Day 10 - Rock

Yesterday we had a rock themed day.  Lachlan, Peter and I started our day with Circle Time and the Opening Rhyme.  For the rhyme we were instructed to cut out paper rocks and number them.  Then set them on the ground in a circle and recite the rhyme.  When the rhyme is over they stop and you ask them which number they are standing on.  Our numbered rocks were getting all messed up and it quickly got frustrating.  So I grabbed my handy dandy dollar tree clear contact paper and stuck them to the carpet.  Since I went to all this work I hope to use them for a couple days before I pull them up. 

When Grant got here we went outside and did a mix of 2 of the lessons for today.  I had the boys collect rocks from the backyard.  Then I sat them down at the picnic table and gave them their I Can Write project and had them trace the lines with their fingers.

I love these I Can Write papers.  I hope to find some larger laminating sheets so I can laminate one to use over and over again with a wet erase maker.

Next I had them use their rocks to make a rock path between the two objects. 

We ended our time at the picnic table by having them sort the big rocks from the small rocks by placing the big rocks by the big letter D and the small rocks by the small letter d. 

Lastly, I let them choose one big and one small rock to throw into the swimming pool.  Lachlan and I discussed which rock would make the bigger splash.  This was fun, but it's also where the day got a little frustrating. 

We have a pile of rocks under the hose in the backyard.  They are not normally allowed to mess with these rocks, but it was the only place I could think of where we could get rocks from safely.  So I allowed it, just this one time.  But, just in case you didn't know this already, 2 year olds don't understand that concept.  So the whole rest of the day was a battle to keep the rocks out of the pool.  I only say this to warn you.  This is a fun project, but be prepared, it will last all day long.  So make sure you have it set up in a way that you won't mind the all day project, or in a way in which you can put it away when you are done.  I probably could have dumped out the pool but if I had taken the fence down the kids would have been in the pool.  So I was kind of stuck. 

Lachlan got picked up by has Dad in the afternoon to drive up to Portland to pick up Grandma and Grandpa from the airport.  So I hope this morning we can finish the other lessons from today.  They are to good to miss.  Since it's raining outside today, we might actually be able to finish yesterdays and start on Day 11 - Pet Groomer.