We decided to have a stab at making  jam with the strawberries and Isaac really enjoyed himself.

First we hulled and weighed out 1kg of strawberries.

We then squeezed the juice of a lemon into the pan.

Mummy then softened them over the heat for a few minutes before Isaac added a whole 1kg bag of jam sugar!!

The mixture boiled away for 6 or so minutes and was then left to cool. After removing the film we spooned it into jars before delivering it to some very happy neighbours!!

We’ve mostly played outside and been on day trips… Isaac is a totally outdoors boy.. there’s no keeping him in on a sunny day!

He’s been riding his bike confidently without stabilisers since just before half term.. so about a month now (so proud!)

We’ve been playing in the woods with all his friends….

Lots of water play has been happening!!

We’ve enjoyed watching our painted lady butterflies turn from tiny 1cm long caterpillars into big fat ones then into chrysalides and finally into butterflies…

And today Isaac was thrilled to release them into the garden…

Waving bye bye to the butterflies at the end there!!

As Isaac is off to school in September full time I’m hoping to do some more formal stuff over the summer to get him ready.. starting with these cool numbers which are right up his street

]]> http://isaacjklm.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/hot-summer-days/feed/ 0 isaacjklm 2010_0605august0130 2010_0622august0008 2010_0622august0021 2010_0622august0026 2010_0629august0005 2010_0629august0006 2010_0629august0007 2010_0629august0008 http://isaacjklm.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/300/ http://isaacjklm.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/300/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 08:46:41 +0000 isaacjklm http://isaacjklm.wordpress.com/?p=300 ]]>

It seems my son has been really enjoying interactive books this week. We picked this book up at an Usborne stall at a garden party last weekend and Isaac has really enjoyed it. The “flip flap” title refers to the fact that there are flaps UNDER flaps or should that be flips under flaps…. or flaps under flips ?? Anyways, its a riot for little fingers and inquisitive minds. My sons fave page shows the history of cars complete with a little fold out driving manual from years ago! Too cute and also very informative! Big mummy thumbs up!

Isaac’s preschool theme this term is Global Garden and he’s been loving reading this book there so mummy decided to buy him his own copy. Its really a lovely book which encourages lots and lots of participation with flaps and slidey bits (technical term I’m sure!) and pop outs. It’s a lovely light hearted introduction to where all the things around us come from, but a little short on detail.

Isaac received this book from a neighbour whose daughter has outgrown it and has really been enjoying it. Its a really cute tale and a perfect wind down for before bed with stunning  illustrations from Debi Gliori.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here of late so structured learning has hardly featured in our busy schedule of water fights, nature walks and scootering round the neighbourhood…

Today its a little cooler so we attempted to make some bubble pictures outdoors. I have seen some great effects achieved with this method so I went ahead and mixed water with paint and washing up liquid and had Isaac blow some big bubbles….. however it was a bit of a flop!!

I think maybe the container was too big… or we hadn’t enough mixture.. and the paper started to fly away everywhere!!

Oh dear… tips for next time anyone??

After that we decided to play an alphabet/search race!! I got out his Charlie and Lola wooden letters and hid three.. then told him to run find a certain one. He decided to scooter after it but he found it great fun and we continued for about 20 letters worth!!! Great practice for letter recognition and backward counting skills as I counted back from ten when he found it to race him back to the boox!!

Racing back to mummy with the letter in his grasp!!

My camera is not syncing with the computer properly right now so this post might be picture less for now but I just wanted to write about the fact that Isaac’s preschool topic this spring is Global Garden. He’s been watching chicks hatch and doing the school garden so we have begun extending this at home by getting back to nature!!

Yesterday we went on a nature walk and noted and collected all kinds of goodies for our nature table. When we got home we finally  completed something I’d been meaning to do with him for a while: we made a simple wormery! Isaac really enjoyed finding the wriggly guys and was more comfortable by the end in getting to know bugs!!

Today we have made a butterfly bar!! We simmered a solution of mashed banana, dark brown unrefined cane sugar and water and spread it on a paper plate which we then attached to a low tree branch with wool. Butterfly watch has started!!

