Posts filed under 'daily journal'
So, I totally fell flat on my face, figuratively late this week. Perhaps it was the lack of caffeine (and yes, I know about all the negatives of the stuff), but Thursday I was hardly even able to read to the kids. They ended up spending most of Wednesday and Thursday running around the house doing their own thing. I would read on occasion, but I just couldn’t deal with them much. ~sigh~ I so wanted to finish that darn pirate lapbook!
Dad is on holidays (it started today), so I’m hoping to get some time with Fuss to finish up a couple of things. We had music today, so Fuss went off to his class and then Dad offered to take the Bug to her class so that I could have a few minutes to myself! Wow! So, I luckily had my book with me. I pulled that out and actually got a few pages read. Close to the end of the class, Bug figured she’d had enough time without ‘MA-MA’, so out she came. Dad stayed in the class until the end - very funny.
We came home after running a couple of errands and picking up sandwiches at the organic butcher. The kids fell asleep in the car, so we added a small glass of wine to each lunch and had a picnic in the front yard so we could be near the car in case the kids woke up, which they did - right as we were finishing up. It was so nice just to have that short time together.
I feel more energized just having an extra set of hands on a weekday. Oh, and a Starbucks to start the day….
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
October 5th, 2007
I got an e-mail today from a woman I met in a baby gym class when Fuss was very small. She had twins at home and an older daughter who was in school. I lost track of her when the gym class ended. We exchanged a couple of e-mails, but it went no further.
I just got an e-mail from her today saying that she ran into a homeschooling friend of mine at the museum today. Funny thing is that she signed off her e-mail by saying ‘hope to see you at some homeschooling events’. I was so excited!! I would have been thrilled to just get an update, how are you sort of e-mail, but one that she is also homeschooling!! Too much! I’ve e-mailed her back because I would like more details and am anxiously awaiting her response. I can imagine there would be challenges homeschooling twins, but some aspects would be easier. She also has an older daughter. I look forward to catching up with her.
On a ‘discovery cottage’ homeschooling note, we use a nature curriuculumthat I just love. (This is only the second month, so I’ll keep you posted.) This week is about kindness to animals which is very needed around here. There is a story about St. Francis that is to be included in circle time. I always turn away from any religious aspects, but this curriculum is not religous and where it might seem so, it’s simple to change it to suit our family. I do have a soft spot for St. Francis, so I included the story. For some (surprising) reason, Fuss is finding it very grounding. He sits silently while I read it (this story is in 4 parts which is perfect as Daddy is home on Friday), and is really responding. We have a squirrel who thinks we are his family. He sit on the windowsill or the door frame and waits for us. He follows us to our car and sits there while we get in. I wonder if he was a pet who was released once he ate a couch leg or some such thing.
Fuss is inclined to chase the squirrel while screaming at the top of his lung, which drives me nuts. Well, we started the story of St. Francis on Monday and today he just walked out to the car with the squirrel. Once we started to back out of the driveway, he said ‘oh, mum - isn’t he just so cute’? Ah….progress.
I should add quickly - we are considered suburban, on the very edge of a major metropolis, so a friendly squirrel is not overly common.
On a separate note, Fuss found a pile of coins while routing around somewhere in the house. He brought them to me and we made an impromptu math lesson out of it. He got to keep the coins he identified properly. Then we added the coins he ‘won’ in various way. It was fun and he feels rich with his 26c.
Bug has developed some new words. ‘Bowl’ and ‘cat’ to be specific. Unfortunately, everyone is now ‘cat’. Oh well.
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
October 2nd, 2007
The group classes that Fuss has been taking since he was 6 weeks old started up again today after a long go with the conservatory while they cancelled classes and moved the kids around.
The way the conservatory works is that the parents go to the half hour class and it’s a mum and baby time from the age of 0 t o3. At the age of 3, they start to go on their own for an hour. So, this is the start of Fuss’ second year on his own. Last year it was hard to keep him in the room. He would run out and want to sit with me (for half of the hour I was down the hall in Bug’s class). I was anticipating the same sort of reaction again. Manifesting good things, of course, but you know…..
Well, we got there and his teacher came out of the room asked him for a big hug and off they went! Wow. I stayed as long as I could before I had to go a couple of doors down for Bug’s class, but not a peep from him. Yay! Although, it does mean he’s growing up which is with mixed emotions for me (and him, I think).
