Play Nice

     For a two year old, the idea of sharing with little sister (who is 1), is pretty much much a daily struggle.  Every time the kids play unsupervised, there is some amount of crying and hitting involved.  I am sick and tired of putting Mr. S. in the "naughty seat," which in my humble opinion does not work.  When he hits and shoves, he is aware of his negative behavior, but rejects apologizing to his sister.  Though he willingly apologizes to mommy and daddy.
     I recognize that he needs to be in control and assert his independence.  This is fine with me, but it needs to be accomplished in a safe and controlled setting.



 

     So today, Mr. S. made the rules.  The three of us played "legos" in the toy room.  Mr. S. loved to dump, so he was in charge of dumping the legos and building.  Meanwhile, he allowed the baby to put the legos into the bin.  Mommy was in the middle making sure they did not get into trouble.  With my right hand I helped Mr. S. build tall buildings, while with my left hand I made a pile for the baby.  This is how the morning went.  We peacefully played to our hearts content.. I guess mommy needs to supervise more often.

Halloween Time

When I was little, Halloween festivities were frowned upon.  My brothers and I were allowed to dress up for the school Halloween party, but we were not allowed to "trick or treat" in our neighborhood.  Life has come full circle.  Yesterday, we went to my parents neighborhood to "trick or treat."    With my brother, my mom, my husband and my two children in tow, we loaded up the red wagon and skipped up and down the block.  Like every big Greek family, ours lives on the same block.  Literally!  My aunt, my two cousins, etc..  Along with a few other Greek families that we know.  To say the least my children received their Big Fat Greek share of candy for the night..

Expect the Unexpected

This morning, I was scrambling along, quickly trying to get myself and my two children ready to leave the house.  We were heading to the city to meet some friends for a nice Sunday brunch.  I was in the bathroom, putting on my makeup oblivious to the goings on around me.  My two and a half year old son had taken the roll of toilet paper off of the holder and made a huge mess.  This was the last thing I needed to deal with five minutes before we were about to leave.  I decided not to get upset.  I gazed into his big brown eyes, and I could tell that he had grandiose intentions.  I calmly asked him what was this creative masterpiece?  He confidently asserted that this was a road. Not any road, but a road for Baby.  I then looked at the big mess of toilet paper again.  He was right, it was a road!  At that moment I was proud of my little right brained prodigy.  He is clearly on the road to finding his creative spirit.

"I Spy..."

 

 Lately, my son has been obsessed with the "I Spy" book series.  Usually we'll look through the books together to discover and count all the little obscure objects in the photos.  Today, inspired by the brisk fall day, I decided to create an "I Spy" autumn vignette with my son.  First, went outside and picked up some sticks, leaves, acorns, and the little pumpkins on our porch.  Next, stacked and arranged the items.  Finally, we took a couple of minutes to examine and count our acorns and leaves.  

  This little lesson could easily be adapted for older children, by creating a vignette of their choice.  Take a picture, print it, and then have the child write an "I Spy" poem under the picture.

"Fireman Sam"

"Fireman Sam" has invaded our house.  It warms my heart to see Mr. S. use his imagination where he runs around the house as his alter ego.  When in character, Mr. S. deepens his voice and says, "I'm Fireman Sam and I'm going to save Baby (his little sister)."  He has even gone so far as to rename our dog Bingo, who is now "Sparky."  It amazes me to see a two year old running around the house with a sense of fearlessness, confidence, and bravado.  He is secure in the world he has created...
Who were you when you were little??

The Hummingbird

How The Wise Hummingbird began.........

A couple of weeks ago, I read the story of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental activist.  She told a story of the hummingbird, best described in this you tube video, called "I Will Be the Hummingbird."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw
I was truly inspired by this story, as it really is an allegory of how we should live our lives.  At times,  we feel that the daily grind of our lives is insignificant.  Each of us plays an important role in influencing others in a positive way.  "The Wise Hummingbird"  is a small way of sharing my gift of creativity.  I will be the hummingbird that teaches and inspires...enjoy!