With spring quickly approaching, I have been inundated with talk of preschool registration everywhere I go. This coming year will be the last year before Ava starts school. I have been seriously debating whether or not I want to send her to preschool. All the schools I would want to send her to are completely out of our price range, so I decided that I would just teach her myself.
I have been slightly nervous about this decision because I really don't want Ava to be behind the other kids that did go to preschool. I have not been very worried about the social aspect, though, because we do get out so much with playgroup and play dates. Ava has made some nice friends whom she adores.
So, I set out recently to find materials to start working on school readiness at home. I printed out a bunch of worksheets to work on math and handwriting. For a while now, I have been working with Ava on a great website, called Starfall. It works on teaching kids phonics to start reading.
Up until the other day, I only worked with her on recognizing letters and how they sound. I decided to try out the next level that works on how to sound out words. I didn't know how she would do, but I thought we would give it a go. She has already worked a little bit with my dad on family words, but it had been a little while. I didn't know how much she remembered.
We started by reviewing a few of the family words, and then we read a story. Much to my surprise, Ava begins to actually read the story. Shocked does not even begin to describe how I felt. I had no idea how much she has been picking up on with reading to her all the time and a couple shows she watched on PBS. I thought that it could just be a fluke. Maybe she was just getting clues from the pictures as to what the words say. Yes, she was doing that to some extent, but she really was reading the words.
I am so proud of her. A lot of the worries I had about her being ready for school are now gone. I think we will just continue to do what we have been doing, and I have no doubt that she will be fine. I have more of a feeling that she may actually be ahead of other kids that have not had as much one on one attention.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Finally!
Of the three girls, Leila was born with the least amount of hair. She is almost 22mths and has as much hair as Ava did around 18mths and Madison at about 12mths. It has also been growing in oddly. The back and front are longer, but the middle is short. It has a kind of mullet thing going on. The only things I have been able to do with it, thus far, are put it in a fountain on top of her head or push the front to the side and secure it with a clip.Well, yesterday I was messing with it and noticed that it could quite possibly be long enough to put up in some kind of ponytail. I quickly grabbed a comb and band to attempt it. I noticed that it wasn't long enough on the sides to do one ponytail, yet. So, I grabbed another band and tried pigtails.
Five minutes of wrestling with her to sit still, I managed to make two tiny pigtails sit atop her head. I think she looks just precious. I held her up to the mirror, and she immediately squealed with delight. I put her down, and she ran upstairs to show her sisters. She climbed the stairs into the gameroom and pointed at her hair yelling for them to take notice.
They loved it, of course. Ava said that she looks like Boo from Monster Inc. We all agree. She is too darn cute for words! The only problem is she doesn't look like a baby at all anymore. She is officially a little girl.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Apparently, I'm it!
I got tagged by I am Trish Maire today. She obviously knows I am a sucker for this junk, so here it goes...
Here are the rules:-Link to the person who tagged you.-Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.-Post the rules on your blog.-Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself.-Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.-Include links to their blogs.-Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Well, I have met a number of famous people, but I don't like to name drop. I think I will go with seven weird things about me.
1. After breaking my left big toe (technically it was my foot) twice within six week of each other, my toe is permanently crooked. To make it not look so crooked, I have to trim my toe nail at angle so it looks straight across.
2. I have a big issue with mushrooms of all kinds. I can not even begin to explain how much they gross me out. I think it is the whole fungus thing. Anyway, I hate them so much that I tell waiters I am allergic to it in restaurants to make sure they take me seriously when I say, "No mushrooms please.".
3. I am a giant klutz. I am notorious for hurting myself on a daily basis. Oddly enough I am very agile when it comes to dancing and gymnastics. There's no figuring it out.
4. I really, really like to eat raw potatoes. I used to take a whole potato to school with me as a kid to peel and eat. Mmmmm....
5. I eat my food one thing at a time. I don't like to skip around on my plate. I also eat the it from the food I like the least to the one I like the most. That way the taste of my favorite is the last thing I remember.
6. I love the number 6. After that, I like multiples of 3 and 6. I even picked my wedding date specifically because I liked every number in the date.
