ProjectAlphabet

A couple of quick questions for you ...

• Do you like FREE?
• Do you like an online tool that promotes literacy?
• Do you like an online tool that's EASY even for the not-so-tech-savvy?
• Most importantly, do you like FREE?
  

I think I've found something for you ...

to get excited about ...

get creative and give it a try ...

http://www.projectalphabet.com/

Did I mention that it's FREE? As in, no catch; it's FREE.

Here's how it works:

1. Upload the photos you want to use (file size must be less than 2 MB)
2. Select from the various templates - there are only 4 choices: ABC Book, Calendar, Greeting Card, and 123 Book.
3. Create a cover and fill in the inside pages with images and text.

• The text functions are very limited. You can control the color, and that's about it - no font choices, not size choices - all of that is preset. You'll either like that or you won't ... but it will keep you from spending extra time making a "font" decision.
• I love that the ABC book template includes both upper case and lower case letters!
• Image functions are also limited. Again, I think this is a good thing! You can resize using a scale slider and then reposition the photo in the designated area on the page; that's it - no cropping or editing of any kind.

When your masterpiece is finished, the site will create a PDF file (for FREE) that you can download to your computer to print right away ... or save and take to your local copy shop to have printed for you. It's so easy. It's so free. It has so many possibilities!

There's a whole gallery of examples on the website, but this is my favorite. Aren't the photos clever, especially the mirror?

Teacher Thoughts: This is a fantastic tool for helping toddlers learn letter (or number) recognition. The content can be geared specifically to your child's interests. What toddler doesn't love to see photos of him/herself? You could also gear it toward themes like animals, transportation, food, family, colors, ...

Best of all, you could put together one of these books in a matter of less than an hour - including photo-selection, the most time consuming part of it all. That's my goal - three 20-minute sessions of Curious George, and I'll have a one-of-a-kind ABC book for my toddler ... I think my theme will focus on becoming a big sister :)

Accidents Happen: Nursemaid's Elbow

Twice in NHV's two years, she's had an injury known as nursemaid's elbow.

CAUSES:

The first time Natalie was about 7 months old, and she actually caused this injury to herself while rolling over in her crib. Click here if you're interested in the full details.

And then, recently, my husband and Natalie were playing like daddies and their little girls do ... a little rougher than I would like. Natalie was behind Chad with her arms stretched up toward his neck. He was crouched down reaching over his shoulder to grab her hands. As he stood up - raising her with him, there was a quick holler of pain from our baby girl. Again, full details here.

Actions that can increase risk of this type of injury, according to KidsHealth.org:

• Pulling a child up by the hands. Lifting under the armpits is the safest way to lift a child.
• Swinging a toddler by the arms. This seems like lots of fun but it is never a good idea.
• Breaking a fall with the arm. The natural response to falling is outstretching an arm for
  protection.
• Rolling over in an awkward way. Sometimes rolling over in a crib, bed, or on the floor can cause nursemaid's elbow in infants.

SYMPTOMS:

Both times it was very clear that something was wrong with Natalie's arm - she would not use it and was calm unless her arm was moved. Both times I immediately thought it was her shoulder - not her elbow - come to find out, that is a a common mommy misdiagnosis for this injury.

A quick call to our family doctor confirmed that it was probably her elbow. More specifically an injury called nursemaid's elbow, which is a partial dislocation of the elbow. And it sounds much worse than it is ... I say this mainly because visually Natalie's elbow looked totally fine and once we immobilized the arm, she didn't appear to be in any pain.

RESPONSE:

• Immobilize the arm. If your toddler will leave the arm pulled across his tummy, that's sufficient. If not, use a bandana to make a quick sling.


• Call the pediatrician's office. Chances are he will be able to confirm over the phone that it's nursemaid's elbow. If the accident happens during office hours, it can be reset by your doctor.


• Make a trip to the ER. If the accident happens after office hours, you'll need to go to the ER to have the elbow reset. Do not attempt to reset the elbow yourself.

Next week's edition of Accidents Happen ... Strange Object in Nasal Passage with help from Chitown Momma and her boy B ... you won't want to miss this one!

We're Loving Casper Babypants

And I do mean ... We're! All three of us are enjoying this CD and singing along and shouting, "More. More. 'Gain," in true NHV-style :)

And I do mean ... loving! Like listening to all 22 tracks ... over and over again ... kind of love. While there are some I like better than others, there isn't a single track that I want to skip. Now that's saying something!

Again, I am a total sucker for a cute cover and a clever name ... Caspar Babypants? Check! And check! This disc is loaded with original songs and sprinkled with a few traditional ones, newly arranged - think Three Blind Mice with a rocking twist. I think what I like best is the sing-a-long-ability of these songs. The "hooks" are super catchy. The lyrics are creative but not weird. And the music itself is mostly acoustic guitar and keyboards and not overly complex.

Now, if you're into Indie Rock, you may be familiar with Chris Ballew, lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America. He's the genius songwriter and voice behind Caspar Babypants. How cool is it that he's a rocker who's also a dad (some songs were written for his daughter) and sharing his talents in the toddler arena?

You really should take a few minutes to check out the Caspar Babypants Website to hear all 22 tracks off the CD.

