Preschool Week 17 (February 1-6)

Our theme this week was Families.

• We began talking about love “Putting another person’s needs and wants ahead of my own.”
• We listened to the CD from www.BriteMusic.com on this topic. It was OK, but I was just a little bit uncomfortable with a couple of things in it. In the story, the kids drew pictures of something that showed love. One drew a picture of the earth. Then they talked about loving the earth and taking care of it. And I think that is good – God created the earth and gave man dominion over it to care for it and we should be good stewards of it. But we should also be cautious not to worship the earth or elevate it to the same level (or above) its Creator. Another conversation and song on the CD was about several kids who said they didn’t live with their dad. I am well aware that that is a reality for many kids today. And a sad reality, at that. But I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to introduce that idea to my children at this age. In our family, marriage is a lifelong covenant before God and divorce is not an option.
• We learned 1 John 4:7a “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
• We began learning the song “A Christian Home” (same tune as “Be Still My Soul.”  One time, while singing it to Jeffrey before bedtime, he was talking.  When I listened closely, I realized that he was repeating the words after me!

Our book list included:

• Big Sister and Little Sister, by Charlotte Zolotow – Big sister watches out for little sister wherever they go and whatever they do. But one day, little sister decides she doesn’t want to be told what to do anymore, so she slips away and hides in a field. Big sister looks everywhere, to no avail. Finally she sits down, crying, and little sister feels sorry for the trouble she has caused. After that, big sister and little sister take care of each other.
• Rachel and Obadiah, by Brinton Turkle – Set in Nantucket Island in a Quaker community, two siblings compete for the chance to run with the news that a ship is coming in. Obadiah is older, but like the cocky hare, thinks he has plenty of time to beat his little sister Rachel. But he dawdles too long, and Rachel wins the race. This was a favorite. And served as an object lesson about dawdling too.
• Ten, Nine, Eight, by Molly Bang – A counting backwards book about a little girl getting ready for bed.
• When I was Young in the Mountains, by Cynthia Rylant – A girl reflects on what it was like growing up in the mountains. Another favorite.
• Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, by Tomie dePaola—a little boy has a grandmother (Nana Downstairs) and a bed-ridden great-grandmother (Nana Upstairs whom he goes to see every Sunday. A good book about the love between a young boy and his grandmothers. Almost a tear-jerker, though, as Nana Upstairs dies and the little boy deals with death.

Activities this week:

On Friday, when we usually have a breakfast supper, we made biscuits.  Since we were talking about love, I got out the heart shaped cookie cutter to make heart biscuits.  Then I also made cross-shaped cookies – because the cross is another symbol of love : the love that Jesus has for us, so much that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

On Saturday, Ronnie replaced the front brakes on the car.  It turned into an all day job, but the weather was sunny and mild, so the kids got to play outside for a long time and watch Daddy work (while Mommy had a chance to work on digital scrapbooking for the month of January).  After lunch, Travis and Heather went to the parts store with Daddy and also got to go play at the park for a long time too.

After a while, they lost interest in the brake job and went off to play….

At lunch on Saturday, Travis wanted a “whole” banana.  Ronnie started playing around with words and asked if he wanted a “hole” in his banana.  One thing led to another and the next thing you know…. the banana has a face!

 

Then on Sunday night when we were eating hard-boiled eggs, Ronnie peeled one and found a face on his egg!  (No, he didn’t make this one, it was already there when he opened it up!)

A few weeks ago, I found some matching warm, fuzzy, footed pajamas for Travis and Jeffrey.  On clearance for only $5 each!  I love a good deal!!