Toddler Prep

Eventually I suppose I will stop with the frequent updates as they aren't the height of excitement. Well, in my life they actually might be, but that's okay. But for now, here's what we have been working on.

Yesterday, we worked on the shape "square". Of course, this only took about 5 minutes or so. I thought Liam wasn't really into it, but as soon as his dad came in for class, Liam pointed to the board and said, "Look at my shape!"

Today, we colored the letter Aa, and then looked for a's in the book we are reading.

I found the A worksheets here:

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/coloring-pages/alphabet.htm

Gosh. I'm bored, aren't I? LOL.

First Day of School

We began our Cow theme today.
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/preparatory_lesson_1.html

I was unable to get Liam to do the motor activity (pretend to be a cow). He thought it was a little weird and even wanted me to stop pretending, which was fine. Our floor is hard on my knees!

But here is our first day (no pics of Liam, as I forgot to dress him first!):

Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate it. I haven't added my photo editing program yet.

Liam keeps walking around saying, "What's a calf?" Then I say, " A baby...." and he says, "Cow." It's funny.

But he's much more interested in cutting with the scissors I left down. Karl would flip out. He is much more cautious than I am.

A bit light-headed

So no matter where I put my head, my new bedframe makes me feel slightly upside down. But I LOVE having so much space under my bed. I cleaned everything out of the dresser to give it to Caleb, and it all fits in baskets under the bed. What to do? What to do?

Nobody knows the troubles I've seen.....

Tierney got her ACT scores today. Well, I did, she wasn't home yet. She will be disappointed. She did very well in reading (thanks Twilight-that got her into reading), but overall she is 2 or 3 points below what she needs with her GPA to go to MSU. I could be rude and say, "I told you grades matter", but I suppose she is almost 18, she can put two and two together. Personally, I think a year or two at OTC would give her a cheaper opportunity to see if college is really what she wants. I also think a two year trade would be great for her, since she is not an academic person, and I worry since she has a serious boyfriend whether she will make it through four years of college before having a family.

I didn't. I wanted babies and to be a SAHM quite young. I wanted to finish school, but it was like this internal tug of war, smart career woman vs. mommy.
Guess I still haven't completely resolved that one, but I have such a high need for security.

It's a bit weird. The feeling I have as a parent. How did I fail her? Should I have demanded higher grades? Some parents do and it works. Should I have refused cable/internet/anything other than books as entertainment. I don't know. She is so much more than her school performance. In some ways, she makes me cringe: her language, her inability to pick out an outfit that flatters her, not caring whether her hair is brushed before she leaves the house.  Other times, though, she is such a big help to me, and when she isn't angry about some made-up drama, she is quite pleasant and affirming company. Unlike me, Tierney can manage those little complimentary statements that make someone feel better. I freeze up, or think of them two minutes too late. Now whether she believes them or not, who knows?

So yesterday, I went to Dollar General, and the cashier behind the counter said, "Jennifer?"
"No," I shook my head. I was hot and had something jammed into my ribs and just wanted to get out of there.

"Did you go to Reed and Hillcrest?" he continued.

"Yes," I looked at him more carefully now, trying to place him. "Who are you?" I am nothing, if not blunt.

"Smoky Robinson," I think he said.

I shook my head vaguely.
"I'm sorry, it's been a long time," I told him, and it really has.
Then he started naming off other black guys, as he was African-American, and finally hit upon a name a remembered, Felix Johnson.
So I nodded and said, yeah that name sounded familiar, and I was even able to conjure up a face with it.

But it wasn't until I got home and talked with Karl when I realized I probably should have just pretended to remember him. Noone wants to think they aren't memorable. Eh well. Social graces were never my strong point.

Here's a more "stylish" site

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/

I like this one, too, because she introduces capital and lowercase letters together. She suggests starting with slightly older children, though. I won't pretend to know enough about visual discrimination to understand which is easier for a little ones eyes, but I know that most of what we read has lowercase and not capital letters. 

Letter of the Week

Here is a free (for now, anyway) curriculum I found on the web for preschoolers.

http://www.letteroftheweek.com/Preparatory.html

I think I might start the 2-4 "prep" curriculum with Liam. For the most part, it's stuff parents would do with little ones anyway. Of course we already read aloud, sing songs and recite nursery rhymes. We talk about shapes and count and point out letters. This will just give it a little more organization.

I think I'll "start" on Monday. Woohoo!

A Little Boy's World

The world through Liam's eyes is an interesting place. A place where a helicopter sitting on the roof of a hospital is a wonderful thing. A world where a firetruck zooming by or an ambulance sitting in a parking lot is magical. Even a policecar, driving quietly by, is reason enough to interrupt me in the bathroom.

"I just saw a policecar driving by! Policeman was driving it." Then he saw his toothbrush and needed to suddenly brush his teeth.

Oh to be young and so easily amused.

