Aurelia the Toddler

Aurelia is a toddler and I am having so much fun with her. This can definitely be a tricky age as they learn right from wrong and test their boundaries a bit. I am very consistent with both of my children and this helps enormously. 

Aurelia likes to be included in whatever we are doing. She adores responsibility and giving her tasks to accomplish only helps with good behavior.

Here she is pulling my grocery cart:

 I do lots of projects with the kids on the weekends (we just don't have the time during the week since school does not finish until nearly 5:30).
I saw this idea on Pinterest, but it is kind of hard to see. Aurelia is painting with a cotton ball attached to a clothes pin. Well, you can't actually find cotton balls here in Spain, so she is painting with a little craft poof ball. Oh, how I miss you Joanne's and Michael's. Seriously, I miss the craft stores in the USA. You can't find a whole lot here, so I have to be a bit more creative with our supplies.

This is one of Aurelia's favorite activities and it takes all of 10 seconds to get started. Save your empty spice containers (the ones with little holes, not one big hole) and have your child place toothpicks in the small holes. This is great for their motor skills and concentration. Aurelia

loves doing this and will play for quite some time!

 Aurelia is working on letter recognition as well. I used these great cards and letters with Eston several years ago and I think I got them via a Montessori website, but it would be simple to make your own. I only do a few letters at a time. Aurelia loves matching the letter with the correct card. This is also an activity that Eston does with her when I am trying to get something done. Older kids love being the teacher!

My kids love helping around the house as well (well, most of the time). They each have a chore chart, but watering the plants is one of their favorite things to do. I am embarrassed to say that we have been using random containers to water thus far, but yesterday I went and purchased two inexpensive watering cans. I can't wait to give the cans to them tomorrow morning. We will also be doing some of our winter seed planting tomorrow!

 Aurelia would wash dishes all day long. We have a great step stool from Ikea and she drags it over to the sink and goes to work. I just make sure the sharp knives are elsewhere and she has so much fun washing everything. I use an organic dish soap so they are not exposed to a lot of chemicals.