It Didn't Happen Wednesday

This post is inspired by the "Not Me Wednesdays" I've read on other blogs....

I didn't wake up to have to change my daughter's sheets...again...
Lovely didn't tell me she broke my 12 yr old beautiful soap dispenser that I can't replace...
I didn't pour one cup of milk in the blender only to watch it flow out of the bottom (that I of course would have attached correctly)...
I didn't hang new drapes in the girls' room only to learn I had bought two different lengths...
I didn't iron the drapes last night and think, "Wow, that one didn't take nearly as long as the last one..." and never question why...

I think that about sums up my day thus far.  Now, it's off to Target to see if I can find a matching drape...

P.S.  First day of ClickNKids--phonics was AWESOME!  She did a great job and only got a couple wrong.  I think the real problem with phonics is that she knows how to do it but she...errrr...a little...lazy?  And doesn't want to take the time to apply what she knows.  Spelling was another story, though.  She needs to repeat Lesson 1 because she had problems spelling 'all' and 'ball' over and over again.  Pluses to the program:  interactive, cute, entertaining.  Minuses:  sometimes the words aren't pronounced as loudly as I would like and the spelling program doesn't leave problem words up long enough for the student to really study. 

A New Start

A fresh start!  A new beginning!  So, I decided to rearrange the learning posters I tore down this morning from frustration (it was a calm storm) when I declared I quit...lol  Yes, I can laugh about this now.  Tomorrow?  Who knows! 

I decided to pretty much scrap the phonics I had been working on (we may pick it up again later), and scrap the idea that children shouldn't play computer games to learn (a classical education idea).  Instead, I invested in ClickNKids, a phonics and spelling program.  I did a quick search for a promotional code and found one for 40% off!  Wooohooo!  Anyway, it's something Lovely should be able to handle by herself without me sitting next to her the entire time.  We did a practice lesson together, which she declared was, "Fun!"  However, it was stuff she already knew, and I've noticed if she knows something already, it's fun, but if it's new, she "just doesn't know how to learn it."  Anyway, thank you, you-know-who, for the wonderful suggestion of computerized learning--I'm up for anything right now! 

I'll let you know later how our first day of it goes tomorrow...Goodnight! 

Bible Story Success!

Loser that I felt I was with teaching phonics, I am happy to say Lovely is learning more important things!  In SOTW, we are learning about Abraham and Isaac, but when I went to the libary, we checked out a lot of books on Joseph.  So, to see if she just tuned me out during reading, etc., I asked her about Joseph yesterday in the car, and she was able to tell me the entire story (minus words like "famine",  but I was still happy!) 

We may try to make Joseph's coat tomorrow during school, provided there is time.  If so, I'll def. be posting pics!

Educational Field Trip Fun, Pt. 2

All Aboooaaarrrd! Welcome to Risky Rides of the Jungle Zoo!

Last week, we braved the treacherous heat of the zoo with my sis-in-law from AZ & her three kids.  Of course, I was praying to make it out of the zoo without medical assistance due to the extreme heat, the wonderful planning of extreme hills, and the construction that has been a sight in itself at the Louisville zoo for..oh, I'd say at least five years now! 


I have never heard a real lion roar while standing in its presence...at least not to my knowledge! This guy was feeling fiesty!




Here are the culprits! Beware of riding with these drivers...at least the driver has a permit in AZ...


Pretty sad when the door wouldn't even close for the ride...

Here's my nephew riding the Stone Tortoise.  Do you think it's been eight seconds?

Uh-Oh!  Lovely is barelly hanging on!

Seems like a jolly stroll for Snugglebug...

Math is My Nemesis

Suffering through A Beka Kindergarten, I searched and scowled through each new math curriculum I found upon visiting the Midwest Homeschool Convention.  I poured over the computer in search of something that would elicit not only success, but a joy in mathematical learning.  I tossed aside black and white textbook pages, I envied those purchasing the Math Mountain that I could not afford, and I broke down and purchased what I felt was best given the homeschool budget I was placed under, all while in high hopes my daughter would complete math easily (well easIER than before). 

