Our Rainy Day Activities in our Homeschool Today

It was a rainy Friday morning for us.  We were thus inspired to read May and Jay Stay Away from the Rain of Phonics-in-Reading.  And since our baby Mateo turned 8 months yesterday, Yanthy said he wanted to read another Phonics-in-Reading book entitled Sue's Birthday.  We love the Phonics-in-Reading Series!  Yanthy is now in Series 2.

We talked about clouds and why it rains once more.  I'm amused that Yanthy never gets tired of asking why it rains even when he already knows the answer to his own question.  I sometimes, bounce it back to him to test if he remembers and he does.  I guess he just likes hearing it over and over. :)  Then, we sang the song "Rain, rain, go away..."

While reading May and Jay Stay Away from the Rain, I was inspired to have a writing activity.  I told Yanthy that we will draw the rain.  He liked the idea right away so we breezed through our books.  We practiced writing standing lines and slanting lines by illustrating the rain.  After drawing lines or the rain, I asked Yanthy to practice writing his first name.

 

When we were done with our "rain drawing," Yanthy suggested that we make a cake for Mateo.  Since we can't bake a real cake today for Mateo (just like in the stories that we read where they had real cakes to celebrate the kids' birthdays), I suggested that we make a birthday card or art work for Mateo with a cake and cupcakes on it.  Good thing, Yanthy liked it again.

So, we got busy tracing circles on a colored board.  He used some one peso coins from his coin bank in tracing the mini cupcakes for Mateo's birthday card.  After tracing circles, Yanthy practiced his cutting skills by cutting the small circles one by one.

The next step was to glue the circles.  He first glued the big circle in the middle of a bond paper which served as our cake.  This was surrounded by smaller circles which became our cupcakes.

Yanthy puts "candy sprinkles" on Mateo's cake.

I helped him rub stickers to decorate his birthday card for his baby brother.

Then, he proceedded to write Mateo's name, write the number 8 on the cake, and decorate our cake and cup cakes with candy sprinkles.  Yanthy used his crayons to put "candy sprinkles."

He reviewed his birthday card and asked me to add some more gift stickers and star stickers on it.

I showed it again to him and he was satisfied and proud of what we have done.

While waiting for our art work to dry, he read two more books from the Phonics-in-Reading Series while I gave our baby a bath.  Yanthy stopped reading for a while when he saw that Mateo is finished bathing.  He went to the bedroom with me to hand me a diaper for his baby brother.  He likes to be my little assistant in taking care of his baby brother.  He helps by giving some of the things I need to use for the baby -- be it a diaper, lotion, brush, toy or book.  Mateo is blessed to have him as his big brother!

After that, he showed Mateo his gift, the birthday card we made.  Mateo smiled as he touched his big brother's art work.  That made Yanthy happy too.  He proudly told me, "Look Mommy!  He smiled at me!  He likes my gift to him."

Yanthy's birthday card/gift for his baby brother, Mateo,
on his 8th month.

I thank God for the grace to have an activity today that my son liked.  I thank Him for the inspiration and the guidance.  I thank Him for these simple, ordinary activities with my sons that make my life as a mom extra special.  I thank God for the rain that served as our inspiration today in our homeschool.   Lastly, I thank God that it's raining blessings in our household. :)

Yanthy embraces his baby brother yesterday as he greets him happy birthday.

Happy rainy day to you!  May you find yourself soaked with blessings from heaven!

Our boys playing ball yesterday.