The Five Senses

Over the last few days I've been teaching the boys about The Five Senses.

I took a piece of paper and drew a person's face and hand and wrote:
1) seeing 2) listening 3) tasting 4) smelling and 5) touching
and arrows linking each word with the eyes, ear, mouth, nose and hand.

We talked a little bit about each sense, and then we played some games.

Touch/Feeling Game
For this game you put some small toys in a bag, a pillowcase, and a scarf to use as a blindfold.

The boys had turns to wear the blindfold, and had to put their hand into the pillowcase to feel a toy and guess what it was. Things like a car, a figurine, a plastic fruit, a balloon, a toy animal were fun things for them to guess.

They really liked this game!

Listening Game
For this game I collected some percussion/ musical instruments, plus other objects that made sounds. This time the boys had to listen and tell me what I held in my hand under the table!

Examples of what they had to guess:
- maraccas
- wind up toy (when you wind it up it makes a cool winding sound)
- coins in a purse
- a couple of spoons to hit together
- harmonica

Tasting Game
To play this game you assemble some little tasting portions of food in a bowl, cover it with a plate, and the kids have to taste and guess what the food is.

It can be tough getting them to keep their eyes shut!

Food examples:
- Rice cracker piece
- Banana
- Chocolate Tiny Teddy biscuits
- Hundreds and thousands sprinkles
- Cheese
- another idea would have been peanut butter or honey or jam on a teaspoon!

Day at Home

This week has been so busy. Today we finally just get to stay at home, it's nice not to have to rush anywhere!

Pasta play
They played with miscellaneous pasta shapes, and bits of drinking straw, with assortment of cups, spoons, ladles and string. They really enjoy this simple activity.

Matching the animals
I wrote different animals on some bits of paper, plus some names of fruit, and lay them out on the floor. I gave the boys a little carry case packed with plastic animals and toy fruit. Their task was to match each animal and fruit with the paper.

Coconut and Boat Game
The boys have a small inflatable boat. I found their collection of balls - all different sizes, and I called these 'coconuts'. They had to sit on the bed and throw the coconuts into the boat. I pretended to be a hungry crocodile and was sang a funny coconut song.They found this game hilarious!

Computer Time
When SamSam goes down for his lunchtime nap, JJ sometimes gets computer time. There are so many interactive resources on the net which are totally free and are educational. JJ loves spending time on the computer. We limit the amount of time he spends on it, and it's at the moment, he only gets to go on it every few days.

Puzzle Time

Toilet Training
SamSam started being toilet trained this week. He is doing really, really well! Hardly many accidents! I was using the sticker reward system, but I found that reward biscuits work much better for him! Chocolate Tiny Teddy Biscuits are a real fave :)

Impromptu slide
Boys love to be active. A roughly made up slide on the couch, with the slide leading to a drop onto cushions on the rug, amused them for a long time.

I love my boys!

Snapshots

Just a Snippet of What the Boys Got up to Today

Played Playdoh before 8am

Played on Mummy and Daddy's bed (favourite spot)

Walked to the library

Read some books

Went to a music and movement class (didn't have the guts to ask permission to take photos!)

Played on inflatable boat and went 'fishing'

Pulled each other around the house

Made lunch

Went to the community garden patch with Daddy who brought along our inflatable pool...

Letter T Day

JJ is so eager to learn that last week he wanted to play learning and teaching.

While the boys packed two backpacks with pencil cases and water, and pretended to take the bus to 'school' (by rearranging the cushions on our sofa to look like a bus), I whipped up a very simple lesson plan:

Aim: Teach about the Letter T
Method:

• Writing the letter T
• Reading T words
• Playing a T game
• Singing T songs
• Making a craft - animals that start with T
• Storytime Letter T

I photocopied some writing activity sheets for the letter T. The boys took their pencils and traced the dotted lines and coloured the pictures.

Another activity sheet had words beginning with T. I got the boys to read them out - truck, tomato and television. I took a piece of paper and wrote them as a list, and then we talked about how the letter T sounded. Then we added more words we could think of. We came up with Thomas (naturally), and troublesome (!).

