I laced up my sneakers tonight and pounded the pavement for the first time in a REALLY long time. It felt great.

I forgot what it's like to have chapped lips, slipping sunglasses (due to sweat pouring off my face), and a swinging ponytail.

View from above:

After my run, the three of us decided to bike up to the lake for a little playground time.

So glad this little man loves the outdoors!

Science Center 3-24

The Power of Play

I love it when I read articles/research supporting learning through play. It just makes my day! Here it is, if you care to read: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/christakis.play.children.learning/index.html

GDS

In August, I will be joining the Early Childhood Team at Greensboro Day School!!

I'm excited about the opportunity to help develop a brand new program for young children!

Owen's Art Center

One of my favorite things about teaching is allowing children to be creative. To see their face light up when they mix two colors and make a new one, write their name for the first time, or learn to use scissors, is just priceless!

For Christmas, Owen's Aunt Katy and Uncle Paul gave him a ton of art supplies. It was absolutely the perfect gift. He has been really interested in art lately, so I wanted to set up an art center for him to have access to all of his supplies. We don't have a lot of extra space in our house, so I decided to set up shop in the garage. This way if he colors on the walls, or spills paint on the floor, it can be easily fixed/cleaned!

Here is how it looks:

-Sailboat painting on the wall: painted by my old co-teacher's daughter, Lilly

-Black storage bins on the left: contain markers, paints, chalk, pens, crayons, tape, paint brushes, bubbles, etc.

-Clear container on the wall: paper storage

-Cork board

-Table: purchased at a yard sale; refinished by my grandpa

-Tree painting to the right of the cork board: purchased at a silent auction for Duke Children's Hospital

-Easel on the right

-Smock hangs on the wooden post above the easel

In case you were wondering, here is my basic philosophy on art:

-There are no boundaries (ex. "coloring in the lines").

-It's okay to be messy- that's what soap and water are for.

-There is no "right way" to do something. Avoid giving children models to re-create and drawing things for them. The only way they are going to learn (and gain self-confidence) is by being creative in their own way. Plus, the way I draw a house may not be the way you draw a house.

-Ask open-ended questions about their artwork instead of questions that require a one-word answer. This encourages children to think outside of the box.

-It's the process that matters, not the outcome.

Art:

-Enhances creativity and imagination

-Promotes fine motor development

-Increases color/shape/alphabet recognition

-Boosts self-confidence

-Encourages communication

Wordless Wednesday

Busy Bees

On Monday mornings from 9:00-12:00, the Greensboro Children's Museum has a program for members only called Busy Bees. We usually can't go because of work and school, but this past Monday I was off. Owen and I decided to give it a try.

After watching Owen interact with the other children, it made me realize that he is a very social kid. He enjoys being around other children (younger and older). I truly think this is a result of having him in school at such a young age. He has learned simple social skills such as sharing, interacting, problem solving, communicating, and turn-taking.

As you can see, he had no problem fitting in with the regular Busy Bee crowd!

Yes, at one point, O was the only one in the center of the circle. Apparently he thought he needed to be the center of attention..

Have I mentioned how much I love this little boy?

ATL

This past weekend we decided to take a quick trip to Atlanta to visit Katy and Paul, check out the Georgia aquarium, and catch a few ACC basketball games. Kathryn and Lamar picked us up and we headed down on Thursday after work.

Owen absolutely loved playing in the water with the baby sharks!

After picking up some milk from Trader Joe's, we headed to get ice cream. For some reason, Owen became very attached to his jug of milk...

While strolling the streets of Atlanta, we came upon the oldest (continually operating) fire house.

What more could a little boy ask for?!




Thanks, Katy and Paul, for a fun-filled weekend!

I forgot to mention how excited Owen was when his Uncle Paul gave him his first lacrosse stick. Surprisingly, he knew exactly what to do with it. Since then, he has found many other uses for it including a rake, dog chaser, broom, and vacuum!

School Days!