Quiet Morning

A bird or two is singing. Cars are driving by. The sky is still dark. I wish I had slept in. But I was so hot, and Karl does hog the bed, and when you are 33 weeks pregnant, you pretty much always need to go to the bathroom.

I wonder if my recent night sweats are pregnancy related or related to the lump in my throat. I hesitate to put that, because I don't want people thinking I am some weak-minded sissy sitting in fear imagining my death.

I research. People do get lumps in their throats. Hodgkins disease? Who knows? But I do know it's quite treatable and not such a big deal in these modern times. Probably not even a big enough to deal to score pity charity work from others (like cleaning my house and cooking meals-I do hate to cook).
Eh, the nurse didn't seem concerned at my appointment in March. And one lump that's just sitting there, not growing not spreading. How boring. Also, wouldn't all these blood tests they subject you to in pregnancy uncover something? I really just don't want to puke and lose my hair. I mean, I hate that it's so grey now, but I do have nice hair. Of course, I am sure after the baby is born it will fall out in droves. I remember my hairline was quite unattractive for awhile after Liam was born. AND I also had a second wave of hair loss a couple months before I got pregnant with this baby. I don't know why. I just know sometime last winter, I noticed short sprouts of hair poking up along my hairline. Weird.

Don't tell me to see a doctor. I am a grownup, and I am smart, and I know how to care for myself. And it annoys me when people treat me otherwise. It doesn't make me feel cared for. It makes me feel less than. Frankly I am just a little bored and playing with ideas and possibilities.

I am SO bored. Being a housewife is only fun if you have a lot of money to shop. I see that now. I see myself clearly now. I like stuff. I like consuming. I want to go shopping.
I want an $800 dollar handbag to casually throw over my shoulder like it's no big deal, while I pityingly look on your canvas Walmart tote, with sweet superiority.

Dreamed about teaching. It was hard. A classroom full of students with ADHD, and I was struggling to keep smiling and act like all my dreams were coming true. I finally resorted to bribing  them with candy, kicking myself over not getting sugar-free gum, because I do worry about their teeth. I always wondered whether all my students were REALLY taking care of their teeth. Nice teeth are so important. They don't have to be perfect, just healthy and somewhat straight and NOT missing. I worry about losing my own teeth. Replacement caps or whatever are certainly not in my budget.

I read some homeschool blogs, but it's not entirely satisfying when your child is only two, and your older kids aren't interested in homeschooling (what's wrong with them? Crazy kids).

Some girls in Taryn's cheer group asked if she would make them circle bows like the one she wore to class last night. I am so happy to find a craft I can do. My fingers and hands don't always behave appropriately when I am trying to use them. Taryn is even more ambitious that me. She isn't afraid to just keep piling the ribbon on!

Taryn is doing ICON cheer, since she thinks school cheer is SO boring, lol, but she is on a performance team rather than a competitive team. The competitive teams would have averaged out to over $200 a month with all the associated costs, but the performance should be slightly under $100.

Liam keeps sleeping in and not falling asleep at night. I SHOULD wake him up, but mornings are so hard on me now. I can't believe I have 7 more weeks to go. Surely this baby will be born at 36/37 weeks (don't all pregnant women think they'll go early?).

Karl and I are fighting over homebirth. Why? Because he wants the week's paid vacation and he is afraid he won't get it if I don't go to the hospital. Ridiculous.
I feel like he is stripping away my wisdom as a woman and robbing me of the faith in my body I deserve. I realize most people in our medically brainwashed society don't understand this. That's fine. I don't tell you what to do, so don't tell me what to do. Unless you whine about some ailment, then I will tell you to see a doctor, because frankly, I like problems solved and I can't fix medical problems. But childbirth isn't an ailment. It's the natural process of womanhood (and let's be honest-I am a two minute ambulance ride away from the hospital-that gives a feeling of security). I am pretty sure God and evolution are smarter than a bunch of back-watching uterus surgeons who don't want to get sued.
Again, your opinions aren't really wanted here. I am tired of negativity. When my own husband is TOO embarrassed to ask how to get vacation (which is what it is-he won't be nursing or dealing with hormones) if I have birth at home.
Interestingly, one of the reasons he was attracted to me is because I was a little "hippyish". But to him that means wearing the right clothes and cultivating a look. To me, it means not being afraid to step outside the mainstream to be honest about who you are and what you want out of life (like you know, $800 leather purses). Actually, it's not about the purse. It's about the aura of success and the attractive, fascinating people who will be drawn to me (like moths to a flame, baby) when I am projecting such success.

Have a good one!

Making Bows

The girls and I decided to attempt making hair bows today. This was my first experience with a hot glue gun, and I really liked it! We stuck to simple bows first, and then added some experimental bows. It was fun.
I just hope they stay connected to the rubber bands and clips all day!

Tierney's blue bow and Jill's Minnie Mouse bow

Taryn's making Cheer bows

Well, I didn't quite put it on right.

Taryn's

Tierney's Glendale Bow

Jill's (pay no attention to the dirty trashcan-eww)

Taryn's cute bow.