I stuck these words up on a door so they could see them.

It was time for some singing with the letter T.

The only nursery rhymes I could think of with the letter T, were 'I'm a Little Teapot' and 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. I wrote the titles on a piece of paper, and drew a teapot and a happy star, then stuck it on the door.

Then I pulled out my guitar and boys ran to get their percussion instruments. We sang the songs, and they shook their instruments and walked around the room to the rhythm of the music.

Other pictures and yellow suns are from Sunday school!

Then it was time for a letter T game.

For the game I wrote some words starting with the letter T, cut them up into strips, and put them in a pencil case. The boys had to take turns taking a word out, read it, and then stick it on the object with blue tack. The words we had included, television, toes, tshirt, tap. Toes was a fun one, as they stuck it to Daddy's socks as he sat on the sofa.

JJ holding his school bag

To wrap up, it was craft time with the letter T.

I asked them which animals started with T. I don't think they did very well, so I suggested turtle and tiger. JJ chose to make a turtle, and SamSam the tiger.

The boys LOVE glue. We bought some of those liquid gluesticks at the $2 shop, and they just love squishing the glue out. I drew an outline of the animals, and cut up lots of little pieces of magazine for them to make a collage.

Here's what they made!

Realised later that the tiger's tail is all wrong. Will have to get better at animal drawing!

I had a backup activity in case they wanted more, which was reading to them the letter T from the Richard Scarry book, but it was time to have a run around outside after all this concentration!

Evaluation: The letter T 'day' was a real hit. The boys learned a lot, they were occupied for quite a long time, and for me, having a plan to follow was really good - it made things much easier.

What I'd do next time: I think as the boys get older I'll need to prepare some of these 'lessons' in advance - like having activity sheets already photocopied and art equipment prepared. I found that the boys would get up to mischief while I hurried to prepare everything!

The good thing is that the lesson plan can be duplicated for all other remaining letters, hurrah!!! :)

How to Get Kids to Sleep In the Same Room

The sleep experiment has been a success, hooray!!!

A few posts back I wrote about the troubles of getting the boys to sleep when they sleep in same room and prefer to play rather than sleep once the lights go out. (see A Sleep Over Every Night)

My solution to sit on the floor at the door of their bedroom has been a tremendous success. The first couple of nights I sat for 45 minutes, and had to tell them off very frequently, and sometimes had to put them in the naughty corner. I also became very bored sitting there.

The second night I brought along a book 'The Power of a Praying Parent' by Stormie Omartian, and I've been using this opportunity to work through the book every night.

The third night the boys realised that I wasn't going to go away (even though they asked me to). We'd also had a long day. They slept within 15 minutes.

The fourth night I realised that I didn't need to wait for both to fall asleep, I just had to wait for one party to sleep and I could sneak off, because they don't act up if the other one is sleeping!

It's about over a week now since I started this, and I can safely say that the boys no longer equate going to sleep with having a party! Getting kids to sleep in the same room is not impossible!

Now getting them to sleep is a cinch!

Thomas Letter Game

Today I had a brainwave and created a new word-game for the boys that's based on their favourite Thomas the Tank Engine characters.

It's called the Thomas Letter Game (until I think of a better name).

I found some images of the Thomas characters, and put them into a Word doc. I typed the name of each one above the image, excluding the very first letter - so Thomas looks like "HOMAS", and Percy looks like "ERCY" etc. I printed them out in colour on our printer.

I stuck the printouts on a wall with blue tack, just at the right height for the boys to look at. I also printed out the missing letters, cut them out, and put them in a little pile.

The kids took turns to take a letter from a pile, and match it to the correct character, sticking it with bluetack onto the printout.

My boys LOVED playing it.

Most of the time they walked around a bit, tested how each letter looked with the name to see if it looked and read right. On the odd occasion they knew immediately where a letter belonged - like the sounds for B, P and H were matched immediately to Bertie, Percy and Hiro.

This game is the right reading level for JJ (an advanced 3 1/2 year old reader), and harder for SamSam (2 1/2), but SamSam still managed to get some right on his own. What he really likes is looking at his favourite trains up on the wall!

