Exciting News!

This blog is moving to its new home ... Double Latte Mama's Blog. Be sure to update your bookmarks and readers and tell all your friends! Posts prior to the move date will continue to reside here for the sake of other blogs and websites that refer to them, but all new blog posts will only be posted to the new site.

Thanks for reading and following my trail of breadcrumbs to our new and exciting abode! :-)

Art Project for Father's Day

I've been wanting to blog about my son's passion for art for some time now, but other projects kept coming to the front of the line. I did share our birdhouse project recently, but we haven't really talked about plain old painting. Today we did an extra-special project for Father's Day and so I thought I'd share it.

If you follow me on Twitter (@doublelattemama), you may have seen a decent number of mid-afternoon tweets about doing painting with my son or Thursday morning tweets about going to art class. He is 3.5yo and we have been doing art classes at a wonderful place in Hoboken called Urban Arts since he turned 2yo. The early classes were "mommy and me", but he quickly graduated to the "on your own" preschool class. He has a long attention span and a passion for everything art-related including painting, drawing, glueing, etc.

I was hoping to get two paintings out of the afternoon - one for Daddy and one for Grandpa K - but I didn't want to set my sights too high. I picked up two small (8"x10") canvass frames in the discount bin at the local craft store. I think they were about $2 apiece. We started with the simplest of materials (the paints we started with are the gel paints from Crayola).

He normally uses brushes but we have been experimenting using different types of sponges lately. The sponge in the photo above is meant for stamping and stenciling, but he enjoyed using it to glob the paint on the canvass.
He went through the gel paints pretty quickly and so I brought out the bottles of washable paint and washable glitter glue that we used for the birdhouse project. These come in large plastic bottles and are a pretty economical way for kids to paint. He loves to mix colors and so I normally put globs of paint on a paper plate and let him go to it. The picture below is unfortunately the last picture I got of the first painting until i got the final shot.
He started mixing the white and black and adding it to the painting. He did a nice job of covering the entire canvass and on this painting he even painted the sides of the canvass! Monet, eat your heart out!

Sometimes he will carry the theme of the first painting into the second when he's doing a series, but in this case, he started a completely new idea with the second one. He actually squeezed the bottles of glitter glue onto the canvass - I wasn't exactly sure what he was up to ...

Before long he had a veritable sea of glitter glue ...

He really enjoyed using the brush, then, to start mixing some of the colors ...

And still more mixing ...

And here is the finished product! The photos are never quite as beautiful as the real thing - the painting is so beautiful because it's sort of three-dimensional with the piles of glitter glue that he used.

I thought I'd share some quick tips for doing messy projects with kids (I'm a pretty nervous mom, so I try to keep it as neat as possible while still letting him have fun):

• Always do the project at a time of day such that if you really had to, you could bathe the child right after completing the project.
• Set some groundrules with your child to contain the mess, for example 1) don't carry paints or brushes away from the work area, 2) when walking from the work area to the sink to wash hands, we fold our hands together so we don't touch anything, and 3) he needs to do his best to not get paint on the floor.
• It works best when mommy commits to a couple of things also, such as 1) mommy promises not to get angry if we do end up with a mess, and 2) mommy promises not to interfere with the "creative process". By making the groundrules a two-way street (even though he doesn't really know what I'm promising), it's easier to have the proper mindset (and prepare yourself for a bit of mess!).
• Obviously, you always want to choose washable paints and glues and you want to dress the child in old clothes with a smock. A smock is one of the groundrules that we have set up - no smock, no painting.
• Make sure that the floor is covered with something. I have a few old sheets that I use for these projects - when the project is done, I just wad them up and throw them in the washer.
• The work area should be a table that is at the perfect height when the child is standing up or sitting in a small chair. The table should have a washable surface (or cover it in something) so that you don't need to worry about a mess on the table.
• Always have some wet wipes handy in case of spills.
• Remember that paint WILL be spilled and mistakes happen. Try to keep calm and prioritize your cleanup. Get the wet, drippy paint off of the hardwood floors first and worry about using the Magic Eraser on the walls later.
• If you're nervous about your child making a mess, start small with bath crayons or paints. These are great fun for kids but easy to clean up.