7. I am terrible with names. It takes me several meetings with someone before I am confident in remembering their name. In order to distinguish people in the meantime, I will come up with odd nicknames for them. It takes me a long time to finally give those nicknames for them up no matter how well I know them.
Alright, I did it! And so now, I tag....
Living in a House of All Boys
Party of Five
Even the Sink
Table for 3
Tiffany's Place
Scrapbooking Gal
Our Girl
Here are the rules:-Link to the person who tagged you.-Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.-Post the rules on your blog.-Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself.-Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.-Include links to their blogs.-Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Well, I have met a number of famous people, but I don't like to name drop. I think I will go with seven weird things about me.
1. After breaking my left big toe (technically it was my foot) twice within six week of each other, my toe is permanently crooked. To make it not look so crooked, I have to trim my toe nail at angle so it looks straight across.
2. I have a big issue with mushrooms of all kinds. I can not even begin to explain how much they gross me out. I think it is the whole fungus thing. Anyway, I hate them so much that I tell waiters I am allergic to it in restaurants to make sure they take me seriously when I say, "No mushrooms please.".
3. I am a giant klutz. I am notorious for hurting myself on a daily basis. Oddly enough I am very agile when it comes to dancing and gymnastics. There's no figuring it out.
4. I really, really like to eat raw potatoes. I used to take a whole potato to school with me as a kid to peel and eat. Mmmmm....
5. I eat my food one thing at a time. I don't like to skip around on my plate. I also eat the it from the food I like the least to the one I like the most. That way the taste of my favorite is the last thing I remember.
6. I love the number 6. After that, I like multiples of 3 and 6. I even picked my wedding date specifically because I liked every number in the date.
7. I am terrible with names. It takes me several meetings with someone before I am confident in remembering their name. In order to distinguish people in the meantime, I will come up with odd nicknames for them. It takes me a long time to finally give those nicknames for them up no matter how well I know them.
Alright, I did it! And so now, I tag....
Living in a House of All Boys
Party of Five
Even the Sink
Table for 3
Tiffany's Place
Scrapbooking Gal
Our Girl
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Ava's 4 year check-up
Ava went to her four year old check-up on Wednesday. Yes, I know she turned four a month and a half ago, but this was the first appointment we could get in the new year. Anyway...Ava has always been good with her dr's visits in the past. This includes almost all parts of the exam including the shots. She got her flu shot last year and hardly flinched at all over it. She got her flu shot this year and just complained that she didn't enjoy it at all.
Well, I guess the experience of that last flu shot really got built up in her mind for this visit. She was convinced she was going to get more shots, but I wasn't sure. I just told her that we would see if she needed any, and she would be fine if she did have to get some. She was not so trusting of this, though. She was dreading this appointment and whined relentlessly about not wanting to go if you brought it up.
Well, Wednesday came and I packed her and Leila up to make our trip into town for the appointment. I tried to make it as fun on the ride there as I could by playing her favorite music to sing along-- Dan Zanes. This worked well until we pulled into the familiar parking lot of the ped's office. She immediately went into her whining while I muscled her out of the car, up to the office, pushing her through the waiting room door.
Thankfully, she was distracted by all the books in the waiting area to read that she forgot to keep whining while we waited. Then, her name was called by her Nurse Cheryl. She walked up and immediately asked groaning, "Do you have to give me shots today?" Nurse Cheryl said that she wasn't sure and calmly reassured her that she would be fine if she did. Ava just groaned in disgust with her vague answer.
We go through her check-up doing all kinds of new things that she has not been asked to do in previous checks. She had her vision tested by naming different familiar objects on an eye chart. She did very well. She has 20/30 vision in both eyes which is normal for her age. She also had her hearing checked for the first time since she was a newborn in the hospital. She got to put on the giant ear phones and raised her hand very time she heard the beeps. She passed that perfectly. They checked her blood pressure for the first time since kids are now developing high blood pressure at alarming rates. Everything was perfect there, as any mother that is maticulous about their child's nutrition would expect it to be. Then, she had the normal checks like her height and weight. She is 40" tall and weighs 33.5lbs. Her height is consistantly in the 40% and her weight has actually come up to the highest percentage it has ever been in her life at the 40%.
