October 2011 Archives

Preschool Lesson: Halloween 1:1

By Autumn on October 31, 2011 3:04 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Being a parent takes up a lot of time and we squeeze in those quality moments. Like frosting cupcakes for school together and decorating for our class party with streamers and cobwebs, spiders, and balloons.

I learned an important lesson from my own mother about how magical holidays can be for little children. How they can thrill at the small things we do. The decorations may look shabby to me and the cupcakes taste over sweet, but to River they all equal excitement. So we go through the motions even if my head hurts and I'm exhausted STILL from dealing with Sage's croup.

I watch their eyes get big with wonder. I see River's pride at a job well done and his anticipation to sink his teeth into gooey cupcakes. I let him lick the spatula covered in sickly, orange frosting because I remember cleaning the things my mother mixed with when I was a child. I even let the baby take a small spoonful. She wears a smeared patch on her cheek the better part of an hour before I notice it.

I had more children to please than my own. I had my small group of students to celebrate with the next day.

When we sang hello, we sang as what we dressed up as and they were thrilled.

"Hello, Tiger/Captain America/Skeleton/Spider. Hello, Tiger/Captain America/Skeleton/Spider! Hello, Tiger/Captain America/Skeleton/Spider! We're so glad you came today! Hey!"

I hope I was able to add a bit of something special to their holiday memories.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Halloween Lesson

Friday, October 28th

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days with popsicles sticks

-Review schedule for the day

-Introduce topic--Halloween!

Read: Empty Spooky Pants!

2. Bats!

Read: Stella Luna

Sing: Bats are sleeping, Bats are sleeping, Upside down, upside down waiting for the night to come, to fly around, to fly around.

Craft: Bat Headband

3. Math

Count Candy corn

Decorate pumpkin with shapes for eyes, nose, mouth

Connect the Dots pumpkin

4. Game

Monster Freeze (dance to monster mash song and freeze when it stops playing)

5. Stories

Read: What will you be for Halloween?

Read: The Bones of Fred McFee?

6. Show and Tell and Treasure Box

7. Snack--11:00

8. Outside Games/Halloween Party with Moms and Siblings (if possible)

Mummy Race (wrap kid in toilet paper as teams and see who wins or wrap adults)

Pin the tail of the black cat (thanks be to the husband who helped me out here)

Who you going to call? (tubes to make ghost noises, say "1, 2, 3 Ghost!"

Archery at Cyclopes Eye using toy bow and arrow

9. Read: Halloween Mice!, Haunted House, Haunted Mouse and other books to calm children.

Preschool Lesson: Dr. Seuss 2:2

By Autumn on October 28, 2011 3:03 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Dr. Seuss, Lesson Two

~~Wednesday, October 26th~~ Thursday, October 27th

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days with popsicle sticks

-Review schedule for the day

-Review letter H by reading: Horton Hatches an Egg (Have elephant stuffed animal there)

2. Sing:

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly with pictures

Itsy Bitsy Spider

3. Cat Crafts

Read: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back!

Craft: Make a crazy hat for a cat!

Craft: playdough Dr. Seuss animal creation

* The children loved the freedom of creating these two crafts. There was a lot of discussion and their creativity shown.

4. Measuring

Read: The Foot Book

Trace each child's foot and cut out then hang up. Ask who has the biggest foot and who has the smallest?

5. Snack

Read: Green Eggs and Ham

Eat green eggs and ham!

6. Math

Read: Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose

Count how many animals sat of Thidwick's head

Complete math worksheets (one together, one alone)

Letter H sheet for those who finish fast

7. Class Story

Review what an author is. All you need to be an author is a good imagination. Let's try it.

Begin a class story together. Each student comes up with a sentence. Write one per page. Students can them illustrate the story, put it together and listen to the teacher read it.

* The children were so proud of writing a book together. For once they didn't complain about having to draw a picture. There was no, "I don't know how." Instead they took such pride in illustrating the sentence they had come up with to continue to story and when I read it aloud to the class upon completion, their smiles were the best. I will eventually copy each page so each child can have a copy of the class book with their original artwork in their copy.

8. Summary/Conclusion

Class puzzle to see what we are doing tomorrow.

Homework handout--find things that stay with H and show and tell reminder

Preschool Lesson: Dr. Seuss 1:2

By Autumn on October 27, 2011 3:01 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

*This was a fun lesson to do, only there was a lot of reading and with my cold, my throat was killing me by the end! I am amazed at how different it is to teach this year. The boys are much better about raising their hands, listening and following directions. I love getting to know their strengths and their weaknesses. I try to teach to that and give each child what they need. It's a great experience to be able to focus on teaching just four children and to use my creativity to come up with things to do with them.

Dr. Seuss, Lesson One

~~Monday, October 24th~~ Wednesday, October 26th (Thanks to sick!)

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days with popsicle sticks

-Review schedule for the day

-Review letters (B, A, G, F, S, and D)

Have letters written on the board. Review what is what, big/capital and little/lowercase and sounds

Say letter and toss ball to student. When they get the ball they must make the sound.

-Introduce letter of the week (H) by making sound.

"Does anyone know what letter that is?" Open the mystery bag and look at letter. Talk about what it looks like, what words start with it, and what special holiday starts with that letter this month.

-Introduce Topic, Dr. Seuss

"This week we are going to learn about Dr. Seuss!"

