A is for Apple
Before our baby girl was born last May, our oldest spent the weekdays at "her school" while I taught middleschoolers full-time down the road. Once the baby arrived, it has been me and the girls fulltime. Looking for ways to create "school" myself during this time has been a mixed bag. The simple ABC and number learning and having fun in the process hasn't been too hard, especially with a couple good resources. Finding regular playmates has taken more effort.
One of my current good resources is Art Across the Alphabet by Kelly Justus Campbell. My sister let me borrow this book that she enjoyed with her two oldest. The book simply gives art ideas for each letter of the alphebet. Each time a letter was decorated this fall and winter, I tacked it to the top edge of our daughter's walls around her room. Having just finished her last letter this week, her room is looking pretty colorful, with a nut shell covered "N," a string covered "S," a band-aid and button covered "B," and so on.
As for regular playmates, the last month has been wonderful. Several moms and I have come together to have playgroup for four hours once a week. Every week, two moms care for the kids and two moms are "off duty," and we rotate through until each home has been played in! For the first playgroup, our girl confessed the night before and morning of that she did not want to go. Now she asks if I can stay home, and she can stay all by herself. I explain that sometimes she will get her wish and sometimes she won't. I am so glad that she has warmed up to this time in her week, and I hope we can continue the fun for many more months to come!
(m is for mosaic)