Nathan is truly ambidextrious (how in the heck do you spell that??). When we first started school, he would write his letters and numbers with both hands, doing equally well with either hand. Lately, though, he pretty much just uses his left hand. (It's funny how much Allison's Kevin and Nathan are alike!) Nathan hit a plateau with reading over the summer, and he started hating it, so we stopped for a while, until we started school in August. Just this last week, he has had a breakthrough! I am so excited! He loves to read again and is learning a ton every day. We started getting books from the leveled library at Alex's (old) school. I think he likes to be like Alex so that's what did it for him (Alex gets books on his level, too).
I started doing math with them seperately. Alex is really good at math and is whizzing through. Nathan is also really good at math but just doesn't go as fast as Alex. Doing school has made me see how really smart Alex is. Nathan is really outspoken, so it is more obvious with Nathan, but since we started, I am so amazed at how quickly Alex picks things up. The other day Alex wanted to buy a book for $4. Around the house he finds quarters, so he was thinking, and then told me, "I need 16 quarters to get the book"-- he figured it all out on his own!
I really love to be their teacher. It is so much fun to teach them and see them learning new things. After doing home school/online school for a little over a month, I am seeing how it is a much better education than public school. Alex went to a great school for kindergarten, with a really great teacher, but they can't get the kind of education in a classroom with 30 kids as you can one on one, and with a different setting-- What I mean is, we go on field trips every Friday. Last Friday we went to Salt Lake to This Is The Place Pioneer park. They learned about how life was lived back in the 1800's when the pioneers came to Utah and built one room log cabins. I was watching the boys do chores there- washing clothes on a washboard and hanging them up on the line, beating a rug, combing wool to be spun into yarn, etc. (they loved it) with other kids who do this homeschool program, and I thought, "now this is education!" Hands on, and fun, but still learning. Today I taught them how to spell and write their full names.
We also decided that we like to clean now. (Really I hate, no--DESPISE cleaning) but we decided to say that we like cleaning now, and do it without complaining. (One of those "if we say it enough, maybe we'll start to believe it" kind of things). We'll get up and do scripture study like usual, but then we'll do our chores together before starting school. We did it today all together-- I even made them help me clean the bathroom. Since they are young boys, they miss the potty sometimes (99% of the time, really). They were grossed out having to clean the bathroom, so I hope this improves their aim! They really like to do cleaning, just not the "picking stuff up" part. They fight over who gets to mop, do dishes and do laundry (and who can put the soap in). They also love to wipe counters (anything really), and use the spray bottle to clean windows. I have to redo everything, but right now we're just forming habits, right??
My favorite hobby right now is reading blogs of people I don't know but are funny, and people I do know. Every day I check the "C Jane" blog. Her sister had a major surgery today and I was thinking about her all day! Our family prays for their family, and I have never met them. I'm not a big reader, but I really love reading blogs. Wierd, huh? (Sidenote...I also love reading family blogs. I always check to see if there's a new post and I bet you I'm the first to read it!)
Little baby Katherine had a bath this afternoon and smells like newborn baby and baby soap! I wish I had a smell capturer (like camera is to pictures, smell capturer is to smells). We love her noises. She started squeaking when she gets upset, breathing in and squeaking. She sounds like a squeaky toy. I also love her baby movements. I went in to check on her sleeping just now and she started wiggling around and tooting. She's good at that.
I started doing math with them seperately. Alex is really good at math and is whizzing through. Nathan is also really good at math but just doesn't go as fast as Alex. Doing school has made me see how really smart Alex is. Nathan is really outspoken, so it is more obvious with Nathan, but since we started, I am so amazed at how quickly Alex picks things up. The other day Alex wanted to buy a book for $4. Around the house he finds quarters, so he was thinking, and then told me, "I need 16 quarters to get the book"-- he figured it all out on his own!
I really love to be their teacher. It is so much fun to teach them and see them learning new things. After doing home school/online school for a little over a month, I am seeing how it is a much better education than public school. Alex went to a great school for kindergarten, with a really great teacher, but they can't get the kind of education in a classroom with 30 kids as you can one on one, and with a different setting-- What I mean is, we go on field trips every Friday. Last Friday we went to Salt Lake to This Is The Place Pioneer park. They learned about how life was lived back in the 1800's when the pioneers came to Utah and built one room log cabins. I was watching the boys do chores there- washing clothes on a washboard and hanging them up on the line, beating a rug, combing wool to be spun into yarn, etc. (they loved it) with other kids who do this homeschool program, and I thought, "now this is education!" Hands on, and fun, but still learning. Today I taught them how to spell and write their full names.
We also decided that we like to clean now. (Really I hate, no--DESPISE cleaning) but we decided to say that we like cleaning now, and do it without complaining. (One of those "if we say it enough, maybe we'll start to believe it" kind of things). We'll get up and do scripture study like usual, but then we'll do our chores together before starting school. We did it today all together-- I even made them help me clean the bathroom. Since they are young boys, they miss the potty sometimes (99% of the time, really). They were grossed out having to clean the bathroom, so I hope this improves their aim! They really like to do cleaning, just not the "picking stuff up" part. They fight over who gets to mop, do dishes and do laundry (and who can put the soap in). They also love to wipe counters (anything really), and use the spray bottle to clean windows. I have to redo everything, but right now we're just forming habits, right??
My favorite hobby right now is reading blogs of people I don't know but are funny, and people I do know. Every day I check the "C Jane" blog. Her sister had a major surgery today and I was thinking about her all day! Our family prays for their family, and I have never met them. I'm not a big reader, but I really love reading blogs. Wierd, huh? (Sidenote...I also love reading family blogs. I always check to see if there's a new post and I bet you I'm the first to read it!)
Little baby Katherine had a bath this afternoon and smells like newborn baby and baby soap! I wish I had a smell capturer (like camera is to pictures, smell capturer is to smells). We love her noises. She started squeaking when she gets upset, breathing in and squeaking. She sounds like a squeaky toy. I also love her baby movements. I went in to check on her sleeping just now and she started wiggling around and tooting. She's good at that.
It's 3:30AM and here's what my family looks like right now:
(I'm such a night person... WHY CAN'T I SLEEP??)
2 comments:
I don't think I can tell you how much I love you. You are so hilarious. I am really amazed at you homeschooling your kids. Good for you. Those boys always amaze me with their smarts. You are helping them too, they are going to grow up and change the world. I just have to say: I told you so. I told you blogging was addicting, now look at you. You have posted more on your blog in the last month than you ever did on your website. He, he, he. I was right! Love you.
Dear Alex,
I love you. You are a smart boy. Keep learning in school. We all miss you. I can't wait to see you next month.
Love Tawnya
Dear Nathan,
I love you. Every time I see a dino I think of you. We miss you. I can't wait to see you in October too.
Love Tawnya
Kristie,
That is soooo funny. You have always been a night person.
Love you,
Dad
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