"Do you know who he is?"

"Dr. Seuss is an author. An author is someone who writes books. An illustrator is someone who draws the pictures in books. Dr. Seuss did both."

Show children a picture of Dr. Seuss.

"Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?"

2. The Cat In The Hat (Rhyming Words)

Read: The Cat In The Hat

Discuss some of the rhyming words in the book. See if the students can finish some the sentences when you repeat them.

Craft: cut and paste rhyming word pictures onto giant cat in the hat, hat.

3. Music

Sing: If you're happy and you know it

Game: Balancing like the cat in the hat. Try to get the children to balance in different ways.

4. Tongue Twisters

Put on weird socks for this book!

Read: Fox in Socks

Let children try one of the tongue twisters

5. Snack

6. Science

Read: Scrambled Eggs Super

Science: Salt and Sugar Water

Tell children, "Now we are going to try to make a tasty drink. Just like the boy in the book tried to make the best omelet by using different eggs"

Give each child two cups filled with warm water, a spoon, a small bit of sugar and a small bit of salt.

Have them try the water in both cups.

Let them dump salt in one cup and stir. Ask, "Where did the salt go?"

Let them try the water. Do they like the taste? What happens if they add more salt? Does it taste better or worse? What if they add a bit of food coloring?

Repeat with sugar.

Ask, which drink is better?

7. Writing

Read: Dr. Suess's ABC

Review the "H" page.

Writing: Practice writing the Letter "H" at the table.

~~Students who finish get to make a weird dr. Seuss animal out of play dough. Let them add plastic eyes. Let each student name and share what there animal is like at the end.~~ No Time!

8. Summary/Conclusion

Pass out JellyBeans for the following review.

"What did the cat and the hat do that was naughty?"

"What happened when we added the salt and the sugar to the water?"

"What sound does H make?"

"What is an author?"

Read: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?

Explain and hand out homework

Practice writing more letter H/h

Wednesday: read Moloka'i

By Autumn on October 26, 2011 8:35 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

This was the third book for my book club. It was about lepers who lived on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai at the turn on the century. At this time, leprosy was not understood and greatly feared. People were hunted down and forcefully taken away from their families. Eventually this disfiguring sickness was fatal.

The novel is about a little girl who has leprosy and the way her life was shaped by her sickness.

I learned so much about the history of Hawaii and Molokai. It was intriguing. If you are as ignorant as I was about this little sliver of history, I suggest you read this book.

The never ending sick

By Autumn on October 25, 2011 4:17 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

So after my thrush was on the mend, Jason got the flu and after he got over the flu we had a few free days until Sage got hit with the croup.

It began Saturday when she was making this weird barking cough. It sounded like a sea lion was hiding in corners and making a racket now and then. Isn't that weird, we all thought. But she was fine. Still running about. Still climbing the steps at the local playground and smiling as she went down the slide. Maybe a bit less of a appetite. Jason said the night before she had been snoring quite a bit. I hadn't noticed.

Saturday night she could not sleep. She had noisy breathing and congestion. She also was running a fever. None of this is new around these parts. So I tried our old tricks--humidifier, boosting her up on pillows, and then in her old infant car seat. At 1:00 I gave her Motrin and came out to the computer to google 'barking cough'. I got a couple helpful sites about croup--one with an audio clip. I tried the hot steamy shower trick and that helped her breathing. I then returned us both to bed and awoke at 4:00 to her coughing fit and gasps for breath. Between sharp whistling breaths and her attempts to cry without much air, she was whispering "Mama! Mama! Mama!" I knew something was very wrong. I ran with her to the bathroom and turned the water to hot. Since it would take awhile to produce steam, I ran outside with her as cold air was supposed to help with the inflammation of her airways brought on by the respiratory virus that was causing her croup. When that didn't seem to do much of anything, I ran back into the bathroom and waited till her breathing eased. I also didn't want her to wake River when I went to get Jason--who had fallen asleep in River's bed at some point when he was getting River back to sleep in the night.

Her breathing was still awful. He entire chest collapsing to try to force in air and the sound was like nothing I had ever heard except maybe when a friend was in the middle of an asthma attack. So I went to get Jason not caring if River woke up. I quickly shook his shoulder and ran back into the bathroom and its billows of steam. He staggered in and I said,

"I think we need to take Sage to the hospital."

"Really?" He was so confused. Completely ignorant of the insanely bad night Sage and I were having.

We decided to call our insurance first and speak to the on call doctor who listened to Sage's breathing over the phone. The doctor told me, "I am going to advise you to call 911"

And hearing that... Hearing that someone wanted to me to call an ambulance gave me such a feeling of fright, I spent the next few minutes on the phone trying not to burst into tears. It didn't matter that I awoke at 4:00 knowing I needed to get her to the hospital and wondering how I'd drive her but not leave her alone in the backseat (I really didn't want to wake River). I doubted myself. Wondered if I was overreacting. So when a medical professional told me my daughter was in trouble, I felt like she had punched me in the gut. But I didn't cry and quickly smothered my panic. I hung up the phone and I called 911. I told the 911 operator that Sage had croup and strider. Then I shot out orders of what to get packed while we waited for the EMTs to arrive. Jason would toss in socks for us and then pants for me and then my bag with a book in it. I was just sitting to go pee when the EMTs arrived and I quickly pulled up my pants. Sage's oxygen saturation was great and I was trying to get her to take oxygen as we walked out to the ambulance. I laid on the gurney with her on top of me and they strapped us in. On the way there we did a saline nebulizer treatment and the EMT in the back with us called in Sage's information. I joked about the poor guys having to lift 140 pounds instead of just a mere 20 or so when they wheeled us down into the hospital.

