I saw this little chair at Salvation Army, and although it was in rough shape and ugly, I saw it had potential. So I bought it for $2.99! Here's what I did... First, I washed off all the dirt and dust. Then I went to town on it with the paint scraper. I used sand paper to smooth the edges and a few rough spots.
I applied a bright white base coat.
This was all done freehand without stencils, so pardon my uneven circles.
Little scrolls along the bottom give it the princess touch.
And ta-da! An adorable kid chair that my daughter LOVES!
Total cost: $2.99! (I borrowed the scraper, and I used sandpaper and paint I had lying around the house.)
Difficulty: Easy
If you like this, feel free to pin it to Pinterest, and bookmark my blog so you can see more of my DIY projects! :)
I've decided to take on the challenge of homeschooling... again.
My living room has been transformed into a preschool! I have extra kids coming and going. I stay up late each night working on lesson plans and preparing the next day's projects. I only have a couple hours in the day to accomplish any housework that needs to be done. My dishes are stacking up. My carpet needs vacuumed. My bathroom needs scrubbed. The kids' room... take a wild guess what THAT looks like! But my 3, almost 4, year old daughter is learning. Every day I think to myself, "Is this worth it? Maybe I should just pay the $160 each month to put her in a real preschool." But then I remember the reasons why I decided to do this. 1. My daughter is hard of hearing, and being in a large classroom with the teacher talking from the front of the class, she will miss out on a lot of things being said. 2. My daughter works better one-on-one. 3. Only I know how to handle her random outbursts, what calms her down, and how to address it. 4. Preschool is expensive. 5. I like spending more time with her. 6. Preschool is expensive. 7. I want her to learn sign language so she can communicate better with me. 8. I want her to learn from a Christian perspective by not glorifying Halloween, but learning the true story behind Christian holidays when they approach. 9. She likes to snack a lot during the day, and our flexible schedule will allow for that. 10. Preschool is expensive!
So, as you can see, I have many reason for choosing to homeschool my child. I tried this with my oldest because I couldn't afford preschool. At the time, our living arrangements made it difficult, but I had the materials I needed to make it possible. By the time she had her kindergarten screening, she was at a 1st-2nd grade reading level! I remember the teacher telling me, "I don't know what you've been doing, but whatever it is, keep doing it!". Now, keep in mind, every child is different. Some catch on easily, while for others it may take more time and effort. This is why homeschooling is great! You can teach at the child's pace! In a regular school, the teacher moves on to the next lesson whether every child is caught up or not, thus letting some kids fall behind and making the rest of their entire schooling experience difficult for them. No parent wants that for their child. They want them to do their best and succeed! So when I realized my 3 year old was going to be a little more work than my oldest, I decided homeschooling would be the best option for her.
I still had all the learning materials I used with my oldest, thankfully. I spent hours searching homeschooling websites and preschool websites, and was able to use ideas I liked from each one to create my own curriculum and lesson plans. I don't have it all typed up yet, but when I do, I will be happy to share it with you all!
So far, preschool has been going great! We've even had a few friends come to visit and sit in during a lesson. We've made it to letter D, number 4, and have learned about Cows, Jungles, Cats, feelings, and The 5 Senses... also in sign language! My daughter is starting to use the sign language she has learned everywhere we go!
I will keep you updated on our progress, and I will definitely let you know when I have our curriculum and lesson plans available for download! Please feel free to share your homeschooling experience with me! I'd love to hear from other moms/dads who also homeschool!
I thought having two girls three years apart would be a piece of cake! I mean, no buying all new clothes, they can share a room, they can share dolls and toys, putting them both in the bath tub saves on time, they behave better than boys, and they are more fun to shop with...
WRONG!
The image I had in my mind when I heard the words "it's another girl" was completely different than it actually turned out to be! They are complete opposites of each other. One likes pink, the other likes purple. One likes fruit, the other likes veggies. One like dresses, the other likes pants. One likes princesses and ballerinas, the other likes Spongebob and Elmo. One likes to take a nap, the other makes sure that doesn't happen! But the biggest problem I didn't think about is that they fight...ALL THE TIME! I don't even want to think about what it will be like with two TEENAGE girls!
I have read probably hundreds of articles and books about sibling rivalry and tried method after method after method! Nothing seems to be helping. So now I'm stuck. What do I do at this point? How can I get them to respect each other, play nicely together, and compromise more often? I know I'm not the only mom in the world with two kids who don't get along. What do other moms do in this situation? I'd like to hear more opinions and any advice from other moms with kids close in age. If your kids don't have these problems, or did at one point but you got it handled, how did you do it? I would love to know the secret of success in overcoming sibling rivalry!