Wired

I have never seen the energy level of a child escalate at bedtime as much as my Annabelle. Granted, I haven't been around that many children at bedtime, but the girl seems to get ants in her pants every evening right around 7 p.m. The jumping on the bed only occurs every night after 7 p.m. Literally.

This is not anything new. And I have ALWAYS (well, almost always) struggled with this with her. And, yes, I am sure it is something I have done wrong in the past because I am sure someone out there will make that claim. But, comparing my two children, I believe this just has a lot to do with her personality.

She's a big dawdler. That is probably definitely a discipline issue based on her age. But, she has a very difficult time staying focused. Again, I am certain this is an age and discipline issue. And I think the two go hand and hand along with blatant disobedience. Again, disobedience is obviously a discipline issue. So it IS obviously something I've done wrong! :)

I made her these awesome chore cards. I got this fantastic idea from Our Family for His Glory. This young mom of six children has the most amazing ideas for raising Godly children. I absolutely adore her blog!

And the chore cards have actually worked out quite nicely as Annabelle is actually very excited to grab her chore cards to get started in the morning and in the evening. The nagging has greatly decreased which makes for a much happier mommy. On some days, she has actually been dressed and ready for breakfast (including having already emptied the dishwasher) within 30 minutes of rising. And this is a HUGE accomplishment from the 1-1.5 hours that it usually takes her. As for bedtime, she is definitely much faster with the chore cards, but she is definitely still a work in progress.

But, this system doesn't work out so well when she loses the chore cards, and we can find them absolutely nowhere for over a week! I did finally find them this evening, and I'm not really sure who was the true culprit...the absent minded 5-year old or the tag-along almost 2-year old who wants to do everything that her big sister is doing. I think I am going to have to make Sophia her own set of chore cards so she'll leave her sister's cards alone!

As for the rowdiness, I cannot seem to figure out how to end this battle. I have hope that we will figure it out. We've come a long way with her in the past 6 months. The whining is definitely beginning to dwindle, and she is much kinder and more understanding with her sister.

As for me, my patience has been shot! I'm pretty sure I lost all patience I ever had when I got pregnant with Sophia back in July 2009.

Does anyone have any tips for disciplining and changing the bad habit of dawdling? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Just Chillin'

This picture is so fitting for my usually sweet Sophia. She is typically my very mellow child, especially compared to my high energy first child!


Though when she gets mad, she makes sure that everyone knows it!

One Big Onion

We studied a one page spread from our November issue of God's World News today. We learned about a man who claimed a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for growing the world's biggest onion.

So this afternoon while we were waiting for Sophia to wake up from her nap, Annabelle and I weighed items using our bathroom scale to find items weighing the same amount as the onion (17 lbs, 15.5 ozs).


Annabelle wanted to see just how much that onion weighed!

We also pulled out a world map to find where the onion had been grown. This was all learning in disguise! She had an absolute blast!

The Reading Lesson

I know, I've appeared from absolutely nowhere! I guess I took a sabbatical from blogging.

I decided that perhaps I should start teaching Annabelle a little more to get her ready for reading. So we started using The Reading Lesson today. It went well, though I'm not sure it was entirely worth the money. We will see.

I have learned that I need to focus more on the short vowel sounds. She has the -a- as in alligator down pat, but she struggles with the other vowels. Vowels are hard to teach! She used to know most of her consonants, but based on discussions with her lately, I can tell she needs a refresher course. Our first lesson in Heart of Dakota's Little Hands to Heaven focuses on A as in -a-a-Adam. Even little Sophia has the -a- sound down pat! She places her hands on her cheeks and says, "A-A-Adam." So cute!

Here is the first stanza of the fingerplay from Heart of Dakota so you'll know what I'm talking about:

A-A-Adam! Hands on cheeks in surprise
Can you believe? Hands out, palms up
God made animals Point out sweeping arm across
And you and me? Point out and then to yourself

I've been questioning whether the Little Hands to Heaven guide is too simple for Annabelle's age, but I am feeling more confident that it is the right fit for her now. Some things are obviously too simple, but I don't think the reinforcement can do any harm, and I LOVE how she's learning to hide God's word in her heart through the lessons. Honestly, I am learning how to hide God's word in my heart alongside her.