Once there and in a room Sage got another nebulizer treatment with medication to punch open her airways. But the medication causes rebounds (makes it worse) after a couple hours and the steroids she was given had not yet kicked in, so she got another neb treatment when her breathing worsened again. I sat in that hospital bed with her sleeping on me until the morning and then kept her amused till around noon when we were released. I was so thankful the diaper bag had graham crackers. I also am thankful to the two doctors that tended Sage at GBMC. They both had great bedside manner and were kind and understanding, took the time to talk to me, and one even held SAge in her arms so I could finally go to the bathroom.

The next night, Jason took the first watch and held Sage until midnight. She could not breath if she was laid down. I took the second watch, did two steam treatments and got her through to the morning when we went to the doctor for a follow-up, did two more neb treatments and a shot of steroids.

Now she has a normal cough and can sleep laying down.

But that had to be one of the scariest moments in my life. Even that second night when I was debating a ER trip again was scary. I would calm her breathing with steam, nod off for thirty minutes and awake with her struggling to breathe. I'd shift her around to try to get her in a position for better airflow and sit their listening to her, feeling her chest work and at one point her nostrils flare. It was so close to morning and croup is worse at night. We barely made it, but we did.

And now we all have colds.

New York travels and the final year of twenty

By Autumn on October 21, 2011 7:29 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

I suppose this has been delayed enough that I can once again kick the cats off their assigned day and write something a bit more substantial--as in the ending of another year on earth. Like so much else in my current life, any and all mention of my birthday got plowed under all the mom stuff I do each day. Yes, even here is "my space" on the internet.

On October 10th I turned twenty-nine. Which makes me flip flop my memory back to nineteen. I'd been in college a bit longer than a month, I was a couple weeks away from meeting Jason for the first time and my twenties loomed before me with so much mysterious unknown adulthood-ness.

a newly nineteen me

In my twenties I would complete my bachelors and masters degrees, elope, start a business with my husband, give birth to
River, meet a slew of new friends near and dear to my twenty something heartstrings, become published a modest number of times, loose my brother in a car accident, give birth to Sage and write all this with some very tired eyes.

Even though the amount of life changes and growth between the ages of 10 and 20 span the same number of years as those between 20 and 30, I am much more baffled by the latter. Nineteen year old Autumn could only dream what I know today. And here I am with the mystery of those ten years unraveled in my hands. I wonder what ten more will bring?!

For my birthday, we traveled to New York so I could be with my mother. This year I didn't have a new baby and I was more than aware that barely a month prior, my mother had celebrated (for the second time) my brother's would-have-been-birthday at his death spot. My birthday lost some shine. Not to belittle what I have, because I am hugely blessed--but a bit of birthday glow is worn off when I think, well here I am another another year older than my brother. His time frozen at twenty-five and instead of being two years older (as I always was) here I am twenty-nine. Four years older. How the fuck did that happen?

I could feel that knowledge, slung between my mother and I, over the entire birthday. Because, regardless of Bryan and I being separate people--siblings go hand and hand in some things. The steady march of age difference, for one. The way it was his birthday in September and then mine soon after. The countless string of memories that have since diverged into him dead and me, not.

And so, I didn't have the same birthday thrill as last year when I organized a birthday dinner and invited people to come along. A glow fed by my joy and pride at another baby in arms that I had grown and pushed painfully into the world. That triumphant high is long lasting indeed.

This year I wanted whatever would come, to come to me. My days are always planned, rushed, me in charge hauling children here and there and I just didn't want to have to think about my own birthday.

So, I didn't.

Instead, there was lunch on the Hudson with family and a nap with the baby and a walk in the woods with Jason. Then cake and pie. Simple, which was fine. The only birthday photo of me I'm sweaty and tired, with a pouting canker sore infested lower lip that River snapped of me before taking ten thousand photos of the cupcakes he couldn't wait to consume.

I felt loved and that is the point, isn't it? Blessed with another year. (So many, O' Bryan why not you?, are not so blessed).

Older, wiser in the ways of this world. In loss and without and moving on. Old enough to know it isn't always rose colored, but still trying to see the places that are dipped in that warm glow despite the soured edges.

Ten years ago, I was so young and ten years from now,

I know,

I'll think the same damn thing.

Happy, belated, birthday--to me.

While Daddy's away...

By Autumn on October 20, 2011 9:24 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Jason spent the weekend at the New York City Comic Con and so,

1. He owns me big time

2. I don't know how single moms do it.

3. The only added plus was I didn't have to wait for him to be ready to go out!

Friday night, as I'm making dinner way early to avoid before bed meltdowns and drama, I hear happy sounds coming from Sage. I peek around the doorway to see what's going on and find this.

I've heard the story about how Jason created a ladder out of the drawers of his mother's dresser and climbed to the top. I blame her step building ingenuity on her father.

She was quite pleased with herself.

