FB Month 29 - Day 5

We continue to sing the ABC song lots - Hannah especially loves to sing this to her heart's content. I decided that as Hannah now sings this beautifully we would do something different - so as we walked up to school this morning I said that when I said a particular letter I would chase them! This meant that they had to listen really carefully. James got this straight away. He then asked to have a go and being the little boy who loves to be chased he said A. I think we will play this again. I also put on the Jolly Phonics Utube which sings a tune to all the phonics sounds - she loved this. I need to try and remember the tunes!

Hannah listened to the Three Tenors today on Utube while I did the washing up. I t was SO funny because I started tuning into what she was doing and she was singing along in a kind of opera voice! I must try and get a video of this is she does it again.

We have meant to be learning to count to 5 in Spanish but I have neglected this - I think I do not trust my pronunciation! I managed to find a Utube that showed how to same the numbers in a child way so i will think we wil use this in future until I and Hannah have learned them. Today's tune was Jimmy Crack Corn and it has really made me laugh how much she has sung this - she LOVES it. I am not sure of the words but I don't think she gets them - I think she just loves the tune :-)

Untitled, a photo by emmajroy on Flickr.

For colouring time the guide said to draw a Q and P - once again Hannah was not interested but she did like to colour  over it with a highlighter. I loved the way Hannah naturally then led the table time. She decided she wanted to use the glue - so I cut up the pieces and she then stuck them on. She would say "I need a white or I need a pink" and then do glue circles. To check that they were stuck she would lift the paper! After this I drew some faces on the white ones and we chatted about the the different faces and what they looked like - sad, happy, angry etc. Hannah had a go at cutting herself but still finds this difficult. In our reading we had read Harold and Purple Crayon (twice at Hannah's request). I had some purple coloring pens ready for her to draw a picture but she chose not to.

While we were doing this we listened to the Blues. Hannah then decided she wanted to be a ballerina and dance. Thankfully I was able to record this because it was the sweetest and funniest thing ever!

In the evening I put out some bowls of different foods - crisps, sweets, tomatoes and an orange. We then had a chat about what was healthy and what was not healthy. Daddy then pretended to be My Unhealthy and Mummy pretended to be Mrs Healthy and Hannah had to choose who to give each bowl to. This was too hard but it was fun seeing Daddy pretending to be unhealthy with sore teeth, a fat tummy and feeling sad and tired.

Daddy being Mr Unhealthy!, a photo by emmajroy on Flickr.

Nature Walk Week 11

Hannah and I went for our nature walk this morning. Hannah's favourite way to go home is via the waterfall. Before we got there she immediately said "let's look for sticks". So we had a good hunt and found a few great sticks. I used the opportunity to say "I've a got a long stick and you have a short stick, would you like the long one?" or "Who has the shortest stick?" She does not yet know this concept but I thought it would be good way to introduce her to the words long and short. We were able to find a lot of Y sticks (as in We're Going on a bear hunt) - I did not realise that this was a common shape! It makes sense when you think about it but this was the first time I had really noticed :-) Thank you Charlotte Mason. We spent a little time throwing sticks in and watching whether they got stuck or went over the edge of the waterfall.

After a little while Hannah stood still and said to me SO seriously " I know, I have got an idea!" I said "what is it?" to which she responded "come,come!" She held my hand and we ran all the way down the hill by the stream with her laughingly shouting "faster, faster"  - a beautiful moment until she fell! I said we could slow down and she said "No, let's run again!" We then got to her idea - the little area where we can get so close to the stream. It was then time to throw some more sticks - great for throwing practice! She threw one in and said it was "stuck" but was so pleased when the next one was able to move down the stream. She said "what's that" and pointed to another drop in the stream (probably to do with the old mill) but sadly that is the area of someone's property. We then had a look at the little waterfalls we could see. I am still amazed we live somewhere so beautiful.

She then got excited and ran to the double white chestnut area. We had a good time playing hide and seek - I think she is beginning to get the concept of taking turns an actually hiding and looking! We then met a lady called Lucy who works at the school  - she has a dog called Finley who is a Border Terrier - that is the third we now know in the village! Hannah did some incredible climbing onto the wall to see the dog - her balance is amazing. We then played Owls - we had played this before but Hannah clearly understood the roles now. I wonder what I looked like, standing there with my hands raised saying, "I want my mummy" several times. Hannah then swooped towards me with her arms raised hands and gave me a bug hug.

We then went on to the little daffodil hill - I must take a picture! It is a little area which was betrothed to the people of Lindale forever and it currently has loads of daffodils. This is where Hannah can touch a "berry" tree - (I must work out what it is) and today she took a berry off and held it in her hand and said "Birds' Here you are!" and she waited patiently. She came over to me and said "The birds didn't come" - she was SO sad; I think I need to read Play with Me with her. I encouraged her to smell the daffodils and when she did she said "Yum!" I was getting tired at this point - her stamina is greater than mine ad it confirms my need to get fitter. Hannah then said would you like to sit on the big bench - there is a lower smaller one and a larger higher one (it shows me she knows there is a big and small). There was a little more hide and seek and I managed to persuade it was time to go home!

On the way I asked her where the Octagon Stop sign was - we got near and she said "oh I can only see the back!" - she then worked out that we had to walk around to see the front. She had a look at the little blue flowers and with a few distractions (if that is what they are) including going round the roundabout sign and getting dizzy we got home. A wonderful walk!

The Frog

On the way to school Hannah saw the porcelain frog on one of the gradens. We pass this EVERY day and it has been fed old snails shells etc and generally loved. Today she said "oh I think that frog is now an old frog" I am really not sure why she said this - but I live the fact that she thinks it is ageing.

Owl Babies

Today on the way home Hannah and I pretended to be Owl Babies. I was Percy and had to say "I want my Mummy", Hannah who was the Mummy Owl then ran to me. I picked her up and swung her round. It was such fun!

Drying the Dishes

I was just finishing the dishes before we left for school. Hannah was playing up and it suddenly dawned on me to get her to help. So I sat her down and gave her a tea towel and some items I needed drying and she got on with the task. In fact she loved it. Then James joined in - he was so enthusiastic! I love the fact that I got a little video of it! I love these spontaneous moments - education is definitely, in part, the atmosphere of the home.