Two Little Pumpkins

I BELIEVE IN YESTERDAY: We started the morning off with calendar talk and identifying the day/date (they both did so quickly). Next, they each recorded a weather icon for today. Easy stuff. However, a speed bump was dead ahead. ...

I want to teach them that one of the great things about a calendar is that it can help you keep track of things you have to do on certain days. So, I asked them, "What is it we do every Tuesday afternoon?"

I was met with two long blank stares. You'd think I'd asked them who the Tsar of Russia was in 1547. I gave them a hint: "It's an activity you do. Every Tuesday. Afternoon." More blank stares and a few silly guesses. "We drive there." Still lots of nothing. So - seriously like 10 minutes later - I gave them a hint - a big hint. "It starts with a 'Y'." That had to do it, right? I mean, how many activities begin with a Y?

So they started rattling off Y words (everything from 'yeah' to 'yellow'). Everything but ... "yuh, yuh, yuh YOGA!" Annabelle finally figured it out. So they wrote Ys on all the Tuesdays on their October calendar.

Next, we the covered the concepts of "yesterday" and "tomorrow." I was happy they IDed yesterday right away. Tomorrow was more of a challenge for CJ. We'll hit it again, well, tomorrow.

FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS: We've been putting it off long enough. Today, it was time to do some old school arts and crafts. : ) Historically, crafty things haven't been CJ's favorite (or even third, fifth or twelfth favorite) activity. And I know I let this influence me toward other types of learning, but doggone it, Annabelle LOVES all things artsy and really, so do I. So today was the day. Being October and all, I figured I would have the kids make jack-o-lanterns out of paper plates. While they were working, I played a preschool favorite song - "Five Little Pumpkins" through the computer speakers.

I also found a version of the song that was presented in a more book-like manner, so they kids watched and read that twice Same words, but presented more like a book. The kids watched it twice.

I had them each make two jack-o-lanterns, much to CJ's disdain. (While gluing the face on his first one, he cried, "My pumpkin's out of control!") After they each had their pumpkin pair, I told them we need five little pumpkins, like the song, so how many more do we need? (A story problem!) They both knew it was one more pumpkin, so I whipped one up, post haste.

I noticed at the end of the Five Little Pumpkins story we watched, there was a slide listing resources used. One was a Web site http://www.dltk-teach.com/. Curious, I pointed my browser there, and there I found a one-page version of the poem, which I printed out. There was also a minibook template for the story. It pleased Annabelle greatly. "I'm always up for a craft!" she declared. (She better watch out - that's dangerous talk. Before she knows it, she's going to be making Twinkie sushi, Nintendo-themed cakes, or three pinatas for the block party.)

Anyway, I made a big deal out of putting our pumpkins and the book together and displaying them, and I could see that the kids were very proud of their work. (They kept going over to where it is hanging all evening, reading and re-reading the poem and talking about whose pumpkin was whose and so on.) It served to reinforce the fact that we absolutely should incorporate crafts frequently. It's great for the motor skills, fosters creativity and it was wonderful seeing their sense of accomplishment.

(If you click on the photo to see the larger version, you can make out the towers on Queen Anne Hill on the righthand side.)

ANOTHER GOLDMINE: While on my Internet pumpkin hunt today, I found a great Web site with free printable math worksheets. We have several books with math worksheets in them, but it's nice to give the kids something with a different look or style from time to time. They have math and other curriculum that can be searched by holiday, grade level, activity type and more.

THE LOTUS POSITION: After taking Kirby for a walk, we headed for Columbia City to Lotus Yoga for their Tuesday afternoon class. The kids didn't say much about it afterward, but they were pleased that eating apples was a part of the class as they're such apple experts and all now. ; )

FONDANT FORAY: After dinner, I started working on Rick's birthday cake. Annabelle got her first lesson in making fondant. She wanted so desperately to be helpful, and mostly she was, but it was a very sticky situation. Tomorrow it will be more fun as we'll be into assembly and decoration mode instead of just the sugary grunt work.