Saturday morning River woke me before 6:00 because he was sleeping with his feet jammed under my pillow and his head twisted down where his feet ought to be. I don't understand the hows or whys but it was mighty uncomfortable trying to sleep atop bony little boy legs. When I tried to move him, he woke up and in the midst of his wiggling, he slapped my corroded mouth and I had to get him up to wash his hand. This woke Sage. So everything happened--very--early Saturday. After breakfast the children were running laps and tearing the place up.

I took us on a quick, chill morning walk with a playground stop before Sage's nap.

I debated the wisdom of our after lunch plans. We'd been invited to a fall festival all the way out on the dairy farm that delivers us our organic, local milk and farm fresh eggs. It was over an hour away and I wondered how I'd take it on my antibiotics. The ones that come with a nifty sticker that tells me to stay the hell out of direct sunlight. I did some quick research as to the why of it and slathered on some sunblock. I figured however grueling might be the travels, it was better than being bored at home all afternoon.

The drive west of Baltimore was quite pleasant. Trees just beginning to change color along the highway and blue skies after days and days of rain. Blue skies...sun. After awhile my eyes began to sting and everywhere the sun touched me coming in the car window felt like a slow burn on my skin. Soon my head started pounding so I downed a few advil and kept on.

The farm was set in a little fold of land- gentle hills rolling off and faded to blue. It reminded me a bit of New York. Directed up a dirt road, my car wheels stuck in the mud, spun and took us over the plowed remains of corn--where we parked. Then toting the baby on my back we walked down through a path lined with tractors.

A gust of wind and he was saying, "Hurry Mamas, get me off of here before the wind blows me away!" We walked further down and met some of the cows that so kindly give us our milk on there way to be milked.

And then River saw the cow spot splotched playground. The tubes, tunnels, and slides. The mound of gravel surrounded by toy bulldozers and dump trucks. Now, I'm not sure how the animal loving skipped my son, but Sage has it. Every time she spied a new animal she would get excited and point. I insisted we check out the calf barn first, which also contained some adorable pigs. River didn't want to touch any of the animals. He just kept asking, 'Can I go play yet?' Sage wanted to take a flying leap off my back and get covered in cow shit.

Sage has been playing with farm animal toys at home and the last couple days she's been holding a cow and going "MMMMM" and then giving me her demanding look until I go, "Moo". When this calf mooed, Sage looked like someone had given her, her heart's desire and then she tried to eat his food.

But that little cow incident came during out second visit to the calf barn when I was looking for any way to keep Sage happy without letting her walk barefoot through questionable mud that probably contained feces. Because you see, we went to the playground. I took Sage off my back and saw she only had one shoe.

I collected River with minimal fuss and only the start of tears and hauled ass retracing our steps back to the car. No shoe. I asked customer service. No shoe. I went in the farm store. No shoe. I gave my name and number. No call. No shoe. Shoeless on one foot and most everything wet and muddy and possibly poop contaminated. Plus, it was chilly.

By now I'm hot and annoyed and still aching in the head. My lips are starting to hurt and I'm blotting yellow discharge and blood from them. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty and no shoe. I try to find shade where there is grass by the playground. There is only mud, so I park my ass on the grass and put Sage down there barefoot, but she wants her socks. So I put on her socks and try to keep her out of mud and poop. All the while my newly given vampire skin sizzles in the sun's direct light.

I was not amused.

After what I deemed to be enough parental torture, I gathered a dusty River from the gravel and we went to get some expensive ice cream made from the cows who like to poop all over, themselves. But their ice cream is good. With three separate one scoop bowls and three separate spoons (to avoid any plague swapping) we parked it on the hill outside the calf barn and Sage went berserk pointing and screaming at the thing she could see.

"A chicken!," I told her and then she'd eat a spoonful of ice cream, point, talk in baby tongues and wait for me to say again, "Yes, a chicken!" I guess she really is a little bit mine too.

After a bit more play to make the long trip worthwhile even with the ouch head, the burning skin, the corroded zombie lip and the missing SHOE, we headed into the store and I bought a gallon of milk-- comforting myself with the thought that at least I wouldn't have to pay a delivery fee for next weeks milk.

But I do need to buy Sage a new pair of shoes.

Wednesday: read Mother of Pearl

By Autumn on October 19, 2011 7:21 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

This novel is set in the south during the 1950's and knits the lives of several diverse characters: a half brother and sister unaware of their shared father, a magic woman, a couple of black men, a crazy boy, and a lesbian couple. It sounds insane, I know, but Haynes is a great writer. There is a lot going on in this book. A message about the foolishness of racism, the power of compassion beyond skin color, the role of mothers, and how love and ugly can get all wrapped up and tangled into one brutal force.

I enjoyed Haynes writing so much that I went and found this one after discovering another book of hers for free at the Baltimore Book Thing.

This here book is good drama, for sure. Thy God. It is so.

See there I am being haunted by the character, Canaan, long after the book is read.

There is a music to her words.

Listen~

The epic battle against thrush continues

By Autumn on October 18, 2011 9:10 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

I always suffer from a post travel lag. Overwhelmed by playing catch up on chores and errands, impatient with the mental adjustments of being back home, zapped by the withdrawal of the excitement of going, seeing, doing...

I've been a bitch mom this week. Flying off the handle. Throwing a handful of blocks at the wall and growling. Tired of the mess, the whining, the needy children hanging all over me. I know this happens. I hit a wall. I can't deal. I'm super stressed to the point that any little thing sets me back two steps from the happy calm I'm trying to recapture.

