Saturday, December 7, 2013

Thanksgiving Week with the Hermans

So things have been a little busy around here so I haven't gotten to blogging our Thanksgiving week lessons quite yet.  We took a break from our usual and did a low key week on Thanksgiving and "Being Thankful"  I went back to a more Before 5 in a Row approach for this.  I found a book called The Story of Thanksgiving and everyday that week we read the book.  It was great in that it was pretty detailed in giving her the story of the 1st Thanksgiving but perfect for her.  Pilgrims, Native Americans, Squanto, the whole bit.  It ended focusing on our own need to be Thankful for what we have and how Thanksgiving continues to be our reminder to be grateful to God.  
I found a few things to go with the book online.  One was this picture of a Cornucopia which was a new word for Claire.  We talked about how we see a Cornucopia with blessings inside it, things God has given us.  I told her her job was to draw pictures of things she is grateful for in the Cornucopia.  Drawing things is still pretty new for her but she tried.  She drew water and Jesus and said she was done.  Well, guess that DOES cover it ;-)


In other news, Ashlyn began to do a few "big girl" things this Thanksgiving week!  First she started drinking out of a open cup.  It was crazy to watch her handle it herself. Later that same day she fed herself soup with a spoon.  Both activities are still a little messy but regardless, she's doing them and she's stepping further and further away from babyhood.  Proud and sad at the same time.


Back at home with Claire's preschool, I found a few fun Thanksgiving printables on Confessions of a Homeschooler.  Focus for letters was upper and lowercase "T" which she did great with but since we haven't done "Th" sounds yet with her, it was a little difficult translating "T" with the work "Thanks" or "Thanksgiving."  We are still trying to figure out when the best time to introduce these sounds to her since she has the basic ones, but haven't done it yet.  She's still having fun with the basic letters and sounds and there's a glimmer of understanding that the letters, together, make words.  This is appearing clearer everyday and this is exciting.

On top of that, we took the word "Thanks" with each letter on a different square and played games with the letters.  Find the letter, find the letter that makes this sound etc.

In the pack of printables there was a cute counting sheet.  On each sheet, up to 10, there was a number.  For each number she put that many beans in the square.  Simple.  But fun since putting beans on anything is super awesome when you are 3.




The last thing we had time for in the pack had to do with more counting.  She counted turkeys, Pilgrims, Native Americans, pies, corn, etc on each page and wrote the number in the box below.  Still working on writing those numbers.  But it's fun to watch her count.  She really does like it.  If she has a math aptitude, I might have to outsource her schooling when she hits the higher levels ;-)  Momma's not so confident.  But we'll see!
But one of my favorite things we did this month was Claire's "Thankful Tree"  It started out with blank leaves and everyday before Thanksgiving she'd add a new thing she was Thankful for onto a new leaf.  Some of the items were sweet, some were silly, some were funny and sometimes I thought she really wasn't getting the idea.  But then I reminded myself that she IS getting it, her concept of what is important is just limited.  So for her 2013 Thankful tree, 3 year old Claire was thankful for:
God
Ashlyn
Bear
Bed
Chair
Tara (the cat)
Library
Books
Charlie
Logan
Pull-Ups (my personal favorite)
Kitchen
Clothes
Mommy
Twilight Ladybug 
Table
House
Toys
Daddy
Animals
Oils
Piggy Bank


Thanksgiving day we spent with my parents in the morning who made us a yummy, yummy breakfast and who took our family pictures for our Christmas cards!  The following day, we went to Christian's parents' for a day with his family. I didn't get many pictures at either place, which is a huge bummer.  I need to remember to take more. The girls are getting so, so big.
















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