Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!

I really have to get this out: THE PLURAL FORM OF "LESS" IS "FEWER"
Am I the only one annoyed at the pervasive misuse of the word "less" when "fewer" is what is needed. It's like our society just decided to erase the word "fewer" from the dictionary. What gives?
Example:
Kiddo applied fewer stickers to his paper. NOT Kiddo applied less stickers.

Heaven knows I make my share of grammatical errors. However, I cannot stand seeing this in print or hearing it on news broadcasts.
Listen up, editors!

Weather Wheel

When I moved to New York from my lovely home state of California 8 years ago I became obsessed with the weather report. I had moved from an area in which the weather was completely predictable -- no such thing as sudden thunderstorms or 30 degree swings in 24 hours. It rarely dropped below 50 and rarely went above 85 and there was no humidity. Sound luxurious? It was.

Consequently, I rarely watched the weather report. Now I feel as though I need to watch the weather report 3 times a day and still I might encounter an unpredicted weather pattern. Well, Kiddo cannot help but be drawn into my obsession -- the fact that temperatures are expressed in numbers entices him even futher.

Today Kiddo made his own weather reporting station. You can see the professional-looking version here. Instead of providing pre-cut decorations, I wanted to see what Kiddo might come up with on his own. Here it is:Just in case you were wondering.... Clockwise from top right: sunny, rainy, snowy, cloudy. You are probably concerned that in NY the sunny skies are actually green. Well, it hasn't gotten to that point yet but it will happen when you paint a yellow sun and then cover it with blue paint. I hope the orange raindrop is not a nod to acid rain. yikes.

Bonus blogging moment: if you look closely at the pic you can see the remnants of our birdfeeder. Is it hanging there because it is too cold or I am too lazy to open the window? I leave it for you to decide.

Stop the Insanity!

The time between dinner and bedtime is what I like to call, "the hour of insanity." This is when Kiddo goes completely bonkers. B.O.N.K.E.R.S. It's not like it is late and he is overtired, and I can't even blame it on New Kid because it started long before he came along. None of my lecturing reasoning with him to calm down was working. He wouldn't engage with any of the quiet time activites he does during the day, like puzzles or even his transportation and maps. The last few nights I have tried activity books --- like with mazes and number or letter worksheets. In an effort to make them more enticing, I call them the "special" activity books and he is only allowed to have them after dinner. It has worked for 2 nights so far, it won't last forever, I know. In my past life I would have got up on my high horse about how activity workbooks are the antithesis of creativity and I would never encourage my kid to perform cookie cutter tasks, blah, blah, blah.
But screw that because what I need now is to STOP THE INSANITY.

Numbers, Numbers Everywhere!

In response to my post about making snowflakes out of glitter glue, Cathy commented that you can make window clings out of fabric paint. We decided to try it... to make numbers.... what else? We squirted puffy fabric paint on wax paper. It takes about a day to fully dry. It worked, but I recommend making the lines pretty thick. It was a little annoying that when the paint started to run out it splurted air bubbles which splattered the paint a bit. No big deal, though. You can also use them on one of those white wipe-off boards. Fortunately for me, Kiddo spent a lot of independent time arranging and rearranging them on the window. He also liked to use them to tell the time. Every few minutes he would reposition them according to the clock.

At the Jan Brett website he wanted to print out and make these number flags.He used excessive amounts of glue and some were upside down but he had a good time. Not sure what he will do with them, though.

Also, here is a photo of the duvet cover Kiddo picked out for himself at IKEA. Surprised?

Connect the Dots

Kiddo has shown an interest in handwriting lately but for a variety of reasons I won't go into, I'm not that motivated to teach him how to form letters yet. However, to help him with his pen-wielding skills I hit upon the idea of connect-the-dots. Due to my neurosis about not pushing representational art I am not interested in connect-the-dots which reveal a picture. Plus, I don't think it would enhance Kiddo's experience of the process as it might for other kids. Instead, I randomly, or in patterns, put the numbers on paper. I made a bunch of them ahead of time so I could use them for a distraction activity when I needed to get something else done.
Although I used rubber stamps this time, I won't be doing that in the future. It was too time consuming and I am against spending more time setting up a project than actually doing it! Geesh.
It was a big hit. Kiddo loved "chasing the numbers". He insisted I make more, including this giant one!

Numbers Collage

On Thursday afternoon I really wanted to go outside but Kiddo was adamantly against it (as he is to most of my suggestions these days) and since I had a headache, 4 hours of sleep and we had gone to Manhattan at 7:30 in the morning for an appointment, I didn't press the issue. Of course, lack of exercise soon led to craziness to which I responded, "if you don't want to go outside you need to demonstrate to me that you can control your energy." I think it was pure coincidence, but he did calm down for the rest of the afternoon and evening, even for bedtime, which I normally term "the hour of insanity."

