This week Becca has taken time off work to care for her children.  Next week the boys start summer school and Gina starts summer camp.  The boys have been diagnosed as autistic so the county pays for summer school for both of them but this week Becca has to stay home from work to take care of them.  So today she brought them all here for story hour.  The twins have not been inside my house for almost two years.  They turn 4 Sept.2 so you see they don’t really remember my house.  Neither boy can talk well or communicate with other people well so we knew it would be a challenge but did want to try it.  I was sitting at the table on the front deck area when they came so I could tell them just what we were going to do and what I expected from them.  Rules were NO screaming, no touching things unless told to and to stay right with Becca or myself.  Then we went in— I first took them into each room and told them what we would do in that room.  The story room was first, then the party room (dinning room), then they saw my work room, the bathroom (if they needed it) and my bedroom.  Then we went back to the story room.  Becca and I were to sit in a chair and they were to sit on the rug.  I introduced them to the dolls that would tell their story today.  The Three Little Kittens.  I gave the mother cat to Becca and each kid got a little kitten.  I dropped  their mittens on the floor before giving the kitten to a child since the first verse is that the kittens lost their mittens and had to find them.  They liked that,  and that got the whole story off to a good start. 

Here we are getting set to start the story.   I think the thing they like the best was when they had to hang the mittens on the line to pretend to dry them.  They loved the story and the game and then asked for another.  Gina wanted  The Little Red Hen and since the first one went so well I tried another.

The second one went well but not as good as the first as the boys could not understand it as well.  Gina like it better as she knew the story and knew what was coming next.  They all loved the animals and just wanted to play with them.  So then we stopped for our party.  We had ice cream with strawberry jam and peanut butter cookies.  That was enjoyed by all.  Then I brought out the big box of toys that I had when Gina was coming over after school.  This box has all different toys in plastic bags, soldiers, knights, cars, old McDonald toys, farm animal and so forth.  They did well with those.  Each took a bag of toys and when they wanted to change they picked up the first lot before opening the new bag.  Norman got me pictures of the whole hour but these are the only two he managed to save.  We are still learning how to work the iPad.  Then to transfer the pictures to my Mac so I can put them on Word Press is a whole new task for us which is not easy for us old folk.  Anyways, it was a long hour but fun.  It went very well for the first time.  They know what they want for the next time.  Again it will be two stories and one of them is a book of Dick and Jane where they make a boat.  Gina remembered doing that and found the boat she made.  The boys want to make one too.  I told her we could do that IF she would read to story.  She agreed and Norman agreed to cut out two more boats for them to paint next time they come.  I think he had better make three boats as Gina will want to paint another if she reads the story to them.  I know she can read it but I have asked her before to read it but she would not!  If she reads the book she can paint a boat too otherwise she will have to watch the boys paint!

I have had a great day now I hope you have a great day also.