PeeWees: Baily Goes Camping (week 1)

Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes is one of my very favorite children's books in our whole library.  There's something about the rhythm plus the parenting plus the symmetry plus the illustrations that almost makes me swoon with literary perfection.  Perhaps I exaggerate.  But I really love it.

Synopsis:  Bruce and Betty are Bunny Scouts, so they are going camping.  Little brother Bailey is too little to go, but he wishes he could.  Bruce and Betty try to console him by telling him it's not that great.  "All we do is eat hot dogs and live in a tent and go swimming and fishing and hunt for bears and tell ghost stories and fall asleep under the stars.  And best of all, roast marshmallows."  (A PeeWee lesson plan practically writes itself off this list.)  After they leave, Mama and Papa try to distract Bailey, but all he wants to do is those camping things.  So Mama says, "You can do all those things right here."  And they proceed to do them at home, ending with roasting marshmallows at the stove burner and falling asleep under a star-covered quilt  by the open window with stars in the sky.

When I told Hazel and Ginger yesterday we were doing this book, they wanted to help, so they made "Bailey Goes Camping" banners to welcome the PeeWees.

Arrival:  We started the day with some painting.  We painted cardboard tubes that, once dry, we will make into binoculars for our bear hunt next time.

 

While they painted, I played some bluegrass background music.  I told them it was called "bluegrass" or "mountain" music, and was distinguishable by its quick fiddle (a special way to play violin) and sometimes banjo, like a round guitar.

Circle Time:  We sang our welcome song, and reviewed the alphabet and the letters in our names.   For counting, I had 20 pictures of camping things that we laid out, named, and briefly discussed.  Things like hiking boots, campfire, mosquitoes, and pocket knife.  Got the pictures from here. 

Then for reading the book, we went out back into the tent Ed had set up for us.

 

Our carpet squares were already in there, along with prop bags similar to the ones we had with Harry.  Everyone got their bag, and we pulled things out one at a time to see what we had - a plate, a cookie cutter, a bear, sunglasses, etc.  Then we put everything back on our bags and read the story.  Almost every page had a corresponding item, so we paused to take that out and see how it related to the story before going on.

 After reading Bailey through one time, it was back into the house to wash hands and have snack.

Snack:  One thing Bailey does is go fishing in his bathtub, so our snack had a "Gone Fishin'" theme.  A "pond" of goldfish, with a fishing rod made of pretzel stick and string licorice, with a gummy worm tied on the end.  It also helped that everyone likes goldfish and I remembered what a hit gummy worms were when we did Grumpy Bird.

Art:  For art, we made paper collage campfires.  Yesterday the girls helped me tear/cut up red, orange, and yellow cellophane, tissue paper, and construction paper.  I drizzled glue all over black paper, and the PeeWees stuck the paper pieces on.  At the end, we glued some twigs along the bottom.  These will probably take awhile to dry.  Many of the kids didn't like having sticky gluey fingers, but since this was the activity, they didn't have any choice, and pushed through.

 

  
Activity 1:  Ghost Stories.  One of the things you do when camping, is tell ghost stories.  At home, there is a picture of Bailey on his Dad's lap, and Papa and Mama with scared looks on their faces as Bailey spins them a tale.  I wanted to bring in this concept, without (hopefully) actually scaring our children.  We went back in the tent, and with the flashlights from our prop bags, I showed them how to turn them on and shine them up from the chin to look "scary."  Then, while we all held our flashlights this way, I read them a 2-page story called "Never Kick a Ghost."  It was pretty benign, so hopefully no one will be really scared.  We just were supposed to pretend to be scared, but really it was just silly.  Did it work?

Selfie

 Afterward they made their own game of jumping to see who could touch the tip top of the tent ceiling.

Activity 2: Camping Bingo.  Back inside, we used the picture cards we had counted earlier, and of course some marshmallows for markers, to play Bingo.  This is at least the third time they've done bingo, and they've really gotten the hang of it.