I hope that you get some inspiration from this post - kids adore art. It's terrific for helping their manual dexterity and as they get older it's a terrific creative outlet. Enjoy!

O wind, a-blowing all day long - Chapter 2

Remember our kite-making extravaganza from last week? Well, we're back at Liberty Science Center this week for kite-making chapter 2!

I had gotten the impression that in the three-week class, the first week would be making the kite and the second two would be flying it, learning about wind, etc. So we brought along our kite from last week just in case. But no! We made a whole new kite this week! We started with a great story: The Flyaway Kite by Steve Bjorkman. We also discussed some of the concepts around kites - gravity pulls it to the ground and the wind gives it "lift" - and some of the rules about kites such as if the string breaks and the kite gets lost, the kids were told not to go chasing after it, but to get an adult to help.

Similar to last week, it's a bit too intricate for my 3.5yo son to manage on his own, but we worked together and got it done. This is a terrific project - especially with slightly older children - maybe around 5 or 6.

Materials needed:

- piece of 8.5x11" sheet of paper

- markers or crayons

- child scissors

- scotch tape

- two small wooden dowels - one 11" and the other 9.75" long (diameter is approx. 3mm)

- lots of very light-weight string - we actually used heavy-duty thread

- two pieces of ribbon approx 2.5' long for the tail

- wide wooden popsicle stick to wrap the kite string on

- ruler

OK - let's dive in. First step is to decorate the kite itself. A diamond shape will be cut from the paper, so if possible, you could trace the diamond shape prior to having the child color on the paper, otherwise you might have to chop of part of their design.

That's what happened to us ... DS made this very meticulous drawing: the brown figure is his kite, the blue figure is Miss Nancy's (one of our instructors) kite, the thin pink line is a "1" for the age of his little sister, and the thicker pink line is for our little friend Jack who is also one year old.

Use a length of string around a foot long and tie the dowels together. The shorter dowel will be centered on the longer dowel and intersect it about 3.5" from the top of the long dowel. Tie them like this with the dowels lying side-by-side ...
Then you can turn the short dowel so it's perpendicular to the longer one. You can still move it along a bit to adjust it if you need to. You then wrap the string around forming an "x" shape around the dowels to hold them securely in place and knot the string when finished.
The next step is to take the paper (with the design face down) and lay the kite frame on top of the paper. You'll use a ruler and draw lines indicating where you'll cut the paper so its in a diamond shape the same size as the kite frame.
Then trim the paper along the lines. Keeping the frame lined up on the paper, you'll then punch two holes in the kite - one 1.75" from the top of the kite and the other around 6.5" from the top of the kite - right along the long dowel. Once these holes are punched, you'll then tape the frame securely to the kite, being careful to avoid putting tape over the holes. You'll want to make sure the pieces of tape keep the corners of the kite securely fastened to the frame, as well as the middle section of the kite. Because the kite, the string and the dowels are all white and the tape is transparent, it's difficult to see in the pictures, but this is what it will look like to this point:
You're next step is to take a piece of string around 16" long, feed one end through one of the holes that you've punched in the kite (feeding it from the front of the kite to the back) and tie it securely around the long dowel. You're eventually forming a loop in the front of the kite to which you'll attach the kite string. Tie one end and leave the other end loose for the moment. Here's how it looks from the front (although both of my ends are already tied - you'll leave one loose):
And here's the back view, although it's difficult to see. The string comes through to the back and is secured to the dowel.
The next step is to secure the two tails onto the bottom of the back of the kite with tape. Just attach one on top of the other at the bottom.
The final step is to take a length of string around five feet long (longer or shorter to taste) and tie a slip knot in the end of the string, feed the loose end of the kite loop through the slip knot and secure the other end of the kite loop to the kite by feeding it through the other hole in the kite and tying it to the dowel. Secure the other end of the long kite string by tying it to the wide popsicle stick, keeping it in place with a piece of tape, and then wind the string around the popsicle stick. And here's the finished product:

The only materials for this kite that you might not have lying around the house are the dowels and these are easy to find at a craft store or even at Home Depot. Home Depot will cut them to your specifications, also, but be sure to get the smallest dowel they have - if you use a dowel that is too thick, the kite will be too heavy.

