Marking Things Off

In an attempt to regain a better grip on our daily life, I have re-inacted my cleaning schedule and have put the whiteboard back to its original use. At the end of today I was able to step back and feel very good about the day because everything had a mark through it!!

MB is continuing with her willingness to do her schoolwork while I continue to try to understand her learning style and incorporate that into our day. It has been difficult picking up on her learning style as, like most things with her, it flitters around so much.

Today I was not expecting things to go very well as it is the first day of school for year-round children that she plays with. I was really expecting some type of discussion, foot-stomping reaction from her over this. But, she seems resigned to homeschooling for right now. She even went so far as to mention to her friends this afternoon her trip to Oregon that she will be taking while they are in school. This would have been her first day of school, probably (or within the next few weeks) if we had sent her to school. I like the year-round idea better than traditional for organized group education.

Our homeschool today, was very close to my imagination, barring the whole we would sit cuddled up together reading wonderful stories that would perk imaginations (I am learning that this will never happen with my two active learners). I spent time last night and developed our week's goals and lesson plans. I also pulled together all the materials we would need so that everything was ready to go this morning. When MB and K woke up the list for the school day was up on the board. This allowed me to move so much more smoothly from one activity to another, while also allowing me to quickly assess and determine if we were done for the day an the girls could go on to their 'elective' activities.

K's elective was to actually play some of our computer games. She is amazing with what she can do by herself on the computer at almost three. She mostly played the Dora Animal Adventures game, playing pieces of it that I have never seen MB do, and doing them correctly and appropriately. She even had MB asking her how she did something.

While K contented herself with the desktop computer I ended up setting the laptop up in the office also for MB to use. She switched back and forth between DK Amazing Animals CD-ROM and playing spider solitare (counts as math and critical thinking).

After computer time we made a "telephone" out of old icing containers and some string. MB had been wanting to do this for awhile, since she saw it in one of those How things work books. I actually never made one of these as a child and had some doubts about it actually working. But, MB found the containers and the string and asked to make it. It actually works!! MB and K had great fun talking to each other via the 'phone.' I had a lot of laughs watching them figure out when the container needed to be at their mouth or ear.

It was a nice day, one that we only had a few glitches in attitudes. And I guess for right now as we continue to work on some of those we will have them. And to be really honest I expect that since they are human creatures, I will always experience some attitude problems from time to time. But it was one of those days that when we came back from running a couple quick errands I asked myself why I don't take them out more, but then I had flashbacks and received my answer for the time being.

MB actually prayed aloud tonight, totally voluntarily. This is big as she has always refused to pray aloud, chosing instead to have me continue to pray over her then joining me for The Lord's Prayer. But tonight she started the prayer for us with her thanksgivings for the day!!

It seems I have many thanksgivings to go give for the day also.

Peace,

Amy