Garage Sale Find!

Well, I lucked out the other day at a Garage Sale!

In a box of books at 10 cents each, I found

"Charlotte's Web"

"Heidi"

"The Cricket in Times Square"

and

"Little House in the Big Woods"

I'm thrilled that I got 4 books on our list for a whole 40 cents!

more this and that

Delta is doing really well, getting a bit smoother.  His sentences are getting harder, but he is working out most of the words on his own.

 

Echo is also doing well, she has read the first 3 sentences.

 

My only real concern is that Delta doesn't want to review, he wants to continue further each time.  Mind you, it doesn't seem to be a big problem at this point.

 

We are also reading more of the Beatrix Potter books.   I want to get going on the writing program, but I need to cut the cards and laminate them....  and either scan the master practice pages I need now, or make my own.  sigh

 

a Few things

Well, it rained today, so we didn't get to do the leaf collecting that I'd told Delta we would do today.  Hopefully it is nice tomorrow.   Also, at swimming today, a lot of kids got report-cards with badges on them.  As Delta didn't, I assume he hasn't passed yet.  I'll be getting his report-card tomorrow.     I think he is just so skinny that he can't float yet, and swimming is harder too.   Oh well, he doesn't seem to notice or mind, and I'm assuming he is improving all the time....

 

Today was a BAD day - but did get some homeschooling in.  I'd read up on the writing program, and it looks pretty good.  It is setup to go along with a different reading program (but is supposed to be ok on its own) - it should be fine, but some of the terms and stuff is hard to figure out without using their reading program...  I did a preliminary exersize with Delta.   There is a bit of stuff I gotta do before really using it.

 

I also had Echo do a few of her reading cards - she now has over 100!  (I introduced "D" to her, and added those words.)    Delta also did some more of his sentences - which finished off the main sounds of the entire alphabet, along with a LOT of exceptions.   According to the book, he would be reading at a grade 2 level now!   But I don't think he is fluent enough to say that - so we need to work at practice.   

 

I also read him the Tale of Benjamin Bunny.  Oh, and they also played with the mosaic pegs.     I have in mind that when I'm working with one child, the other can play with the mosaic - but although I haven't tried that, I have a hard time seeing that working, as I think that they would both be wanting to play with it....   it is going to be so much fun trying to work out how to keep Echo busy when working with Delta, and the other way around!

Beatrix Potter

Tonight I read a couple of Beatrix Potter stories to Delta and Echo.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit - and one about a squirrel.... don't remember its name.

 

It seemed to me we did more - of course there was swimming.   Oh yeah, we also took a little walk down the street - Foxtrot in the snugli, and the other 2 kids walking.  It makes me sad to realize that I don't even know the name of many of the common weeds here!  

 

I also received a writing program I ordered a bit over a week ago.  I hope it is as good as I've heard.

Less TV helps!

I made a conscious effort to greatly reduce the amount of TV the kids (and I ) watch now that Foxtrot doesn't take so much time.  The amount of time they watch has been slowly increasing since Echo was born

 

Once I got up (and their show "Super Why" was done - dad had turned it on for them...)  We had violin practice with Delta.  We haven't in probably almost a month - so he did NOT want to co-operate.  He got told that he wasn't doing anything until he had done that (and we had swim lessons not much later in the day...).   Fortunately he decided to do it.  (I was going to put the baby gate up across his room (which so far he has never climbed - but we don't use it anymore either...) - but he decided to do the practice before I got it out.... and the waiting time was used getting things ready for swim lessons.    We didn't do a lot for the practice, mainly some basic stuff.

 

Swim lessons were next, and a bit of time playing at the Y.  Then it was home for lunch (and 1 more show...)

 

Then let's see....   they played on the organ some, and we also got out their other musical instruments and played a bunch.  (maracas, tamborines, etc).

 

We had a math lesson

 The math lesson was on counting - we counted pennies.  Delta can count well up to 12, then starts mixing up.   Echo can count to 4 - but does recognize that the numbers correspond to the pennies.  (wierd, she can count to 10 if she isn't counting something but just saying the numbers...)

 

I made up a simple word search puzzle - Delta did GREAT.  He found a lot of them with no help, and the last few with a little help.  Echo didn't get the idea, but I didn't really expect her to - she coloured instead.

 

They also played with that mosaic pegboard I bought - Echo just puts the pegs in anywhere - but Delta filled in a rectangle shape with different colours.  And of course, it is great sorting practice as I make them sort it when putting it away.