Now, at the end of Chapter 4 of Bob Jones Math, I am once again struggling.  Did I start Lovely in school too early?  Am I going too quickly?  Does she understand but pretend she doesn't?  Is this too easy and therefore she doesn't pay attention?  Should I beg the next math instructor I come across to teach my daughter?  Am I too uptight?  Am I a perfectionist?  Is she just testing me?  Where do I go from here?

Honestly, she does seem to be doing better than with A Beka, but I still find myself losing my temper and patience.  She wants to spend her time doing her sister's work and telling her how to do it.  I'm going to build a privacy screen for her, but will that help her concentrate and focus?  Who knows!  I do think I might try worksheets with fewer pictures.  Although I find them boring, I might need boring in order to improve concentration...go figure!

So, how do you handle the child who wants to spend 2 hours doing math because she notices everything else in the room, every noise, she gets thirsty, she has to go potty, she wants to color in the pictures on the paper, she wants to do everything but the math at hand?  Any suggestions to save what's left of my sanity???

Pressure

Pressure.  We all feel it, whether we admit it or not.  Faced with the impending Year of Chaos, I'm beginning to feel the pressure build.  I have a To-Do list that just doesn't seem to end, as I think of five more things for each thing I almost get crossed off.  So, what to do?  Should I admit, the idea of sending my precious darling to a new charter school has crossed my mind at least a dozen times per day?  Am I the only one?  I suppose I should be thankful I know the school is full, but I've been tempted to call and ask if they could make room for one more...no, I've been tempted to beg if they could make room for one more! 

So what's my problem?  Just as another blogger wrote a while back, homeschooling is a love/hate relationship, just as most big decisions and responsibilities are in life.  I love picking out curriculum and learning new things with my daughter.  I hate the thought that we're not covering as much as I think we should cover--and I hate that I can't let go of that hate.  I know we won't cover it all, and yet I can't stop myself from trying, which is extra pressure I'm placing on myself. 

I love seeing my daugther perform some math concept or reading concept that I had no idea she could grasp so quickly.  I hate when she tests me, like today, when she needed to read the word "train", which she pronounced correctly, and then said, "Oh, I mean trrr-ene.  What's a trene?" (There was a picture of a train next to the word--she knew it, yet she still wanted to test me.  This lasted about 30 minutes as she insisted she couldn't read it and I made her sit quietly until she figured it out).

I love the natural desire to learn that my youngest daughter has, and her free, happy spirit.  I hate having to continually tell her to be quiet and stop dancing as I try explaining a difficult concept to my oldest daughter.  I provide other things for Snugglebug to do, but she has a tendancy to wander around the room...

I hate spending the entire day on school and not get anything else done because Lovely spent so much time doodling crocodile bodies on greater and lesser than signs instead of answering the problems.  I love that she gives me a hug and a kiss and thanks me for doing school with her because I'm spending time with her. 
Until next time...

Phonics Oddity

I will be the first to admit phonics was difficult for Lovely last year.  She hated...no, she abohorred having to read the little books every day to practice.  We used A Beka readers, BOB books, and anything I could find at the library.  She simply hated it.

Episode 1:  Oddly, we were reading books the other day and I found a reader that Snugglebug had picked at the library so I said, "Oh, this is a Lovely book," and handed it to her.  She began reading immediately!  She and I took turns reading every other page, and we read the entire book!  She was so proud that she told the librarian when we returned the book. 

Episode 2:  During the phonics test she took yesterday, Lovely had to read a line of words, which she did, and then asked to read the top line, too, which she did.  Then she asked to read the bottom line, which she did.  Then, she gave me a huge hug and kiss, and thanked me for letting her read all of those words....ok, WHAT is going on?

After reflection, I realized I hadn't been making Lovely read...at all, really.  I have her read the sentences on the worksheets, but that's it.  I've simply been reading a ton to her and Snugglebug, and perhaps she's finally picking up the reading bug on her own.  Yes!!

