What school means this week

We four are sick with the ‘back to school cold.’  Yech… our noses are alternately faucets and plugs.  Ew.

Keeker wants to join everything they offer at school.  I limited her to two after school activities.  She chose Drama team and 4-H.  But forgot her drama tryout permission slip and that was a dramatic production in and of itself!  She had wanted to be in the student council but all the job descriptions I provided had, “too much writing” for her taste.  She’s got one side of a math wkst, 15 minutes (min) reading plus log and one spelling sheet to complete as homework Monday-Thursday.  She doesn’t like to do it that way though.  She’ll do the math every day, Spelling on Monday and Tues then reading on Wed and Fri. Her teacher just wants it completed by Friday morning so I guess that’s ok.  But it makes more sense to me, to do one of each, daily.  This is one of those ‘gotta let it go’ kind of decisions.  She can do it her own way and do just fine.  I suppose…

Fish wants to keep cows for 4-H.  I tried to explain our space constraints but I don’t think he was convinced.  hahaha  Hopefully I can sway him to sheep.  He could have two ewes.  They’d even help mow!  He got to get a prize out of the treasure chest day before yesterday.  It’s a reward/incentive for good behavior.  Then yesterday he got a “Best Helper” sticker.  Or something like that.  I asked who got to go to the treasure box and he said no one.  I guess you can’t go 2 days in a row… even if you are the best helper!  He really wanted to carry a cold lunch to school because then he won’t have to wait in line and he’ll be able to go out and play sooner.  So today both kids took lunches.  We’ll see what happens!

There is an elementary dance this Friday evening and both kids are excited about going.  I wonder if they’ll dance the hokey pokey??

Update: Picasso, Moving, School and Books!

Picasso had a broken hip and has had a screw installed to hold the bones where they belong until he heals.  He’s just started to put a little weight on his leg and he’s only in pain when it gets cold.  Poor pup is old before his time. 

We haven’t moved yet… and the people who were purchasing our house have backed out.  So until further notice we will remain here.  The stress of it all is getting to me and has manifested itself as a cold… I lost my voice today so be glad I’m not telling you all this, in my froggy croaking voice, over the phone!    Ho hum…

Kids have been studying well.  Keek’s interest in cursive has resumed and she practices a little bit every day.  She has started drawing crazy scientist labs with intricate and detailed experiments and raging storms outside.  I suppose every good science lab needs a great storm to go with it!  She’s taken to the history channel’s “This Day In History.”  She’s bookmarked the page and comes to me with “Did you know” facts all day.  Today I learned ASPCA was founded on April 10th in 1866, who knew?!?  She’s reading, “How Rude!” Alex J Packer, Ph.D.  It is a book of manners and proper behavior.  I wonder why she is so interested in this area… maybe it comes from her Aunt H because I know it doesn’t come from either of her parents!!  Keek’s also been working with fractions as she cooks more.  She made rice for breakfast yesterday and had to figure how much water was needed for one and 2/3 cups rice.  She understood the addition, subtraction and reduction of fractions right off.  When I told her there were an infinite amount of numbers in between zero and one she replied in her most wide eyed voice, “I can’t believe it!  Well what do you know!”  

Fish is learning about T4, a unit of the Nazi army in WW2.  They were in place to dispatch the aged and disabled.  He is reading  “T4″ by Ann Clare LeZotte to me.  T4 tells the story of Paula, a deaf girl in small town Germany during WW2.  The short novel is written in free verse and the poems allow me to skip the areas that are too much for Fish.  He is outraged at the actions of T4 and wants to read more of the book every day.  We’re just over half way through the book and things are very bad for Paula and indeed all of Germany.  Soon we’ll be over the hump and Paula will be reunited with her family once again.  He’s drawn a series of signs for his new cafe, “Calypso” and some labs in addition to a smiling self portrait.  He’s practicing his printing when Keek works on her cursive.  And he’s memorized all the zeros, ones and twos multiplication facts up to 10.

Together we read, “The Tales Of Beedle the Bard” by JK Rowling and the kids just loved it.  Especially the notes by our dear departed Dumbledore.    The book contains five well known wizarding fairy tales that show the importance of moral responsibility.  Fun book!  We’re also reading the first book in another Emily Rodda series, “Rowan of Rin.”   It’s a fine book and we are enjoying it.  Rowan is a meek and fatherless boy in a village of warriors.  He must help save his village when the stream that feeds them suddenly dries up.  The book is full of action and peril but not as mezmorizing as the Deltora series.  I think this book series may lose out to “Fablehaven” by Brandon Mull; which we are also reading.

