End of the School Year Photo Book

I have loved my kids' classes having Shutterfly class pages. This year it was especially helpful because our room moms put together an amazing book for the teacher that we were all able to order as well. I can't wait to surprise my daughter with this book!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.

Posted by Leslie

Wordless Wednesday: "I am Alexander Graham Bell"

Serious face

Happier face

Posted by Leslie

Star of the Week Surprise

My 7-year old son is Star of the Week in his classroom this week.  Each child in the class gets an opportunity to present to the class information about him/herself and some of their interests.

We helped put together our son's poster this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw who his hero was...

It definitely made my day!

I asked him why he chose me and he said, "Because I love you soooo much!"  That works for me!

Oh, and in case you didn't know, not only does he like Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, he's also a hard core gamer! 

Really!?!?!  He actually said that!?!?  In my opinion, he is a crack up!  He is turning into such a little dude.  It's funny and scary all rolled up into one.

Have your kids said anything lately that shocked you?  Would love to hear what they had to say.

Posted by Leslie

Picking a Preschool: A Veteran Mom's Perspective

Son's 1st day of preschool...ever!

Picking a preschool can be an exciting yet scaring and stressful process.  Liz wrote about her experience entering the world of preschool with her daughters for the first time last week.  With my youngest child finishing her last few months of preschool, I want to share with you my experience of picking a preschool.

Daughter's 1st day of preschool...ever!

I have two kids that, between both of them as of this June, will have completed 5 years of preschool at 4 different preschools.  Both children have attended 2 different preschools in their young academic careers.

I can remember back 5 years ago when I was signing my son up for his first preschool and feeling absolutely clueless, not to mention panicked that I wouldn't get him into the "right" school.

When it comes to preschool, there are so many choices and things to consider.  Teaching styles, curriculum, cost, location, flexibility, and time are just a few that come to mind.  And only you, the parent(s), will know what school is "right" for you and your child.  Yes, I said you and your child.

Picking a Preschool: A Rookie's Perspective

We're less than a week away from Preschool registration and I'm so excited and so sad that my little ones are growing up. I didn't really think about checking out preschools and just assumed I'd send my child to the preschool where all my friends go. As a teacher, I would have thought more from myself. I know that I still have until September to make a final decision. The preschool I've planned on is also part of our church. I like that I know the teachers and my children feel comfortable and safe there. This particular preschool is 3 days a week either in the morning or afternoon.

Despite not having investigated preschools in our area, I did research what my children needed to be ready for preschool.

I'm partial to this list from Babycenter.com.

-Practice getting along well with others
-Read to your child every day including stories with rhyme
-Ask predicting questions while reading
-Practice listening skills and following directions
-Create art with paper, crayons, paint and clay
-Practice dot to dot and mazes to develop writing skills
-Last but not least, work on bathroom skills, including potty training

After hearing that other friends are visiting preschools, I think that I should take a look around and see if I'm confident in my decision. I would say the first thing to do is to check with all your friends, family and neighbors and then do a bit of background research on the preschool. Once you have discovered that it is a safe and qualified contender, you can go for a visit. Here are some things to look for.

1. Are they learning the ABC's, 123's?
2. Is there play time every day (imaginative, physical)?
3. Children should have choice of some activities.
4. Are teachers interacting positively with children?
5. Do you see an alignment with your home values?

Good luck with your decision, this is such an exciting time for little ones and their parents.

Posted by Liz

{Stay tuned for "Picking a Preschool: A Veteran's Perspective" coming soon!}

I've Never Been So Excited for a Monday

Let me first start off by saying that I love my children more than anything.  But last night I found myself dancing around the house with excitement after they went to bed.

Why, you ask!?!

They go back to school tomorrow!

A two week winter break is fabulous and all, but this mom is ready to finally do holiday returns, run errands and exercise sans kids.  As I type those words, I feel kind of pathetic that doing those silly activities alone is so exciting.  But I suppose that is what my life has come to...and I am okay with it!

I do realize, especially after the tragedy in Newtown, that some parents would love just one more minute with their child and/or dread going back to school tomorrow.  Part of me is a little fearful to send my kids to school tomorrow and I will certainly miss them while they are there. But I can't let the fear win...