Educational Field Trips Pt. 1

We began Sat with a trip to the Frazier International History Museum in Louisville.  We had purchased a Groupon discount and thought we'd begin putting it to good use by investigating the pirate display that's currently at the museum.  We rushed and rushed to get there by 12 p.m. in order to see "Treasure Island", their fight on the rooftop, only to discover they canceled it due to weather....why?  It wasn't overly hot, it wasn't raining, and there weren't any gusty winds?  I was very bummed! 

The girls had fun exploring the fake pirate ships, though, and dressing up as princesses.  (Why weren't there pirate costumes?)  They learned what ships looked like, along with different types of treasure that was found from sunken ships.  Hubby really enjoyed all of the weaponry on display, and we would have stayed longer, but our parking limit was up and we were all getting really hungry!  So, we left the museum and drove around a..um...sketchy part of town (the abundant signs for "DNA Testing" kind of gave that away) until we got on the interstate. 

Next, we drove to Frankfort for an early dinner and stopped by Salato Wildlife Management, one of our favorite places to visit.  It's completely free, but they're only open until 5 p.m., and we arrived at 4:45.  However, they still had all of the snakes and salamanders on display, so the girls had a field day petting them!  Ick!  Mommy watched from a distance and sanatized their hands when they finished!  They determined snakes are soft and slimy, they learned you need to de-scent your hands before touching another snake so you aren't mistaken for a snake and bitten, and they learned you need to have wet hands in order to touch salamanders.  So, although we didn't have much time there, is was still a fun and educational trip! 

Still Chugging Away...

Now that the bumps have pretty much gone away, I'm finding a lot more energy than I had had previously.  So, on to updates about school (I don't mean to bore you, but it does help me keep track of how long I spend on different activities for the future).

Math--Lovely--almost finished with Ch. 3--she likes it much better, despite the not-so-great Ch. 2 test grade.  I've found making number games really inspires her mah skills!  Something as simple as driving cars down a path in order to earn marbles (money to use for the Treasure Chest) by answering questions correctly really gets her enthused.  For Snugglebug, I'm just having her count and color worksheets, and participate in the games.

Language Arts-- Lovely--About lesson 26 in grammar, lesson 13 in A Beka.  She is zooming through and has really gotten good and figuring out what things say.  She's in lesson 7 in spelling, and we're following the weeks in copywork.  Snugglebug--she's sounding out three letter words and has the vowel sounds memorized, along with some other letters.  I'm currently reading Mary Poppins to both of them. 

History/Science--we are reading about Mummies like crazy.  We began our mini-mummy experiment a couple days ago--can't wait to see how it turns out so I can document it! 
When the girls can, they get on the computer as much as possible.  I still need to get back into music with them both, but I've been trying to get everything organized for my upcoming Year of Chaos.  (Yes, I'm realling going to call it that...maybe it won't be as bad as I'm anticipating....LOLOLOLOL)

I know I'm missing something, but Snugglebug is currently fake playing the keyboard and singing a song from her head about three little chicks that were the meanest, and Lovely is doing a math review while using a special British accent to talk through her math problems thoroughly, and now I'm at a loss of thought...

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease at 31

Who says mostly children get Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?  I made it 31 years without getting this disease, or at least not knowing I had it if I ever had it!  However, I felt extremely cold and tired on Wed. (thusly, I stayed home from church), Thursday I had no energy and I found what I thought were a couple blisters on my hand, and today, the tiny blisters had spread to my wrists and I began feeling them on my feet.  Infact, it hurts as I type because of the blisters that are on my fingertips.  I would like to thank my lovely darlings for this experience--who knew they could have it without exhibiting the rash that accomanies most occurencies of it? 

Both my girls had fevers last weekend, but I administered Motrin, watched them overnight, and by morning, the fever was gone.  Now, I remember Lovely telling me the roof of her mouth hurt..hmmm...and now Hubby reminded me they both complained of their feet hurting, and yet, I never saw any actual bumps and they never told me about them. 

