Day One - THE BEGINING

We are starting off gently. Frog spent some time at home with Grandma while I took Diva to her first day of 4th grade.

When I got home, Frog spent some time in his Airwalker while I helped push to make it swing. Every so often, I stopped the swing and opened the material and made a face - different faces for different emotions. We will be working on body parts and facial expressions all fall. Frog initiated a spinning motion. I helped him wind-up in the swing then "whirl" and "twirl" - which came back later in the day with the Dutches Autumn poem from our ENKI nature stories - the leaves whirl and twirl and eddy upwards.

Frog had some free time while I re-viewed the movement videos we will be using: Smart Moves and Auterobics. When he drifted in, I left him alone to preview the videos too. I'm hoping to acclimate him to the music and words on the videos before we try the movements. Later in the day we took a drive and I put the Smart Moves video in and played the first series over and over.

We played a game of Silly Faces. The goal today was primarily to get Frog to stay with me through one round. I did have to help him stay. But, he vocalized his disapproval rather than pinching me so I felt this was a success. He did spin the spinner until we got all the pieces we needed for our face. He didn't pick the pieces, but he patted the sheet with the pieces when I asked "what do we need" or "where are the eyes", etc., and he patted the face we were making when I asked where does the nose, or mouth, or ears go.



Our story was Dutches Autumn. It was not his favorite, but this was the first time we read it. I'm hoping that as it becomes more familiar and it ties in with other things we are doing, he will settle into it.

Frog indicated he wanted to "go" by taking me to the garage. We took a drive to a neighboring city and went to a park where we could feed the ducks. Frog was a bit overwhelmed when the ducks spotted us and our bag of bread. 18+ ducks came waddling out of the pond and surrounded us. I asked Frog if the ducks talk too much and he clapped (yes).



We left the ducks and headed for the playground. There were 2 to 8 other boys there at any given time. Frog stayed on the playground. He spent most of his time running around or playing with the wood chips, but he also watched the other boys playing. When the playground got quiet, Frog ventured onto the play structure. When the other boys returned Frog stayed up there with them. He tried several times to go down the twisty slide, but lost his nerve. He was able to back out of it and get passed the other kids without pinching, biting, or screaming.



Back at home, we went out to pick apples. I put Frog on my shoulders and took him and a bucket to our trees. I showed him an apple, said "pick the apple" then picked one and put it in the bucket. The next apple he touched but wouldn't grasp. I picked the apple and he took it from me and put it in the bucket. The next time he choose the apple, I picked it and he put it in the bucket. The last apple he choose, picked and put in the bucket. He watched me wash, peel and chop one of the apples. I put them on the stove to make apple sauce. He came back to the pan when he saw the steam. He tried several times to get his hand in the pan, but was told "No, HOT!" and removed his hand.

After apple picking, Frog took himself to the trampoline and climbed in without assistance. I went out and zipped him in and watched and commented for awhile. I told him I was going inside for a few minutes. He continued to jump until he'd had enough. He unzipped the enclosure and got himself out without assistance.

We will continue similar activities tomorrow including harvesting our three small squash that we grew in our tiny garden.