Reading 'Riting 'Rithmetic

This one is humongous!! I promise a real blog entry soon, just as soon as I stop finding all these awesome contests to enter :)

The Fabric Shoppe isgiving away a huge stack of fat quarters! Aren't they gorgeous?!

But don't enter, okay, so that I will win? Please?! Pretty Please?!!

http://the-fabric-shopper.blogspot.com/2009/06/giveaway-30-fat-quarters-katie-jump.html

Somehow, time has gotten away from me, and all the things I have been meaning to do keep getting pushed to the back burner. (And in our house, there is only one working back burner, so things back there take a long time to get sorted out!) I've been meaning to post on my blog more frequently, meaning to talk about our first year with COVA, meaning to talk about the end of the year at co-op, meaning to talk about the dismal behavior my children have been exhibiting as of late, etc. The list really could go on and on and on.

As of this week, we have nearly completely finished our required schoolwork for the year, and in the push to get that all finished, I have had little time to think and reflect. One of the last big things we had to finish was the Scantron exams. Ainsley took hers in Reading and Math, Liberty took hers in Math only. I was concerned because at the beginning of the year, both girls were behind in Math according to the test. I really wanted to see improvement from the beginning of the year. And I don't hang my hat on standardized testing to show us how we are doing, but I do think they can be a useful tool to help guide our focus in the year to come. Well, both girls did great and had HUGE improvements in their scores. Ainsley is reading at probably a tenth grade level. She got nearly 100% on the test. And the way the test works, it scales itself based on their answers, easing up when they answer incorrectly, advancing as they continue to answer correctly. We thought the test would never end because she kept answering correctly :) Ainsley was also below target in Math at the beginning of the year and had improved to nearly advanced in Math on this test! I know she really had an exposion of understanding in Math this year, which made her feel good, and me feel really proud! Liberty also did great in Math, only a couple of points away from advanced. Now, if only she would believe in her own ability, I think she would do even better!

So, I am glad to have seen real progress in my girls this year, not only on these test, but in their daily work. Liberty is reading so much better, and is actually beginning to enjoy reading for pleasure and outloud to her younger sister. And Melody can read almost as well as Liberty now, sounding out almost everything I put in front of her! This summer, we are going to continue to work on math and reading, though it won't be everyday. They've worked hard and deserve to play and have lots of fun. We will probably take several field trips and work on bookwork 3x a week.

In other news, my BABY has a loose tooth! I can't believe it. She is only five and a half! We were eating corn on th ecob the other night and she was having trouble, which is strange because she is usually the first to devour her corn! She was saying it was too hard to eat. Then she felt in her mouth and said, "My tooth is wiggly!" I couldn't believe it, but sure enough those two bottom teeth are wiggly, one is just about to fall out! I am not ready for this!

This is for Miss Melody:

1. Go to the zoo—Yup, have had a membership a couple of times, and all three would love if we had one again

2. Visit a farm—yes, and a ranch :)

3. Go on a hike— of course, next up begin training to make it up Pike's Peak!

4. Play with kittens or puppies—as often as possible

5. Catch a frog—yup, thanks Nana and Papa

6. Make a gigantic mess—without a thought

7. Help clean up a gigantic mess— if tasked with specific objectives

8. Master the monkey-bars— working on it at the new park we found, but they are still awfully high up for her taste

9. Swing high up into the sky all by themselves— not so hot at the pumping of the legs yet

10. Try ice-skating - even in our own back yard, and she LOVES it sometimes, hehe

11. Go sledding—again in our own back yard, haven't braved the really big hills yet

12. Make a snow-man—Yes

13. Blow bubbles—YES

14. Plant seeds and watch them grow—Watching them grow daily

15. Have a pillow fight—Yes with my poor pathetic couch pillows

16. Jump on a big bed—Yes.

17. Jump on a trampoline or in a bounce house—Yes, again daily

18. Hang out in a tent—Yup. Even in a massive thunderstorm!

19. Spend days at the beach—Yes

20. Build sandcastles—Yes, ah, I miss CA sometimes

21. Go fishing—Yup, but did we catch anything, nope nope nope

22. Go out on a boat—Hmm, not sure about this one. Does Disneyland count?

23. Play with blocks and puzzles—Yes.

24. Read the classic picture books—Yes.

25. Read a classic chapter book—Yes. She has listened to Narnia and Alice through the Looking Glass, as well as all the stuff we read for school. Loves Mrs. Pigglewiggle

26. Check out library books with their own library card—Not yet.

27. Get a passport—Sadly, no.

28. Carve a pumpkin—Yes.

29. Hold a newborn baby (to see how much they’ve grown) - Yes

30. Love a special doll or stuffed animal—Yes, her babies are all special and her kitties.

31. Bake cookies and cakes—Of course!

32. Help plan their own birthday party— yup, her Alice in Wonderland party this year!

33. Go to the circus— supposed to go next week!

34. Go to a museum on a quiet weekday—Yes

35. Play hide-and-seek— yes

36. Play a board game— Balloon Lagoon and Candy Land are the current favorites

37. Do nothing whatsoever all day— more often than not, lol

38. Try a sport— just at co-op

39. Watch a sporting event— been to several Minor League Baseball games

40. Learn to swim— mostly

41. Be tickled in hysterics— often!

42. Paint and draw as much as desired— yup

43. Have the use of scissors and glue— yup

44. Display artworks and other creations around the house— taped to many walls and the fridge

45. Learn to use a camera (and keep an album of the results!)— one day we took an entire roll of film and printed them out into their own albums, I love those! We also use the digital camera a lot, but haven't printed those pictures very often.