So, what's the treatment?  Wait it out.  Grrrr.  I was prescribed some painkillers, but I hate taking anything, so unless the pain gets a lot worse, I can probably just deal with this.  However, I remain contagious for a while, so those who normally see me...won't for a while.  According to the Mayoclinic site, I should "stay home from work."  Greeeaaat.  Well, I have wanted to get more accomplished at home....Now, if only I could stand touching things...

How is it spread, you ask?  Sneezing, saliva, nose discharge, etc.  Let me just say, I won't be sharing my drink with Snugglebug as much in the future!  Now, where they got it, who knows.  Probably from someone, who, like me, didn't realize there was more to the fever.  If I was around anyone, I really do appologize, and trust me, I am getting paid back. 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM00929 Click on this link to see pics of what my hands look like (well, not my hands, but a child's hands...)

Glorious Fourth Free Admission for Military and Their Families

July 2-4, active military and veterans, and up to five immediate family members can visit Conner Prairie's Glorious Fourth in Fisherville, Indiana, for free! Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit their website to plan your visit :) Activities include militia marches, museum theater, games, Taste the Past, barn dancing, Salute to Veterans, and Cabinet of Curiosities.

Free Phonics Books and Worksheets

What a great website!  I just visited ProgressivePhonics' website, a free website that offers fun books that can either be read online or printed out, along with activity sheets to reinforce each lesson.  I just completed the first lesson under Alphabet and the first activity sheet with Snugglebug.  She laughed at the book because it was silly (just like her), and then the first activity sheet was cutting and gluing--just her speed!  After I told her she was finished, a few minutes later she showed me she had written the word "dog" (the first lesson teaches the words dog and dod--dod is the name of the dog, but it doesn't want to confuse new learners, so it's not capitalized).  I was quite impressed!  I plan on using this website a lot in the future! 

Here is what they say about themselves on their home page:

"Progressive Phonics is an all-in-one reading program that is easy, fun, and totally FREE--that's right, totally and completely free!  .....Anyone can teach a child to read and write in just a few minutes a day, which makes it ideal for parents, teachers, tutors, volunteers, and home-schoolers." 

You do have to register in order to download the books, but there is no cost to you, except the price of ink and paper if you choose to print out each book.  Talk about awesome!!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Lesson Plans

Here are the Mouse and Manners Lesson Plans I used for a preschool co-op-type class I taught a few months ago. It seemed to be a big hit, but I'm just now getting them on here:

Materials Needed:
*If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*Opening songs to introduce topic
*Gray cardstock
*Construction paper/cardstock--pink and red
*Black yarn
*Wiggly eyes
*Small pink pom-poms
*Hole punch
*White cardstock/heavy paper
*Napkin
*Straw
*Glue
*Typed scripture verse: "...It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
*Opptional:  Cardstock circles, any color, to make cookies.

Directions:

Before class...

1.  Cut out as many gray mice as needed.  Mine were approximately 7 and 3/4 inches long and 3 and 3/4 high on the tail end of each mouse.  When cut out, they look like half-hearts.  Next, use a hole punch to make a hole on the tail end of each mouse.

2.  Cut out several pink and red ovals for mice ears, two red and two smaller pink ones for each mouse. 

3.  Pre-cut black yarn for whiskers (approx. 2 inches long) and tails (approximately 8 inches long). 

4.  Go ahead and tie the tails on each mouse by folding one piece of yarn in half, pushing the folded end through the hole, and wrapping the ends of the yard through the loop.  Pull tight. 

5.  Print out scripture verses if you don't have time for the children to copy them onto the mouse. 

6.  For the story itself, fold a piece of cardstock to create a play "mouse book" (see picture).  Draw a glass of milk on a piece of white cardstock, and make some "mouse" paper on another piece of paper.

