Dance Party

We had a decent day today. DD read me a story this morning with minimal frustration. I'm having difficulty finding readers at her level. The are all either too easy or too hard. I can't seem to find anything to bridge the gap between See Spot Run and Henry and Mudge. I think I'll have to go back to Bob books. I felt jipped when level 2 arrived and it was virtually the same as level 1, content-wise. Level 3 is word families, I think. I'll definitely check them out from the library before I make another purchase.

We ended the day with a fantastic Hannah Montana dance party performed by DD. If it's not Jack and Annie adventures, it's Hannah Montana and princesses. Gotta love it.

A New Attitude

So today DD read about 10 Bob books and phonics readers that we got from a friend. She decided to put on her own storytime where she read to me and showed me the pictures. It was great! She even read one of the proverbs out of her phonics workbook. Instead of approaching reading with dread and elevated stress levels, I decided to let events unfurl as they would. This will now be my SOP; let's see how long I can keep this up!

We went to our art class tonight for the second session. Tonight, the kids learned about imaginary animals from the middle ages. They were given a piece of paper and a pencil to sketch out their draft, then modeling clay to sculpt their animal. We saw some really great birds, dogs and robots, and K made an excellent elephant. We found some books about the middle ages, so we'll break out the books and the play-doh tomorrow.

The Passionate Life

We had a whirlwind weekend, what with soccer, painting on our new easel and Earth Day celebrations. We went on a butterfly and moth hike that was amazing. He pointed out several varieties of caterpillars, moths and butterflies and also showed us a nest of baby chickadees who were so new their eyes weren't even open! We also saw a salamander, a frog AND a black snake. I totally did not freak out, so I'm pretty proud of myself.

We learned so much interesting detail from the park ranger who led the hike, but most important was his passion for his work. He has devoted his life to what he loves and it shows. That, more than anything, is what I want for DD. I want to help her find her life's work. A tall order, but I think homeschooling is the best opportunity for us to do that. It's the freedom that is so appealing, I think. Homeschooling lets us design our life as a family and will hopefully open her mind about how to design her adult life.

That being said, we had a rough morning with our reading lesson. Yikes! It was a major power struggle, and I didn't realize I'd gotten myself into one until I was already up to my neck. Even though I abandoned most of our "school" sessions in favor of learning through play, I still maintain the reading lessons because I think we're better off moving forward. I've been working hard on having realistic expectations and not getting so frustrated so quickly when things don't go as planned (do they ever?). So I was able, I think, to stay more calm this morning when things escalated and we eventually finished our lesson successfully. She even spontaneously read us a book tonight, which was a real treat. I think my next goal will be to avoid the power struggles all together. Any suggestions??

She also told me today that she didn't want to learn math, but when I told her that math was a necessary part of baking cookies, she changed her tune pretty quickly. It seems I soured her on the whole education thing today, but cookies (aka bribery) may have saved the day.

She also asked me how I remembered everything I did when I was young. I hated to tell her the truth-that I've forgotten 10 times what I can remember. That's why I keep this blog, so that I can remember more of her childhood.

Heat Wave

It was so beautiful today, sunny and breezy. We spent the whole afternoon at the zoo. We took another zoo class; today's topic was birds, and we got to see a scarlet macaw, a crow and an eastern screech owl. This is the week of the owl for us, since we chanced to see one as we were walking on the greenway a few nights ago. DD walked all over the zoo today. She also wrote her own name on her nametag. A day of firsts! We ended up the day with a trip to Baskin Robbins. Excellent.

The Artist

"Sometimes artists get messy" was the quote of the day. She decided to paint a lovely picture for Grandmama this morning, and she wanted me to write I Love You on it. I started to do it, but then I thought better of it. I just coached her on how to form the letters and she was able to do it herself, which was really exciting. Of course, I left the painting on the table, but we'll deliver it to Grandmama soon.

We did some reading today, but not much. Amazingly, a case of the fidgets means she doesn't want to read, Mom. Get over it! So I did. Now that I have John Holt whispering in my ear, I find I'm becoming more aware.

We decided to snuggle on the couch and read some stories while waiting for the trampoline to dry out from an impromptu thunderstorm. DD discovered another interesting book at the library called That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell. The story is very appealing and the illustrations are wonderful. We are definitely going to check out more books by this author. We've also been listening to a couple of Magic Tree House books in the car. Mary Pope Osborne is a good storyteller and a surprisingly good reader. She gives the characters unique voices and really makes the story come alive. I'm surprised at how carefully DD listens to the stories and how much she retains from them. Often she remembers more than I, which shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

Whew!

