Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2011 May 8

Yesterday we went to a birthday party where the kids got to ride a camel, play on the bouncy slide, and take home a set of tiny animals/dinosaurs that Kerri picked out just for them, and which they LOVE.

Growing up my mom had a little seat that she called a camel saddle. I always wondered how it could possibly fit over a camel as a saddle. And now I know. Riding a camel with Dalton isn't easy. There were no seatbelts and really nothing to hold onto. Dalton started complaining that he was swinging back and forth and finally I had to grip the saddle with one hand and hold him with the other. Still, it's not every day you get to ride a camel.

I recently bought this summer program to use for home preschool activities for Maggie. We started this week and did lots of activities, some from the book and some I've just been meaning to do with her. Here are a few of the things we did.

Homemade bubbles and bubble wands
Cut letters from magazines and use them to spell words
Use counters to practice basic addition and subtraction
Make letters from playdough and spell names and words
Write in a daily journal (she draws a picture and then tells me what to write and she traces over my letters)
Make a family tree ("I did bad letters for your parents because your grandparents are dead.")
Water and ice sensory box
Word bingo
Build structures using gum drops and toothpicks/skewers. I took pictures of this, but the gum drops were pretty soft so it wasn't a fabulous activity.

We also played some hopscotch. More on this soon!

I got sweet little cards and flowers for Mother's Day.

On the way out the door:
Maggie: I'm going to buy you flowers, Mommy!
...
John: Surprise!

When making the cards:
John: Let's write three reasons you love Mommy.
Maggie: I don't love Mommy. She's mean to me. She gives me time outs.