Activity 3:  Marshmallow Stacking.  Next I brought out a tray of large marshmallows, and we tried to see how high we could stack them before toppling over.  Pretty hard to get more than three.  Short-lived activity.

Re-read:  Back out in the tent, we re-read the book, but this time took our Camping Bingo cards with us to see how many of those things we could find in the story.

Activity 4:  We had time for one more marshmallow activity, so I put them in two teams.  Each team got a bucket of marshmallows, an ice tray, and two pairs of tongs.  Anyone who's played at my house knows I love to do this activity with pompoms.  Each team had to pick up marshmallows with the tongs and put one marshmallow in each section of the ice tray.

Activity 5:  Closing/water table.  We quickly did our goodbye song, then outside to play in the water table.  We put fish in the water, but I didn't have enough fishing poles, so we did mostly watering cans and cups - dump and fill stuff.  I tried to do this at the very end so they wouldn't get too wet, but Poppy still managed to completely soak herself.  Super awesome PeeWee day!

PeeWees: Olivia (week 2)

Due to various scheduling problems, our second week of Olivia was actually about 2 months after the first one.  And I will post all the intervening PeeWee sessions and field trips and eventually get caught up on things.  But for now, Olivia, week 2.

Arrival:  I set out the dollhouse and dolls again, like last time.  At first Bodie said he didn't want to play with the dollhouse, and started to wander off.  Immediately Jackson and Henry said they didn't want to, either, and they followed Bodie.  This was the first time I've seen something like this from the PeeWees.  They are growing and changing so much!  So I sat down and played dollhouse with Poppy, and after a few minutes the boys came around and started to be interested in the dolls and furniture.  Henry liked putting the drawers in and out of a desk.  Jackson was interested in setting up the bathroom fixtures - tub, sink, shower, toilet.  Bodie took dolls up and down the stairs, then sliding on the roof. 

Circle Time:  We sang our stand up song, did the ABC's, and I had everyone find their name's letters on the alphabet chart.  Then because they are getting so good at their letters, I had everyone find all the letters in their names, one at a time.  It was painful for Henry to allow other kids to find their own letters - he clearly knows them so well and is very fast at finding!  But given time, everyone spelled their name out pointing at letters.  

For counting to 20, we counted black & white stripes (since Olivia wears striped tights, and that color scheme is popular with our PeeWees.) 

Then we took off socks and did "This Little Piggy" several times - they struggled a little to always grab the right toe, but everyone thinks the chant and of course the "Wee wee wee!" part is fun.

Before we read Olivia again, I asked what, if anything, they remembered.  Someone remembered that she went to the beach.  Someone else remembered the mask she wore to scare her brother.  Not too bad.  Then we read the book.

Snack:  Pig snout biscuits with strawberries.  They were just homemade biscuits dyed pink , brushed with lemon glaze, and two blueberries stuck on.  Two loved them, two detested them.  Not my best outcome, I admit. 

Snack took a long time.  The ones eating the biscuits took a pretty long time, and I made everyone stay at the table until they were done.  I felt bad making them wait so I also offered cheese sticks to keep them busy, and showed them how to peel them into strings. 

Art:  On rainy days, Olivia's mom takes her to the art museum.  She just doesn't get a modern splatter piece by Jackson Pollock.  "I could do that in about five minutes," she says.  When she gets home, she gives it a try...on the living room wall.  So for art today, we did a mural.

First we started with markers.  I took pictures for awhile, then just sat back on the stairs and watched the creativity flow.  Poppy was making a very detailed map that led to each PeeWee's house.  Henry was drawing roads and mountains.  Jackson and Bodie were just having fun using many different colors. 

It seriously went on and on.  I had many other activities planned, but I wanted to let this collaboration continue until it naturally ended.  When they finally felt done, I asked if they wanted to add paint, or do something else. It was unanimous.

