Number Sticker Books

In my post Introducing Children to Numbers: Number Recognition Activities Around the Web, I included number books as one of the activities. Well, I finally managed to squeeze in this simple activity. I chose some stickers which I knew Connor would love.

Then, using one of Connor's wooden number puzzles as a template, I traced the numbers 1 to 5, each on a separate page. Following this, Connor stuck the relevant number of stickers on each page.



Lastly, I created a simple title page and stapled the pages together to create the booklet.

Connor extended this activity by matching the numbers from his wooden puzzle to the number on the page.

First Smile and Brotherly Love

Here are some photos from the past week.

One of Sarah's first smiles.

Connor giving Sarah a kiss.

Update

I just wanted to post this quick update. The last couple of weeks have been really hectic. The days are literally flying by as I help prepare the home of my in-laws for our move there, pack our possessions at our current home, and look after Connor and Sarah. Planned activities with Connor have been put on hold as most of our materials and resources are not accessible at this time. I am missing our routines and structure, and at times I find myself frustrated when I see a learning opportunity pass by during this busy time. However, we are still having lots of fun and I am noting all my ideas down for the future.

Sarah has been really wonderful too. She is pretty much a textbook baby on a 3 hourly schedule. She nurses, has a nappy change and some awake time, and then goes to sleep for a couple of hours. I hope this continues!

Hopefully I will get time to post some photos in the next couple of days.

Baby Bunching - The First Two Weeks

It has been almost two weeks since Sarah's arrival, and I am pleased to say that once we got home from the hospital, everything fell into place. Adjusting to life with a new baby in the family did not take long. In fact, it feels as though Sarah has always been around and caring for her is second nature. Some of the things I have noticed or learned in the past week and a half include the following:

• We seem to have bypassed jelousy on Connor's part. He seems concerned when Sarah cries and pats her hand in a reassuring manner. He does this everytime we are in the car as in the beginning Sarah often cried during the trip. Also, he often lunges towards her to give her a cuddle and pat. Is this a baby bunching phenomenon or just Connor? (Perhaps the jelousy will come later.)
  
• I forgot how much has to be packed for a baby when you are leaving the house. I feel like a pack horse and it feels like no matter how much you pack, there is always something you don't have enough of or something which has been forgotten.
  
• I have a new awareness of Connor's actual size. He seems to have doubled in weight overnight and made me realize he is not a baby anymore, and probably hasn't been for several months. This realization has made me appreciate each day with Sarah even more. Their infancy is so brief.
  
• Many hands make light work. I don't think I would be managing things as well as I am without the help of my in-laws. Juggling responsibilities has become a team effort and the amount of things which need to be done doesn't feel so overwhelming. We're relaxed and enjoying the whole experience.
• There are times when meals and Sarah's feeding fall at the same time, or a feeding and Connor's bedtime are at the same time. Without the extended family support, this would be an overwhelming juggling act. Sarah is one of those babies that wakes hungry and cries loudly until she is fed. I wonder how other mums have handled such situations , especially when they are on their own during that time period.
  

I am really looking forward to the weeks to come and watching both my children growing up together.

Introducing Children to Numbers: Number Recognition Activities from Around the Web

This is a post I prepared before Sarah was born. Below are some examples of how some mums have done number recognition activities. These activities are all suitable for young toddlers. Under each type of activity, I have also linked to some products which complement that type of activity.

Numbers and Rhymes

Numbers and Rhymes - Five Little Pigs (Explorations)

Other number rhymes which can be used in a similar activity include:

Ten Little Indians 1 little, 2 little, 3 little Indians... 4 little, 5 little, 6 little Indians... 7 little, 8 little, 9 little Indians... 10 little Indian boys! 10 little, 9 little, 8 little Indians... 7 little, 6 little, 5 little Indians... 4 little, 3 little, 2 little Indians... 1 little Indian boy!	One, Two, Three, Four, Five 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... Once I caught a fish alive. 6... 7... 8... 9... 10... Then I let it go again. Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Which finger did it bite? This little finger on the right.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe 1... 2... Buckle my shoe 3... 4... Knock at the door 5... 6... Pick up sticks 7... 8... Lay them straight 9... 10... A big fat hen 11... 12... Dig and delve 13... 14... Maids a-courting 15... 16... Maids in the kitchen 17... 18... Maids a-waiting 19... 20... I've had plenty!	Magpie Rhyme ONE for sorrow TWO for joy, THREE for a girl FOUR for a boy, FIVE for silver, SIX for gold, SEVEN for a secret Never to be told.
One, Two, Three, Four ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR... Mary's at the cottage door, FIVE... SIX... SEVEN... EIGHT... Eating cherries off a plate.	One Potato, Two Potato ONE potato, TWO potato, THREE potato, FOUR, FIVE potato, SIX potato, SEVEN potato, more!

Number Books

Numbers 1 - 10 Sticker Book (FlipFlops and Applesauce)

Number Activities to do Outside

Practising Numbers Outside (Little Hands, Big Work)







Counting and Number Matching


Counting Bears (Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers)

Number Recognition Crafts

Painting Numbers (Our Crafts-n-Things)

Guess Who is Here...

Well, I am now officially a baby buncher! Sarah finally decided to join us on the 28th of May. I have so many thoughts running through my head. These range from "What was I thinking!!!" to "I can manage... What's the worst that can happen?" I have tried reading about baby bunching, becoming prepared for this day, and realizing that nothing can really prepare you for two under two. However, now that Sarah is home, I am slowly beginning to see areas which need improvement or areas where I need to discover new strategies for managing tasks. I am going to slowly skim the archives of the Baby Bunching blog to see if I can find some more advice.

In the meantime, posting on this blog will slow down until we settle into a new routine. This may take some time as we are also preparing to move in the next couple of months. Nevertheless, I will continue to do my best and do have some draft posts in the works.