Ace announces: I’m going to Ninevah!
Zoe informs me of this announcement and Ace comes walking up.
Ace: I’m going to Ninevah because God told me to.
Me: Oh yeah?! Why are you going to Ninevah?
Ace (in a matter of fact tone): To play soccer.
The following was overheard at lunch today.
Ace: I like playing outside but it’s too hot to go outside right now.
Zoe: I don’t like going outside because of the bugs.
Ace: There are not any bugs. They’re all with Jesus.
Zoe: No they’re not.
Ace: Where are they?
Zoe: I don’t know.
Ace: Well, the bug in my bathroom is with Jesus.
I admit with the heat, we are having an over run of bugs. Yuck! But the one in Ace’s bathroom is no longer among the running! We have not discussed death in that great detail with the kids…not sure where they got the death-Jesus association but to apply it to bugs is pretty ingenious in my opinion.
For some reason (mostly, because we let the kids play with it) we have to replace alarm clocks frequently. Last week, our alarm clock’s digital display went completely out. A little freaky but fortunately, the alarm did go off to wake Mark up a little bit. And, of course, an alarm clock isn’t really good if you can’t see it. I ran out…in the heat…to purchase a new one. We have two criteria for an alarm clock…dual alarm and radio (and a digital display would be nice.).
I grabbed the first one I found. $10 and we got home and set it up. It seemed to work good. The numbers were pretty bright but we thought it would work.
Well, the radio only played in sleep mode. When the alarm went off the next morning Mark and I both about wet the bed! It was loud. You know the alarms they sound in the WWII movies during a bombing raid…that’s what it sounded like!
Since Josiah is sleeping with us and we didn’t want to die of a heart attack early in the morning, we thought it would be good to try a different one. We tried the clock/radio that had been in the boys’ room before the speakers went out on it (and Liam didn’t play with that one). It didn’t work.
So, Mark ran out and got a new clock last night with all the kids…giving me a little touchy feely break (Josiah only took naps in the sling yesterday…and so far today too). It worked great…not too loud and very cool. It set itself! How neat is that. You have to set the day and time and time zone but it was already preset and it came right on when I plugged it in. You can also set the days you want the alarm to go off…Mon-Fri or Mon-Sun or Sat & Sun. Mark is definitely buying our alarm clocks from now on!
So, we finished up our first day of school. And to those, who didn’t catch earlier posts we are homeschooling. We are working from Alpha Omega’s Weaver Curriculum. They have preschool curriculum that we’re using called Interlock. I really like it. Right off this week, we’ll be talking about triangles and the Trinity and how God created everything.
So, an overview of a general week of school is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we do Interlock. I also work with Zoe out of two workbooks that are starting her on phonics and handwriting. On Tuesday and Thursday, Zoe and I work from workbooks that are centered around phonics, handwriting, and early development. We’re also working on telling time on those days. Tuesdays and Thursdays will also be our “going out” days as we’ll run errands, have ballet, and MOPS.
School went good. Getting used to a new routine is hard, but they’ll get used to it. Liam actually stayed downstairs and played while I worked with Zoe and Ace. We sang songs, talked about how Daddy’s are special and related it to our Heavenly Father and opened gifts from Daddy and a gift of the globe (which I found at Target for $15, thanks Kim) to represent God’s gift of the world to us. Zoe and Ace also made cards for Daddy. Ace learned about triangles and Zoe and I reviewed the three basic shapes. She was itching to get started in her handwriting book, and we worked two pages in it and then two pages in her phonics book. Lots of fun! Zoe said her favorite part was coloring and the gifts from daddy (which was candy). Ace said his favorite part was the candy. Josiah had a tough time getting to sleep but I think the key is swaddling him tight in his SwaddleMe…he’s been out for over an hour now!
I didn’t make them sit in the desk…it’s slanted and hard to do work on. But they wanted to get their picture made in it! Note, Zoe’s nice sunburn from playing outside at Fun Day yesterday. I think it’s a little cute for her…it’ll add to her sweet freckles.
Opps! I just realized Zoe is wearing Ace’s shirt…she’s got one that says, “I’m the big sister!”
Okay, it wasn’t Liam’s first day but he had to get his picture made. I just realized he really needs a haircut!
We’re done with school for the day…more later.
Love this video from youtube!
Today is the last day before school starts. Now, by school, I actually mean, preschool or Pre-k as it’s called here. Zoe and Ace had a lot of fun changing classes at church. Zoe is old enough, now, to attend the Fun Day at church and was able to get soakin’ wet and play with some friends. We got to see puppets tonight at church as well.
We need lots of prayers as we attempt to have school with Liam running around. At least I can get a good two years in on this before the “official” schooling begins! Zoe is super excited and so is Ace. He’ll be following Zoe along but will probably repeat the same info next year.
I’m off to finish up last minute planning! I’ll have photos tomorrow of our first day.
See, I told ya he was smilin’! Yesterday and today, they have been more and more frequent and getting to be soooo sweet! I love ’em all! He even smiled at my best friend. Here he is smiling at daddy.
Sleeping soundly!
The three oldest reading.
Just in case you can’t tell…that’s Josiah on the far left, Ace in the middle, and Liam on the end all snoozing soundly during a recent nap time.
Liam got up from his nap a little while ago and assumed the position for using the bathroom in his diaper. I asked him if he was doing what I thought he was doing and he said yes and then took off for the bathroom.
“Potty!” he told me. Of course, he had already gone so I cleaned him up and let him sit on the potty for a little bit. I showed him how to try hard and he thought that was really funny. He was very proud of himself for flushing his business down the toilet. All in all…for a mom of four…it was very cute.
This past Friday, there was a great little festival near the river. We live near a man-made canal that has seen a lot of renovation over the year. The canal has contributed a lot to the history of our area. It’s so beautiful. The festival was a lot of fun but overwhelming for Zoe and Ace. Mark and I realized we haven’t taken them to a festival in a long time. They wanted to do and see everything! We never got to the music, which was what I wanted to sit and listen to. Oh well!
Zoe doing a nose dive on the slide. Apparently, the slide was not very slippery, and she tried to go face first…and succeeded. Did she cry?? Nah, she got up and went down it again.
Visiting with a duck…none of the kids were even partially afraid of him! They wouldn’t touch him though.
