This spring has been crazy. Let's see how much of it I can remember!
-Soccer was INSANITY! I learned we are not yet ready for sports, at least not until people can put their own sports gear on. And there is help, maybe? Four days a week between Colin, Brennan, and Kailey was too much for me to do alone, plus dance another day, and church on Sundays. We ended up not usually going to the SCA because I needed a break from all the other days' activities.
-Colin performed in his first dance recital. And yes, I cried :) He's still not sure if he wants to continue or not in the fall. If he does, I think he'll drop the ballet and just do the tap, or possibly we'll see if they have a hip-hop class for his age. He liked the dancing/performing aspect, but I think being the only boy in the class sometimes made him uncomfortable. He kept complaining about one of the girls "making blinky eyes" at him!
-Nikolai, at 24 months, had a vocabulary of about 35 words. It took me over a week to compile the list. Finally, a couple weeks ago, he started speaking for real! He's been adding several new words a day to his vocabulary since then, and is starting to put sentences together!
-Brennan has been doing better in most areas lately, though we're still having major trouble with potty training. He still has his meltdown days, but it's been the opposite of what it was- good with a few bad thrown in, rather than bad with a few good. I'm so thankful!
-Tiffany got into an accident at work, so Heather came for 6 weeks to help me with the workload. It was lovely, as always, having her with us! I ended up driving her home, and the boys and I spent a couple weeks visiting everyone. I wish we could have spent more time there, and seen all the people we didn't get to see, but it was a good trip anyway, and I'm glad we got the time there that we had.
-I fixed Nathan's old laptop! All by myself! With only a little internet guidance and a video tutorial to guide me! That computer is now more of a family computer/the boys' computer. They've been learning a lot on there. I put their allowed sites on a bookmarks bar for them to click on what they want without needing my help, and they've been doing all their little games and videos and such on Starfall and PBS Kids. We actually spent the rest of their Christmas money on a subscription to Starfall, they were loving it so much (and learning so much from it!) And, I don't know whether it's been a result of their computer usage or not, but Colin has taught himself to read! He still has a little ways to go, but last night he read about 3/4 of a Beginner Book all by himself, with only a little help from me in sounding out a few words. I'm so proud of my little man!
-We've gotten chickens. We had ducks. They got given away because they were too stinky and messy. And we totally weren't even ready for the chickens, let alone another, completely different type of barnyard fowl.
-Matthew is getting out of the Marines in September. We're not sure what's happening after that yet, but I'm hoping to stay on the east coast. I really love it over here, especially the weather!
-One of today's escapades: I brought the boys with me on The Great Fabric Hunt today, to get some fabric to finish a couple of the projects Grandma gave me. Hancock's was a nightmare! They were literally running and screaming around the store, and when I got two of them in a cart, Niko managed to climb out and on top of all the fleece! I brought them all back out to the van, put Niko very tightly in the moby wrap, threatened the other two with the double stroller, and brought them back inside to finish. Finished, and Niko threw a fit about getting in the carseat. He fell asleep on the way home and slept for probably over two hours. HA! Take that, tired!
Anyway, that's all I can think of tonight. Now, to put Wild Things to bed, and crash pretty soon myself!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Spring Science, and other goings-on
The weather is getting warmer again, and with that comes something that moms and little boys have two completely different opinions of- bugs are coming out of hibernation!
My boys love bugs. Caterpillars and ladybugs especially, but no creature that wriggles, flies, or hops is too small to escape their detection. They even managed to find some of those teeny tiny blood-red bugs about a week ago when we were picking Kailey up from school and tried to convince me to let them take them home. Umm, no. There are very specific bug rules. Such as "All bugs that come in the house must be in and stay in glass jars with lids" and "Caterpillars will not be put on your food to share your meal" and "If Mama finds a bug where it shouldn't be, it will be put back outside, or killed". Better add "Bugs will not be brought in the car or put in your pocket" now, too."
But hey. As much as I don't like creepy crawlies, I don't want the boys to become afraid of them or get grossed out by them like I am. It's sort of irrational, really. I used to play with roly polies all the time when I was a kid, catch lightning bugs, let ladybugs crawl on my arms. What happened? Why do I have to force myself not to have a negative reaction to them now? I want to avoid that happening to them, if at all possible. So far, so good. Brennan catches crickets, Colin puts four caterpillars of various types in a jar to watch them turn into butterflies (though they usually turn into moths).
There have been a few times I thought bugs were just completely beautiful and awe-inspiring, though. When we lived in Monterey, I was walking the boys one day, and saw a group of moths fluttering around some flowers, with the sunlight filtering through the trees and lighting up the dust and the moths. It looked so ethereal! It was such a beautiful and magical sight! The second unforgettable bug experience was when we went back to Texas a couple years ago. I was sitting outside, and my attention was caught by a bunch of winged bugs of some kind coming out of the wood that made a raised bed around a tree. They just kept coming out and coming out, there had to be hundreds of them, and the realization that bugs actually do hibernate in the winter, and I was seeing them wake up from their hibernation, really struck me and confirmed in me that bugs are beautiful- or at least they can be sometimes!
So, the boys are having fun with bugs. And I'm encouraging it. We read a book that had a little section about bugs in it today. It also had a section about humpback whales, and I'm planning on drawing a life-size humpback whale in the cul-de-sac when it gets a little warmer. They've been interested in whales for several years now, starting with a book Grammy and Grampy gave them about a humpback named Humphrey who swam up the San Fransisco River. Great story, based on something that really happened!
I've started reading the Jesus Storybook Bible to the kids. I like how all the stories point to Jesus, and why Jesus had to come to Earth, and what Jesus had to do. There are a lot of parallels in Old Testament stories to Jesus that I'd never noticed or paid much attention to before, and I love that it's opening my eyes to all of these. We read a handful of little science books on various subjects, and a few "fun" books just because. I love storytime! It's one of my favorite parts of the day, and really one of my best chances to teach and disciple my children. It may be kind of untraditional to use bedtime stories as homeschool time, but I think it's a lot more natural, and it works for us.