 

And tonight I read the Alladin story from the Childcraft set.  Sometimes I don't know if Delta is really listening to these longer stories (Echo doesn't) - but I think he gets something out of them.

 

Overall - a lot done!

Asking for homeschooling!

wierd - looks like the last post was cut off a bit.

 

Anyway - Delta has been asking to do homeschooling each day the last few days. 

 

Tonight we finished reading "The House at Pooh Corner"

Knows colours already!

Yesterday, read a bit more of "House at Pooh Corner".  We are almost all done it.   Didn't do too much more - although Delta is trying to read some of his books too, so that is good.

 

btw - just thought I'd mention that I'd probably work on colours or something with Echo - but she knows them already!!!

Another Quick Note

Today we did violin practice, and I read part of "A House at Pooh Corner" again.  Kids also went to their Monday morning program - today was "5 little ducks".

Well, today I had my "Mom's time" class - so the kids got to go outside to play in the babysitting - which is always good. 

 

Went through the scripture mastery again - they are still great with the 3 they have memorized.   Did some reading cards with Echo - think I may add another letter sound soon.  And got Delta to do his sentences - in lower case.  He prefers the upper case (it is easier) - but he did the lower case just fine.  Just had to convince him that the small "t" wasn't a "j". (which is a letter he hasn't even officially done...)

 

We also read a whole chapter of The House at Pooh Corner too!   He kept having me show various words out of the book....

Wish I could memorize like that!

So - today's update....

Had our last day of lil' gardeners. It was definately interesting.... right now their little yards are in the back of the mini-van - darned if I know where we will put them!

This afternoon, Echo wanted to do cards - so we started with the scripture mastery. This is the first time Mike has been around while they have been doing them - and Echo said - word-for-word 3 scriptures with no prompting except the book name, and maybe the first word in the scripture. Mike had her do the first 1 three times because he couldn't believe it! I too am amazed, she has them better memorized than I do! Delta got 2 of the 3 right - on one he puts in part of another scripture.

Echo then did reading cards - she did some pretty good - some not. I don't think she is ready for more stuff yet. I really got to get it back more into games. Delta didn't want to do his sentences, but got me the House at Pooh Corner - but got distracted after a paragraph, so I didn't push it.

Again, I'm doing HORRIBLE at violin practice with Delta - it just seems like so much work at the moment.

Reading Problems

Still not feeling great....

Delta had a group violin lesson today - there hasn't been any for a couple of weeks. It went ok - his focus wasn't great, but probably because of the break and me not getting him to practice enough this month...

We went to the Home Depot kids workshop - we do every month - but they were already packed up. We got 2 kits that we'll do with the kids in a few days... it is a planter (basically an open box....)

I wanted to let them play outside, but my back was so bad that there was no way for quite a while. They tylenol finally kicked in about 45 min before I needed to wake up Mike for work - so we went out. And I tried drawing my first pictures in my nature journal. They are ok, nothing fancy. Delta said I was a genius (while I was doing it... - no idea where he knows that word from, but has used it before once or twice...) I wasn't as pleased with Mike's reaction when I showed him ("What is that?")

After supper I did reading cards. Delta didn't want to, and even went and hid - but I put the cards away and got him to come out so I can talk to him. The upshot is (as I expected) is he is having problems with that last letter sound, and so he feels like it is too hard - that we went too quickly. I basically told him that I had been trying to take it slowly, but that he always wanted more and more until now. I also told him that we can just review and do easy ones that he knows. He was fine with that - and then only let me do his hardest cards with him - which he mostly got right anyway. Echo did good on her cards - but is still having a bit of fun with her last letter sound too. I'm thinking of making up some Bingo cards for another recognition game with them. I wish I could make up about 4 train-engine blocks (blocks with train-engine pictures), and some way to slide the cards I made into them so you could still read them.... If I can figure that out, then there is another practice reading game that Delta might like. I don't want to have to print out the stuff again on a train-engine card though.

We also read more from "A House at Pooh Corner".... although Delta's attention really wasn't there - Echos generally never is for that one.

Later

This evening while Mike was cooking, Delta got out the "House at Pooh Corner" book and wanted me to read more, so we read about 1/2 of the next chapter.

Of course, he would want to do it while I'm trying to watch my TV show! LOL

Great Day

Having a good day I guess - didn't start off looking great - but is going good now!