I think I am going to switch gears with using The Reading Lesson though. I may pick it up occasionally, but my heart has found another method that I absolutely love. Though I haven't purchased anything to use this particular method yet. I don't plan to start more formal reading lessons until she is 6 years old. My heart is telling me to follow the Charlotte Mason approach and use Delightful Reading. It just makes so much sense to me! In the mean time, I am going to approach reading readiness using the methods explained in these blog posts from Simply Charlotte Mason.

An American Girl Christmas

Apparently, when your daughter reaches the ripe old age of 5 years, someone in the system miraculously knows she turned 5 and begins to send American Girl catalogs. I just want to know who sold Annabelle's birthday and address to American Girl?

Annabelle's "Dear Santa, I want..." consists of nine items. Three of those items are Hallmark "princess" ornaments. The other six...well...those were all cut out from the Christmas American Girl catalog. And, folks, these things aren't cheap!

Fortunately, she's not asking for an American Girl doll because "I've already got Big Girl." Big Girl is her knock off American Girl designed by Madame Alexander that Nonnie bought her for Christmas several years ago.

And as for any other Christmas wishes, "I'm going to let Santa decide on the rest." She stated this as she finished gluing the pictures of her wants to her "Dear Santa" letter.

The following conversation was just had with Annabelle when she came out for her midnight potty break:

Annabelle: Mommy, tell him that the big, big presents don't have to go inside.

Mommy: What big present are you talking about?

Annabelle: The lemonade stand.

I guess she hasn't figured out the lemonade stand is actually doll size!


Following is her American Girl wish list with prices noted:

1. Snowshoe Set $28

2. Salon Chair $58

3. Salon Styling Caddy $49

4. Kanani's Shave Ice Stand $115

5. Fairy Costume Accessories $20

6. Kit's Scooter $24

And, honestly, her list isn't too extravagant at all (especially if you've seen all of the stuff in the catalog). I told her that she needs to mark a number next to her wants in order from most favorite to least favorite. I tried to explain to her that Santa cannot bring her everything she wants because Mommy and Daddy actually have to pay Santa. Of course, she did say, "I think Santa is going to bring me everything I want!" Boy, she is going to be sadly mistaken!

And by the way, the salon chair and salon styling caddy are quite appropriate as Annabelle has already decided on a future profession. She wants to work at Piccadilly as a hair stylist! I kid you not! She told me a long story several months ago about how she's going to be a hair stylist at the cafeteria restaurant, Piccadilly. If you come to eat at Piccadilly, you are required to have your hair styled. Though you aren't to pay for the hair style service. Her future profession as a pro bono hair stylist is going to keep this nest full!

Charlotte Mason

My thoughts and readings these days revolve around homeschooling. I constantly question how I am going to be able to homeschool these beautiful and lively girls. I want it so bad for them, but I question whether I have the patience or stamina. Young children are simply exhausting! I have to think that it will only get easier with time and experience. We've accomplished very little since I began this journey after deciding on a curriculum. But I have learned quite a bit in the process, and I have so much more to learn!

Most everyone I have ever spoken with has never even heard of Charlotte Mason. She's an educator from the 1800's who believed that "education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life." Since I've studied her beliefs on education, I have completely fallen in love with her beliefs. Now as for implementing them, that will be the true test!

Charlotte Mason does not believe in any type of formal education until age 6. Check! I agree whole heartily with this. Now I don't believe this means you don't educate your children, but simply you don't follow a set schedule every single day for school. Instead, education for young children is just living life and habit forming.

She also believes that young children should spend as much time outdoors as possible. And she doesn't believe that even 1 hour in the winter and 2 hours in the summer is sufficient. She believes that children should spend the better part of the their day (4-6 hours) from April through October outside. And she also believes that the parent should be with the children at this time. I actually agree with this, but I have a very difficult time implementing this for by the time we are dressed for the day, it is yet again time to eat a snack. Then before we know it, it is lunchtime and then naptime for the youngest and then somewhere in there I'm supposed to work in another snack and cook dinner.