They've also been doing a lot of computer games lately. I replaced the screen on my previous laptop, and gave that to them to use as a family computer, and they used the last of their Christmas money to get a subscription to Starfall. It's been one of the best things I think I've ever done for them! They're always on PBS Kids, and come out to tell me about this or that they learned, and "Mommy, did you know...", and "2 and 6 make 8!" It's so amazing seeing them learn! Starfall has been a huge help in teaching them, because all of the games are designed to teach the basics of what they'd be learning in school, but it's all in a game format. They're picking up on reading remarkably quickly for me never having "taught" them. Starfall and PBS Kids both have everything verbalized so you don't have to know how to read, and it's been teaching them how to. When you hear the word "back" every time you put your cursor on the arrow that says "B-A-C-K", you'll eventually realize that those letters spell the word, and then you'll be able to read "back" any time you see it! I'm so happy they're learning so much, and in the ways that each of them learns best.
Other schooly things I've done lately: we have a few spots in and near the kitchen that I like putting worksheets and printouts and other fun things on. We've done a couple maps, and those are hits, and the ASL alphabet was so popular I had to make another one to replace the first copy. I'm trying to get the kids more involved with cooking and other household tasks. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn't, but I think we're better off than we were a month ago. We've been discussing songs in the van, various things that are mentioned in them. Prohibition, immigration, Ellis Island, Scandinavia, some myths and legends. It's amazing how many teachable moments there are when you look for them. We're learning about raising chickens. The ducks were less than successful, and had to go. The chickens are coming along, though. This week we're gonna have to build the coop to get them out of the living room.
Nikolai has put together a few sentences, which is exciting. Other than that, I haven't seen too much else developmentally for him. It's probably more me not noticing than milestones not being there-this is the crazy house, after all!
I think more than anything else this last few weeks, I've noticed how much I'm learning, and I'm trying to pass on at least a portion of what I learn to the kids. It's been really cool, some of the conversations we've had.
That ends tonight's monologue. I've gone on long enough :)
-Amanda -_-*
My boys love bugs. Caterpillars and ladybugs especially, but no creature that wriggles, flies, or hops is too small to escape their detection. They even managed to find some of those teeny tiny blood-red bugs about a week ago when we were picking Kailey up from school and tried to convince me to let them take them home. Umm, no. There are very specific bug rules. Such as "All bugs that come in the house must be in and stay in glass jars with lids" and "Caterpillars will not be put on your food to share your meal" and "If Mama finds a bug where it shouldn't be, it will be put back outside, or killed". Better add "Bugs will not be brought in the car or put in your pocket" now, too."
But hey. As much as I don't like creepy crawlies, I don't want the boys to become afraid of them or get grossed out by them like I am. It's sort of irrational, really. I used to play with roly polies all the time when I was a kid, catch lightning bugs, let ladybugs crawl on my arms. What happened? Why do I have to force myself not to have a negative reaction to them now? I want to avoid that happening to them, if at all possible. So far, so good. Brennan catches crickets, Colin puts four caterpillars of various types in a jar to watch them turn into butterflies (though they usually turn into moths).
There have been a few times I thought bugs were just completely beautiful and awe-inspiring, though. When we lived in Monterey, I was walking the boys one day, and saw a group of moths fluttering around some flowers, with the sunlight filtering through the trees and lighting up the dust and the moths. It looked so ethereal! It was such a beautiful and magical sight! The second unforgettable bug experience was when we went back to Texas a couple years ago. I was sitting outside, and my attention was caught by a bunch of winged bugs of some kind coming out of the wood that made a raised bed around a tree. They just kept coming out and coming out, there had to be hundreds of them, and the realization that bugs actually do hibernate in the winter, and I was seeing them wake up from their hibernation, really struck me and confirmed in me that bugs are beautiful- or at least they can be sometimes!
So, the boys are having fun with bugs. And I'm encouraging it. We read a book that had a little section about bugs in it today. It also had a section about humpback whales, and I'm planning on drawing a life-size humpback whale in the cul-de-sac when it gets a little warmer. They've been interested in whales for several years now, starting with a book Grammy and Grampy gave them about a humpback named Humphrey who swam up the San Fransisco River. Great story, based on something that really happened!
I've started reading the Jesus Storybook Bible to the kids. I like how all the stories point to Jesus, and why Jesus had to come to Earth, and what Jesus had to do. There are a lot of parallels in Old Testament stories to Jesus that I'd never noticed or paid much attention to before, and I love that it's opening my eyes to all of these. We read a handful of little science books on various subjects, and a few "fun" books just because. I love storytime! It's one of my favorite parts of the day, and really one of my best chances to teach and disciple my children. It may be kind of untraditional to use bedtime stories as homeschool time, but I think it's a lot more natural, and it works for us.
They've also been doing a lot of computer games lately. I replaced the screen on my previous laptop, and gave that to them to use as a family computer, and they used the last of their Christmas money to get a subscription to Starfall. It's been one of the best things I think I've ever done for them! They're always on PBS Kids, and come out to tell me about this or that they learned, and "Mommy, did you know...", and "2 and 6 make 8!" It's so amazing seeing them learn! Starfall has been a huge help in teaching them, because all of the games are designed to teach the basics of what they'd be learning in school, but it's all in a game format. They're picking up on reading remarkably quickly for me never having "taught" them. Starfall and PBS Kids both have everything verbalized so you don't have to know how to read, and it's been teaching them how to. When you hear the word "back" every time you put your cursor on the arrow that says "B-A-C-K", you'll eventually realize that those letters spell the word, and then you'll be able to read "back" any time you see it! I'm so happy they're learning so much, and in the ways that each of them learns best.
