Great Stuff

Since returning from our vacation (which included the girls' first trip to the beach, educational in itself) we have done lots of fun stuff. Last week we spent a day at the Tulsa Zoo. The girls were so excited to see the animals! Each time we go it is a new experience, there is so much to see and learn about there. The girls rode a camel and there are pictures... but Christin refuses to turn those pictures because she too is riding that camel :) The days before and after our zoo trip we read animal books and it has turned into something of a unit study because on Monday we went to the safari in Gentry with the Hardins. A fun field trip with our very own preschool teacher! The safari is great in a different way because there is so much hands on. We saw kangaroos with joeys in their pouches (and got to pet them), petted the goats and pot bellied pigs, loved on baby monkeys and geunie pigs, and even got to pet a lion cub! Alex was having SO much fun that I'm sure she would have stayed all day had I been willing. This weekend we are going to Ft. Sill to be with Drew and plan to make a trip to the Wildlife Refuge to visit the prairie dog town in particular. Just another piece of this unit study that seems to have found us.
On a more academic note, we have been drawing (got to work those fine motor skills) and spending time on pre-reading skills. I decided to take a cue from ESL and label things around the house. I have labeled the door, wall, chair, table, etc so that the girls can become familiar with the words in direct relation to the object. Emma has rediscovered the magna doodle, so we have done a lot of our alphabet work there. They ask me to draw a certain picture, I do, and then we write and sound out the word.
More developmental stuff... above/below, inside/outside, thick/thin, etc.
Both girls, Emma especially, are making great strides in language therapy. Emma is frequently saying the 's' on the end of plural and possesive words. She is also using pronouns much better... "her", "his", etc. Using the gender correct pronoun is something they have really been working on and I try to encourage regularly.
Our vacation has also provided a great opportunity to encourage their story telling ability. I am trying to ask open ended questions and encourage them to tell me about things. Emma seems to want to give the answer she thinks I'm looking for (usually "Mickey Mouse" regardless of the question) and I'm really trying to get her to elaborate and give her recollection or opinion. That is getting better. Alex is doing great with that. I'm having a great time listening to Alex and enjoying my conversations with her over this and other subjects.