JDaniel's Learning Archives

Children at Play- Teddy Needs More Turtle Skating Practice

February 22, 2012 By Deirdre

Last week as I put away the red sled made of cardboard we played with during Read. Explore.Learn JDaniel headed upstairs to grab Teddy and my husband’s turtle slippers (which now live in JDaniel’s room). He had another idea of what to do with the bubble wrap ski slope on the living room floor.

The slope wasn’t a slop anymore I was informed. JDaniel declared that it was now an area for Teddy to skate on. The turtle slippers were to be Teddy’s skates.

While Teddy seemed willing to try skating, his feet didn’t seem to agree. It was very hard to keep Teddy’s feet in the slippers. They just kept slipping out.

Teddy’s feet don’t have a large enough surface area to stay in the slippers. I tried to explain that to JDaniel but, the whole concept of the surface area went right over his head.

I suggested that JDaniel hold Teddy’s feet in the slippers. The pressure from his arm muscles might keep Teddy’s feet in.

JDaniel was willing to try this in fact he pressed down on Teddy’s legs as hard as he could. The slippers did stay on but, now his feet won’t move to do to the pressure.

It seemed Teddy would never be able to skate. There were just too many things for JDaniel to do to help him move and keep his slippers on.

Instead of getting frustrated, grabbing Teddy up, and flinging slippers, JDaniel did a very wise thing. He decided it was time to get more helpful ideas from me.

We discussed all the variables involved in Teddy skating down the bubble wrap with slippers. It was a very lively discussion. The kind many of you have probably had with your children when everything seems to be going wrong and every idea that comes to mind is a possibility.

Ultimately JDaniel decided it was my job to make it happen and his job to cheer from the edge of the bubble wrap. I really tried to keep pressure on Teddy and move his feet while sliding my feet behind his. This approach really should have worked. It really should have.

For some unknown reason, Teddy kept falling. He gallantly kept trying with me to make JDaniel’s vision come to be but, it just didn’t happen.

After several attempts, it was decided that we should put the bubble wrap away and try to have Teddy skate another day.

Waiting is Hard!

September 22, 2011 By Deirdre

When I went to pick Jdaniel up from his first day of preschool, he was one of only three children sitting on the rug staring at the door.

I wasn’t late. I was five minutes early. Apparently the other parents came very early to pick up their children.

His eyes lit up when he saw me in the doorway. I don’t’ know what he was thinking, but I know what I was thinking when I had to wait.

I know what it is to wait.

My mom was one of the first ones to pick up when I was in preschool and early elementary school.

Things changed when I was in third grade and my parents divorced.

Balancing working full time and motherhood was hard.

We went to school with her so, my sisters and I would just walk down to her room at the end of the day and wait for her to be ready to go.

My mom would drop us off for CCD (religion classes) and we would wait for her to come when class was over.. I remember asking if I could wait outside for her to come so the teacher wouldn’t know I was still waiting.

There were other times when I had to wait too.

It was hard to wait! It wasn’t that I was impatient. It was that it didn’t make me feel important.

Sometimes people run late due to traffic or unforeseen events.

Sometimes people run late because they try to run the last errand on their to do list.

It happens!

It may happen to JDaniel.

I hope it won’t be a habit of mine.

I so want to be the mom that is waiting outside the door for my child to be released back into my care.

I so want him to know that he is important. I so don’t want him to leave him to his thoughts and wonder why he had to wait.

This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday!

P.S. Many of you have mentioned you played rather than waited for your moms. JDaniel has to sit on a line on the carpet and wait to be called to the door to be picked up. I won’t worry so much about being late if I knew he was playing.

Read.Explore.Learn.- Maisy Goes to Preschool

September 1, 2011 By Deirdre

Welcome to Read.Explore.Learn.! This meme was designed to be a place for you to share the learning opportunities, crafts, field trips, and other activities you have done this week that tie-in to children’s books. I look forward to seeing ways you have learned with and explored books.

Steps:

Link your activity below.

Please place the Read.Explore.Learn. badge on your post or create a link back to this meme.

Please try to visit at least three of the other people that have placed links below and leave a comment. I will visit each of you and leave a kind comment.

If you are not linking up an activity and are just visiting, please try to stop by a few of the links below.

My Book Tie-Ins of the Week:

JDaniel officially started school this week. He loves it. In fact he told me he doesn’t need his worry rock. He doesn’t seem to have a worry about school. He couldn’t wait to go back today.

In the story Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins Maisy loves preschool too. She walks the reader through her day.

She hangs up her coat, paints a beautiful picture, has a wonderful snack, uses the restroom (and washes her hands), has story time, takes a nap, has music class, and recess.

Maisy has a really busy day. She must be in full day preschool due to the fact she takes a nap.

