Planting the Seed

Nope, I'm not using a clever, metaphorical title to represent the importance of instilling good habits in a toddler. Or am I? According to some resources I found at our local Chicago Botanic Garden, we can begin planting our vegetable seeds indoors. This sounded like a natural home school project to me; so we did it. (See what I did there? Natural....okay, I will stop being clever.)

We headed to Home Depot and bought vegetable plant starter soil, biodegradable starter pots and let the boy pick out some seeds. We also are lucky to have a "seed library" at our botanic garden, where our family checked out 4 types of seeds. We will then cultivate seeds from the plants we grow this year and return the seeds to the garden. Cool program, and I highly recommend checking to see if your garden has one!

We also found a fun starter tray that had 40 spaces, pre-filled will soil. All you have to do is add water and plop a seed in each spot. If you are debating, "should I spend $5 dollars on this convenience item," I recommend you just do it. This tray made it so easy to explain to my toddler that you take a seed or two, put it in the center of each space and spray the tray with water. Plus, SPOILER ALERT, the seeds in this tray have already sprouted!

We are lucky to have had my husband's grandfather build us a 20X11 foot garden in our yard. We will eventually transplant the vegetables out there Memorial Day weekend. While my husband's dear grandfather has passed on, we have loved showing our son how Old Nonno saved and cultivated zucchini and tomato seeds that originally came with him from Sicily. So not only has this planting extravaganza been a lesson in nature for our son, it has been a lesson in family history!

So even if you live in the Midwest, I highly recommend a trip to grab some soil, $1 seed packs and pots to start your growing adventure. Come Memorial Day weekend, you will have some beautiful plants that are ready to make their home in the ground or in larger pots outside in your yard or even in the case of herbs, on your windowsill.


While we worked on our planting project this week, we read a great book from our local library called Up, Down and Around. My toddler loved it so much, we will be ordering it to read throughout the Spring and Summer!

Red Pepper Soup

I interrupt our regular programming to share with you a FIVE ingredient recipe that serves four or five people.

Roast 3 Red or Orange Bell Peppers. By that I mean put them on a pan in your oven under the High Broil setting. Blacken them to smithereens on all sides. You can do this on the grill as well. I don't care for canned, roasted peppers. They taste like vinegar to me. Put the peppers that you roasted in a paper bag or in a large bowl and cover with a plate. Let them cool and peel them. Remove stems and seeds and put peppers in a pot.

Open a large (28 oz) can of WHOLE tomatoes. Seriously, diced tomatoes are gross leftovers. I don't buy them. Call me a canned tomato snob.  Also, I like the Cento brand, no one pays me to say that.

Dice and saute half an onion and  two cloves of garlic. Add your tomatoes and peppers to the onions/garlic mix. Use an immersion blender an puree it all together. Seriously, an immersion blender is a great tool. If you don't have one, puree your vegetables until smooth in a blender and return to the pot. Cook on low for an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into mugs and top with basil. I'm strange, I like eating this soup in a mug. Enjoy.

Take a Flying Leap - Ideas for Sensory Play and Sensory Seekers!

My son, who I must admit is closer to three than two now, (cue small tear) is what a teacher or occupational therapist would call a sensory seeker. While at times he avoids certain new sounds, touching new people etc. he most often seeks out movement and other intense sensations. He doesn't just run, climb and jump. He runs into the couch, climbs up the windowsill and crashes into a six foot wide foam crash pad. Over the last 18 months, I have invested in the crash pad, a roller coaster toy, mini trampoline and even created sensory tables with kinetic sand (Get the knock off at Michael's) and shaving cream. Since most of the preschool years are dedicated to world exploration, I recommended investing some time and money into sensory play items. You can find many of these items gently used on Facebook garage sale sites as well.

Sensory exploration means different things. You can invest five minutes and bounce your child on an exercise ball while they sing their ABC's and 123's, or buy a plastic sweater box and fill it with sand, beans or rice and bury some small toys for your tot to discover. Either way, you are allowing them to get their energy out and regulate their bodies and brains.

Even if you don't want to invest the cash quite yet, items you already have will definitely help fulfill their sensory needs and often help build fine motor skills. This is especially important, because we know those hand muscles need to be developed to make for successful writing skills later on. Paint with mud or shaving cream on a picnic table or in the shower. Make homemade play dough, as helps with following two step directions, costs pennies and engages your toddler's senses of smell, sight and touch. Sometimes taste as well, Haha! Check out some of my little "seekers" favorite activities that I love as well.

