Rules of a Ruler

This week Aidan and I explored how to use a 12 inch ruler. I cut up strips of paper in various lengths and had her measure them.

Then we measured all sorts of things around the house.

She grasped the concept quite easily but kept saying "pounds" instead of "inches."
LOL

*Next time I plan to have a matching game set up where she must match the number of inches to the strip of paper.

Park Playdate

We actually made a playdate this week! Everyone met up at the park.

Don't you just love the static?

Potty Update

Potty training is going great. At first... I was having some trouble because she didn't seem to care whether she used her potty, a Pull Up, or the floor... but then McMama had the great idea to give her a "never-get-to-have" So, I bought a bag of dum dums and it took off from there.

Ainsley never has accidents in the house. Most days... she runs around the house in her underwear. (She can pull those up and down but pants make it more of an issue.) Right now... she is still using Pull Ups for sleeping and being in public. Unfortunately, I haven't had much success in public but to be honest... I haven't really tried either. I've been lazy. it's easier to not worry about it when we're shopping.

Bad Mommy!

Wonderful Weather

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and we spent a wonderful morning playing outside and getting dirty.

The playhouse even got some use

Love It!

One thing I think is very important is for my girls to use and be comfortable with computers. Besides the fact that computers are part of our daily lives.. they offer great opportunities for learning and having fun. The Internet has so many cool websites with neat games (educational and just-for-funs). Aidan can now use it BY HERSELF! I ran across a toddler website www.kneebouncers.com. It is the easiest way to teach a kid to use a mouse. Yesterday, I showed Aidan the site and very soon she was using the mouse like a pro. (okay...maybe a little slower) So, we then went to Starfall.com (our favorite website but until now I've always had to manipulate the mouse while she sits on my lap) and while I was busy... she figured out how to double click and drag and how to go into other files on my desktop. LOL

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?

This means that for those special occasions when I want Miss Thing out of my hair and I want her to "do school"... I can sit her down in front of the computer... AND NOT HAVE TO DO IT WITH HER.... !!!!

One more thing she can do independently!

WHOO HOO!

And of course it means she can now do things like online coloring books and fun stuff like that... as well as surf through files she doesn't belong in.

He He

Just Kidding!

FireGirl to the Rescue!

Lately, Aidan has really been "into" firemen and their trucks. Every single day she tells me that she's going to be a "firegirl" when she grows up. She is also going to "rescue people out of fires and find them new homes and be a hero" (her words not mine) I really have no clue where she came up with all this... I'm thinking she might have watched something on t.v. while hanging with the N.C. cousins but I dunno. Anyway, Uncle Andrew (John's youngest brother and Conner's Daddy) is a fireman. For a while now she's been talking of Uncle Andrew showing her "his" truck. Well, Conner's birthday party was a great opportunity. They actually live right across the street from the station and Andrew was on duty.

So, Uncle Andrew kindly took her across the street

It scared the mess out of her! She has never liked loud things and the truck is huge to her.

John jumped in and helped calm her down.

and then put her on top of the truck where she waved to everyone

She was extremely excited about it all in spite of being afraid (although you'd have to know her well to know that). Yesterday she decided she wanted to draw Uncle Andrew a picture to say thank you for letting her see the truck. At first she thought he might "come in his firetruck to pick up (her) picture" but I convinced her mailing it to him would be fun too.

Isn't it AWESOME?

I'm so proud of her.. not because she drew such a cool picture but because it was all her idea to say thank you. I think my Aidan is turning into one cool kid.

Being Girls

The girls dressed themselves
Ainsley chose a shirt... and that's it
Aidan chose a sundress and sweat pants
They then sneaked into the barrettes and "did their hair"



Styling!

Week 5

Vocabulary:
look he one there red

Find all five words in a book of your choice
Play memory using your words
Wksht: "red" "look" "one"

Writing:
write all vocab. words twice

Phonics:

Decoding Sentences: He said to look for the red pad. I see one! There it is!

Wksht: "_ad"

Play Bingo with _ad words
Use sight word cards

Explore: using an exclamation mark

Hop on Pop: read pages 16-24
Explode the Code: finish lesson 1 and start lesson 2
Alpha Phonics: review lesson 8&9
Readers: Bob books 5 & 6 and "Big Egg"

Math:
Learn about measuring with a ruler

Wksht: "0-10 matching"
Wksht: "buttons"
Wksht: "7-10 counting"

Emphasis: read together

See Saw

With my trips to N.C. and with other things going on in my life... school keeps getting left undone. This week will be week 5 but really only the 4th week of actual work. Half of me feels mildly panicky about it and then the other half asks "what in the world are you worrying about?"