46. Play with clay—Yes.

47. Pick flowers—Often, and they usually end up behind her ear.

48. Climb a tree— The big one in the front yard!

49. Gaze at the moon and stars— Yes, especially while camping

50. Toast marshmallows—Of course!

51. Learn to eat an ice-cream cone - Yup, too bad the photographic proof is mia currently!

52. Watch a sunset—Yes, over the lake while camping, aaaahhh, and at the ocean, and over the Peak . . .

53. Learn to write their own names— Yes, all over everything

54. Learn their addresses and telephone numbers— yes

55. Learn their parents’ full names—Yes.

56. Set the table—Yes.

57. Clear the table—Yes.

58. Help wash the dishes—Yes.

59. Learn to say their pleases and thank yous and excuse mes—Yes, usually

60. Watch fireworks—We even let her stay up til midnight to watch the fireworks off the peak

61. Go to the ballet or theater or a puppet show— Yes, we saw Narnia on stage and she loved it

62. Put on a ballet or play or puppet show at home—All the time

63. Face paint—Of course!!

64. Dress up in costumes at will—Frequently

65. Learn rhymes and poems and songs by heart—Yup

66. Have a dance party—Yes, quite often

67. Enjoy friends at preschool and at the park—Yes, and I am so glad we have had co-op this year for building those friendships

68. Invite friends over to play—Yes.

69. Get to know grandparents—Yes.

70. Play with cousins—Second cousins, as they don't have any cousins yet (And we aren't in a hurry for that either! Get married first girls!)

71. Become attached to a wonderful preschool teacher and/or babysitter—She loves Miss Stephanie, Miss Jackie, Mr. Jason, and she has always loved her teachers at church

72. Learn the name of our president—Yup

73. Know the name of their town, state and country—Yup

74. Be familiar with a map of the world—We love the maps and globe around here!

75. Listen to music from many different ages and genres—Yes.

76. Hear and learn words from a different language— She listens to her sisters' French and watches Muzzy, plus we sing songs in Spanish

77. Learn the difference between trash and recycling— Working on it!

78. Grow their own vegetables—Not for lack of trying, but we are not super successful round these parts.

79. Learn to ride a bike (or try!)— Yup, its two wheels all the way now!

80. Take a road trip—Yes, many, many road trips.

81. Draw a self-portrait—Yes.

82. Slurp alphabet soup—Yup, and spell her name with her soup

83. Learn to twirl spaghetti on a fork—Yes

84. Pick apples—Not yet, though we have a trip to the orchard planned for the fall

85. Star in a home movie—Yes.

86. Learn a magic trick—Hmm, not that I know of, but we do say, Ta-Dah! alot

87. Try different hair-dos—All the time

88. Practice writing letters—Yes

89. Practice counting to 100—And beyond

90. Make up stories—Yup, funny ones too!

91. Send a letter—Not often enough

92. Receive a letter—Yes, thank you grandparents and cousins!

93. Ride on a merry-go-round—Even a double-decker one! And one at the beach, and Disneyland!

94. Give away toys and books to less fortunate children—Yes

95. Learn the value of coins and bills—Knows most of them, not all though

96. Keep a piggy bank—Yes

97. Try a musical instrument—The violin and the piano, the glockenspiel, and the recorder, multiple percussion instruments too

98. Have a heartfelt wish granted—Maybe?

99. Have a heartfelt wish denied—Probably, but I can't think of something specifically

100. Receive a million (make that a billion) heartfelt kisses and hugs from their parents—Of course!

I was invited about a month ago by a blogging friend to be a part of a wonderful homeschool resource called The Homeschool Post as part of the team of contributing writers. I was so honored, as I have really admired these gals! They are veteran bloggers and homeschoolers, and I am such a newbie to the blogosphere. My first post is up, and I would like to invite you to subscribe to the blog! If there is anything you think I ought to write about, I am up for the suggestions!

Also, be praying for us next week please, Ainsley has state standardized tests 3 mornings next week, and she is feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am really not concerned about the test results, I just want her to do her best and try hard. She has been having a rough couple of weeks, and has slipped back into some behaviours that I thought we were long past. It hasn't been my finest parenting hours lately, and I am feeling overwhelmed. I covet your prayers, truly!

Oh, and here are some quick pics from our Valentine's day photo shoot. I need to take a picture of their actual Valentine's cards. They were so cute, if I do say so myself!