Watch Out World

Check out the neck control.

As soon as my Mom put the camera down, I rolled over.

I can even sit up in this crazy Bumbo thing. I don't like it -- but I can do it.

I have this great, chubby smile that makes my crabby, tired Mommy smile back at me every time.

Life is good.

A Spring Break Breakdown

We went to Room2Play.

We've been to Day Frog.

We recycled our old crayons.



We checked out every Biscuit book at the Bucktown/Wicker Park Public Library.

We've played game and after game.

We made (and then devoured) homemade soft pretzels.



(Insert dramatic panting sounds to indicate total exhaustion).

And spring break is only halfway over.

Up next . . . checking out Hobbitland, a picnic lunch with friends at the park, planting lettuce and radish seeds, a fairy princess tea party, a sleepover, and much more, no doubt.

Whew.

Nesting

This morning Eleanor discovered a bird's nest on the light fixture right outside our back door. We have front row seats to some pretty exciting stuff here. These little birds are busy.

After consulting with our field guide, we are pretty confident that we are watching house finches.

We figure that they must have seen the Easter Bunny bringing us our new bird feeders and thought that this would be a good spot to bring up their babies.

Can't wait to see the baby finches. We'll be watching.

We're Ready for the Bunny

Bring on the jelly beans.

Fishing and Babywearing

My friend Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is asking the question, "How do you wear?"

And that gave me an excuse to post this picture from our recent trip to Florida. This was the first time I had been fishing since I was a child. And this was also my first time wearing my baby while fishing. (And by fishing, I mean standing on the beach holding a pole for five minutes -- no actual fish were caught and someone else did the casting for me so no hooks were flying around or anything.)

I am wearing Colin in a Moby Wrap -- which we both love. I borrowed the Moby Wrap from my sister-in-law and am (reluctantly) returning it to her in a few weeks because she will need it for her new babe.

I think that Colin is big enough for the Ergo now so we will be transitioning to that.

Visit Steph's site for more cute pictures of mamas and their babes.

A Review: How to Discover and Develop Your Child's Strengths

"When you look at a child, you can either see her strengths or her weaknesses. The choice us yours."

That is the central premise of the new book How to Discover and Develop Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Jenifer Fox, M.Ed.

This message is so simple -- but also revolutionary at the same time.

Fox says that instead of focusing on weaknesses and the areas where kids don't excel, we need to focus on their strengths. Rather than label kids as learning disabled or "dumb," we need to examine the curriculum, school settings, and teaching styles that prevent them from learning. Rather than destroy their self confidence and curiosity, we should empower them to use their gifts. "Most of the labels we ascribe to children overlook what is right about children. We prefer to concentrate on labeling weaknesses. The problem is that eventually the label begins to inform the child, rather than the other way around."

Fox says that the traditional school environment tends to weaken children by sending them a message of disapproval if they are not able to excel in every subject area. She also points out that we teach the same subjects in our schools today as were taught one hundred years ago and kids aren't motivated because they don't understand why they need to learn the things we are teaching them.

So what is the solution to this complex, entrenched problem? Fox says that parents, teachers, and students all need to participate in a dialogue about education. She points out that every child starts out wanting to learn and it is the responsibility of parents and teachers to discover how to make that happen -- we can't place the entire responsibility for learning on the child and then label him a failure when things don't work out.

Fox also points out that it is unreasonable to expect children to excel at everything. Do you know anyone who is good at absolutely everything? Of course not. We need to find out what each individual child's strengths are and help them to develop those skills. To that end, Fox includes a "Strengths Inventory" that helps us pinpoint what our Learning Strengths, Relationship Strengths and Activity Strengths are (I had a lot of fun filling this out and thinking about my own strengths).

Fox's approach leaves me feeling empowered to help my own children develop their strengths. In the way that we interact at home, in the school settings that we choose, and through my participation in their education, I can focus on what is beautiful and unique about each of them.

This book may be about education, but the decision to celebrate strengths rather than weaknesses begins at home. I am grateful for her message.

Making Plans

I have a post up today at the Chicago Moms Blog called A Girl and Her Plans about all of the things I would do if I had more time.

Speaking of plans, Ellie's eleven-day-long spring break begins tomorrow and I need to start planning. I am not the kind of mom who can wake up, make breakfast and then say to the kids, "So what should we do today?"

Spontaneity and three kids under the age of five don't mix.

If I don't think ahead the night before, the next thing I know the kids have watched three episodes of Curious George and it is almost lunch time.

I need to make a plan (eleven of them, actually).

Next Monday, I thought that we would go to the Morning Glories for Preschoolers Program at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

And that is all I have so far.

Anybody been on a spectacular local spring break outing with your kiddos? Share. Share.