With the same poetic inspiration as last week, "The Wind" by Robert Louis Stevenson, I leave you to your kite-making project. Hopefully the sun will stay out and the breeze will blow for you!

Twitter Recommendations #Followfriday

This week, my #followfriday list has officially gotten too large to tweet. I am hoping that by putting my recommendations in a blog post, you can take your time and get to know the folks that I'm recommending. To me, Twitter is all about the conversation. I like to talk to folks about a wide variety of topics and some of those topics will of course come through in my list below. If I have missed anybody, if I have put anybody in the wrong category accidentally, or if I have a typo, please let me know:

Writing folks (writers, editors, etc.): @writereader, @johannaharness, @quipsandtips, @thewritewoman, @noveldoctor, @thewritermama, @thenightwriter, @msbeeee, @thinkmaya, @theraerae, @rachellegardner, @barelyknit, @thebookmaven, @melissawrites, @writingroads

New York / Hoboken / New Jersey: @nycitymama, @hobokenmetromom, @mediamacaroni, @jenrab, @nyc_mom, @newyorkology, @mommypoppins, @njfamilymag, @miranovich, @njplaygrounds

Education: @val_green, @abcte, @coolcatteacher, @csratliff, @aoakes4, @dyrnwyn, @venhi, @spedteacher, @willrich45, @k12live, @charterexaminer, @charterinsights, @jerridkruse, @kriley19, @waxylady, @eduflack, @inspireteach, @gnaeyaert, @shareski, @njleftbehind and for the education dirt: @detentionslip

Kids education / Parenting: @readtoday, @mobimom, @ricktoone, @usbornejody, @coachnancyp, @ntffc, @pbsparents, @360kid, @scholastic, @duckofalltrades

Montessori education: @mariamontessori, @teachmontessori, @montesecrets, @montessoribook, @montessorikid

Gifted education: @tammyt, @kimmoldofsky, @talentdevelop, @erin416, @motherthinker, @jeannebernish, @davincimom, @teachagiftedkid, @joelmcintosh, @switchedonmom, @giftedissues, @tagmirror, @atxteacher, @sandrafoyt, @mamacorin, @deepwaterscoach, @deborahmersino, @adversarian, @thomasfrey, @duketip

Bloggers: @banteringblonde, @boldavenue, @michellew_, @jodifur, @meglyn, @chicmommyusa

My Twitter Buddies: @cwrite101, @rott1058, @winterdaisy, @thea_smith, @larjmarj, @twittywoman, @susieo, @isweatbutter, @subumom, @saltymomma, @babsalaba, @ifelicious, @gradschoolmom

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for - my list of homeschoolers. A word of explanation first: we are essentially secular unschoolers - perhaps the term "eclectic" might apply. I follow nearly all homeschoolers regardless of race, religion, politics or homeschooling approach because as I already stated - it's about the conversation. We all have things to learn from one another regardless of our reasons or approaches to homeschooling. So, if you are looking to follow only a particular type of homeschooler, then I will leave this list to you to sort it out. My list is still incomplete, so please let me know who I am missing.

Homeschoolers: @unschool, @jlwf, @spectrummother, @sandrafoyt, @robyntweettweet, @dana_wilson, @msbeeee, @xmarksthestott2, @mamacorin, @aenclade, @mamatara, @tiltedpirouette, @andrea_r, @molytail, @sweetslady, @robinmbnm, @chrisworthy, @bunnytrails, @heartofwisdom, @unitstudies, @homeschoolblogs, @susanwisebauer, @betterislittle, @adversarian, @summerm, @beccavan, @myfourmonkeys, @gillian_s, @homeschool_mom, @homeschoolplan, @unitstudymaker, @innerwizdom, @dsfq, @arphaus, @autodidactmama, @hippytrish, @lifeledlearning, @sparkle_chi, @scorch_mom, @amythethompson, @mamakatz, @tapestryofgrace, @kristenph, @homeschoolnews, @luciais, @myschooltoolz, @kris_wuhsmom, @sheilagregoire, @donnette, @homeschooldaddy, @nikyreynolds, @stacyroderick, @roseshouse, @coffeehound, @ahahomeschool, @tammyt, @homeedmagazine, @kmblu, @lostcheerio, @cahomeschoolmom, @robynsworld, @kathybrodock, @momzilla54, @m47713, @amishprimitives, @terri_johnson, @mamarati, @coach_ferfer, @my3boybarians, @brendasain, @meghanlamb, @sarahwaterhouse, @dabestfamilymom, @julieunplugged, @fivejs, @justjillin, @lauriebluedorn, @homeschboutique, @cam_anju, @homeschool, @homeschoolmomx1, @unschooljournal, @homesteadmommy, @mathusee, @hsarticles, @homeschooltalk, @sandrawp, @vaagen, @heathenmom, @reflective

