July 10, 2007 9:59 AM
Mommy, Teach Me! - Using Montessori methods to preschool at home
For those of you who sent me pictures to use in the book, I have placed them all in a Mommy, Teach Me! photo album. If you would like to caption any of these pictures, let me know and I will add your words. Also, before I completely mastered picture saving, I lost some - maybe many - pictures sent to me by readers. If your pictures are not there, please resend and I will add them. This will be a continuing album to encourage moms who want to recognize their children's accomplishments with the specific things they've learned as a result of moms reading my blog and my books.
The Mommy, Teach Me! site is set up like MommyLife with links from products to Amazon. While some readers may have a budget to purchase my recommendations - and I don't recommend anything I wouldn't or haven't used myself - those who don't can use the suggestions to learn more about what to look for at garage and library sales and second hand stores. Or give grandparents the website to use as a Wish List.
In any case, by making good choices about what you buy your children, you can save a lot of money.
Mommy Teach Me! is not a static website, but one I will add to with more ideas and resources. This is just the beginning!
Now, for those of you who've been reading MommyLife for a while, here's what Paul Harvey calls The Rest of the Story:
Some of you may remember that my books, Mommy, Teach Me! and Mommy, Teach Me to Read! came out a month early. I was really caught short because the books promised a corresponding website to complement the ideas that I have in the book.
I was really at my wit's end because it was an important job and I didn't want to blow it. I had no idea who to ask. Plus, given my life - and I'm sure any mom could identify - it was only one of numerous concern swirling around my brain vying for attention. One morning while I was doing my supposed-to-be-daily walk, Rebecca Phong came to my mind. She had just completed creating the website for Gifts: Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome Reflect on How Their Children Enrich Their Lives. Because we both have children with Down syndrome and I have a story in the book, we were somewhat acquainted, but not very well.
I quickly dismissed the thought, as the Gifts site - though beautiful - was not at all what I had in mind for my book. Plus, any new relationship like that can be a source of stress if you don't work well together.
I came home, took off my shoes, and turned on the computer. Somewhere in the morning mix was a flash from Rebecca that she was having some financial problems.
Well. When things like that kinda sorta come together, I just salute and follow. I contacted Rebecca that morning and put my trust in what she could accomplish for me. I feel like God knows what He's doing whether or not I have a clue. And even though I have to take a risk to find out if it's really Him, it's just my nature to do so. (Which is how I ended up adopting not one but three additional sons with Down syndrome. But that's another story.)
Let me say that I have had the best time working with Rebecca. Not only has she created a website beyond my wildest dreams, she has given my professional website www.BarbaraCurtis.com - a complete makeover and perked up MommyLife a bit too. I hope you like the changes!
Rebecca has been a dream to work with. She has had to learn new systems and do a lot of painstaking, meticulous work. There've been some evenings when we've both sat at our computers - half a continent apart - shooting as many as 50 emails back and forth as I worked on supplying content and she worked on incorporating it and improving design. Throughout the day, we would stay in touch between loads of laundry, trips to the emergency room, broken car windows - you know, the normal flotsam and jetsam that washes up on the tide of being a mommy. Rebecca is a single mom with five children, including her youngest who has Down syndrome - and proof that some very intelligent women out there can put their family first while answering a creative call.
Although I vaguely directed the design with my ideas, Rebecca came up with the specifics and some brilliant ideas of her own - not to mention all the technical stuff some brilliant.
To tell you the truth, my only hesitation in recommending her is that she might become too popular and more out of touch for me. But my major stuff is behind us, and Rebecca is struggling to build a career with something she can do at home to support her family, which includes seven children and a grandson.
In addition to websites and blogs, Rebecca creates little flash buttons you might enjoy too! See a list of her other accomplishments at:
Posted in Books, Montessori, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
Beautiful! What a wonderful job Rebecca did! Everything looks great and is so well laid out.
Congratulations on such a functioning, useful, and organized site, Barbara! Best wishes to Rebecca with her business! Something tells me she will have no problem finding success!
May God continue to bless you both in all of your ventures! (Obviously He already has!)
Posted by: Katie B. | July 10, 2007 1:17 PM
I just took a quick peek at the site & wanted to say I love your picture! You look so friendly and competent. Now to browse more throughly.
Posted by: Stephanie | July 10, 2007 9:44 PM
Barbara, Horray for you! Or more accurately, hooray for Moms! I've been excited about the new site for a while and just yesterday wondered about that launch. Thank you for providing a place for moms to get a "primer" on teaching our little ones to love learning. I am so excited to read the books and start with the process! Thank you!
Posted by: Imajackson | July 11, 2007 10:46 AM
Thank you Barbara...it has been wonderful to work with you as well.
Posted by: Rebecca P | July 12, 2007 8:56 PM
