Paper Chain Countdown!

Since Rob was going to be gone for two weeks, I thought it might be a nice idea to make a paper chain and use it as a visual countdown.  Ryan is too young to understand, but I thought Justin would like it and it might help me see that time was indeed passing as well.  We cut the paper and made a pattern with the links.   There were some extra pieces, so I made Ryan a little chain so he would leave the real one alone.  Justin told me that he wanted another one too.  I took the remainder of the pieces and made him a short chain. 
We counted the days that Daddy would be gone.  Justin, always thinking, had an idea.  He wanted to use HIS chain instead of the long one.  That way Daddy could come home sooner.  Maybe we should have just stuck with marking it on the calendar.  We have been using calendars with Justin for some time now.  He seems to get that concept and views it as the authority as to what will happen and when.  Oh well.  I am enjoying watching the chain get shorter and shorter, though it is not happening fast enough!
This isn't the best picture, but here is the chain hanging along side of Justin's current reading chart.  We color in every 5th book a different color so we can practice counting by 5s.  He got 10s down easily, but 5s are a bit harder.  We have a song that goes with it and that seems to help make it easier.  I like the visual on the bookchart as a subtle reinforcer.  It is his reading chart, with an extra little teaching moment snuck in there.  My poor child.