Monday, June 29, 2009

Graduation

Ethan is now a preschool graduate. On the 19th June, Little Beaumont had their end of the year talent show and graduation. I can't believe my child has graduated. He starts the French School in September. Before you know it, he'll be bringing girls over to the house. lol

Ethan's "talent" for the show, was a Superman dance. He then donned his graduation cap, received his certificate and a T-shirt with the class photo on it.





Sequencing

I love Jenny! She's has to be the greatest teacher ever. However, there are times, I'd like her to stop teaching Ethan. He not only grasps what she teaches, he decides to use it, over and over and over and over again. The newest lesson, sequencing.

It started really simply. Ethan was given a set of 3 directions. First do this, after that do this, and finally do that. Ethan was learning to put things in order, and learning that something always happens after something else. And, Ethan being Ethan, took things one step further.....

Here's a conversation Ethan and I had one morning as we were walking down the stairs at 630am.

"Mommy, where we going?"

"We're going downstairs for breakfast."

"And after breakfast is......?"

"After breakfast we'll changed for school."

"And after getting changed for school is....."

(This is the umpteenth time we've had this conversation, so I now limit my answers to 4 words of less)

"Brush your teeth time."

"And after brush your teeth time...."

"Going to school time"

"And after going to school time is..."

"Home time."

"And after home time?"

"Eat your lunch time."

"And after eat your lunch time is......?"

"Today you'll go to Georgie's to play."

"And after Georgie's is?"

"Home time."

"And after home time is....."

"Dinner time."

"And after dinner time is...."

"Bath time."

"And after bath time is..."

"Brush your teeth time."

"and after brush my teeth time is?"

"Pajama time."

"And after pajama time is....."

"Story time."

"And after story time is...."

"Bed time"

"And after bed time...."

"Go to sleep time"

"And after go to sleep time is"

"Good morning sun."

"And after good morning sun is...."

"We start all over again"

"And after we start all over again?"

"I don't know Ethan, what's after that?"

"We start all over again, and again, and again"

Now, can I point out we then have a repeat of this conversation on the way to school and on the way home from school, and at random times during the day! Oh, and if Ethan doesn't like the order of things, he'll correct you, as he did a couple of Saturdays ago.

"No Mommy, first we go Imaan's house, then Maa's house and then we go home!" (There was no Imaan's house in my answers)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Ghosts

At school, there is a song about ghosts. Jenny has 4 ghosts costumes in different colours (red, white, blue and green), and 4 children would dress up in them. A song would be sung, and they'd come out. After a series of questions, the children guess who is the ghost.



At first Ethan was terrified. He'd often tell me about the ghosts at school and how he was scared. It took awhile before I realised what he was talking about, and was told by Waheeda and Jenny, that he would hide behind one of them, whenever the song would be sung. Then began the fascination. Ethan wanted to be a ghost, but as soon as he was given the costume, he'd get a look of terror in his eyes, and throw it away. I once agreed to go with him, in his costume, and that made it easier. And that began the month long ghost conversations.



Everyday, on our way to school, Ethan would sing:

"Four coloured ghosts,

Four coloured ghosts,

Four coloured ghosts....

Floating in the air.

Whoooooo"



Oh wait it doesn't end there.



"Mommy, choose a ghost."



"Red one Ethan."



"Red ghost, are you a boy, a girl, Spiderman, banana-chichi? A boy! Who is it? Ethan! Ethan! Ethan! Give it to someone. Give it to someone. How many ghosts now? Three"



And so Ethan continues. All the way down to the last ghost. And if we haven't reached school yet, then he'd continue with the second group of children. But I have to say, Ethan was always fair. He made sure everyone got a chance to be a ghost. It just drove me crazy!