LeeroyDeforest

We recently ordered a 3-month subscription to Little Passports World Edition for our 5 1/2-year-old, as she's currently learning all about the countries around the world in kindergarten this year. Linna loved the Early Explorers kit we got her a few years ago when we lived in Singapore. If you've ever wondered what's inside the Little Passports World Edition monthly packages , here's our 5 1/2-year-old showing you what they're all about... (Linna opening the first month's package, which is the Explorer Kit ) (Mama Saigh showing a little bit more of the Explorer Kit ) (Linna opening the second month's package, which was all about Brazil ) The third month's package was all about Japan ! Linna loved the origami kit, as well as the little sushi eraser. Filling her passport with each country's stamp is one thing our 5 1/2-year-old loves doing each month. I personally like the tiny push-pin stickers that we can put on her big world map, so she can see th...

Our little man is 15 months old already. Jimmy is walking everywhere (almost running), and is always trying to keep up with his big sister. His language and speaking are also developing pretty quickly. Currently, he's saying "boos" (shoes), Bompa, Papa, Mama, Nana, "Nin-Nah" (Linna), "mah" (more), "nah" (no), "Nugs" (Snugs - his blanket), "dah" (that), "drah" (drop), ball, wow, and woah. Just a couple days ago, he said his first descriptive word-combo: "blue ball". Jimmy was actually falling asleep in his highchair while eating dinner, when he suddenly woke up and blurted the words out, like they had been on the tip of his tongue for days. It was adorable. And I love his little voice. (Jimmy saying "blue ball") (Jimmy saying "Bompa" - My dad's name) Jimmy is obsessed with his big sister, and follows Linna everywhere. We are regularly going to the gym during the week while Linna i...

If you get the chance, take your kiddos to The Children's Theatre Company's Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches the Musical , before it sells out! We went to the 2 p.m. show this past Sunday, and couldn't help but give the cast and crew a standing ovation. Tickets start at $15, and the show runs through March 26th, 2017. Here our 5 1/2-year-old's (and Mama Saigh's) review of the show...

Today, I was on The Jason Show with some candy-free Valentines that you can make for, and/or with your kids! Don't get me wrong, I love a little candy on basically any holiday, and Valentine's Day is no exception. But let's be honest, when your child has over a dozen kids in his or her class, all that candy can lead to sugar highs, crazy meltdowns, and tummy aches. Here are four fun ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with your child, while avoiding the candy "hangover". 1. "You're Stinkin' Cute" Poo-PlayDough Valentines If you have a "poop obsessed" kid like our 5-year-old, they'll love these Poo PlayDough Valentines that you can make at home! Here's what you'll need... Poo PlayDough Recipe: 2 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 cup salt, and brown food coloring. Mix, then knead all ingredients together. Store in an air-tight container to prevent the PlayDough from drying out. I found some bead containers at my local Jo-Ann Fab...

First of all, I have no regrets about putting our 5-year-old in the Minnetonka public schools' Chinese Immersion program. We chose to enroll our daughter in Chinese Immersion when she started kindergarten last fall, after living abroad in Asia for 3 years. We open-enrolled Linna in Minnetonka's fantastic public school system (we live in Victoria), and she loves going to school each day. There are, however, a few things I wish I would have known, or done more research on, in order to better prepare our family for the commitment associated with a language-immersion program. If you're considering language immersion for you child, I'm hoping our experiences will help you in your decision making. (5-year-old Linna saying the Pledge of Allegiance in Mandarin Chinese) 1. ENGLISH READING ISN'T TAUGHT UNTIL 3RD GRADE: I will admit that while I knew English reading wasn't a heavy focus in the Chinese Immersion program, I just recently found out that it isn't even tau...