Crackers in My Pantyhose

     In a time not so long ago, the conversation went like this.  "First, please put these crackers in this baggie and mush them up.  Good! Let's throw them in this blender and add a little water.  Definitely helping now.  Hmm...let's add some green and red food coloring for some enzyme action.  Now we'll really break things down with a good whirl in the blender.  What's next? Oh yeah, time for a long journey for the crackers.  Let's pour them into these pantyhose and who can help me squeeze, squeeze, squeeze them on their way."
   "Ewwww!"  would always come the cries from my class.  Teaching the digestive system was one of my favorite units.  The students while protesting one moment and giggling the next would help me send the crackers through our pretend large intestine and out into a wet plop at the end.  The role of their teeth, tongues, saliva, stomach, digestive enzymes and intestines etched in their memories in a way no book passage ever could.
  Science, what an amazing world of wonders it holds!  I used to run a K-5 science lab in my pre mommy days and loved it!  My goal was to give boys AND girls access to the wonder that was all around them. To bring to life the nonfiction books and science passages.  A recent conversation with a customer was about how, as a child, she went to summer school and made a pond.  Literally made a pond.  Dug it out and filled it. Learning about the plants and animals needed for a healthy ecosystem.  Memories very vivid for her to this day.
   This is the kind of play My Toy Garden encourages.  We have many great inspiration pieces in our science section that can turn a seed into a world of questions and observations that are way, way more fun than any app out there!  There is the new Root Viewer, Butterfly Hatching Kits, Squishy Brain, Yuck Buckets, Science Behind Magic Tricks and some great Magic School Bus kits from volcanos and dinosaurs to flight and space.  You haven't done any science with your child?  Don't miss this Pathway of Wonder to see if there might be hidden talents and interests just waiting to be discovered!  See you in the garden very soon!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

In My Daughter's Eyes

Dear My Toy Garden friends!
     This week I have a treat from you!  A blog from a friend of mine who I used to teach with in Atlanta.  I loved what she had to say and had to share!  Enjoy!
   Ellie writes, "I’m the mother of a beautiful, busy 16 month old.  Everyday SG is trying to do new things and she amazes me each day!  I’ve recently noticed something- something that has made me stop and think.  SG is becoming my little copycat.  She does what I do and she sounds exactly like me!  Sweet, but kind of terrifying.  I’ll explain.
At first when SG said “Yeah” we thought it was the cutest thing in the world.  And then she started saying  “Uh-huh” and “Mm-hmm”.  We cooed and cheered and she used it even more.  Then I tried to get her to say yes and please and it was a no go.  Just yeah, mm-hmm, and uh-huh.  I was puzzled.  My sweet baby refused to say please!  Then one day while talking to the Huzz, I caught myself saying yeah.  Over the next few weeks, I realized I say yeah, uh-huh, and mm-hmm A LOT.  Confession time:  I also realized I hardly ever say yes or please!  How terrible!  Oh, I ask nicely.  I promise I do.  I just forget to say please.  So how can I expect SG to do something I’m not modeling for her?  This has really made me think.  I’m now trying to say please and yes (or because of my Southern roots, yes m’am).
It’s made me think about other things- mainly the way I react to things.  I tend to overreact or screech or just be too loud.  I don’t want SG to pick up my bad habits so I’m trying to be a better example for her.
Not everything she’s picked up from me is “bad”- that isn’t the intention of this post.  But she is a very accurate mirror for me.  She does sweet little things as well- gives lots of hugs and sweet little kisses throughout the day.  She tries to mimic the way I brush my teeth as she attempts to move her tiny hand with her Elmo toothbrush across her little teeth.  She says “Amen!” when we finish praying together.  She pats my back while giving me hugs…all things I do to her, in front of her, or for her.
Whenever I wash my hands, wherever she is, she stops and rubs her little hands together while giving me the biggest cheesy grin in the world.  My baby girl is watching me.  I want to be a good mother, a Godly mother, to my child.  I’m thankful that she has made me reflect on my ways, be they good or bad.  And here’s hoping they are good!
Have you seen yourself mirrored in your children?  Was what you saw in them what you expected to see?  I’d love to hear your stories.  Please share!"
   Can you relate?  I know I can!  Please visit her blog and share your thoughts!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

