Friday, October 9, 2009

Addy's Birthday Party

This week we have been preparing for Addy's 2nd birthday party!  It is truly amazing to look back across these two years of days that we have known our little bug.  She brings such joy to our lives.  We'll celebrate with a party tomorrow afternoon with chili, vegetable soup, and cupcakes.



We spent this morning together making pumpkin cupcakes for her birthday.  Here is the link for the cupcakes.  (Thank you to Mary for her permission to link to her site.)  The only change I made was to add a little milk to the second batch.  Perhaps it is the altitude here but the milk seemed to lighten the texture up just a bit.  Our first batch was a little dense like pumpkin bread.  The second batch came out more cake like.  They taste great either way!  Addy ate two full cupcakes in a row this morning!

While we worked this morning, we focused a lot on counting and singing.  Addy knows a lot of the number order but often skips numbers along the way and usually starts with two. I reinforced starting with one as we measured and scooped our way through the recipe.  I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup rather than a full cup for the flour and the sugar to provide more opportunities to count.

Lately Addy has been picking up new songs and with them new vocabulary like a little sponge.  I want to take advantage of this by singing to her throughout the day.  Here are our new cooking songs:

(sing to Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we mix the batter, mix the batter, mix the batter
This is the way we mix the batter so early in the morning.

or

(I can't figure out the original song for this one!  I'll let you know as soon as it comes to me.)
slowly, slowly, stir the flour
slowly, slowly stir the flour
slowly, slowly stir the flour
yum, yum, yum, yum, yum

carefully, carefully crack the egg
carefully, carefully crack the egg
carefully, carefully crack the egg
yum yum yum yum yum

Obviously these are both songs that you can easily change the words to fit your situation.  Songs are a great way to help children through transitions ( ie this is the way we put on our shoes . . . ) and to help them keep focused during a project.  What are your favorite kids songs and how do you like to use them?

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