Other schooly things I've done lately: we have a few spots in and near the kitchen that I like putting worksheets and printouts and other fun things on. We've done a couple maps, and those are hits, and the ASL alphabet was so popular I had to make another one to replace the first copy. I'm trying to get the kids more involved with cooking and other household tasks. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn't, but I think we're better off than we were a month ago. We've been discussing songs in the van, various things that are mentioned in them. Prohibition, immigration, Ellis Island, Scandinavia, some myths and legends. It's amazing how many teachable moments there are when you look for them. We're learning about raising chickens. The ducks were less than successful, and had to go. The chickens are coming along, though. This week we're gonna have to build the coop to get them out of the living room.
Nikolai has put together a few sentences, which is exciting. Other than that, I haven't seen too much else developmentally for him. It's probably more me not noticing than milestones not being there-this is the crazy house, after all!
I think more than anything else this last few weeks, I've noticed how much I'm learning, and I'm trying to pass on at least a portion of what I learn to the kids. It's been really cool, some of the conversations we've had.
That ends tonight's monologue. I've gone on long enough :)
-Amanda -_-*
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Chicks and Other Spring Occurences
After a winter that can hardly be called one except by name alone, spring is here! And again, despite my best intentions to the contrary, we've started experimenting with homesteading again. Last year was more or less a fail at gardening- I think we had the wrong proportion of regular dirt to fertilized dirt. This year, we haven't planted anything yet (and may not), but we've gone and bought half a dozen chickens and a couple ducks. The kids are loving our chickies! There are 3 Rhode Island Reds, and 3 Black Barred something-or-others, and they really are adorable! Their names are Piper, Princess, Celeste, Sterling, Lily, and Ariel. The kids helped name them. (Our ducklings are Duck-Duck and Goose, which is already pretty confusing!) They love holding them, and feeding them, and doing just about everything they can with them. Even Nick and Bella are warming up to them, though they're still pretty rough with the little things. I wasn't wanting to get chicks since we'll be moving later this year, but I really am looking forward to having lots of fresh eggs. We're not sure if the ducks are male or female, but we're guessing Duck-Duck is male because of his size and aggression. He's got that whole dominance thing going on with the other birds.
I bought a book about Passover a week or so ago to read along with the Easter books. I've actually learned about Passover from it. I've been so amazed at how much I'm learning about God and Christianity by going back to the Jewish roots and Jewish celebrations. It's like seeing the inside of a quilt. There's nothing wrong with only seeing or appreciating the outside, but when you look at how it's been put together, and you get that knowledge of what went into making it what it is, it adds a whole new depth of understanding about it.
Since Easter has sort of snuck up on us this year (less than two weeks, really?!), I saw a little project someone posted that the older kids and I did yesterday. You cut out an egg shape, put it on wax paper, draw what you want on it with preferably a white crayon, drip food coloring all over it, then spray it with water. It makes a very pretty watercolor effect (and is a good lesson in color mixing to boot!) We're going to hang them up in the kitchen today.
We got a lot of really interesting books from the library last week. One of them was a Backyard Science book that Colin has been completely enamored with. We have plans to do some of the projects in there, but haven't yet.
A few weeks ago, I got to give the kids a couple astronomy lessons. Venus and Mars got really close together, so I pointed that out to them, and showed them the constellations know. Colin actually remembered Orion from last time.
Brennan and I did a color-blind test online, and he knows all the letters and numbers by sight. I was surprised, because I really haven't done anything about teaching him or exposing him, other than a couple kid shows on Netflix. Oh, I did the color-blind test because he never says "brown" is brown. Depending on the shade, he calls it grey, orange, or black. Nothing on the test showed he was color blind, so he may just be using his artistic mind to try to explain variables in the shades (or something like that- Matthew explained to me what he thought it might be, and my brain did not process most of his explanation!) I've always known he's my artist. though, so that explanation lines up with what I know about how his brain works.
Nikolai is speaking a little more. Sometimes he's adding several words a day- one of our jokes about starting a farm is that it's teaching Niko to speak! He learned "chick" and "duck" on the same day! Most of his words are only distinguishable if you have a good understanding of Caveman and are a master of Guesstures, but at least he's getting the right amount of syllables in words, and a few of the right letters. It's still frustrating that he's taking so long to speak, when the other two were so much faster.
Annnnd, we got a little keyboard on our last trip to the thrift store. The musical ones among us are having a blast! I'm going to look for some el cheapo piano books to see if I can start learning/teaching any of them how to play.
I love this homeschooling life! <3
I bought a book about Passover a week or so ago to read along with the Easter books. I've actually learned about Passover from it. I've been so amazed at how much I'm learning about God and Christianity by going back to the Jewish roots and Jewish celebrations. It's like seeing the inside of a quilt. There's nothing wrong with only seeing or appreciating the outside, but when you look at how it's been put together, and you get that knowledge of what went into making it what it is, it adds a whole new depth of understanding about it.
Since Easter has sort of snuck up on us this year (less than two weeks, really?!), I saw a little project someone posted that the older kids and I did yesterday. You cut out an egg shape, put it on wax paper, draw what you want on it with preferably a white crayon, drip food coloring all over it, then spray it with water. It makes a very pretty watercolor effect (and is a good lesson in color mixing to boot!) We're going to hang them up in the kitchen today.
We got a lot of really interesting books from the library last week. One of them was a Backyard Science book that Colin has been completely enamored with. We have plans to do some of the projects in there, but haven't yet.
A few weeks ago, I got to give the kids a couple astronomy lessons. Venus and Mars got really close together, so I pointed that out to them, and showed them the constellations know. Colin actually remembered Orion from last time.
Brennan and I did a color-blind test online, and he knows all the letters and numbers by sight. I was surprised, because I really haven't done anything about teaching him or exposing him, other than a couple kid shows on Netflix. Oh, I did the color-blind test because he never says "brown" is brown. Depending on the shade, he calls it grey, orange, or black. Nothing on the test showed he was color blind, so he may just be using his artistic mind to try to explain variables in the shades (or something like that- Matthew explained to me what he thought it might be, and my brain did not process most of his explanation!) I've always known he's my artist. though, so that explanation lines up with what I know about how his brain works.
