My grandson and I go to the Atlanta Zoo. The last time we went he became very interested
in animals who are endangered. He wanted me to read all the flip charts  on the fences
in front of the animals. One of the pieces of information on the chart is the status of the
 animal. I had to explain what all the categories meant. He found it hard to believe that
animals could disappeared. He had a plan. Every animal that was endanged he decided
he was going to save. Some time after that visit to the zoo there was a story in the
newspaper about an endangered frog. I told him about it and he immediately said he
would save the frog.























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My church, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta, GA has started allowing young
 children to  communion take. My grandson and I spent a morning learning, in a very fun
 way, Biblical history and how communion came about. We even practiced holding
the wafer and dipping it in the grape juice. The next day my husband, grandson,
and I went to church. When it was time for communion my grandson stepped out into
 the isle and immediately put his little hands together and kept him that way until the wafer
was put into his hand. He then took the wafer, dipping in the  wine and said mm, mm good
 and walked back to his seat.

Understanding how  learn children to read and write remains a mystery to me.However,
 watching how my grandson is learning letters and numbers, I am convinced that writing
 his letters is helping with his  ability to learn to spell words he sees all over the place- on stores, TV titles etc.

messages vs instructions

When I tell my grandson a story before he goes to sleep, it involves a young man who rides his Suzuki motorcycle and has a run - in with snakes. I always make sure I let him know that the young man, who is really a grown up Brandon, is coming home from or going off to college. Occassionally, he is on vacation from  college and takes a trip to some part of the world. I do this hoping Brandon will get the message that going to college is a good thing for him to do when he grows up.

The other day we were talking about what he would do when he grows up. I offerd him several suggestions to which he said no. "Then what do you want to do when you grow up?' I asked. "Go to school," he said.

swording with basketball trophy

Brandon (4 years old) played Itty Bitty basketball this winter. Last Saturday the team members along with their parents met for breakfast at Chick Fil A. After everyone ate his or her breakfast, the boys received their trophies. They all got up from the table and almost in unison raised up their trophies and began have sword fights. I don't get to see Brandon with other kids very much now.( He likes to sword fight with me and my husband) I was reassured that he was not the only boy who loved to sword fight. He fights with play swords, straws, sticks, plant stakes, and the tubes inside rolls of paper. Without our knowing it,the other night he went into the closet where the wrapping paper is stored and pulled the paper off the rolls so could sword fight. Swording fighting must be in the DNA

The hiding game evolves

When Brandon was 2 he started playing the hiding game.(his parents were still married and lived with us) Whenever a family member came he would hide someplace in the living room, mostly curled up in the chair that is next to the front door. Whomever found him would cry out ,"I found you, I found you."
He would look up with a smile across his face as he was scoopped up into the finders arms. . As he got older he would call out,"you can't find me, you can't find me." He found better hiding places but there was always a telltale part of his body sticking out, his beautiful curly hair or feet. He continued to love being found. With each game he was reassured we would not forget about him. Sometime between the ages of 3 and 4 his hiding game became a true hide and seek. He counted to twenty when he was it and searched the house for the person hiding. When it was time for him to hide he was truly hidden. Whether he was hiding or someone else, he seemed to experience the great joy of the find.

A goodnight kiss

Brandon usually only spends Friday night with us as his mother works an extra job. He sleeps in the same bed with me. When my husband comes over to kiss me good night, Brandon has to rush to give me 2 kisses before my husband gives me a kiss. He then does this finger flicking gesture with my husband. Then books and stories begin.