Commencement

Hey beautiful girl,
You did it! Little Dolly, today was your day! You got to leave school early for a picnic with Mom and Dad at sissy's school, see your old preschool teachers, go out on a special date to a restaurant (Atlanta Bread Co-your favorite!) with Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Pumpkin, then come home and have the computer all to yourself for a whole hour! You kept saying, "I can't believe it! I can't believe I'm graduating today!" I loved the special time we spent together curling your hair and getting you dressed for your big performance. When you were ready to go, you asked me if Daddy or your friends would recognize you, because you looked so different with curls. It was so funny. Of course they'll recognize you! Who could mistake that great smile and those little freckles for anyone else? You did a great job singing with your friends in the program tonight. My favorite part was when you waved to me from the risers and threw kisses to the crowd like a pageant queen on a parade float.

I love you so very much Reese Olivia. You are a good, kind girl. You are a smart girl. You are a brave girl. You were once my teeny tiny baby, so helpless that you needed me for everything. You are growing more independent every day and have become quite a responsible young lady. You have a very mature mind for a 6 year old, and I love that about you. I value your ideas. You are a funny girl. You are a hard working girl. I am so proud of you for your determination and effort this year.

And now, you can read!

Way to go! You are "first grade bound" and I am so happy for you and your accomplishments.

I love the person you are,
-Mom

Did You See

...the latest Jenny McCarthy video that is currently going around on facebook?

I fear that more people are listening to her advice, because it is what is in front of them, rather than heeding advice of medical professionals, with proven successful results. No one is sitting around with a medical journal on their lap, but everyone is on facebook.

Here are a few facts for everyone:
-The United States just reached a 15 year high for Measles cases.

-The Pertussis outbreak continues to spread and kill infants.

-oh, and one more, wait what's that? Jenny McCarthy has a new antivaccine book coming out?

Someone put a muzzle on that woman.
There are still people out there that actually believe her.

Good Eats?

I made a double batch of playdough this morning for my preschool.
I came into the kitchen to find Quincy gagging. She spit up a huge wad of playdough that she had tried to eat. Sick.

I can't get the girl to eat a piece of turkey to save her life, but quarters, playdough, and wads of toilet paper? Anytime. Gross.

"Well Kip, frankly, I'm a little concerned about your mode of transportation"

Me: Reese, it's almost dinner time. Go hop in the shower, real quick.

Reese: [rolls eyes] Um, ok, but walking seems more practical.

Blood for Joplin

So a devastating tornado hit Joplin, Mo (40 min north of us) yesterday. Half the city is flattened the hospital was destroyed, and many people are injured and or homeless. Oh, and to add insult to injury, we have severe storms in the forecast for the next few days. Yowza.

Joplin needs blood.

There is a blood drive happening on Walton Blvd until 6pm tonight.
If you've been thinking about donating blood, now is a great opportunity to do so.

I'll even watch your kids for you :)

So drop off the kiddies at my house for party time and go meet up with the husband for a romantic monday evening date of giving. Do it! Go! You have lots of blood, and you will make more. And some people have rare blood types (ahem) and need to have your fancy blood types given to them.

Given.

Yup, blood cannot be "faked" or substituted with a man-made supplement.
And blood can't be purchased (because then there would be a line of junkies out the door, waiting to get cash for their blood that can't even be used).

It must be given.
Take a book. Enjoy the peace. Your kids can run wild at my house.

Friendly Frogs Under the Sea

Literature:
Book: Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae
Book: Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
This is a classic and I highly recommend it for every house with small children.
Book: Sharks by Scholastic Books

Dramatic Play: Underwater Adventure I used a roll of blue tablecloth, Busy Bee artwork, and crepe paoper to decorate the classroom like the ocean. Let them be a fish, and octopus, a shark, an eel, a whale, a squeaky dolphin, a crab, a starfish…

Fine Motor Centers:
Ocean Adventure magnet scene
Let's Go Fishing!
Art: Square Rainbow Fish

I gave each of the children 7 precut squares in varying sizes and colors and encouraged them to create their very own Rainbow Fish.

Math: Sorting seashells by color, shape, and size

Science: Land Animals vs Water Animals Chart

We used the flannel board to sort which animals live in water and which live on land.

Science: Sharks!

We read the shark book and talked about different kinds of sharks. Some are large, but others are small. Some are freshwater sharks. Some sharks have a funny shaped head! I showed them a shark tooth and we looked at pictures of the inside of a shark's mouth. I pointed out the multiple rows/sets of teeth on a shark. We learned that a person who studies sharks is called an Oceanographer.

Practical Life: What do fish need to live? Why can’t we live under water?

Language: adding to our list of P Words

Gross Motor: Crab Walk! How I wish I had taken a photo of this one....it was hysterical. Of course, they would probably say the same thing about me, since I demonstrated how to crab walk for them and I am certain I looked ridiculous. I set up some sea shells and encouraged the children to crab walk around each of the shells and back to their seat. Soooo funny. My favorite part was when Claire told me she can't crab walk because "fishes don't have arms, Mrs Meg! That's so silly!" I'll remember to have a photo of a crab to show the children next time. Too cute.

Music and Movement: Aquatic Songs
A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea
Slippery Fish
Tiny Turtle Tim
Baby Shark
Down by the Bay

Snack: ocean blue jell-o, gold fish pretzels and cheddar whales

Sensory: Magic Beans!
I bought a pack of those water-soluble capsules that have the tiny sponges in them. The children picked out capsules, looked at the photo on the package, and guessed which type of sea creature their capsule would be. They had to wait a few minutes and massage the capsules in their hands to get them to dissolve, but it was worth the wait. I did this activity during transportation week and they loved it. No surprise that it was a big hit again!



Boo. Under the Sea week usually means the school year is almost over.
I am going to miss them.

With a cluck cluck here and a cluck cluck there...

L-R: Penny, Goldilicious, Eleanor, Scoutie and Nugget

Thanks to all of our friends that donated scrap wood, trim, tar paper, and roof shingles to make this project VERY inexpensive. Do you love it more knowing it is made mostly from recycled materials? I do. I only ended up purchasing the hardware (it is not easy to make a coop predator proof, btw), wire mesh, some 2x4s and 3 sheets of OSB.

the nesting box opens from the outside for easy daily access to the eggs.

Details:

I reused some old closet hardware as hangers for the feed and water, but soon realized that the hens were using the hooks to roost on at night. I moved the water, and cut the old closet rod to make a roost inside the coop. They love it even more than their outdoor roost. I also added a barrier to the front of the nesting box to help keep the shavings in there and out of the water dish.

Reese helped me paint. Cute, right?

Yeah, our hens are totally spoiled. We love them. Hopefully, they'll be grateful and give us eggs in about 11-12 weeks!