We were both up with the birds this morning (ggrrr. I love birds, but I love sleep more), practiced our reading, recycled (yea Earth Day) went to a pirate birthday party, bought some discounted art supplies at Kmart (yes, Kmart), made another book once we got home (Alice in Wonderland), broke Snow White's head off, called Mattel to complain and was very satisfied with the resolution, fingerpainted with food coloring mixed with shaving cream, changed clothes, practiced soccer, tried to fly a kite, ate supper, rode a bike on the greenway (with Mama huffing and puffing behind her), saw an owl fly overhead and land in a tree (he swiveled his head to look right at us), saw a caterpillar on the path and moved him to safer ground, and helped Daddy set up the trampoline before bedtime. Whew! I'm beat.

Old Dog

Today, DD taught me something about persistence and positive attitude. I was in a tear, as usual, about participating in an art program sponsored by the library. So, in an effort to model good behavior, I decided to stop moaning about it and DO SOMETHING. So, I contacted the museum, and they were so helpful, as was the children's librarian to whom they referred me. I was able to sign DD up for the class and tonight she made her very own illuminated manuscript. If I were more technical (and less tired), I would post pics. She remained her happy, upbeat self throughout and told me she knew we'd be able to do art.

It's so funny (as in oh dear) how this type of thing consumes my life. It's so trivial and yet it becomes so important to me. I'd like to focus less on the small stuff and get back to the big picture, which is learning about the world and having a good time doing it. Can you teach an old dog new tricks? I sure hope so.

Toad, It's May!

Ok, not exactly May, but I've been feeling like Toad lately--reluctant to venture out of hibernation and into spring. I tell DD that she is Frog (optimistic, happy-go-lucky, whimsical) and I am like Toad (blah--To fully appreciate, you will have to listen to the CD of Frog and Toad: The Musical. Check it out at your local library.)

Well, I'm hibernating no longer. The past few days have energized me. I cleaned out DD's art closet and our office closet to make room for homeschooling supplies and to generally make crafty things more accessible to DD. Now I've vowed to tackle each room in the house. This will mean many trips to Goodwill, but I just know I'll feel better once all this STUFF is out of my life. I think stuff, especially taking care of our stuff, has become the major focus of our lives, and that is just wrong.

I've also been reading more of John Holt lately. Now I'm reading How Children Fail and it's really opened my eyes to the intense pressure I am capable of putting on DD. Now that I'm aware of it, I'm trying to relax. IMO, Holt is saying that kids are under tremendous pressure to perform. Sometimes the pressure is applied unwittingly, sometimes not. Nevertheless, the kids develop coping strategies to keep from being buried under the weight of all these expectations.

Reading this book has really made me examine some of the expectations I have for DD and I've discovered some I didn't know I had. I'll admit I was disparaging of "unschooling," but now I feel I have a clearer understanding. Even though I still don't think we are an unschooling family, I definitely plan to incorporate some of Holt's philosophy. I am starting to see myself less as "teacher" and more as "facilitator."

I've also been giving a good deal of thought to our school's mission statement. I think it's a great idea to write down why we are homeschooling and what we hope to achieve. I might just borrow the lyrics from Working Class Hero...

Busy Bees

We had a busy weekend. DD had her second soccer game and got "best effort" because she was all over the field. So true.

After the game, we went to a homeschool carnival sponsored by Belmont University. Kids could make crafts at most of the tables, and they set up a jumpy, which was a major bonus for DD. We visited with Nashville Children's Theatre and found out that they are running Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse in June. Excellent news, since we missed the Mar/Apr dates. D'oh! TPAC also has some really great shows coming up and we discovered The Renaissance Center in Dickson, which I think will become a great resource for us. I've been leery of traveling so far just for edutainment, but what I saw on Sat convinced me that it's well worth the drive. All that free info and we won a cupcake, too! It was our lucky day.

Arty and Crafty

DD has really been hitting our craft closet hard lately. She makes two or three creations before breakfast. She's been doing some pretty cool collage pieces. She also likes to explain her drawings now. She wants you to know exactly what this part represents, what that part represents.

I tried to reserve a spot for an art program at the main library, but I called too late. Such a procrastinator!! I have to be more organized. I'm so bummed. I think that is my homeschooling Achilles heel.

Worm Detectives

We spent a few hours outside this morning tidying up our yard. It still requires a great deal of tidying, but we did make some progress. While I weeded, DD hunted for worms. She collected them in her special Dora bucket, then we went around back and sprinkled them around the rose bush. (No worms were harmed during this move.) She had a great time being a "worm detective," trying to discover where they were hiding. She also found a snail shell with an actual snail inside. Bonus!

We're still plugging along in our phonics workbook. We spent a lot of time last week on the long A sound, and we've gradually moved on to the long I sound. She hasn't had much difficulty transferring the silent e concept, so I think we'll move more quickly this week.

We also hauled out the jr. Monopoly game I found at consignment last year. It was too challenging last spring, but she's just the right age now. It is not as long as real Monopoly and the cost of real estate has really gone down! We played three rounds this afternoon. We've also been playing The Ladybug Game, which some friends gave us. I'm feeling better about the math portion of our education now. Ladybug is good for counting skills, and Monopoly also requires basic addition and subtraction skills. I try to emphasize this while we're playing. It makes me feel like I'm doing something!

