Friday, October 3, 2014

All Aboard!

  • The weekend was active and busy. My mom treated us to the NC Transportation Museum for the "Day Out with Thomas" touring event -- which the kids loved (slideshow below)! Then, we gathered with friends for a bonfire to welcome in Autumn. Ricky and the kids went to church while worn-out me slept 11 hours! And, just Aolani and I went to our small group meeting (which became a girl gathering anyway).  
  • My mom left yesterday for 12 days (including a vacation :) ). And now, my friend Teresa is here for a week :)
  • My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their third child, and we are sooo happy! She is 15 weeks so far; so, I think the due date is late March.
  • Random: We just drizzled a little cheap canola oil on the door hinges to keep them from squeaking, and it worked wonderfully!
  • Micaiah's mishaps: is doing so well with the potty (only three accidents in a month, excluding naps); however, he is wearing his undies during nap and may pee-pee in his crib once-a-week; has been throwing a lot of fits lately :(; has been talking in sentences for about six weeks, and it is still surprising and wonderful :)
  • Aolani and schooling: I must say that it is going pretty well overall, and she is wanting to grow and learn and read and write... I try to do about 2-3 hours a day -- half days on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (1.5-2 hours at once, activities included), and full days on Wednesday and Friday (3 hours total, 1.5 hours in the morning and afternoon). We do our devotional time -- prayer, verse/character, Bible story -- first (and we rehearse all memorized verses on Fridays). Then, we do our curriculum, which involves mostly read-alouds (stories) on cultures and science and there's a workbook that she so enjoys. We learn letters and make an appropriate craft with the letter (i.e., we are about to go make paper quilts as this week's letter is 'Q'), and we do art activities once or twice a week. I have a list of all of her special activities and she picks one most days, if time allows. We do a reading lesson three days a week, and then we do an IPAD Montessori learning app if she completes the lesson (which works as great motivation for her). The other two days we practice writing. We also work in watching books on DVD if toys are picked up before nap. Further, we'll do a little circle time in the evenings if it works out, as well as Daddy play/reading time. And, of course, plenty of playtime, pretend, dress-up, and outdoor play :)

Paper plate parrot and Proverbs 22:1 craft
  • For school, we are memorizing one verse a week that accompany character traits. Some I already quote, but I added two new ones from that. Proverbs 4:20 ~ Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. [attentiveness] 2 Corinthians 9:7 ~ ...for God loves a cheerful giver. [generosity]
  • Verse for me to memorize this week: Hebrews 7:25 ~ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.