The Benefits of Boredom

Dear My Toy Garden friends!
   This week I have a small challenge for you..ready?  Grab your smart phone.  Set a time on it for 10 minutes.  Push Start.  Now do nothing until it goes off.  No cheating.  No checking your email.  No peeking at Facebook.  No playing a quick game of Draw Something.  When is the last time you've given yourself the gift of  doing nothing?  When do the children in your life have true down time?
   My sister and her 3 girls were down recently to visit for a long weekend bringing the total in our home to 10 active bodies and minds.  We had a great time with each other.  I did notice though from most of the beings in the house that the minute conversation lagged or activity lulled, out popped the smart phones.  There were some fun conversations about pictures to guess on Draw Something that required interaction with another person but mostly though it was solitary play surrounded by others in solitary play.
    I invite you this week to ponder the benefits of boredom.  What if the smart phones were locked away for a day..gasp..okay, an afternoon.  What would time be filled with then?  Perhaps a puzzle, a real game you can move pieces you can physically touch,  a conversation to learn something new about someone else.  I'm as guilty as the next person about the need to have my Iphone near.  It needs to be a conscious choice to be more than 5 feet from it.  
  As a classroom teacher, I often said, "As long as you have a brain, you are never bored."  I'd teach them they could always wonder why..wonder how..wonder if.  I wonder how many tiles there are the ceiling?  I wonder how long it'll take that ant to walk the whole length of the classroom?  I wonder if I can bounce a ball 100 times?  Questions build the brain.  Questions connect us to others.  Questions turn boredom into revelations and renewal.
    Take a vacation today...take 10 minutes to do nothing.  Rest, renew, reconnect and wonder away.  

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

1 in 88? 1 in 88! Whoa!

Dear My Toy Garden friends!
    "Tell us more about your child."  
    "Well, he's 5 years old.  Obsessed with the color red.  Nonverbal.  Limited fine motor skills.  No social skills.  Not potty trained."  This is sadly far too common of a conversation we have at My Toy Garden with our special needs families.  There are far too many families out there struggling with how to help their child who has been diagosed with one of the many EIEIO letter combinations created in the last several years.
    From the beginning of my teaching career in 1989 to when I left 6 years ago, I saw a dramatic change in the number of special needs learners in my classroom.  Since I've left I fear it has only escalted even faster.  The Autism rate 6 years ago was 1 in 254.  Recently that number changed to 1 in 88.  Pause please.  1 in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism.  How much lower does that number need to go before we, as a society, take notice and, more importantly, take action!  April is Autism ACTION month!
   The good news is that we can take action.  There is much that can be done to make a difference!  I recently learned about an organization called TACA (Talk about Curing Autism) and they are fantastic!  It's a national organization with tons of information and support. There is a local Indy group that meets once a month in Noblesville.  They offer peer mentors to help new families cope with all the changes. Soo many great things!
  We are very excited to partner with them this month and for months to come!  Next Thursday, April 12, from 7-8 pm one of the coordinators will be here to do a parent workshop titled "Is Autism Treatable?" I've heard her speak before and guarantee tons of helpful info for all special needs families!  You will also get a 1 inch thick resource book for free when you attend that night.  Please rsvp by hitting reply or going to our Facebook page.
   Later,  on Thurs. May 3 from 6:30 - 8 pm we'll be hosting a Special Needs Family Social.  All families are invited to laugh, learn, connect, play and be inspired.  Games, crafts and gluten free snacks are provided.  Hugs to all!  Let's ignite the conversations in our busy world and make that 1 in 88 number go up instead of down for a change!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

Leave My Underwear Alone!

Dear My Toy Garden friends!

I stood there faced with Thomas the Train, Spiderman and Spongebob. "Why? Why?" I wondered. Then a mom rolled up with a cherub faced little girl plunked in the front basket and asked, "Cinderella, Dora or Kitty?" "Please leave my underwear alone!" I wanted to shout.

A week ago, I took my soon to be 2-year-old to the dentist for the first time. They ushered him off saying, "We have some fun Spiderman glasses." Why would my 2-year-old know who Spiperman is?

Why does my child need to have licensed characters on his behind? Why would my dentist subconciously promote this Marvel character? Why are licensed characters everywhere you turn? From shirts, backpacks, plates, jewelry, water bottles, socks, balls, bike helmets and on and on and on, we are blasted with images of licensed characters over and over and over. Most families go with the flow buying up these items without a thought about it. What harm could it cause, right?

It is very intentional that My Toy Garden does not carry licensed character items. It is a Disney, Marvel, Nick free zone. Why?

Did you know....

- there are 40,000 Disney princess items on the market?

- companies spend $17 billion a year marketing to children? Up from $100 million in 1983.

- children see 25,000 advertisement a year on television not counting product placements?

- Brand licensed toys accounted for $22.3 billion in sales in 2006.

This commercialization to children is raising a generation of consumers. Children under 12 influence over $500 billion in purchases each year. Along with this we are seeing an increase in violence in children, a lack of problem solving ability, a lack of social skills and other issues. I invite you to ponder this and learn more by visiting the Commercial Free Childhood website. Their list of fact sheets will provide you with some great food for thought. Explore books like Cinderella Ate My Daughter (Click for a link about the book and the author's blog which I alway find eye opening.) This book and others can be found at My Toy Garden along with other parenting resources to help you learn more and make decisions that are the best ones for your family. My Toy Garden is here to be a resource, an inspiration and an oasis from the marketing assults. Come, relax and reconnect with the power of real play!

Playfully,

Toylady Janet

My Pee and Read Philosophy

Dear My Toy Garden friends!

