Homeschool?

We decided not to enroll Nate into 3 year old preschool this year and instead do it at home. I should be capable of doing this, right?  This summer I worked hard on creating a curriculum and lesson plans.  We started last week, and although there were a couple of bumps and issues, I can say that that the kids are learning and we're having fun so it must be working.  At least somewhat! Ha!

We do have to deal with interruptions that probably don't happen in a regular preschool setting.  Like people coming to the door, taking time out for time-outs (not surprising that school at home does NOT prevent tantrums and melt-downs), and Maddie needing to use the potty every 10 minutes.  And like their own mommy teaching them. I think kids are usually so much better behaved for other adults than their own parents. And also just getting used to the idea of it's "school" time not "do whatever you want to do" time. They seem to think they can just quit in the middle of an activity and go play with toys!

I am having to adjust and be flexible as I learn what works and what doesn't and how long certain activities take to do, but I am finding the kids like the structure and activities and even when we're not in school, they are asking to do some of the things we have done (usually the stuff on the computer, but hey, if they're learning while having fun, why not?).

End of Summer Blues

As the end of summer draws near, the kids (and I) are getting more restless with each day.  We have had plenty of fun-filled days this summer, enjoying outside, play dates, parks, the zoo, the pool, just to name a few.  When summer starts we are ready for lazy summer days with no schedules or set plans, but by the end of summer we are more than ready to get back into a routine. 

 

This restlessness has easily translated into naughtiness the last couple of weeks.  And I mean naughty.  Big meltdowns, lots of fighting, and lots of defiance. Which has left me worn out!  But, I will tell you how good God is. Because at that moment when you think you've had just as much as you can take for one day, He gives you a little glimmer of hope that says "hang in there, it's all going to be okay". 

 

For me, this time, the glimmer of hope happened while I was cooking dinner.  I sent the kids outside to get out of my hair, er, play.  I kept stealing glances of them out the window.  Expecting to see them fighting, instead I saw Nate pushing Maddie on the swing as she squealed with delight, shouting "higher".  I saw them running around the yard chasing each other.  I saw them playing together in the sandbox.  I saw them play house and Maddie pour Nate a glass of "lemonade".

 

Seeing those smiles was exactly what I needed at that moment.  Hearing that laughter makes it all better and all the fighting and screaming and tantrums worth it.  Watching them play together just melts my heart.  It's in those moments that I know all the hard work is worth and it WILL be okay.

 

 

Our Feisty Two-Year Old

Maddie is two!

And she's a feisty little girl.  She has so much character and cracks us up that we'll take the naughty with the good. 

She gets into everything.  I mean EVERYTHING.  We have locks on doors we never had with Nate-every door is locked and we also got locks for the oven and fridge (both of which have been broken already).  She is always trying to climb up on the counters so she can get into the cabinets.  She can open child-proof bottles (I have no clue how she does it).  And we have two good stories just in the past couple weeks to paint a picture of our destructive little girl.

One afternoon the kids were playing upstairs while Michael and I were talking downstairs.  We went up to check on them to find Maddie in her room with the bottle of bath bubbles (the bathroom door should have been locked).  She had dumped out the entire contents and was rubbing it into the carpet.  It probably took at least 2 hours to clean that mess up.  At least her room smells bubble gum fresh!

The kids had a particular difficult time going down for their naps one Saturday recently.  Tired of listening to their crying, I shut our bedroom door (we were trying to have a lazy afternoon watching tv in bed).  Some time later, Maddie comes strolling in our room and climbs up in bed.  Instantly I smell her and see she is messy all over her hands and face.  I rush downstairs to find she got into the pantry (also usually locked) and there were chips and cheese balls all over the kitchen and living room floor. 

Moral of the stories: make sure all doors are locked, even if it's nap time and you think your kids are securely in their rooms.

She loves to be girly.  She loves wearing dresses and bows in her hair (when she actually keeps them in). Whenever we tell her she's so pretty she lifts up her toes because we call nail polish "pretties".  She also loves to take care of everybody.  We play house a lot and she makes sure everyone has something to eat and drink.  She's always concerned that everyone has what they need. 

She's not potty trained and hasn't gone on the potty since that first time. Not a concern for me.  Of course having one potty trained I can get anxious to have the other one done too, but it can wait until she's ready.  She sits on the potty and doesn't have a clue what to do.  It might take some time.

She talks like crazy and loves to learn.  She is learning colors and shapes.  She can count to two. But my favorite recent story about her learning is the Bible story lesson.  At church last week, the lesson was about being kind to others.  They had a picture of a bear and were taught to say sorry and give big bear hugs when they hurt someone or do something naughty.  We put the lesson up on the fridge and work on it that week.  So, every time we do something wrong, we hug the other person and say the memory verse, "love is kind".  By Tuesday she had it down.  She said "sorry" and came and gave me a bear hug and then without prompting said, "love kind". 

So even though she's rotten, she's so stinkin' adorable and sweet.