Nikolai is speaking a little more. Sometimes he's adding several words a day- one of our jokes about starting a farm is that it's teaching Niko to speak! He learned "chick" and "duck" on the same day! Most of his words are only distinguishable if you have a good understanding of Caveman and are a master of Guesstures, but at least he's getting the right amount of syllables in words, and a few of the right letters. It's still frustrating that he's taking so long to speak, when the other two were so much faster.
Annnnd, we got a little keyboard on our last trip to the thrift store. The musical ones among us are having a blast! I'm going to look for some el cheapo piano books to see if I can start learning/teaching any of them how to play.
I love this homeschooling life! <3
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Interviews with the Boys
Since several other people have posted interviews with their kids lately, I thought it would be fun to interview the boys and see what they had to say. So, here goes!
COLIN
(He'd reached his limit at this point, after two separate days of me trying. Maybe I'll revisit these later, maybe not.)
COLIN
1. What is something mom always says to do?
Obey, clean up
2. What makes mom happy?
Obeying
3. What makes mom sad?
Disobeying
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Jokes
5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don't know
6. How old is your mom?
You tell me, I'm not guessing
(Smart boy!)7. How tall is your mom?
Really big, a little bit big as my daddy, but a little bit close
(Translation: Almost as tall as Daddy!)8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Clean up at night, put us to bed, read stories, make food for us, out of the house for a while, all that stuff
9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
Clean up
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
I don't know
11. What is your mom really good at?
Reading books
12. What is your mom not very good at?
You tell us.
(Hehehe, he really doesn't like hurting my feelings!)
13. What does your mom do for a job?
Help people, clip nails, you're good at cutting cake, scooping ice cream, wrapping presents, all that kind of stuff
14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
I don't know
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Getting some stuff like my robot dog, which I really wanted, and my robot
(The robot dog was from Grandma and Grandpa Rodgers, the robot was from me)16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
You could be, well, I don't know. I don't know!
(Comes from not watching a lot of cartoons. And I'm so glad he didn't say something like one of the Backyardigans!)17. What do you and your mom do together?
Sometimes when it's closer to somebody's birthday or when it's closer to Christmas, we wrap presents
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Because we have white skin
19. How are you and your mom different?
I don't know. I just want to paint.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because Jesus loves us and He made everybody to love each other
21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
Aquarium, book store, Walmart, the thrift store, the Aquarium, the zoo, all that stuff
BRENNAN
(he did most of this at the same time as Colin, and repeated some of Colin's answers. And, because he's Brennan, a lot of his answers don't make sense, or he refused to answer.)
1. What is something mom always says to do?
Clean up
2. What makes mom happy?
Telling the truth
3. What makes mom sad?
Disobeying
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Playing with toys and doing puppet shows
5. What was your mom like as a child?
A baby
(I'll take that in the literal sense, which is, I think, how it was meant!)
6. How old is your mom?
Big, very big, all the way up to the sky
7. How tall is your mom?
26
(After I told them how old I was in relation to the last question)
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
If somebody stays dry, they get a treat
9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
Be happy
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Be happy
11. What is your mom really good at?
Cleaning with us
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Not reading books
13. What does your mom do for a job?
Clipping nails
(Clipping nails has, for some reason, become the favorite activity. What makes this even odder is Brennan chews his nails to the point I can't clip them.)
14.What is your mom’s favorite food?
These!
(We were eating bread sticks from Papa John's. Definitely NOT my favorite food! Still, I like the garlic sauce.)
15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Hugging
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Clean all of the characters- the toy characters
17. What do you and your mom do together?
I don’t know
18. How are you and your mom the same?
You’re big, I’m little
19. How are you and your mom different?
You’re big, I’m small
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Refused to answer/I don't know(He'd reached his limit at this point, after two separate days of me trying. Maybe I'll revisit these later, maybe not.)
21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
Refused to answer/I don't knowThursday, November 10, 2011
Current Book List
Who wants to read a list of books? Whether you do or not, here it is! This list represents about half of the kids' books we own. The other half is put away to switch out when we get tired of these. I try to keep seasonal/holiday books around the season/holiday they belong to, but it's no strict thing. We've read most of these books (most multiple times), though there are a few I noticed I haven't read to them (that'll change shortly!)
We have story time every night before bed, and it really is the best time of day for us. The bedroom is clean, everyone is calm-ish, and we end up having some great conversations and learning discoveries through the books we're reading. In our house, storytime isn't a privilege that can be revoked on bad behavior, or something to be done away with because we're too busy playing or doing something else (although there have been exceptions to both). Usually we read two stories minimum, most nights four or six.
Another of my secrets? Most of the books we have are "learning" books, rather than fantasy/pretend books. If I'm going to invest so much of my time in reading to them, I want them to get as much out of it as they can. And if I'm going to fill their heads with books for half an hour or 45 minutes a day (assuming we only have one story time that day), I want them to actually get something out of it, more than just warm, fuzzy feelings and fluff. People are always amazed at how much the boys know, and I think I know why! ;)
Most of the books toward the top are board books or little books with fewer words.
I Spy Little Christmas
Night Time
I Am A Baby
A Good Day
Blast Off! (about space)
USA (fact book)
Biscuit and the Bunny
My Goodnight Book
Let's Paint a Rainbow
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers- The Trinity
Moo, Baa, La La La!
A Bug, A Bear, And A Boy Plant a Garden
Where is Maisy's Panda?
Doggies
Worm Watches
A Week of Wild Weather
Horns to Toes and In Between
All Wet (water)
Pat the Bunny
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
Being Honest
Animal Homes
It's a Frog's Life (life cycle of a frog)
Barnyard Dance!