The New Book of Knowledge. Oh, the hours I spent randomly selecting a volume. What will it be today? A with Atlantis? ardvarks? P with Paris? pygmy goats? I'd run my fingers bump, bump, bump down the spine of the books, slow to one and slip it from the shelf. I'd feel the happy weight of it on my lap and the silky edges of the pages, smell the musty scent of secrets to be told. Balancing it on the spine, it would kerplop open unveiling the newest treasure to be explored, the newest world to travel to, the newest friends to meet.

It was a sad day for me when encyclopedias died. The Kindles, Nooks, Iphones, etc...all have their place of importance in our lives. I argue today for the belief in books...real books with real pages. Sure we can read away on our electronic devices but we lose a major sensory input of pleasure from the "old fashioned" experience.

Children are missing major sensory input from many of their play experiences today. Once upon a time, children climbed trees and felt the bark against their skin, smelled the pine sap, saw the light dance through the leaves, tasted the fruit that was tucked away, heard the squirrels jump from branch to branch. Now they virtually climb trees on Ipads and watch Angry Birds fly about. I'll venture out on a limb here and say that I believe this loss of sensory input is, in part, a factor in the skyrocketing number of special needs children we see today.

All is far from lost though. We, as the adults, can make a difference! Start by enjoying sensory experiences yourself. Take time for a leisurely lunch with a friend to be fully present in the moment. Back away from your electronics. Spend some unconnected time with an old fashioned book, puzzle, go for a walk. Go climb a tree.

Second, have books available all over your house. We have books in our bedrooms, living room, kitchen, playroom and every bathroom has books. I call it my pee and read philosophy. In the time it takes you to sit and pee, you can read a page that will inspire, inform or uplift you in some way.

Third, set expectations and limits for your children. They really can be happy disconnected from electronics. We do not have cable in our house and love the freedom it gives us. We do 5 hour car trips without a DVD player with 2 small children. How? Any change is hard at first, especially if unhealthy habits have been allowed to form. If you give a new habit 21 days of consistent effort and you'll soon find that you wonder why you didn't make changes sooner. With March is Reading month officially here, now is a good time to snuggle a child close to you, slip your finger down a bookshelf, kerplop a book in your lap releasing it's sweet scent and go on an adventure!

Playfully,

Toylady Janet

HAppiness HAppens

Dear My Toy Garden friends!

"When I was 5 years old, my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "Happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life."

-John Lennon

Ding dong! The door opens and another friend arrives at My Toy Garden. What brings them by today? Some do come by in a playful spirit and are ready to be happy and join in a bit of fun. A, perhaps surprising, number of people come not in a happy state of mind but come to be comforted...to seek information that may help...to cross off something on their busy to do list....to passify the curiousity of what is in store. One of the many things I love about watching the growth of My Toy Garden is that many of you have already come to understand that what we do is so much more that sell toys. This place was created to bring happiness to others! It is a place to connect, be inspired, learn and play. The staff is delightful in that they embrace with me that belief that everyone is welcome from the toddler emptying shelves to the grumpy senior who seems to have more on their mind than they need. Thank you for emracing this philosophy with us and making My Toy Garden a regular part of your lives!

HAppiness does HAppen and there are many things we can do to attract it to us. Which of the following do you already do? Which one will you try next?

- Learn Something New - Exploring a new skill can uncover talents you didn't realize you had and create happiness. (This, by they way, is why My Toy Garden is laid out in the 7 Pathways of Wonder.)

- Participate in a Hobby - What do you like to do? Do you make time to do it? Doing a hobby with a group of like minded individuals is extra happiness points!

- Beat the staff on a My Toy Garden Game Night and win a gift certificate - Every Friday night from 5:30 - 7 pm!

- Be Totally Present - Stop, look and listen...what sounds are around you? What colors? What textures? What smells? Take two quick minutes to enjoy your surroundings will boost your sense of happiness!

- Connect with Nature - Feel the sunshine. Pick a flower. Hug a tree. Go for a walk. A good dose of nature on a regular basis will life your mood guaranteed!

- Come to My Toy Garden Storytime held once a week for preschoolers. See calendar below and on the store website.

- Use Music - Music is known to have the power to change moods and is an excellent stress reliever. Listen to this one and be happy!

- Incorporate Laughter - Laugher enhances immunity and prolongs life. Learn some jokes. Watch a funny video clip. Just don't drink soda at the same time. That hurts.

- Do Something Nice for Someone Else Just Because - Hold a door open. Hide chocolate in the neighbor's mailbox. Put a flower on a coworker's desk. Smile at a stranger. Watch your smile grow!

- Make a Birthday Bucket at My Toy Garden. Help the birthday child pack that crate with fun things making life easier for friends, family AND you! Bonus happy points is all the gifts go to charity!

Join the Secret Society of Happy People.

(Thank you to Dick Guernsey for the HAppiness HAppens inspiration!)

Playfully,

Toylady Janet