So, we decided to take one and here it is! He loves his wooden cement mixer and his new Ikea chair, so those had to be included! Merry Christmas!

Marble Run

2008-01-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

Nakai prepared for his school day early...backpack and all and set about creating the biggest and best marble run ever! I think he succeeded! (thanks Elogi and Fellina for the marble run!)

Marble Run!

2007-12-25T11:53:00.000-05:00

Nakai has been really into this marble run game this week. He and Andy have been adding to it and trying it out every day.... Good job, guys! (I love the backpack, too, don't you?)

catching snowballs at a musical

2007-12-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

Nakai and I went to see Teah in a musical at school...Snow Biz and during the show, Teah threw these snowballs at Nakai...and he caught them! He was so proud. He kept them and brought them home and played with them all day!

There's no business like snow biz!

Eating with Tools!

2007-12-25T11:48:00.001-05:00

We recently invited a few friends over for dinner and Nakai had been looking through someone's tool chest. He found this tool and was enjoying "fixing" things all over the house. Well, when it was time to eat, he decided to bring the tool to the table with him. We were talking and eating and I looked over and saw this! He figured out how to use the tool to eat with! I hope it was clean! It made everyone laugh anyway!

Thanksgiving Fish!

2007-12-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

So, for Thanksgiving, we all went out to Mama Kim's farm near the East Branch Dam. We took part in a traditional first Thanksgiving re-enactment...and we has so much fun. Nakai somehow found this musical fish and was so enamored with it. He carried it around and pressed it's button over and over again. He noted too that it looked just like the "dead fish" that we were eating! Very observant! Anyway, we had a wonderful celebration surrounded by friends, music, animals and good food! Thanks Mama Kim!

Time for snow shovels!

2007-12-17T18:55:00.001-05:00

Nakai Visits Carnegie....

2007-12-17T18:49:00.001-05:00

We had a blast during our trip to Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History. We took the day off of school and drove the two hours into the city early in the morning. They had just opened their "Dinosaurs in their time" exhibit and we were eager to check it out. Nakai really loved the "sharp teeth" dinos and loved digging for bones in the bone hunters quarry. He enjoyed looking at all the art and the animals too, but found himself a bit tired by the day's end. We left at about 4:30, so it was a long day. I think Nakai's favorite part was the Discovery room where he was allowed to touch things!

Theatre week!

2007-12-17T18:38:00.000-05:00

Nakai has been very interested in playing dress up and acting out "plays" this week. Here are a few of my favorite highlights!

The knight!
The toucan!

The dead man...didn't he do dead well?

"Anouk" the pirate child...a character of Teah's design!

I'm so thankful that my children have the imagination and inclination to create, pretend, play...without having to be guided constantly or entertained by closed-ended toys or media...okay, okay, I'll stop!

Field Trip!

2007-12-17T18:33:00.000-05:00

In late October, Nakai (and all of us) attended the Indigenous Teaching Village Open House Program in Reynlow Park. We enjoyed two days of fun as we participated in building a wigwam, grinding corn, playing hoop games, drumming around a fire, and learning all about indegenous people. It was cold and wet and rainy, but it was nice to see old friends and make some new. There was some sad news however. On Saturday morning, Dennis' mother Stella passed away and we got the news from family in Oklahoma. We celebrated her spirit by singing songs and drumming and Dennis left on Sunday morning to begin the long journey to Oklahoma to play her spirit home. We will dearly miss this beautiful woman who meant so much to us all. We do find comfort though in the fact that she did not suffer long. I can almost see the grin on her face when she finally got to go home to her Father God. She talked of this day for so long and now she finally got her wish!

Nakai turns 4!!!

2007-12-17T18:27:00.001-05:00

Can you believe he is four years old? I can't!

When did this happen?
My baby is not a baby anymore!

Nolan and Teah and I had a blast decorating his seat and the table so that he would be surprised at Breakfast...and boy was he! He grinned from ear to ear when he saw the basket filled with balloons and the breakfast pancakes and french toast with candles and the gifts! He looked up at me with sleepy eyes and said, "Am I Bigger now?" We sang to him and celebrated and he enjoyed a very special day!

What a sweet little hand!

2007-12-17T18:26:00.001-05:00

A long-lost friend!