It didn't help that I went and got a bacterial super infection. Or at least that is what the doctor at the urgent care thought it could be. It started as two canker sores made from me biting my lower lip. They kept trying to heal up, but being swollen, I kept biting them. They merged into one massive canker sore that gave me a lot of pain during our travels. What else is new? I've been dealing with pain like this off and on since I was nine. But then I noticed that it was beginning to crust and spread out onto my lip. Weird but not too weird. Only when I wiped at the crust with a warm, damp cloth--it came away bloody. Like thursh.....

[Insert madwoman wailing here]

I am on the same thrush fighting rinse as Sage only it burns like hell when I use it which probably means there is some other bacteria in there and the antibiotics the doctor prescribed are for that. Sage likes her meds so it must not burn her mouth.

On Sunday night, I realized I had been taking half doses on the antibiotics--short changing myself two pills a day. So, I took two before bed and all was well until I woke at 5:00am with tremors, insane hunger, and sweats. I stumbled out of bed to eat huge spoonfuls of peanut butter and yogurt. Slowly, the tremors subsided and then I was hit with debilitating fatigue so bad I barely made it to the couch where I lay exhausted, head pounding and trying not to puke.

I thought, low blood sugar? I had cut all sugars and carbs the day before to fight the thrush but I had still been eating...

Pregnancy?! It sure felt like pregnancy. But how?

When River awoke I had to beg him to move off me and get Jason for help. Before going back to sleep, I learned that these are all medium range BAD symtoms of the anitbiotic I was on. I stopped taking it and emailed my primary doctor who told me I did the right thing and never should had been given it my the urgent care doctor in the first place.

Antibiotics cause thrush and make curing it a hard battle uphill.

I spent midday napping again with another pounding headache but now, finally--the drugs have left my system and the thrush is truly on the mend.

It's been a hellish couple months fighting yeast around these here parts.

Preschool Lesson: Safety 3:3

By Autumn on October 17, 2011 2:10 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

*The boys were much better today and, surprisingly, enjoyed the craft the best. They loved gluing on the shapes to make Jack jump over or get burned by the candlestick. I think this is because stories worked into activities light a fire to their imaginations. I used the same thing in math when I used blocks to make verbal stories of word problems that included them. They were intrigued to see what I would come up with next! I included a video of snack time when I remembered the camera existed and took a moment from organizing for the second half of the lesson, to take this short clip.

Safety, Lesson Three

Friday, October 14th

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days

-Review schedule for the day

-Introduce topic--fire safety

2. Fire Safety

· Read, Safe Kids Fire Safety

· Sing/Game--Stop drop and roll to tune of Frere Jacques

o "If my clothes should catch on fire, I'll stop drop and roll. Stop drop and roll. I'll put out the fire. I'll put out the fire. I won't burn. I won't burn."

· Fire Alarm--Show students fire alarm and share fire alarm poem

· Fire escape plan (draw on dry erase board and discuss)

· Pretend Fire--Have students pretend to be sleeping when alarm goes off. Practice feeling door and crawling under smoke to safety using our plan.

· Read, Arthur's Fire Drill

3. Craft/Writing

· Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick craft (shapes to make Jack)

· Practice letter S

4. Snack

5. Storytime

· Read, Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home

· Read, George and the Fire Station

6. Science

· What fire needs. Light a candel and then cover it with a glass jar. Discuss what happens.

7. Journal

· What learned this week.

8. Conclusion

· Review what learned and share journals with class

· Show and Tell for week

· Homework--make an escape plan and map for your house

Preschool Lesson: Safety 2:3

By Autumn on October 14, 2011 9:41 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

* The little boys were wired today. I blame the days of rain and no time to run off their endless energy. Mix that with my feeling down from now having A SUPER BACTERIAL INFECTION in my mouth, and I'm not sure how I had the energy to get through the morning. Not to mention the grocery run later for bare essentials to see us through a weekend without Daddy. By days end I was puddled on the floor and weepy while waiting for Jason to get home. Now armed with antibiotics and medication for thrush (yes now I have it IN MY MOUTH), I hope to be able to make it through 48 hours or so of single parenting it. Without further ado, here is the lesson I taught on Thursday.

Safety, Lesson Two

Thursday, October 13th

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days

-Review schedule for the day

-Review letter S (build S with a puzzle) and topic

· Read, Safe Kids, Safety at Home

· Review ways to be safe at home

2. In Case of Emergencies

· Have buttons like a phone on the dry erase board.

· Ask, "What do you do if the adult who is watching you gets hurt and can't get help?"

· Explain calling 911.

· Practice calling 911 on play cellphone and talking to dispatcher.

· Use homework assignment of where you live.

· "Since we were just talking about numbers, let's go do some math!"

3. Math

· Review numbers by counting 1-10

· Count some real objects and add.

o Use terms "Add and what is the sum?"

· Complete a math worksheet

4. Songs and Music

· How many fingers do we have?

· Sing "Where is Thumbkin" using book

· Dance to The Hokkie Pokkie

5. Stranger Danger

· Read and/or watch Little Red Riding Hood

· Talk about stranger danger, bad guys and good guys and how you can't tell the two apart.

· Role Play a bad stranger and a good stranger

· Read, The Long Journey Home.

o What should you do if you get lost? (call 911, find a police officer, talk to another mom, but never go anywhere alone with anyone. Most importantly, stay by mom or dad!)

