Happy May

SD Card still not reading. Fun tid-bits...

Rilie is talking a lot. He tells many stories and he is really funny! I mean really funny! It's fun to see his personality emerging. Preschool is going really well. He's bumping up to the mainstream classroom next year. Norah is a dear friend of his and we carpool with her mom. They were in our last ward.

Jackson is growing and talking a lot as well. He can identify and make the sound for almost every letter in the alphabet. The tricky ones I think are hard for him to say, like "H". He is definitely almost 2! He picks a lot of fights with Rilie, and throws himself on the ground in tantrums. The fourth time around, I'm not as phased by it. He isn't interested in potty-training anymore, which is fine.

Alex's made several friends this year with our homeschool community. He enjoyed going to birthday parties. We started doing "Daddy Projects" in the evening. What boy doesn't love using tools. Nick loves it too, because he's finally getting to some projects that have been bugging him: hanging cabinet doors properly, strengthening handrails, fixing the alignment on their bedroom door, etc. They also built bird houses together for his Conservation badge. Alex only has two more requirements, then he has finished it.

Alvin is definitely approaching the teens. He isn't even 10 yet, but he's growing a lot. He has his shy moments. He enjoys hanging out, but he's used to being misunderstood... so he appreciates games like "tag" where talking isn't as required. I really love our homeschool community. Most of the kids are so inclusive! He has made a lot of growth in reading, just in the past few weeks.

I had many goals this summer and most of them have had to go by the way-side. So far, we're doing workbooks, it's helping a lot with Alvin and Alex's reading. They have to read a paragraph or more and then answer comprehension questions. We're also using the Moore Formula, equal amounts of studying to manual labor (developing hands-on skills), and one hour of service a day. Our day is much more full this summer! It was overwhelming at first, but now that I'm getting used to it I see the benefits. I'm not against free time or play, but Alvin and Alex are reaching a phase where they need to work more... or they start pestering each other. My goal this summer is to get Alex confidently reading chapter books. He's been very resistant all school year. And, help both of them with reading comprehension.

Also, we joined the 33rd Pioneer group. It's Baden-Powell Service Association US. They are a group that has gone back to Lord Baden-Powell's "original" plan for Scouting. It's co-ed and family oriented. They only meet once a month for an indoor activity, and then again for an outdoor activity: hiking, camping, etc. It's mainly homeschoolers, but they meet at a time public school kids could join. We went to our first activity and they talked about a "Possibilities bag" and what to have in it: compass, pocket knife, small rope, mirror, etc. Rilie gets to join, so he is really excited. They teach children 4 - ?? I don't know how how old. I think our oldest kids are 14 years old. We spend 30 minutes with the "Cub Master" (they call him something different), then one hour in our "dens" (they call it something different), and then 30 minutes back together as a group. Rilie is a Chipmunk (4 year olds), Alvin and Alex are Timberwolves (8 - 10 year olds).

Anyways with three birthdays coming up next month, we're looking at staying away from toys and getting Alvin and Alex more tools. They both have tool boxes, compliments of Grandpa Anderson. I'm looking at getting them a sturdy chest and the "Dangerous Book for Boys" with some of the Essential Gear required: compass, wires, tools, horse-shoe magnet, etc. Let me know if any of you are interested.