and almost over a year

Stopping to look at things that interest the boys and catch their eye as we walk here and there is becoming second nature. We try not to rush and leave more time than is necessary to get from a to b and remember the journey is as important than the destination. Today it was this 'beautiful' (Pumpkin) flower. It's not the best picture but we were examining it for a good 5 minutes and discussing it's features and what contributed to making it a 'beautiful' flower.
Bean took this photo of Plum. A child's view on the world always interests me. The boys seem to insist on approaching her from this direction most of the time and I can't fathom why. It's never enough to hold her hand, it's definitely all about eye contact and getting those smiles and giggles!

Bean turns five this week and is busy preparing for his birthday party. He asked for one and I said that he would have to help with the organising, this also gives me the opportunity to manage some party expectations. He is busy painting posters and making planets (it is going to be a space party.) It fascinates me that Bean choose to paint numerous number five posters today adding to his knowledge of both reading, writing and number value, amongst other things, all admirable things to be doing at his age and stage and certainly on a par with his peers educated in school but I was pondering the learning that has now been embedded because he choose to do this himself, I'm sure it must be worth more this way (will look it up.)
Bean also picked up his Australia books again today, he was very interested in it's position on the planet.

Pumpkin watched an I can cook episode today and announced that he would like to make the recipe they had made. It involved strawberries which I knew we didn't have but said we could look up the recipe and buy the ingredients to make it. Unfortunately the recipe was not on the associated website (boo) but there were plenty of others (yay.) Instead we looked at a couple until we found one that he liked the sound of and as it happened I had all the ingredients in the cupboard so today's baking effort was honey tea bread. We'll be taking it out with us for our snack tomorrow...thank you Pumpkin.

The road is long

Bean returning from Grandma and Pop's has been a bit traumatic and it has taken most of today to find our equilibrium again. He came home yesterday lunch time which was followed by a second viewing of 'cars.' I knew he would need the down time when he got home. This time I watched it with them (my first time, and I quite enjoyed it.) We struggle to find films that don't upset the boys, Bean especially. I invested in Stuart Little recently thinking it was fairly low key but we only got part way through before we had tears and anxiety.'Cars' we manage. It always amazes me how much Bean remembers after only one viewing. I had a constant commentary all the way through telling me what was going to happen, if not that he was asking me questions about racing and sponsorship deals.

The rejected Lightning McQueen

A flurry of activity followed. Grandma and Pops, by chance, had bought a cars painting poster set each for the boys so they wanted to start painting these. This progressed into Bean wanting to paint his own picture of Lightning McQueen. It has only been this side of Christmas that he has really taken his own interest in painting and drawing and crafty activities but his development has come on rapidly as he now paints and draws recognisable objects and their placement is well thought through, including colour and shape and space. The painting was rejected by Bean as he put a sad face on the car instead of a happy one. I tried to suggest some ways of fixing it but to no avail.
After much painting he then wanted the car garage out and the box of cars we have. These haven't been out for a long time. Some toys can sit unplayed with for weeks and then suddenly they find new life! He sorted out all the cars that were small and metal. He got very agitated when Pumpkin pulled out some cars that were small but wooden. In schools I know they test children in reception to see if they are able to sort. Mostly this is done in a setting made up by the adults and then the children are asked to sort whatever toys they have been presented with. I wonder if the adults observed children at play more whether the results would be different. Does Bean actually know that what he is doing is sorting and would he do it if I asked him to? mmmmmm....
He proceeded to line them all up in a queue like fashion and send them up the lift one by one and park them on the top floor. This was followed by them coming down the ramp one by one and being lined up adjacent to one another round the back of the garage. This is not the first time that arranging toys in such a way has appeared in his play...and it wont be the last.
Today we went to our local Family Centre. It's a lovely place for us to hang out, it's not too far from our house and has a warm welcome whenever we go. The boys played for hours in the hall with two of their friends. It was a game based around 'Octonaughts.' They rearranged all the toys to build themselves a house, where the large soft skittles were lined up as pillows, a tent in one corner was their 'pod' where they lined up the vehicles outside (as if parked in bays) and the car mat was used as the mapping system. Other than these observations the children were left to it, they understood more of the game than any of the adults!!

Example of trajectory play (found in the archive)

For me I can't help but observe my children's play and analyse it. So here is my diagnosis: Bean is currently using a trajectory schema in his play. That is he has a repeatable pattern of behaviour (schema) which takes a trajectory pattern. It's also displayed when he kicks a ball around; shows a preference in play equipment at the park: climbs up and down the crows nest, and using the slide; repeatedly asks to climb the ladder into the loft; insists on playing at falling of his chair at the dinning table; practises repeatedly what can only be described as a long jump and I'm sure other things that I haven't noticed! 


Found out a bit about lapbooks today thanks to HEWS. Very interesting.