Tot School too!

So Chunk turned one this month.  I'm still not sure where the time goes, but I've finally had to accept that he's one.  He's not walking yet, but he's getting brave enough to let go when he's standing up, so I guess it's coming soon.

He started last month going to the daycare that Cute Boy goes to, but he's only going one day a week.  He wasn't too sure about it at first, but now he has a bit of a cry right when I leave-but that's quickly solved because he gets dropped off at breakfast.

Spawn's math books came a couple of weeks ago and he's been begging me to start them, so we did.  We're not full force in them, because he still has a week of "school" left...if you can count field day today and 3 half days next week.  Usually, Chef will take the middle goobers out to play while Spawn works and it's just me and Baby Chunk inside with him.

I've been toying with the idea of Tot School for Chunk for a few weeks.  The plan is to have some safe "educational" things he can do while Spawn works as well.  I didn't plan on starting for a few months yet-you know, I'm still in denial that my baby boy is 1.  But we decided last night to go for it.  Accidentally.

I had stopped off after getting Cute Boy from school at the grocery store.  And of course, he asked for candy.  But he asked for his brothers too, so I couldn't really say no...that and they were on sale.  He picked Mini M&Ms for them.  Spawn inhaled them and left the tube on the table...so I started playing with Chunk, putting his puffs in there and he'd pour them out.  Then I decided to see if he would put them in and he did!

So I went digging in our "homeschool box" (which is a box of stuff we bought to do Cute Boy's homeshcool Prek before we started at this daycare he's at) and pulled out some pom poms.  Tossed a bunch on his tray and a few more into a cup...and it kept him occupied for about 15 minutes-putting them into the tube, taking them out, putting them into the cup...

Of course there were a few times that he tried to taste test them, so please don't do this with your tot if you can't be watching them.

And here's a shot of Spawn working on some math while the Tot School was having fun.

So, we're adding Tot School to the mix.  I've got a few other ideas that he can do with things we have around the house...I encourage you, if you have a tot, think about it.  It's really nothing that you aren't doing already.  We teach them new things all day long.  

If you are interested in learning more about Tot School or seeing what other Tots are up to, check out 1+1+1=1.  Carisa's son is the one who coined the phrase Tot School for his little brother and she ahs a weekly link up where other Tot Schooler's post what there tot is up too.  I've been reading her blog for awhile for things with the older boys and I'm excited about starting Tot School with Chunk.  The nice thing about her link up, is that the Tot's age is listed right in the links, so you don't have to sift through all of them to find what other tots the same age as your tot are up too, although I have been to get ideas for when he's older.  We'll also be doing her Summer Challenge with the Big Goobers once school gets out, so look for a post coming on that as well!