Ginger Casa

Dallas, TX blogger - parenting, cooking, gardening, DIY-ing, crafting, and life with three boys!

How My Four-Year-Old Taught Me About Optimism With a Game of Chutes and Ladders

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It always amazes me how different each of the boys are.  They really do have different personalities, likes, dislikes, and of course, funny sayings.  Lately, D (4.5 years) has been obsessed with the game – Chutes and Ladders.  He has played it with different people, but God bless Grammy for playing with him over and over and over again when she came to visit a few weeks ago.  Oh, to have a grandmother's patience!

Chutes and Ladders

D started half day pre-k yesterday.  He has stayed home with me all of his life, except the two times he went to Parents' Day Out (it was his idea to go so after he didn't want to go anymore, and since the rest of us minus Daddy were staying home, I let him quit.  Some may say that was bad, but I wasn’t going to force a three-year-old to go if he doesn't want to.)  He also went with his older brother three hours a week to "school" with a teacher friend from church, which was a very beneficial supplement to homeschool.  He learned so much and had fun, but he was also the only other student besides the Captain.

So, I NEVER thought he would actually enjoy pre-k.  Monday was the first day and he didn't shed a tear.  In fact, I was kind of hanging around his chair as he began coloring his paper and he turned to me and said "ok, you can go now."  I was SO proud of him, but yikes, rip my heart out, kid!  Yesterday there were near tears, but he ended up having a great day and even earned a certificate for good behavior!  He can't remember what he did to earn it, but hey, he's four.  

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Easy Summer Activity for Preschoolers and Toddlers: Painting with Water

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Summer Activity for Preschoolers: Painting with WaterI'm always looking for a great summer activity for preschoolers to keep the kids happy and engaged.  Kids love to get wet, especially in the 100+ degree summer heat.  When we lived with my parents for a few months in 2011, my mom suggested that the Captain paint with water.  He was 2 then and it just started a love of painting with water.  We pulled out the foam brushes for Baby Brother the other day and while the Captain and D are a bit more hyper with their painting, it's still pretty fun and provides a great summer day activity…and it's simple and cheap!

Materials Needed:

  • one or more paintbrushes, in all types and sizes!
  • cup or bowl of water

This is a great activitiy because water dries quickly and doesn't leave a mess.  This would be a fun thing to do alongside a parent who is using real paint, as long as the child knows they are to only use the water or their "special paint" to paint with!  (That could be bad if they dipped their paintbrush in the paint instead of water!)  Give your child(ren) a task of painting the door, porch, patio, toy playhouse, whatever!  This is so much fun, yet so simple.  The toddlers and preschoolers really enjoy this activity.

 

Summer Activity for Preschoolers: Painting with Water

What summer activity do your toddlers and preschoolers enjoy?  Make sure to check out our DIY Splash Pad for added summer fun!

Spring Fashion For Boys That We ALL Can Agree On!

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I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Carter’s. I received a complimentary gift card to facilitate my review as thanks for my participation. All opinions in this spring fashion for boys post are my own.  #SpringIntoCarters #IC

#SpringIntoCarters #IC

Winter was long and cold, and we had record snowfalls in Texas!  While it was fun, we are so glad that spring is here and we can enjoy the sunshine outdoors.  Spring means green grass, flowers, Easter, and FUN!  I wanted to get the boys matching outfits to wear to church on Easter Sunday and for spring pictures, but apparently the Captain is "over" matching with his brothers, so we settled on coordinating outfits.  We went to Carter's and were greeted with adorable clothes in gorgeous spring colors.  The Easter shop at Carter's is full of vibrant colors, florals for girls, and new classics for boys.  You can go with dressy styles, coordinating accessories, and even "My First Easter" products for babies.

#SpringIntoCarters #adWhile I wanted to choose everything, I let the boys go with the mission of finding something that fit their individual styles.  D immediately went to a beautiful blue shirt …. of course!  He loves blue!  He held on to that shirt for the duration of our shopping trip.  He was so proud!  Then, the Captain worked with D's choice to find a cute plaid short sleeved shirt and some khaki pants.  I then visited the baby boy section to pick out the most adorable navy blue romper with marlins on it for Baby Brother.  We were set and everyone was happy!  Oh and Carter's always has great sales, which makes Mom and Dad happy.

#SpringIntoCarters #ad

After we had agreed on Easter Sunday outfits, I let them choose a few other items and I visited the clearance section.  The Captain loves sports clothes more than just about anything, so I let him pick out this outfit, that he wears every chance he gets, like during this trip to the zoo.
#SpringIntoCartersAll of the clothes at Carter's are stylish, comfortable, and fun!  There is definitely something for all personalities.  While we were there, I also picked up a set of adorable long sleeved onesies for Baby Brother.  They are so soft and comfortable.  I love to dress him in these at night because they don't ride up and expose his back while he sleeps.  They are also great for chilly spring days.#SpringIntoCarters #ad

Through April 5th, you can save 50% off of everything in the store!  BUT, before heading to Carter's to stock up on the new spring essentials such as tees, shorts, tunics, leggings, tops, polos, dresses, skirts, and much more, print out this coupon to save even more.  Or log on to Carters.com and use the code to save big without leaving your home.  (Note that this savings coupon expires April 5, 2015.)  Check out the Swim Shop while you're there and get ready for warmer days, now up through sizes 7-12.  I'll be going back to pick up some swimwear with UPF 50+.carters_0326_marchblogger_coupon

Our Disney World Adventure (Including How We Told The Boys!)