Zzzz (consonant sound z)
The Going to Bed Book
Lots of Rocks
Big Red Barn
Mealtime Prayers
All Things Bright and Beautiful (book of prayers and poems)
Belly Button Book
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
King Solomon
Stories of God's People
The Human Body Riddle Book
I Wonder Why Whales Sing and other questions about sea life
The Changing Caterpillar
Thunder and Lightning
The Skeleton Inside You
Helicopter Rescue
How To Hide A Crocodile & Other Reptiles
The Christmas Story
The Littlest Soldier
Chicken Soup with Rice
Just Right
Going To The Fair
A Bug, a Bear, and a Boy At Home
Where Did The Baby Go?
Chickens aren't the only ones (creatures that lay eggs)
More Fun With Maisy
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Richard Scarry's Little Counting Book
Secrets of the Vine for Little Ones
Samuel Learns to Yell and Tell
David and Goliath
Samuel and the Wake-Up Call
Prayers for Children
The Secret Journey
The Farm Book
The Sneetches and other stories
The Story of Molly Pitcher
26 Letters and 99 Cents
Thank You, Logan!
The Cat In The Hat
Listen To My Dream (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
I See, You Saw
My Body Is Private
Find Nat
When I'm a Daddy- A Little Boy's Guide To Biblical Fatherhood
From Acorn To Oak Tree
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Africa
Watch It Grow (plants)
Blue Hat, Green Hat
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Merry Christmas, From Biscuit
The Magic School Bus Out of This World
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
Big Thoughts for Little People
Biscuit's Pet and Play Easter
Will: God's Mighty Warrior
The Story of Jonah
All About Sound
Giant Squid
Little Bear's Visit
Tiger's Bedtime
Big Wheels (construction trucks)
Baby Animals
Richard Scarry's The Firefighter' Busy Day
Fish
Sea Turtles
Glaciers
The Old Steam Train
Catch Me, Catch Me
Super Grandpa
Minerals
The Fox on the Box
Baby Dear
Biscuit Finds a Friend
Stepping Through Time (shoes)
Building the New Road
The Cat That Sat
Meadow
The Airplane Book
Dolphins
Biscuit Wins a Prize
Frogs and Toads
Baby Farm Animals
The Four Seasons for Little People
Look Inside Your Body
Creepy Crawly Caterpillars
Questions and Answers: Science
Biomes of the World: Grasslands
Bob and Larry's ABC's
Oh The Thinks You Can Think
When Jesus Was Born
One of the Family
I Wonder Why Horses Wear Shoes and other questions about horses
Pig at Work
Chameleons, Masters of Disguise
Holidays: Thanksgiving
Turn to the Sea
Great Day for UP
Questions and Answers: Planet Earth
Fox in Socks
Cars: Race Team
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Winter on the Farm
Taro and the Tofu
Winter: Discovering the Seasons
I See Animals Hiding
The Little Red Hen
Winter Days in the Big Woods
Going to Sleep on the Farm
Wise Words for Little People
Water's Way
Little Bear
The Magic Whistle
Secrets of the Rainforest: Plants and Planteaters
Humphrey the Lost Whale
Penguins
God Is In The Night
Camels
What is a Flower?
Raggedy Ann Stories
Raggedy Andy Stories
Tundra Swans
Long Ago in a Castle
Read and Learn Bible
The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
Yum! A Tale of Two Cookies
Wonders of Rivers
I Wonder Why Fish Don't Drown and other neat facts about underwater animals
Busy Beavers (National Geographic)
How Animals Hide (National Geographic)
Acid Rain
Getting To Know Nature's Children: Chipmunks and Beavers
Do They Scare You? Creepy Creatures
The Night Sky
The Alligator
The Good Bad Cat
Animals In Winter (National Geographic)
Max the Cat 1-2-3 Counting Book
Knights
Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit!
Snowy Winter Day
Hats! Hats! Hats!
Sharks
I Wonder What a Rainforest Is and other neat facts about plants
The Nursery Treasury
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
Trains
The Fascinating World Of Wolves
carrot/parrot
The Truck Book
The Goose Family Book
Gentle Giant Octopus
Christian Mother Goose Tales
Skin, Scales, Feathers, and Fur
Four Seasons for Little People
Expert Guide: Birds
God's Plan for Growing Things
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Jesus Who Helped People
Jesus and the Children
The Wonder Book (Bible Stories)
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
My First Book of Poems
Petersen First Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians
The Ten Commandments
Jesus' Stocking
The Easter Story
Aware and Alert
God Loves Me
Starfish
Etain and Midir - Irish Legend
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Look At Your Eyes
Kitten's First Full Moon
Weather
Good Boy! Dog's Best Friend
Baby Sea Otter
Curious Geroge and Friends
Sometimes I Wish
Alligators and Crocodiles, Great Creatures of the World
Stories To Read To The Very Young
Big, Big Storybook
Lift-A-Flap Castles
Uncover: Frog (3-D book about a frog's innards)
Pooh's Easter Egg Hunt
How have we gotten so many books? Hardly any of them were bought new. Most of them were bought for 50 cents or a dollar from the thrift store or yard sales. Some were given to us, or we bought them new if there was something in particular we were looking for or had birthday money. And we regularly get rid of books we don't like or don't want anymore. My favorite thing to do with those is trade them in at a used bookstore!
Happy Reading, everyone!
-Amanda -_-*
We have story time every night before bed, and it really is the best time of day for us. The bedroom is clean, everyone is calm-ish, and we end up having some great conversations and learning discoveries through the books we're reading. In our house, storytime isn't a privilege that can be revoked on bad behavior, or something to be done away with because we're too busy playing or doing something else (although there have been exceptions to both). Usually we read two stories minimum, most nights four or six.