After all of that, we waited to see her Dr. Dickason. When she came in, Ava was excited to see her. She has always loved her drs. She likes to tell them all the big girl things she can do like spell her name and ride her bike. I don't think the dr could get a word in edgewise. The dr listened to her heart to "make sure it was still thumping", as Ava puts it. We talked about what to expect for the following year and what safety precautions I still needed to take, like with her car seat.
Then, the dreaded words came out of her mouth. "Well, it looks like she gets four pokes today." Ava's face just dropped and a look of fear quickly came over her. She was not happy at all. I asked if this was it on shots, and she told me that it should be other than her flu shot next year. All I can say is thank goodness.
Let me tell you, trying to get a four year to be still in order to have FOUR shots is like trying to wrestle an alligator into submission. The nurse instructed me to lay her down and hold her hands while she began. First she cleaned her legs with an alcohol pad which could have been acid as far as Ava was concerned. She immediately begins with the struggling and water works. Then, the shots came. With each one, she struggled more and more to the put that she broke her hands free of mine restraint and almost found fingers being given the shot. I got her under control, and the nurse was able to finish up.
Ava just continued with, "That hurts!" and "Why do that have to do that to me?". I reassured her that it was over, and the pain would go away shortly. Well, that pain lasted and lasted in her little four year old mind. You would think she had her leg severed in some tragic accident. In fact, she is still telling me how much it hurts days later after the bruising has almost compeletly subsided. I guess the mental anguish will last a lot longer. Let's just say that I am not looking forward to her flu shot next year even if it just one shot.
Well, I guess the experience of that last flu shot really got built up in her mind for this visit. She was convinced she was going to get more shots, but I wasn't sure. I just told her that we would see if she needed any, and she would be fine if she did have to get some. She was not so trusting of this, though. She was dreading this appointment and whined relentlessly about not wanting to go if you brought it up.
Well, Wednesday came and I packed her and Leila up to make our trip into town for the appointment. I tried to make it as fun on the ride there as I could by playing her favorite music to sing along-- Dan Zanes. This worked well until we pulled into the familiar parking lot of the ped's office. She immediately went into her whining while I muscled her out of the car, up to the office, pushing her through the waiting room door.
Thankfully, she was distracted by all the books in the waiting area to read that she forgot to keep whining while we waited. Then, her name was called by her Nurse Cheryl. She walked up and immediately asked groaning, "Do you have to give me shots today?" Nurse Cheryl said that she wasn't sure and calmly reassured her that she would be fine if she did. Ava just groaned in disgust with her vague answer.
We go through her check-up doing all kinds of new things that she has not been asked to do in previous checks. She had her vision tested by naming different familiar objects on an eye chart. She did very well. She has 20/30 vision in both eyes which is normal for her age. She also had her hearing checked for the first time since she was a newborn in the hospital. She got to put on the giant ear phones and raised her hand very time she heard the beeps. She passed that perfectly. They checked her blood pressure for the first time since kids are now developing high blood pressure at alarming rates. Everything was perfect there, as any mother that is maticulous about their child's nutrition would expect it to be. Then, she had the normal checks like her height and weight. She is 40" tall and weighs 33.5lbs. Her height is consistantly in the 40% and her weight has actually come up to the highest percentage it has ever been in her life at the 40%.
After all of that, we waited to see her Dr. Dickason. When she came in, Ava was excited to see her. She has always loved her drs. She likes to tell them all the big girl things she can do like spell her name and ride her bike. I don't think the dr could get a word in edgewise. The dr listened to her heart to "make sure it was still thumping", as Ava puts it. We talked about what to expect for the following year and what safety precautions I still needed to take, like with her car seat.
Then, the dreaded words came out of her mouth. "Well, it looks like she gets four pokes today." Ava's face just dropped and a look of fear quickly came over her. She was not happy at all. I asked if this was it on shots, and she told me that it should be other than her flu shot next year. All I can say is thank goodness.