During class...
1.  Introduce the topic by discussing the characteristics of mice--how they look, sound, move, eat...have the children be mice if time allows.
2.  Discuss manners--what they are, such as please and thank you.
3.  Read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  While reading, give different children the straw, napkin, "mouse" paper, "mouse" book, and glass of milk.  Choose one child to be the mouse.  Have the "mouse" gather each object as the story is read. 
4.  Discuss whether or not the mouse had manners.  Point out the mouse never said "thank-you", etc. and re-read story, this time using please and thank-you. 
5.  Sing mouse songs (the one I created is below)
6.   Have students make their own mice.  Pass out gray mice, red and pink ovals, whiskers, wiggly eyes, pom-poms, and scripture verses. Guide students step-by-step to create mice by gluing the pieces on.  Pom-poms and scripture should only be visible on one side of the mouse. 
7.  If time, cut circles out of cardstock and direct the children to design their own cookies. 

Suggested Song: 
"The Mouse Asks Silly Questions" by Jennifer Martens to the tune of "All Around the Mulberry Bush"

All around the house today,
The Mouse asked silly questions.
I gave the mouse a _________ (cookie--have students fill this in),
"Thanks!" squeaked the mo-ouse.

But then the mouse asked for ______ (milk),
And a straw to slurp it down,
Now he needs a napkin,
"Please?" squeaks the mouse!

Next he looked in the __________ (mirror),
And noticed a long hair,
He asked for scissors, but cleaned up the mess,
"Thanks!" squaked the mouse!

He's so tired, he needs a rest (make yawning gesture),
With a pillow and a blanket,
He'll crawl in and ask for a story,
"Please?" squeaks the mouse!

He likes the pictures oh so much,
He has to draw one, too,
He'll sign his name and hang it on the fridge,
"Thanks!" squeaked the mouse!

Now he's thirsty and wants more _______ (milk),
And soon he'll want a _________ (cookie).
We're so glad he asks nicely,
"Please?" squeaks the mouse! 

School Room Organization

A while back, I mentioned the disaster known as my office and how I was in pursuit of converting it to the office/school room. I've actually made quite a bit of progress, and I'm now just waiting on Hubby to build a cabinet to hold some more of my endless school supplies/materials/games.

I'm in the process of getting school chairs for the desks, but for now, the camping chair and the broken plastic chair will have to do! I found turning these desks to face each other a great alternative for making my children stare at the wall, and it appears to take up less space. In addition, they get the full benefit of the window and the greenery that's outside.

I recclaimed my bookcase (it was mine as a teenager, but Hubby had taken it over with hunting videos and the like), so now the top shelf is organized by subject (Bible/Manners/Character, Math, Language Arts, History, Science, Music, Art, etc.), the 2nd shelf is filled with hands-on materials, and the third shelf is reading material for the girls that's been organized into fiction and non-fiction, and then by reading level. Workbooks are kept in their desks, and their writing materials are on top. They each have a desk header with their names, the alphabet, a number line, and pictures with colors.

Do you have any tips/suggestions for school room organization?

CHEK Conference

Learning at another homeschool convention!

Even though I had to go alone, I still ventured out early this morning to explore the Christian Home Educators of Kentucky Homeschool Conference.  My main goal was to learn more about IEW since I'm thinking of becoming an accredited IEW teacher/tutor.  I went ahead and bought the material used, but it won't get here until sometime next week.  I listened to Cathy Flowers, an IEW instructor in the Louisville.  I also heard two sessions by Andrew Pudewa, which were quite entertaining!  If you haven't heard his speech regarding the difference between boys and girls, you really need to!  It's amazing how different we are built from each other, all of which can affect how/what we learn. 

I did hear a session entitled "Seven Secrets to Helping Your Kids Think for Themselves", hoping it would help me get past the kitchen sink, as my bio explains.  Irrrrr!  Wrong answer!  I don't know why or how those seven items could be considered secrets, since they are common sense to me and things I try to do all the time! 

• Instill character values, such as responsibility and kindness. 
• Don't tell your child, "Because I said so."  If your young child is asking questions, try your best to answer them, even if it is the fifteenth question in the last five minutes!
• Even in mistakes, we learn. 
• Allow your child to narrate what he/she has learned back to you.  This makes him/her an active participant in the learning process.
• Connect ideas throughout the subjects in your curriculum.  In other words, if you are learning about Egyptians in history, the child can make Egyptian art, mummify a chicken for science, etc.
• Go outside and learn!
• Have your children keep journals regarding what they have learned, what they see, and what is interesting to them. 

