Music Time: Keyboard

Everybody needs music time! 

Soapy Sponges: Again

Because it is getting warm and we love bubbles!

Matching Animal Cards: Getting Harder

We still love our matching game. Alyssa has really upped her game with this one. She needs a little help focusing and we do it together, but she is really good at her animal identification. Her favorite animals seem to be the bunny, the dog, the elephant, the panda, the flamingo, and the cat. She avoids and ignores the rhino completely. It is the only card set that she will not match up. No idea what is going on there. 

Our Turtle Neighbor

One of the benefits of living on the edge of the neighborhood is there is not a house behind us. Instead it is green and blue and alive. The ducks are constant neighbors, but this week we also found this turtle in our backyard. The girls were very excited about it. Alyssa now can say "turtle" fairly clearly and can identify them. They were fearless about touching the turtle, but it was snapping and seemed a little ferocious for a turtle - I always thought they were very shy... After a few minutes it took off - literally the fastest I have ever seen a turtle move (it was going down a hill though so I think it had some help). We never saw it again, between the girls and the lawn mower I think it wanted to get as far away as possible. But the girls still look outside for it when we talk about turtles. 

Crayon Table (and Stickers)

We covered the table with drawing paper and it was up all week. We added some stickers to the mix, too. It was good practice for Alyssa to get the stickers on the paper and off her fingers. She is pretty good at it now. 

Magnet Animal Board: Try Two

I had tried this back in February with felt backgrounds on the cookie sheets. The magnets didn't stick at all. This time we tried it with paper glued down and covered by contact paper. It definitely was an improvement over the felt, but at the end of the day I ripped the paper off. We did it again the next day with just the plain trays and it was so much better. I think I'll be leaving the sheet alone for a while...

Quick thoughts:

• Alyssa really figured out the concept of the magnets - in that the pieces stuck to the board. I think the bare board helped a lot, since the pieces actually stuck... She liked putting them on better than taking them off, so I cleared the board a few times. 
• Abby is still eating the pieces for the most part. But she would put a couple on and off. 
• This was really fun for a new way to identify and practice the animals and nature words. Alyssa learned "Sun" and "Whale". 
• I think I need to make some new magnets. We are getting pretty good with the animals. Maybe a set of food next?

Old MacDonald had a Farm

Last week we met up with some of the girl's cousins at a "farm". There were lots of farm animals. The pens were arranged in a big circle with picnic tables and playgrounds. Peacocks roamed free. We fed some of the animals, rode horses, and rode the little train. Mostly Alyssa and Abby abandoned their parents in favor of Grandma and Grandpa, but they are leaving soon for 2 years so enjoy while you can, girls.
I think they liked it... But I guess only grandma really knows. They left me in the dust (or sitting at a picnic table talking to their aunts and uncles).