And come on, how often are you actually excited for a Monday morning?!?!  I am going with it!

Posted by Leslie 

Field Trip Extra Credit

After a fantastic day at Tanaka Farms, we decided to wash all of the vegetables my daughter was able to pick from the fields. With it raining off and on outside, this was a perfect inside activity for us. 

Here she is washing her first, and hopefully not her last, carrot.

She figured out quickly that washing wasn't all that fun.  But she was happy with the finished product.

She even shared one of her onions for our slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken dinner.  I am just wondering what it would take to get her to try a radish...or anything else on this plate!  She is much more of a green beans/broccoli kind of girl!

First Field Trip to Tanaka Farms

My nearly 5-year old daughter finally went on her first field trip!  (Having an older brother who has already gone on two field trips can make a girl feel anxious!)  And I was thrilled that I got to go with her, as did most of the moms from the class.  It was a perfect day to go to Tanaka Farms in Irvine.  With a real pumpkin patch (we're talking some pumpkins that are still on the vine!), corn maze, wagon ride, petting zoo, and vegetable picking, Tanaka Farms is an amazing place to visit with kids.

The day started with rock piling.

Then we moved on to her first tractor-pulled wagon ride which drove the children to...

...the petting zoo!

Goats, sheep and pigs were my daughter's favorite part of the field trip.

Then it was on to the beautiful fields of pumpkins and vegetables.

She picked carrots right from the ground.

Onions, too!

Even radishes!

All in all, she got to bring home 4 of each: carrots, onions, beans, and radishes.  Then it was on to the pumpkins.  As I mentioned earlier, coming to a place like Tanaka Farms for pumpkins is unlike anything I have ever seen. I am accustomed to pumpkin patches springing up from dirt lots like magic.  But at Tanaka Farms, you actually pick a pumpkin from where the pumpkins have grown.  As an adult, I thought it was really cool and the kids absolutely loved it!

After picking out her perfect little pumpkin, the class had lunch out in the fields.  Talk about a great first field trip!

And to think this slice of agricultural heaven is just 5 minutes away from a Nordstrom...it doesn't get much better than that!

Box Tops Add Up...300, to be Exact!

Here is a picture of 300 of Box Tops that we have gathered in the past few months, thanks to grandmas, great blog followers like Bev B., and good ol' cereal boxes for the kids.

300 Box Tops = $30 for my son's elementary school. He helped me count and sort all of them and he is sooo excited to bring them in and show his teacher. (See how I worked in a little math lesson for him and he didn't even know it.  Win/Win!)

So I encourage you to start or continue cutting out Box Tops for Education.  If you don't have a school that you can contribute them to, please feel free to contact me at info@housescouchesandbabies.com, as I, "the Box Top Lady," will gladly take them off your hands!

Wordless Wednesday: My Artist and My Gymnast

First artwork of Junior Kindergarten

My daughter came home from Junior Kindergarten (a.k.a. her 3rd year of preschool) with her first piece of artwork today.

She calls it her "Lauren States of America" flag. Oh, you've gotta love kids and the things they come up with!

Reading Rainbow Membership {GIVEAWAY}

Earlier this week, I shared with you what a great tool the new Reading Rainbow for iPad app is, especially to keep kids engaged in learning and reading during the summer. Hopefully, you have already had a chance to sign your kids up and let them navigate through the islands in the sky.  (Downloading the app is free!)

Thanks to the wonderful people of Reading Rainbow, including Lavar Burton, (1) lucky Houses, Couches and Babies' reader is going to win a 6-month membership that enables your child to read unlimited books on the app (valued at $59.94) for the life of the membership.

Enter now!


{Entries will only be accepted via the Rafflecopter widget below.  This giveaway ends at 12:01am EST Friday, July 13th.  A winner will be selected and contacted within 24 hours of the giveaway close.} 

Good luck and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Box Top Love

In the past, I have shared with you my passion for collecting Box Tops for my son's elementary school.  (Yes, other moms have called me "Box Top Lady" in the past.)

So, you can only guess how thrilled I was to receive in the mail today the baggy (pictured above) filled with Box Tops from a blog reader!  