6. Snack

7. Storytime

· Read, The Foolish Tortoise with stuffed tortoise

o How was he unsafe?

o Sometimes people will tell you to try something, even if you know it's against a rule and not safe. You should listen to what your head tells you is right.

8. Writing/Craft

· Make Superhero S craft

· Writing sheet for letter S

9. Summary/Conclusion

· Read, I can be Safe.

· Review with jellybeans what talked about today.

· Homework handout--letter S and cutting at bottom and show and tell reminder

· *If extra time--watch Officer Buckle and Gloria then discuss!

Preschool Lesson: Safety 1:3

By Autumn on October 13, 2011 8:11 AM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

I sat down two weekends ago with a stack of books from the library thinking there was no possible way I could teach three lessons on safety. After hours of planning, brainstorming, and internet hunts--I was able to do it! This lesson went over quite well with the little boys yesterday. I'm looking forward to teaching the next two. I then have a week off before I teach about Dr. Seuss and throw a Halloween party.

I'm finding homeschooling takes a lot of time on my part but is so very worth it.

Safety, Lesson One

Wednesday, October 12th

1. Circle Time

-Hello Song

-Calendar (count days)

-Calendar (Season)

-Weather

-Count days (discuss phase ten)

-Review schedule for the day

-Review letters (B, A, G, F)

· Have letters written on the board. Review what is what, big/capital and little/lowercase and sounds

· Say letter and toss ball to student. When they get the ball they must make the sound.

-Introduce letter of the week (S) by making sound.

· "Does anyone know what letter that is?" Open the mystery bag and look at letter. Talk about what it looks like, what words start with it, and what animal it reminds you of (snake) and how that helps you remember.

-Introduce Topic, Safety

· "This week we are going Safety. Ssssafty. What letter does that start with?"

· "What does 'safety mean'?"

· "How can we be safe at home?" (brainstorm ideas)

2. Being Safe at Home

· Read the book Watch out! At Home

· Talk about, "Mr. Icky Face" (poison control stickers) and have a group of different household items "dishwasher detergent, medicine, vitamins, juice, water bottle" and have children stick the "Mr. Icky Face" stickers on the things that are poisonous.

· Read, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

o "Were these monkeys being safe?" Why or why not?

· Sing and Jump to "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

· Talk about rhyming words in the book

· Look at what time it is. Introduce Craft.

3. Craft/Writing

· Review shapes using shape blocks

· Have children find shapes and write and/or trace letters "B, A, G, S" and then paste them to paper bags. (ie: triangle for letter b, and circle for letter A)

· Help children sound out the word "Bags".

· Have children take bags and go on "hunt" for things that starts with the letters on the bags. Might want to put items out on the floor to hunt through so options are not limitless. (ie: balls for B, apples for A, grapes for G, and snacks for S)

4. Snack

5. Safety in the car

· Read book, Safety in the Car

· Have children pretend to get in a car using pillows for seats. What do we do first? What do we do second?

· Sing, "The Wheels on the Bus".

6. Listening

· "Do you know the most important way to be safe?"

· Talk to students about listening. About how it is a grown-ups job to protect children and keep them safe. That's why we make rules like holding hands to cross the street.

· Talk about how even though we know the rules, sometimes we are naughty.

· Read, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

o "How was Peter Naughty?"

o "What happened because he didn't listen to his mommy?"

· "Let's see if you can listen in this song?"

o Sing "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" using books first.

· Read, Three Little Kittens

7. Summary/Conclusion

· Pass out JellyBeans for the following review.

o "What did you learn about today?"

o "What letter does Safty start with?"

o "How can we be safe at home?"

o "How can we be safe in the car?"

o "What's the most important thing about staying safe?"

· Read Staying Safe at Home

· Explain and hand out homework

Where I live. What my phone number is.

Wednesday: read The Inheritance

By Autumn on October 12, 2011 7:22 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Robin Hobb doing what she does best with a collect of short stories that didn't let me down (not even a bit). Each was as satisfying as a five course meal at a fancy restaurant. She just has that way of building characters and making you feel it in your gut and she can do it just as well in a short story as a novel.

I love this woman.

Feline Friday: how about them goats?

By Autumn on October 7, 2011 10:08 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Yes, goats aren't cats, but I've always wanted a few as pets. One day when we own a home, I'd love to keep chickens and goats. Chickens, of course, give us eggs but also--who can be sad when looking at a dumb-dumb chicken happily pecking in the dirt? The same goes for a goat. So round bellied and confident in themselves. So lazy looking.

This was the prettiest looking goat at the zoo. Probably because she loves being brushed. She even licked me a bit in thanks for my good deeds.

And what about this fat little fellow?

May he keep you company while I am away. I have an entire house to clean, packing and a preschool field trip. At week's end the family and I are off traveling. Posting will resume on Wednesday.

Three years, ten months

By Autumn on October 6, 2011 7:04 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Dear River,

The worlds created daily by your imagination are becoming vast and complicated. Sometimes I watch you pretend things by yourself--shadow boxing super villains in the corners and mumbling under your breath. Sometimes you try to involve me by telling me who I am. Tonight, I was a giant dust bunny, and I had to try to get you. When I actually try to play along, you often tell me how wrong I am and that I'm not doing it right. I've discovered the loophole though. I just need to come up with a plausible reason why I am safe from the sharks swimming around my feet and then you pick it right up like it was your idea to use shark repellent spray.