 The finished masterpiece:

Activity:  With not much time remaining, I brought out the paper bag masks they painted last time, and carefully helped put them on.  I said they looked sooo scary, and they took that as invitation to chase me.  We turned it into a mask parade, which Poppy pointed out rhymed with masquerade from King Bidgood (last week's book.) 

We did a final read of the book, our farewell song, and while we waited for pick-up, we did a little matching game, picking up picture cards and finding the match in the book.

When Hazel and Ginger came home from school, the mural was still drying, and the paint cups were still out.  They were so excited, they asked if they could paint on it, too.  Looks like mural painting is a hit with all ages.

Easter 2013

 With everything else going on that week and weekend, Easter was a bit of a blur this year.  Which is sad, because it is a profoundly special holiday.   But some years are like that.

We had a couple of egg hunts this year.  First, at Grandma Marsha's house in Colorado, when we were on our trip.

 Next, we did one at a park with some friends from church the day after Hazel's birthday.  It was wonderfully cold - last year the chocolate melted, but not this year!

Then we came home and dyed eggs with Grandma and Aunt Ann.  I remembered to get vinegar!

 This year I just took a quickie pic of the girls' baskets, instead of the comprehensive, detailed blog post I like to do.  But some years are like that.  All the girls got: jelly beans, one chocolate-dipped Peep, one chocolate cream egg, headbands, a Utah Rocks! t-shirt, a DVD (H- Bill Nye; G- Prima Princessa; P- Strawberry Shortcake), Hello Kitty band-aids, a child-size offset spatula, and a book of folk tales (H- Native American; G- Irish; P- African.)  In addition, Hazel got a red Chinese silk purse and a bar of Pioneer soap from Zion Nat'l Park.  Ginger got a Tinkerbell PEZ (she's collecting), a hummingbird finger puppet, some shoes for her American Girl Doll, and a blue Chinese silk purse.  Poppy got a rabbit finger puppet and a small board book I won at a recent baby shower game (I win all those games.)

Luckily, I ordered Easter dresses for the girls way before our trip so I wouldn't have to worry about it after.  I would never have gotten to it otherwise.  Hazel is growing so fast, this may be the last year I can get all matching dresses.  Not that it's a requirement.  But when I find a cute one, it's fun.  

I got Hazel and Ginger these cute yellow gladiator sandals at an off-season sale last year, and they would have gone great with these dresses.  But neither of them can stand to wear shoes or sandals without socks, even in summer.  So the cuteness effect is somewhat diminished by socks and tights.  There is only so much I can control.  

Even though it was like ages ago, I hope you had a wonderful Easter.  I think we did. 

The 8-Year-Old

 About a week after we got home from our trip, and way before I was actually ready, it was Hazel's birthday.  Ed's parents and sister flew in that day for a week-long visit, so I feel like the first part of her day got slighted by my frantic efforts to ready the house. But we did manage some blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

 And her friends the Strattons popped by to sing to her.

For dinner we had her favorite - KFC chicken and biscuits.  Banana cream pie for dessert.

And then it was kind of over.  But at the same time, it lasted all week.  The next day was an Easter egg hunt at a park with some friends.  Then the next day, Ed took the day off and we all went to Mount Vernon with our visitors.  Then Saturday, was Hazel's baptism.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, children may be baptized on or after their eighth birthday.  We've been preparing for this day in our family scripture and gospel study for awhile, and Hazel understands what baptism means, and what it's for.  It's a big milestone.  I was a wreck.

We sent out invitations before our trip.  We lined up the speakers, prayers, and musicians.  Printed the program.  Brought tablecloths and cupcake stands for the refreshments.  The white dress we bought a year ago even fit perfectly. 

Many people graciously attended - friends from Church, extended family, even some of our neighbors.  Everything went beautifully.

This is my favorite picture.  The water was pretty cold.

