Thursday, March 08, 2007

Today

This is about the sum of school today...

Joel; Thinking Blocks (getting to the tougher stuff now that requires some deductive thinking and drawing of models himself) - needs to repeat today's section tomorrow.
Spelling time (100% - again)
A little bit of Punctuation work on paper from an S&S book.
20 minutes on EC

Abbie; DK sticker maths fun book (still going slow with her and covering the basics over and over until they feel like sure footing)
Two pages from a Letts English book and two from her Basic Skills (S&S) book.
Spelling time (100% too)
20 minutes EC

Phoebe; 2 'games' on EC & four pages of her 'all about where I live' book from S&S

Ellie - went to playgroup

Caleb - played at getting as dirty as possible all day out in the garden

As you can see school is a bit 'hmm' atm. But with a little help from our new laptop and some good websites at least some is getting done!

We have managed to squeeze in some Child's Geography the last couple of weeks and the kids are really enjoying learning about the atmosphere and learning that the Ozone is so called because it smells - now nicknamed the 'smelly zone' in our house (did you know that fact - I didn't)! It's really quite in depth, but they seem to be understanding it quite well - I'm very impressed with this book.

I'd like to do some art one day, but come the afternoons I am clean out of steam tbh. But we did manage to make a couple of impromptu tissue paper flowers when H dropped in Phoebe's BD present yesterday. She's like to make lots more over the weekend, but it looks like this weekend will be rather filled with furniture collections and assembly (lots of stuff from Ebay and freebies to make room for the new baby).

We have our annual LEA teacher-mediator meeting on Thursday next week, but she is really nice and I don't stress about that :-)

Still haven't photographed those lapbooks despite my promises...must do that, must do that..!

Now a bit about my Caleb...he really is a character to be reckoned with! So far he doesn't say much, but is very capable of making his needs/wants understood and if he can't he just goes and meets them himself. He helps himself to cheese-strings from the fridge, chocolate from the kids sweet corner (an unwraps it) and Chocolate Pillows (cereals) from the cupboard - and boldly parades around with the packet in his hand! I must be getting slack, because none of that really bothers me anymore! What bothers me more is the constant emptying of the games shelf and the drawing on the carpet with a dry marker I removed from his possession just two seconds ago and returned to its rightful home! And even more worrying - his obsession with all things electrical. Within three days of me owning a laptop he had worked out where to plug the mouse in (which USB slot I use) and where to plug the power lead in! He knows exactly which cables fit with which appliances in this house - like which wire is my DS charger and how to plug that it - not only to the DS but to the plug socket too! He even moves a full laundry bin to gain access to a plug socket, so that he can plug in the hoover (which I had to move to a new home because he kept doing so, not that that has stopped him at all...). He really is very scary. If I do anything within his line of vision - just once - I can guarantee that within minutes he is there trying to copy what I did. And it's not just electrical things either...Paul was out cleaning his bike on Saturday and within minutes C had gone into the shed and helped himself to a couple of screwdrivers from P's toolbox to come and 'help'. He is SO hands on and handyman. I'm wondering how I am ever going to be able to sit him down at a table...maybe I just won't! Maybe he will do maths with a screwdriver in his hand - when he's 5! And it's obvious to me that to him speech is of secondary importance - why talk when you can DO!

So that's C - maybe I'll blog about one of the others more another night :-)

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

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Monday, March 05, 2007

Really ought to blog, really ought to blog....

Too tired, too busy, not really much to tell..

Kids all doing fine. C. a total whirlwind - others have nicknamed him 'Chaos Caleb' and he really is. He drew in dry marker all over the lounge carpet the other day - any tips? I know I can't get it wet and the hairspray tip didn't work :-(

Car won't start atm. Need to get it looked at - could be just the starter motor or could be the engine has ceased from standing dormant for two years or so..! Getting a mechanic friend to take a look is the next move. Really wishing it was on the road on nights like tonight when I have to race to swimming in the wet, wind and cold and then can't find a seat to watch in when I get there - and no-one offers theirs of course despite my looking very pregnant by now! The kids need to sit after-all while they play on their little gameboys and PSPs. Sorry - it's just that the impoliteness of children who aren't taught to give up seats for old people, or pregnant/nursing women really narks me. I've even had to stand and breastfeed at points down there cause no-one has offered their precious seat - rrrr - rant over!

Other than that I'm keep well. Feeling very 30 weeks now - which by scan I am tommorrow (by dates I'm only 28wks - that's what my 'ticker' is sticking with for now, but I feel 30!) Baby is a real active wriggler.

Another great website I found - check it out if you hate setting spellings and would love someone to do the leg work for you! It's free too (although it is American so you have to bear that in mind) :-)

www.spellingtime.com

If you create yourself a 'school' name and then give each child an ID you can keep a progress report for everyone in the same place. Otherwise give each child a profile and you will get emails of their progress anywya. My kids are doing well with it and it's only about 5 minutes each day - suits us fine!

That's it - I'm done. When you crash on the sofa at 7pm and don't wake up til your hubby as put all the kids to bed, washed up and tidied up the remainder of the baby's toys - that's when you know you need to go to bed earlier than you have been.