These days, our group is book-hungry, story-hungry. It seems that every time I turn around, there's a child sitting in the little wicker chair in our book corner, remembering a story as they turn the pages, or someone's pushing a book my way with a request to "read it to me". T has been perusing "I Am A Backhoe" by Anna Grosshinkle Hines; B is fond of carting around "Pancakes Pancakes" by Eric Carle and considers it "her" book; V loves "First the Egg" by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and brings it to me daily. Everyone is enjoying the sing-along book "A Hunting We Will Go by John Langstaff, and V is pointing out the rhyming words in each verse. "A Tree Is Nice" by Janice May Udry wears its Caldecott award deservedly--this is another book that has become well-loved and brought to me regularly. It makes me excited to see the children so engaged in the world of books and reading, because this is something I love dearly as well.
On Tuesday we began our week reading "Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea". If you haven't introduced your child to Portland author Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Putter and Tabby books, they are a must. After this story,we had a lovely snacktime inspired by the story. We poured peppermint tea into dainty chinese cups and worked hard using butter knives to spread cream cheese onto cinnamon raisin bread. Delish!
On Wednesday, we read Lois Ehlert's "Planting a Rainbow" before heading outdoors to do just that! (Well, it's likely only part of a rainbow, but still...) Each child now has a large round planting pot of their own which will live at school. On Tuesday, the children helped to scoop compost in to mix with some potting soil. The next afternoon, each child helped to plant a hyacinth bulb, 4 daffodil bulbs and 6 crocus corms into their pots. It was tricky work making sure they went in pointy-side up, especially with the crocus corms, which took some careful investigation before planting. Thursday we heaped on more potting soil and compost and topped the planters off with bunches of winter pansies. These will provide a little color and the bulbs can grow in around them next spring. Heading outdoors on Thursday afternoon, one child asked "when the flowers going to come up?" Wait and see....
Last week we took a shady break in the sandbox and a child asked me to tell a story. So began the adventures of Princesses Pinkie, Red, Yellow and Purple. I thought nothing more of the story, but on Tuesday afternoon, as school was winding down, V reminded me of the story and wanted more. Enter the Green Prince, who has taken the Princesses to visit his land in the Green Kingdom and tells them of the Magic Green Mountain, where a Cave of Treasures (emeralds, of course!) is protected by a wise and gentlemanly Old Green Bear. The Princesses practice remarkable restraint in just looking at the treasures but not taking them! Next week, we will meet the Friends of the Green Prince, who like skateboarding. At the mention of this newest development, T lit up with a huge smile. Perhaps they'll all snowboard down the Green Mountain?
At Gathering Thursday, we talked a little bit about crowns. The conversation went something like this:
Hazel: So, I was wondering, who wears a crown?
V (excitedly): I DO!
B: I do too!
(T just frowns and shakes his head at them, which makes me want to laugh.)
Hazel: Why do people wear crowns?
V: You put on a crown and it makes you pretty!
With that definitive explanation, we moved to the big table to make crowns out of feathers, pompoms and a big letter for their first name right in the middle. They are very, very cute and I have a feeling they'll be worn home next Tuesday. We followed up later with straw piece necklaces, which helps the children to practice lacing and those ever-important fine motor skills.
More moments from our week together:
B, T and V all gathered together around the table in the housekeeping, pouring tea and making pretend food for each other.
V and T chasing each other around the soapy table, running their cars through suds and then using foam sponge brushes to wash the cars. V singing happily: "Washin' my car, washin' washin' my car!"
B and V shrieking happily in the hallway and laughing at themselves in the mirror. At preschool, the hallway is the place to go make loud sounds.
B working steadily at the big pegboard.
T and V linking the Barrel O' Monkeys carefully to create chains of monkeys dangling from the blocks shelf.
Everyone gathered on the carpet building marble runs; T later experiments with marble run slides in the bean bin. "They go down, Hazel!" he yells to me, excited.
B, V and T working with scissors, crayons, stickers and paper. B studiously works on cutting her paper into teeny bits while T and V use stickers on theirs. They begin counting the stickers on each paper in Spanish.
Dollhouse play on Wednesday. This time, there were lots of different ideas on how to use the furniture. Is it a stove, or a television? Some children like to use the bed with the cushions and pillow, and some prefer not to. There was a gentle ongoing coaching about taking turns, and how, when it's your turn, you can use the toys how you like.
At our weekly Popcorn Picnic, T said "Let's talk about something", so we did. There was a bit of discussion about babysitters and "who watches you when Mama and Daddy go out"-- this group has some very beloved grandparents, relatives and babysitters. Halloween also came up too, and the children talked about what they thought they might be dressed as. "What are you going to be?" one child asked me. "I'll be a Mommy" I replied. (If any of you have ideas for a Fire costume to pair up with my son's Firefighter homespun costume, let me know!)
Have a great weekend!
