Valentine's Day Photos

So I realize the day has come and gone, but we still have our heart work out because mama hasn't changed it yet.  No problem for Emma who has been really enjoying the heart marshmallow work.  Wanted to share a few pictures of her- and I ask you, how can you not just absolutely love this kid?

I forgot to post this earlier, but in a moment of inspiration I remembered those large tissue paper flowers that I used to make as a kid.  Actually, for some reason they are etched into my brain in association with Holly, Melanie, and Nancy and Whalom Park.  Not sure why.  Maybe we bought them there?

We had been experimenting with watercolors on salt and paper and coffee filters (Ada is WAY into watercolors these days- I'll post some of her collection soon), and I remembered those flowers.  I folded a bunch of filters into an accordion, wrapped a green pipe cleaner around the middle, cut some ruffles and unfolded.  Then we dyed some water and dipped. I let them dry upside down in the shower and then we had beautiful flowers for the table without spending any money- love it!  Next time I think I'll have Ada just paint or use a dropper because the dipping method went too quickly and kind of mashed up the leaves.  We just fluffed them up when they were dry, but still.

Sorry, don't know how to rotate...

Alas, here is the last of the pics of the girls working on cards.  If you look closely you can see the photo cards we looked at as they were working.  Ada ran out of steam pretty quickly on this project.  It is becoming clear to me that she is more of an artist than a crafter.  More on that later.

Valentine's Day Preparations

I'm not real big on holidays in general, but I like the idea of having an excuse to talk about the people we love and to share our appreciation of them.  Ada and I have been talking about the people we love and in her own little way she is trying to put things together- I think.  My valentine is of course my amazing husband

I cannot even believe how much I love Ada and Emma.  I remember people talking about the love of children before Ada was born, but nothing can describe it.  It's the best feeling in the world.  


This week has been unseasonably warm in Minnesota and in fact has felt like spring.  All the ice on the driveway melted and we've been able to go out without all the usual gear which is so much easier!

The girls out walking their babies...Emma's baby is tiny and slid down out of view.

Love this!  Can't wait for summer

At home I've been trying to get ready for a little trip to Florida in a couple days, but also to prep for Valentine's Day so here are a couple of things we've been doing.


Thanks to the $1 bins at Target, I was inspired to make some Valentine's Day themed work.  I don't think I have ever been so prepped for a "holiday" before.  But since we'll be away all next week I wanted to have time for Ada to make some cards I really wanted to get this out and ready for play.  

Color Sorting work with little hearts from Target.  The wooden box is from a Melissa and Doug  stamp set package.

Heart 1:1 correspondence work.  This is all over the place on Montessori blogs.  Here: a silicone heart shape ice cube tray from Target.  Training chopsticks- got them in the "Asian" section of HyVee.  And some heart shaped strawberry marshmallows- I put them in a glass jar with a latching lid so Emma doesn't snag them and hide them around the house and it's good small motor training for Ada.  Had this from a batch of granola that Grampa Kalman got from work (I think).

Here's Ada doing the marshmallow heart work.  She really wanted to eat them but I told her that wasn't in the plan.  She adapted well and "pretend gobbled them all up".  Then she put them all away. <3 

So far Ada is liking the card work.  She suggested- "Maybe I can make one for my friends?"  When I pressed her on who that was she said, "Mellisa"- that's one of her teachers from the fall.  So far she has made cards for 3 of her teachers.  Adorable.  I only got pics of the last one since she was very excited to put them in the envelopes and seal them.

Tray of heart stickers stamps and pink and purple pens.  I cut small pieces of pink construction paper and folded them for her to use.  I made a card for her to get the idea.

I used 2 foam heart stickers (to get height) on a milk cap as a stamp.  We've used these before to make other stamps so she was keen to it and used it a bunch.

Inside of card- She wrote it from Emma too- note the "E" at the top of the card, and she has a few of her "A"'s on there for Ada too :)

Front of Michelle's card.

That's all for now.  Coming next will be some dancing Ada and pictures of the girls being awesome.