October 15, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
We started with…playing with clothespins:
Which, in a structured Montessori classroom would have looked much more organized (like this cute activity here).
At my house, however, it consisted of one little undiapered boy (hence the cropped picture) and several hangers and clothespins pirated from the laundry I was folding.
And yet, somehow, I think on many important levels it was the same.
We prayed.
I nursed Galoot. We looked at a picture of Jacob and his sons. We talked about how Daddy has a lot of sons too, and that his sons need to listen to their Daddy and Heavenly Father too:
Galoot was still nursing, so we read some more stories.
I burped Galoot:
Not a terribly interesting, I know. I only include it because in taking this photo I changed the focus setting of my camera. Thus explaining why the rest of the photos for today are terribly out of focus.
But we carry on.
We skipped a morning message (due to time issues), and left for Stay and Play.
Giant REALLY wanted to pick up garbage along the way. And since we actually have a gripper/garbage-picker-upper thingy, I really had no excuse not to let him. It was kind of weird, because although I support making our town look pretty, I felt quite conspicuous walking beside this little man picking up garbage. And yet, why not pick up garbage? It really is everywhere. It really is quite gross. It really bugs me every time we take a walk, and I really think someone should pick it up. So why not me (or my son)?
We had a blast at Stay and Play, where they got to play with all sorts of fun toys we don’t have at home. And they also got to squish around shaving cream mixed with food colouring for Messy Play (their hands are still blue đŸ˜‰Â ).
Then we went home. Slowly. Picking up garbage as we went.
After lunch Giant made a book and taught Ettin the fine art of using a stapler (the trick, apparently, is to whack it really hard):
Ettin went for his nap.
Giant and I read the book that he had made, and then we read a really great Usborne book called The Dressing-Up Box.(Man I love the library, and all the wonderful resources it contains). I got quite a thrill as Giant put together a lot of the words himself!
I put Galoot down for a nap.
Now what. I had no plans for this afternoon, which is a dangerous situation for me. At a loss for what to do, or rather, wanting only to boongoogle and have a nap myself, I resisted the urge and set Giant to work making pictures and signs for a pet shop:
“raBit” (with pink ears, of course)-$16
Three snakes (a baby, a brother, and a mommy snake)-$4
Dragon (breathing fire)-$2
“chicin”-$8
I helped draw some other “pets” too, and Giant was open for business:
I actually really like playing this kind of game with him. I make him count out how many dollars each animal I buy is worth, so he practices a lot of counting. We talk about which animals I could buy if I only had a certain amount of money, and why. Sometimes I even sneak in a bit of addition, asking how many dollars I need to pay him for two different types of animals. For example: How much would I need to pay Giant if I bought the Frog for $1 and the Fish for $3?
Four dollars please Mom.
We got to play for a little while, and then Ettin woke up. He was amazed at all the work we’d done:
Or perhaps just groggy and confused.
While I made supper, Giant decided he was going camping. I stick this in just because I love the picture he drew:
A map for going camping.
It starts at the house
follows the path
goes through a forest where the sun is setting. So a flashlight is needed
and ends at the campfire
We read another book and waited for our Daddy Bear to come home for supper:
Wow, this day turned out a lot more productive work than I had planned. Thank goodness!
October 14, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
Galoot woke up, and we started our morning learning time together on the couch.
We prayed.
We looked at the picture of Rebekah at the Well:
I nursed.
I read stories:
I sat a baby down and looked at a Morning Message with Giant:
Ettin felt Galoot was being left out of the fun, and dragged him on over to the chalkboard:
Then, finished with his work, he proceeded to colour on the floor and play with his socks:
Thanks Ettin.
We finished our message:
We went to gym (play/exercise group), and then stopped by a house containing a cute little boy and picked up a friend to bring to our house to play.
After lunch, our friend went home and Galoot and Ettin went for naps.
