Monday, June 30, 2014

Sedona Day Trip!

Sedona just opened up a new splash pad recently and since we do not have one in Flagstaff, we decided to take a day trip! 

We stopped by Wildflower on the way and ate a delicious brunch then headed to the park/splash pad!

The park was really cool! It had a really neat splash pad and then two separate playground areas each covered by huge sun shades to keep things cool. One playground was designed especially for toddlers and the other one was for bigger kids! Ember ABSOLUTELY LOVED the toddler playground. Everything was her size and her developmental level. She played on the playground more than the splash pad but definitely loved both! Here are some pictures of our time there!










Then after a LONG nap... Ember got to do some Ninja training at Luke's 4 year birthday party!!





Yellow Duck

Here is what our week of YELLOW and DUCKS looked like! 

(We are both really truly enjoying this!! I'm EXCITED!)

Read "Brown Bear Brown Bear" again each day

Explored Yellow Objects



Sang Duck Song:
"Five Little Ducks Went out One Day..."

Read Other Duck Books:
"Duck Soup" - Jackie Urbanovic
"I'm a Duck" - Teri Sloat
" Duck Skates" - Lynne Berry

Watched Some Duck Videos and a Video about Yellow

Colored Duck Picture Yellow


Played with Rubber Ducks in a Water Sensory Bin
(Could have used food color to make the water blue or yellow - but didn't want to stain any clothes)



Created a Duck Hat
(Ember loves this thing... but NOT ON HER HEAD)


Stamped with Rubber Ducks in Yellow Paint



Went to a Pond to Feed Ducks, of course!







Worked on our Matching Heads and Tails Cards again


She still did not get it completely but we are making progress! :)

Oh... and birds are not the only things that like our bird seed craft from Red Bird week ;)











Friday, June 27, 2014

Red Bird

This week(s) we focused on RED and BIRDS

We read "Brown Bear Brown Bear" again every day before starting our activities.


We explored things that are the color red (in our PJ's... apparently :)


We colored a picture of a bird with a red crayon


We watched some videos about red birds


We painted with a feather in red paint



We red some more books about the color red and about birds from the library such as:

"Red is Best" - Stinson
"The Red Book" - Lehman
"7 Hungry Babies" - Candace Fleming
"Grumpy Bird" - Jeremy Tankard

We played with red aquarium gravel in a sensory bin
**Bonus: we got to see birds at the pet store when we went to buy the gravel
And Emmerson got to join in the fun on this one!


(In hindsight - I would have chosen some red utensils to play with the red rocks with.... next time!)

We glued red feathers to a bird template




We played with red aquarium rocks again with another friend!


We made a bird feeder out of toilet paper rolls and hung one from the porch and put one in a tree. We also left the blue dish of seed out on the porch.



It took a little while for the birds to figure out there was food around these parts but once they did there are birds in the tree or on our porch at most hours of the day! Ember will run over to the window and say "Bird... eat" since she is getting really good at putting two words together. It has been fun to watch!



And finally, we tried matching our Heads and Tails cards. Ember didn't quite get this yet but my plan is to do it EVERY week and to add in the new animal we talked about so hopefully by the end of the book/unit she will have it figured out! 


Very fun week! And Ember can definitely point out the color red and say "bird"

















Happy Father's Day!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY HANDSOME HUSBAND WHO IS A PATIENT, UNDERSTANDING, LOVING, AND EXTREMELY FUN FATHER TO EMBER. He said it himself - "I love her so much my heart hurts!" And I am thankful for his love and protection for her which I can see growing more and more every day!

For Father's Day this year, we started the morning off with going to Criollo Latin Kitchen for breakfast with Dustin's family because Jared and Hope were in town. It was a great breakfast out on their patio.



We started a few traditions this year that Dustin and I are both excited about. Every year for Father's Day, the kids (AKA... me for now) will pick out a book about dad's to give to Dustin. We will trace their hand prints in the cover and write a short note for Dad. Here is Ember giving Dada her book this year!

\\


I will also have the kids fill out one of these little questionnaires about their daddy (I also had to do this this year obviously) 



and we will store that and a picture of Dustin with the kiddo(s) in that book.


I think it will be something special for Dustin to look back on throughout the years! Here is Dustin reading Ember the book (and giving kisses) he got for Father's Day!


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!