Terrific Twos

I refuse to say my son is going through the terrible twos. I have learned so much from baby 1 to baby 3. Eleven years between the 2 can do that to a person. Back then I was 24, working full time, my husband was home during the day and I knew so little about everything. Now, I am a business owner who works out of the house, I'm homeschooling, and trying to disciple & serve my family first in all I do. In addition, I've removed all harsh chemicals, well most, we try and we are crazy essential oil users. I had my first 2 babies in the hospital and I had my last baby at home in my living room. I went from being a go go go girl to an I'd prefer to stay at home girl. And so much more.

When we had Emma, the meaning of her name had no bearing. We just loved the softness. When we had Hannah, I was a year older and wanted to make sure it was biblical. And now later in life, the actual meaning of our child's name came first. As I searched for names I liked, I would not add them onto the list without having a meaning that I wanted to speak over my child 100 times a day. So came Orion Isaac - The firey one who laughs. I pray daily he will be on fire for God and bring joy to all he meets. He is definitely firey and brings much joy to our family.

I see my 2-year-old cleanup playdough and pick up toys like a champ. These are all things we teach. Yet I struggle to get him to sleep without me. Last baby syndrome? He sings worship music nonstop, he loves fiercely, and he is SO SO SO BUSY! He wants to do EVERYTHING! "I try," "My turn." And he climbs and moves so very quickly. It's normal for toddlers to get banged up, he on the other hand... Lord, please help me, just help me keep him alive!

Before I began homeschooling in January I was able to get him distracted so I could get certain things done. I’d just nurse him to get work done at my computer. Now, I have had to get creative AND I have become so much more aware of his development & learning. I mean, if the girls are doing school, then he should do something that helps him grow, right? Not only that, I needed something that would keep him content for at least 10 minutes so I could go over lessons with the girls.

So, I hit up Pinterest! You know, that place we go for all the ideas. I started reading blogs and getting ideas. Then, I hit up the dollar store. I went a bit crazy! I now have over a dozen bins. Here's my disclaimer, I am in no way an expert, I just know what I've read, what I've tried, & what he likes so far.

Here's a list of the things I went and bought

Bins/Tubs

Colored Sand

Colored Pebble Rocks

Tiny Toys - Dinosaurs, Horses, Frogs, Snakes

Water Beads

Corn

Ice Cube Trays

Funnels

Fuzzy Pom Poms

Puzzles

Magnadoodle

Magnets

Monkeys

Flash Cards

Paint Brush

Paint with Water Book

Play Dough

Muffin Tin

Rice

Cookie Sheet

Things I found from home:

Scoops - old protein powder scoops or measuring scoops

More little toys - cars, construction toys

Plastic Silverware

Things I have also bought:

Playdough set that includes all kinds of fun cutouts, a knife, a rolling pin...

A set of colored bears with dice, tongs & colored cups.

See, I said I went a little nuts. BUT I now have a little boy who always has something he hasn't played with for a while. I love that they are all busy bins or sensory bins.

What is a busy bin? A busy bin is a bin that is filled with items that your child can play with independently.

What's a sensory bin? A sensory bin is basically a bin that will create a tactile experience for your child. It is meant to stimulate the senses. Sensory bins will help with play skills, language, practical life and emotional development, and exploring the bodies senses. If you search the internet you can find all kinds of blogs that explain the what's and why's behind them as well as lots of ideas. Here is one that I found: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/all-about-sensory-bins-5-things-need-know/

His favorites are:

He likes all of them but the ones he requests the most are the playdough and the dinosaurs in sand & rocks.

Well, friends, that’s it for now. For those of you that asked about these, I hope it was helpful. AND I’d love to hear if you make a sensory or busy bin.

Many Blessings