Search Results for: blog towers of blocks

Towers of Blocks

When Heather invited us all to Take Back 9-11 and move on, I sat here for perhaps thrifty minutes. Eyes slowly unfocused, the white screen fuzzing away as dark images swirled through my mind, morphing into some bizarre collage of thoughts, of pieces, of blocks of memories. About David B., a firefighter I knew in fourth grade who I dared to eat a slice of sicilian pizza covered with an entire jar of garlic salt, and who promised to marry me someday. About the numerous police officers in the neighborhood who offered me candy and magic tricks when I visited … Continue reading →

Learning the Alphabet Part V

Part of his seemingly sudden interest in the alphabet is due to my obsession with writing names but also in part due to his one year old sister’s recent interest in his fridge phonics toy.  He could not have cared less about until she showed some fascination with it and now he thinks it is one of the best toys in the house. It is unnerving how that seems to work. The two of them would stand in the kitchen and he would put the letters into the toy and she would press them so that the toy would start … Continue reading →

Toddler Creations

I love how creative my son is. Has your toddler built a tower out of blocks lately? Have they decorated the refrigerator with magnets or stickers? Have you shown them how to glue pieces of paper together? Have they drawn with markers on some of their toys or books? I call these “toddler creations” and I love to collect and photograph them. I want to remember, years from now, what toddler creations my son has made. I want to show off his creative ideas in his scrapbook. I want to share his creativity with our friends and family by letting … Continue reading →

Charity and the Preschooler

“Mommy, I thought charity was a girl.” That was my 4-year-old’s response after a man from our local St. Vincent de Paul non-profit thrift store helped unload the last bag of donated goods from our car. For weeks we have been organizing, purging and de-cluttering our home all in the name of charity. After I tackled the kitchen and living room I moved on to my daughter’s room. While she was busy crashing her remote control Jeep into towers of wooden blocks I dumped out a gigantic container of stuffed animals and asked her to help me make two piles. … Continue reading →

Boston Wants Your Business

In these tough economic times some lodgings are pulling out all the stops to fill guest rooms. Some are a bit cleverer than others, but for the most part the offerings are designed to give you more bang for your buck. Hotels in the Boston area have ramped up their promotions in just the last two weeks; perhaps hoping you will spend some of your tax rebates or part of your economic stimulus package on a vacation for the whole clan. If you are looking to getaway to Beantown and want to save some cash on your hotel room check … Continue reading →

Three Little Pumpkins

Sitting outside in the rain are two little pumpkins. They aren’t quite sitting on a fence, but they are pretty close to one. They shine in the moonlight and declare the Fall. My two older children decorated them with tempera paint, swirls of color that has now washed clean. The purples and browns and blues and yellows and reds are no more; the pumpkins are back to their natural clean orange state, and I get the sense that it is just mother nature washing off her makeup. Like any good mother though, she’ll put up with a little mess, and … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: September 10 – 16

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. I know I plan on relaxing today. Even if you don’t plan on tackling too many chores today, you should find some of this week’s articles helpful for when you do need to get down to business. This week kicked off with a Quick Trick for Extra Seating. You can bring those outdoor chairs inside and dress them up for instant extra seating. Another tip to go along with this article is to consider buying higher end outdoor furniture the next time you shop for such items, since the styles and quality available today … Continue reading →

The “Building” Years

Building as an activity and a type of learning play is fairly common for the early elementary aged child. For children who are ages four to eight or nine, building with blocks, legos, or even chairs, pillows, and blankets is an important way to play (both socially and independently), and learn basic math and spatial skills. Parents can provide plenty of supplies and space to encourage this natural interest in “building.” While children may start stacking blocks and toys on top of each other when they are older babies and toddlers, the interest in building doesn’t really take off until … Continue reading →

Santa’s Developmental Toy List

The holidays are upon us, and you might be wondering about how to choose toys that are developmentally appropriate for your child. The stores are filled with all kinds of gizmos and gadgets and electronic stuff. Sometimes the simpler toys are better for kids who are facing challenges. Deciding which toys are the most beneficial and which ones can help your child master important skills can be difficult. The following list does not use name brands, but suggests certain kinds of toys that would be developmentally appropriate for children to reach significant milestones. If your child is delayed and functioning … Continue reading →

Boy Toys versus Girl Toys

It can drive you nuts when you are out shopping for baby and you see the gender separation of toys even at such a young age. You may wonder what’s going on if your male toddler enjoys playing with baby dolls and is it okay that someone gave your baby girl a play set of tools? The trick here is to realize that there’s a ton of research in this area, but most of it is undependable. Babies develop at different rates and are affected by everything from their environment (including whether they have siblings), to their parents to the … Continue reading →