2007-12-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

NAKAI (typed by Nakai!:) was so excited to welcome Nolan to join in the homeschool fun! Nolan was home from school due to his asthma. The boys got along so well and picked workbooks, of all things, to do for the day. I think they each did like 20 pages or something, really! Nolan delighted in teaching Nakai how to write his name and draw people (all the advice of a kindergartner!) and Nakai was eager to learn from his brother. It was nice to see how they interacted in the homeschool scene.

Painting, painting

2007-12-17T18:14:00.001-05:00

Today was a crafty day for Nakai! He went to "Miss Norma's" school this morning (library storyhour) and then came home and played with play clay (homemade this time) and crayons and then painted all afternoon. He was sad when it was time to pick up Teah and Nolan from school. I think he enjoys having the house (and the mama) all to himself! Such a creative little guy.

Nakai's eye collection

2007-11-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

As you all know by now, Nakai LOVES to take pictures! Sometimes though, he gets things turned around a little bit....like this day when he accidentally had the camera pointed at his eyeball! He decided he liked the way the flash felt when it blinked in his eye...so he kept doing it. Then he tried persuading others to try it....and we all said no...all of us, except Grandpa Leon! I think the contrast between Nakai's little eye and Gpa Leon's is striking! What do you think?

"Come on, mama, put me to bed..."

2007-10-21T14:59:00.001-04:00

"No more working." Well, okay..snuggling is way more fun than grant-writing! I just love this little sweetie....and besides, I was feeling pretty tired...

He's so crafty!

2007-10-21T14:50:00.000-04:00

He just loves that play clay! Loves it, loves it, loves it.

...and what an artist!

(note to parents: Do NOT buy these messy crayons...we received them as a gift and they are so messy....easy for little artists as opposed to crayons which require a bit of strength, but so messy...and they are not washable. Thought you'd like to know.)

Happy Autumn!

2007-10-21T14:47:00.000-04:00

Nakai selected this unique pumpkin from Charlotte and Roy at the Farmer's market! I did tell him he could pick whichever one he liked! Enjoy the autumn leaves!

Play dough cake

2007-10-21T08:51:00.001-04:00

Nakai is really into celebrating birthday's right now...maybe because Nolan just had one.. anyway, he loves this stuff. Plays with it every day. I really need to get my all-natural self in line and make up a batch of the good stuff so he can stop playing with the made-in-china, yucky stuff.....I'm slacking in a big way!

Nakai bakes an apple pie!

2007-10-21T08:44:00.001-04:00

So, I was in full "get cha bake on mode" baking shoo-fly pies for the market and I had a bit of pie crust dough left. I gave it to Nakai and he set to work making it into a delicious apple pie...no recipe needed! We just cut up apples and he put them on the dough, followed by cinnamon, brown sugar and a bit of butter...then we cut out some wee little apples from the crust and popped them on top...into the oven it went ("for three minutes" said Nakai wagging his little finger) Those were a long three minutes, but when it was finished, he was amazed and could hardly wait for it to cool enough to eat! We had to do candles and sing the birthday song (just for fun) and the whole deal! Great job, Nakai!

Would you like to buy something?

2007-10-21T08:42:00.000-04:00

Nakai has really been interested in playing shop lately. I gave him an old money box and an adding machine and away he went! Each day, he sets up shop and I get to (have to?) use my market basket to shop for all the great items he sells...but you know what? It's the best store ever because instead of paying for things, he pays you!!! Too cute!

More of Nakai's photography

2007-10-21T08:34:00.001-04:00

Isn't that cute? Taking a picture of the garbage! Thanks Nakai, for putting into perspective just how large our ecological footprint is! And, shouldn't those pepper tops have gone in the compost bin? Oh, wait...this was taken before we moved the worm bin....but still.

What are we doing today?

2007-10-21T08:32:00.000-04:00

This little guy always asks me "what are we doing today?" But you know what? We hardly ever stick to what we planned to do...we always have so much fun doing whatever we're doing that we don't want to switch gears...and at this age, I think that's fine!

Nakai makes a smoothie

2007-10-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

It was early.
Nakai was eager to get
his morning off to a great start! He decided to make a smoothie! I caught him in the act just in time to capture on camera and give a bit of guidance! Looks yummy! Way to practice those autonomy skills, buddy!

Computer time

2007-09-11T20:28:00.000-04:00

Nakai finished out his day with a bit of computer time. We've been learning about letter sounds lately and he has really enjoyed things like the letter factory and starfall. Today, he played the Starfall abc sound games. Starfall is a great site for early readers, check it out at,

http://www.starfall.com/ and see what you think!