Of course, these are in my own words and what I am instilling in my daughters' classical education.  Overall, the conference was worth the drive, even though I'm still not sure where I was!  I needed to get fired up for homeschool again, since I'm already thinking of my hectic year to come! 

Do you have any other ideas to get me beyond the kitchen sink (that encourage's my daugther to be more independent)?

Pickles

I forgot to include this in my last post.  This was the reaction when I asked Lovely to say "pickles" instead of "cheese."

On to other news...Today's schooling was a little more difficult, simpley because Lovely refused to repeat things correctly for me.  Classical education has a lot of verbal repetition, so it doesn't help when Little Miss purposely mis-pronounces things.  I've told her several times she needed to adjust her attitude, so today I overheard her telling her sister, "You need to adjust your attitude!" 

Math has been much better, though, I must say.  I had her using counting bears today, so I had to listen to each and every one describe who would or would not be the other's friends (did you know no one likes green bears?) as she made pairs.  She seems to be catching on faster with this, which is marvelous! 

I read some books for the summer reading program to both of them today, as well.  I found really cute picture books about a boy genius named Alistair--both the girls enjoyed them. 

After school, I went to the A Beka Materials Display for our area and purchased the worktexts I'll be using for Snugglebug and Lovely for phonics.  I bought Letters and Sounds for both girls, Writing with Phonics for Snugglebug, and Language 1 for Lovely.  I know I'm already doing Writing with Ease and 1st Language Lessons with Lovely, so I didn't want to overload her with Writing with Phonics, too.  (Not to mention--I'm out of TIME! with everything else we're doing)

Now, I'm going to see if I can squeeze in the CHEK Homeschool Convention this weekend as well...we shall see! 

Graduation Days

Although we finished school back in April, their actual graduation/recognition ceremony wasn't until June.  It turned out very nice and the girls were very proud of their certificates!

You have no idea how hard it was to get her sitting still...

So this isn't her "real" smile--but it's pretty close =)

And here's a pic of Lovely and me during our trip to the Children's Museum...

Strings in June

Today was registration and the first practice for the summer strings orchestra--it went awesomely! 

Lovely had been asking for a violin for the past two years, so we purchased one at the Cinci convention, along with books and cds to learn.  I've been going over simple instruction, but she hadn't really played, other than plucking "A A A A" and "E E E E" over and over again.  I admit, I want her to play partially because I was never allowed to take music lessons due to the expense.  However, I also thought this might boost her self-esteem since she is so extremely shy, plus, she actually asked to play without my prodding. 

The summer orchestra is only for four days, and then they have a little concert at the end.  They teach four different levels, including those who have never seen a violin before!  I placed Lovely in this group since she hasn't actually played previously.  There are only 5 other students, and although she hasn't spoken to any of the other kids, as the teacher was coming around to tell everyone which is the A string, she said, "I already know where the A string is," to the teacher!  I was shocked, since she had never met her before today.  Then, at the end of class, I reminded her that she needed to ask the teacher to fix her bridge, so without hesitation, she marched across the room and asked her to fix the bridge.  What?  Was that my super shy daughter?!!

I know this isn't much for a lot of parents, but Lovely has always been extremely shy, like her mother and her grandparents.  I must say, I am thrilled to watch her blossom!  As hard as it is sometimes to belong to our homeschool group, I am so thankful for the opportunities it provides to get Lovely out and about, playing with others.  I think that has also led to her finding more self-esteem. 

ne

School Updates for Classical Education

Disgusting fact for the day:  After unearthing in 1979 what scientists claim was a 36,000 year old steppe bison, they attempted to eat the meat.  Even after cooking it in a spicy stew, the scientists said it still tasted like mud. 
                 -- from It's Disgusting and We Ate It







We've finished lesson 14 in First Language Lessons, and I am absolutely LOVING the short lessons that get the point across!  I can already tell Lovely is getting much better at memorization!  I also overheard her Polly Pockets telling each other, "A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea."  Smart dolls, eh?  I'm also trying to remember to go over the ABC's with Snugglebug everyday, and yesterday we watched the "Letter Factory", and we sang the songs together during the video. 

