Purchasing Bells

My newest dilemma is bells. I'm so irritated with myself for not doing this a year ago as I had planned, when it would have cost me $30, plus about $10 for paint. I had printed my coupon, confirmed inventory at the store and everything. I just didn't make the time to do it. Now Hobby Lobby doesn't carry them and they are $50 each (I need two) plus shipping everywhere else.  **Edited to add** I just found this set for $35 with free shipping!**

So to make them would now cost ~$120. Not to mention the time I would invest taping and painting 16 bells. I could scream!  $40 if I had done it when Hobby Lobby had them!!  It may seem crazy, but now I'm at the point where I think this $190 set of Montessori bells would be my best bet.  So I've gone from spending $40 to (thinking of) spending $190. Nice job slow poke!!

So, roughly $120 for homemade bells or $190 for Montessori bells?   Hmm, they look so nice... But, I have no experience with this company, nor have I heard of any other bloggers buying from them.

If I made them, I think I would get the desk version since they are the same price as the handbells.  I'd want them to use mallets since I think my kids are not normalized enough to not go crazy shaking them.

Is it worth it?  Should I even do the bells now that its going to cost me so much?  ....... I think so.  Link will hopefully be starting piano lessons in the fall and I know he'd get some of this there.  But I don't have a piano (he'll have to practice down the road) and I want him to get as much experience with it as possible.

**EDITED TO ADD**
When I explained to my husband that I was thinking of painting the bells to save $70, he insisted that I get the montessori bells.  So I did!!  They'll only take a month or two to get here :)

**EDITED AGAIN TO ADD**
Two of the bell sets don't match.  I'll update when I hear from the company :)

**EDITED AGAIN TO ADD**
Well I contacted the company about 3 months ago, and never got a response.  Guess I'm stuck with bells that don't match :(

School Days

We made it "into" the school room twice this week.  That really just means that on the other days we did activities that were not on the shelves, but these two days Link actually chose something from the shelves to do.

I introduced the Continents Globe and the Map of the World Parts.  Link took to this presentation very well.  He also chose to look at his sound boxes.  I think the only thing that is drawing him to the sound boxes is the book that is in each one.  I think that was all we did that day.  He's not that interested in the other works and we haven't had as much time because Bumblebee's naps have been getting shorter.

The next day Link wanted to paint his bus.  I found this little wooden bus at Wal-Mart for like 98 cents.

Painting the lights

He gave a commentary on what he was doing...
making a road, power lines, and little foot prints from walking ;)

The finished product.

 When he finished painting he wanted to do his map and globe again.  He only wanted the sandpaper globe for me to use.  He also did not want to do this on a rug.  It had to be the table, which is probably better anyways since his knees always end up on the material.

He wanted to match up the pieces to the corresponding continent on the globe.

I added the /e/ box, but it only has an elephant and an egg... kinda sad.  I also have the envelope in there with the pictures from the alphabet photo library.   Right now I have the c, d, and e boxes on the shelves.

Below is the activity I've been working on.  I originally thought it would be a good replacement for a hammer and tack set.  But, I don't think hammering the little push pins would last long.  Link almost always does things the easy way.  (For example, if it is easier to pick up acorns with his hands than it is to use the spoon, then thats what he'll do.)  I am hoping it will at least be fun and help his pincer grasp.  The idea is the same as the hammer and tack set, but uses push pins instead of nails.

Art!

After getting some great advice from the Playschool6 Yahoo! group, I finally ordered some much needed art supplies. I ordered everything from Discount School Supply. I read a few blogs that focus on doing art with their homeschooling kids and this was one of the good places they recommended. I also found a list called Jean's Top 10 Art Materials for Toddlers and thought that would be a great place to start. Here's what I ordered:

• COLORED REGULAR WIGGLY EYES-PACK OF 100
• TEACHER'S COMFORT GRIP SCISSORS
• COLORATIONS WASHABLE FINGERPAINT - blue, green, red, yellow, white, black
• SIMPLY WASHABLE TEMPERA 16OZ - blue, green, red, yellow, white, black
• GRIP SCISSORS BLUNT
• CRAYOLA 8 WASH BOLD MARKERS
• COLORATIONS 8 LARGE CRAYONS
• COLORATIONS WASHABLE SCHOOL GLUE 1.25OZ
• COLORATIONS WASHABLE SCHOOL GLUE - 4OZ
• POM-POMS - SET OF 300
• PLASTIC JUMBO CHUBBY BRUSHES -SET OF 12
• FELT COLORED FELT 9" X 12" - 50 SHEETS
• STUMPY SPONGE STAMPERS-SET OF 12
• CRAFT STICKS - 1000 PCS
• MY FIRST SCISSORS BY FISKARS

I also ordered a Baby Bjorn smock from Amazon, and I'm having someone pick up an easel from Ikea for $15.

Link was SOOO super excited about all of his art supplies, we ended up doing everything the first day after we got the package.  I got mostly great videos, I'll have to link them up once I get them formatted, but here are some pictures.

Oh, the excitement!

Left hand...

Right hand...

Oh, no.. its on his fingers

see? you wash my hands now?

I said, show me your googly eyes! 

He used the tempera paints, finger pains and then glued all sorts of things to his paper and colored with his crayons and markers.  Watching him with the finger paints was neat.  Link is very peculiar about getting things on his hands.  I like how he experimented with how it felt on his fingers and how it spread on the paper.

I'm so glad I finally exposed Link to these activities.  He asks for it about every day!  I love how he loves it!

Art?

Art? What's that?  Oh yeah, Link does art activities.... I have a few colored pencils and some blank paper for him to use.....  


I have to admit, I don't have an artistic bone in my body!  I realize I have been seriously lacking in this area with Link and I need to do something about it, but what is appropriate for a 2.5 year old?  Glue sticks? Not scissors?  Shoot, I don't even know enough about doing art with kids to ask what is age appropriate!

Time to read some blogs!  Check back later and I'll post about what I plan on doing (by later I don't mean tomorrow and maybe not next week!)