It was surprising that the most obvious letter 'T' for Thomas was the hardest for them! I think maybe because they can't pronounce the letter T properly yet (they say something like Nomas!).

I was hoping to put the file here for downloading, but there's no function on blogger to do it!

However, this concept could easily be changed to a different category, eg. fruit, animals, nature, objects, food etc. It's pretty easy to make if you know how to use Word.

What you need: 

• A printer, preferably colour
• Paper to print on
• Blue tack
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Create document with images and typed words with missing initial letter
• Print out the pages. It looks best in colour.
• Use bluetack to stick onto the wall at the eye-height of your children
• Cut out the letters and put them in a little pile
• Each child takes a turn to pick a letter from the pile
• Stick some bluetack on the back for them
• Let them figure out which letter goes where
• Give helpful hints where necessary!

Toying with Homeschooling...

We've been toying with the idea of homeschooling for a while. We like that we can tailor our children's learning and spend time doing things with them.

Homeschooling would also suit our lifestyle as we do a lot of travelling.

We love the idea of teaching the boys about different places and cultures by actually visiting different countries. But more importantly, we feel that home schooling would allow us to focus on the things that, in our eyes, have more value for them to learn, and which aren't emphasized enough at school.

In many respects we don't do things the way people normally do, so homeschooling is not some big crazy out-there idea for us as we have a very flexible approach to the way we live.

Some things do trouble me about school. I get the impression that in reality most learning is done at home via homework which is completed with parents' help. Also there are too many opportunities for kids to learn bad habits and bad attitudes from others. I've spent too many precious hours teaching and disciplining my children for some naughty kid to spoil within one day!

However, if we find a school that totally blows our socks off, I think we'd definitely consider enrolling them. At least for a few years!

But don't get me wrong, I LOVED school. I made great friends, had a great time playing, and learnt a lot from some special teachers, well, three special teachers. However, if I think about what I would have rathered - going to school, or spending time with my parents, I would most definitely have chosen time with my parents. Having them spend time with me was so special. It made me feel special! All the times they took to play with me, I really treasured. If they had had the patience, ability to teach me, and financial resources to do it, I would have loved to be homeschooled.

I guess the thing that most people are concerned about when they think about home schooling is a lack of socialisation skills development - that being homeschooled will turn you into a bit of a social wierdo. But I don't think this has to be the case. Our boys go to playgroup, creche, Sunday School, and meet kids in the park, and they exhibit great social skills. They know how to make friends - each with their own approach. And somehow they've even learned to stay away from naughtier and rougher types.

At every playground we go to, JJ will be playing with other kids within ten minutes. SamSam, now that he is beginning to talk, is starting to play with others too. He initially pretends to be quite bashful with other kids, but once he's watched them for a little while, he'll let loose and be tearing around with them!

I suppose with homeschooling, because there are no kids around during the day to play with (except other homeschooling types, and your siblings), we would naturally make a more conscious effort to find opportunities for them to play at other times.

However, I don't think it's possible for everyone to homeschool. I think a lot the time it won't be feasible financially, logistically, or even from a personal temperament point of view - because let's face it, teaching isn't everyone's cup of tea.

However, it seems that DH and I have been blessed with the right mix of opportunity, resources, personal characteristics and even the right backgrounds to make homeschooling a real possibility. DH is from a science background, and has an aptitude for mechanical things. I'm more on the creative side with a preference for music, languages, arts and lots of reading, - and somewhere in the middle we meet with our interest in technology.

As our kids are getting older, it's becoming clearer how much potential there is bubbling within them, and sometimes I am in such awe of how wonderful and precious they are. It seems to us that the best we can do is use our special position to take time to teach them and nurture them ourselves.

I'm already excited thinking about planning what they will learn! I think I am discovering that I have teacher qualities! Funny how your children can teach you things about yourself that you never knew you had.

Our dream is that our boys will one day be great men, full of wisdom, courage and vision and who will love God with all their hearts. They will love all people and want to help them, and they will be great husbands and wonderful fathers to their own families.

