October 2-6

When I left off we were about to start our Sing, Spell, Read Write curriculum. I LOVE IT! But more importantly David LOVES IT! (Angeline and Samara love the phonics song and I had to make Angeline a copy of the mat so that she can follow along). In the picture below you can see David's train which moves along the track as he progresses through the SSRW "All Aboard" book. David was enjoying school before we started SSRW... now he can't wait to get started in the morning.

 "All Aboard" has them write their name on each page, starts off with a variety of lessons... visual discrimination, following directions, alike and different, classification, complete the pattern, trace shapes, colouring, cutting, pasting.... everything! Then begins the alphabet. We had to start back at the letter A but I love the extensive instruction in the teacher video. David is learning everything from phonics to how to write each letter correctly... even simple things like holding his pencil the right way.

 Math is continuing to go well. We completes units 5 and 6. Unit 6 involved counting how many circles match the pictured circle, circle and say the correct number. Each unit finishes up with a review.

We actually had a short week last week because there was no resource centre on Friday and my Dad was here for a visit. We did start school yesterday again when everyone was enjoying Thanksgiving but we did have our holiday last week.

September

 This was my attempt at getting a picture of the 3 kids together. Hopefully Charlie has better luck on the 15th!

 One of those moments when David and Angeline were getting along so well. Not sure where they came up with the doubling idea but it works well on this tricycle.

Mmmm... we decided to buy a waffle maker. Chocolate waffles with strawberries and whipping cream. They were yummy! Samara thought so too but the pic we took of her and her first whip cream turned out blurry... we were probably laughing too hard.

Just thought I would add a few pics. We've been having lots of fun lately. We're getting serious about renovating our kitchen soon.  We are very excited but we have to make a lot of decisions in the next week or so. I'm hoping we can get it together quick enough that we don't have to have to stove unhooked for too long. I will definitely blog before and after pictures once it is complete. Really not sure when that will be.

Week 3

 (Yes, David is still in his PJ's... that's another bonus to homeschooling!)

This week was all about the letter "C." David loves to practise his letters. Besides practising the letter of the week he also spends time practising each letter of the alphabet on his dry erase board. We have a handy one for numbers to so that he can practise those as well. He's been independently figuring out the first letter in many words as well as adding to his list of words he can spell from memory. We had to throw Cookie Monster in there because we often watch him on you tube singing C is for Cookie.

David is going through his math book so quickly. I have it divided into approximately one until per week and I am finding that we are already getting ahead of our lesson plan. He often finishes the lessons before I have time to photo copy the next ones. This week we did units 3E, 3F, 4A-F & 5A-D. Still focusing on counting 1-20... have to get those "teens" really ingrained into him.

Delta Library had a program that encourages reading to your kindergarten student. They have select books with special stickers "100 Books to Read in Kindergarten"... we began this summer and have read over 30 so far (plus probably another 15 that aren't included)... plus many of the books we have at home. We do story time every day. We also have to make sure to do 30 minutes of activity. Yesterday it was so nice out that we walked to the library (David rode... I pushed the girls in the double stroller) until we were almost at the library and the chain came off David's bike. Okay, I know I SHOULD know how to fix a chain on a bicycle but I had never had to before. So there I am pent over his bike clearly looking like I had no clue what I was doing. A kind man pulled up in his truck and asked if I needed help. I said "no thank you." He said "are you sure?" I said yes! Okay, I needed help but he was a stranger AND I didn't want to admit that I needed help. I did manage to get the chain back on but it was off again in less than 60 seconds.  Needless to say it was a long walk home... uphill with a cranky baby and me... pushing 3 kids in my double stroller. To top it all off Angeline lost her shoe and forgot to tell me until 1 km later and it was surprisingly hot out yesterday.

We will be starting "Sing, Spell, Read, Write" on Monday

PS- Thanks Mrs. Van Breada for the planner... I am using it to keep a record of what we accomplish each day and I will scan it and e-mail you a copy.

9 1/2 Months

Here is a very happy... and very MESSY Samara! She had her check up on Tuesday and weighs 16.5 pounds and measures 28 inches tall. She pulls herself up on anything and everything and sometimes lets go to practice standing but she has not attempted cruising as of yet. She has been saying Mama for a few months... particularly when I'm not around and she wants me but yesterday she said it to me for the first time so that was very special. Today she got her 7th tooth... I expect the 8th will follow shortly. Just had to share these precious pictures and give a quick update.

How We do Kindergarten

Here's David on his first day of school. We started our homeschool adventure 2 weeks ago and he attends school on Fridays with other homeschool students. He's loving it... at home and at school.

David's been writing his name along with some other words for quite some time. For Language Arts we are making an Alphabet Book. Each week we talk about one of the letters of the alphabet... what sound it makes... what words start with that letter... we practice writing it... we draw pictures and find things around the house that begin with the letter of the week.
Our Language Arts Curriculum just arrived yesterday morning (it was backordered) so we are looking forward to using that as well. It is called "Sing,Spell,Read,Write" and it is Phonic based.

