Aidan's First Haircut

So far Aidan has only had slight trims. This week I decided it was time for a haircut. It's now layered and cut to the nape of her neck. At first I wasn't sure I liked it but now I do. Her hair doesn't look as wispy or "babyish" anymore. She looks a little older.
It's cute.

Week 12

(Easy week since we've just returned
and will be leaving again next week)

Writing:
Copy work: "Where are the children's books please?"
(Matilda)

Reading:
Random reading this week

Phonics:
Explode the Code: start on Lesson 7
Alpha Phonics: Lesson 14, 15, & 16
Phonics Pathways: pgs. 49-55

*Reviewing question words

(I've had Phonics Pathways for quite a long time and at the time I bought it... Aidan wasn't ready for it. Finally, this week, I picked it up and realized she could have started with it a while ago. So, now I will be pulling lessons from this as well. So, yes, she now has THREE phonics programs. )

Math
*Addition
*Math facts worksheets

(Until we are home for good I will not start using Singapore. Our focus will just be on addition and subtraction)

Emphasis: using the dictionary


***Ainsley***

-watching edu. videos
- puzzles
- counting
- coloring

Singapore Math 1A review

Because I'm such a curriculum lover... I've been eagerly waiting to see this. So far, I've only given it a cursory view but I already know this is one curriculum I cannot really review until after we've used it.

My first reaction was disappointment. I'm shocked at how "easy" it is. I expected harder material (perhaps the "1A" made me think it was for first graders?). There are not many concepts being taught in it and what is there is very basic. Aidan will breeze through the book in no time. The pages and lessons are similar to many of the cheap workbooks I've picked up. Of course the difference is that there is a logical progression of concepts and it's set up in a textbook format.

I DO like the way it shows a couple of different ways to learn and/or think about a concept. I also like the practice book and workbook. They're more to my taste... black and white and simple. The textbook is bright and "busy" looking with cartoon-like pictures. I doubt very much that I'll sit Aidan down and walk her through the books. I imagine I'll look at the page and then explain it to her with our own manipulatives.

I've realized finally that in our case... with elementary math... it's unnecessary to have a curriculum. I easily can teach these ideas with my own initiative and random workbooks.

If LIFE calms down and we get back to school then my plan is to use Singapore as a spine and if needed (or perhaps just for fun??) stretch out lessons by using additional pages from various workbooks. I will also add additional lessons on other concepts from other resources. Saxon K... I may still use for ideas on what to teach... but mostly because I feel bad dumping it.

Addendum: Okay, when I wrote this I had not looked at the Home Instructor's Guide. Looking through it.. my opinion is now much higher of this program. The Guide really brings everything together into a good, solid curriculum instead of just a bunch of worksheets thrown in a book. There are also good suggestions for teaching the new concepts and games you can play to reinforce them. The program can be used without the Guide but it markedly improves it.

Earth Day

For Earth Day Bridgett bought plants, seeds, and pots for the kids to plant.

Aidan chose seeds.

Ainsley wanted a flower.

Read-Aloud

This week I'm not only reading to Aidan but to the cousins as well. Everyone is enjoying it... as am I... although some of the language and name calling is a little "too-much" and inappropriate for a 3 year old. I think I've just learned the lesson to pre-read the book before using it as a read-aloud.

Cobwebs

sitting here in N.C.... letting time pass
... watching the birds outside fighting
...chilly air coming in from the window

having trouble sleeping... pregnancy test is negative ... calling the husband on the phone feeling so distant from him... girls want to go home... they're cranky and sick and whiiiiney... school is not getting done

... attitudes and tears from everybody

My head feels feels heavy... too heavy to lift

N.C. Week(s) 11

We're in N.C. and shall remain here for another week or so.....so we're on a somewhat forced vacation.

What I hope we might accomplish is the following:

Explode the Code: Lesson 6

Reader: "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish"
by Dr. Seuss.

Math: work in workbooks

"Real" school will have to just wait.

Topsy Turvy

Oatland

Since Sunday was the last day before we left for N.C.... John and I decided we should spend the day having fun. I probably should have been packing.. but instead we drove down to Oatland Island.

Ainsley had told us before we arrived
that we'd see eggs. She was right!

Reading the signs

Exploring

We came across a nest of snakes...

writhing all over each other.

One came out to say "hi"

We saw...

and lots and lots of lizards....

The girls explored nature

Posing for Mommy's pictures

They were very well behaved even without a nap

Sundays are becoming our Family Days

Ways to Play

*Mix all the tiles. Complete the board.

*Do addition or subtraction using the board
as a number line.

*Remove a small number of tiles. Replace them by following the pattern of the columns.

*Place a random assortment of tiles incorrectly. Find the wrongly placed tiles and correct them.

*Solve directional problems.
Ex: 22, right, up, left, left,down = 21

(so far that's all we've come up with)

Pictures Wk: 10

Aidan really enjoyed typing her words.

Ainsley and I played a bunch of made-up games with these bears.

Working addition probs.

This is her favorite puzzle.

