Well, hello there! I did not plan to take such an extended break from blogging here at Let’s Explore, but keeping up with homeschooling and a newborn was pretty much all I could handle. I’m sure you understand!

I have been writing posts in my head – those of you who are bloggers must do this, too, sometimes? I am looking forward to getting all these thoughts down in writing. It’s good to be back!

While I get my writing muscles back in shape, let’s catch up…

I have hired two voracious readers to write book reviews for me, which I can’t wait to start sharing with you on a regular basis. Hint: They are 9 and 11 and live with me. :)

Speaking of those two bookworms of mine, we are deep in the kingdom of tween-dom around here, my friends. Deep conversations and a craving for independence, tempered by wild silliness and amazing growth. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what playful parenting means to our family as we navigate through the tween and teen years. I am brainstorming ideas for new family traditions and simple ways to connect each day. Honestly, much of the time I’m thinking, “How did they get so grown-up?” (I’m looking forward to the tween-centered posts at Classic Play and Childhood 101, too.)

And then, of course, there’s a baby in the house! Mr. Henry is almost 6-months-old, sitting up, rolling, and ready to play, play, play! He is grabbing toys (and hair and mugs and anything else he can get his hands on), listening to stories, and giggling at his sisters. My girls were 3 and 5 when I started blogging (6 years ago!), so I’m looking forward to sharing some baby play ideas here on the blog, too.

I have oodles of links, books, home school projects, free play art ideas, and baby favorites to share with you. Oh, and a few past birthday parties, too! I’m also planning to start posting a daily play inspiration on Facebook again. Better dust off the keyboard and get writing. See you back here soon!

We’re thrilled to introduce you to the newest addition to our family – sweet baby Henry! This little guy arrived on October 12, weighing 7 lbs 6 oz and measuring 21.25″ long. We’re completely smitten with him!

Here he is with his amazing and adoring big sisters. They love to hold him, talk to and comfort him during diaper changes, and read to him. I’m lucky to have such great helpers!

If things are a little quiet around here, you’ll know it’s because we’re busy snuggling, nursing, and changing diapers. There’s nothing quite like a tiny, cuddly newborn!

Happy Mother’s Day, mamas! Hope you are getting extra hugs and love today, and maybe even a little time to yourself. I’ve got strawberry shortcake, with strawberries from our garden, coming my way later today. Yum!

This seems like the perfect day to share some exciting news with you – we’re expecting a baby boy this October! Our girls are thrilled to have a baby brother on the way, and I’m counting on them for lots of help. We’re having such fun paging through baby name books and browsing through the boy departments in the baby stores – a new adventure, for sure!

Enjoy your day!

Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is off to a great start for you. We have eased back into our routine quite easily this week. I might even be inspired to tackle some of the piles in my office this weekend…

Here are just a few things on my mind as Let’s Explore heads into 2012:

I’ve been writing here for almost four years! My girls are growing up, and while you will definitely be seeing more ideas for school-age children around here, I’ll still be offering lots of playful resources for the little ones. One of the great things about open-ended play is its ability to adapt to all ages – even us grown-ups!

Are you thinking about putting together a seasonal book bin with your kids? We love having a stack of cherished favorites for each season, which we supplement with an even bigger stack from the library. Check out some of our favorite books for January – snowmen, mittens, Martin Luther King, Jr, Chinese New Year and more.

At this time, I’m not planning to make new monthly Ways to Play downloads for 2012. However, all 12 months are still available to download for free. You can find all the play inspiration downloads on the Monthly Ways to Play page.

I’m working on lots of new content for the new year, including a week of math play activities, more Read + Play book projects, and, of course, lots of tips for creating a playful environment for your kiddos. If you and your family could use an extra dose of playfulness, I’d love for you to follow along this year!

Last, but not least, I’m planning to be more present on the Let’s Explore Facebook page this year. Most days I’ll be posting a simple play activity for inspiration, along with links I love, projects we’re trying, and bits from our day to day life. See you there!

Here’s to getting messy, being silly, and savoring the everyday moments in 2012!

We’ve had a busy week of decorating, crafting, wrapping, and baking. I think we are ready for all the festivities to begin!

Hope you are surrounded by laughter and love this holiday season. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

“A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near,
A little gift from one held dear,
Best wishes for the coming year…
These make a Merry Christmas!“
{John Greenleaf Whittier}

Hello! I am sitting here, typing this post with one hand. Not so easy! My hand and a hot pot handle had a run-in last week – ouch, ouch, ouch.

Both my girls are sick – fevers, cough, even a touch of pneumonia for one. Aren’t we a sad group?

I have lots of fun posts in the works, but they will have to wait for my two-handed typing ability to return. In the meantime, I just set-up a brand-new Let’s Explore Facebook page. I am looking forward to chatting with you, sharing creative links, and doing some Q&As.

If Facebook is your thing, come and say hi!

Have a great week!

The end of January marks 3 years of blogging for me here at Let’s Explore.  When I started, my girls were preschoolers and I was running the Let’s Explore Shop. Now, my girls are 6 and 8, the shop is closed, and we are in our second year of homeschooling. The great news is that I still love writing, sharing, and connecting with you through this blog!

While my main goal is the same as always – providing simple ways for you to play and connect with your kids – this seems like a good time to get some information about my wonderful readers and see how I can provide the best possible content here at Let’s Explore in the coming year.

Would you be willing to take a short survey and help me out? Your answers are completely anonymous and will help me plan posts, projects, and resources for you!

The survey is embedded below – be sure to scroll down, answer all the questions and click Submit when you are done. (If you are reading this post through a reader, you may need to click through to take the survey.) Thanks!

Tuesday night update: For the hundreds of you that have taken the survey so far, thank you so much for your feedback! I am getting some great ideas for this year’s blog content, plus some wonderful pats on the back. :) If you haven’t taken the survey yet, would you take a couple minutes and tell me a little about yourself and your interests? I’ll leave the survey up through the weekend. Thanks again!