coming soon....

I will start my blog back up shortly... after NY I was sick for a week, our cat has been sick, and right now McMama is in the hospital. She's pretty sick and will be having surgery so when life settles down... I'll return.

We're Off....

We're here in New York... I'll write all about our experiences when we get back...

One more day... hooray?

I know I ought to be happy. I know I ought to be excited.
I am
Really
It is exciting and very much out of the norm for us.
This is our first vacation...ever.
But!
I'm scared of crashing...
of knowing that we're crashing...
of our lives being over...
of my eyes never seeing my girls again...
of my girls never seeing me again.
Funnily enough,
I am NOT scared of wondering around the city.
LOL
Nope...New York City... Manhattan... whatever!
There, I'll be fine
(Err..I hope)
It's just the flying part that worries me. Like a crazy loony I've been preparing all sorts of "if we die" things. Tonight we're even going to make a video saying what our wishes are
(since we've procrastinated with making a will)
Aren't we... (uh hem)... I.... silly?

What about BOB?

When I first learned of the Bob books.. it was....???.... quite a few years before I had Aidan. I have been researching homeschooling since I was in high school. Weird? Yes, admittedly. When I came across the Bob book series I read a lot of reviews. Some are good and parents praised them because it gave their children confidence because they could finish "a whole book." Others said they were lame because they were too easy and bored their children. Well, shortly after I first learned of them I checked them out while I was wondering around B & N. My opinion? Not only were they crazily expensive (I could have sworn at one point they were around $25 a set) but I thought they were stupid. Seriously, they are the most basic dumbed-down "books" you could find.

"Mat sat. Sam sat. Mat sat on Sam."

What is the point? I can just as easily draw a stick drawing and write such "drivel" myself.

BUT...

(and this is a big BUT)

It never occurred to me that I'd have a two year old that wants to read. They are perfect for her. Not only are they simple and easy but they are short. Yes, Aidan wants to read, but she gets tired with it and these books are just her size. Also, she knows the difference between Mommy writing a sentence and a "real" book. She much prefers the real books. Reading a sentence Mommy wrote on a piece of paper is not as big of an accomplishment.

"Mommy. I read my first books!"

What a joy it is to see her so happy... to see her feel so good about herself!!! So, I have changed my opinion. Would I love them if Aidan was a five year old learning to read? Probably not ....I'd want longer, more substantial books. But for a 2 and 1/2 year old... they are wonderful.

Sorry, Bob, for not seeing the good in you.

Our "new" Pool

Though the pool has been set up for a few weeks... the weather or circumstances have not been favorable towards swimming. We finally had our first day this last week. It was fun.

Ainsley is mostly content to sit in her baby float.


Aidan surprised us by "swimming" on her own.

She was scared but overcame it.

Why??

Why am I teaching phonics to my 2 1/2 year old?

First of all... she has already taught herself to read easy words and knows many others. All it takes is for her to ask me one or two times what a word is... she'll repeat it to herself a few times... and ta da... she knows it. She is ready to learn it. (She doesn't understand that it is not appropriate for someone of her age to be where she is)

Secondly... She wants to learn. For a while now, I've technically been holding her back because of the worry about her age, and how "healthy" it would be for her to jump ahead like she wants. I want her to be a two year old. However, I am slowly coming to the conclusion that as long as she is happy, I do not at all push her, and I let her learning be "child led".... then why not give her the knowledge she desperately wants? She is eager and excited and her basic attitude is like "'Well, finally Mom, you've gotten with my program!"

Thirdly... it is not as if am sitting her down and making some big production out of learning and making her do lessons. She decides she wants to "do her reading", brings the book to me, and we just do it verbally. The lessons are not intensive at all.

An example from lesson 1:
a m am
a n an
a t at

Lesson 2 builds on 1:
S am Sam
m an man
h at hat

To Aidan, the lessons we have already done, are easy. So far, she knows most of the words they have shown how to "glue" together but when she reads the words she didn't know... she is SO excited about it. "I'm reading Mommy!" Somehow, she seems to understand that just knowing a word and actually reading it using phonics are two different things.

I do not know how long her interest with this will be. It may be a week. It may be a year. I dunno. If she likes it and asks for it... then we will continue. If she loses interest then it will sit on a shelf and collect dust. That's my plan anyway.

People, don't hate.

Received in the Mail

Been reading up on Charlotte Mason. I know that many of her ideas I will try to implement in our homeschool.

I am very happy I decided to purchase this book. I already have Phonics Pathways as well as the Explode the Code primers. Phonics Pathways I intend to use but it is too intensive for a 2 1/2 year old. The Explode the Code primer set is unfortunately too elementary for Aidan. It basically teaches the letter sounds and Aidan is definitely beyond that point.

I was looking for an easy, very basic book that would help her in her quest to learn to read... but I wanted it simple and without the rules... a book that is just reading practice. This, Alpha Phonics, is perfect for Aidan. She knows her letters, their sounds, and has been putting small words (mostly CVC) together on her own. When Aidan asks... we'll sit down and verbally do a lesson. She tends to want to rush and continue through many lessons so I have to slow her down but so far she understands them immediately.