After I told him he needed to dial it down I suggested he do some art. I gave him a box of collage materials, a piece of paper and some glue (because of course I have 12 bottles). To my utter amazement he worked very quietly for 45 minutes. I loved that he focused so well on this without my saying anything.
A lot of that time was spent examining and sorting the collage materials.
And dumping them out.Predictably, he chose the numbers as his main material.Total concentration.He was very intent that the glue was very precisely placed.The ghost of an 8.What it looked like when he decided he needed a snack:
He even cleaned up well, thanks to my best friend, Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Too Much Stuff!

Occasionally I like to offer up a little PSA for your enjoyment. Today's is about stuff. I really, really really hate stuff.

My two favorite sayings, that I have on my fridge are:

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
-- Old New England proverb

We never buy more than we need.
We never need more than we use,
We never use more than it takes to get by,
'Til we learn to need less.
-- Old Chinese saying

If you need some motivation to stop collecting stuff, watch the intelligent, concise video, The Story of Stuff.

Wishful Thinking

Our apartment only has a southwest exposure which, while great for my houseplants, is not so good for accurate temperature readings in the afternoon.
Please ignore our filthy windows.

Painting with Marbles

It has been made clear to me that Kiddo likes art which is action oriented: sticking, squirting, mixing, smooshing, spinning and now... rolling.
First, gather materials: baking pans with high sides, paper cut to fit, marbles, washable paint (for that marble will escape and roll all over the floor) in bowls with spoons.I decided to simplify with black and white paint to provide a secret lesson in contrast.
Drop the marbles in paint and use a spoon to get marbles covered in paint. Drop the marbles into tray. FYI, the non-OCD child who can handle getting his hands messy may dispense with the spoon.Roll the marbles around. I was surprised at how interesting Kiddo thought this was. Instead of going crazy like he usually does, he thoughtfully manipulated and watched the action of the marble. I realized it could also be a science lesson. Hmmmm, future physicist?We used two different sized baking trays. I wished I had something lighter than this glass pyrex but it did provide excellent control for some back and forth action.The completed works: Kiddo seemed like he was poised to do a few more but then he realized, "Marbles! I should roll these around the apartment, instead!" I was wondering what took him so long. However, the marbles and a paper towel tube did provide him with enough entertainment that I was able to attend to New Kid's worst. napping. day. evaaaahhh.

I would like some suggestions as to what to do with all this art. We use some for cards that Kiddo sends to his grandparents and we hang some of it up. What else can we do with it besides put it in a box?

For the record, I would like to add that yes, Kiddo does seem to be always wearing his pj's and while he does spend a lot more time in them now than he used to (pre-New Kid), we do tend to do these activities in the morning while our outdoor excursion happens in the afternoon. For which (hopefully) we get dressed.

Stress Relief

I saw this project at Living and Learning and knew it was the activity for us. Unfortunately, we only had three balloons and we filled them with quinoa since my funnel is not very good and has a narrow opening. Kiddo took all the plastic containers we have and lined them up, stretching the length of the room and dropped them in one by one, practicing his aim. But what he really wanted to do was throw them around willy-nilly. Further evidence that I NEED A YARD.

Give Peace a Chance

Tired of repeating myself over and over, I made this chart with Kiddo. In an effort to make it enticing, I used a transportation theme. Note the street sign shapes that Kiddo picked out for our numbers. Myself? I'm working on number 4. Now Kiddo likes to tell me that he is "expressing gratitude," but usually he tells me this when he is taking responsibility. Um, perhaps a vocabulary lesson is in order.

Quick and Easy Distractions

When I started this blog the intention was to share the ways in which I was able to keep Kiddo entertained so that I could have a few uninterrupted thoughts. Recently I have been posting a lot more about activities which Kiddo and I do together. One of my readers asked in the comments section what amusements Kiddo has been enjoying lately. This got me thinking and I thought a recap of quick and easy distractions might be in order. These are some greatest hits I bring out on the spur of the moment if Kiddo is making demands being 4 and I need to change a diaper/clean up spit up/rock New Kid to sleep/brush my teeth/pee.

1. Baking Soda and Vinegar. This never gets boring. Set it up on a towel and then just throw it in the wash.

2. Maps. Kiddo has quite a collection and I try to keep some in reserve because if I give him a new one he will spend quite a bit of alone time checking it out. This works with bus and train schedules, too. If you go to a museum or a trip without your kid.... (oh, excuse me, I had to pick myself up off the floor I was laughing so hard)... pick up some maps to bring back.

3. Indoor Tunnel. We have this indoor tunnel, which provides some easy entertainment.

4. Magnets. Always a hit.

5. Stickers and Contact Paper Collage.

6. Straw Cutting. This is a new favorite. Yes, it makes a mess but one has to have priorities.

7. Puzzles. Kiddo loves puzzles and I try to keep them in rotation so he has a "new" one to do.

8. Books and Ladybug magazines. Kiddo's Mormor is a school teacher and she frequently gives us a large stash of books and Ladybugs from her classroom. I keep these in the closet so I can bring out a new one when needed. This only works when he is in the mood to look at it by himself. Which is not very often. FYI he LOVES Ladybug mags and does not care that they are from 1992.