For Social Studies David is making a book all about him. We will be adding to it each week. He will be learning how to spell his middle names, last name... his address and phone number etc.

For Math we have chosen a curriculum called Math-U-See. Here are some examples of types of questions he covered in the first 2 weeks. The first picture is "cross out the wrong answer." The second one is "count and circle the correct answer. The third type of question is "colour the squares to show the correct number."

I will be blogging our homeschool journey weekly or by-weekly as a way to report our teacher and for anyone else who might be interested on how things are going and what we are up to. There are other subject that we cover as well and I am adding things weekly as adjust to our new routine. We are attending Bible Study Fellowship which is an interdenominational bible study and I am using the program for our Christian Studies... it includes a weekly memory verse as well.
http://www.bsfinternational.org/
I am also planning to teach David to speak French so we will be getting started on that in a few weeks.

Qualicum Beach

Here are a few highlights from our trip to Qualicum beach. Had a great time there with Grandpa Brent and Aunty Mandy. Also stopped at Coombs on the way home... though we didn't see any goats on the roof. Would have loved to have spent more time on the sand but the tide came in. We'll have to do it again next year.

Fall Fair

We spent a week on the Island at the beginning of the month. Took the kids to the Fall Fair... their first time at a fair. We weren't sure if David would go on the rides but he did without any hesitation! Angeline was first in line though she ended up being too short for most of the kids rides there. The fish ride was the only one we found that she was actually tall enough for (she enjoyed this one the most anyway) but we did manage to sneak her on a few other rides. Lots of rides, walking, cotton candy, farm animals, and dancing. We all had fun but it was about 34 degrees even though we went after dinner! It was a bit hot but who can complain when fall is about to set in and turn to winder. Great summer memories. Might have to go again next year. Thanks Nana & Papa!

9 Months

Getting Around

Here is the a video of Samara's 1st time crawling forward (taken yesterday morning). I can't believe my baby is crawling (actually yes, I can believe it... I thought she was going to crawl a while ago already). Here she is yesterday morning as well, wearing her amber teething necklace. I am loving it so far and it seems to have minimized her discomfort while teething. I didn't have to give her any advil while her first eye tooth made its appearance this week. We are currently trying to figure out a safe way for her to wear it while sleeping. I tried looping it around her ankle and then putting a sleeper on but our baby houdini somehow managed to get it off her ankle, through her sleeper and into her hot little baby hands.

 Nana spent the week with us and even though she just left yesterday we are missing her already. It was nice to have the company as well as the extra set of arms!

 Angeline is potty trained and somehow manages to stay dry even on 3 hour shopping trips to Ikea and through the night. It is so nice to be down to 1 in diapers... now if I could just get her to behave in the bathroom instead of constantly getting into anything and everything. We currently have to keep the bathroom locked and let her in when she has to go which is not ideal but it save the toilet paper from being unrolled into the toilet (for the 10th time) as well as the floss from being unravelled and the hand soap being used as moisturizer... etc... etc... she turns 2 1/2 in September so hopefully this is a stage she will outgrow soon.

 Here is a silly one of David in his VBS Panda shirt. He spent the last week at VBS (Vacation Bible School) learning a lot, having lots of fun and even memorizing 4 bible verses from Psalm 134. We are still waiting for our main kindergarten curriculum to ship... there have been some issues with it being backordered... but we are looking forward to beginning our homeschool journey in September with Kindergarten!

Jonathan and I are doing well. I think we are starting to find a balance in the business of raising a baby, toddler and big kid. We have accepted the fact that our "to do" list is never going to get done. Instead we are focusing on our "must do" list and spending the rest of the time enjoying our family at this stage we are at. In our "spare" time we are planning for a new kitchen and possibly adding on to our house.

Samara is 8 months old today!

 S.A.M (Samara Anne Marie) is 8 months old. I have not been taking any pictures lately so there are only a few to show sort of what she's been up to... took so many while we were away and then almost none since we have been home. Anyway she's a pro at sitting now and moves to and from a crawling position when sitting. She wiggles around the house and gets up on her hands and knee's but she's not officially crawling yet. She was a bit slow to start solid foods... gaged the most out of my kids so far until I discovered that she just doesn't like baby food. Now she's eating rice, potato, carrot chunks, apple, banana, naan bread, etc! She continues to be my best sleeper though she is cutting her 4th tooth at the moment and so is a bit grumpy about that. We could have easily named her JOY... she is such a happy baby... we all love her to bits. In celebration of her 8 month birthday she decide to start "blowing" today... not zerberts... just blowing air as if she were blowing out a candle... I guess she is getting ready for her 1st birthday which is coming in just 4 months time!