We have some tomato plants growing indoors (there’s still come early morning frosts!) and some seeds to plant outdoors and Isaac is loving it all!! He’s such an outdoors boy!!

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME : Isaac Lawler Moseley Joshua Kai Lawler Moseley
2. WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: 19th March, 24th of March, the 28th
3. HOW OLD ARE YOU: 3
4. WHO IS YOUR MUMMY: You
5. WHAT DOES YOUR MUMMY DO: Err.. love me and make me food
6. WHO IS YOUR DADDY: Jason
7. WHAT DOES DADDY DO: Cook popcorn
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR: Green
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG: JLS Heart won’t beat and heartbreakers
10. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE A GROWN UP: Do building
11. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU GROW UP: At Spain
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD: Macaroni
13. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE FOOD: I don’t like carrots
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL: Giraffes
15. WHAT DOES MUMMY DO WHEN YOU GO TO BED: Kiss goodnight and have a story then goes downstairs to watch the news
16. WHO DOES OUR FAMILY LOVE THE MOST: Isaac
17. WHERE DO WE GO TO CHURCH: Sister Jean
18. WHY DO WE GO TO CHURCH: To pray about Jesus
19. WHAT IS YUR FAVOURITE MOVIE: I like the other Narnia
20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR: Blackcurrant
21. WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO EAT: On the table. On picnic.
22. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE PERSON: Mummy
23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND: Jack
24. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK: Big Machines
25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO: Play cars and make an army

I followed the instructions given in this post and Isaac thought it was great!!

Here it comes!!!……….

I think next time I need to make my mountain look more authentic (we only had white dough!) and definitely add more bicarb for a more spectacular effect!!

Well we got a few new Usborne books this week and they have all been instant hits. The one he enjoys most is The Big Book of Big Machines. This is a must for any little vehicle fan like mine!!

There are lovely sturdy fold out pages with huge colourful photos of vehicles and lots of facts as well!

Isaac has been quite interested in volcanoes lately and so the second book we’ve read a lot of is

Some of the way it is written is still a little over Isaac’s head but he loves the photos and when I paraphrase the information.

The last book we have read a lot of is about elephants as Isaac has shown an interest in those also! Its written in a lovely story-like style but also very informative. Its got some really interesting facts and Isaac loved the illustrations!

First off he went round the house with my help collecting lots of things that begun with the t sound.. he was so excited to do that and he ended up with loads…. everything from tow truck to toilet tissue!!!

He then did dome printing of the letter t with a stamper before tracing the letter t with glue and sticking turtles on!

Check out the look of intense concentration hahahah!!

He then wanted to do some painting so mummy drew a (very poor!) train with a number two and he painted really nicely!

Isaac then wanted to make an army tank!! He’s been wanting to for a while so I conceded as it is a tttttt word!!!

Its covered in paper and waiting to be painted with daddy tonight but here it is in the early stages!!

Well haven’t times changed. I wouldnt say we’ve done an utter 180 but I no longer have a little boy who won’t look twice at anything that doesn’t have wheels!!! Its so exciting, not to mention refreshing!!

So yesterday we did lots of different activities including the most suprising of all; jigsaws!! Isaac has never been a fan of jigsaws even if I got really lovely vehicle ones!! But yesterday he sat with me for ages and completed lots of little animal puzzles, a police car and two twelve piece puzzles which is a really big achievement for him! I was so proud!!!

Next up we did some naming of foam shapes and then some sticking with them

He then decided that doing activities has to always include pouring water so i got some jugs etc to pour… seeing as I was hoping to work on fine motor skills I also got a small box of raisins and some chopstick style crab tongs!!! Voila.. Isaac uses them to transfer the raisins…. all be it into the water!!

Isaac then decided he wanted to do some letter tracing which is a really new thing for him to want to do. He traced lots of letters on wipeable phonics cards really well! He then traced his name on the white board and mummy was totally proud of how carefully he tried to do it and how it turned out!!