That's what works for us these days. I am always trying to think of new easy entertainment for Kiddo so stay tuned.

Oh, I hardly need mention the love affair Kiddo has with his trains and transportation collection. What would I do without it?

Happy Valentine's Day

Spin, Spin, Spin

I have seen spin art created in a salad spinner on several blogs, including Let's Explore and The Artful Parent. I thought it was high time I stole borrowed the idea for myself. I had been stalling because I would either have to sacrifice my salad spinner or go pick up a new one. Since I realized I would never do it unless I made the sacrifice, that was what I did. Fortunately, they are only 7 bucks at IKEA.I highly recommend using WASHABLE paint for any indoor art projects, esp. when you must do art in your tiny apartment. It's not the clothes, but the furniture that I think about.It was a challenge to get Kiddo not to empty the whole bottle of paint in one go.We discovered that making swirls and various blobs of paint made for a more interesting result that one big, gigantic blob.The spinning part was really entertaining.We used regular art paper, but I think that thicker card stock might be better. Or paper plates cut to size. Our paper sometimes folded in on itself. It didn't affect the beauty of the product or the process, though.Both Kiddo and Mom say, "OOooooooo!"We will be doing this again.

Texas Snowflakes

I am really on a roll with these art project lately. Again, this uses the liquid watercolors we have used for making playdough, puffy paint, marbleized paper, etc. Normal people would use regular coffee filters or tissue paper. We are not normal and we use "Texas Snowflakes." That name cracks me up.

I like to put the watercolor in little jars so if it spills it doesn't go all over the place. Important tip: keep lids on jars until the last moment.Kiddo used a dropper to drop it onto the "snowflake". He liked to watch the colors bleed together. "Yellow and Blue make Green!" But I think mostly he just liked the squirting action (another good reason why I should have a yard). He put on so much paint that I pressed a second snowflake on top of the first to absorb some of the liquid. He liked watching that, too.I got distracted (fancy that) and didn't get a photo of the final project, but just envision a big blobby green circle.

Format this!

Can anyone please explain to me why sometimes, if I upload a photo into a post, the first paragraph of text is double spaced but the rest is all single spaced. It is driving me crazy!

Puffy Paint

I have been roaming around looking for interesting paint recipes and I found a recipe for Puffy paint and thought we might try it. It is equal parts salt, flour and water mixed with some color. I used liquid watercolor from my favorite art supply source, discount school supply.

First Kiddo scooped the ingredients into a tupperware ketchup squirter. How I came by this particular item, I have no idea, as I loathe all ketchup/mustard products and their condiment cousins. It is useful for art projects, however.It turns out that it is kind of difficult to squirt out, a problem which could be alleviated by the addition of some water but we decided to use a paint brush instead.When it dries it feels kind of bouncy like playdough, not surprising, given its ingredients. I think if your kid is into representational art, it would be good for filling in the outlines of balloons or hearts for a valentine project. An artistically inclined kid could really do some fun stuff with this. We are not at that level yet; Kiddo is still in the blob-making phase.

I also have a recipe for puffy paint which is equal parts shaving cream and glue. We are going to try that next since we have lots of shaving cream left over from our marbelized paper project.

"Good Job"bing

I've never felt the phrase "good job" was an adequate phrase to use when talking to Kiddo. Even though I try to avoid it, I still find myself saying it, which aggravates me. It's not that saying that "good job" is inherently bad, it's just that I want more meaningful conversation. This post eloquently expresses why "good job!" too often takes the place of more authentic interaction with our kids. She also mentions Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting, which I think is one of the most thoughtful/thought-provoking parenting books I've ever read. It is worth reading, even if you might disagree with his main argument regarding punishments and rewards.

The Art of Resistance

Despite the fact that Kiddo has been protesting "I don't want to take art class" every time I suggest we sign up for one I have managed to do some art projects with him at home. Recently we used stickers to explore a different kind of resistance.

This is a good activity for using up a lot of time because of the labor involved in applying and removing all the stickers.

I usually try to limit the colors to 1 or 2 at a time. This may seem too restrictive to some, but Kiddo loses focus with too many colors because he just wants to make a dab of each color. That may not be the case for other kids. If your kid is so inclined he might use the stickers to create designs or representational pictures. Kiddo is not so inclined. He doesn't yet think of his art as a means towards representation; he is much more into the action of painting.(yes, those are the infamous pj's again)
You can see Kiddo took my instructions to paint over the stickers very literally.I recommend using office supply stickers for this as they are 1) cheap; and 2) low tack so easy to remove (depending on the thickness of the paint applied!).

By the way, I use color coordinated paint brushes not because I am neurotic (at least not about this) but because Susan Striker recommends it.
Before sticker removal:While waiting for them to dry Kiddo said, "Mommy, when we take off the stickers you are going to say, 'Oooooooooo!'" I am so predictable.
The finished product:This one he did not want to take off the stickers. I was kind of relieved. Look at how tiny they are!