tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:23:50 +0000motherhoodyoga/meditation for kidswinter holidaysvisionfun food for little onestraditionsbrain development2010kidlitaboutlinky lovereturn from hiatuscraftslitgreen parentingspanish speaking countriestravelwelcomerelaxtionholidaysfoodfamilyeat the rainbowraising bilingual kidsearly childhoodgiveawaysBringing fresh ideas to busy families on the topics of early childhood education, raising bilingual kids, children's literature, green parenting, and yoga and meditation for children.http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (soliluna)Blogger33125http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifPinatahttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-6938676776980889064Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:34:00 +00002011-04-01T22:41:07.817-07:00raising bilingual kidsWe have been trying the OPOL (one person one language) approach with Owen since his birth in June 2009. Dad speaks English and the goal was for me to speak to him only in Spanish. This has proven difficult not only because Spanish is my second language and there are holes in my vocabulary but also because there are many words, phrases, songs, and books I wish to share with him in English. Overhttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2011/04/raising-bilingual-children-where-were.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-7347970248792618115Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:54:00 +00002011-02-09T17:58:35.492-08:00fun food for little oneseat the rainbowthe ingredientsadding the ingredientsberry-liciousYUM!Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2011/02/berry-smoothies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4232567174779608253Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:45:00 +00002010-12-27T12:10:48.965-08:00kidlitwinter holidayslitfamilyholidaysOur family celebrates Christmas and it has been fun keeping up some old traditions and starting new ones with our 18 month old this year. One new one is the "Book-A-Day" Advent calendar. Basically you wrap up 24 books and one is unwrapped each night. We plan to use the same collection of holiday books each year. This year we only had 21 books, so we started Dec. 4. We plan to add a book everyhttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-tradition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-3392743486298354113Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:42:00 +00002010-10-31T13:51:11.315-07:00craftsearly childhoodI have been looking forward to making homemade playdough with Owen and this week we finally did it! I used an easy recipe and we were playing with it within 15 minutes! I added Tang drink mix to the recipe for a light orange color and orange smell. Then I used a black Food Writer marker by Wilton to draw jack-o-lantern faces on the small balls. O played with some and I packaged the rest up as http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-playdough.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-6451208484858499349Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:43:00 +00002010-09-23T07:20:27.663-07:00raising bilingual kidsOwen now says agua and ojos for water and eyes. I end up speaking in Spanish about 80% of the time to him. He loves paging through books and one current favorite is an alphabet board book with realistic pictures on each page. He spends a long time turning through and pointing to two or three pictures on each page asking "uh?" or "di" or some other syllabic question meaning "What is this called?"http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/09/owens-spanish-language-development.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-6685779851537002149Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:02:00 +00002010-09-03T06:08:03.819-07:00raising bilingual kidsOur plan with Owen is to expose him to both English and Spanish at home, using the OPOL (One parent, one language) method. Before his birth, I read up on the idea (mostly on blogs of others trying the same or a different method) and at first it was pretty fun and easy. But I found myself wanting to use my mother tongue a lot. Reading to him, singing to him, naming things. Spanish was fun too, http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/09/zapatos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4929023146171984061Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:47:00 +00002010-08-30T05:58:02.747-07:00early childhoodrelaxtionFriday my Kindergarten class had an Introduction to Relaxation during P.E. time, with some unexpected but delightful results.Earlier in the week, I had the students copy a rectangle onto their writing papers, and then proceed to guess what it could be. They were used to doing this with circles and squares, but I wasn't sure what they would come up with for rectangles. One said "wagon", another http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-relax.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4869911180367369572Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:26:00 +00002010-01-24T08:58:09.569-08:00spanish speaking countriestravelraising bilingual kidsMy first visit to a Spanish-speaking country was when I got on a plane by myself at age 18 and flew to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia to be a Rotary exchange student. The year was 1991. I had graduated from high school two months before, and decided to take a gap year before going to the University of Miami. I had applied and deferred a scholarship to participate in the exchange. I was armedhttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/01/south-american-dreams.