"If I were...." unit

I already spilled the beans about our "If I were" project, so I figured I'd provide a little more detail. The project has taken us a very long time to complete, and really it's still not done as I have some finishing touches to add to the children's books. But, it's important that we gauge interest and excitement in something so that we can add to that to foster development. For example, little Noah is a pretty big fan of FISH, so when we got to that part of the song, we took some time to talk about fish, count the fish in our tank, and sing other songs that have "fish" in them. Likewise, when we got to the kangaroos, Paityn started to show off her ability to hop! And, I realized that we had never really practiced hopping before, so we took a few days to sign some songs and do some activites that included hopping around - we discovered that there are lots of animals and critters that hop!

The only thing I find as a "downer" about this project is that the kiddos are not taking their creations home to share with their loved ones right away. I'm holding on to their completed creations so that they can go into a nice book at the end of the unit. Since I love to show off what we've been doing here, the parents have had to be very patient and trust that I'm actually working with the kiddos on things that are artsy/craftsy. :) So, now I present to you... proof that we have been very busy!


Here is the music & movement component of the first part of our song (pay attention to the end, little Paityn has quite the moooves!)




So, what do you think should be next? I'm thinking Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? would make for some creative art ideas and some great sound recognition activities!

Time to show off with new videos!

Julia had a whole week off of school because of Parent-Teacher conferences. During her time off, she taught the toddlers many tricks. (Sorry parents, about the ones we'd rather not be teaching!)

Here's one cool trick we're learning... how to put our coats on by ourselves! Watch as Julia demonstrates:


Oops - it landed on her upside down. I could have corrected her before she did the flip, but I wanted all the kids to know that it's okay to get it wrong sometimes. Here, Julia demonstrates how to get her coat on correctly:


And now, Noah demonstrates that, while he was listening - some skills will come at their own time :)


Yesterday, we got back into the comfy old routine, and everybody was excited to see the bus come wisk Julia off to school. This morning, I got footage of Noah and Rebecca saying goodbye, as we do every morning. It's really very sweet. Enjoy!

Mall, park, zoo, oh my!

I always complain that the only "bad" part of my job is that I don't get enough peer interaction during my days. I'm surrounded by these wonderful toddlers, and find myself talking to them non-stop, but they just haven't found the skill level (or interest... not sure which?) to converse back yet. So, all of my conversations are pretty one-sided, and I find myself lonely more days than not.

This is why I love to take the kids outdoors! Even if we go for a quick walk around the block - it feels good to remember that I'm far from alone in this world, let alone in my neighborhood. There are people everywhere: I have never gone for a walk and *not* seen another person. That's a great reminder to me, as there have been a few days in a row that I don't even stop foot outside! (Mind you, this is only during the coldest days of the winter... I do insist that we go outside for play at least once a day, even if it is pretty chilly!)

But, when I get to plan a trip with the kids to actually go out in public - it's almost MORE of a treat for myself than it is for the kids! Not only do I get to get out of the house, but I am going to a place where there are likely to be other moms with kids. I get to have time to socialize (albeit with complete strangers, but hey - that's okay!) and the kids get to have time to socialize with other kiddos. It's a win-win situation! (And, I admit... the kids seem to get pretty wiped out from this, so when we return to my home, lunch comes quick and naptime comes even quicker and there, my day is already just about over!)

Last Wednesday, I took Noah and Rebecca to the mall to play at the very same playplace that we got to enjoy with Paityn just the week before! :)

We all have spring fever like crazy around here! As the weather gets nicer, we'll be taking more walks to the park, and maybe even plan more field trips. I see the zoo in our future! Oh, and see us going to the Deanna Rose a lot this spring!

Here are a few pictures from our time at the mall last week. Enjoy!