Bug’s class was huge. The conservatory combined two classes and I think that was a mistake. Bug was totally overwhelmed (very small class last year), and nursed for the first bit. Once she was over that she had quite a good time. She immediately recognized the alphabet song - she stood up and danced, so cute! I never have a camera when I need it.
I had a rather ~heated~ discussion with Fuss today. I was not paying attention while reading one of the Magic Treehouse books. At one point Jack tells his sister in frustration “I’m going to kill you.” I know it was totally innocuous, but to a 4 year old who thinks Jack and Annie are superheros, that’s a cool thing to say. So, now, when Fuss gets angry or things just are not generally going his way, he says “I’m going to kill you Mum (or Dad, or whomever is annoying him)”. I finally lost it today. I loudly explained what that means, and that it’s not something you say. So then he asks why Jack and Annie say it. Yes really, why? How does one explain these things???? I really do try to skip over things like that in books, or change the words, but I just missed it.
By the way, the kids are all better - like they were never sick in the first place - yay!!! We unfortunately missed a playdate because of it, but it’s already rescheduled, so that’s good. Fuss loves his playdates!!!
This weekend is the weekend we finish that pirate lapbook, stay tuned…….
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
September 28th, 2007
Ack - Fuss spent most of the day laying around in bed. Which is fine, I just feel badly for him. We did colour a pirate treasure map and read quite a bit. His next set of Jack & Annie books (Magic Treehouse) arrived today and he got right into them.
However, the most exciting thing is that Bug let me read to her! Fuss loved to be read to from the beginning. I would read out of my book while I nursed him even when he was first born. If I try to do that with Bug, she gets totally put off, and now that she’s older, she will shake her head for me to stop. But, tonight she brought me a Babybug magazine and sat through two readings of it! Two - with questions. She pointed to everything and asked what it was. I didn’t care - I was just pleased she kind of let me read to her.
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
September 27th, 2007
The past couple of days have been a write-off because Bug had a cold. Of course, she’s fine and happy during the day, but at night, she’s miserable and up. So, the write off is because I’m way too tired to do anything interesting.
We’ve started ‘c’ week which is a tricky one, other than recognition, because it doesn’t have a sound of it’s own. I really wanted to read the paper this morning (what a waste of time!), so Fuss sat next to me and pointed out all the ‘c’s in the headlines.
On Monday, my mother took the kids to get their fall shoes - and Bug’s first pair ever! She was so cute parading around the store showing everyone her new shoes. I don’t think they will be easy to put on her again, now that they are no longer novel, but I have hope. Fuss got a pair of velcro shoes, which I have really trying to avoid, but it seems as though once you are older than three, velro is the only option. Will the skill of shoe-tying die off? Are we evolving into stick and tear people?
He’s pleased with his shoes too, although on the way to the store he kept telling Nana that he wanted a stompy pair. Meaning a pair that lights up when you walk. We go up to the Naturino outlet for their shoes, so a stompy pair was just not a possibility. I may see if I can find an inexpensive pair for him to wear in the backyard.
Fuss had his private violin lesson yesterday - he responds so well to his teacher. It’s nice to see. She’s also really kind and patient with him. His group lesson teacher, on the other hand, oh! I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s just say that once every two weeks might be too much.
We were supposed to have a different music class today, but the royal conservatory where we’ve been going for 4 years, has had all sorts of staffing trouble, and they cancelled a tonne of classes. They cancelled Fuss’ Wednesday class, effectively cancelling Bug’s since they must go concurrently.
After three days of phoning the RCM to get it organized, they finally got back to me today and put them in classes on Friday. Yuck. I had really wanted to leave Friday open. I’m a little annoyed, but what can you do? I hate to have the Bug miss music entirely this year.
So, with music cancelled we’ve not done much today. It’s kind of a rainy, gloomy day, but cooler (it hit 32 yesterday) so we’ll likely spend the afternoon (after quiet time) outside. In the meantime, Fuss is making a pirate treasure map for his pirate lapbook, which I do promise we’ll finish at some point. If I can figure out how, I’ll post a photo of his map.
We read pirate books for the afternoon and then things deteriorated. Luckily Daddy came home just as we were getting tired of looking at each other - Dad saves the day.
We had dinner - Fuss ate tonnes despite (or because of) being sick. Both kids are sleeping restlessly now - and I should be sleeping too!
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
September 27th, 2007
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