Fletcher is 5!

We celebrated Fletcher's 5th birthday with a Hawaiian Beach Party at the Sandlot in Davidson on Saturday. He has been talking about having a Hawaiian Beach Party since Christmas and it was no disappointment! We had a wonderful time with friends and family. There was a lei craft, sand box fun, limbo, cupcakes, pinata, and a mountain of gifts! I think Fletcher really enjoyed himself and has loved having his family here to share his big day. Fletcher was very fortunate to get so many wonderful presents and he has spent the entire day today playing with all the wonderful things he received. Thanks to you all for celebrating Fletcher's birthday with us and for your generosity! Thanks to my wonderful friend Dawn for capturing the day in photos. We are so proud of Fletcher and love our boy so very much! Happy Birthday, sweet sweet boy!

Fountain Fun

In addition to our neighborhood pool, we have another great (free) place for water fun nearby: the fountain at Birkdale Village. It's a popular place this time of year and a lot of fun. Because it's self-contained, mommies can chat or read People (who me?) while their children run and play in the water. We have been 3 times in 2 weeks and it has been a lot of fun for both Fletcher and I.

What's the Matter?

Fletcher and I have enjoyed reading What's the Matter in Mr. Whisker's Room? by Michael Elsohn Ross which follows a group of students as they explore matter with the guidance of their cool science teacher Mr. Whiskers. Through exploration and discovery the students learn 'big ideas' about matter: everything around us is matter and all matter takes up space, we can find out about matter by using our senses, matter can come in different forms, matter can change from one form to another, all matter has weight, and some matter dissolves in other matter. This is a cleverly written book that my 5 year loves and understands, however, I do leave out some of the commentary from a few of the students (regarding snot, not sharing, etc.) as we read but this doesn't impact (or should I says positively impacts) the story. There are directions in the back of the book for conducting the explorations yourself.

Today Fletcher and I made Oobleck:7 tablespoons cornstarch and 4 tablespoons water. Oobleck changes forms almost instantly from solid to liquid and then back again and demonstrates the 'big idea' of how matter changes form. Pretty cool!

Photos above: making Oobleck, Fun Dough, and Gloop.

What We're Reading

Have I mentioned my child is really into science and experiments?

Here are his current favorite books:

Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
Electricity and Magnetism Fundamentals: Funtastic Science Activities for Kids
Transformed: How Everyday Things are Made
Inventor McGregor
Gizmos and Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions that Work (and Knowing Why)

Thank goodness of the public library!

Summer has Begun!

Fletcher is officially ready for summer! He has been planning for a few days to fill the pool, drink lemonade and relax in the pool. Mission accomplished!

Saying Goodbye to St. Alban's Weekday Preschool

Thursday was Fletcher's last day as a 'preschooler.' He has attended St. Alban's for the past 3 years. We had a rough year, but are thankful for the love and support of Mrs. Meg and the staff. On Thursday, Fletcher's class sang songs and recited poems for parents and were presented with stones with their names and the trait which the teachers felt most described each student. Fletcher's is inquisitive. Imagine that! Afterwards they celebrated with pizza. Yum!

Shining Hope Farms

Well Monday was our last day of PT at Shining Hope Farms. Fletcher has really enjoyed his time spent there and loved the horses very much! We are hoping to be able to let him take riding lessons at a local stable this summer or in the fall to foster his interest in horses. Fletcher enjoys riding but also the work that goes along with horseback riding like mucking stalls and cleaning hooves. Here are some photos from our last visit on Monday.