Baking for Neighbors

One of the activities on our list of things to do before kindergarten is to bake for neighbors. This also falls into our "Better to Give than Receive" lesson. First, we had to meet our neighbors! I mean, we've said hi and introduced ourselves, but nothing much more than that. So we met our neighbors and asked them if they'd help us with this project. They said yes!

I had some bananas that are a little more ripe than we would eat (well Arin would eat them still), so I decided that we would make banana bread. We were going to make cookies, but really banana bread is so easy, so it is something that we often choose to make together. We used this recipe, which has been a favorite for several years.

We went and delivered the bread, but Arin is so shy that she wouldn't actually hand it to them, so no pictures of that.

Four Months

It still amazes me how fast time flies since I have had children. Ella is four months old today. And, wow, what a difference a week can make in the life of a little one. Last week, she was perfectly content just relaxing in her swing. However, this week, she is constantly pulling herself up to a more upright sitting position and not allowing her head to touch the back of the seat anymore. Last week she was just fine with holding her toys and chewing on them. This week she is actually excited to see her toys and shakes them around until they fly out of her hands! She is also more excited to see us. She kicks her legs and waves her arms in excitement. Today, she met our neighbors for the first time. I was talking to them and she was looking at them and she just out of the blue started giggling at them. She is also quite the gabber and she has started squealing with delight a lot this week. She used to bounce a little in her johnny jump-up, but now she is really jumping in it and having a great time! She still loves to be talked to and sang too and she thinks her big sister is so cool! Her personality is really blossoming!

162 Things to do Before Kindergarten: #6

Enjoy Friends at the Park

We were able to mark another activity off from our list today. We were supposed to go to the nature park with two of Arin's friends, but unfortunately one of her friends took a nasty spill and ended up at the dentist instead of at the park. Poor little guy. We did have fun with her other friend though. We walked around and saw alligators, crocodiles, snakes, otters, tortoises, bears, flamingos, parrots, and giraffes. The girls rode on the carousel. Well, Arin is too scared to ride on the moving carousel animals, so she sat on the stationary seat (which she called a bus) and she had a great time. The girls also attempted to feed the giraffes, but both got scared when the giraffe got close enough to eat. They did have a great time together.

Each Peach Pear Plum

Last week, we checked out Each Peach Pear Plum from the library (100 Books Before Kindergarten). Arin loves this book. It is an easy read because it rhymes, but more than that, Arin loves it because it is an "I Spy" book.

For our activities, I was planning on making a fruit salad using peaches, pears and plums, but (poor planning on my part) I forgot to get those fruits at my weekly shopping trip and I didn't want to go back out for three pieces of fruit, so maybe next time.

Instead, I made an "I Spy" picture for Arin. I got out a magazine and the scissors this morning and as soon as Arin saw that, she said, "You making a game for me, mommy?" She was very excited when I told her "Yes". I had made her an "I Spy" game board one other time, but I didn't put enough stuff on it. This time, I crowded the pictures on there. She loved it. I would say to her, "I spy a whale" or "I spy the word blue" or "I spy something yellow" etc. Of course, Ella decided to wake while we were playing the game, so I told Arin we were done playing for a while. She said, "You have to ask me this one and this one, momma". I guess I hadn't gotten to the things she really wanted to find!

If You Give a Pig a Pancake

This week's Reading Challenge is If You Give a Pig a Pancake. We checked the book out last week, so we have been able to read it several times. Today, we went to my friend's farm with the intention of feeding her pig a pancake. However, when Arin got there and saw the pig, she was quite intimidated. So we just watched my friend feed the pig a pancake instead. The pig really enjoyed the pancakes :)

162 Things to do Before Kindergarten: #5

162 Things to do Before Kindergarten: Visit a Farm

This morning, we checked another item off of our list when we went to visit some friends who live on a farm. They have horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, and a pig. Arin had fun feeding the horses and the donkeys (and she also fed one of the dogs some carrots!). We asked her if she wanted to ride on a horse, but she said no (Ella sat on one though - she wasn't too impressed). Arin was also afraid of the gigantic pig. We went into the pig's stall and she was ok in there for about five minutes and then she said, "Mommy, I want to get out of here!"

We watched Jamie ride her horse. We thought that might entice Arin to sit on a horse, but it didn't. Arin's favorite part of the farm was the big dirt pile that she played in for a long time.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Today, I had to babysit. I like to have activities to do with the kids when I babysit. So first, I read Bartholomew and the Oobleck to Gavin & Arin. When we were done with the story, we made Oobleck (non-newtonian fluid). It was a lot of fun. We were able to roll the Oobleck into balls and then open our hands and it would instantly melt!