Hazel had invited her whole class from school.  I had included a note to parents with the invitation, to explain as much as possible what it would be like, and to invite their whole families.  Hazel told me when she was changing, that she was "heartbroken" none of them had come.  I had been afraid of that; I don't personally know many of the parents.  But one important person did come, which meant so much to all of us: Hazel's teacher, Ms. Betts. 

The program was brief and beautiful, then there was a flurry of hugs and conversations over cupcakes afterwards.  Then it was over.  Everyone was gone.  We cleaned up, and went out for a family dinner.  When we got home, I had to switch gears to Easter, and get everyone's baskets ready, and start planning Easter dinner. 

I think in the future, I would not prefer to have a birthday, and family event, and house guests, and a big holiday, all in one week, and just after arriving home from a major trip.  It was a lot of work for me, and did not allow me time to process it, on my own or with Hazel. 

I haven't even done an 8-year-old interview with her, and she's already back at school.  Which means I see so little of her, and when I do, it's a lot of nagging about homework, and now also thank-you notes for her birthday gifts.  But I can say a few things to describe her at this age.

Hazel has always had a very active imagination, and she spends a lot of time daydreaming and pretending.  She has been interested in magical things for awhile - dragons and fairies and such, and our family's reading of Harry Potter has helped fuel the interest.  When she disappears in the house, it's up to her bedroom; she sits on her bed with several books open about wizards and magic, and several dolls, mostly Groovy Girls, and she delves deep into imaginings. 

Back in the real world, Hazel likes to laugh and talk loudly, ride her bike, and play rough games with her sisters, mostly Poppy, who is rougher than Ginger.  She loves science, and cooking, and has said for a long time now that she wants to become a pastry chef.  However, in the kitchen she is easily distracted, and it's tricky to keep her focused.  She also has a fascination with skin problems, like rashes and calluses.

She excels at school and has a highly active social life there; some friends have even started calling her at night.  She tells me everyone likes her and says she's the smartest one at school.  Of course I found this boastful and exaggerated, until I talked to her teacher and found it to be true.  Even when I took cupcakes in after spring break, for her birthday, many of her classmates told me things like, "Hazel's so smart, I wish I could think like her," and "Hazel's the prettiest, smartest girl I know."  Some of the girls even asked me directly if they could come to my house for a playdate with Hazel.  Having not been popular this way in school myself, I don't know how to react to it. 

Homework continues to be a struggle for Hazel, and therefore our relationship.  Not that it's hard, but that it's hard for her to focus at 4 p.m. after being in school all day.  Hazel needs time to imagine, think, and play.  I hate to spend that hour, or two, or three, constantly redirecting her.  Luckily, only ten and a half weeks of school are left. 

Hazel and Poppy currently share a room; Ginger has her own, next door.  When Ed's parents were here, we gave Ginger's room to his sister, and Ginger slept with Hazel in her bed.  After they left, she has kept sleeping with Hazel.  I keep checking with Hazel, to make sure she doesn't mind.  She is cheerful and says she likes it; she says having Ginger there keeps her from having nightmares.  That said, those two bicker like an old married couple, or like...sisters. 

It's easy for Ed and I to be hard on Hazel, for things both big and small.  One, she's the oldest, so our expectations are high.  Two, she's not overly sensitive to criticism like Ginger is, so we ride her because we can.  Three, she's boisterous, which is generally harmless, but can be annoying, so sometimes we lash out at her for that.  We are trying to watch that more carefully.  Our biggest complaint, and source of aggravation with Hazel, is her failure to pay attention.  This may be in the form of not obeying something we say, either because she didn't hear, or didn't process it.  Or searching for something and not finding it even when it's right under her nose.  Or not following through on something she started, like putting her art supplies away, or only partially unloading the dishwasher.  We know this about her, and that getting mad doesn't help.  We are trying to find other ways of dealing with it that will.

But mostly, Hazel is happy and fun.  Her enthusiasm and curiosity cheer me up, as does the bridge of freckles across her nose and cheeks.  She loves to eat, loves to play, and loves loves to socialize.  I love her so much.