Fablehaven is the first in a series of books in which a brother/sister team discover and fight to protect their family, a forest full of magical creatures and possibly the world!  Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game says, “Like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Fablehaven’ looks like a book for kids, but, like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Fablehaven’ can be read aloud in a family with as much pleasure for grown-ups as for children… Do yourself a favor, and don’t miss this first novel by a writer who is clearly going to be a major figure in popular fantasy.”  Full of detail,  imagery and depth this may be our new favorite series!

What we’re learning now…

Fish has found a book he loves.  “Tales of Deltora” by Emily Rodda is a fantasy book full of dragons and dangerous sea creatures in a time of violent earth growth and change.  He won’t read it to me but I think he’s been reading on the sly.  Only when I’m not looking.  He’s one of a kind that’s for sure!  He enjoys the quizzes in the ‘prepare you kid for standardized tests’ book he picked up at the library a week ago.  Keek enjoys it too as she gets to do the quizzing.    He read, read, and re-read, “The Mighty 12 Superheros of Greek Myth” by Charles R Smith Jr and P Craig Russell.  The prose is written like the “Iliad” and the illustrations are like comic books.  He really has enjoyed the book.  So much so, that I think a copy of it lies in our future.  Heeheehee…  He also buzzed through “Fred and Ted Go Camping” by Peter Eastman and “I want to Be Somebody New” by Robert Lopshire; the sequel to “Put me in the Zoo!”

Keek has just finished up “How to be A Princess in 7 Days or Less” by Lesley Rees and “Egyptian Princess” by Jacqueline Morley.  She’s more than half way through,  “Excuse Me, But I was Next…” by Peggy Post and has just started reading a big fiction book, ” The Summer King” by OR Melling.  It involves twin sisters, one of whom is dead and spooky happenings in Ireland.  Although Keek isn’t usually into such spookiness she is enjoying this book very much!  She also has “First Aid For Wildlife” by Irene Ruth on her list… but I’m not sure she’ll get to it before it’s time to take it back!

We’ve been neglecting Fish’ math pages in favor of spelling puzzles.  He does one a day and sometimes two… depending.  They have been playing store where they trade items of similar value using the trunk as a store counter.  It’s been a big hit!   Fish has been playing online with his Webkinz and at Club Penguin.  He noticed the return of Rockhopper (the penguin pirate) a couple of days ago and when he finally arrived both kids went to collect their treasure!  Each kid got a red cap and a ringing bell from Rockhoppers treasure trove.  What a fun game! He’s been watching pink panther (free DVD from the local movie store) and old Garfield episodes on YouTube.  He made his stocking this weekend with the help of Grandma.  It has a wonderful underwater scene and is covered in fish and bubbles.  He also put six snowflakes in the water “…because that’s how old I am.”

Keek has been doing her math faithfully.  She’s decided which multiplication tables she likes and which she doesn’t.  The fours, sevens, eights and twelves are “really hard” and the rest are easy.  I wish I could say the same!  She’s used her skip counting sheet so much it’s practically toilet paper but she refuses to let it go.  She did get busted the other day for cheating and then lying about it but she apologized, did the work (on her own this time) and promised not to cheat again because, “… it makes things easier now and harder later.”  I think it’ll stick.  Her OCD came out of the closet the other day, too.  She took the advent calender and started putting the numbers in counting order.  She was doing quite well when I informed her the picture wouldn’t look right if the numbers were in order and that they were out of order on purpose.  She looked at me like I was crazy and I couldn’t help but laugh.  Once she understood that I hadn’t lost all my marbles we put the boxes back in all the right places.  With the numbers all back in the wrong order… advent chocolates were served this morning on schedule.  lol

Fish went to the dentist on Monday and had 9! cavities! Eeee Gads.  We got four filled today, three this upcoming Friday and the other two are just under observation.  The dentist thought one would have to be a crown but it wasn’t as bad as it looked so all is well.  The others are tiny surface cavities and filled easily.  Keeker has an appointment lined up for Friday as well.  She is really nervous about it and asks Fish lots of questions.  He loves being the expert and handing out his vast knowledge.     Teeheehee

I have taken an interest in regional lore and am studying up.  I have a book that focuses on Ozark lore.  It’s really interesting and many of the phrases are familiar to me already.  For example, “Rain before 7, Dry by 11.”  Really a neat book, but I’m only one chapter in.

Alas the dryer buzzes and I must go!

More Reading and boring math worksheets!

As the fist cold of the season (and hopefully the last) holds us captive in the house we have all been reading… a lot!!! In addition to math wkst’s and “The Giant Book of Cool Stuff” Keek has delved into more arts and crafts.

Fish is working on linear addition and subtraction as opposed to vertical and visiting favorite old books all on his own.  We cleared a shelf in the living room for some of the kids books.  It has really increased their reading.  I am still pleasantly surprised!

