Gardening and the Nut Farm
Sep. 21st | Posted by Nicky
9 comments
Sugar: Our budding naturalist.
We had a quieter week – which is good because I have bronchitis (the nasty cold I caught on the plane home that just got worse and worse…) and Jrock is suffering from a nasty cough too. We take turns sleeping on the sofa because if one person isn’t coughing like crazy the other one is. I’m on the antibiotics now, but I’m still at 70% energy – which isn’t enough with two three year olds, if you ask me!
The team of us also went out to the Gellatny Nut Farm (this is not code for us going crazy – there actually is a nut orchard on the west side of the lake) to check it out and see if it’d be a good location for our fall OKFCA gathering. Jrock slept in the car but the girls had a great time picking nuts and throwing rocks in the water.
A funny thing Jrock said I should mention that as rookie parents of three year olds we do make a few mistakes. Our crowning achievement to date is letting the girls play tea party right before bed (with iced tea) and by 10:30 having two wet beds. Better yet, a wet floor, as they apparently had so much tea that it ran over the rubber mattress cover and onto the floor. ~nice~ Lesson learned, though!
Spice: Jrock calls her our "powder puff"
Another things we have no idea about: what’s age appropriate for three year olds to learn. Right now they are learning colours and about weeding and doing their chores by themselves (making their beds and feeding the dogs.)
Their English is fantastic, all things considered, but when I hear other three year olds talk I know we have a ways to go. Our challenge right now is the “to be” verb… I’m repeating back their statements properly – they are flirting with sentence structure but are completely oblivious to “is” or “are.”
A question for you Moms and Dads and anyone who knows: Can you recommend a good book on emotions that we could read and study emotions together? We’ve got happy, sad and angry down, but they are ready for a lot more (although not necessarily in the moment of frustration.)
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- Daddy’s weeding helper (with poke-a-dot panties)
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- Sugar: Our budding naturalist.
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- Sitting on the stoop while Daddy works outside.
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- Visiting L and her four kids.
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- Two of L’s girls were in the transition home for a couple of months with our girls.
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- The girls throwing rocks at the nut farm.
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- The nut orchard – very pretty and peaceful
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- Sugar
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- our girls
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- Spice: Jrock calls her our “powder puff”
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- Gifts from a friend of Dad’s in the mail – so thoughtful!
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- Amazing – they were playing with BOTH the dogs. Miracles do happen!
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- colouring at the table – Sugar has microbraids and Spice has “the rat” as Jrock calls it
My favorite emotions book is Dr. Seuss My Many Coloured Days, I would also help with learning Colours.
D.
For my 3 year old we bought the Moody Monsters flash card game. It is fun and 6 months later he still enjoys playing the game. Its a simple matching game, but each monster is showing an emotion. Not sure if this is what you are looking for.
Both great suggestions! I’ll try at the library… Thanks!
Here’s a few books that delve into different emotions:
The Kissing Hand
Booming Bella
Full Mouse, Empty Mouse
When Sophie Gets Angry
The Way I Feel Janan Cain
Today I Feel Silly
Hi!
I am a fan of your blog and and also a Speech Language Pathologist. So, I can’t resist passing along speech and language information! The missing “to be” verb that you are noticing is developmental (normal) and not second language related. It can actually take up until 4-5 years of age to get “to be” sorted out in all of it’s forms and uses. Kids are pretty much oblivious to any sound or morpheme until they reach they correct developmental age and then it will just “click” into place (unless there is an additional issue).
You can find more information here: http://speech-language-therapy.com/BrownsStages.htm
Have fun! Melissa
THe best feelings book for little ones is Today I feel silly! I like this one as at work (mental health therapist for children)because it talks about about the different emotions that one can have in a day!
Thanks for the comment, Melissa – that was so helpful!!
Great update. What we did with Mikiyas was put on the fridge a feelings chart. “I feel ____” and each picture had a word. He would grab one of the faces and put it in the space depending on his mood. Then we also had a little chart [with the matching faces as he couldn't read] beside it letting him know what he could do. When I’m mad I can “hit a pillow”…. It seemed to help. Good luck!
The Way I Feel.