School Days

Well, we started school yesterday. We're easing into it for my sake and theirs. Daisy is sleeping all night most nights, but one bad night can throw me off for a whole day, so I'm not committed to any schedule right now. Getting around by 9 or 10, having a quick breakfast, getting Daisy fed and put back down for a nap, and spending about an hour on school is good progress around here.We are doing math this week because the kids were so excited to do it. I mean that. Oh, did I mention that  I bought a math computer game that they get to do after their workbook time? We've had it for over a month now and they saw me trying it out one day a few weeks ago, but I wouldn't let them play it until yesterday. They were so thrilled to be doing school! I know this isn't likely to last, but I'm enjoying it while it does. And I'm also letting myself enjoy a sense of accomplishment after just 45 minutes to an hour of school, because we got something done and kids were happy. I let Camie help Cassie with her "schoolwork" today, since yesterday she spent the whole time pestering the 3 older kids and trying to write in their workbooks. I'm trying to get some preschool activity bags prepared for her to be able to do stuff, and I'll dig out the things I printed and laminated for the others over the last year and a half. In the next week or so we'll start phonics/reading, and then add in handwriting for Camie and Felicity. Micah is only kindergarten age, but loves and understands math, so I'm going to see how he does with the same Math level Felicity is doing. On his page yesterday he was supposed to count objects in two boxes and circle the box with the larger number of objects. He pointed to one and said, "That's six." I asked how he knew that without counting each fish in the box, and he explained how he sees them in groups: "If there's one fish in each corner that's four, and then there are two in the middle. 4+2=6." And there you have it, folks.  And later at lunch Matt asked him if he knew what 8+8 equals. He was quiet for a bit as he counted in his head and answered "15". Matt told him that was 8+7. Micah thought a few seconds, his eyes lit up and he said, "16!" I laughed, because I'm in awe of how numbers can make sense to a child of mine, and asked how he counted it without making dots on a page or using fingers. "Because Daddy said 8+7=15. 8 is one more than 7, so one more than 15 is 16." 

Numbers aren't as easy for the rest of us, as demonstrated by another one of our kids today, who declared that Daddy is 63. I corrected her and said he's 36. "Oh. That's what I meant." Numbers are just random arrangements for some of us. :)

Here's Daisy keeping me company while I worked on the preschool bags for Cassie. We borrowed that little Bumbo seat from a friend, and have loved it. We think Daisy likes it too.

First Day of School 2012: The girls coloring the numbers for our school picture.

Cassie showing a card from her pile of matched ones she one. She stomped me at Memory.

A rare moment when kids are getting along well. There was a lot of laughter and fun, which was so nice to hear. Of course new rules were made up, by the oldest sister nonetheless. They put the card that had the instructions on it. If you picked that card, the other player got three turns in a row. And they would put the cards back in random places instead of neat rows. I offered to show them how to set them up so they could remember where things were, but they laughed and said they wanted it how they had it. Pardon me for trying to ruin the fun.

And now, the 2012 First Day of School Pictures......


Micah's "0" is colored like a target.

Oops, dropped the target.

Cassie licking chocolate off her paper that got smeared on it from her hands.

Silly faces

 More silliness

 Yes, even Superman has to go to school sometimes. Here he's using foam pieces to make a ship.

If only Superman would fold that super pile of laundry on the sofa behind him. It grows daily. Maybe tomorrow we'll tackle it. It'll be pretty tall. He might get to practice leaping over it in a single bound.