I’ve been reading too, but nothing of childhood educational interest!   Ohhhhh, I can’t wait until we feel better.  blehhhhh…

Until then I don’t think I’ll blog.  We don’t expect to be under the weather for more than a week but you know how that goes.  Fish has been teatering on the edge of an asthma attack and even Keek has been heezy wheezy a couple of nights.  We’ve been eating lots of soup and drinking lots of hot chocolate plus a daily dose of lemon tea.  Hopefully it’ll do the trick!  Fish is looking better four days after the initial onset.  Keek is a day behind him, I’m a day behind her and DH is a day behind me.  So in three or four more days we should all be back on top of things!  Until then… TTFN!

Well… he’s reading!

Fish has a new favorite book written by Joaquin Ramon Herrera and Horris, an indestructible monster friend.

The book has 92 pages in all.  Half are small type and the other half are great black and white illustrations. The illustrations remind me of creatures from Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends.

The book has a myriad of topics all equally disturbing.  Did you know Lobsters are oceanic bugs in the arachnid family?  Did you know that piranhas can attack a drinking cow and pull it under the water to eat it?  DId you know that humans used to burn each other up on bonfires?  Did you hear about the woman who bathed in blood because she thought it would keep her young and beautiful?  In addition to these scientific and historic accounts Herrera also included imaginary terrors:  What would it be like to run out of air, or freeze to death in outer space?

All in all it’s a pretty scary book delivered in a matter of fact and sometimes comical manner.    A gruesome six year old boy loves it dearly.  We buzzed through it yesterday afternoon.  Yes, the whole thing.  And he’s taken to carring it around with him today.  Hmmm… what else does Joaquin Ramon Herrera have to offer?

Two more weeks of School…almost

Wow!  Halloween has taken hold, and how!

We’ve been working on our math daily, and I have seen marked improvement with Keeker.  Occasionally she hits a brick wall but she can usually find her way around it without too much trouble.  We got her an additional workbook called, “Multiplication Made Easy.”  She does 2 pages a day for now.  Once they get past the easy ones we’ll probably slow back down to a page a day.  She’s plugging away and staying relatively motivated.

Fish is back in Story Problem mode.  I switched him because the words didn’t match the pictures.  His reading wasn’t going to be able to pick up the slack quite yet.  Now his reading has improved so we switched back.  But it was like I was playing a cruel joke or something.  He skimmed the word problems for key words like, “all together” or “left” and decided to add or subtract the numbers based on those words alone.  Well, it turns out the pictures didn’t give him the right numbers to add and subtract.  Just because the picture was of three hats and two scarves didn’t mean he was too subtract one from the other.  The question was:

There are seven scarves and four hats in the closet.  How many more scarves are in the closet than hats?

Because of the picture presented and the word “more” in the word problem Fish answered 3 + 2 = 5.  Yes his arithmetic was correct but the problem was all wrong!  It took us a couple of days to get past that hurdle but I think it’ll really improve his reading comprehension.

Keek has been re-reading her fairy tales and looking for others online.  I think she’s ready for the rainbow of fairy tale books in the “grown up” section of the library.  Thing is we don’t have those classics at our library.  Grrr… we’ll have to make a trip to the big town for that!  Fish has been avoiding reading all together.  I can’t say that I blame him… I wasn’t a reader as a child either.  He likes to be read to so I guess I’ll just back off and give him some more time to come to it on his own.  I am comfortable in his ability to read enough to get by.  If he were of age I’m sure he could fill out a job app and probably even vote.  He just doesn’t like to read! At six I give the kids there email addresses but Fish has no interest.  He said, “Eh, I’ll just call somebody if I want to talk to them.”  Shocker!

The kids have both been active on clubpenguin.com; which has cool new Halloween decorum by the way. Fish just got a Webkinz!  YAY!  He loves it, of course and has been even more of a computer junkie lately!  Keeker has been playing around at pbskids.org/zoom again and really enjoys the “did you know?” section.

We finally finished decorating the house, it was spooktacular!  Fish helped Dad lay tiles in the back area and Keek helped with more spooky spiderwebs festooning the living room.  The costumes were ready and the invites were out.  The Big Birthday Bash was looming large on the calender and excitement sizzled in the air!

The night before the party a whole group of us went downtown to our little village celebration where Dh and I won the costume contest.  The kids got plenty of candy and the grown ups got plenty of pictures.  Talk about fun!

When the big day arrived we could hardly contain ourselves!  The party started at just the right time and lasted much longer than was anticipated… but with wonderful results!  The food everyone brought was delicious.  The cousins came over and all kids had a blast!  The presents were all big hits.  Fish plays with the awesome shotgun and kooky alien creating machine every day!  They’ve watched Scooby Doo 2 I don’t know how many times and *ahem* Fish’s aim with the bow and arrow set has greatly improved. teeheehee