I just love this little video.
I love her little feet, using them to help her keep the keyboard on he lap.
I love that she’s playing with two hands.
I love that she wants to make music.
I love that she owns my living room.
I love that she didn’t make me stop filming her.
I love that box, as ugly as it is, because it’s just what she needed.
I love her curls.
I love her—all 102 weeks of her.
Being Grammy
About Maria
A couple days ago I posted about Maria Montessori-inspired games I had made for my granddaughter. Michel Fauquet, one of my dear, blogging friends, shared a quote of her’s with me:
“The action comes ahead of the thought,
and the thought comes from the action.”
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
I really liked that quote, because it seemed to apply to what I have witnessed with Lucy. I wanted to share this one, too:
“Do not tell them how to do it.
Show the how to do it and do not say a word.
If you tell them, they will watch your lips move.
If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.”
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
That quote really spoke to me. We always hear, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Yet, children really only do what they see. They copy us. It’s very interesting, and very compelling. It also rings true with my play times with Lucy. One of her games is putting beads on pipe cleaners. She watched with such intensity as I did it, and then did it herself. We played silently for several minutes. Silently! I was in awe.
Today, we played with Play-Doh. I was telling her to squish it, but she didn’t quite get it. Then, I squished it for her, and she smiled. She got it. We sat in near silence. I rolled the Play-Doh into a ball, and she would squish it. (By the way, Lucy is 22-months-old.)
Really interesting. I’m enjoying all that Lucy is teaching me.
Quiet Games for Toddlers: Pipe Cleaners
This past Spring I did some research on quiet books and ended up finding a lot of Montessori-inspired activities for my granddaughter. I put together about a dozen games. Some of them are more advanced than her development, but she’s growing into them.
Now, there was one activity that I thought was really dumb, but it has ended up being a favorite. It’s very simple: give a child a colander and some pipe cleaners. Teach them to poke the pipe cleaners into the colander holes, and voila! Happy child!
I honestly thought that sounded so boring, but it’s proven to be one of Lucy’s favorite games (at least, for now). She will play very happily for a lot longer than one might expect.
I did create a variation of the game that is portable, used the lid from a spice container and the base from a container of decorating sprinkles, because I wanted a flip-up lid that couldn’t get lost.
Speaking of lids, she decided on her own that she would close the lid after inserting a piece of pipe cleaner.
This activity was very affordable. I actually had all the supplies already, but I did buy some more pipe cleaners ($1). When we first played this game, she was 18-months old. She wasn’t very good – I would put the pipe cleaner in for her, and she would push it. Now, she just goes for it. And, has started becoming imaginative with it, too.
It is beyond fun watching her grow. We know we are very blessed to have this time with our daughter and her family. Having them so close is a priceless gift. ❤
The Saxophone Player's Wife 