Preschool week 2

Measuring body parts and charting them
Self portraits

Caleb's puzzles (Hannah's a great helper!)

Computer time!

Week two of preschool is almost done now and we're still hanging in there. It's been tons of fun so far, but also a lot of juggling, now that Caleb doesn't nap in the morning. We're spreading our learning out over the course of the 5 week days so that the actual school time is only an hour to an hour and a half a day. Usually, Mon./Wed./Thurs. are our longer school days, with Unit study time, math-u-see lessons, and Writing/Reading lessons, along with a simple music lesson on Thurs. instead of a unit study, while Tues. and Fri.'s are shorter, usually with just a reading lesson and a fun unit study activity. The first week the kids learned about insects, while this week, our Unit Study has focused on God's creation of Man, so we've been learning about what makes us special and unique. We throw in a trip out for playgroup or somewhere fun, like the zoo at least twice a week, also.

Caleb has been involved in almost every day's lessons... he loves to pray, participate in Calendar time (we go over the month, day, and date each day with an interactive calendar), sing the bible verse memorization song of the week (this week, it's Psalm 33:4- You can trust God to keep his promises), and whatever crafts we're doing that week. Then, when the girls are busy with tougher stuff, he likes to color (thank goodness he no longer eats crayons/markers), work puzzles, stamp, play with playdough, and goof around with counting/sorting bears. He insists on being at the table whenever the girls are there.

So as not to cast it in an unfairly perfect light though, there are drawbacks to school so far. First of all, Caleb wants to potty train (yes, I didn't want it yet... I like diapers... so convenient and easy, without running to the bathroom every 10 minutes), so every few minutes we're interrupted by his adorably cute but interruptive call to "POO POO!"... which may or may not result in said poo-poo. Anymommy would agree I guess, if you've seen her recent posts (LOVE HER!). Also, dealing with three youngsters at once often leads to a cacophany of requests, interruptions, squabbles, and general glitter/paper scrap disasters on my floor. And yes, I am anal retentive and MUST sweep the floor after such messes before the next activity. MUST. I cannot bear the thought of one of my little ones tracking glue residue or glitter from their socks onto my carpet. C-A-N-N-O-T. Wish I was more flexible, but it's not gonna happen.

In the end, though, I'm over-the-moon-gleefully-joyful over being able to homeschool my little ones. And teaching/attending preschool in your pjs just can't be beat. It is a great adventure I just can't wait to undertake further. So here goes... here's to many more fun weeks to come!

Got your nose!

You can tell alot about a kid from playing "got your nose" (where you pretend you're taking their nose and show them your thumb between two fingers as if it was their nose)...
Hannah (at about Caleb's age): Laughed heartily and asked for more. Pretended to steal someone else's nose so she'd have a nose again
Sarah (also, when she was about 20 mo): Cried over her lost nose and demanded her nose back.
Caleb: Smiled brightly, leaned in, and bit my nose in an attempt to get a nose in return.
I love watching their different reactions to things... being their Mom is lots of fun!

Playing doctor...

You know when your kid has been to the doctor entirely too much when he builds an otoscope out of tinkertoys. This is Caleb's first creation with tinkertoys that is representational, meaning it represents something real. Normally he sticks stuff together randomly, but today he walked up to me with this, stuck it into my ear, looked in the hole on the other end, and declared, "Ear, good." Then he walked around to the other ear, stuck it inside, and said, "Good!" Apparently I don't have an ear infection, which is great news! I'm going to make a doctor out of the little guy yet!

Another cute milestone

Today Caleb began using "Please" "Thank you" and "You're welcome" in everyday, appropriate situations. The cutest thing is he says "peeeeez", "tink ooooo," and "wah-cum"... I forgot how precious it is when they begin to use those manners. It makes me want to pick him up and squeeze him to death with hugs and smother him with kisses. Esp. because he automatically says, "wah-cum" after he says "Tink ooo"... so for instance, after handing him a drink, I'll say, "What do you say, Caleb?"
"Tink-oooo.... wah-cum"
(Mommy melts into puddle of adoration)

On another note, the girls began going to vacation bible school this week at a nearbye church and have spent two days enjoying themselves apart from me. This morning they said, "Mom, we're going to have so much fun today, and you can't come, ok?" Part of me wants to be there for every ounce of fun and learning, and the other part is having a blast devoting my attentions to Caleb this week and is grateful they don't always need me right beside them. This is such a sweet season in motherhood, even if I do feel a bit batty sometimes.

One of my favorite milestones yet.

The girls each caught their first fish camping this weekend!!! Those who know me know I'm a marathon fisher... I would fish all the time, day and night, if allowed, and so their first catch is a huge point of excitement for me. Ryan and I took the girls out fishing while Caleb napped in the camper... it was last minute right before leaving for home on Monday, and I really didn't expect anything, but they were begging for one last boat ride and try at a fish with their little purple Dora rods. Ryan and I each took a girl, and about the third cast in, Sarah caught a 4 in "sunny"... not much, but she reeled it in herself and helped hold it while I removed the hook, and then released it herself. Then, about 15 mins later, Hannah caught a beautiful 7 in brim... looked so good I wanted to let her eat it, but she too reeled in, held, and released her catch.
When we returned to the deck to tell Nonnie and Papaw about it, Hannah's report was that she caught a fish "this big" (gesturing her hands to indicate about a foot long), and Sarah's report was that her fish "was about as long as it is from the gate to that post" (about 5 feet). It was their first fish tale. Can't wait for more!

Work it on out...

So we started P 90 x yesterday...
Honestly I have never been one of those ladies who thought it was necessary to work out so hard you want to hurl, but I did it last night. Count this as one more stupid thing Ryan talked me into in my life. I don't necessarily think I need a program bent on fashioning my body into something like Ms. Universe... I am a self-assured 130 lbs, and I don't think I look too bad. Ok, well, my bottom is a little bigger and saggier than I like, and my bo.obs... don't get me started on those... alls I can say is Caleb better be grateful and frickin' super-healthy and smart after my sacrifice of my ta-tas. But I'm doing this mostly for him. While I'd be content whiling away the nights watching Crime Drama (I can hear Ryan rolling his eyes out there somewhere... "oh-my-goodness-not-another-episode-of-NCIS!"), Ryan is a mover and a shaker, not content to sit too long (unless it's some mindlessly boring reality show about decorating or cooking that makes me want to go to sleep), and so this is my way of supporting him (dammit) and spending quality time with him. It's kinda fun, sitting side by side doing sit ups and yelling "Damn you Tony Horton!" at the TV screen together, in a wierd sadistic way. Well, at least we're doing it together, ya know? And hopefully it will bring me a little more energy and enjoyment of how I look in a bathingsuit this summer. We'll see... I may only last a week, or I may go the distance, but I'm not going to try to predict what will happen. I do know that Ryan better not say A THING about the further loss of my Ta-ta's for the cause. NOT. ONE. THING. MISTER.

For an hour this morning I was a kid again

We broke out the pool and slip n slide this morning. The kids had such a blast. Caleb enjoyed pouring cups out over and over, while the girls splashed and splashed in the pool. Once the slip n slide came out for the first time, I had to teach them how to use it, which was HILARIOUS. Imagine chubby little belly flops onto the slip n slide, wedgie side up, with giggles galore. I even got on and joined in the fun a few times, which was like a time warp. For a moment, I was 7 again, slipping and sliding in the back yard and having a blast. I'm so glad we got them the slip n slide for their birthdays! I didn't get any good pictures, though... too much fun to stop and ask for poses :)