We just finished Week 2 in Writing with Ease, and I believe we are in Chapter 3 of SOTW.  For reading, she has finished her A Beka K readers, so I'm waiting on my sis's 1st grade readers now.  We've finished reading three long books (over 100 pgs each):  Little House on the Prairie, Little House in the Big Woods, and Pinocchio.  The last was her favorite, so I believe she's a bit like me:  I liked adventure and excitement in books when I was younger.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I still enjoy adventure and excitement! 

We've also been working on A Child's Book of Character Building, bk 1 and I'm trying the Charlotte Mason method of scripture memorization.  In addition, I'm throwing in art and music when I can (and when I don't have a pounding headache!) 

Now, let's see what we can finish by the time I begin school and begin working again part-time! 

Reading List...I Fibbed...

I know I said I wouldn't read anymore Little House books, but I have to admit, Mr. Edwards falling into disaster in the Ingalls' well really caught my attention.  I was not pleased at the end of the book, but rarely am I.  So, during our next visit to the library, I got a special read aloud edition of Little House in the Big Woods.  I liked this one much better, as I never before imaged a sleighing pig...some of the chapters gave Hubby and I quite the chuckle! 

Next on the reading list was Pinocchio.  (Yes, I remember what certain people told me about this book...)  My daughter loves it.  I mean LOVES it!  She begs me to keep reading, never tiring of hearing the infamous tales of that naughty puppet.  I had no idea it was so different from Disney's version, but I guess that's what I get for ignoring it all these years!  I did choose the book with the most enticing pictures, so perhaps that has aided her enthusiasm. 

To boot, I am slowly redesigning the office into a kid-friendly space.  I took back the bookcase and placed a round basket infront of the base of the bookcase, filled with readers.  Lovely is ecstatic to have her very own books.  She LOVES them as well. 

So...yay!  My daughter is finally sensing the love of reading I have had my entire life!  Let's just hope it continues! 

Another reason why I love my husband...


He allows me to look like a complete idiot on the tennis court when we play each other, and he sometimes joins in ;-)

Tinkering Around...

So I was trying to be all fancy-shmancy and learn how to do this graphic design thing for the blog, but I have come to the realization, I just don't have the time! I remember teaching myself html coding as a teenager, simply because my bf at the time was telling me how difficult it was. That's just how I am: I like a challenge.

But I'm no longer a teenager. I don't have all the time in the world to veg out infront of the computer and eat rice crispies for dinner (how thin I would be if I did!). So, I just did a simple photo-editing thing, uploaded it to here, and voila! One of my favorite pics of the girls :) Hope you like it!

Discipline

I admit, I am a bit lax sometimes, much to my embarrassment. I have been working on manners, character, and overall good behavior as much as possible lately, so that I know I am doing my children a service by teaching them to respect God's Word, to respect others, and to learn when and what is appropriate during various situations. Then I went to Meijer today...

I left my children in the car with my mother so I could run in quickly. While rushing through the store, I see a ball whiz past me and bang into a display on the end of an aisle. Next, I see a little girl chase after the ball, find it, and kick it as hard as she could into the air, across several aisles. I am infuriated as I wondered who would be under the ball in that other aisle.

Next, I make my way to the back of the store where I find the tags I was looking for. I hear a loud CRASH! and I wonder to myself what the little angel was up to now. Sure enough, I hear the same flip-flops running from the crash site. When I find the crash site, several items are scattered all over the floor and another lady was standing there with the same look on her face that I had, along with the same thoughts: What happened to discipline?!

If my little darlings dare to knock something over (which neeever happens--haha), I make them pick it up. Actually, they know they must pick it up without me telling them. If they dared to play with a ball in the store...well, let's just say they wouldn't be playing with a ball for the next decade or so.

All of this made me think of the Nightline edition on radical unschooling, the second to air a look at what is often deemed outrageous. I'll have to write more about that in the next post.