 

The kids were colouring, and Delta was making letters, and asking me what it said.  He did STOP first, and TOP, and HOT, and a bunch of nonsense words too....  but it was cool.    He also on his own made 3 of his puzzles, and is currently making a train track.

 

I did the word cards with both of them - and tried not to help Delta so much with the blending.   I think I'm going to get from the library a few Dr. Suess books (we have a couple, but the one I know would be great is missing....).    I'm thinking I've got to get "Hop on Pop" as there is a lot of words in there that he would be able to work out.   Also, I think maybe Green Eggs and Ham - because although there are more words he doesn't know, I know it has very limited vocabulary.   I'll have to look.

 

We got distracted from the word cards, as a machine came by across the street to break up the ice and snow in the ditches.   (In our neighbourhood, there are no storm-drains - we have a sloped ditch that works its way to the river....  but in spring it is all blocked with ice and snow, and so the water from the melting snow on the yards would overflow if the ditches aren't broken up....)   So we watched from the window for a few minutes.

 

So then I read the other half of the story that we are in the middle of in "House of Pooh".   Delta listened to most of it pretty good - got distracted on and off.  Echo pretty much just went off and played, but that is fine...

 Anyway, after lunch, I figured it was such a nice day outside, that I'd take them outside for a bit.  The porch has cleared etc, so I figured I could sit and read.  Well, I got ambitious, and took them for a walk for about 1/2 a block.   Delta picked up a bunch of rocks and threw them in the water in the ditches....  Echo did some too.   Delta also enjoyed finding tire tracks.... ok, maybe not exactly nature study, but it is observation anyway!     We didn't go very far though - this is the first time I felt up to trying any walk at all!    So we came back, and I let them play in the snow in the backyard for a while and I sat on the stairs.   Delta then needed to go to the bathroom, so we came around the front (easier to keep track of them...).  Besides, I could hear the machine coming back.   So they played in the snow out front (harder on me as there is water puddles in the front too....).   Then when the machine was getting near, they were sitting beside me on the stairs - so I tried playing a memory game with them - it went not too bad for a first run.

 

It was basically you say "I went to the market and I bought..."   normally you would have to do it alphabetically (which is easier to figure out what is next.....)  but of course we didn't do that part.  although it happened to start that way....    We got all the way to "I bought  Apples & Bongos & Cheese & Donuts & Mittens & Mommies & Eggs".   I did a bit of helping them remember, but not too much.   By then, the machine was visible.  So we watched the machine - and we waved when it was by our yard, and the machine operator waved back.

 

So - that is our homeschooling so far!

 

oh, plus a discussion with Echo....  I asked her where the water came from that was on the yard - that it wasn't there the other day...  she didn't know.... so I explained that the snow was melting, and that it turns into water.

 

and of course we discussed (more with Delta) why the machine was breaking up the ice....

 

Misc

Today went pretty good even though it was fairly laid back....

 

Part way through the morning I did the "Points game" with them, as we needed to clean-up a bit, and Delta wasn't wanting to get dressed etc - and it leads right into violin practice.

 

We have read another chapter in "House at Pooh Corner".   Delta is really enjoying it, which is cool in my opinion.  He also noticed the word "Hot" in the book, which is one of the words he can figure out....

 

They spent quite a while outside.

 

We went through a few of their reading words too tonight.

 

I think that is most of it.....

German!

Forgot to mention - Delta asked me to read more from "The House at Pooh Corner" (which has very few pictures - it is like the original Pooh stories by A.A. Milne....) And I read several pages to him. Will do the next chapter soon.

And, just talked to Mike (via Email...) - and he has agreed to teach the kids German as a part of their homeschooling. He is fairly fluent, having lived there 7 years. French is the more common 2nd language here in Canada of course - but really no-one in the house knows it at all (even though I took 6 years of it in school...) The advantage of doing French would be that most of our movies here (DVD's) have French as a 2nd language track.... where for German we would need to find other resources.....

In any case, I'm going YEAY! Not sure when he is likely to start with them on it - it may be quite a while, as I'm sure he is going to have to think a bit about how to go about it. (hm, he wouldn't go for the talking to the kids only in German back when Delta was a baby... lol) Funny thing is none of the older kids know any German (except swears, I dare say) even though their mom is German, and Mike was fluent in it....

"A House by Pooh Corner"

Been a hectic day, so I didn't do much this evening - just read about 1/2 a chapter to them from "A House by Pooh Corner" - the original book.  It doesn't have many pictures.  Delta enjoyed it, but not sure if he got what was going on that much...