I am too easily influenced by things that I read. One day, I may find a website where it is nothing but parents and teachers who encourage early learning and tell stories of their brilliant and thriving kids and how they were rotting away without a focus. The next day, I'll find a website with facts and figures and adamant postings about letting kids be kids and not schooling them until they're 6 or even 8. I keep swaying side to side to whatever side sounds convincing at the moment.

I love being a teacher. I'm good at it. If ever I had a "calling" it would be to teach. (well... with the exception of photography and being a Mother) Aidan is a dream of a student. Sometimes, of course, she isn't interested in school but most of the time she's eager. I still worry about if what we're doing is right though. I wonder how eager she'd be if it was as constant as I was planning it to be. I wonder how eager she'll be at the age of 6... when she's been doing school for 3 years already. I know that what we do and most importantly how we do it is not overly stressful. School so far is fun and spontaneous. I make a plan for the week and it all gets done in tiny little increments. We've never sat down at any specific time (although I had planned to do so). We don't work for two hours. Randomly, either Aidan asks to do it or I ask and she says yes. I don't push... much. But...oh... I still worry.

and then...

I still worry about what if it's not enough. I know quite well that Aidan is capable of much more. Am I shortchanging her because I don't make things more challenging? Is her brain slowly dying in important places because we haven't started collecting and learning about leaves? LOL! Seriously though... I do think things like that. Sometimes I feel like her brain is starving and I'm keeping it alive on a diet of bread crumbs.

but then again...

I see her (like at this very moment) playing nicely... planning and building train tracks... howling in unison with her sister... being silly and full of joy and I think... she's doing okay... she's a great kid...quite worrying

Ah to be ME! Are all Mothers this insane?

In reality, I know that it boils down to MY kids and who THEY are and what THEY need. As their Mother it is my job and my job only to decide what is best for them. I know that kids are different and what is best for one will probably not be best for the other. I know also, that parents tend to go a little crazy about what they believe is the "right" thing to do. So, of course, what they say/write will be adamant and decisive. I'm only influenced because I see both sides.

Being a Piscean is quite bothersome. I'm left and I'm right. The middle-ground, for me, is sometimes hard to find.

Baby Conner turns 1

Where's My Baby?

Until now, everything I planned out for my life has occurred on MY schedule. When Ainsley turned two I was planning on being 6-8 months pregnant. I definitely wanted no more than 2.5 years between them.

Things just aren't working out.

I have now miscarried three times in a row. (5 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks) It could be something as "easy" as my hormones are off... which would be great except then I'm guilty of causing the miscarriages. I finally went to the Doctor yesterday and she informed me that if that's the case and I had gone into her office sooner... they might have saved the pregnancy.

Wow!

That was hard to swallow.

Researching on the Internet is not... perhaps.. the best thing to do always. My research told me most Doctors would not do anything until you'd had three. So I was "waiting and seeing."

Stupid Stupid Stupid

Is it wrong for me to grieve for a ball of cells?

Valentine Day 2010

Most of Valentine's Day this year was spent traveling the roads. The girls and I didn't get home until dinner time. John surprised us all with flowers, presents, candy and a steak dinner.

What he left for the girls!
Isn't he the sweetest girl Daddy?

The next day, he made cupcakes with the girls and handed me my share...


I do so love John.

One of the best thing about John is that he is a great Daddy... He always remembers to make days just as special to the girls as he does to me. I like to imagine them grown and how they'll look back at all the special touches he did to show them he loved them. One of my very favorite thing he does is that every night he turns down their beds and straightens their blankets and pillows and stuffed animals so that the bed will be more inviting. I LOVE that! They are so lucky to have him!

First Snow Ever

This week we were in N.C. It snowed about 3 or 4 inches. I have not seen this much snow in many years... my girls have never seen it. Aidan especially enjoyed it. Ainsley ... ehh... she liked the sledding part but everything else... not so much. I'm glad that their first time was with their cousins... it made it more enjoyable and memorable.
I only wish John didn't have to miss it.


Our gang

Dressed and ready to go out!

Much of the time Ainsley was whining.

Holding on to help walk

Sledding with Cousin Russell

I couldn't get her to stop eating it

There's a happy face!

Aidan walked around throwing snowballs at everyone... mostly everyone just kept ignoring her
... she didn't seem to care.

Since before we left to go to N.C... Aidan was excited over the prospect of making "snow angels like on t.v."

Our SnowMan

A Happy 28th!

So what did my Husband, father of two, want for his birthday?

The Transformers 25th Anniversary collection

Happy Birthday DEAR!

Enjoy your cartoons!

Pictures: Wk 4

Aidan did ALL of her worksheets this week. That was basically all she wanted to do.

The Pom Poms are a hit with Ainsley

Math Puzzles