Thanksgiving Projects

We had two projects plus worksheets this week. First, we made Pilgrim and Indian puppets out of TP tubes and the Mayflower out of a shoebox, paper towel roll, and piece of paper. Then we reenacted the story of the first Thanksgiving, using the two extensions of our sectional couch as England and America (I know they went to Holland before America, but we're keeping it simple, folks) and lots of plastic food for the feast. Many trans-Atlantic voyages followed. Goose tried to get in on the action too, of course, and she did eventually manage to rip the head off an Indian. Fortunately, the novelty had worn off by then, and the tragic incident did not result in a major meltdown.

Our next project was making turkeys out of construction paper hand and foot prints (discussion followed about how turkeys are like really BIG chickens and how we're going to cook one when Grandma and Grandad come visit).

The girls also completed a stack of Thanksgiving-themed worksheets (counting, matching, finding differences, pencil control). (A note: At this point, I don't usually sit them down and make them do worksheets. They have access to a file box full of worksheets, coloring sheets, mazes, construction paper and plain paper. They get into this box almost everyday, but the worksheets they tend to do in spurts. They'll whiz through a dozen in a day, then not look at them again for a couple of weeks.)

Library Day

We were back at the branch library this week, and I had an additional preschooler for our informal storytime on the floor of the children's section. A little girl about Monkey and Bug's age joined us in a rousing reading of The Cat in the Hat Came Back, accompanied by a lively discussion about appropriate house cleaning methods (Me: "Do we clean bathtubs with dresses?!" Girls: "NO!" "With soap!" "With sponges!") This week it was Goose who had a meltdown when I declared it time to go home: she was engrossed in a puzzle, but the rest of the entourage was getting hungry for lunch.

Books we checked out this week:

The Vegetables Are Sleeping
Quiet as a Cricket
The First Thanksgiving

M&M's Counting Book

White-tailed Deer (we saw a 4-point buck on our way to the library!)

The Pigeon Found a Hot Dog

The Mitten

I Am America

A Christmas Story (a retelling of the Christmas story from the perspective of a little girl, Mary & Joseph's neighbor; we've also been reading the nativity story in their kid's Bible)

Santa Who? (a history of Santa Claus from Bishop Nicholas to the current guy in the red suit. Santa is everywhere already! A note: We aren't going to have the entourage believe in Santa, as in the fat old man who stalks kids year round, then breaks into their houses on Jesus' birthday--sorry, I know he brings cool gifts, but that's just creepy. We still do stockings, but we talk about the St. Nicholas story and focus on Jesus birthday.)

Sewing Cards

At Bug's request we made new sewing cards this week (shapes cut out of an old cereal box, hole punch, yarn). Bug and Monkey let Goose play with/taste one of their old, beat-up cards while they played with the new, more complex ones. I love this activity because it also buys me a little time to work on my own sewing project (a cross-stitch at the moment) while the entourage is awake.

"Gym"

Daddy has started indepently studying Japanese swordsmanship and restarted practicing kung fu. As a result our garage has been cleaned out (hooray!) and a good-sized part of it cleared for practice space. The benefit for the entourage: it's enough space to ride trikes and play with outside balls now that it's getting darker earlier and getting colder. Monkey and Bug have been teaching Goose how to throw and roll balls.

Walking

Goose has progressed from taking 4 or 5 steps as a game to walk between Mommy and Daddy to walking 2 or 3 steps all on her own just to get from point A to point B. Yes, this girl is going to be running frighteningly soon!