Kimler Adventure Pages (http://randsco.com)

Alex's "New-Activity" List

Threaded String: Alex shows off her string of colorful blocks.

1.  "Threaded String" - I took a foot and a half's worth of string and threaded it through a colored block having a hole in its center. I tied off the block and threaded several more blocks, giving it to her to explore threading and unthreading. (She was pretty keen on the threaded string, but didn't fully grasp the 'threading' process. However, she NAILED the whole 'unthreading' thing right off the bat and within about 2 minutes, had all of the blocks off the string.) Later, we discovered that the front end of the string was too limp, so we attached a thin plastic rod, like an oversised needle. This helped a LOT!

2.  "Balloon Stick" - (I thought this one up myself, thank you very much! ) It's kind of a spin on a ball and paddle. I tied a bunch of rubber bands together, until I had about a foot's worth. Then I blew up a birthday balloon and tied it off at one end. I attached the other end to a 10-inch-long colored stick & gave it to Alex, to explore 'bouncing'. (She really liked grabbing on the rubberband and pulling on it AND the balloon, but the bouncing part, while fun to watch Daddy do it, was a bit beyond her grasp. She enjoyed watching the balloon on the end of the string, however, and hauled the whole thing around for some time.)

3.  "Milk Jug Bucket" - (Another original!) As we just ran through 4L of milk, I rinsed out the plastic jug and cut a hole in the upper portion, leaving the spout, handle & lid intact. The opening was large enough to allow some objects through, but only to a certain size. (She stuffed it full of giant legos, then hauled it around the house with her all morning. I emptied it for her, when it was time to put the legos away, so she can start all over again tomorrow).

4.  "Food Boxes" - OKAY, I kinda cheated today. But I did say 'big' or 'SMALL' and this one definitely fits in the "small" category! I gave Alex an empty cereal box (big 750g box) and an empty 1kg 'animal cookie' box. Don't laugh! She loves boxes, so I knew that they would be a big hit. (She puts all of her blocks into them, shuffles them around, dumps them out ... she's quite the little organizer!)

I took her to the 'Dollar Store', to load up on inexpensive supplies for her 'new activity a day' thing. She had fun, making eyes at a 4-5 year-old boy & following him around. "Why is she following me?" the boy asked his mom. "Because she likes you," she replied. Boy did she! I had to go pick her and put her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, just to get her to stop following this poor boy. (Alex loves people). We picked up a variety of goodies - blocks, colorful plastic containers, crayons, toy cars, colored twine, magnetic letters, balls, etc. All for about $10.

At the suggesion of one of our readers, I bought some inexpensive Scotch tape, which is reported to entertain for hours. (Unrolling sticky, inexpensive tape has GOT to be better than unrolling toilet paper and stuffing it into the toilet). THANKS for the suggestion, Ann! I'll let you know how it works out.

5.  "Sheet, A Fort!" - Rachel doesn't have classes for a week (UofA is having a "Reading Week", whatever the heck THAT is?) Anyway, she's home and it was laundry day. Mr. Mom was off the hook for a day, but Mrs. Mom is 'into' this whole new-thing-a-day! She took some living room furniture, re-arranged it a bit, then hung sheets off of it to make a cotton fort. Alex played in it a bit, but it doesn't look like she's keen on forts yet. A+ for effort, though, Mom! We'll have to try it again in a few months, as she may have more of an interest then.

6.  "A Bobbing Oop" - For the 4th time in her life, Alex went swimming! Rachel bought a community-league membership for $15CAD, which gets us into various natatoriums around town for free, a couple of hours a week. The nearby pool had a community swim from 12-2PM on Sundays, so we bundled the Oop up and went. She loved it! She was sent down the kiddie slide a few times, with much delight (until Mom tried from the very top & on her way down, Alex fell backwards and bumped her head. Then Dad missed the catch and the precious, but very unseaworthy baby, sank rapidly. Coughing a sputtering, she was rescued from the depths & the episode soon forgotten. (Only the parents remembered how clumsy they were)!

Rachel has informed Scott that "reading week" at the University of Alberta was started some 40 years ago, in an effort to relieve mid-winter stress & an attempt to reduce student suicide rates. Now you know.

7.  "Day Care Girl" - For the 1st time in her life, Alex spent time in day-care! (It was very EXCITING for the Oop, and very NERVOUS for the parents. All day, we said, "I hope she's OKAY." "Think she's OKAY?" "I bet she's having fun!") We needn't have fretted, she had a great time. In fact, she was so excited by all the new things and people, that she didn't go down for a nap. (She made up for it when she came home).

We dropped her off at about 10:30AM and picked her up at 4:30. It gave us some needed time. Studying for Rachel (midterm the first day of classes after the reading break) and web-stuff for Scott (embedding Flash Audio).

8.  "Tube Necklace" - The best toys are the ones that come free, so we make an effort to recycle a product, before we put it out for recycling! In this case, it was the cardboard tube from the center of a paper towel roll. I cut it in to 1-inch sections and strung it along a bit of twine. Ales plays with it now and again (but I'm having to pick up cardboard rings, as she pulls them off).

"Flourescent Rainbow": Alexandra's very FIRST colored drawing.

9.  "Paper Towel Drawing" - I got this idea out of the book. I sat Alex in her high chair for her very first 'art project'. I gave her some highlighter pens and a paper towel, letting her imagination run wild. Unfortunately, the project lasted too long ... I had to go to the bathroom. When I returned, the artist had decided to eat the tips off of 3 pens. Quite amused, she showed off her flourescent 'lipstick', with a grin.

The efforts of her first colored drawing are presented on the right! (Which reminds me ... I need to add an entry: a list of her "firsts".

My mom also sent a recipe for edible playdoh, which I'll have to try (er, I mean, let Alex try). Can't imagine it tastes good, but I'm sure it will end up in her mouth. Thanks for the idea, mom!

10.  "Milk Jug Sprinkler" - I got this idea out of the book. I took a plastic milk jug and drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom. Then, when Alex was taking a bath, I gave it to her and let her fill it with water and sprinkle it about. (Only mildly entertaining for her. She much preferred "washing" the bathtub rim with a sponge, her hand or the washrag ... splashing lots of water OUTSIDE the tub. In turn, these antics were only mildy amusing to Dad!)

Michaelangelo: The artist is considering what her next 'masterpiece' will look like

11.  "Floor Art" - We took a 3-foot by 3-foot piece of paper and taped it to the kitchen floor. Then I gave Alex a bunch of crayons and let her draw all over the paper and the floor. (She was pretty good about the latter, but needed some encouragement with the former). She doesn't quite grasp the whole "drawing" thing, yet, so dad had to lend a hand (and drew a very nice picture, by the way)! It stayed on the floor for a few days, as we all admired dad's handiwork and Alex's scribbles. Michaelangelo may have had the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but Alex had the floor of the kitchen!