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4266886965723270966Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:33:00 +00002010-01-02T10:10:47.627-08:00brain developmentyoga/meditation for kids"Just go with your gut," is a popular phrase that refers to the intuitive guidance provided by our bodies. "I had a gut feeling" is another. If you've ever picked up the phone and just known who was on the other end (without the benefit of caller id, that is) then you've made use of your intuitive skills. Humans have so much untapped brain power and intuition is just a tiny sliver of it. http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/01/developing-childrens-intuition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-7220189225500632738Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:18:00 +00002010-01-01T10:55:22.110-08:002010Twinkle: verb (of a star or light, or a shiny object)* shine with a gleam that varies repeatedly between bright and faintnoun *a sparkle or gleam in a person's eyes* a light that appears to continually grow fainter and brighterSpanish: papadear (star, light) brillar (eyes)Twinkle is my theme word for 2010. For the past three years, I have selected a word to focus on for the year. In 2008, it http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2010/01/twinkle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4469160666608045137Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:14:00 +00002009-11-28T20:24:07.913-08:00familytraditionsholidaysWhatever your faith or beliefs may be, the end of the year can be a great time for focusing in on family traditions. Whether the tradition is generations old or created today it can be a unifying source for the family. It doesn't need to be traditional. One family I know eschews the turkey, stuffing, and cranberries for burgers on the grill every Thanksgiving. The important thing is that it canhttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-traditions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-3995590839588133678Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:35:00 +00002009-10-03T18:53:28.936-07:00return from hiatuslinky loveAhem.Dear readers,Please excuse my three month hiatus from this blog. My excuse? It is now Autumn, my dear son is nearly four months old, and I am bursting with ideas for this blog. To start, a potpourri of linky love for kids yoga, early childhood ideas, and green parenting! Enjoy~Kids YogaABC Yoga for Kids A delightful book introducing yoga in the form of an alphabet bookChildren's http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/10/ahem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-3144958552243979596Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:34:00 +00002009-07-02T12:35:42.792-07:00raising bilingual kidsCheck out this great Usborne book giveway over at Spanglish Baby! Good til tonight at midnight! Andale!Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/07/spanglish-baby-usborne-book-giveaway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-7140493831512900236Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:20:00 +00002009-07-02T12:36:10.579-07:00yoga/meditation for kidsMy son Owen Nathaniel was born 20 days ago on June 12, 2009 at 8:15 A.M. We have been blissfully enjoying his presence and our new life with him.This morning I started practicing yoga with him, using the Itsy Bitsy Yoga book by Helen Garabedian. I will also be using Yoga Baby by DeAnsin Goodson Parker. Itsy Bitsy Yoga is divided into sections by baby's age and development, and also offers 7 Magichttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/07/itsy-bitsy-yoga.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-3799068982539299782Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:42:00 +00002009-06-07T10:10:32.890-07:00yoga/meditation for kidsFrom 2001 to 2005 I had a children's yoga business in South Florida. As a classroom teacher, I observed first hand the differences in children who had some breathwork and training to help regulate their energy levels during a busy day. Outside the classroom, I taught yoga at a local studio, in private home sessions, at community centers and to Girl Scout groups. I had one regular private grouphttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/06/yoga-for-kids-linkies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-2514530612452463593Tue, 26 May 2009 14:59:00 +00002009-05-26T08:43:44.426-07:00kidlitfoodThere are so many wonderful titles available that focus on multicultural foods and food traditions around the world. Some of them focus on one particular ethnic treat while others concentrate on finding the commonalities between popular ethnic foods. Comparing food between cultures has always intrigued me. For example, that most cultures have some type of portable meal wrapped in bread; http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/kiss-chef.