Got Books?

I have delayed in sharing this awesome information here on this blog up until now, but I can't not share it anymore! ;)

One of the reasons I have been a little absent from blogging lately is because I have been incredibly blessed to be busy enriching families' lives with beautiful, educational Usborne Books. I have been selling them for over a year and have made good money, met lots of wonderful families, and introduced and allowed these books to go into the hands of hundreds of children and schools.

The books shown above are part of this month's promotion that ends on Monday, September 27th at NOON! You can start your own business just in time for the rockin' fall selling season for just $50!!! To check out more information, you can see the Game Time Kit specifics here or go to my website and look around. Awesome opportunity with an awesome company with awesome products! Win-Win-Win! (or email me for more info - chadandlaurabeth(at)yahoo(dot)com.)

Oh, and did I mention that I paid for a trip to Disney last fall just from September to December doing a "stay-at-home" side job? :)

Good Vibrations

Anyone humming a Beach Boys tune now after that title? :)

Well, for the six people who might ever read this blog anymore since I am so delinquent, I wanted to share some fun with you.

I recently got this book for Lawton, 100 Science Experiments that you can get from this website, :), and we have been having so much fun. This particular experiment really tickled our fancy so I thought I would pony up and share with everyone.

Here's what you need: a bowl, saran wrap, tissue paper and a booming radio. ;)

Here's why you should do it: To visually see that all sounds are made by vibrations in the air. These vibrations reach your ear and make your eardrum vibrate, which makes you be able to hear sounds.

Here's how you do it:

1. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap as tightly as you can across a large bowl.

2. Wad up a few tiny pieces of tissue paper and spread them over the plastic wrap. Set the bowl next to a speaker.

3. Play some music. Start low and gradually get louder. Pump up the volume!! . . . Pump up the jam, pump it up, while your feet are stompin', and the jam is pumpin' . . . anyone have this humming in your head now? You're welcome.

4. Play different types of music, rock out, and watch what happens!

And here's a little video below to show you what happens if you don't do it yourself. . .

Here are a few disclaimers to know before you watch.

1. I have loathed these 1970's speakers for our entire 9 3/4 years of marriage. They came in handy for this experiment, though. Bose anyone?
2. Never mind Carolina's crusty macaroni and cheese face. It was right after dinner and she got in the bath very shortly after.
3. How you see my husband is how I see him. With two remotes in his hands - all the time. ha! Love you!

Don't you definitely want to watch now? :)

sound vibrations from Laura Beth High on Vimeo.

My newest favorite author

Today I had an hour to kill with no money to spend. So, Carolina and I popped in to our local fantastic bookstore and just happened upon story time. There are also toys, puppets and a train table for the little ones to play with there. While she was amusing herself, I was actually able to browse some new children's books and realized that I have a beloved new author I am going to seek out next time we go to the library.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal has written several adorable books . . . and I saw Duck! Rabbit! (I know books are supposed to be underlined but can't figure out how with simple Blogger) for the first time at story time at our downtown library a few months ago. I couldn't remember who the author was, but after seeing her other books today, I am literally going to "check her out"!! :)

Look closely. Is it a duck or rabbit?? You decide . . .

Oh my. I have to find this for Lawton because he would think this is hilarious. Bedtime for Mommy totally captures our night time procedures for bedtime - every detail down to the glass of water, etc. - except the roles are reversed. So fun.

Do you have a kid who doesn't like to eat his veggies? I do. Little Pea has to have five pieces of CANDY before he can have his "dessert". I'm not telling you what his "dessert" is . . . read it yourself! :) Genius.

Do you have a child who wants to burn the midnight oil with you? Little Hoot (pictured at the top) desires quite the opposite. Love it.

I'm sure all her other books are adorable, too, but these are the only ones I was able to quickly read before Carolina decided she was tired of playing trains. Check Amy Krouse Rosenthal out - seriously!! :)

Historic flooding

I know that most of the people that read this blog are from around the country and the world, so I just wanted to spread some news to ask for prayers and awareness because of devastating flooding in my region. You can click HERE to see my other post - I couldn't copy and paste here for some reason . . .

Thanks for your prayers.

Can you grasp this?

Back a few weeks ago, I was helping Lawton do something and Carolina desperately wanted to help out. So, I quickly grabbed two bowls, some fun pom-poms and let her "grasp" the new "lesson". (Yes, this is a true Montessori lesson that is at the very beginning of the Practical Life sequence for those of you unfamiliar with Montessori lessons.) She was very occupied and let us get our work done!

Here's what you need: Two bowls, and some like objects to be grasped. (beads, beans, marbles, cotton balls, unifix blocks, pasta, etc.)

Here's why you should do it: It teaches the very young child order, concentration and coordination. They feel a great deal of satisfaction at completing a task and emptying the bowl - and can also be very therapeutic! (She did this over and over for about fifteen minutes. Seriously.)

Here's how you do it: Place all objects in the left hand bowl (a subliminal message that everything goes from left to right - always start left!) Show them how to grasp all objects with their hands and place in the right hand bowl. Repeat back into the left hand bowl. and repeat. and repeat. and repeat. :)

Can you see her deep concentration?

Oh no! Poor Joe!

Before I go on, I must explain my sideways pictures . . . Recently we got a new laptop, and I STILL haven't figured out how to upload my pictures the way I like and can edit them. After messing with it several times and reading and trying and retrying, for some reason I'm not doing something right. Arggghh.



Okay - so here's a fun simple game you can play at home! Oh no! Poor Joe!

Here's why you should do it: Everyone needs to learn their body parts, of course. This also helps with visual discrimination (what's missing in the picture) and then processing the name of the missing body part. It's fun, too, and creates a nice rhythmic chant!

Here's what you need: Cards made up of a person. One card has the complete body, and each card afterwards has a missing body part. You can make and trace your own, or you can purchase your own. I found these cards here.

Here's how you do it: Look at each card and say, "Oh no! Poor Joe! Joe is missing his _________." Pause for a couple of seconds, and if your child needs help, then just fill in the blank for them. Play as much as you want and giggle at how funny "Joe" looks!

I've been counting down the days!!

To celebrate my LOVE of the Olympics that is starting tonight, I'm having a little giveaway over at my other blog! Hop on over and enter!

Put a lid on it

Is anyone even there? I totally don't blame you if you've all gone on . . . all three of you. :) I've been meaning to do this since Christmas when I put aside all these little boxes, but blah, blah, blah. . . you know how it goes. My other blog hasn't been neglected because, well, life goes on.

This "lesson" is a true Montessori Practical Life lesson that we were "trained" for. Of course, I'm not really doing it in true "Montessori" style, but "Momtessori" because Carolina is only 20 months old and it's just out and about.

Here's what you need: An assortment of boxes, jars, any container that can be opened and closed.

Here's why you should do it: To help with fine motor skills and one to one correspondence. Carolina has a hard time with a lot of these, but she keeps trying and asks for "hep" (help). She'll get it soon enough!

Here's how you do it: For those like me, I just put these all in a basket and we explored together and then she tried it . . . again and again. For those that are more purists, especially if you are doing this with an older child (around three), put out a rug and take them out one by one, placing the lid by the container. After all of them are opened, place the lids back on and put back in the container/tray.