Giant and I made a story about his pet Giraffe Dongo using play doh:
It involved Dongo, a big lake, a little lake for a baby giraffe, a tree, a bad guy tree chopper, and a nice girl who fixes trees.
However, my camera’s batteries died in the middle of downloading all the pictures.
Don’t worry though, the story had a happy ending.
Until the snake came along.
Boys!
October 13, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 2 Comments
Baa Baa Black Sheep I’ve been playing with some wool.
I found a wool co-op in the city nearby (only an hour away). Although I am sure in our rural town I could find a farmer who lives closer and would sell me wool for cheaper, I have yet to find that farmer.
So, off to the city for my wool.
It came washed and carded.They called it “roving” (just so you know):
I pulled it:
Which, I think, was a lot like pulling clouds might be.
It stretched out quite a bit. The bottom piece started at the same length as the top piece, and I could have stretched it even longer:
Then I spun it:
…on my hacked hand-spinner (dowel, electrical tape, and two old cds):
Then I wrapped it around a chair:
Dunked it in hot water to set it, and hung it to dry (I am now really familiar with what a wet sheep would smell like):
After it dried I rolled it into balls, and got ready for knitting (I really love the variations of thickness and colour within the yarn):
Except I don’t just knit. I “Knifty Knit.” (Yes, its because I have no clue how to knit):
TaDah!:
(Thanks for being such a good sport, Galoot).
October 13, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
Ahhh, what a blessedly wonderful turkey and pumpkin pie induced sleep/coma. Even Galoot slept well.
On with the day!
We prayed.
We learned about the city of Enoch and discussed what we can do to make our home more like Zion:
Ettin was not with us. Ettin had important teeth brushing business to attend to in the bathroom:
We looked at our message with “lots of lines”—blanks for Giant to write letters and words, as per his request:
Then Galoot woke up:
And we continued with a baby.
Our theme for the week is “Pets.”
I left a spot with three blanks for Giant to fill in his ideal pet.
I was thinking “C-a-t” or “D-o-g.”
He was thinking “Giraffe.”
“Giraffe” does not fit in the same space “C-a-t” or “D-o-g” does. But I went with it (I’m flexible that way):
“JraF” (can you tell we emphasis phonics here?)
I read a few stories while I nursed Galoot:
And then we left for Gymnastics.
Giant jumped and somersaulted. Ettin ran around. Galoot nursed.
Then we went back home where I put Galoot down for a nap and fed the boys a snack (sliced apples and pumpkin pie).
We were about to settle down with a couple more books:
When Galoot woke up:
And we continued with a baby.
After lunch, I put Ettin and Galoot down for naps.
Giant REALLY wanted to play computer games. I REALLY didn’t want to give in (though the option is sooo tempting).
So I had him write a story.
We brainstormed (its about Dongo, the pet Giraffe):
We started to draw pictures with captions.
Then Galoot woke up:
And we continued with a baby.
Giant drew pictures and helped me caption them:
“Dongo”
“Giant got Dongo from the pet store.” “Giant is his best friend.”
“Spider is his best friend too.” “Friend spider.”
“Dongo missed his best friends, lots of giraffes.” “They drew him a map so he could know where his friends are and he could play with them.” THE END
I love the little dots and dashes he used to show the route from Dongo to his friends:
My writer:
The finished, and stapled, book.
THE END.
(ps, I still love you Galoot. Tomorrow, let’s time your naps a bit better though, shall we?)
October 13, 2010 - Posted by CayleenRae - 0 Comments
Happy Pumpkin Pie Day!!!!
aka Thanksgiving. But really, its all about the Pumpkin Pie.
The menfolk of the household took on the Pumpkin Pie making endeavour with gusto!
They chopped:
They steamed:
They mashed:
They cracked eggs:
They filled 9×13 pans (because our pie pans just don’t cut it for serious Pumpkin Pie making) with pie crust and pie filling:
I decorated:
We ate:
YUM!
(hmmm, this post has made me a little…hungry. Thank goodness for leftover pie!)