Captain Nakai

2007-09-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

Nakai was so inspired by Nolan's birthday party (pirate-themed) that he's been a captain all week! Everyone else who has visited our home this week has also been a pirate (at least for a short time) and followed the Captain's orders!

apple painting

2007-09-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

Nakai learned that he could paint with apples today! He enjoyed it...for about a minute, and then moved on to stamping, finger painting and brush painting. Then, he painted and painted until lunchtime. He is really enjoying his solo time at home this year!

sailing, sailing...

2007-09-11T20:19:00.001-04:00

Nakai learned that he could get 4 boats for $1 at the Dollar Store today! He was so excited....he got the idea from Nolan's birthday party...the goody bags had tub boats in them and he wanted a whole fleet. He played and played with his boats all day long. No one interupted him or took them away from him, or distracted him, he was able to play exactly as he wanted until he felt ready to play something else!

more camera practice!

2007-09-11T20:18:00.000-04:00

He's getting pretty good at taking pictures now!

On today's list...

2007-09-11T20:16:00.000-04:00

Colors!

2007-09-10T23:31:00.001-04:00

Nakai took a tie dyed bath today! He was so interested in how the colors changed! (and no, the colors are not all-natural....but they are well diluted!)

shapes & colors

2007-09-10T23:29:00.001-04:00

Nakai practiced identifying shapes and colors this week! We went on shape searches through the house and outside to practice naming shapes and we painted a lot and worked on color mixing. He knew all of this already, though he did have a bit of trouble with those rectangles! Oh, and color mixing was new and exciting!

inspired by the lawn guy...

2007-09-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

We were inside, having ourselves a great time shape searching, when all of a sudden, Nakai jumped up, ran outside and hopped on his John Deere! I watched all of this thinking,"what's going on?" Then I saw him...the lawn guy....mowing across the street. Nakai must've been inspired to keep up with him because he spent the next twenty minutes or so following along (on this side of the road), turning exactly when he turned, going as far as he went, etc. Then he just parked the tractor and came back inside! Cutie!

Learning to snap pictures

2007-09-10T23:20:00.001-04:00

Nakai has been really into taking pictures lately. He asks all day long if he can take some pictures and then his little face lights up when he sees what he's captured. Here's his latest best pic:

Creative play

2007-09-10T23:17:00.000-04:00

Isn't he smart? He wanted to go and buy a "car-carrying truck" really badly and I said that we had way too many vehicles already and that we couldn't go and buy more. He then asked for some tape, which I gladly handed over. The next time I looked, he had taped four small cars on top of a semi-truck! Voila! A car-carrying truck!

YODA?

2007-09-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

Nakai really wanted this little costume when we were at Goodwill. I wonder how he knows about Yoda?!? Maybe he just thought it was cute... Anyway, I think he is pretty cute in it! Will he wear it on Halloween? Who knows! It's now in the dress-up box along with the other twenty or so costumes that we've picked up really cheap!

Color week!

2007-09-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Nakai wanted to paint this week and learn about color mixing. We went to Wally and he got to spend three dollars on paint. He picked out four colors: red, blue, green, and yellow and a stamp and a cardboard box and we headed home so he could set to work. He had a great time and loved to see what happened when he used all four colors at once... Just look how he's concentrating! Now he has a lovely box to keep his own special paints in!

Self-guided play

2007-09-06T01:02:00.000-04:00

Today was one of the first days that Nakai was able to play with whatever he wanted to play with. He didn't have to worry about having things taken from him or being told to put something back... he enjoyed playing guitar for quite some time and then switched to modular daisies (which he loves), then to cars, then to "cowboy" with his wooden horse, snow boots and hat! Afterwards, we spent the afternoon putting everything back in it's place before walking to pick up Nolan and Teah from school. He had such a great day!

Nakai Flies Solo

2007-09-06T00:59:00.001-04:00

Nakai felt such a sense of importance at the library today. It was a much different experience going by himself as opposed to tagging along with Teah and Nolan. There was no storyhour, so we just sat on the floor and played with the wooden dollhouse and barn and did the Montessori rod game and looked and looked through the books until he found just the right ones. Then he took them up to Miss Norma's desk and checked them out, all by himself!