Homeschooling additions as of 6-19: @toomanyhats, @elizabethpw, @sawickis, @spirittibee, @ohmel, @jenaside, @jalenagraham, @jamesmarcusbach, @jolantheerb, @hsadvisor, @mountainmama38, @curmudgeonry, @michaelfarris, @hodgepodgemom, @edifyathome, @busylittlebees, @christe1, @chasemommy, @five_solas, @newleafpress, @tosmag, @greenleafpress

Switching on the "Language Gene"

Some people are born with the "language gene" and some people aren't. What do I mean by a "language gene"? You know those annoying people who know several languages and speak them all with perfect accents? Yeah - they have the language gene in a big way.

I am convinced that a way to override not being born with a language gene is to be taught a foreign language - any foreign language from a very early age. I have come to this conviction gradually through years of reading articles on the topic, living in Mexico for a time and learning a foreign language as an adult. The research clearly shows tremendous benefits for children who learn a foreign language, such as those outlined in this article by Carla Snuggs. Turning on the language gene surely happens when children learn a second language because they have a higher aptitude in learning additional languages down the road. Let me be very clear - I don't have the language gene. Nothing about learning Spanish was ever easy for me. In spite of my frequent praying to the language gene gods, it just didn't happen. I became fluent in Spanish only through hours spent poring over lists of vocabulary words and verb conjugations.

The idea for this blog post came from an exchange with Carol Cain (@nycitymama) over at NYCityMama.com last week. She was talking about exposing her children to Spanish. The idea came to me that it would be very interesting for both of us to write a blog post about our perspectives on teaching language to children to see how similar or dissimilar they are. Carol grew up bilingual and I was - at best - unilingual. So, here is Carol's post so you can see for yourself!

When we lived in Mexico, we didn't have children yet, but many of our friends did. We saw it time and time again - the children who were raised in a bilingual household (either one English-speaking parent and one Spanish-speaking parent or a Spanish-speaking caregiver) were speaking fluently in both Spanish and English from an extremely early age - essentially from the point they first became verbal. There is a theory that children in bilingual households start speaking later but then will speak both languages fluently. If there is any delay at all, it seems to be minimal.

So what if you are and your spouse are not bilingual? How can you expose your children to a second language? Many schools are now offering second languages beginning in the early grades, but learning a second language in a classroom can be different from learning to converse fully in a second language. Classroom language lessons often consist of simple vocabulary - learning to count, learning colors, etc. These are important, of course, but the ideal solution is to incorporate learning a second language in the home. If a parent doesn't speak the language, then you'll need to look to outside resources, such as:

- Immersion programs aimed at young children. It is easy enough to find a language tutor for a school-age child but it is very hard to find a teaching program that is aimed at full immersion and is appropriate for younger children. Our local community - Hoboken, NJ - is fortunate enough to have three such programs. The first - Be Lingual - offers classes in Spanish, Chinese and French. The second - Mandarin Together, Fun - offers classes in Mandarin. And the third - Creative Groove Studio - offers bilingual classes in Spanish and English.

- Television and DVD's. While we should always try to minimize TV time, there are numerous children's shows that are available in other languages. On the Noggin Channel, the show Ni Hao Kai Lan teaches Chinese, and Dora the Explorer teaches Spanish. Neither of these shows are full-immersion but children can learn some vocabulary. The best way to find TV viewing in a foreign language for children is to watch a station in that language and find the children's shows that air on that channel. For example, in our area, the V-Me channel offers many high quality children's shows in Spanish.

