Getting the Hang of It

We are in the middle of week 4 now.  (Wow, already?)   It has been a process, but I think things are going smoother now that we are in a routine.  It has been a learning process and we are still working the kinks out of the curriculum and motivation. 

We have had a break through though.  Due to the suggestions of others (and the realization of how by the book I tend to be), I have cut down the amount of handwriting that Samuel is doing.  There are a lot of blanks for him to fill in and he was getting frustrated and overwhelmed with the amount, not to mention, that his hand was getting tired.  So now if one activity has three blanks to fill in, then I have him choose two.  Or if he has two sentences to write, I have him pick one.  I just started that this week and already the battles have dramatically decreased.  It is a more pleasant morning all around.  As he proceeds through the curriculum, I will slowly have him fill in more of the blanks until he is doing all of them.  

I have also realized the importance of reading through the Bible curriculum before I teach it.  Last week was the story of the Tower of Babel and as we were reading it, I realized that there was a lot of speculation and incorrect details in it.  Oops!  Luckily this week's story on Isaac and Ishmael follows Scripture much more accurately.  It is definitely a learning process.

Eve has also been learning a lot of things.  She can now move from hands and knees to a sitting position all on her own.  After she does that, she claps and looks at me.  She learned to clap one evening, after I clapped and said "yay" when she sat up.  She also can pull herself to a standing position.  She did it on our microwave cart last week and now she has done it several other times.  She has learned that faster than the boys.  I'm sure it is only a matter of time before she starts crawling on her own. 

Tonight is also the first night of Awana.  I am very excited to start the year.  I am helping in Sparks again (kindergarten through second grade).  Darius and Samuel are in Cubbies this year.  It doesn't seem possible that they are that old, but time definitely does fly.

Until next time.....