Hide-and-Seek -- ABC Style

I found another idea over at Teach Mama -- ABC Hide-And-Seek. Keely LOVES to play hide-and-seek. Honestly though, I'm not a huge fan. I'll help the girls hide when Jacob seeks, but I normally try to get them to do any activity if I'm the only one around or Jacob doesn't want to play. It's also a good activity to get the girls moving and learning, but I don't have to actively do too much -- like when I haven't been feeling well this past week. We have ABC flash cards with letters on one side and a corresponding picture on the other. I would hand each girl a card and tell them which room to hide them in until all of the cards had been hidden. When all of the cards were hidden then they would run around and find the cards.

The girls looking for cards in Keely's room.

Running out of the room to go search another room.

After searching for all of the cards, we had to count the cards of course! Every time we played we had to go look for a few missing cards! They were normally underneath covers!

Keely counting her cards.

Jordan laying out her cards and counting. Jordan preferred to look at the picture side of the cards rather than the letter side.

After we had all of the cards, we put them in alphabetical order! The girls loved playing and I only had to get out of the chair to help find the missing cards. Not too bad for active little girls!

Library Trip

Keely loves to read and loves to go to the library. We only got to go to the library once in Hong Kong, but have already gone three times here! It does help that it is just a 10 minute walk from our apartment! We are very blessed because it has a full floor of English Children's books. Now they are organized in a bit of a confusing manner, but we can overcome that! They have a reading room with the extra large classroom type books, and Jacob will read to the girls while I scout out books for them to choose. Then I'll show the girls where the books are that they enjoy and they get to choose five each. Between Jacob and I we get to check out ten books. Last time we discovered a new series that Keely really enjoys -- DW from the Arthur series (Arthur's little sister). And of course Keely chooses at least one from one of her favorite series: Franklin, Berenstain Bears or Froggy. For Jordan I try to find as many Elmo books as possible! I really scored with an Elmo book about Babies! Jordan's two favorite things!!

It's a big discussion on who gets to sit in the stroller to and from the library -- because they want to read the books during the journey and that's hard to do standing on the back!

Outside the library there were some tables set up selling books. Jordan was checking things out as we walked by.

(And of course we have to use Keely's old library book pouch from school last year to hold our books!) (that's what Jordan is carrying)

There is a McDonald's down the street from the library and Keely requested lunch at Chicken Donald's (her name for McDonald's) after the library. While we waited for Jacob to bring our food, of course we had to read our books. The Elmo Baby book had flaps and Jordan thought the pictures under the flaps were hilarious.

Keely has decided we can move anywhere as long as there is a library!

Our Pick: Angelina Ballerina

Angelina Ballerina

Last year I read in a magazine about Angelina Ballerina starting to air on PBS. It sounded like something Keely would be interested, but when we were in the States last fall it wasn't on our channel. Then it came on Disney Playhouse in Hong Kong right before we left and I recorded all of the new episodes. The girls watched it every day for at least 6 weeks. (We get to bring in other shows now). The girls will dance to the intro and you will often see Keely do a dance step she has learned from the show. One of her favorites is an Irish dance step. Recently we found a Dress Up With Angelina app for the IPod. We haven't had it very long, but the girls have played it over and over. If you are in our home you may hear something about Angelina or you may see some type of dance move -- maybe even off of a stair step or escalator!

Makes Me Smile

Blast From The Past: February 2009

Makes Me Smile

Our Pick: Family Movie Time

Family Movie Time

We have been really tired on the weekends -- all of us. By Friday and Saturday everyone needs a little vegging. With that in mind, if you were to drop by on an afternoon on the weekends you may find us having a family movie time.

Blast From The Past: January 2009

I was working on some projects and was going through some old pictures and I found some that just took me right back to the past! I'm working on some projects this week so I'll probably be sharing a few Blast From The Past and Makes Me Smile posts. We are still working on a few things around our apartment and then maybe we'll soon have some pictures up!

Typhoon Fanapi

A typhoon hit Taiwan yesterday- Typhoon Fanapi. It hit the central part of the island at a Category 3. We just got rain and wind here in Taipei, and we just stayed inside. However a good portion of the island got a lot more rain and wind and were affected a lot more. Just wanted to let everyone know we are fine and to remember those affected. It did weaken to a Category 1 as it crossed the island. It is expected to hit China sometime today and looks like it may effect Hong Kong as well.

Makes Me Smile

Makes Me Smile

Our Pick: Tozzle IPod Game

I've been thinking about some things we have been enjoying and that I'd like to share... so I decided to start a new category. Our Pick will be activities or items that we are enjoying right now. My girls go in phases and those phases seem to define us for that time period -- so we'll be sharing a little bit of what you would find if you were to visit our home for a day.

Tozzle - Toddler's Favorite Puzzle

We have had Tozzle Lite for over a year now. I looked to see what the full version offered and it seems that at that time there were only 6 games and I just never bought it. We saw some friends a few months ago and they had the full version of Tozzle and they enjoyed it so I looked it up again. Now it has 33 puzzles! I see both girls play this quite a bit!

The puzzles are pictures with darkened areas where the "pieces" are missing. Then each piece appears one at a time in the upper right hand corner. You use your finger to move it to the correct darkened area. The pieces make sounds as you place them.

There are several puzzles with just pictures as well as several with letters. What is great for a child Jordan's age is that on the third attempt to find the right spot as they get near the right spot a arrow will appear for them to see where to put it.

A couple puzzles also include numbers.

This game gets a lot of use and both girls really like it. When Jordan plays she likes to play the same puzzle over and over! You might also hear her ask Jacob, Keely or myself to help her too sometimes with one of the more difficult puzzles. Keely of course switches up what puzzles she does!