Another of my secrets? Most of the books we have are "learning" books, rather than fantasy/pretend books. If I'm going to invest so much of my time in reading to them, I want them to get as much out of it as they can. And if I'm going to fill their heads with books for half an hour or 45 minutes a day (assuming we only have one story time that day), I want them to actually get something out of it, more than just warm, fuzzy feelings and fluff. People are always amazed at how much the boys know, and I think I know why! ;)
Most of the books toward the top are board books or little books with fewer words.
I Spy Little Christmas
Night Time
I Am A Baby
A Good Day
Blast Off! (about space)
USA (fact book)
Biscuit and the Bunny
My Goodnight Book
Let's Paint a Rainbow
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers- The Trinity
Moo, Baa, La La La!
A Bug, A Bear, And A Boy Plant a Garden
Where is Maisy's Panda?
Doggies
Worm Watches
A Week of Wild Weather
Horns to Toes and In Between
All Wet (water)
Pat the Bunny
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
Being Honest
Animal Homes
It's a Frog's Life (life cycle of a frog)
Barnyard Dance!
Zzzz (consonant sound z)
The Going to Bed Book
Lots of Rocks
Big Red Barn
Mealtime Prayers
All Things Bright and Beautiful (book of prayers and poems)
Belly Button Book
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
King Solomon
Stories of God's People
The Human Body Riddle Book
I Wonder Why Whales Sing and other questions about sea life
The Changing Caterpillar
Thunder and Lightning
The Skeleton Inside You
Helicopter Rescue
How To Hide A Crocodile & Other Reptiles
The Christmas Story
The Littlest Soldier
Chicken Soup with Rice
Just Right
Going To The Fair
A Bug, a Bear, and a Boy At Home
Where Did The Baby Go?
Chickens aren't the only ones (creatures that lay eggs)
More Fun With Maisy
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Richard Scarry's Little Counting Book
Secrets of the Vine for Little Ones
Samuel Learns to Yell and Tell
David and Goliath
Samuel and the Wake-Up Call
Prayers for Children
The Secret Journey
The Farm Book
The Sneetches and other stories
The Story of Molly Pitcher
26 Letters and 99 Cents
Thank You, Logan!
The Cat In The Hat
Listen To My Dream (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
I See, You Saw
My Body Is Private
Find Nat
When I'm a Daddy- A Little Boy's Guide To Biblical Fatherhood
From Acorn To Oak Tree
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Africa
Watch It Grow (plants)
Blue Hat, Green Hat
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Merry Christmas, From Biscuit
The Magic School Bus Out of This World
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
Big Thoughts for Little People
Biscuit's Pet and Play Easter
Will: God's Mighty Warrior
The Story of Jonah
All About Sound
Giant Squid
Little Bear's Visit
Tiger's Bedtime
Big Wheels (construction trucks)
Baby Animals
Richard Scarry's The Firefighter' Busy Day
Fish
Sea Turtles
Glaciers
The Old Steam Train
Catch Me, Catch Me
Super Grandpa
Minerals
The Fox on the Box
Baby Dear
Biscuit Finds a Friend
Stepping Through Time (shoes)
Building the New Road
The Cat That Sat
Meadow
The Airplane Book
Dolphins
Biscuit Wins a Prize
Frogs and Toads
Baby Farm Animals
The Four Seasons for Little People
Look Inside Your Body
Creepy Crawly Caterpillars
Questions and Answers: Science
Biomes of the World: Grasslands
Bob and Larry's ABC's
Oh The Thinks You Can Think
When Jesus Was Born
One of the Family
I Wonder Why Horses Wear Shoes and other questions about horses
Pig at Work
Chameleons, Masters of Disguise
Holidays: Thanksgiving
Turn to the Sea
Great Day for UP
Questions and Answers: Planet Earth
Fox in Socks
Cars: Race Team
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Winter on the Farm
Taro and the Tofu
Winter: Discovering the Seasons
I See Animals Hiding
The Little Red Hen
Winter Days in the Big Woods
Going to Sleep on the Farm
Wise Words for Little People
Water's Way
Little Bear
The Magic Whistle
Secrets of the Rainforest: Plants and Planteaters
Humphrey the Lost Whale
Penguins
God Is In The Night
Camels
What is a Flower?
Raggedy Ann Stories
Raggedy Andy Stories
Tundra Swans
Long Ago in a Castle
Read and Learn Bible
The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
Yum! A Tale of Two Cookies
Wonders of Rivers
I Wonder Why Fish Don't Drown and other neat facts about underwater animals
Busy Beavers (National Geographic)
How Animals Hide (National Geographic)
Acid Rain
Getting To Know Nature's Children: Chipmunks and Beavers
Do They Scare You? Creepy Creatures
The Night Sky
The Alligator
The Good Bad Cat
Animals In Winter (National Geographic)
Max the Cat 1-2-3 Counting Book
Knights
Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit!
Snowy Winter Day
Hats! Hats! Hats!
Sharks
I Wonder What a Rainforest Is and other neat facts about plants
The Nursery Treasury
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
Trains
The Fascinating World Of Wolves
carrot/parrot
The Truck Book
The Goose Family Book
Gentle Giant Octopus
Christian Mother Goose Tales
Skin, Scales, Feathers, and Fur
Four Seasons for Little People
Expert Guide: Birds
God's Plan for Growing Things
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Jesus Who Helped People
Jesus and the Children
The Wonder Book (Bible Stories)
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
My First Book of Poems
Petersen First Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians
The Ten Commandments
Jesus' Stocking
The Easter Story
Aware and Alert
God Loves Me
Starfish
Etain and Midir - Irish Legend
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Look At Your Eyes
Kitten's First Full Moon
Weather
Good Boy! Dog's Best Friend
Baby Sea Otter
Curious Geroge and Friends
Sometimes I Wish
Alligators and Crocodiles, Great Creatures of the World
Stories To Read To The Very Young
Big, Big Storybook
Lift-A-Flap Castles
Uncover: Frog (3-D book about a frog's innards)
Pooh's Easter Egg Hunt
How have we gotten so many books? Hardly any of them were bought new. Most of them were bought for 50 cents or a dollar from the thrift store or yard sales. Some were given to us, or we bought them new if there was something in particular we were looking for or had birthday money. And we regularly get rid of books we don't like or don't want anymore. My favorite thing to do with those is trade them in at a used bookstore!