JDaniel had a busy first day. He had Spanish and music classes along with his regular routine. On Thursday he went to the science room. He is only in school for three hours. I am not sure how they fit it all in.

What did we do?

Review of Letters of the Month

I made a flip chute for a guest post on making flip chutes called Strategies for Learning: Creating a Flip Chute Learning Tool I did earlier this week on Simply Stacie. I put together flip chute cards to review the letters of the month in JDaniel’s class. They are L, E, and F. Jdaniel looks at the picture and tells me the initial sound of the word. Then he puts the card in the flip chute and the initial letter appears of the card.

He really like using the flip chute. We will be using it again for other skills.

Teacher Portraits

JDaniel drew his teachers’ heads with all kinds of spirals around them. I am not sure why.

Remote Control Sing-Along

August 17, 2011 By Deirdre

One day last week I decided that JDaniel and his friend Bryce would use one of the remote controls for a singing game with me instead of dumping out all the toys to create a store. They seemed excited about the opportunity to play a new game.

How do you play?

The person holding the remote control calls out a song and clicks the remote. Everyone playing the game has to sing that song until another song is called out and the remote is clicked.

Here is an example:

Me:

The song is Jesus Love Me. (Click)

Everyone:

Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
they are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Me:

The song is Your Are My Sunshine. (click)

Everyone:

You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You’ll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away

The game is simple, silly and fun. JDaniel and Bryce ( The boy next door) loved it when it was their turn to control the remote.

I hope you will try this game out and let me know how it plays at your house.

This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday.

What is the opposite of tree?

June 30, 2011 By Deirdre

We were pulling out of the drugstore parking lot on Monday. We had just dropped off JDaniel’s allergy prescriptions and were headed to playgroup. He was leaning one elbow on his car seat with his fist holding up his head. He looked so pensive back there staring off into space.

“What are you thinking,” I asked him.

“Mom, what is the opposite of hot?” he replied.

“Cold is the opposite of hot,” I answered him.

“Okay, what is the opposite of big?” he wanted to know.

“Little or tiny would be the opposite of big?” I told him.

He went on to ask me the opposite of six or seven things and each time I was able to come up with answers quickly.

I was impressed with the number of things he was coming up with. He was using great thinking skills. His wonderfully inherited DNA or exposure to tons of concepts was shining through.

Then he stumped me with one of his opposite questions.

“What is the opposite of tree?” he wanted to know.

I thought and I thought and I thought.

Bushes are low to the ground and trees reach up high but, some trees can be smaller than a bush.

Grass is low to the ground too, but it can grow tall if it isn’t cut often enough.

I couldn’t think of an answer for him. My answer was to say that we would check with the smart moms at playgroup. ( My playgroup is filled with really smart moms that went to really big colleges.)

When I got to playgroup, several of the moms came up with bushes and grass as the opposite of a tree, but they weren’t willing to say it was the right answer or their final answer.

My friend Kathleen suggested I ask you. She claims my readers super smart too and are probably able to come up with an answer for my son who inspires higher level thinking.

So, what is the opposite of tree?

This post is linked to Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.

Allergy Boys Indoor Entertainment Exchange

May 18, 2011 By Deirdre

Lisa of Two Bears Farm and I were talking about our “allergy boys”. Cort one of Lisa’s three sons has allergies similar to JDaniel. Cort has to spend a lot of time inside during the spring and has needed to get the allergy tests done just like my little guy. We thought it would be fun to put together an “Allergy Boys” exchange for them. Each would get a box of fun things to explore and play with on days when they need to be inside. Both boys would rather be outside, but it is not always possible.

JDaniel and I had fun putting a box together for Cort. Cort is almost two and so I tried to get things he could do on this own as well as things he could do with his mom and older brother. I hoped he would also share them with his twin brother.

We got the following:

Foam Dots

The dots could be used to create patterns, sort by colors, used to leap from spot to spot, or stuck to the wall of the bathtub when wet to give them bathtub pox.

Magnetic Alphabet Letters in a Puzzle

I thought they could be used to practice letters or find matching letters on the Thomas the Train placemat we also included.

A Fire Truck Craft Kit

JDaniel loves fire trucks I hoped Cort would like making one.

A Sound Wand

This could be used as a marching baton, to practice rolling, or to shake and whirl to make noise.

Water Balls

These balls are designed to be played with in water. I thought he could try to make baskets in the tub or sink with them.

Robot Stickers

They are such fun to stick on things. Hopefully in just mom approved locations

Purple Metal Box

Things can be hidden the box and clues given as to what is under the box lid.

Books

Two board books that were favorites of JDaniel when he was two.

A Purple Silicone Egg Mold

I found it at Hobby Lobby for 90% off. Lisa and I are both Muffin Tin Moms. I stuck in the box more for her that for Cort.