I've read that four year olds have the strongest ever imaginations of any age of human beings. It's not surprising then that you spend almost all day pretending. The play with your friends is the same way now. Instead of two boys climbing, running and throwing things, I watch you and a buddy converse and build pretend shields that you use to fight pretend bad guys. Playground equipment becomes a boat tossed upon a shark and alligator infested sea. You fly dragons down the sidewalks. You have alter egos like our good friend, Pizza Slicer. When I tell you to pick up, you say, "I'm not River! I'm Pizza Slicer and I'm a bad guy." I learned to respond with, "Well, whoever you are, if this doesn't get picked up, I'm throwing it away." You often make up words and names. Complete nonsensical gibberish. You are extremely creative.

In the car you are so chatty but you often mumble (something Daddy says you get from me). You ask me what iron man armor I would wear. You talk about the monster truck you will own that can turn into a house. I ask if it will have a pool in it. I ask if it will fly. The conversation goes on for ten minutes with each of us taking turns adding what your monster truck house can do.

Daddy shared the following little story with me. He told you to clean you room and you ran off, staying in there awhile, came back out and said you finished. He didn't think you had really cleaned your room. I'm not surprised since you rarely clean up anything without being constantly watched and reminded to finish cleaning. Daddy then asked you if you were telling a whopper. (a phrase for 'a lie' that was in one of your books) He said you got an 'Oh, shit' expression on your face and ran back into your room. Along with that vivid imagination, if the not quite clear understanding that saying something doesn't make it so. It's sometimes as if you think you can think something into being. So you say, "I didn't hear you." after you do something naughty that I just told you not to do. I know you heard me, but you can say you didn't right? You can pretend you didn't.

You have taken a huge interest in writing. Your friend taught you how to make a "J" only you hook the bottom over to the wrong side. Daddy always wants to correct you, but things like this are quite normal (and he knows it). I always simply praise, except when you tell me I am wrong when I am clearly right. Like when you write an "F" with an extra line and try to tell me that is how I am supposed to do it. Why? Because your friend told you that. Just like your friend told you you could go in his car home from preschool. And even though I told you that your friend can not just invite you over without asking his mother's permission and then you asking mine, you still throw a fit and glare at me like I am a villain when I drag you into our car.

Friends are very important to you. I've watched you and your friends run into each others arms to say goodbye and then tell each other 'I love you'. Often you cry when it is time to leave them. I don't even get a goodbye when I leave you at preschool and I might as well not be needed when I take you to a playground with a friend. I won't hear a peep. You are lost in your own world with your peers. And so, it truly begins. I can feel myself fading into the background with new descriptors like, nag and old, and boring.

You have grown so much over the summer. Your pants I just bought in late winter, barely fit. You are taller than some of your friends and certainty lankier. O, and you are fast. You can keep up with me running uphill. There are so many things you are good at but so many thing you don't do yet like swing yourself without being pushed and ride a big bike. Things (here we go again) that a certain friend can do that you can't and now you are old enough to care what other people think. To be embarrassed if you don't know how to do something, to cover your face when you are trying not to cry and tell me "don't look at me", and to proclaim "Mommy, don't talk about that (having to poop) in front of other people!"

I feel like this all kinda of crept up on me. I look at you and wonder where my baby went, where my toddler went, and how you became this child with all these thoughts and feeling. O, the feelings. The tears over everything. The anger at some slight I didn't intend to give. The stank expression and attitude. You've become suddenly complicated and I'm still left thinking of you as my baby. "What is it, baby boy?" I ask. "Don't call me baby!" you often say, arms crossed over your chest. "You're not listening to me!" Hurt feelings left and right because you are so grown up and I'm your mother just learning how to take you seriously. (and it takes a long long time for parents to take their children seriously. Blame it on those twenty-five years of age and experiences that will always lay between us like a chasm. That and the fact that I have been wiping your butt your entire life so far.)

Still, there are little moment. Brief, so brief, when you are an echo of my long ago red-haired little baby. When you are in my arms and look up at me and start again the conversation we occasionally have together. "I'll always be your baby?" you ask. "Yes", I assure you. "You'll always be my baby." "Why?" you ask. "Because you grew in my belly and I held you in my arms." "Even when I'm all grown up, I'll be your baby?" "Yes, even when you are bigger than me." "I'm your first baby?" "Yes, my very first baby." "And I'll always be."

You'll always, always be.

Love,

Mommy

Wednesday: read The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories

By Autumn on October 5, 2011 7:36 AM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Jason picked this one up for me because I had taken one look at the massive tome called Jonathan Strange and Mister Norwell by Susanna Clarke and felt a bit faint. I'd set it aside as something I couldn't possibly have time for when I read the first page. Her style is distinctively old school English. It's modern Bronte sister meets magic and that means it's wordy and rambling and wordy and rambling and then a bit more wordy. It took her ten years to write and might take me the better part of one to read.

Which doesn't present a problem in the above collection of short stories.

I really enjoyed the style and her take on the world of fairy and magic. She's one of those writers that doesn't really explain the rules but simply places you into her world and expects you to just make do with what you are given. I've always liked that from a writer as well.

So, do try this collection. Especially when novels that you could brain someone with, containing words as dense as a lead brick, are just something you don't have time for right now.

