Lion & Lamb Preschool Math Mat

Hello! Hello!  It feels like it has been forever since I posted.  I have been up to my elbows and then some with extra kids.  I cared for a dear friend's 4 children (11 months to 6 years old) for three days so she could drive to two different states with her husband for job interviews. 

Anyway, we learned about the letter L this week in preschool.  I created a math mat that could be used for addition or subtraction.  It is very simple.  You spin the dials and place the correct amount of objects (we used cheerios, because the kids love to eat things) then add the total up.  Or, you could subtract.  I have two variations of this.  The first one (pictured above) has the numbers 1-4.  The more difficult one has 1-8.  You can download your own copy on my website. 

The bottom picture is the instructions to draw the lion I used for our game.  It comes from an old Usborne book titled I Can Draw Animals. I don't know if it is still in print, but I took a picture of it so you can use it for your own personal needs.  Our art activity for Tuesday was drawing lions.  I was quite impressed.  Three and four year olds did this quite well.  Here is a picture of my princess and her masterpiece:

Hope you have a great week!  I am planning on it.  We are leaving for California in two days.  I can't wait.  Thanks for visiting. -Dari

Work In Progress: KC's toe socks

I am currently working on knitting a pair of 100% cotton toe socks for my sweetheart.  This project is coming really slow, but it is also really relaxing for me so I am not minding.  And, since I don't have to worry about him outgrowing them before they are done, I have no added stress to complete them asap!

I am currently reading The Heart of Goodness by Jo Ann Larsen.  Definitely not a sit down and read right through kind of book.  Lots of food for thought.  Today I have had lots of extra kids and a thought that I read last night from this book has stayed with me.  She discussed a concept written by Stephen Covey about clocks and compasses.  "The clock" is our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, everything on our to-do lists.  "The compass" is our vision, values, principles, mission, what is really important to us.  Jo Ann said, "Most of us run by the clock.... rather than by the compass."   

This has helped me a lot today. I have been amazed that many of the clock tasks have still managed to get done, and yet I am not as stressed as I anticipated.

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping. -Dari