Math Monday Update

Multiplication practice lives on... Checkout this fun printable.  http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.ca/2011/09/milk-chocolate-multiplication.html  We are having a competition to see who can come up with the most multiplication problems using the dots chart.

Tip:  We printed the sheet and slipped it in to a plastic sleeve so we could use our dry erase marker on it to reuse and reuse. Works great!


Connor is a rising 2nd grader and would rather polish up his addition and subraction skills.  Check out these super cool Angry Bird Printables!  They are so fun.

http://www.coloringsquared.com/printable-coloring-sheets/angry-birds/angry-birds-addition-and-subtraction/#.Udq2KPnigfU


These are both also pinned on my Simplifying Mommy Pinterest Board.  :)  

Simple Family Fun - Stony Brook NY State Park

Every year we make the trek up to NY for the Fourth of July party on Loon Lake.  Since two of the three kids were asleep for the fireworks, I didn't get any pictures. :( But... the the kids love getting up early to use their brand new fishing poles from Grandma!  (somehow we get new ones each year :)  This is the first year though that they actually each caught a fish on their own!

Morning  Catch on Loon Lake

Aside from lounging in the lake, although our 18 month old just wanted to swim to the floating dock and back over and over and over - this kid has no fear - so there is not much "lounging",
 we love to go and visit Stony Brook State Park.  

This is my favorite stop on our annual visit. Not only is is BEAUTIFUL but you get a good work out walking to each of the falls. This is definitely not something you want to miss if you are in the Western NY area. This park is located in Dansville, NY and has lifeguarded swimming holes, picnic areas, clean locker rooms and an awesome playground!  Check out their website to plan your visit http://nysparks.com/parks/118/.   Nothing beats a simple family walk along the falls. 

Simplifying Spaces - Magnetic Chalk Wall

Mommy Bucket List Project #2 - Create a Magnetic Chalk Wall in the Kitchen.

A few years ago I made wine cork board to hang in the kitchen as decor but also a place to hang the kids' artwork and school project.  We have a stainless steel fridge and guess what...it isn't magnetic! The super cute wine cork board worked great but now the corks keep falling off so I decide to try this out.  The jury is still out on whether or not it was a great idea.  It looks great but isn't as functional as I had hoped.  

Materials Needed:

• Magnetic Primer
• Latex Chalkboard Paint
• Painter's Tape
• DROP CLOTHS
• 2 Roller sponges for smooth surfaces
• Paint pan
• Long Sleeved Shirt to wear while applying the primer ( I was covered in black flecks from this step and had to use gasoline to get it off of my skin)

Tips and Lessons Learned:

Magnetic Primer  - The magnetic primer is messy.  When you roll it on your space it drops black flecks everywhere.  Be sure to have surrounding surfaces covered. The can says to do two to three coats, preferably three thin than two thick.  After two coats, I tried one of the Leap Frog Fridge Farm (heavy) magnets and when it stuck easily I figured I was good to go.  NOPE!  After applying the top coat of Latex Chalkboard Paint as it suggests on the package the same magnet wouldn't stick. :/  Grr I painted to the floor so the baby could play with this toy in this space now it won't hold.  

Chalk Board Paint - Easy and wonderful!  Paints the same as any other latex paint which means easy clean up too.  With plenty left over I plan on using this for other spaces and/or projects.

Magnets:  It seems that decorative magnets have trouble sticking because they are heavy.  I have had success with large flat (sheet like) magnets like the kind you'd stick to your car.  We have a bundle of Upward Sports magnets that I'm using inside of a plastic presentation sleeve then sliding the paper in that to display.  Not the ease of use I was hoping for but it is working for now.  :)

Favorite Part:  The kids created a chore chart for summer. See blog post here.  We put the charts in plastic sleeves so that we could use dry erase markers to check off completed chores.  Yay with a magnet inside the sleeve the chart sticks to the wall!  AND I found a 3 pack of  Magnetic Dry Erase Markers at Dollar Tree that stick to the wall too!  

Final Verdict - I would have done a smaller space and laid on the primer super thick.  I still don't have a vertical space for her Fridge Farm and Letter Factory (we are using a cookie sheet instead) but I do like the way it look and the kids seem to love it!  For the most part this is a mommy win and it does Simplify the Space!  

Magnetic Chalk Wall

Math Monday: Multiplication

Really only four more weeks of summer!!! UGH gotta get on this math plan! Okay so the kids really wanted to brush up on their math skills this summer.  Calculating their chores (see previous post) has been great but during today's rainy day we finally hunkered down and tackled the multiplication chart.  

Goal = simply look at the relationships between numbers as they multiply

Is this the best way to "teach" multiplication? Most likely no but the kids had a great time doing it and discovering the patterns themselves.  My rising 2nd grader hasn't really been exposed to multipliation except in skip counting so it was cool to hear his rising 4th grade sister explain things to him.  :)  

Next step?  

• Keep looking at the sequence of numbers until they stick (yeah yeah we don't memorize times tables anymore...and that my friends is why my 9th graders cannot calculate tax!!) 
• Make up songs or visit the songs already available 
• Download and Print the Number Family Cards or create own flash cards
• Make a yard size multiplication chart out of a shower curtain, tape and paint

Visit my Pinterest Board: A Simplifying Mommy for the links

A blank copy of the Multiplication chart is in the Printables Tab above.