Today we went on a "nature walk" which Charlotte is actually not a big fan of either, but what do you do in the city when your yard is covered with distractions (playground set, wagon, Little Tykes car)? Now I realize that these purchases were mere distractions. They could learn so much more from nature alone!

On our nature walk, we found a slug. And together, we learned so much! It was so exciting! I used the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. You can download the Kindle version for free from the website linked above. And if you don't have a Kindle, just get the Kindle for PC for free off Amazon. And when I asked Annabelle what she enjoyed most about today, it was learning about the slug. We learned that slugs draw their eye stalks in when they are fearful. And as I read this fact to Annabelle, she said, "I know! He pulled them in earlier when I tried to touch them." She had already learned this from just being a kid in the outdoors and exploring! And she got pooped on too. But it didn't bother her. We observed the slug and noticed that he has a hole on the side of his body. We aren't completely sure, but we think this is probably where he released his poop.

She was so excited to show her Daddy! Though he wasn't a big fan. I said, "You obviously didn't do much digging for worms or slugs when you were little." Nope! He agreed. "I poured salt on them," he responded. We, instead, released the little guy before bedtime.

So I'm still in prayer mode on this whole homeschooling idea, but I felt so much more at peace after today. And we do have options that we're exploring in case this doesn't work out. I just attended an open house for a private school within a few miles of our house. It is a private Christian school, and their educational philosophy is also Charlotte Mason! And for the Kindergartners, they read some of the books from Five in a Row to the children during the year. Class size is 8-10 students! And the price is very reasonable compared to other private schools in the area, though we still cannot afford private school long-term if I don't go back to work. And then we'll probably have to stop at 2 kids, though we may be doing that anyway!

I do plan to observe a Kindergarten class at this private school, and I am going to check into observing our public school as well as a Classical Conversations class. I want to make sure I am well educated on every option available.

Until then, I'll leave you with a free Charlotte Mason curriculum online. It is very well-known in the Charlotte Mason community, but if you don't read the "Introduction to Ambleside," this website will appear as strictly a booklist and nothing more. It wasn't until just recently that I truly discovered it for its great worth!

B.F.F.

Memories (or at least the ones I can remember in my old age) with my best friend are some of my fondest! Continuous walks around the neighborhood. Swimming. Cooking. Beach trips. Non-stop talking. Inside jokes (R.P.C.B.P.C.A.B.).

There is just something about developing that best friend relationship with your neighbor who lives across the street. You are constantly together. You have dinner at each other's house often. Her mom becomes your "other mom" and vice versa.

Annabelle is growing up! And along with growing up she is developing friendships. But she has found her "favorite friend" as she called her last week. Someone that will actually play with the poor child whenever she requests it. Within the past month, she exclaimed to me, "I just love her!" shortly after her new best friend left to go home.

Some days she sheds tears when Elizabeth leaves or she has to come in for dinner. But we're working on controlling those emotions.

Annabelle has truly found her first best friend. Elizabeth is almost 3 years older than Annabelle, but they play so very well together.

My heart actually aches at the thought of moving now. Even though we could definitely use more space, I know that Annabelle would be heartbroken. I wonder if some people never find their true best friend.

I wonder if God is whispering to us gently, urging us to stay here. On Halloween, as we were trekking through the neighborhood, I took Sophia trick-or-treating to my favorite house in the neighborhood just so I could ask the owner who built their house. It was a tear down and rebuild a few years ago. The owner said, "That is the builder leaving right now." The builder was the owner's friend, and as we walked to the front door, we had passed the builder who was in the driveway with his wife buckling their little girl into her car seat. Yes, the owner and builder are friends, but isn't that ever so strange?

It is bitter sweet to watch Annabelle grow up, but it is such a blessing to know that she is developing a friendship with a very sweet, young Christian girl.

And this evening, Annabelle has joined their family for pizza and movie night.

Oddly enough, my best friend was three years younger than me and lived directly across the street from me.