A Look at What We Have Learned this Year

This week started with a playdate at the zoo.  We met some friends at story time and met a beekeeper who spoke about raising bees.  We pretended to play baseball, counting the bases as we ran.  Speaking of pretend, we performed a number of shows for one another, from song and dance to acting.  We sang about water animals in Music Makers.  We ended the week with a second trip to the zoo and a stop at Fairytale Town with grandparents.  Genevieve practiced soccer and tried to write a recipe as well.

And through all the running around, I have been reflecting on the lessons of the past year.  I have discovered that after being napped on, I feel drained in the afternoon so it is best for me to plan quiet times for the afternoon.

Tobias has learned to walk and say Mom and Dad.  He attempts to say Genevieve and can sign a few words like bubbles, all done, dog, music and nursing.  He has started showing his interests, rolling the cars and making motor noises or choosing blue items and hexagons.  He enjoys the books of Todd Parr and Eric Carle.  He loves music and has a better sense of rhythm than my dad, moving and drumming to the beat.  He also loves to build.  He's started gymnastics but can't wait to play soccer like sister, especially if they play with parachutes.

Genevieve has moved into the Frozen, pink, princess, and My Little Pony stage, but still likes robots, animals and science.  Her fear of bugs that developed this year is odd though, as she's never been afraid of them before.  She's learned to count to 4, and can count 7, 8, 9 but struggles to connect them.  She does know that the last number indicates the number of items though. She's been having fun identifying and trying to write letters like T for Tobias and G for Genevieve and Grandma, while I get to practice working with a lefty.   She knows shapes and colors.  She loves art, and to study family photos and maps.  She likes to draw her own maps, and  has gotten better at staying in the lines while coloring.  She can finish 12 piece puzzles, while last year she would get frustrated with them. I love hearing her tell me about her favorite moons, the ice moons Enceladus and Europa of the gas giants.  She likes to tell me about the food different animals eat, and can identify many animals and dinosaurs.  It's also amazing that she has learned to sit through classes and shows without me there to remind her to behave.  It's harder in active classes like dance and gymnastics, but she knows what to do in music and storytime.