My son is currently taking a nap, and I am sitting in my #TransformEdCreative studio feeling a little overwhelmed today wishing that the time could just stand still... It makes me very emotional to see how quickly he is growing up. Although I am very proud of him, I simply cannot believe my little baby is looking more and more like a young boy. Can someone please stop the clock? I do not know if me heart can handle this anymore! Sometimes I wish that he could stay little forever!
Baby S is 8 months now and I have started to notice that he has interests in the following:
- The colours red and yellow - he will pick them out of a pile of markers, blocks, books, etc.
- He has already started to explore reading to himself within his crib or playpen.
- There is something about animal tails that has him feeling so curious. First he began to touch and stare at his stuffed animal tails, then he would grab our dog Ruby's tail, and finally anything "tail like" for instance shabby rugs, fabrics with fringes, the bristles on his comb, all intrigued him! It seems that he likes the sensory aspect of materials or continues to be drawn to textured items!
- Any kind of glasses, reading glasses or sunglasses, always have his attention. He likes to hold them, look at them for several minutes analyze each detail, and eventually open and close the sides or put them back onto someone's face.
- He is beginning to take notice of anyone who is wearing a watch.
In Reggio Emilia I was blown away by their concept of "unhurried time." The Italian educators try to remain in the moment and slow down as much as possible within each learning experience. I am still working on how to remain present during day-to-day moments. Somehow I always get wrapped up in the future or even what happened in the past.
As I noted above, Baby S has started to explore the watches that I wear. This recent interest reminded me of the timeless piece of documentation from the Reggio Emilia resource, "The Diary of Laura." I loved seeing the educator respond to Laura's curiosity of the ticking of time and extended her wonders by showing her a watch within a fashion catalogue. When I read the documentation and saw that the child put the catalogue image of a watch to her ear, thinking she would hear it ticking I was blown away! Children never cease to amaze me with how capable they are of thinking and learning! At any age!
In any event, I wish that I could somehow remain in these moments of warm weather and at home holding onto my son a little longer... Seems like the best times in our lives fly by the fastest!
Over the summer, I partnered with Jord Watches (@woodwatches_com), and wanted to share with your their unique wooden appearance. It is hard to pick just one style, but I selected the brightest option which has also turned out to be a perfect colour for the Fall. It's called the Frankie in Purpleheart & Plum and can be found here. What I love most about it, is that it's quite large and easy for me to see the time!!
Giveaway:
One lucky blog follower will receive a gift card (e-voucher) for $75.00 toward a Jord wooden watch. Everyone else who participates will receive a $20.00 e-voucher just for entering!!!
To enter:
Good luck!
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Over the summer, I partnered with Jord Watches (@woodwatches_com), and wanted to share with your their unique wooden appearance. It is hard to pick just one style, but I selected the brightest option which has also turned out to be a perfect colour for the Fall. It's called the Frankie in Purpleheart & Plum and can be found here. What I love most about it, is that it's quite large and easy for me to see the time!!
Giveaway:
One lucky blog follower will receive a gift card (e-voucher) for $75.00 toward a Jord wooden watch. Everyone else who participates will receive a $20.00 e-voucher just for entering!!!
To enter:
- Follow me @joannebabalis and @woodenwatches_com on instagram
- Leave a comment with your name and email address below sharing how you make the most of your time in your day-to-day, or a memory that you have from your summer vacation that you will treasure.
- Winner will be announced on the blog (below in the comment section) on October 5th, 2016.
Good luck!
Thank you also to @my_secret_photography for some of the pictures that were captured within this blog post! I also enjoyed photographing my new accessory while on vacation!
Have a happy week!
Hello! What an exciting week it has been to follow your blog :)
ReplyDeleteAsking about how we make the most of the time we have in our day, aligns so nicely with working with young children and following a Reggio Inspired Philosophy. Time seems to stand still when one is engaged in a learning opportunity with young children. It is young children who truly teach us how to be in the moment. How do I make the most of my time in my day to day? Following the lead of the children who have so much to teach us, I try to truly be in the moment whatever it happens to be in school or at home and not let too much from outside of the moment distract me.
