The forecast is calling for scattered flurries later this week. I guess that means winter is officially here, whether I choose to accept it or not. And when the weather calls for below-freezing temps, that means the party must move indoors. Because some little walnuts we know were fortunate enough to receive gift cards, in addition to the standard loot this holiday season, that means they’ll be ready to hit the local toy store faster than you can say Fijit (yes, we have one in our house, too…maddening, isn’t it?). Since Mom still has a say in their purchases, we tend to steer towards the battery-free, imagination-driven options. And if they happen to be made from high-end, all-natural materials that are kind to our environment? [&hellip
puzzles Archive
My 3-1/2-year-old is fascinated with puzzles. She started out with simple 3- or 4-piece wooden models whose knob-handle pieces made them easy to complete. Before long, she was moving on to puzzles with more pieces, especially the ones that had sounds and other bells and whistles. I notice there’s a particular one at our local library that she favors: a maze of animals whose tummies get filled with tiny marbles by using a magnetic wand. Each time she “feeds” the hippo, she shouts out in jubilation. I’m impressed with her persistence, as it wasn’t too long ago when she would have given up and cried if she wasn’t successful right away. Practice and patience are two things I’m trying to teach my girls, and I’m [&hellip