Don’t Get Sick!

It’s that time of year: The girls and I all got our flu vaccines this week. Tuesday we stopped by the pharmacy for mine, and the next day I took the girls to their doctor. We had plenty of discussion about shots, why we get them, and what other things the doctor might check while we’re there (the usual height, weight, blood pressure, etc.). The girls were all very brave! I think this might be the first year I didn't have to hold down at least one kicking screaming child! Bug was amazing—she didn't even cry. Of course, this also meant discussion about what it means to be brave: doing the right thing (in this case, cooperating with the nurse) even when you’re scared.

Library Day

Another enjoyable day at the library! We also had the opportunity to give another 3-year-old a pep talk about getting her own flu vaccine the next day—the conversation started when she asked Goose about her fun Band-Aid. We came home with a collection of fun picture books:

Grizz!

Winnie Flies Again

The Yellow Leaf

Pigs and Pirates

Mama’s Little Bears

The Marvelous Toy

Storm Is Coming

Tender Moments in the Wild

Two math-related books that the girls discovered:

Ten Puppies (about counting, sorting, and all the ways to make ten)

One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab (about counting, adding, and multiplying)

Inspired by a conversation about cloud types on the way to the library, we also found:

Weather

From last week, we also kept the Easy Readers and the books about Ancient Egypt.

New Friends, Old Friends

This weekend included two out-of-the-ordinary social events. On Friday, we hosted a dinner party for the other families temporarily going to New England too. The girls were very good about interacting with the new adults and made a new friend of their own with 2-year-old Z (although Bug noted that she was so little they had to explain things like not moving the kid-sized card table while they were eating and not coming onto their beds with her shoes on).

On Saturday, Daddy and his friend Mr. A headed out of town for a Spartan run, so the girls and I joined Mr. A’s family (who've become close friends of ours here) for a late afternoon playdate and dinner. The kids had a great time, and Miss R and I had a chance for good discussions about homeschooling and faith.

The Three Rs

For math this week, Bug worked on addition, telling time, counting money, and fractions. Monkey worked on addition, subtraction, telling time, counting money, and skip counting by 2s. Both girls also did some activities with counting squares and rods (for ones and tens): Monkey focused on place value and addition with two digit numbers, while Bug worked on illustrating multiplication problems.

For reading this week, Bug finished Penny and Her Doll and Snow, and Monkey read Snow. Both girls also read other books just for fun (Go Away, Big Green Monster and One Is a Snail come to mind). Besides increasing the number of words both girls can read on sight (instead of sounding out), they’re also improving their ability to read with expression. Bug can read with expression the first time through sometimes, and Monkey will frequently re-read a sentence excitedly, sadly, or whatever is called for that she missed the first time through.

For writing, Monkey completed a capitalization worksheet and a story starter, while Bug did a story starter and asked to do some copywork from Genesis 1. Both girls completed a spelling list and wrote in their journals. Bug has also been doing a lot more writing on her own as part of drawings and things.

Updates

• Another session of swimming lessons ended, and as expected all three girls will be staying in their current levels (an Angelfish and two Goldfish). Bug is really close to leveling up—she just needs to learn how to back stroke without support. I have Monkey and Bug signed up for one last 4-week session before we head east for a while. Unfortunately, all the Angelfish spots were full, but Goose is first on the wait list (we’re really hoping somebody decides they can’t make it or I’m going to have one very sad little girl on my hands).
• Monkey and Bug also had their last jujutsu class this week. They gave their sensei hugs and told him they’d be back. They've also told me their intention not only to keep practicing while we’re gone, but to teach Goose the katas as well (they've taught her a couple already).
• For our Bible studies, we’re reading about Elisha now, and Monkey and Bug memorized Psalm 4:3. I've been reading to Goose from a storybook Bible, but I've read through that thing dozens of times now. This week we switched to a different children’s Bible—fewer pictures, but more stories.
• Continuing our reading about Ancient Egypt, we learned about Egyptians at Home (what houses for different social/economic classes were like), Song and Dance (mostly about instruments), Toys and Games, and Animals of the Nile Valley.
• Bug lost her first tooth!! She was incredibly excited about this event, and the tiny tooth was safely deposited into the fancy little box she bought for that purpose months ago. Now we are anxiously awaiting the moment when Monkey's wiggly tooth finally pops out.