Thank you, Bev B.!  You rock!

First Day of Preschool - Year Two

Our little 3 (almost 4) year old started preschool on Monday.  Hooray!

She was excited to wear her new sneakers and hit the playground running.

There were no tears, just lots of smiles, art work, reading and graham crackers!

Nick Jr. Boost

My 5-year old son is becoming obsessed with video games and the computer! Ahhh! He has already uploaded so many free apps to my iPad, I hardly know what do with myself (which is why I revert to playing Angry Birds - an app he had to have on the iPad!) And some of these games are getting out of control, and I really need to figure out how to rein him in.

Last week, I was thrilled to hear about a new website specifically targeting his age - Nick Jr. Boost. It's all of his favorite Nick Jr. characters, but with more academically challenging games to play than the games on NickJr.com.

He happened to walk in while I was checking out Nick Jr. Boost, and the first words that came out of his mouth were, "I want to do Nick Jr. Boost!"

He has been "playing games" at Nick Jr. Boost since Sunday, and I have been really impressed with the results. First of all, it gives you, the parent, specific information about what subjects your child has been working on while playing on the computer - math, science, art, computer skills, etc. It also tells you how long they have been playing so that you can keep track of how long your child is actually playing on the computer. (We have all been there...15 minutes without a timer set can easily turn into 30 or 45 minutes if you get busy.)

He really likes the site because he is able to pick cyber toys for doing well at games. He is also able to print out certificates of completion, which especially made him feel proud. (As you can see in the picture.)

If your child is in preschool, kindergarten, or 1st grade, I highly recommend using the 7-day free trial to check out Nick Jr. Boost. Yes, the downside of the site is that it requires a paid subscription. But if you choose to fore go the free trial and lock into an annual subscription, it is only $4.95 a month. It's also a great family value: One Nick Jr. Boost subscription can be used for up to 6 children! You, as the parent, buy the subscription and you can add up to 6 kids on our account. It's refreshing that they aren't trying to sock it to you for each child.

I am telling you, if you child likes the computer and Nick Jr. characters (Kai Lan, Diego, Dora, Backyardigans and Moose A. Moose), they are going to love Nick Jr. Boost!

Try out the 7 day free trial and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear if your kids love it, too!

Homework Assignment: What I am Thankful For...

This Thanksgiving right around the corner, my son's kindergarten class is in full swing with it's Thanksgiving activities. He has come home singing lots of fun Thanksgiving songs and colored a lot of cute turkeys.

But then there was the homework assignment: What am I thankful for?

While I can easily list off all the things I am thankful for, it is a bit challenging to try and explain to a 5-year old what thankful means. So after all of my word salad confused him, I turned to the good old dictionary.

Here's the definition according to merriam-webster.com:

Thankful: conscious of benefit received; expressive of thanks; well pleased, glad

So those definitions didn't help me so much in my explanation. But luckily some of the synonyms did:

blissful, delighted, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, glad, tickled

I still think at 5, he doesn't necessarily get it. But asking him the question made me realize we probably need to keep talking about it until he does get it!

Halloween, Here We Come

On Friday, the kids had two opportunities to wear their costumes. The first was bright and early in the morning at my son's elementary school Halloween parade. Naturally, our daughter had to wear her Snow White costume to the event as well.

She was amazed to see that our son's teacher was wearing the same Snow White costume. Like any true woman, at first she wasn't thrilled to be caught in a game of "who wore it best," but then she realized how cool it was and couldn't take her eyes off his teacher.

Then, later in the evening, the elementary school held its first Family Fun Night of the year, and of course, our kids had to wear their costumes to that as well. Notice, our son changed it up from morning to night. He is quite the man of mystery!

Now on to tomorrow night and the real deal: trick or treating!

Happy Halloween!

First Day of Preschool

Today was our almost 3-year old's first day of preschool. She was a little apprehensive last night, but with the incentive of a princess balloon after class, she was ready to take preschool by storm.

Well, I could tell you all about her first day in my words, but click below and see what she has to say about her first day of preschool. (Her words are much cuter anyway!)

By the way, I loved my first day of freedom...even if it was only for two hours!