Go, Falcons!

DD had her first ever soccer practice tonight. She practiced hard for 45 minutes, learning to dribble, trap and kick goals. After practice, she told us that she would probably go to bed early tonight. We did manage to get to bed a few minutes earlier than usual.

We also got to see an amazing puppet show put on by Dolly Parton's Penguin Puppeteers from Dollywood. They presented Llama Llama Red Pajama, which is one of our favorite books. We received it from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library last year, and it's been a staple in our bedtime routine ever since. The performers were wonderful and the show was very funny. I think the moms laughed harder than the kids. DD came home and sang one of the songs to her baby doll. Interestingly, she hasn't played with her baby dolls in probably 6 months. Who knows?

We were able to work on more reading today. We're still practicing the long A sound. I think we'll move on tomorrow and begin the long I sound. I went ahead and picked up some readers that focus on all the long vowel sounds. I figure they'll come in handy; anyway I can renew them two more times if necessary. I love the library!

The Silent E at the End of the Word

For those of you not familiar with www.starfall.org, it is a great site that teaches pre & early reading skills. They have solid games and stories, and they teach most concepts through song. Around here, we've been singing the silent E song. We're still plugging away on the long A sound; I've been instructed to go to the library and find some long A books. It's been a long-time since I've had a pint-sized boss.

DD did a great job reading aloud today, but she is so hard on herself when she makes a mistake. We clearly need some work in the positive outlook department...

One Oatmeal Sandwich To Go

DD made her lunch today, as she usually does. Today, she opted for an oatmeal sandwich: one piece of wheat bread generously covered in dry oatmeal. I tried to gently discourage her from eating this creation, but she not only ate it, but pronounced it "great" and invited me to make my own oatmeal sandwich. I politely declined and boiled myself an egg.

We introduced the concept of long vowel sounds today by making our own silent e. I sketched a large e on a piece of black construction paper, gave her some glue, construction paper and plenty of puffy paint. She had a ball. She was very excited about her creation. Best of all, when we began working with the long A sound, she had very little difficulty picking it up. Any time she ran into a problem, I just showed her her very own silent e and she was able to sound out the word correctly. Great! Or should I say Grate!

Apple Pie and FREE BOOKS

We took a down day yesterday to do laundry, tidy up and just hang out. DD stayed in her pjs until 2:30. Yikes! She read me a story based on the old Henny Penny "the sky is falling" tale. This story had a much nicer ending. Instead of being eaten by the sly fox, he merely pointed out that apples were falling, NOT the sky, so they all decided to make apple pie. So we did too. We will always follow a good idea.

Today we went downtown to a reading festival sponsored by a local university. It was a beautiful day, so she just moved from one reading circle to the next. After DD listened to 6 stories (and posted the requisite stickers), she was able to select four books: four brand new, excellent, wonderful FREE books. We did not win any of the raffle prizes, which totally bummed her out, but I reminded her to focus on the big prize: FREE BOOKS. Did I mention that they were free????

Be Very, Very Quiet. I'm Hunting for Eggs...

DD scored major eggs in her basket today. Of course, most of her competition was still in diapers, but still. I did talk with her beforehand about not taking too many eggs and helping the little ones, to which she hastily replied "I know, Mom." It's starting already...

We almost missed the hunt. Why? Because as I checked my email for directions to the park, I discovered that participants were to bring 10 plastic eggs filled with something. This was at 9:15. The hunt was at 10:00. Yikes! Miraculously, I found 8 plastic eggs and I skeezed enough leftover candy to fill them. This, people, is why we are late everywhere. Have I mentioned that my resolutions for the last few years have been organization???

btw-I asked her what was I going to do with her (while we were in our safe place during the tornado threat this afternoon) and she replied "love me." That's the answer.

Easter Surprises

We had a very productive day today. For some reason, I went on an insane cleaning frenzy this morning. I washed down cabinets inside and out, washed baseboards, completed a few loads of laundry, generall straightened up and got rid of several pounds of recycling. All with the help of my mini-me. She cleaned her own bathroom, and I should have taken pics. It turned out nicely, considering the amount of liquid dish soap she used. She also cleaned our bathroom, the little angel.

We rewarded ourselves with a trip to the park and the library. She had a tough time with her friends today. It was one of those situations where DD was always the one being left out. Those things happen from time to time, but you sure hate to see it happen to your DD. We're having a tough week, socially. Maybe we should stay at home for the rest of the week...

She found a book at the library called Easter Surprise in which a little girl makes and hides Easter surprises for her family. DD was busy coloring pictures and hiding them all afternoon. The book also has step-by-step instructions for creating unbelievably colorful, almost diva-esque eggs. I guess we'll be buying another dozen at the store tomorrow.

Also, she has a new fave book: Marsupial Sue Presents the Runaway Pancake by John Lithgow. It comes with a CD of him reading the story to a group of preschoolers. We've read through the book several times and listened to the CD. Definitely a keeper.