Leaning into joy

LW loved learning his colors. He has become a little color expert. So I thought we would take it to the next level. Shades of color with a little fine motor practice.  A great gift is a Gigi who has EVERYTHING in her studio. Supplies needed:  -Free paint chip cards from your local Hardware store (I found it easier to use the larger square shaped cards vs. the skinner rectangular shaped paint chip cards, so there is enough room to cut out the square for the close pin) -close pins from the dollar store -hot glue gun -scissors How to make:  1) Cut the square paint chip card in half  2) cut out any shape to glue onto the close pin  3) glue the shape onto the close pin  4) Introduce to your little Van Gough!  My little color expert could easily remove the close pin from the card, but had difficulty with his fine motor skills to clip it back on. So I directed him to lay the pin on top of the color instead.  ...

Sensory box filled with dry pinto beans Sensory box filled with dry long grained white rice                  As an educator, I know the importance of learning through touch and working on fine motor coordination. I also have learned that in early education, this is often done through a sensory box or station. I remember in preschool LOVING the water table, or coming in to see what fun things I could find under piles of sand, beans, rice, noodles and etc. As a mama and neat-freak, the words "Sensory Box" makes me nervous with the possible mess that could happen within the first 3 seconds of Levi exploring. Then I asked myself a question that I often ask myself in all areas of life, "What is the worst thing that could happen?" My two worse case scenarios were: 1)  Levi would dump the box all over the floor and I would have to clean it up. 2) Levi would eat whatever I used as my sensory station "filler"...

I'm currently sitting at my dining room table with the following things spread on it: -Kirkland diapers -baby monitor -Levi's sensory station box filled with pinto beans and trucks -a large stack of my husband's files from work -my planner -phone -computer -Nehemiah study "A heart that can break" by Kelly Minter (which I might add I started on 3-21-16 and I'm STILL not finished) -- Talk about distractions!-- -a sippy cup filled with water -my Bible -and a Voice telling me... "Just sit with Me for a while...take time....stop."  Distractions.... Why is it so difficult, and at times, scary to sit in silence and just be still? This is a very hard task for someone like myself who is a to-do lister, clean kitchen obsessor, ADHD, preggo mama with baby #2 and a toddler to chase. However, the art of BEING STILL is also very hard for an always healing heart and soul that was deep in the trenches of darkness and got so accustomed to u...