I will forever treasure the moment my fiancé proposed to me; on the last day of our Eurpoean vacation in Rome! Time actually felt like it stood still and I remember telling myself to take it all in! Best moment of my life 💛
ReplyDeleteWe recently built an off grid cabin and my husband and I are so blessed to get to dicsonnect from everything and spend time with our 2 beautiful daughters without any interruption from electronics. We try to be in the moment as much as possible while we are there, stopping to take in the wonderful sights that surround us. We are making tons of memories there and I try to let that attitude translate into my teaching practice as well.
ReplyDeleteThis summer Thomas and I got to be tourists in Greece.. which is kinda of funny because he is a Greek citizen and I am a Canadian Greek who has traveled to Greece many times since childhood. People always laughed when we called ourselves tourists. We found some secret places that not a lot of people are familiar with in southern Greece. We wanted to see more than what Greece is most known for (islands etc).
ReplyDeleteWe got to explore different caves and see magical and colourful stalactites, stalagmites and even frozen waterfalls!! Did you know that stalactites which are icicle shaped formations that hang from the ceilings of caves, made from precipitation of minerals from water dripping ... take thousands and thousands of years to form??? They grow extremely slowly.. 10cm takes a thousand years!!!! Nature is so beautiful and magical! Did you know that there are lots of Caves in Canada? I need to start exploring them.
My favourite experience this summer though was this secret forest that was over 7000 acres. A secret group of artists painted quotes all through the forest, placed hammocks over little rivers and created different little book libraries everywhere for children and adults. They created an area for physical activity which included tree gliding and tightrope over little ponds which were appropriate and safe for everyone. There were tree houses and bridges that encouraged children to take risk, balance, and to problem-solve. At the entrance of this forest was a large wooden bridge that was painted to look like piano keys. Once you started to cross the bridge beautiful music started to play. The artists even labeled some trees with names for example, Octopus tree because the tree was round and it had 8 large branches which were very long. There was so much more.. I can write all day. This experience made me realize the importance of physical play, nature, risk-taking, and using our imagination and creativity. I was running through the forest looking for what would come next. I was an adult playing in this large endless playground. I spent one hour on this multicoloured hammock over the water, listening to the birds and insects, the water drops and the trees that were dancing with the wind. There were places for families to have picnics and to BBQ and lots of wood too for camp fires. I didn't want to leave! I went twice!!! This wasn't a typical forest with very clear paths. It still looked and felt natural.
The village next to the forest was beautiful. There was art everywhere! The garbage cans were transformed into beautiful pieces of art. Every house had a painting on it. Fences were also used as canvases.
I love spending my summers with my girls! It's the time we get to spend all day, every day together and when you are so busy all year long with teaching, it's nice to relax and unwind with your family. I cherish any down time I have with them :)
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ReplyDeleteThis summer, one of my most favourite things to do was go biking along lake ontario and then finish with a swim in the warm waters, thanks to all the hot weather we had. I rediscovered the child in me as I explored all the big and little wonders in nature. Like the ladybug who gave his ladybug friend a piggyback ride up and down a post. And how they bullied a praying mantis out of his spot on the post. I captured it on video for my class. Adults also need to play and explore. This is where we can find renewal and rest.
ReplyDeleteJody Bevaart
djbevaart@hotmail.com
Julie Mills. Jmills@pvnccdsb.on.ca
ReplyDeleteTime is such an interesting concept, we never have enough. When I was a child, my best friend and I went camping. We strayed from our parents and ended up playing near a lake, where my friend fell in and drowned. We were the same age, and I feel that every day and every opportunity has been a gift given to me, that she will never get to experience. She never had a chance to start school, graduate or get married and have kids. When I hear people complaining that they are getting old and don’t want to celebrate another birthday, I remind them that growing old is a privilege that not everyone has a chance to do. I’m thankful for every second that I get to spend on this earth with my family and friends.
Thank you to all who participated!
ReplyDeleteNiki Belegrinis - I especially appreciated the "time" that you took to share your summer story!!
Niki - congrats you are our winner of the $75 e-voucher!
ReplyDeleteNo way!!!! Thank you so much! I loved reading all the stories! Thanks so much Joanne :)
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