Although Torontonians have been experiencing frigid temperatures recently, the kids never complain about going outside. In fact, a few of them complain when I declare that it is time to go back inside! They also enjoy trying on each others' boots when we are inside the apartment. Above, M. sports Noah's winter boots, and is about to try on his mittens too! It's great to see them practise these self-help skills.
Even though I have to work quickly and methodically to get the kids' snowsuits on, it still can't be easy for them to wait even a few minutes with half their gear on, inside. They really are very patient, and used to the routine by now. I had to get a couple of shots of the live entertainment going on in the hallway as I got them ready (thereby delaying them just a few seconds longer).
We played a little hockey inside the other week, since the kids certainly can't hold onto a hockey stick outside, with their mittens on. Actually, it was more like a tutorial, but the kids caught on pretty fast. Aidas kept exclaiming, "He shoots! He scores!" What made me a little nervous is that Noah held the hockey stick properly without me showing him where to place his hands. (Please don't let me be a hockey mom, please don't let me be a hockey mom!)
Noah received a beautiful Noah's Ark puzzle from his Oma and Opa for Christmas. It's a great puzzle for all 5 of the kids to work on together (with me facilitating, of course). The pieces are nice and big, and there are lots of them, so each child can have quite a few turns. Also, the puzzle itself is so big, so that all the children can sit around it - it doesn't get too cramped.
Aidas is absolutely hilarious lately. He likes to create a 'crash scene'. It usually involves at least 3 of our larger 'vehicles', like the fire truck, bike, and the red car. He turns them onto their sides, lies in the middle (sometimes along with some stuffed animals) and yells for help. He did this yesterday as I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready. It started with an unconvincing "Ahhhh!" which changed to "Help!". I told him I couldn't save him at the moment since I was getting dinner ready. He kept saying "I need to be rescued!" Finally, he directly yelled for his buddy L. to rescue him. L. loyally climbed down from his booster seat (he had been waiting for dinner to be ready), crying "I rescue Aidas!" It was such a heartwarming moment.
The kids had fun with the dress-up clothes this week. Above, firefighter M. declared she was saving the baby (referring to our "Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck" song). She is especially into the pretend food lately. She keeps coming to me with a plate of pretend food, saying "Look what I made", or "I made lunch".
We did a gluing activity this week. I had cut out pictures of yellow objects. The kids took turns gluing the pictures onto paper, using a glue stick. They were very excited about this activity, and after the initial swarming, they realized they weren't going to get a turn unless they were sitting down. They enjoyed it so much that we moved on to gluing red pictures. This proved to be a mistake though, as it confused things for some of the kids. So, I have put our yellow collage up on the wall in the dining room. (I had posted their paintings in this area last week, and they often point to them and talk about them at meal time. I figured this could also be a topic of discussion.) I think I'm going to just leave the focus on "yellow" for about a week or so, to simplify things. After all, they are only two...they've got time!
B., although not shown in any pictures, continues to adapt well to the daycare. He is getting used to our culture - trying more of our foods, understanding more of the language, etc. I am impressed that when I ask him the colour of something, he responds with a colour name (sometimes correctly). Now that's catching on quick! It is especially nice to see the bonds he is forming with the other children, though. There's a surge in his confidence, and I am happy to know that this can only mean he is feeling that he truly belongs.
No comments:
Post a Comment