Dinosaur Tot School - week 1

I began dinosaur tot school this week with little Tot. He loved it...but he would love any 'school' I did with him :) 

This week was a lot of fun. We only did 3 days this week and here's what we did:

Day 1

 Here's his setup he wakes up to in the morning. We start the day always by reading one or more of the books.

 This little man is CRAZY about letters!  He is always spelling his name, my name and daddy's name....he hasn't gotten the brothers' down yet.  So I knew he'd love to spell dinosaur!

 Here were are making a dinosaur sticker book.

 Some practical life skills - mixing pancake batter - he did very good and was well supervised by the brothers!

 He always loves these kind of coloring books...

I liked this one ' to his nose, to his tail' :)

And now washing our dinosaurs (the middle tray above)...what started out as some shaving cream and rinse water...

 morphed a few times... (mud bath)...

 ..then making muddier cleaning them with our old toothbrushes..

 ...and finally a rinse in the mud bucket.  They spent so long doing this...such boy fun!

 Rex wanted me to play 'hide the dinosaur' (kind of like finding Easter eggs).  He and I probably played for 30 minutes, then he and Captain took turns for another 30!  Who would've thought it'd be so much fun!

 Tot didn't stop washing/mudding/rinsing...

 until he remembered his favorite view from the clubhouse!

 Oh, and cleaning up the equipment was also very enjoyable!

Day 2

setup

 Little man finding all the capital D's...

 Shadow matching

 Listening to an old school favorite here "Wee sing and learn dinosaurs"

 graphing dinosaurs (a favorite with Rex, Tot just dotted the dinosaurs)

 Day 3

setup

 Ok - the last tray was so much fun! I can't take credit for it.  I found it on someone's blog but can't remember, so I can't give her credit :(  But....I made dinosaur feet for Tot (and then of course some big boys) and made the towers below.  I'd call out a letter and he'd have to go (like a big dinosaur of course) and kick over the correct tower!

 For some reason he would sit down everytime I called the letter, then kick!  I'm not sure why he thought dinosaurs should be sitting down! Eventually Captain was making the towers and I think Tot was standing and kicking at that point!

 stamping dinosaur words - He's so cute how excited he gets to see something spelled! He loves making the connection of what letters spell what words!

Whew!!  Much more to come next week!  Tot can't wait to see all his grandparents this weekend! Yeah!

First Reconciliation!....already!

How is my sweet Captain getting so old?  Wasn't he just born?  He's turning out to be such a wonderful little man and I'm so proud of him.  I can't believe I'm even writing that he's received his First Reconciliation!  I find a hard time finding words to express what I felt the moment he was first in the confessional...

 after his first penance...

Proud, proud mama!

opening some of his presents from his teacher and a sweet little lady prayer partner whom we've never met.  He was the only one to receive one from this 'prayer partner'! He was very excited! 

They held a pizza party for them :)

Here he is putting the finishing touches on his Confession lapbook (purchased at www.catholicfilefolders.com - they have a ton of beautiful ones for all the sacraments and more).  He finished the little First Memories book. My favorite - one statement said "After my first confession I felt..." and he put "like there was the biggest party going on in my heart"!!!! He kept saying that for the whole first day! So sweet.  He loves it and wants to go every week (how I pray for that grace to continue!)!

I made him his first brown scapular.  I've never made one before, but Shower of Roses posted these beautiful handmade ones on etsy and I thought "I can do that!" :)  I had all of the materials that I bought 12 years ago when I was in college to make for them missions....ummm...that never happened.  It turned out nicely - he loved it!  He's going to be enrolled on Friday by Fr. W...We read the whole story (which I learned a lot too) and I fell more in love with my scapular!

Have a wonderful, warm, beautiful spring week! yeah!