Let me tell you, trying to get a four year to be still in order to have FOUR shots is like trying to wrestle an alligator into submission. The nurse instructed me to lay her down and hold her hands while she began. First she cleaned her legs with an alcohol pad which could have been acid as far as Ava was concerned. She immediately begins with the struggling and water works. Then, the shots came. With each one, she struggled more and more to the put that she broke her hands free of mine restraint and almost found fingers being given the shot. I got her under control, and the nurse was able to finish up.
Ava just continued with, "That hurts!" and "Why do that have to do that to me?". I reassured her that it was over, and the pain would go away shortly. Well, that pain lasted and lasted in her little four year old mind. You would think she had her leg severed in some tragic accident. In fact, she is still telling me how much it hurts days later after the bruising has almost compeletly subsided. I guess the mental anguish will last a lot longer. Let's just say that I am not looking forward to her flu shot next year even if it just one shot.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Just call me Betty...
...Crocker that is.
For Christmas this year, I was really dying for a Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer in the matte black finish. I was lucky enough to receive it from my mom. I have been so excited to use it, but I had to buy a lot of baking supplies just to get started. Daniel decided to go do that for me yesterday afternoon. He also picked up all the ingredients for the recipe. By the way, this would be my first attempt at making a cake from scratch in my life.
A few days ago, I went on a search for a chocolate cake recipe that resembled the Aunt Etta's Chocolate Cake we buy at The Chocolate Bar inside the loop. I crave this cake like nothing else. I came across a promising recipe that had the chocolate ganache frosting like they use. It is a Double Chocolate Layer Cake. So, I decided this would be the one I try.
It took me most of the afternoon yesterday with the kids helping me prepare the cake mixes. All along the way, I was realizing that I needed a few extra tools to make the process either go faster or work more efficiently. For instance, Daniel could not find a good sifter, so it took me forever to do that. We ordered a battery operated one online, though. Also, I do not have a frosting spatula, but I made do with a regular soft flex one. I finished later than anticipated, so we didn't get to taste it last night much to the kids' dismay. I let it sit in the fridge overnight and put it out to warm up in the morning.
All and all, it turned out amazingly well. It isn't exactly like The Chocolate Bar version, but it is excellent none the less. Daniel, who happens to be the biggest critic of food, was raving with every bite. I think there are some things I would like to play with on the recipe to really make more of a WOW cake. I would also like to play around with the icing and decorating it more. For a first attempt, though, I think I did darn well.
Here is a picture of my finished product. I think it has a great homemade feel to it.
For Christmas this year, I was really dying for a Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer in the matte black finish. I was lucky enough to receive it from my mom. I have been so excited to use it, but I had to buy a lot of baking supplies just to get started. Daniel decided to go do that for me yesterday afternoon. He also picked up all the ingredients for the recipe. By the way, this would be my first attempt at making a cake from scratch in my life.
A few days ago, I went on a search for a chocolate cake recipe that resembled the Aunt Etta's Chocolate Cake we buy at The Chocolate Bar inside the loop. I crave this cake like nothing else. I came across a promising recipe that had the chocolate ganache frosting like they use. It is a Double Chocolate Layer Cake. So, I decided this would be the one I try.
It took me most of the afternoon yesterday with the kids helping me prepare the cake mixes. All along the way, I was realizing that I needed a few extra tools to make the process either go faster or work more efficiently. For instance, Daniel could not find a good sifter, so it took me forever to do that. We ordered a battery operated one online, though. Also, I do not have a frosting spatula, but I made do with a regular soft flex one. I finished later than anticipated, so we didn't get to taste it last night much to the kids' dismay. I let it sit in the fridge overnight and put it out to warm up in the morning.
All and all, it turned out amazingly well. It isn't exactly like The Chocolate Bar version, but it is excellent none the less. Daniel, who happens to be the biggest critic of food, was raving with every bite. I think there are some things I would like to play with on the recipe to really make more of a WOW cake. I would also like to play around with the icing and decorating it more. For a first attempt, though, I think I did darn well.
Here is a picture of my finished product. I think it has a great homemade feel to it.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
MIA
I know, I know...I have not been posting a lot. Things have been crazy here with the holidays and Madison staying with us for two weeks. I should be back into my routine tomorrow. That should help. :)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
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