Here's the track list with a few notes ...
01. small black ant

02. little broken truck - fun, fun sing-a-long

03. brown and lonely worm

04. free like a bird - V Family Favorite

05. baby bear - V Family Favorite

06. three blind mice

07. baby in a corn tree

08. heard a bird

09. babies little self - great song for teaching body parts

10. run away

11. the island hop - a bit of a "hula" feel & so much fun

12. under a rock

13. bug in the cuff

14. shortnin bread - reminds me of my childhood

15. let the s go - so clever; great play with letters of the alphabet

16. billy pringle

17. poor dust bunnies - this one makes me laugh out loud

18. freres jacques

19. bright bug - NHV's personal favorite

20. monkey river

21. calling from clouds

22. sleeping baby

Go jam to some Caspar Babypants and then hurry back here and tell me YOUR favorite :)

Accidents Happen

If only we could protect our little darlings from all the ills of the world ... and themselves! But, in reality, Accidents Happen ... all the time! Mobility and curiosity and exploration and no sense of fear can lead to some interesting mishaps! But - just as often - an accident can be completely unprovoked and always unexpected. This series of posts will be a chance to remind parents of common toddler safety concerns and the best immediate response.

What to expect ...

• Nursemaid's Elbow
• Strange object in Nasal Passage
• Knocked out Front Tooth
• Allergic Reaction
• Big Falls & Head Bumps
• Choking
  

I've compiled some research and enlisted the help of some mommy friends to tell their personal stories. While we can't prevent all accidents, we can be prepared to react in the best interest of our toddlers.

Toddler Transitions

Toddlers go through big changes in a short amount of time. Some of those changes we impose on them with the best of intentions ... for their own good and for a variety of other reasons. This is my attempt at making those transitions go as smoothly and painlessly as possible through research compiling, advice sharing, and personal insighting.

What to expect ...

• From Bottle to Sippy Cup
• Let's hear it for the Fork
• High Chair No More
• Breaking the Pacifier Habit
• Crib to Big Kid Bed
• It's Potty Time!

I am hoping to approach each transition with a big dose of empathy for the many, many changes - new skills learned, old habits broken, emotional growing - that my toddler will experience in the next few years.

Energy Balls and Cell Phone Fun

Hey! Hey! It's FRIDAY!

Here's a double dose ... both FOOD and FUN ... just for you!

First up, a recipe for ENERGY BALLS (mainly because the word "balls" makes me giggle!)

• 1/4 cup finely grated carrots
• 1/4 cup rolled oats or Granola*
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 3 Tablespoons peanut butter

Mix and roll into balls. Easy carrots in the tummy!

*Granola makes these Energy Balls more tasty and adds a nice crunch!

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlersnacks.htm

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And here's a way to have a little FUN this weekend. I am thinking this will be the perfect game for daddy to play while I sleep in on Saturday morning! *I don't usually allow my toddler to play with my cell phone, but in this case, I'm willing to make an exception.

Cell Phone Hide-&-Seek

Hide your cell phone under a pillow, in a drawer, in the bottom of the toy bin, in another room ... and then call it from your home phone (or another cell phone). Let your toddler find the ringing cell phone. Each time you play, change the ringer.

It's a fun way to teach your toddler to listen and follow a sound! (Just be sure to put the keyguard on so that your toddler doesn't make any calls.)

Another Idea: If you have the feature available to set a time/alarm, you can do that instead of calling from another phone.

http://www.toddlertoddler.com/todays_cell_phone_game.htm

Please let me know if you try either of these; I'd love to hear your input :)

Placemat Lesson

I've been trying to use my toddler's afternoon snack time as a learning time ... rather than giving into her requests for Elmo or George. I also find that she eats healthier if we are engaged in an activity together rather than plopped in front of the tube. If I blog about it, I am more likely to form a habit ... and perhaps it will inspire your own placemat lessons :)

Today, I pulled out a large sheet of paper (like the one I used in this 5-minute Activity) and the crayons and a sheet of stickers.

We started with a game of take-a-bite, stick-a-sticker. I asked her the name of the animal as she put it on the placemat.

Then I picked up a crayon and asked her to watch me draw. After each shape (circle, triangle, square), I asked her to tell me the shape as I colored it in and then asked her the color.

Next, we counted the number of carrots on her plate, and I asked her to take two bites (with hummus - yum).

Back to the paper, I wrote the letters of her name - one at a time - while she ate her Veggie Booty and told me the letters. I asked her, "What does that spell?" Mainly because I want her to start understanding that letters work together to spell words. Not because I think she can actually read! But she did recognize the letters of her name - thanks to the N-A-T-A-L-I-E song that I've been singing to her for two years.

Next, I attempted to sketch a tree ... and asked that she watch me while I drew. Before I even made the "leaves," she told me that I was drawing a tree ... the trunk gave it away, apparently. Then I asked her to name an animal that lives in a tree. She answered, "Owl. Hooo. Hooo." So I drew a (very lame) owl. We repeated this question-and-answer until we had three animals total: owl, bird, squirrel.

To make sure that "math" was covered in my little lesson, I wrote the numbers 1 - 4 ... one at a time ... and asked Natalie to tell me the number. To make a visual connection, I drew the appropriate number of dots beneath the number, and she counted them - with some accuracy. Here's a little tactile strategy thrown in; I asked Natalie to take 2 pieces of Veggie Booty out of her bowl and put them next to the number 2. She ate one before it reached the paper :)

To wrap-up, I pulled her attention back to the letters of her name and asked her to point to a letter when I said it ... "Point to the T."

I often rely on this format of shapes, letters, numbers, and animals. The questioning is limitless. But again, I think the visual and tactile components are just as important as the verbal discussion ... that's the teacher in me :)