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Our Disney World Adventure (Including How We Told The Boys!)

Back in October, we decided to plan a trip with a homeschooling group on their Disney World trip.  Families from all over the country planned to venture to Walt Disney World in Florida the first week of March, and we were very fortunate to be able to go.  We somehow managed to wait until two days before we left to tell the boys, and we did so with a fun scavenger hunt and final reveal…a video of Daddy and I telling them we were going to leave the cold weather and go to Disney World on Monday!  We had an absolute blast and I'm sure you will hear more about it later, but first…check out this fun video of our boys learning they were going to Disney World for the very first time!!  

So many people have said to wait until the boys were older so they could remember the trip, but this was just a perfect opportunity and in all honesty, they were the perfect age.  The Captain and D both love Disney Junior, still, so they were able to enjoy that part of Hollywood Studios together, along with Baby Brother.  D was too short for a few rides, but he's also very agreeable and happily went to other rides with Baby Brother and me.  Baby Brother was very easy going and made this whole experience the more wonderful.  And yes, he won't remember this trip, but his brothers will, and we will, and those memories are ones to cherish.  We didn't like the idea of having to wait until our youngest was 8 to enjoy a family vacation.  We are SO GLAD that we went.  It was magical, fun, and such a great vacation!

Disney World

And by the way, if you insist on waiting until all of your children will remember….my husband went to Disney when he was 11 and does not remember much, at all.  ha!  So sometimes, you never know!

Have you been to Disney World or Disney Land?  I'd love to hear about it!

Celebrate Earth Day and Learn All About the Earth!

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This Earth Day post was brought to you by Oriental Trading.  All opinions are mine.  This post contains affiliate links.

Earth Day Education

Earth Day is April 22nd and we are prepared to learn!  Oriental Trading provided us with complimentary educational materials to facilitate plenty of lessons about the Earth, how to take care of it, and the fabulous things the Earth does.  The boys have really enjoyed using this awesome stuff to have fun and learn.

I always thought that Oriental Trading Company was just for parties and Vacational Bible School, but it's so, so much more.  I went to check out their recommended products for Earth Day and came up with so much stuff.

We started our Earth Day fun by planting DIY seed pots and the Watch It Grow Plant Viewer:

Earth Day Grow

The boys and I loved watching the seeds sprout and roots go down into the soil.  We love our garden, and this brought so many more teachable moments concerning the life cycle of a plant!

roots

Earth Day pots

There is just SO much STUFF that parents and teachers can use to teach.  Educational products are always so expensive, but I was impressed with the cost at Oriental Trading.  A four pack of life cycle posters was only $5.99.  Huge, full color posters like this one:

life cycle butterflyWe used each of the posters and created a fun lesson about the life cycles of the butterfly, frog, chicken, and plants!  The visual really helped the boys understand it all.

Then we began talking about how it is our responsibility to take care of this Earth that God gave us.  The Captain loved coloring these Earth Day magnets for our fridge, to help remind us to recycle and go green!

magnetsGlobes are cool.  Every kid loves globes.  But an inflatable globe?  SO MUCH FUN!  We can search for countries and continents on the globe and talk about the oceans, then take a break to toss it in the air.  This was the boys' favorite part of our Earth Day study:

inflatable globe

We also found an awesome sorting game that really got us thinking about recycling.  The Learn to Recycle Activity Boxes was tricky, but so much fun.  We divided up the items to be recycled and talked about each piece and what it was made of.  

recycling game

Lightbulbs, cans, and even worms were part of this fun game!

recycling game

Each box has a "Fun Fact" on the side to help you decide what to put where:

Earth Day recycling

I am so thrilled that I discovered all the great, well priced teaching tools at Oriental Trading.  Check it out for all of your supplies needed for teaching, homeschooling, Sunday school, holidays, VBS, and more!

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day bible verse

 

 

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Engage and Educate Your Preschoolers with EmbarK¹² Online Programs

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This post brought to you by K12, the leader in online education. All opinions are 100% mine.

Having two preschoolers at home with a newborn is hard.  Trying to keep both of the boys entertained and still learning is quite the challenge.  I don't want them sitting in front of the TV all day, but Baby Brother always gets first dibs on Mommy.  I like the idea of having a ready-made, go-to program that the boys can turn to for educational learning.  There is a great online company that is here to help me and millions of other parents of kids who are eager to learn:  EmbarK12 Online – Over 830 interactive activities to engage your preschooler. and EmbarK12 Comprehensive- Online and hands-on preschool program for your early learner.  EmbarK¹² preschool online programs provide a fun, interactive way of learning to prepare your kids for school and to develop a lifelong love of learning.  

There are two choices when deciding what program would be best suited for your little ones, EmbarK¹² Online and EmbarK¹² Comprehensive.