The Sunday baker and other weekend tidbits

By Autumn on October 4, 2011 9:18 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

We haven't bought store bread in about a month now. Jason has been baking us two loaves of fresh, from-scratch, bread on Sundays. We use this bread throughout the week. It makes some awesome toast as well. It's so much healthier than buying store bread which is packed with preservatives and other questionable ingredients.

But it is a lot of work. He starts early by proofing the yeast and then he mixes the dough by hand since we have no handy (but at really lusting for) Kitchen Aid Mixer. The dough goes through two rises--one in the bowl and one in the pans--before baking and cooling.

But that's not all my handy husband does.

After our apple picking, Jason has made two huge pots of applesauce and one delectable pie.

In fact, he spent most of this past Sunday slaving away in the kitchen.

He's something of a culinary master. Since his personal resolution to cook more and cook fresh, he's made almost every single tasty meal and a number of desserts. It only took me years of begging. Honestly, he never really had much time and he still doesn't--even less now that he cooks. Cooking for scratch is very time consuming. This is why boxed and microwaved quick meals were so happily snapped up by tired housewives who hardly got a moment to themselves.

The weather was crisp and fall-like this past weekend. Perfect for hand-knit hats that haven't seen a baby head since River was a toddler. I finally got a child into the orange Halloween sweatshirt I bought at the Salvation Army years before I had a child. I saved it for so long and it never fit River when it was October.

There was River stealing my camera again. This photo is not the most flattering, but he always takes photos where I look so happy. Maybe because I am looking at him and my love just jumps into my face and glows.

And life is still good. ~~Jason and I~~ Jason finally canned (and I watched when I wasn't getting a fussy baby back to sleep).

That's another life goal crossed off my list.

It's babies and baby steps around here.

I can't complain.

The Urbanite and educational reform

By Autumn on October 3, 2011 3:58 PM | Talk to me | No TrackBacks

Here is another one of those things (like homeschooling preschool) that sort of makes me miss having a career path/pursuing my career path at all. It is reading about educational reform. I don't think anyone is surprised that I'm going to write the following.

Education in the U.S. is a hot mess.

Not to say that there aren't a lot of good things going on. I had great teachers growing up and probably because of this, I really loved school. I'm sure part of that is personality and learning style. I have pretty good rote memorization skills when I put my mind to it as well as being a visual learner. This equals the ideal student to which our current education system is catering too. Gobble the test answers, spit them back out. I could see test questions in my head in the order in which I memorized them, no problem. Then only thing that gave me problems was math. Numbers just don't stick in my grey matter as well as words and for true math understanding...well you really need to understand it.

I made it into advanced English and Social Studies and skipped a year of Science, by the skin of my teeth. Or, more aptly, by writing a creative essay to stay in when they wanted to kick me out. I always considered myself the dumb girl in the smart kid classes. I just had a way with words for reading constantly.

My few "normal" classes were always iffy. The classroom vibe was dependent on the classroom make-up. I had everything from a hard ass Math teacher who kept me on my toes (and so kept my grades in the 90's) to a new Math teacher who spent more time trying not to cry at how horrible the students were and ineffectively turning off the lights, than actual teaching. (I got a 36 on the state exam at the end of that year). Advanced/Honors classes were never like that. We took our education a bit more seriously.

So, yes education is based on the individual rooms, sure, but how about on how applicable the actual learning is to a students' life.

Wait, let me put it more simply--

What did you learn about famous Black Americans in school BESIDES Martin Luther King, Jr?

If your experiences were anything like mine, the answer was not very much.

In fact, the amount of people, other than whites, that make it into classroom content was little to none.

History aside, what did you learn that actually helped you in the real world--aside from what will help you get through college?

College, I'm afraid, does not count as the real world.

This isn't a new topic on my blog. So let me climb off my soapbox and stop repeating myself.

When I picked up this month's copy of the Urbanite (a free magazine here in Baltimore) it was like stepping back into college discussions of education reform. I felt myself getting all riled up and passionate. I wanted to cut out the pages and send them to my college professors of yesteryear. Tell them, "Here, this is what you were talking about. This is what you taught me being done, being discussed, forming, becoming. Read it! Make your students read it!"

It's happening right here is Baltimore.

Here's an article bout how poverty, not just schools, are what really knock kids down.

I remember seeing this in my own school. The popular kids came from more money, had better clothes, were in sports, and often in Honors classes. The poor kids, and there were a lot of poor kids...not so much.

Here's another great one about giving preschoolers one up by reaching out to parents as the first educators.

Great job this month, Urbanite. I was truly impressed.

« September 2011 | Main Index | Archives | November 2011 »

October 2011 Archives

Preschool Lesson: Halloween 1:1

Preschool Lesson: Dr. Seuss 2:2

Preschool Lesson: Dr. Seuss 1:2

Wednesday: read Moloka'i

The never ending sick

New York travels and the final year of twenty

While Daddy's away...

Wednesday: read Mother of Pearl

The epic battle against thrush continues

Preschool Lesson: Safety 3:3

Preschool Lesson: Safety 2:3

Preschool Lesson: Safety 1:3

Wednesday: read The Inheritance

Feline Friday: how about them goats?

Three years, ten months

Wednesday: read The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories

The Sunday baker and other weekend tidbits

The Urbanite and educational reform

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