I fount it at http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/printable-multiplication-chart.html

What's Cookin' : Family Style Antipasto

When I was a little girl I remember hot NY summers with no air conditionion and the constant purr of box fans circulating hot air around the house.  My Italian grandparents lived with us in an apartment we built onto the house.  Having FAMILY around was a part of everyday life. On those hot summer nights when turning on the stove or oven was a ridiculous thought, Grandma would head out the garden and pick fresh green beans, basil, cherry tomatoes, cukes, and anything else she felt would make a great salad for supper.  Then with whatever cold meats and cheeses she had in the fridge, she'd toss it all together in olive oil, vinegar, and her magic wand of spices.


This week my Lella (her real name is Marietta but I couldn't say that as a kid and called her Lella and the name stuck) came down to VA for a visit. She is my mom's older sister and enjoyed those same very special summer salads her mother used to make.  After a hot week in an unseasonably cool summer, we decided to make an antipasto for dinner and Lella showed me how to make the dressing!

This brought me back to those simple summers of my youth when dinner meant running out to the garden and spending time as a FAMILY making an then eating meal.  It is all to often that we get caught up in all the craziness of life and miss out on those special moments.

Having Lella here this week helped remind me to always make time to slow down and enjoy what is really important.  I have taken my Italian heritage and upbringing for ganted. I'll honeslty admit I thought everyone "did it that way" and that when I grew up life would be the same.  Grrr... mommy fail :/  I don't think grabbing concession stand food at the 5th straight Little League game constitutes as a meal, but that is often how we roll.

Nonetheles this past week hearing the kids giggle playing cards (yes cards, not their iPods or laptop) until it was late begging for just a few more minutes was priceless!  Every now and then you need a healthy dose of FAMILY to keep you grounded and focused on creating the same opportunites for memories for your own kids.  End result...mommy FAMILY win!


Quick Antipasto Recipe
1 head of Romain Lettuce - chopped
1 can of pitted black olives
1/2 jar of roasted red peppers
1 jar of Italian Mix Giardiniera
1/4 lb of provolone cheese
1/4 lb of deli pepperoni

Dressing:
3 parts olive oil
1 part cider vinegar
seasoning:  basil, oregano, parsely, garlic, salt, pepper,
(don't ask how much we never measure just toss it all in) 

Summer Theater Camp Success!!

Receiving the "Best Actress" Award at Camp Curtain Call

My oldest daughter is an artist.  She loves to draw, sketch, and create and Art Camp at the Louisa Arts Center was awesome last summer.  After she joined Chorus and went to 7:30 am practices all school year, she realized she really likes to sing sing, dance around and perform anything!  This summer...Camp Curtain Call!!  Wow what an amazing program!! For two weeks she went to camp from 9-12 to practice practice practice (with one missed day for our DC trip - but we did stop to see the Ruby Slippers at the Smithsonian!) and landed the role of "City Mother" from the Munchkin scene in Wizard of Oz.  She had a few short speaking lines, and once she spotted us in the audience, sang her heart out.  My heart of course melted when she finally saw us and her face beamed.  Ahhh proud mommy moment! In the car on the way home she was just beaming and said "Mom I loved this I can't wait until next summer" Yes yes this was very worth it.  

My sweet girl after the show. She was beaming with pride!

We may be a small country town but we can rock out the Arts!

Still up...concerts in the park, movies on the big screen in the theater (we have to drive at least 45 min to go to a Regal), and a long list of performers coming this fall.

What I love it that the kids are marking the calendar with local things to do and see.  No whining for time on their iPods or laying around watching TV this summer. They actually WANT to get out there.   Ok lesson learned!  Slow down Mommy and your kids will do the same!

Stop and See

This past week we headed in to C'ville (Charlottesville,VA) with aspirations of walking the beautiful grounds at UVA, stopping by the Rotunda for a free (and educational) tour, then doing some quick shopping after checkups at the pediatrician. Ahh yes beautiful plans of a summer weekday until...we got a flat tire!

Luckily we were safety parked in the doctor's office parking lot, and AAA didn't take long at all, but still we didn't  have time for our leisurely stroll. Of course I had to bribe the kids with something to get them to sit and wait in the humidity that came out of nowhere in what has been such a mild Virginia summer.

Chalk wall (chalk provided!) on the Downtown Mall

Nothing a little Sweet Frogs can't conquer! After the spare tire got us rollin' we swung on over to the Historic Downtown Mall for a promised treat.

The real treat was watching the kids stroll along arm in arm, stop to "leave their mark" on the chalk wall and chase their baby sister up and down the brick path. Paying $2.50/hr for parking (yes that was dumb) is nothing compared to these priceless stop and see memories.  

My cup runneth over!  This is one blessed mommy!

(P.S. You'll notice my oldest is wearing her Sweet Frogs t-shirt. She does it everytime we go to C'ville "just in case" I want to take them there!)  :0)

Our goal to simplify and slow down this summer has not let us down! We are rediscovering the great things that surround us that we have realized we take for granted.  Explore your hometown...you live there for a reason right?  Rediscover it!