Motor control...hehehe

A friend gave us some children's chopsticks...I have been looking up on the web things to help ds with he's activities.
Marbles I have to say we're dd's idea and way too hard.
They wanted corn fritters.

Rats having a party?

DS has had a fascination with the bathroom drain for a long time.
Now he's convinced there are rats down there listening to a scary movie.

He wants to take it apart...roll eyes!
Everything is getting taken apart.

Ultra planned ?

The last time I was ultra planned was just before Dave's accident.
Now this time it's only for the week not the term.
Today has really rocked.
Kids and I are super relaxed and things are going smoothly.
I like planning it feels like we have more time.

Listen to the sounds

As part of oak meadow science we are listening to animals outside.
In nz we don't have the outdoor animals but we still listen.

To DD's delight a cicada landed on her head and was very loud...she calmly put her hand up and got it to walk onto her hand. DS wanted to touch it dd wanted to draw it...it flew away after fingers poked it a few too many times.

I asked dd what she could hear
The wind
I couldn't resist it and asked what was is saying
She smiled and quoted...I don't know I can't speak wind.

She drew the wind fairy as she said she couldn't draw wind.

It is windy over near the pines and lots of birds as well we didn't get to see any too hot.
The cat came running along the path crying....another sound. The goat cried too he's hot as well.

Dd looked at all the old spider webs along the way thinking they are old and flimsy.

Old appliance discovery

DS is addicted to appliances and how they work. He's been out in the batch pulling apart my sewing machine. And now...how does the bread maker work.
Yesterday was the coffee perk and the old cordless drill.
Dave is very patient

The secret garden

This has been our read aloud story for a while. I've discovered that in a lull in any book the kids what to move on to another story...so no...I've put my foot down and we are finishing all the books we've started to keep with it!

So the garden has been a much loved story. Dd has watched the movie a long time ago so she was very excited to read the book...and discover its very different.

Dd spent a long time drawing yesterday. All the main people in the story with Ben leaning over the wall too.
Dd is trying very hard to write on her own. She loves the game where I read out a sentience and she then try's to write it down...most of the time accurately. I've been using the jolly phonic suggested dictation.

Dave gave both kids an old key to have...ds was so excited and wanted to go out to our garden and find the door...oh to be 3.

Nana not well and Ice play

Well things go up and down through life...
We had almost finished our read aloud book the secret garden when the phone rang...it was 111. My nana had pushed her little beeper and they were sending an ambulance.
We dropped everything and rushed down the road to check on her.
Yup she did need the ambulance and they took her into hospital.
Both dd and ds did not seem all that phased at all...well daddy has been in hospital for a month. As they are so young they don't understand that with nana things were a bit more serious.
All turned out well and nana was sent home late at night.

We have been ripping though my planned work so much so I've been poaching from the next day.

Now we are a bit burnt out. They made cards for nana today and didn't even want to do circle time. W did some letter and word painting in water on the concrete just before lunch which both kids did really well at.
I called out tricky words for dd to write and letters s a i t for ds to write...I was surprised for both of them.
This moved into flick painting...which didn't help what the wind picked up and blew the paper all over the place.

Ds has become fixated on the batch...and will spend hours out there playing with my old broken sewing matching. He's found a toaster and the kettle which we use for visitors. He's so excited.
This morning he found the bread maker and Dave could not do anything else but start it all working.
So the kids have had fresh white bread for lunch...oh dear it is lovely but now they are both complaining of tummy issues. Gluten?

Now at hush hour the kids are watching little Einstein's about the butterfly...which is great asa. Missed our one hatching.

What will this afternoon bring? Calm I hope

'I' inky the mouse.... I I I

Ds has started oak meadow kindy. Today's new letter is I. I've ready the story but I don't think he got it at all.
We've been using jolly phonics. Both kids love it.
So I've drawn inky the mouse and now we are painting insects for I...lady bugs to be exact.
I did have the idea that they would be red with dots but my kids have decided many colours.

Dd with her real bug...named flower.

Butterfly and cob making

We were given a monarch to love and care for by our neighbour. Dd was just enwrapped. She waited for about an hour before it first took off after hatching....she was very impatient and was watching a movie half heartedly.
When the butterfly aka flower fell to the ground she rushed to rescue it. And attached it to her nose.
We watched it for a few hours then it flew to our garden...kids very happy.

Dd also started playing with cob again. Inspiration from my cousin who is making his house out of a cob like substance. Might have to make some time.

Lovely to be in the garden

We've been flat tack...and I think it caught up with me today.
Learning
Juggling house...truck
Animals
Food

It was nice just to be in the garden for 15 minutes. The cat was in the garage roof crying because he couldn't get down the cars he used to get up there had moved.
The kids played with their chickens cat too.
Truck into wof...ouch 4 new tires needed.
Playing maths...dd loves anything too do with numbers but hates math work sheets...does not get why we have to do it again and again. So we've got a new card game...loving it.