Happy Reading, everyone!
-Amanda -_-*
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sick Days
Who knows if it's the changing weather, exposure to germs from outside of the house, or what, but none of us are feeling the best today. I'm thinking it's going to be a day for movies, playing outside (if/when they're up to it), and maybe throwing a chicken in the crockpot. After I take out last night's chili that no one ate. I guess no one was feeling that well last night, either, because normally it would have been GONE!
As much as I don't like being sick, I have to say there are some advantages to it. It's nice to have a lazy day every once in a while, and to be able to do some of those "sitting down" things that you don't have time for when you're feeling better- things like mending clothes, and making crafts for the craft fair, and reading extra stories to the kids. And yes, even watching movies you don't normally watch. We have a ton of nature documentaries and other nifty stuff on our Netflix queue, but usually the kids want to watch Backyardigans, or Busy Town, or Kipper, or things like that. They like the other stuff, but it isn't their first choice most of the time.
Last weekend, I brought the kids geocaching. This cache was farther away from the house, but still an easy find once we got there (and once I figured out how to work with the coordinates on the GPS!) I'm actually learning a lot about mapping, and coordinates, and am having my eyes opened a lot more to what's around me by looking for the geocaches. This last one we found, we ended up taking a little walk along the way, and the kids threw some rocks into the water, had fun running around, and Brennan found a bright green frog so small it could fit on my thumbnail. I don't even know how he saw the thing! But, they passed it back and forth several times, then Brennan tried making it swim in the water, before I finally made them let it go so they wouldn't kill it. It was so cute!
This week I also brought the kids to the Lynnwood Park Zoo. A lot of the reviews online said it was dirty, unkempt, not worth going to, etc. I thought it was a delightful little place! True, the cages did seem a bit small for some of the animals, and it wasn't the most stroller-friendly place I've ever been, but the kids had a great time, and the man who runs it even brought a few of the animals out for the boys to pet, and gave them some extra food to feed the goats. We'll definitely be going back there! It was so nice and outdoorsy, and a great place for the kids. Nick, towards the end, got out of the stroller and started walking with us. When he saw one of the monkeys, he stood completely still and stared at it, and watched it for several minutes, even after I called him and tried to get him to move on. He finally did, and then got entranced by a cockatiel or something like that the same way. That one, he had a bag of snacks in his hand, and was taking out handfuls and shoving them in his mouth without taking his eyes off the bird, pretty close to someone watching a movie and eating popcorn. It was so funny! You could just see him calculating, trying to figure out what this thing was, watching it's every movement.
Also this week, we went to the thrift store and found some new books. What were they? Arctic and Antarctic, Shoes Through History, something about different kinds of flowering plants, My Body Is Private (appropriate and inappropriate touching), The Eye, a school book that has a mix of fic and nonfic stories on various subjects, and Biscuit's First Thanksgiving, because we all like Biscuit so much!
We also got a chalkboard, and the kids have been using it to draw on, scribble on, spell on, and I'm sure we're still at the tip of the iceberg of what they'll end up doing with that thing. My family had one when I was growing up, and I used that thing a LOT!
Did I write about our spider in the window a while back? She's still there, and she has an egg sac. We've watched her make a new web most mornings when the blinds are up, and we've seen her catch a few insects. Yesterday a black praying mantis parked itself above her web, and they watched each other for a good part of the day. It's been so interesting to watch the spider! I'm glad we didn't kill it when it first showed up.
Also, the kids are really getting into Adventures in Odyssey. I'm going to have to start switching out the CDs in the car more often, because it's the only thing they want to listen to anymore!
Colin is collecting stuff outside. He found a something he calls a starfish, and it does look like one. I thought at first it was the base of a (very) small tree, but Matthew says it looks more like the bottom of a mushroom. In either case, we let it dry in the windowsill for a few days, since Colin found it in the ditch after it rained, and now he's got it in a box with a few other treasures from outside.
Last but not least, Nick may finally be starting to speak! He's said a few more words the last few days, and today already he's said "cup" and "off". Woohoo!
More adventures later!
-Amanda -_-*
As much as I don't like being sick, I have to say there are some advantages to it. It's nice to have a lazy day every once in a while, and to be able to do some of those "sitting down" things that you don't have time for when you're feeling better- things like mending clothes, and making crafts for the craft fair, and reading extra stories to the kids. And yes, even watching movies you don't normally watch. We have a ton of nature documentaries and other nifty stuff on our Netflix queue, but usually the kids want to watch Backyardigans, or Busy Town, or Kipper, or things like that. They like the other stuff, but it isn't their first choice most of the time.
Last weekend, I brought the kids geocaching. This cache was farther away from the house, but still an easy find once we got there (and once I figured out how to work with the coordinates on the GPS!) I'm actually learning a lot about mapping, and coordinates, and am having my eyes opened a lot more to what's around me by looking for the geocaches. This last one we found, we ended up taking a little walk along the way, and the kids threw some rocks into the water, had fun running around, and Brennan found a bright green frog so small it could fit on my thumbnail. I don't even know how he saw the thing! But, they passed it back and forth several times, then Brennan tried making it swim in the water, before I finally made them let it go so they wouldn't kill it. It was so cute!
