Ho Ho Ho! More "Joint Action Routine" Action

Here it is on Friday night and what am I doing?  I guess it's a bit obvious.

I love my job, and love speech therapy, so here was my latest little snippet about my day at Ephesus Road Elementary School.  I have a group of children that need routines, but they also love Christmas--which is definitely out of everyone's routine.  We had a little speech group today, so prior to that, I did an internet search and came up with a paper bag puppet of Santa that was easy to make.  Why did I search paper bag puppet?  You need to read my earlier post about Joint Action Routines.  The kids have made an entire zoo of puppets---many features stay constant and are predictable, with a few changes.

     In Santa's case, he has eyes and a nose and is made from a paper bag (similar to our earlier 'Rudolph' puppet.  The changes this time were the beard, mustache and hat.  The kids understood this and a couple were significantly enthusiastic and verbal when helping to assemble their puppet.  I had a Tech Talk 32 available, and apologize here for not supplying the Boardmaker overlay---Boardmaker disk is at school right now (did I mention it is Friday night?).  The overlay was very simple---glue, eyes, bag, nose, santa, scissors, and other icons for requesting and commenting. If you need it, email me (on a weekday) and I'll send it.

HELPFUL TIPS

1.  Pre-cut the parts!!  I didn't have a pattern but this was easy to figure out.  You basically need red and white construction paper.  I just cut multiple pieces at the same time---it took about 5 minutes to prepare.

2.  I found this idea from this website---Working Mother in Zion. I didn't feel the need to add a belt on Santa.  I also did not have googly eyes handy, and the kids didn't seem to mind drawing them. 

I used my iPad to present the directions, step by step, in Pictello.  Here is a link to those directions in .pdf format.  

Prior to making Santa, we read an adapted book.  Here is the link to the book.    I basically printed it, laminated it, and used icons and velcro for each page (one icon per page).  The kids matched--lights to lights, santa to santa, etc.....  Very simple. The book was snatched, with a few changes, from Tarheel Reader. 

I hope this has helped a few of you with some last minute ideas of an activity prior to Christmas break.  Goals that can be facilitated with this are answering simple questions, sequencing,  labeling items, following directions, requesting items, seeking help,.......the list goes on.

P.S.  I know that not all kids actually celebrate this holiday.  Most of mine do---hence the Santa Claus theme here.

The Biography of David Morgan

When my mentee showed me a massive 'Making History' homework assignment she had to do, I inwardly sighed.  It involved choosing a family member, sending letters to 4 people who knew the family member (and getting letters back!), an extensive interview, making a family tree, writing this person's biography, developing a timeline of the person's life, finding photos, and labeling a map of all the places the person lived.  It sounded challenging (unless you have a well connected family that likes letter writing). The anxiety of it all started to creep into my psyche.  I knew that she needed help for many reasons--computer, printer, organizing it all, letter-writing, stamps, email, family tree.......   Then, I learned that a mentor or her husband (like David) would make a suitable substitute for a family member.  Life then looked rosier!   The project was finished tonight, and is really cute.

Title page

David holding completed biography. 

 The front cover of the book is David about 1976 posing in front of his beloved MGB convertible.  Cute!
All of Culbreth will be reading his life story.

Weddings by charlie

June 11, 1983, Lexington Kentucky

October 22, 2011

Yesterday, my son, Ben, married his sweetheart, Aleah.  It was not a big church wedding, but was a formal event hosted by Paula and Howie Loyd at their beautiful home.  Everything was spectacular and filled with love and joy---everything.    For my friends who attend the Community Church of Chapel Hill, I have one little tidbit which made the wedding extra special:  the minister who married David and me back in 1983 in Lexington Kentucky, also married Ben and Aleah. I have photos to prove it! We are all a little grayer now than in the early photo, but charlie kast (he doesn't capitalize his name) is still the warm, friendly wonderful person now that he was back then.  He gently coached the bride and groom through the ceremony, stayed for much of the reception, and was his usual friendly self and great to talk to. Thank you, charlie!  

charlie and Ben

"LOVE COW"

The cows are all paying attention to the man talking about them!

I went on a field trip today with the three special education classrooms to Maple View Farm in Orange County, but instead of just going for a picnic and ice cream, we took the whole tour.  The best moment was on the hayride: touring the cow pasture, the housing area for calves, the milking barn, and the newborn calf pen.   

The kids all liked this, but one little boy that I sat with, was especially enthused.  He had been acting up all day, but during the ride, he was pointing to every animal and vocalizing (he had little speech).  I showed him how to sign the two word phrase "love cow"---a big smile came on his impish little face, and then he signed this frequently--every time we passed a group of them.  This was a cool way to do speech therapy!

This was a great trip---lots of animals, an outdoor picnic area, nice folks, and a cup of homemade ice cream at the end.  I appreciate the teachers for setting this up.

Cool llama!   He didn't even spit at us!

Hey God, Are you there?

This is for Paige, my summer school buddy, who passed away yesterday.

"Angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are
gone."
~Author Unknown

Salamander Art

What happens when a biology major is also an artist?  You end up with the most artistic flashcards ever!
 At UNC Asheville, Vicki is taking a class where she has to memorize species of salamanders. To help her learn the names, she drew flashcards---if it were me drawing them, they would be stick figures.  Take a look at her creations!

I love the zoom-ins for the toes

She drew all the important wrinkles.

The one on the right has a bit of a personality.

I wish I had half her talent!

Time Machine

The kids have grown up so fast!   One minute they were preschool, the next they were adults.  I don't feel that much older, until I look at them, and often think wistfully that I'd like to go back and spend a few days with them again when they were little and cuddly.    

I was housecleaning, and found a box of used-up disposable cameras and rolls of film.  Why they were in a box, I don't know.  So, I sent them away to be developed.   I got the pictures back today, and it sent me back to the preschool days for the twins, elementary for the boys. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 Ben and our first piano, his first year at playing it.  2nd grade here--now 25 years old.

 

Zach 3rd grade (now 26).  Old computer, when the internet was really new.

My favorite picture---Vicki at about 4 or 5. Now 21.

 Andorra's first hairdresser appointment, and she still remembers how much she hated that haircut.

Twins--at 4; now 21

Ordinary snapshots, but extraordinary in their 'time capsule' effect on me personally. 
Time flies, so enjoy every minute of it!