Grandfather Tang's Story

 I put Boogs' toy storage unit together and now I just need to get it organized. Boogs was helping me unpack some of his toys, when he came across a package of tangrams. It is funny how new his toys seem since they have been in storage for 7 months. He has definitely outgrown a few things. I want to start a "donate" pile, but I can't do that while he is around. Anyway... back to the tangrams. Boogs asked what they were and how they work. I remembered that I had a book with "Grandfather Tang's Story" in it. So I got it out and we read it together. In the story, the grandfather creates many different animals with the tangrams. Each page shows how to make the animal on that page. Boogs was fascinated with being able to make so many different animals with only 7 shapes.

Two foxes

A hawk and a turtle

After the story, we played with the tangrams and made up our own animals and objects. Boogs asked if he could make an animal and make it stay. So I cut the seven shapes out of paper for him. I told him we could glue the shapes on another piece of paper and write down what he had created. He played with the paper shapes, but decided he really needed to think about it before he made it "unchangeable" with glueing it down.

Book: Wallace's Lists

We read a cute book, Wallace's Lists by Barbara Bottner and Gerald Kruglik, about a mouse who can't do anything without writing a list. By then end of the book, the mouse was able to have an adventure without a list. This book got Boogs and I talking about lists and why people write them. He said, "Lists are good so people don't forget things like on a grocery list." Then I asked Boogs if he would like to make a list about anything. He said he would if I wrote it for him. Here are three lists that he made.

Things I Wouldn't Do:
*Pull a cat's tail.
*Break a glass.
*Take away a baby sister's toy or take candy from a baby.
*Harm a baby
*I would never eat poison ivy or cactus or onions.
*Break a trophy

Things I Would Do:
*Play Bakugan
*Not break anything
*Not harm Tribot (his remote controlled robot)
*Go on an adventure like going through a wall (We recently read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe)
*Go to where humans turn into monkeys like Curious George

Things I Like About Myself:
*I am funny
*I can make funny voices and sounds
*I am smart about Science

We will read this book again before it goes back to the library. I wonder what other lists Boogs will want to make.

Books on Tape

      We have been listening to books on tape in the car. Boogs really enjoyed the Magic Treehouse series. We have checked out and listened to all of the Magic Treehouse stories that our library has. I am surprised at how much information Boogs recalls from the stories. We were drawing and writing on pieces of construction paper the other day when Boogs said, “You know, back in Roman times they didn’t really have books. They just used tree bark and that was very hard to write on. I am glad I have real paper.”

     We are currently listening to The Boxcar Children. Each story has a mystery for the characters to solve. Boogs frequently yells from the backseat, “Freeze the sound. I just heard a clue that will solve the mystery.” He is super excited about solving things and using clues.

     If anyone has suggestions for other good books on tape series, I would appreciate you leaving them in the comment section.