- CD's and Digital Audio. Listening may be the second-best alternative as compared to conversing with a native speaker. The child is not distracted by visual images that may not be adding any value to their learning and listening can help with auditory processing of a new language. Here are some terrific options:

- Hop, Skip and Sing in Spanish by Ana Lomba

- Let's Sing and Learn in Spanish by Neraida Smith

- Hop, Skip and Sing in French by Ana Lomba

- Un, Deux, Trois: First French Rhymes by Dunn & Aggs

- Books. The trick with books, of course, is that if the parent (or reader) is not comfortable in the language, then the pronunciation is likely to be incorrect. Books can be a terrific option if the reader has some level of knowledge of the language. Options include bilingual books, simple books in a foreign language and favorite books that a child already knows in their native language. A small sampling:

- English-Spanish Foundations Series by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza (the first three books in a wonderful bilingual series)

- Soy una Hoja by Jean Marzollo (the first book of a series of Spanish readers by Scholastic)

- La Oruga muy Hambrienta by Eric Carle

- Para, Trencito, Para! by Rev. W. Awdry

And what about CD-ROM's? These can be terrific solutions for older children because they are very interactive and often combine the written and spoken word. For younger children, they are typically too advanced.

So, I hope that this post has given you some ideas! It's hard work to expose kids to a second language if you are not a native speaker - I know because I struggle with it. It's hard to remember to do it and often it just seems like too much work. But there are so many benefits for your children that it's very worthwhile. So, consider this your gentle reminder: VAYA! (Let's Go!)

O wind, a-blowing all day long

I've blogged frequently about our love for the Young Scientist classes at Liberty Science Center and today's class was no exception. Also be sure to check out my guest post about Liberty Science Center at Hoboken Metromom's site.

This month's "Build a Kite" series promises to be very enjoyable. Our session started with a terrific story - Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets. Then we jumped right into building our kite. The class is best for kids on the upper edge of the age range - building the kite was too complex for my 3.5 year old. But with mommy's help, we figured it out. With a few basic concepts, it turns out that it's very easy to create a little pint-size kite for your little one.

Materials needed:

- three regular drinking straws

- lots of string

- scissors (child-friendly if your little one is helping)

- scotch tape

- paper with a nice design

- two pieces of paper ribbon for the tails of the kite - each approx. 1.5 feet

- wide popsicle stick (or other type of stick to wind the kite string around)

We started with three regular drinking straws. You can use other materials to make the frame, but straws are nice because they are rigid enough but not too heavy. Take one of the straws and cut a one-inch slit on opposing sides of both ends of the straw. This creates a flap on each end which you then snip off. You'll use some tape to create an "H" shape which will be the start of the frame for the kite. The straw with the missing flaps is the cross-bar part of the "H" and you wrap the ends of this straw around the other two straws and tape together. Use as little tape as possible, otherwise it will be too heavy to fly. Here is our "H" frame:

You then take a piece of string and feed it down through one of the vertical straws and back up through the other vertical straw. Have somebody else hold the straws down on a table so they maintain 90-degree angles and tie a knot to join the two ends of string. Don't tie the string too tightly or else you will lose the 90-degree angles for the frame. The string forms a rectangle shape that helps keep the kite frame rigid. Here is our frame:
You then need a piece of paper (preferably with a neat-o design like our tiger print).

I'm not sure of the original dimensions of the paper but our finished kite is approximately 6"x8" and you want the paper to be about an inch wider and an inch taller than the frame in every direction, so I would estimate that it should be 8"x10". Cut a notch out of each corner that is 1"x1" so that the paper is easier to fold over the frame. Place the printed side down, place the frame on top of the paper and fold each side over and tape it down over the frame.