Where My Money Goes - Toddler Activities!

Here is a list of the activities I have tried with my 2.5 year old:
Gymnastics
Library Story Time
Swim Lessons
Occupational Therapy
Feeding Therapy
Music Classes
Art Classes
Children's Museum Activities
Botanic Garden Classes
Play Places
Mom's Group Play Dates
Classes on a Working Farm
More stuff I don't even remember but have pictures on my phone to prove I did it.

Most of the classes in my area that meet weekly, average $80 per month. I struggle because as a parent of a child with special sensory or other needs, I find myself trying, hoping and sometimes investing in programs that may or may not be a good fit. What I've learned is that trying a new thing is okay and even investing in that new thing for 4 sessions of something your child shows an interest in, before moving on. It is also sometimes necessary to pay more for the smaller, my personalized class to get what you want. On the flip side, I found myself paying that hefty monthly charge for my then 9 month old to shake a rattle in music class, while a wonderful woman played guitar. In retrospect, free library story time would have been just fine at that stage.

Often times what it comes down to for us in the toddler stage is the teacher. That warm friendly face that takes the time to engage with my son, even if he has his hands over his ears blocking out the other kids, is what makes or breaks the class experience.

Are "swim schools" big where you live? They are here in the Midwest. We have found ourselves more than once, in a pool with 6 or 7 splashing toddlers, trying to get my son acclimated to the water. Recently, I watched my son try a new place called the Big Blue Swim School. We went in and there were kids, parents and Starbucks cups galore. We got our son changed and my husband helped my son step into the pool to meet his two new toddler friends and teacher. By the way, does anyone else immediately refer to all other children around your child's ages as friends. A la, "Share with your friends, Annie!" or "Don't bite your friends John!" I digress. So as soon as my son entered the pool he started talking to get the instructors attention. Guess what? She immediately gave him her attention. For two whole minutes she asked him questions and showed him floating toys. He did very well. He was excited about trying to float on his back, but alas he tried with her encouragement. I know that the little time investments and moments mean so much to kids coming from parents, but as parents we should hope teachers, instructors and helpers in their lives give them that as well.

The jury is still out on whether we will be making the $85 a month toddler swim lesson investment, but if we do, we will be signing up for that one teacher's class, because she is investing right back into my son's life.

Preschool at Home for a Year, an Accidental Choice

I am a mom who does ALL of the research. Like all of it. All of the Youtube videos, tutorials, asking the Facebook mom's group, I do it. I also have worked in small business marketing and taught in the Montessori and the public school system. So last summer, I did all the research on two year old preschool programs. I asked the neighbors about the park district versus the church school. I visited four schools with my son in tow. I talked to my husband about cost and felt anxious about prepping my child for the public school kindergarten program that discussing coding instead of the silly putty and tree climbing of my youth. 

Then it happened. On the day registration opened, I signed baby boy up for 2 year old preschool at a local church. I told the teacher about his inability to drink from an open cup, his love of long, long books and about the Occupational Therapy he was receiving to address tone and sensory issues. I felt pretty good. Summer flew by and on the day we were to meet the teachers and other students in his class, I walked my son to a park for the gathering. Once there, I noticed the kids were sitting at the picnic tables being told to color in the lines while teachers said hello to the parents. My son was the one climbing the picnic table. By the end of the "play and meet" session, we were no longer enrolled in 2 year old preschool. 

As a former teacher, I can appreciate how the traditional classroom provides socialization and structure that is beneficial. But I also know my child and I encourage parents, especially if the plan is that at 6 years, your child will enter the traditional school system in the U.S., to really get to know your child and his or her learning style. This setting wasn't right for the boy that has to bust a move every time he hears a great song. Along the way, through trial and error I have become a more flexible parent than I ever thought my anxious, city-girl self could be. Because of that I began "homeschooling" my 2 year old. Yes, I did ALL the research again. I even found an art and movement based program that meshed with my son's personality and didn't penalize him for having certain movement or sensory needs. So if you are someone who also does ALL the research, don't be afraid to change course or follow a path that isn't what your brain is set on. I am not terribly far along the journey, but I truly feel that engaging with your child and finding what really works best for him or her, will prove to be an investment that pays your family back one hundred times over.