Chicks, Chickens and Delayed Gratification

What came first? The chicken or the egg?

DELAYED GRATIFICATION!!!!! 
Let's continue yesterday's conversation on the importance of delayed gratification. (Yes, as I sit here writing these little articles I pretend I'm talking to you.) Yesterday I gathered up some 'growing/seed planting' inspiration. Growth over time. Developing patience over the long haul. Plant your seeds.Tend your garden. Harvest. Reward: Kennedy Center. Today it's all about eggs and chickens and bringing them home to roost!

Today let's look at the ever-illuminating science project of the eggs in the incubator. Our own Twinzee WonderPeeps had the proverbial eggs in an incubator to observe this spring. Every day they come home cackling about not seeing anything happening in the eggs, but maybe tomorrow would be the big day!!! They were so excited!!! Imagine their enthusiasm on the day when there was a tiny chick to observe!!!!! They couldn't talk fast enough to tell all that had happened and what it looked like. 

Here are a couple of projects that are the outgrowth of watching and waiting for those eggs to hatch. SPRING!!!!
You just can't go wrong in sending home a project that includes a child's handprints...... whatever the season, whatever the reason. This craft is truly THEIR OWN! As in their very own hands!! You can see that the child's scissors cut out the oval egg shape for the body. Mastering scissors is tricky stuff. An older child could cut out their own handprints. 

Here are some kindergarten chickens over in Laurel Indiana that are fully hatched and tending their own eggs! These K-kiddos had just had their own incubator experience and they were THRILLED to tell me how long it took, the various parts of the egg, how warm the incubator needed to be -- it was all cataloged in their hearts -- having been a direct part of the experience. I think their artwork shows their interest. (LUV the addition of the letters onto the drawings!)  

These next pictures are Florida kindergarten hens. I grabbed these photos running through Garden Elementary during my Author visit there. Can you catch the glimmer of their writings? Everything in their little stories rhymes with 'hen.' I can see the words Ben and Ken and Jen and den in their writing. 

Here's an over-sized Anchor Chart with the math and familiar children's rhyme. LUV LUV LUV the student writing mixed in with their own illustrations. 

So back to our weekend just passed and our visit to our youngest. Her playing in the Wagner concert at the Kennedy Center was glorious enough, but that was just the cherry on the top of our traveling to her. 

This weekend our little YoYo Beanie earned her DOCTORATE from the University of Maryland. Delayed gratification indeed. All of those hours of practice. All of those hours of reed making. All of those hours of study. All of those hours of reed making. All of those hours of practice. All of those rehearsals.  Well you get the idea. She now has a doctorate to her honor and credit. Nine years of higher education through Bachelors, Masters and now DOCTORATE. This is a first for our family. Makes my head spin as my heart dances. 

What does it take to earn a doctorate? Lots of people who stand behind you cheering......... I'm certain that folks probably earn degrees without a cheering section. I've gotta think that its easier when you have a fan club, supporting you, encouraging, listening, enthusiastic. 

Noelle's fortunate in that she has a small village of those who love and care -- from across the country we came, from around the globe there were others cheering. So plant your seeds and then watch the incubator as they begin to percolate. Cheer on those around you in the midst of amazing journeys. Then CELEBRATE the moments and the milestones! 

We are so very, very proud of all of the hard work and effort and happy -- oh, so happy for the accomplishment and all of its incredible recognition. 

-- Debbie --

I've started my own lesson in delayed gratification. 
I've opened my own little store at TeachersPayTeachers.



I am gradually adding zipped files of my songs in Mp3 format PLUS support materials.  
PERFECT for spring and science: POLLY, the Pollywog!