Our Reading Nook

Have you had a hard time getting your children to read? We decided to arrange our corner into an area where our kids could get away and read. We packed library books into bins and put them next to the couch and purchased some fun chairs to add some excitement. It has also become sort of a 'cool down' space when someone is needing it. Reading has become 'cool' again! 


 

Closed reading nook

   

Open reading nook

Here's what our 10 year old had to say about it: 

Reading in the reading nook

"Having a reading nook is fun. Before we made this reading nook, our family was obsessed with electronics. All day, we would play on Minecraft forever! But, luckily, Mom and Dad intervened. We looked on Pinterest for ideas and we found one:  Reading Nook!!!!!!  "                                                                      

 You could even make your own Reading Nook!

For ALL ages!

**Tips: 

• We used hooks that can stick to the ceiling rather than drilling holes.
•  We used matching top sheets that my kids don't really use.
• We attached the sheet to the hooks with simple clasps,
• I secured the sheets to the middle hook with some quick hand stitches, needle and thread.
• We display children's art in the corner.
• It helps for Mom or Dad to go into the Nook and read too!

Happy Reading!

The Gluten Free Journey So far: A Health Update

Well. If I told you the last 6 weeks have been easy, it would be a lie. 

If I told you I’ve been "so much better" since I’ve been off gluten, that would be an overstatement.

I can tell you; however, that I have seen improvement, that I’ve learned a lot, and that I still have a lot to learn. 

First off: I’ve had less stomach pain, constipation and bloating. TMI, right? Sorry, but that has been my biggest improvement. My hands and arms hurt less and I’m not as tired. I’ve had some downright good days where I think to myself, “Wow, you really were sick. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good.” And other days I know I feel worse and it must be part of the healing process. The one thing that hasn’t improved is my headaches. My Dr. said it could take 6 months to a year to have those really improve, so I guess I’ll get set for the long haul.

I’ve learned a lot: gluten is found almost everywhere! It’s in chicken broth and chicken bullion. It’s in soy sauce and other marinades you buy ready to use. It’s in canned chili, rice mixes, and lots of other processed foods. Of course we all know processed foods aren’t the best for us, and I was trying to stay away from them. However, on busy days, it was so easy to grab something and have it ready quick. Those days are gone.Or at least until I find some better quick cooking strategies. 

I’ve also learned a new word: glutened. 

It’s not in the dictionary so I’ll define it for you. Glutened: the state of being poisoned by gluten. 

You can’t really feel the effects of being glutened until you have been off gluten for a while. It’s like your body is getting cleared out and then gets hit with a bit of gluten and says, “Whoa, that stuff is awful!” It’s like having been sitting in the hot tub and then jumping in the swimming pool again. You’ve been used to something your whole life and your body just starts to cope, to play survival. Then you begin to clean it out, to help it heal. Since I’ve been off gluten, my body is more sensitive to dairy and sugar. It’s communicating with me more, letting me know what it likes and what it doesn’t. When I have accidentally eaten gluten, my old symptoms that I didn’t even really know where there, flare up almost instantly. 

I’ve also learned that I am very blessed. I’ll not go on and on about my symptoms because frankly, mine just are not as bad as they could be. I have been blessed with essential oils and amazing supplements that have helped my body cope and survive. I think, as I’ve researched and talked with others, that I have been spared from many worse symptoms that are out there. I am also grateful for my Doctor. She didn’t just give me medication and send me on my way. She took the time to educate me and explain why she thought I should go off gluten. She provided me with resources and with hope. I can’t imagine how sick I may have been in 5 years if I had stayed on the road I was.

As I pin recipes on Pinterest and surf blogs on the gluten free life, I see I have much to learn. I am excited to see what my essential oils have to offer in the way of healing my brain and managing my symptoms. Every bend in the road we call life is something we can learn from. I'll share that knowledge and experience as I go with you! 

Our Sensory Table

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." - Fred Rogers

In classic 3rd grade classrooms, you probably would not find a sensory table, but for our home school that we share with a toddler and a 4 year old, we have decided it is a necessity!

Sensory activities allow creative and open-ended play. They allow for problem solving, pretend play, investigation, exploration and experiments. It's also great for a break between activities that require more focus, transition times, and times of stress and anger. For more information on sensory processing and aiding kids with anxiety and anger you can click here: Lemon Lime Adventures

A great resource for more activities (and where I found some of these below): FunAtHomeWithKids.com

Making Color Beans and Pasta

Materials:

jar with a lid or seal-able container

food coloring (we used neon)

beans (pinto or white worked best)

Macaroni or other pasta

wax paper

Procedure:

1. Drop the food color into the jar with the pasta. 

(15 drops to 1 cup pasta/beans)

2. Make sure the lid is on tight and SHAKE!!

3. Pour out onto the wax paper and spread out to dry.

Enjoy!

Add Educational Activities:

Sorting and Labeling: add objects related to your activity, or sort and label the different colors, beans and pasta, etc.

Language Arts: vocabulary and spelling practice, letter identification. Adjectives: make a list of words that describe what is in your sensory table.

Math: count the beans and noodles, group and compare, hide flash cards with math operations.

Science: create a habitat or world inside your sensory table. We're going to use the materials below for a pond/swamp world. We will learn about the animal groups that live there. 

Another great sensory table activity: Kinetic Sand.

Also known as "indoor sand," this is sand that holds together more than natural sand. It is very therapeutic. Adults love playing in it just as much as kids. We've already made sand castles and shapes and messes. Luckily, it's a lot easier to clean up than real sand too!

 

Wait! We're not finished! One more! These are water marbles.        

You can purchase them at Time to Play

They start out tiny!

Put them in a bin and pour water over them.

We had fun watching them grow!

Here they are at full size!

This is one of our FAVORITE sensory activities!***

                                            ***just make sure the little ones don't eat them!