Saving some money

http://stayathomemommies.webs.com/moneymatters.htm

Tired, but done

We finished the livingroom yesterday. I wasn't happy with the results of my "shampoo" of the couch and loveseat. I guess maybe it needs to be done professionally. But it smells a lot fresher. I am reluctant to get it professionally done because of the cost, and because the loveseat itself is very worn from the cats clawing it. I may just throw a blanket over the side when people are over. I don't know. Or maybe they can just deal with it.

Taryn and I almost added some stuff to the livingroom. I had a red and tan shag rug for the livingroom picked out, and some red throw pillows (they would have went with the valance) with a hint of sage green to add color to the livingroom. But for some reason it just wasn't calling to me. It would have been okay and more sophisticated than the look now (which isn't really pulled together), but it just wasn't what I wanted. I really sort of want something slightly more youthful and whimsical. For some reason I am drawn to these:

Now obviously, I couldn't have all that going in on in one room, so I would need to pare down my choices. 

Since the sofa/loveseat are sagish, and the walls are about the same shade of green, I really want something to brighten it up. I want bright, happy, and contemporary.

I also want a shag or flokati rug, too, but I am unsure about color. I would like a yellow or an ivory, but I am afraid it would just be too hard to keep clean. I could do black, but I am afraid it will suck all the light out of the room. Just not sure, yet. Since most of etsy seems to have pillow covers rather than pillows, I also want to go to yard sales and pick up some throw pillows to put the covers on.

My kitchen is filled with loads and loads of clean and dirty laundry. Guess I should do something about that today.

Karl starts his college classes today. With his new schedule (whatever it will be), he has to take one at 10 and one online. I hope it goes well for him. He still doesn't have a parking sticker or books, so I will probably take him up there, and he can do all that and just call me to come home. I also need to cancel one of the cell phone lines. We don't really need both. I have a  home phone with the cable package, and when I sub, I can use the classroom phone. It's going to be weird just subbing one day a week. I might also be able to pick up one more half day, but it really depends on how Karl's schedule works out. The worst would be if they stuck him on an 11 am to 8 or 9 pm. I couldn't work, he could hardly go to school. But he thinks those will be popular, and not likely. 

I feel better about everything. I can only do what I can do. If my heart was pulling to stay home, there must have been a reason. 

I worry about this new baby, and whether Liam will get enough attention. I really just like Liam so much. He is a pleasant kid. My only other experience with boys has been Caleb, and Caleb was not pleasant at this age. He was the anti-pleasant child. He bit and threw fits, and banged his head on the ground and wall, and was hard to get to bed and wouldn't stop nursing, and...it was really tough. He's doesn't do that anymore, but he isn't the happiest critter still. He does get depressed, but he seems fairly happy right now. 

The kids did an amazing job on the living room and Karl was a big help. *I* was the cranky one. I really am not fond of cleaning, and seriously  I need knee pads if I am going to get down and wash the floors by hand. 

Next room is the dining room/playroom/computer room. Karl straightened it, but it still needs a good deep cleaning. In a week or two. I don't understand why people are so gaga about open concept housing. I hate having a bunch of different areas in one room. It's so annoying to try and tie it all together. I would rather have small rooms and more walls. But whatever. I suppose toys could go in bedrooms, and computers weren't thought of when this house was built. 

I don't know why I am chattering on. This is pretty mundane stuff. 

Have a good one!

It's been busy around here

Friday, Taryn and I went to IPA to pick up some ABC stuff for Liam, just some pictures for the wall around his play area and magnetic letters for the fridge. I figure if he can recognize the ABC's and say some of the sounds by his 3rd birthday, he's doing well. If not, well...none of my other kids could either, and they are excellent readers.

Saturday, the girls and Liam and I went to the farmer's market, but for some reason, vegetables do NOT appeal to me right now. We did get some fresh carrots, and Tierney made beef stew last night. We also picked up some wildflower honey, apple butter, and bagels (Taryn is attempting to live on bread alone, it seems). Then I found a nightstand at Talula's shabby chic shop on clearance. I picked it up for my room (I've set aside a little savings for sprucing up the house). I rearranged my bedroom (it always makes such a fresh change!), and determined we needed to raise the bed for storage. So I ordered a new bedframe from Walmart, that is supposed to have some storage area underneath. I am hoping to move either the dresser or the chest of drawers out of my room, and put our drawer stuff (old t's, sweats, etc.) under the bed. That should give me a little more space. I just need some room to breathe!

So Caleb and Tierney have done their tasks for the livingroom (Taryn and Karl are still in bed). Caleb still needs to sweep, but that will be next to last. I am rather amazed at how much they are pitching in. Maybe they know it needs a good cleaning, too. I don't know. If we could do 2-4 rooms a month, it should make a big difference. If we kept it up, it would really make a big difference. But I won't bring that up just yet. Baby steps.


Anyway, off to vacuum the couch. I need to shampoo it as soon as I go buy some sort of cleaner.