This week I also brought the kids to the Lynnwood Park Zoo. A lot of the reviews online said it was dirty, unkempt, not worth going to, etc. I thought it was a delightful little place! True, the cages did seem a bit small for some of the animals, and it wasn't the most stroller-friendly place I've ever been, but the kids had a great time, and the man who runs it even brought a few of the animals out for the boys to pet, and gave them some extra food to feed the goats. We'll definitely be going back there! It was so nice and outdoorsy, and a great place for the kids. Nick, towards the end, got out of the stroller and started walking with us. When he saw one of the monkeys, he stood completely still and stared at it, and watched it for several minutes, even after I called him and tried to get him to move on. He finally did, and then got entranced by a cockatiel or something like that the same way. That one, he had a bag of snacks in his hand, and was taking out handfuls and shoving them in his mouth without taking his eyes off the bird, pretty close to someone watching a movie and eating popcorn. It was so funny! You could just see him calculating, trying to figure out what this thing was, watching it's every movement.
Also this week, we went to the thrift store and found some new books. What were they? Arctic and Antarctic, Shoes Through History, something about different kinds of flowering plants, My Body Is Private (appropriate and inappropriate touching), The Eye, a school book that has a mix of fic and nonfic stories on various subjects, and Biscuit's First Thanksgiving, because we all like Biscuit so much!
We also got a chalkboard, and the kids have been using it to draw on, scribble on, spell on, and I'm sure we're still at the tip of the iceberg of what they'll end up doing with that thing. My family had one when I was growing up, and I used that thing a LOT!
Did I write about our spider in the window a while back? She's still there, and she has an egg sac. We've watched her make a new web most mornings when the blinds are up, and we've seen her catch a few insects. Yesterday a black praying mantis parked itself above her web, and they watched each other for a good part of the day. It's been so interesting to watch the spider! I'm glad we didn't kill it when it first showed up.
Also, the kids are really getting into Adventures in Odyssey. I'm going to have to start switching out the CDs in the car more often, because it's the only thing they want to listen to anymore!
Colin is collecting stuff outside. He found a something he calls a starfish, and it does look like one. I thought at first it was the base of a (very) small tree, but Matthew says it looks more like the bottom of a mushroom. In either case, we let it dry in the windowsill for a few days, since Colin found it in the ditch after it rained, and now he's got it in a box with a few other treasures from outside.
Last but not least, Nick may finally be starting to speak! He's said a few more words the last few days, and today already he's said "cup" and "off". Woohoo!
More adventures later!
-Amanda -_-*
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Learning Lately
Colin has been working on numbers this week. I printed out a counting chart and stuck it on the refrigerator- 1 through 20. The first day, Colin found it, and tried counting, and could only get up to 16 very slowly. I helped him the rest of the way. Every time he passed the refrigerator after that, he would stop and count up to 20. It only took him a few days, and now he'll look at it once a day or so, and count. He's got it! Prior to this, we've counted to 100 a few times in the car, and he has a Curious George movie he watches every once in a while that I think counts to 30, but I've never made a point of teaching him to count, so that's pretty good!
Colin also found a toad yesterday, and noticed the camouflage on its sides and back, and pointed it out to me. I think he talked about it with Brennan, too, because Brennan found a snail today, and brought it inside to show me, and was telling me about its camouflage. We read a book today called How Animals Hide. I think it's a really old National Geographic book. I'm trying to read some of the books we haven't read in a while at bedtimes, because when they pick, they tend to pick the same ones over and over! So, I've been picking some, and they've been picking some.
(Colin also just told me that he learned we shouldn't murder- because it's bad!)
We've also watched some pretty cool videos on The Kid Should See This blog, about shapes, crayons being made, a violin being made (from sapling to finished product), a couple versions of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, a video about this couple that collects plastic from a beach and makes art out of it, a couple videos with bikers doing crazy stunts, how to make puppets, and too many others to name. They've also watched a DVD of Magic School Bus about bugs. Nature theme lately, much?
I'm making a chart of the main constellations to put up somewhere. I want to learn those, and Colin is interested, too.
Brennan is learning the alphabet by sight, and we're trying to reinforce the potty habit, as well as cleaning up messes- that goes for all of them!
Nick is saying a few more words, but not really talking all that much. He's very good at getting his point across, though! And he's finally started pointing for things he wants.
We've also done a little studying about Rosh Hashannah. Colin likes hearing the shofar. Brennan, not so much! I'm going to try to make challah today, if I remember at a convenient time before it gets too late. Either that or honeycake. I don't think we'll be able to do both today, though if it turns out we can, great! I'm at my midday slump, though, so nothing is looking like it's going to get done right now (even though I know I'll feel more up to working later).
That's all for this week!
Colin also found a toad yesterday, and noticed the camouflage on its sides and back, and pointed it out to me. I think he talked about it with Brennan, too, because Brennan found a snail today, and brought it inside to show me, and was telling me about its camouflage. We read a book today called How Animals Hide. I think it's a really old National Geographic book. I'm trying to read some of the books we haven't read in a while at bedtimes, because when they pick, they tend to pick the same ones over and over! So, I've been picking some, and they've been picking some.
(Colin also just told me that he learned we shouldn't murder- because it's bad!)
We've also watched some pretty cool videos on The Kid Should See This blog, about shapes, crayons being made, a violin being made (from sapling to finished product), a couple versions of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, a video about this couple that collects plastic from a beach and makes art out of it, a couple videos with bikers doing crazy stunts, how to make puppets, and too many others to name. They've also watched a DVD of Magic School Bus about bugs. Nature theme lately, much?
I'm making a chart of the main constellations to put up somewhere. I want to learn those, and Colin is interested, too.
Brennan is learning the alphabet by sight, and we're trying to reinforce the potty habit, as well as cleaning up messes- that goes for all of them!
Nick is saying a few more words, but not really talking all that much. He's very good at getting his point across, though! And he's finally started pointing for things he wants.
We've also done a little studying about Rosh Hashannah. Colin likes hearing the shofar. Brennan, not so much! I'm going to try to make challah today, if I remember at a convenient time before it gets too late. Either that or honeycake. I don't think we'll be able to do both today, though if it turns out we can, great! I'm at my midday slump, though, so nothing is looking like it's going to get done right now (even though I know I'll feel more up to working later).
That's all for this week!
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