JDaniel has loved exploring his box from Two Bears Farm. Here are a few pictures of things he has played with so far:

JDaniel loves giving the creatures from his haircut kit crew cuts.

JDaniel loved sticking the facial features in a mango. He spend what seemed like an hour trying different eyes, noses, mouths, and horns in each of the holes I put in the mango.

What other indoor activities would you suggest for our “allergy boys”?

This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday. It is “E” week.

Read.Explore.Learn.- True Meaning of Easter

April 22, 2011 By Deirdre

Welcome to Read. Explore. Learn! This meme was designed to be a place for you to share the learning opportunities, crafts, field trips, and other activities you have done this week that tie-in to children’s books. I look forward to seeing the ways you have learned with and explored books.

Steps:

Link your activity below.

Please try to visit at least three of the other people that have placed links below and leave a comment. I will visit each of you and leave a kind comment.

If you are not linking up an activity and are just visiting, please try to stop by a few of the links below.

My Book Tie-Ins of the Week:

What Is Easter?: Adams, Michelle Medlock: 9780824918781: Amazon ...

We read the Thanksgiving version of this book and loved it. What is Easter? is the Easter version. It covers all things that Easter isn’t and then explains what Easter is really about. I wish that it would cover what it is first, but I still really enjoyed sharing this book with JDaniel. The traditions in what it isn’t part were fun to talk about and share.

I really liked The Easter Story. It explains Easter is an easy to understand way. It skips the crucifixion and some of the other scary events leading up to Christ’s death for which I am grateful. JDaniel would have been very upset about them. While he will hear about them when he gets older, I am glad he didn’t have to see or hear about them in this book. The Easter Story does cover events leading up to and following Christ’s death that JDaniel could understand and learn from.

What did we do?

Tissue Box Art

I couldn’t co-host a Tissue Box Challenge without creating something with a tissue box this week. I cut out the pieces and JDaniel helped with the gluing of the bunny below.

Jelly Bean Egg Rocks

I found a wonderful little book on 1+1+1=1 called The Jelly Bean Prayer. It describes a specific color on each page and how it symbolizes something God has created or done. Yellow is for the sun, black is for our sin, and red is for Christ’s blood and so on. We explored rocks I decorated to represent the jelly beans in the book.

What have you been doing with your children to get ready for Easter?

Trimmings from a Tree Become a Beaver Home

February 23, 2011 By Deirdre

He Loves Sticks

JDaniel has always loved to gather sticks. He started gathering them as soon as he could walk. We have spent hours picking up sticks and carrying them to the woods behind our house.

There have been times when his friend Nathan, our next-door neighbor, has wanted to do something else and JDaniel has told him he has to finish his work first.

I love the simplicity of picking up the sticks and carrying them to the woods. The sticks are taken out of the yard and JDaniel gets to exercise at the same time. I have been astounded by his ability to focus on a single task for 30 or 45 minutes at a time.

The Beaver Dam

The sticks suddenly stopped leaving the yard last week. My husband was trimming the branches of a tree in the front yard. The branches were both large and small in size. JDaniel started picking them up and carrying them to the bushes in front of the house instead of the woods. He gathered one stick or branch at a time and carefully leaned them against the bushes. When the bushes closest to him filled up, he started carrying them to the set of bushes on the far side of the house.

“What are you doing?” I asked him. “Why I am creating a beaver dam?” JDaniel informed me.

Reasoning with a Beaver

I am all for pretend play, but these sticks and branches started to look terrible in front of the house after a couple of days. I can’t imagine what the neighbors thought about them.

I knew that he would not be enthusiastic about the sticks being moved out of the front yard. He really loved darting in and out of them pretending to be a beaver.

I decided to reason with him.

“I believe if we leave these sticks out front,” I told him, “Beavers are going to drive by and decide this would make a perfect home for them.”

“Mom, beaver can’t drive!” he replied.

“What is someone drives them?” I asked.

“They wouldn’t like it. There is no water for them here,” he answered.

“Maybe we could move the dam into the backyard so they won’t be tempted?” I told him.

“Okay, we can move them, but they still won’t come,” he said matter-a-factly.

Thank goodness we were able to come to an understanding.

The Big Beaver Moves Sticks

JDaniel doesn’t know this yet, but a beaver has come to take some of the sticks away. He is about six feet tall with graying hair and is JDaniel’s dad when he is not being a giant beaver. This big beaver is not a fan of the sticks being anywhere in the yard. He has been taking one or two sticks a day to the woods.

I am hoping it takes JDaniel a while to notice.

This post is linked to Capture the Everyday and Alphabe Thursday.

Back to the Salt Mines

January 4, 2011 By Deirdre

Many of you probably returned to working in the salt mines yesterday after a holiday break. I have been working in the salt mines for several weeks now without a break in sight.