December 9, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
We left for Gym, sure that I’d do morning routine stuff with the boys when I got back.
Never happens.
No matter how sure I am that we’ll pick things up when we get back from something, if I don’t do it before we leave we rarely get it done after we get back.
Like today.
The Gym was set up for a party, so we walked to a friends house and played there for the rest of the morning.
After lunch, we worked on snowman stories. Giant thought of a few ideas, and then he said he wanted to do a story about a snowman who was sad because he didn’t have a heart.
I drew the pictures, and he told me what to draw next:
Then he cut out the story squares and sequenced them:
…and stapled it into a book…
…which we unstapled so we could add some words to the story. Ettin helped.
December 8, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
We started with a prayer.
The Morning Message was about the Nativity. I asked Giant what he might find in a stable.
He had no idea.
We sang some Christmas songs to help jog his memory. His favourite is this one:
“When Joseph went to Bethlehem”
He has been asking us to sing this song for a couple of days now, “You know it mom, the one where Joseph led the donkey, and he cleaned his bench and left no shavings there from the tools.” This really is a sweet song.
So he wanted to write “donkey” [donce]
Ettin drew the “o”, both Giant and I were impressed.
And “sheep” [shep]
Then there was a scuffle. Giant had knocked a car out of Ettin’s hands when he rushed to the bathroom. Back at the chalkboard, Ettin gave Giant a horrid pinch to let him know how he felt.
Giant was crying:
Don’t be fooled by the cheerful sunshine. There was a whole lot of hurt going on here.
Ettin came out of timeout crying:
We gave hugs and carried on.
Giant coloured a manger in a stable:
Later the boys had a jolly good time cleaning:
Seriously. They LOVE it!
Speaking of love, later while playing, Giant pops out an, “I love you [Ettin].” Ettin replies, “I . wuv . you. [Gi-ant]”
Enough to make a mommy’s heart melt.
December 6, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
We prayed.
We looked at a Gospel Art Picture.
Giant was really paying attention. But pokey fingernails are of utmost importance to this little boy, and needed to be taken care of.
We spent the morning making snowflakes for our tree:
(this kid just can’t do things the way they’re supposed to be done)
Tahdah, snowy tree!
December 4, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
Montessori Moment:
In a Montessori classroom the children are taught to take care of the environment. They have special activities, such as washing towels and tables and other objects in the classroom in a specific way and with a certain sequence.
Lovely.
In my home, we have this:
Giant
cleaning
the trash can lid.
On the floor. No, there is no mat nor special bowl of water and sudsy soap—not even an apron
Just an eager to clean boy, and a mom who is trying hard not to berate a boy for cleaning (he was getting water on my floor!)
I love that sweet boy, and the chaos he causes while learning about order.
December 4, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
We made it to the Gym this morning, and had a blast playing with friends.
In fact, after we left the Gym (a little early so that someone could set up for a wedding), the boys played for a long fun while on the snow “mountain” outside the church.
After we got home I bribed the boys inside with hot chocolate and buns.
We read some stories from The Friend, and cut out shapes to go on the Advent Calendar pullout they had in the magazine:
It went with the Christmas Tree theme I had planned on today.
After lunch and stories I put Ettin to bed.
Then I made Giant work on our “Morning” Message before he was allowed to read stories with Daddy (who comes home early on Fridays):
I asked him what else would go on a Christmas Tree:
“orDm/its” [ornaments]
Having completed the Message with token effort, Giant spent the next hour (or more?) reading “The Secrets of Droon” with Daddy.
He was one happy boy!