Features of EmbarK¹² Online include:

  • age-appropriate online activities
  • a variety of educational interactive multimedia and games
  • 12 units of activities, covering Math, Language and Literacy, and topics from the world around them
  • music, songs, videos, and friendly engaging activities
  • geared for kids ages 3-6
  • $59 for a 12 month subscription  (see discount code at bottom)

Features of EmbarK¹² Comprehensive: 

  • Over 1,200 age-appropriate activities
  • 18 thematic units covering Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Music, and Art
  • Over 450 online multimedia rich activities
  • Over 750 hands-on activities
  • 18 digital guides that outline the objectives and activities of each unit 
  • winner of five distinguished awards
  • based on National Research Council, American Psychological Association, National Reading Panel, National Math Panel, and American Educational Research
  • $286 a year and all of the upgrade kits, including hands-on manipulatives

Kindergarten readiness programs by K12. Try a sample activity today.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

From now until March 6, 2013, you can receive a 50% off discount on EmbarK¹² Online.  Just use promo code:  EmbarkSpecial.  ($29.50 after discount is applied.)

Visit Sponsor's Site

The PlasmaBike is the Perfect Gift for Toddlers!

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The PlasmaBike is the Perfect Gift for Toddlers!

This PlasmaBike post was brought to you by PlaSmart.  All opinions are mine.  Contains affiliate links.

The colder Fall days are here and it's torture for two rambunctious boys (and their parents!) on some days.  Luckily, we live in Texas, so the days are few and far between that we simply cannot go outside, but it's nice to have options to burn off energy in our own house, too!

When Captain Fussybuckets turned 3, we received a PlasmaCar that has been used SO much by both boys, friends, cousins, and even adults…over the past two years.  It has been a lifesaver and so much fun for everyone.  I knew that the PlasmaBike would be a great choice for D at this age, and with our love for the PlasmaCar, I had great expectations and they were met!  The PlasmaBike is not exactly like the PlasmaCar, but that's what makes it awesome.

The PlasmaBike is a balance bike without pedals that has wide wheels and limited steering range to enhance balance.  You do have to use a bit more energy and skill on the PlasmaBike, but again, that's good for us!  The PlasmaBike helps kids ages 18 months and up develop gross motor skills, balance, coordination, and provides a smooth transition to regular 2 wheel bikes.  The wheels rotate inside of the frame..it's actually pretty cool to watch the boys ride!

 

PlasmaBike

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There Is Still Time To Visit the State Fair of Texas!

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This post was brought to you by the State Fair of Texas.  All opinions are mine.

fair

I had never been to the great State Fair of Texas, but being in the Dallas area the past few years, I knew it was a BIG deal!  We were given tickets to experience it for ourselves, and I think we chose the best day to go.  It was Thursday and the weather was absolutely perfect.  It wasn't too busy, but there were definitely lots of people there, enjoying the fair on such a beautiful day.

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Stained Glass Fall Leaf Craft

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fall craft

The boys love talking about the changing seasons and looking at all of the magnificent colors of the fall leaves.  We wanted to decorate the house a little with the beautiful colors of fall, so we made a stained glass fall leaf craft!  It was a bit more difficult than I had prepared for, but they were each able to participate and do what they could, with help.

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Learning to Tell Time, Shape Sorting, and FUN!

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This post about learning to tell time and shape sorting has been brought to you by the Learning Journey International.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

the learning journey international

Our boys are very hands-on learners, as are most kids their age!  The Captain has been working hard at learning to tell time and has been doing a great job, but I felt he needed an extra "something" to help him succeed.  When I saw Telly the Time Teaching Clock from The Learning Journey International, I knew he'd be a huge hit with the Captain.

Telly helps kids learn to tell time with both analog and digital clocks using two quiz modes.  In the learning mode, the child can move the hands and the LCD screen will update with the correct time.  In the quiz mode, Telly challenges kids to move the hands to match the time displayed on the screen.  Telly also has a real, working digital clock that can be set to real time and a fun night light that stays on for a few minutes.

The Captain has really enjoyed learning to tell time with Telly!  Telly has a spot on his dresser so he can always tell what time it is and grab Telly for a quick time telling quiz game or night light.

learning to tell time

Check out The Learning Journey International's video about Telly:

D is learning all about shapes and colors and he loves putting objects in and taking them out, so the Shape Sorter Fun Pot is perfect for him.  

the learning journey international

The Shape Sorter Fun Pot also has two modes of play to help children recognize shapes.  There is a discovery game and also a "find it" game.  The talking pot is friendly and encouraging to help toddlers find the correct shape and place it in.  D loves playing with the shapes, pot, and placing the lid on top when he's done!

The Learning Journey International has many more educational toys, games, puzzles, and more for young learners.  They have SO many great things that would make great birthday or Christmas gifts.  Check out all they have to offer on their website or Amazon, and also our very own review of the Count & Learn ATM Machine and the ABC & 123 Penguin Pal.  Make sure to follow TLJI on Twitter and Facebook and best of all, come back later this week to enter an awesome prize for older kids!

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