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-2606114713372511062Thu, 14 May 2009 03:01:00 +00002009-05-13T20:08:40.575-07:00raising bilingual kidsAs we get closer and closer to baby's "birthday", I think about how realistic our plan to raise baby with two languages may or may not be in our community. In my last community in South Florida, I had at least one friend and colleague speaking exclusively Spanish with her young daughter. Here in our current town, I think it's time to find other bilingual families (especially Spanish and Englishhttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/it-takes-village.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4565812769102464658Mon, 11 May 2009 13:53:00 +00002009-05-11T07:00:49.412-07:00giveawaysEven though I only had two readers enter my first giveaway (thanks for the fun rainbow eating ideas!) I used a random number integer generator at random.org and Happy Birdycake is the winner of the Laptop Lunchbox! I am going to offer a choice between the Laptop Lunchbox pictured below or this kid-friendly Bento Box! Just leave a comment with which prize you prefer and it'll be on it's way to http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/laptop-lunch-winner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-7295315606447257817Sun, 03 May 2009 16:07:00 +00002009-05-03T10:54:39.226-07:00giveawaysgreen parentingFor a fun Spring shift in your normal eating routine, why not try eating the rainbow today? Challenge your kids to create a meal using plant products in all the colors of the rainbow! You could design it first and then eat, or eat as your find each color and keep track on a separate page. Green is probably the easiest, (though it might be fun to try something new like kiwi) so here are some http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/eat-rainbowlaptop-lunch-box-giveaway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-3725421755340691139Sun, 03 May 2009 04:11:00 +00002009-05-03T10:53:35.770-07:00motherhoodI am sitting here on the verge of parenthood. In just a few short weeks (more or less) a never before seen human will appear and all of a sudden (I am told) life as I know it will be forever altered. This is big. I know, I am not nearly the first or only person to experience this. But it is the first time I have experienced it. The swelling belly, the tiny movements that belong to someone http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-verge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4121361482727438293Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:12:00 +00002009-04-27T05:34:44.917-07:00yoga/meditation for kidsHere is a linky to an author and family meditation teacher with some interactive kids' meditation activities and other resources:Family Meditation WebsiteEnjoy and have a great week!Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/meditation-monday-kerry-lee-maclean.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4855364547783576256Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:56:00 +00002009-04-19T16:10:01.260-07:00raising bilingual kidsJose Luis Orozco is a musician and writer who has published books and cd's relating to traditional Latin songs and games. I have been using his CD De Colores and the accompanying picture book with illustrations by Elisa Kleven since 1996 when I taught pre-k and kinder in a bilingual preschool in Coral Gables, Florida. You can learn more about him here.Tati at Wanna Jugar with Migo? had the http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/jose-luis-orozco-contest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-7157922186810364458Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:50:00 +00002009-04-14T07:01:26.159-07:00yoga/meditation for kidsSo you've decided that incorporating a meditation practice in your family is a good idea but aren't sure what to do next? Younger children will learn the most by watching what you model; don't worry about trying to get children younger than 6 or 7 to "sit" and meditate. Some may join in on their own, but all are absorbing some level of your activity. In his book, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/meditation-monday-creating-spot-at-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-95290348840453389Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:17:00 +00002009-04-04T18:34:26.646-07:00early childhoodFollowing a trail of clues to a Springy surprise is sure to delight kids of all ages! Hide numbered clues around your house, setting your own boundaries for safety or convenience. For example, you can say "All the clues are inside." or "There are no clues beyond the garage door." Clues could be indoors and out, if the weather has turned nice.For younger pre-readers, use picture clues showing http://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-scavenger-hunt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6906145290013962446.post-4640943356254055441Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:09:00 +00002009-04-03T17:11:49.223-07:00raising bilingual kidsCheck out Mama Blogueras week over at Spanglish Baby for fun links to other mom bloggers who are raising bilingual kids! There you will find great ideas for connecting with cultures and fun games to keep language learning fun! Here are two more ideas to add to the list:*If you want your child to be biliterate as well, consider posting a selection of Spanish household vocabulary around the househttp://pinatamama.blogspot.com/2009/03/raising-bilingual-kids-ideas-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (soliluna)1