Tot School--including a very cute "I'm a Little Teapot" video

Kimberly is currently 36 months old
Our week started with a wonderful family day, which included a parade which Kimberly enjoyed very much.

This is how she watched most of the parade. We live in a small town, and most of the parade consists of firetrucks, which will honk horns and blow off sirens if encouraged from the crowd.

We also enjoyed (all of the kids) ice cream from an ice cream truck----as I said, we live in a small town, and this was the first ice cream truck even encountered!

The older kids have begun a backyard bird study and Kimmy is not being left behind.

She can identify quite a few of our visiting birds, especially the goldfinch,

and house finch. These are our the birds that visit us the most. She can also name a cardinal, robin, and chickadee.

Our nursery rhyme of the week was "I'm a Little Teapot". Kim decorated a teapot by gluing on torn pieces of construction paper.

We talked about mosaic art, and it came out very cute.

She also colored the pictures of the song which I found at this site.

And for your listening pleasure, Kimberly's version of "I'm a Little Teapot".

We have also been practicing making shapes with Magnext toys. I would make the shape and then Kim copied the shape on her own. She was able to do this quite well with simple shapes like triangles and squares.

I also enjoyed one on one time baking with Kim this week.

She was so proud to make brownies for everyone,

especially her Daddy!

We also planted our sunflower house this week.

Now we will have to see how much patience Kimmy has.

And our favorite books of the week:

Sunflower House

To Be Like the Sun

Make sure to check out all the Tot school post this week.

Have you ever been so tired you can't keep your eyes open...

Kimberly has---today---after playing at Grandma and Grandpa's all day.

Sunflower House-by Eve Bunting

One of our most favorite spingtime books is Sunflower House by Eve Bunting.
We didn't make a sunflower house last year, but I was determined to get one planted this year, and this evening, with Daddy's help we got the job done.

We have a nice rectangular planting area this year, thanks Dad!

Kimmy needed to plant three seeds because she is three. She decided that she wanted to plant more after she realized what fun it was to "garden".

We found this wonderful beetle as we got the ground ready for planting. It is a beetle that I am having a hard time identifying (Uncle Steve-can you help us?). It has neat pincers or something like that on it's head. (Usually our beetles are just "plain headed")

"First the farmer sows the seed,

then she stands and takes her ease.

Stamps her foot and claps her hands,

And turns around to view her land"

Farmer Luke working hard.

Mark planting

and digging little holes--YES, he is using a soup spoon to dig with---we are not normally "farmers".

Mark got the ground ready for 2 hills of pie pumpkin seeds. If only we can grow one pumpkin, it will be a great success.

The moon was out while we planted. Maybe that is good luck!!

Landscape on slate-Amy's latest beautiful artwork

Amy's latest gorgeous artwork. It is painted on a piece of slate.

Now the trick will be how to hang it on the wall---that is one heavy piece of slate!

If you have any ideas, let me know.

The beautiful artist

We Made It: Friday Showcase....Bookworm bookmark

We have been learning about invertabrates this week and we are always reading so I thought a "bookworm" was just the thing for this weeks craft. I found this idea, and it was simple enough for Grace and Mark to do on their own--with a little help with the glasses.

To get started, draw 6 circles on fun foam, making them a little smaller as you go along.

Cut out the circles.

Glue them, (we use foamie glue-it holds much better than elmers-)from smallest to largest.

We wrote "Let's READ" on our bookworms next.

Add some wiggle eyes. The project we found directions for had pipe cleaners as glasses, I didn't like these as our pipecleaners were too fluffy, I used crafting wire to make wire rimmed glasses.

Add a mouth and some hair and you have your own personal "bookworm" bookmark.

Check out the striking resemblance Mark has to his bookmark.

I love the hair on Gracie's bookworm!

The 2009 May Crowning

Today we were the guests of the first grade religious education class as they crowned Mary as Queen of Heaven.
Gracie presented her flower to Our Blessed Mother.

Can you tell who knew all the words to the hymn Immaculate Mary?

"Immaculate Mary

Your praises we sing

On earth we your children

Invoke your sweet name

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria

Ave, Ave Maria"

Small Successes

1. We all made it through 3 performances of this year's Holy Cross Academy's musical, My Fair Lady. This is a big, big success---but a very important one, because we were having our doubts about getting through it.

2. I took the best photograph that I think I have ever taken.

3. The bird feeders are all set up, filled, and being enjoyed by one and all.

Make sure to stop by Faith & Family Live and share your "Small Successes"!

Holy Cross Academy's Spring Concert--and a "pub" song from Danny

We all spent an enjoyable evening at the spring concert at Holy Cross Academy. It is amazing the great progress everyone has made this year under a new director.

The kids were all great. This Saturday they are heading to a choral competition, so keep them all in your prayers for a safe and fun trip.
After the concert, I had my concert participants, Laura, Amy, and Danny pose for a few pictures.
What a bunch of hams!!

Lookin' good kids!

And last but not least, Danny singing a little bit of a "drinking song" straight from good Old Jolly England.