Makes Me Smile

The Birthday Party

On the Saturday after Keely's birthday we had her birthday party. She helped decide that it would be a monkey theme. The monkeys she's holding here were her invitations. She personally took each family's invitation to them. We planned monkey games (though the kids were more interested in just playing) and had monkey cupcakes. There were even monkeys on the buffet with the snacks but I forgot to get a picture before they were taken to play with.

One of my girls (I think Keely) brought a stool over to the buffet early on so the kids would stand on it and look longingly at the grapes until an adult would fill a cup grapes for them.

The monkey cupcakes.

Pin the tail on the monkey.

As we sang Happy Birthday.

Blowing out the candles.

Keely loves to play with the kids in our building and loves to play outside! So I wasn't surprised near the end of the party when Keely asked if they go play outside. Keely played on her scooter awhile.

One of the little girls decided to climb onto the car Jordan was driving on. At one point Jordan was going in circles in the car while the little girl hung on -- I'm not sure if she was trying to fling her off or what she was doing (though I hope that wasn't what she was trying to do!)

Keely's Birthday

We spread out celebrating Keely's birthday over a few days. Each day we were "celebrating," I also spread out the gifts and surprises because I just thought that was fun! HA! Below are some pictures of two of our days of celebration: her actual birthday (last Wed) and then last Friday when Jacob got home.

Keely reading her card from Aunt SuSu and Uncle Frosty

Opening her birthstone necklace that she has worn every day since then!
(Jordan got one too and she too has worn hers every day! Keely also commented that she wished she had had one when she was Jordan's age! HA!)

Reading her princess card from Mimi and Papa
(My plan had been to spread the gifts out more...like after school open the ones from my parents but once she started opening gifts she just couldn't stop! I forgot what it was like to be a 4-year-old!)

Keely's dolls from Mimi and Papa

On Friday, Keely got her gifts from us. First was a camera that also plays two games. Here she is playing the games before school.

Jordan also got a camera, but it doesn't actually work! It plays music and flashes lights. She had to be like sister and play with her camera in the other chair before school too.

After nap time, Keely opened her scooter. She had wanted a princess one, but it's Strawberry Shortcake. Shortly after she opened it she told me, "It's okay it's not princess!" She has enjoyed riding it around outside in the courtyard!

First Day (and week) of School

Last Monday was the first day of school. Before we moved, we mentioned that the plan was to put Keely in a public Chinese pre-K. When we arrived, we found out that the planned on school was full. We went on to plan B and checked out a like-minded pre-school. When we visited things looked good with Keely, but they weren't sure about Jordan. We originally thought that they took 2-year-olds. However, after we visited with them we found out they really try to only take 3-year-olds or older 2-year-olds. They did want to meet Jordan and observe her a little so we went a different day so the girls could get a feel for the school and they could meet the girls. I expressed my concern that maybe Jordan was too young to the lead teacher. We were participating with the older class, but they had to help Jordan a lot during the craft and I just didn't want them to have to devote so much time to just her due to her age. The lead teacher assured me that she seemed to be doing well and passed the two things they were looking for 1) if she communicated well and 2) if she followed directions. She told me to let her try out the first week and we'd decide after that. We arrived the first day with that idea in mind to find out that they hadn't planned for Jordan. She didn't have a name tag, place for her shoes or place for her backpack. I questioned if she was really too young and the lead teacher told me that they normally didn't take 2-year-olds but they wanted to minister to us and wouldn't know if things would work out until they observed her through the trail week. She said it in a tone that I was the one who had decided to not send her. I was really confused as to if the incident was an indirect way of telling me they would rather her not attend or if she really got the idea that I wasn't planning on sending Jordan. We had hyped it up so I decided to let her try it out. I did get discouraged the first hour while we stayed to see how they did when she had trouble going to the restroom because they were suppose to put on special bathroom slippers that were way too big and then she yelled at a teacher who tried to help her. At that point I was ready to pick her up and go home. But then I knew she would scream the whole way home and then how was I going to go to language next week with her home! As my friend and I kept inching farther away from the class and observed farther away, she seemed to do better and better. It appeared each morning when I would pick her up that things were going fairly well. It was mentioned to me a couple times that they needed to get use to how they do things, but that sounded reasonable to me. She also mentioned that Jordan still needed to work on her language and communication skills, but I also agreed! She is two and sometimes she does scream when she isn't be understood! She does apology quickly after though! On Friday the teacher told me Jordan could continue to attend because she felt it was good for them both to be together and helped the transition. She also commented that Jordan tried repeated the Chinese they spoke to her and they seemed impressed. This morning at pick-up we were told that it was a good day in a surprised tone! It appeared that they were working on numbers and we could hear both girls repeating them when we arrived. There is another little boy that is attending that is friends with the girls. Before school started Keely seemed set on only playing with the little boy and Jordan and none of the other kids. However, after the first day she appeared to be surprised she enjoyed school and that some of the kids were nice and played with her. It appears she interacting a little with the other kids. We will see how it continues to go!

Keely's new model pose before leaving for school

Jordan all ready to go and excited about school

It was sprinkling when we went outside as we waited for our friends, so the girls insisted on using their umbrellas. It quit as we were leaving but Jordan still insisted on using your umbrella!

Jordan walked all the way to school with her umbrella. (It's just a few minutes away from our apartment). After school the next two days it poured and again Jordan insisted on holding her own umbrella! It was an adventure keeping the kids and their umbrellas under control on the way home!

Makes Me Smile

Makes Me Smile

Makes Me Smile

Happy 4th Birthday Keely!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, May God Bless You.
Mmmah, mmmah, mmmah, mmmah
(that was me blowing 4 kisses to the birthday girl!)
We love you Keely, Happy Birthday!