First Chapter Read-Aloud

Rabbit Spring by Tilde Michels

This week I decided to start chapter read-alouds with Aidan. Before we ever had kids John and I had talked about reading to the family at night right before bed. We thought it would be a great "family" thing as well as a great way to read the classics together. Well, since Aidan has the privilege of staying up 30 minutes more than Ainsley, I decided to use the time and do like we had planned.

The first night... Aidan was distracted and didn't want to listen for long. So, we put the book up. However, all the consecutive nights, she has listened and enjoyed it. Admittedly, I was (and still am) unsure as to what degree she was/is listening and understanding... but tonight before we started...she told me exactly what was happening when we had stopped. She also easily answered any questions I threw her way about the story.

Obviously, she's listening enough.

LiL Chef

On Order

Much to my amusement, I decided to order Singapore Primary Math 1A this week. I've known about Singapore math for years... I remember when it was in the news a while back... but I never really thought it would be something I'd pick. The last few days, however, I've immersed myself in research about it and I'm thinking that Aidan might excel with it. Reviews are mixed of course but it may just work for her. Saxon is still the math that I would have wanted for myself. I need the repetition (even if just for o.c.d. reasons) but Aidan isn't me. So far she has shown that once she knows it... she doesn't want to look back. If you bore her... she shuts down.

Aidan seems to "get" math. Intuitively, she sees the patterns and the logic of it all. She also will pick anything math related over phonics/language every time. I just haven't made it a priority until now. She really enjoys doing math and so I now see no reason why I shouldn't let her.

So, my plan is to continue with Saxon K (for the moment)... skipping and choosing. I'll also still give her extra worksheets and have her work on her addition and subtraction. We'll then move on to Singapore. She isn't ready for Math 1A yet but I don't believe it will be long before she is.

*Disclaimer* of course since I've bought the textbook unseen... I may find I dislike it and will then pick something else. Luckily, Singapore Math is very inexpensive so I haven't wasted a lot of money.

Progress

Aidan is skipping right along!

First of all... she started completing Explode the Code on her own now. I of course check it but she's zipping through the pages with very little help.

Secondly... Her reading this week has really taken off. She read her readers I assigned the first day. They were easy and she already knew half of her vocabulary words.

Also, until now, reading has been mostly school related or something she and I did together. Now, she's reading books in the car, alone in her room, to Daddy at night... all over the place. The other day she picked up Green Eggs and Ham and started reading it aloud to Ainsley. She got so excited because she wasn't aware of how skilled she'd grown and hadn't realized until she read the book with ease that she could really read books other than those that I had given her.

What about Ainsley?

Ainsley is doing really well herself. She definitely knows all her letters now and has been working on her counting. (She counts to 14 without any issues and then almost can finish to 20) She's also pointing out her colors wherever she goes. Lately, I've been working with her on doing puzzles and using her small motor skills. She never got the amount of attention Aidan did with those things and is slightly "behind" (haha) on them.

Sometimes, I am almost more impressed with Ainsley than I was with Aidan. If you compare them side by side and age by age then you would think Ainsley is behind to where Aidan was at her age. However, going by personality and interest and natural skills... it's like Ainsley has learned her letters and their sounds and how to count the hard way and Aidan was just lucky in that she had a great memory.

Does that make any sense?

No, Ainsley is not reading at 2.5. She hasn't shown any signs of knowing sight words or other such things Aidan was. But she also is a kid who isn't overly interested in that stuff either. She seems more interested in people and interpersonal relationships. So, the fact that she's picked up all that she has (because I'm certainly not sitting her down and drilling her) shows how very incredibly bright she is. I am very proud of her and let's face it... she's still way ahead of the average 26 month old.

Fair is Fair

LOL!

Easter 2010

Easter Bunny Came!

New toys


Coloring Eggs

Egg Hunt

Getting ready to go to the hunt

Being impatient

"When can we get eggs?"

Ready. Set. WAIT!

Yay Eggs! Games!

Cutie Pie!

What a Goof!

Week 10

Vocabulary:
night brown upside where came eat
sister brother other read Mr. more

*review all new words until mastered

Writing:
Dictation: "I can play today." "Will you play now?"

Reading:
"Hop on Pop" by Seuss
"Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill" by Martha Weston

Phonics:
Explode the Code: Lesson 5
Alpha Phonics: Lesson 11, 12, & 13

Math
*Pictographs
*Using the hundred board... complete wksht "B"

Emphasis: typing on the computer

Wkshts: math sheet "A"


***Ainsley***

-teddy bear counting
- puzzles
- color sorting
- alphabet matching

Counting to 100

Aidan loves loves LOVES her hundred board... to her its a cool puzzle. She almost can count to 100 now... just gets messed up on 50 and 80
(calls them "fivety" and "eightzero")

Funny girl!

Ooops... I forgot!

Ainsley is Potty Trained!!!

(well...in my book she is)

Accidents are seldom... very seldom.

She does wear a pull up at night but 5 nights out of 7 she stays dry

Pull ups are almost done.. as soon as the last bag is emptied I will not buy another!

And yeah its been like this for a few weeks
but with stuff going on... I forgot...