Here is the finished product to this point:
Next, take a 14" piece of string and tie one end to the cross-bar straw. Tie a sturdy knot and push the string to the outside edges (by the paper) and tape the string into place. Leave the other end free for the moment (unlike the string depicted below)
Next, tape the ribbon tails to the kite - one in each of the lower corners:
This next and final step is the trickiest. Take a long length of string - several feet - and secure one end to the popsicle stick by tying a knot around the stick and then taping the string down. Wind up the excess string onto the stick. With the other end, you'll tie a slip knot and feed the string already attached to the kite through the loop. Attach the loose end of the string that's already anchored to the kite to the opposite side of the kite, as shown in the two pictures above. In class, we used a different way to tie the knot which can be done with the string already attached, but I think this method of tying the slip knot and then feeding the string through is a bit easier.

I hope that my instructions are clear - the end result is that the 14" piece of string is now attached firmly to either side of the back of the kite and the long piece of string is attached via a slip knot to the shorter piece of string. This allows the string to easily run back and forth along the kite as the kite is flying.

Today is a very calm, gloomy day and so we haven't been able to test-drive our kites outside yet. We did, however, test them in the class - they had an indoor fan set up for that purpose. The kids had so much fun holding up their kites and letting them fly. This will be a terrific activity at the park on a sunny, breezy day.

I have a final book recommendation for you from our favorite science series "Let's Read and Find Out": Feel the Wind by Arthur Dorros

And of course, the poetic inspiration for the day:

The Wind

Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky;

And all around I heard you pass,

Like ladies’ skirts across the grass–

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call,

I could not see yourself at all–

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree,

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

If you try this project at home, please let me know if my instructions are clear or if they need to be modified. Enjoy!

Is there a "Birdhouse in your Soul"?

I planned this excellent project while at the AC Moore this morning with my kids and from the moment that lightning struck, I haven't been able to get the tune "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants out of my head. It is a very catchy tune, but it's been firmly lodged in my head for 13 hours and counting...

Anyway, if you're reading this blog to get craft ideas, I would humbly suggest that you look elsewhere. Crafts are not my forte, although every once in awhile I come upon a stroke of genius. In this case, it was inspired genius - inspired by a birthday party that we went to last weekend. It was a huge party and the mom had set up various craft stations for the kids - one of which was to paint birdhouses. The kids enjoyed it and they got a nice memento to take home. My son was not inspired to paint the birdhouses at the party (too bad - free materials!), but I thought he might enjoy it at home, so off we went to the craft store. We started with these basic materials plus lots of washable paint and glitter glue:

Fortunately I was able to get the timing right for this project - we started it shortly after my 19-month old daughter went to sleep for her nap. Keeping her out of the paints is next to impossible. Anyway ... my son's latest fascination with painting is mixing paints and he had his heart set on mixing white and black to make gray. So he made gray and mixed it with silver glitter glue and it made a really nice textured mix with which he could cover the birdhouse. We tried several different kinds of brushes and sponges and found that a big thick brush with long bristles worked the best.

As a general rule, I try not to interfere with my son's art projects. I try to give him total control over which paints and where to put them, etc. This was a big project and so I did provide a little bit of creative input (and I helped him paint when he got tired).

You can get a sense of what our work surface looked like in the picture below. We work at a small plastic table that is at just the right height for my son (3.5yo) to stand and work. After the gray basecoat, we used a variety of other washable paints and glitter glue in squirt bottles (this was great fun!), followed by some sequins.

Here is a close-up shot of the roof when it was finished - it almost looks like a gingerbread house with icing on top! Don't try to lick it, though!

And - Tah Dah! - here is the finished product:

I wasn't sure whether clip on the the little bird would be secure enough on the perch, but it's perfect. This birdhouse is a birthday gift for my mom - Grandma D - and I'm sure she will love it. She will hopefully also appreciate reading this post for a play-by-play view of the making of the birdhouse.

My son has a long attention span and this project took quite awhile - probably close to two hours. I suspect that most children would prefer a project to be much shorter. We found a variety of birdhouses in different sizes and there are some nice birdhouses that are about four inches high that could be painted much more quickly. And of course using fewer types of paint would make the project much more speedy.

I put the birdhouse on wax paper up on the counter away from curious little hands - I suspect it will take several days to thoroughly dry.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about our project and I hope it has inspired you to get your hands messy and do something fun and creative with your kids!

"...Not to put too fine a point on it,

Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet

Make a little birdhouse in your soul."

- They Might Be Giants