A Day at the Beach

We spent a fantastic day at the beach today.

Our favourite spot is a 90 minutes drive by car, down at McCrae.

The water there is clear and aqua, it's shallow for a long way out, and the waves aren't too big. Perfect for the boys!

Also there's not many people :)

Here's some photos of a lovely day out.

Boys love digging in the sand. They actually refer to the beach as the sandpit.

Our sun shelter

Mmm, fish n chips by the beach!

Perfect weather :)

A Sleep Over Every Night

JJ and SamSam sleep in the same room. They've slept together since JJ was two and a half years old, and SamSam one and a half.

Their beds, which are cots without one side on, are positioned head to toe. The door has only just enough space to open and close, but we found this configuration frees up a lot of room for play.

I remember when we first put them in the same room, I was a little apprehensive and wondering how many times I was going to have to get up to settle two crying toddlers! I needn't have been so worried.

Putting them together was a really good idea. It freed up time as I could put them down to sleep in one go, rather than two separate rooms at two separate times. It also freed up an extra room for a guest room.

It took a couple of nights before JJ totally ignored SamSam's cries in the night, and soon SamSam stopped waking up too - I realised he was having dreams because I'd dressed him too warmly! (they have totally different heat and cold sensitivity).

The first year they shared a bedroom was very good. They went to sleep really well. We would tuck them in, pray with them, kiss them good night, turn on their bedtime music, and switch off the lights. They'd fall asleep with no issues.

However, as they've grown they've become more playful and a bit mischievious. To add to that, now that they can communicate verbally with each other it's been taking a really long time for them to go to sleep. There's just so much laughter going on in there! Sometimes I have to go into their room five times before they finally settle down. Sometimes I find toys in their bed, or JJ is reading in the dim glow of the window light! But most times they're rolling on top of each other in SamSam's bed!

The solution I've come up with a few nights ago seems to be working. I sit on the floor at the entrance of their room until they sleep!!! Night number 1 and number 2, it took them 45 minutes before they slept! (I had a sore bum afterwards). But last night, it took only 15 minutes. I think they now understand my no-nonsense policy, so they've given up trying to play, and just settle in to sleep. We'll see how they go tonight anyway!

I'm hoping that after a week of getting used to my watchful eye, they'll just automatically go straight to bed, and I'll quietly slip away.

An unexpected benefit of sitting and waiting for them to sleep (which was so boring the first night), is that I decided it was a good opportunity to start reading. Not only that, but I've realised I can really make the most of this time by praying for my boys. The book that I'm reading and praying through is 'The Power of a Praying Parent' by Stormie OMartian.

I believe that prayer can make an incredible difference. Prayer is so powerful. It has the power to change lives, to heal, to protect, there's so much! In my life, prayer is vital. It is the way I receive strength, peace and wisdom to live my life - through talking and listening to my loving Father in heaven.

'The Power of a Praying Parent' is a really good, practical book, that has chapters about different areas of your children's life that you may want to pray for. At the end of each chapter is a specific prayer that you can pray for them. Some examples are for their protection; resisting rebellion; good family relationships; purity; freedom from fear and many other areas that I would not have thought about, but I now see are very important.

Hey, I should pray that they sleep faster!!

I had started to read the book last year, before I went to bed, but somehow I got distracted - probably by sleep... Now that I have a set time to sit and wait for the boys, I have very good discipline and good motivation!

I couldn't recommend this book highly enough.

Chatter boxes

With JJ at almost three and a half years old, and SamSam almost two and a half, there's a mighty lot of talking happening around the house these days.

JJ was slow to start forming sentences. I remember at his two year old check up that he was only putting two, and very rarely three words together. In fact I was a little concerned at the time. Of course now he's perfectly fine!

SamSam at two years old was totally different. While the health development guide says three to four word sentences is the norm for a two year old, SamSam would put together seven or eight. He also has a really good understanding of grammar!

At home all you hear from him is a constant stream of chatter. I can hear him now in the bedroom making conversation between his trains! He even argues with JJ in his sleep! "That's mine!"

