Celebrating with our small group who we were privileged enough to walk through the process with:
To read the original post from two years ago, click here:
Setting the pumpkin on the kitchen scale (good discussion on pounds and ounces!)
Measuring the pumpkin (another good discussion on feet and inches)
Using a tape measure to check the circumference (we discussed what that word meant) and they are always so ready to smile for the camera!
Our completed graph:
Then we were on to the next pumpkin activity! I gave the boys a few drops of red and yellow finger paint on a paper plate (hadn't intended for this to be a color mixing activity but I had no orange finger paint - so bonus skill!) and they mixed them together to cover the whole plate.
Once the plates dried we traced and cut out different shapes to glue on for the eyes, nose, and mouth:
The one on the left would of course be my artist husband's, followed by mine, John's (whose idea it was to add the stem on the front), and Ryan's who wanted to make his pumpkin have ears like a bunny, hence the two stems! Lots of math and creative skills with this fun activity!
The finished product:
The this idea came from a list of classroom sensory bottle ideas (if anyone is interested in a copy of the list, let me know or leave your email and I'll send you a copy!). In each bottle add water, a couple drops of dish soap, and food coloring - then shake for suds. The boys LOVE them!! And insisted i make a white bottle too:
and the Fierce Knight:
I have some number mats from when I taught preschool. They contain from 4 to 6 numbers and range from easy (1-4) to more challenging (includes numbers up to 12). Then I give the boys counters, which can be anything from plastic beads to fun food items (we used goldfish, mini marshmallows, fruit loops, and chocolate chips). They must count and place the correct number of counters in each square before enjoying their yummy snack. The boys LOVED this activity and asked to do it a second time when they finished. This activity works on counting, one to one correspondence, and number identification (sorry, the teacher in me needs to add all the skills they were working on as they had fun and didn't even realize it!)
Hope you have as much fun as we did!
And not to be outdone by his brother, also a "posing" picture:
Coming out the front door:
Waiting for two school buses:
Here comes Ryan's bus!
We have the same bus drivers again this year - yeah!
And though it's hard to see, there's a little face looking out through the window at me saying good bye!
I thank You Lord that Ryan has the opportunity to be in this preschool program again this year and I praise You for the wonderful staff who will work with him. I ask that you would grow his confidence, his ability to understand, call up, and use this crazy English language, and his smile (if that's possible!). I thank You that Your plans for him are also for good, to prosper him and not to harm him. I thank You that You will never leave or forsake him. Watch over him and keep him and his happy soul in the palm of Your hand. 
(do you kind of get the sense he loves posing for the camera?)
Coming out the front door to wait for the bus:
Waiting for the bus:
Here comes the bus: (yes, I do document everything!)
Getting on the bus:
and driving away:
Please watch over my child Lord as he goes into a new world of wonder and excitement and hurt and discovery and disappointment and imagination. Thank You Lord that Your plans for him are good, to prosper him and not to harm him. Thank you Lord that you will never leave him nor forsake him. Please watch over him and his heart and keep him in the palm of your hand. May he grow and learn and continue to be filled with joy and wonder at this world and all Your blessings! 
Incidentally, now that the boys have been home 18 months - the time frame our international agency America World requires parents adopting children over the age of three to wait - we can think about starting the process over again!! Hmmmm . . . . .
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