Penguins

Today we started penguins!  We read a couple books about them and compared how big the biggest penguin, the Emperor Penguin, is compared to Gavin.  So we measured and weighed Gavin and then Gavin measured his stuffed penguin.

Austin did a penguin matching game.  He did a great job and loved it!  I did two matches for him to show him what to do and then he took over.  He played several 'games'.

Gavin drew a penguin.

Here's the final product...complete with icebergs.

Then, while Austin was napping this afternoon, Gavin did a puzzle.

When Austin woke up we made penguins from a paper plate.

After I took their picture with the penguins Gavin wanted a picture with just his brother.

Here are the books we read today.

This book had wonderful pictures!

We also read some penguin poems.  Our favorite was this one:

The Polite Penguins by Adelaide Love

Penguins are very polite, you know.

They live where it's usually forty below

And there's nothing but wind and ice and snow.

But the penguins are very polite.

Whenever a vessel comes to explore

The land that few people have seen before,

The penguins all rush down to the shore.

Oh, the penguins are very polite!

In the black and white suits they always wear,

They stand with a dignified elegant air

And welcome the men with a friendly stare.

The penguins are very polite.

If they could, they would all say: "How do you do?"

And: "How does this climate agree with you?"

Or: "The sun will rise n a month or two."

Oh, the penguins are very polite!

More Water Birds

This morning when I told Austin it was time to get dressed he marched into his room, opened his pajama drawer and pulled out his Elmo pajamas he got yesterday...so today he wore his Elmo pajamas (which claimed to be 2T but barely fit over his big stomach now).

Today we learned about ducks and geese.  We read some good books (two were old favorites of Gavin's) and then did a duck craft.  The craft was more for Austin, it was way too easy for Gavin.

Gavin played lots of soccer today.

Austin liked Duck on a Bike but it's a little long for him still.  I think Gavin was three when he really liked this book.  It's a good story and has wonderful pictures!

Only three chapters left in Mr. Popper's Penguins.  Austin was nice enough to add decoration in crayon to the cover today.  He will color on anything and he's figured out how to get into the art closet and get out the crayons and how to get them out of their container.



Flamingos!

I think Austin has a new favorite bird.  Up until now his favorite bird has been a goose, but today we learned about water wading birds with a focus on the flamingo (because we already had a book about flamingos!).  Austin has been looking at the flamingo book and talking about 'mingos' all afternoon!

Before we got started we had the United States playing England in our living room.  The U.S. won for course.  I thought it was funny because Gavin had his players set up exactly in the positions they play in his games.

After we read our books about flamingos and water waders, Gavin did a flamingo color-by-number.

Then for the fun stuff, we added feathers to a flamingo shape.  Gavin colored the beaks and eyes on them and then they both added feathers.  Austin loves crafts with feathers!

Then we watched a video on youtube about flamingos and one about pelicans.

Here are their flamingos!

Then it was time for the United States to practice.

Austin loves to color.  The strange thing is he didn't like the regular fat toddler crayons so I got these Crayola Twistables...he loves these things and they don't break which is great.  He colors a lot during the day and is making really pretty pictures.

Here are the books we read from today.

We finished our Burgess Bird Book so we started Mr. Popper's Penguins yesterday.  We are already halfway through it!  Gavin thinks it's hilarious!  We will start penguins next week but we will be finished with this book by then...I guess I should have waited.

Dad read Horton Hatches an Egg to Gavin this morning.

We finished Peter Rabbit and will start Reddy Fox (by the same author, Thornton Burgess) tonight.


And, this message is for Grandma Sue.  Apparently Austin has found memories of watching Elmo at your house because we happened to be walking through Wal-Mart today to get dog and cat food, when we walked past a convenient display of pajamas, one of which had Elmo on it.  Austin pointed to them started screaming, "Melmo, Melmo".  And so we came home with dog food, cat food and Elmo pajamas.