5/1/12

Kenzie ate all of her prunes and seconds on cinnamon roll at breakfast.  At lunch she ate very little to make up for it!  : )  She ate her tasting bite of everything and most of her waffle.

Kenzie asked to do puzzles this morning and I was out there with them during that time period.  I am very impressed with her problem solving skills in that arena.  She completes them as well, if not better than any of the children here right now (including those older than she).  One of the things that I loved observing is how she talks her self through the process.  She was saying things like, "Where it go?", "That not it!", "Turn it round" and so forth.  It is really fun to be able to listen to what is going on in her little head.  : )

Kenzie invited Morgan to come "read" with her.  They were looking at a book that had a bunch of different colored airplanes in it.  Kenzie was asking her, "Do you like that one?" about each plane.  They "read" several books together, interacting like that the entire time.  Many of the things I heard them say were the types of things I always say and types of questions I ask regularly when I read stories to them.  Modeling sure had a big impact even then we aren't really doing it intentionally!

I can't even remember what got it started now, but the kiddos started bringing me a stuffed animal (the character type ones are out right now, like Big Bird and Pooh) and I would try to think of a song relating to either the character or what it represented.  After I had done a couple, they started bringing them by the handful and I think I literally sang a song about every single one we had out!  Some were quite a stretch, but the kiddos all loved it.

One of the "animals" that was out was a turtle.  I don't know the character that he is supposed to me, but I made him into our "Tucker the Turtle".  Tucker is a character in a book we have about making good behavior choices (using words rather than yelling, hitting, grabbing...; stopping when you are angry and tucking inside you shell -- keeping your hands and body to yourself-- taking deep breaths to calm yourself and then coming up with a good choice or plan).  Using the stuffed animal really increased everyone's interest and participation in the "story".