It just goes to show, every child develops at different rates, even brothers.

Now that they're talking, they are starting to correct what I say and even debate with me.

One night as I was trying to hurry SamSam to finish his milk so he could go to bed, I said "Hurry and drink your milk SamSam, it's night time".

After a quick glance out the window he replied.

"No it's daytime".

Shucks to summer daylight!

"Well, it's almost night time", I retorted.

The funniest conversation was this morning with JJ when he and I were talking about air.

"Air comes out of our mouths when we blow. Air is in hot air balloons. I blow air into your swim floaties", I said.

"When Daddy sits on the toilet and does a put-put* air comes out of his bum" said JJ.

I almost asphyxiated from laughter.

*fart

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

It's a gorgeous new day and I feel ready for anything!

Before breakfast the boys playing with a makeshift car ramp - a long piece of cardboard balanced on a couple of foot stools - and zooming the cars, trains and trucks down it. They're having a great time. Isn't it nice how simple things give so much pleasure!

After brekky they do some drawing and colouring in and complete some Thomas activity sheets. I like doing craft or writing in the morning when the boys have the best concentration.

When I hang out the washing, they blow bubbles and ride around the balcony racing each other.

Back inside JJ asks if we can play Hide and Seek. Hide and Seek is currently a real favourite. It's hilarious to play it with them as they always hide in the same place - in our bed under the covers! When I hide, I like to find good places to hide and take a little rest while they find me!

We make some paper aeroplanes and they fly incredibly well - probably the best planes I've ever made, and it was so easy! Here's a copy of the instructions.

JJ can fly his really accurately. He chooses the number 3 to go on his plane, and SamSam has number 1. They are a definite hit. They find they can put little figurines inside the planes and fly them too!

Chocks away!

We find a boardgame in an old book and play this for a good hour. It's based in an airport and the aim is to get to the aeroplane! Instead of a dice there's a little coin, one side is yellow and the other red. The board has red and yellow squares and whatever colour you throw is the square you move to. Brilliant!

We're getting peckish and decide a train trip into the city would be great. The boys love taking the train. JJ watches out the window as we pass by the stations, and reads out the station names as we go by.

 

5 minutes later, fast asleep

We hop out of the train and get to one of our favourite restaurants. The boys are hungry and eat really well, we have fried rice noodles with beef, and rice with BBQ pork and tofu. When the bill comes, Daddy explains to JJ how much the meal costs and how we work to get money to pay for the meal. JJ just wants to pocket the money and put it in his piggy bank!

Delish

We take the boys for a little run around outside the state library where people are grouped together having lunch and soaking up the lovely weather. It's a nice little green spot in the city to chillax.

Photo taken by SamSam!

Watching the birds on the Melbourne Central clock

We run some errands in the city, and then it's almost time to go home, but not before we stop by Harajuku Pancakes for strawberries with icecream and chocolate sauce pancake. Yumm!

We get home and the boys go straight to bed for their afternoon nap. It's been a lovely day!

In the evening we read 'Stuck in the Mud' a Thomas the Tank Engine early readers book, and 'My Little K Book', followed by devotions. Tonight's devotion is about quiet places, and that it's good to find a quiet place to spend time with God.

'Be still and know that I am God' Psalm 46:10

Good night sweethearts!

A Wonderful Time in Bright

We've had the most amazing holiday with friends, family, nature and good food. Blogging fell off the priority list because we were having so much fun!

These photos capture a tiny bit of what happened in the great month there.

Picking ripe tomatoes from the garden and scoffing them down

Catching baby trout in the river in Wandiligong

Hanging out with the cats

Playing with the diggers and pebbles in the garden, also running after the cats.

Pulling friend in dingy back to shore.

Played for hours at the awesome Bright playground

Jumping and rolling on the trampoline with friends

Playing in the beautiful, clean, flowing pebble river

JJ caught his first fish at the trout farm! He used a lure and caught it on the second cast. He reeled it in all by himself! It was a very proud moment for him, and for us. We got it all on video check it out!