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craftyerin

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Posts posted by craftyerin

    Talk to me about Imaginext

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    We are also those who did almost exclusively wooden or otherwise classic toys when the kids were babies/toddlers, but now, we've got plastic everywhere.  Imaginext is some of the very most popular here.  We have some pirates, super heros, castle, and star wars.  My general guidelines for toys now are that I don't want toys that play *for* them (we still have almost nothing with buttons or batteries) and I don't want cheap plastic junk that is going to fall apart immediately.  But the higher quality plastic toys that still encourage imaginative play are all OK in my book!  

    What is your laundry "system"? Why do you prefer it?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Medium (5) and Daily

     

    I start a load the minute my feet hit the floor in the morning.  I have a 3-bin sorter hamper in the laundry room.  One bin for grown-ups, one for kids, one for "gross, needs to be washed on hot".  I put whatever bin is the most full in the washer and run it, no additional sorting (that means I do NOT sort lights/darks for clothing).  I move that load into the dryer at some point during the day.  When I put in the day's load, I pull the day before's load out of the dryer and it gets folded and put away at some point before bed.   The only day that is different is the day when the housekeeper is coming.  On that day, I don't do a bin from the hamper, but instead do all sheets and towels, so that towel hooks and beds are bare and ready for re-filling when she cleans.  That usually takes 2 loads, so I have a little more shuffling from machine to machine during the day. 

     

    As long as I'm consistent and actually do what I'm "supposed to",  laundry stays caught up. If I slack on folding/putting away and let it pile up, DH gets to fold during his TV time at night. :lol:

    Should 6yo boy w June bday be in K or 1st? Does this plan sound ok?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    My own 6yo boy with a June bday is doing school mostly on a K level, because that's where he is readiness-wise for school.  BUT he goes to 1st grade Sunday School or any other activity where kids are grouped by grade.  I call him a "1st grader" because he was 6 before the school cut-off this year.  I think that grouping for grade according to the official school cut off, but working on whatever level makes sense for the individual child is what makes the most sense as a homeschooler.  By contrast, his siblings who are twins that turned 5 in June are "kindergarteners" for Sunday school, etc, but are working above him in most areas in school, because they can. 

    Tips for Phonics Pathways

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    For those who have used Phonics Pathways, do you think Reading Pathways would be helpful to use along with it or just too much? 

    I just ordered Reading Pathways yesterday for the work on multi-syllable words.  Phonics Pathways worked super well for my 5yo twins, but they took an enormous leap forward on their own in May-June (just from reading and reading and reading everything they can get their hands on) and they can now decode anything in Phonics Pathways and look at me with intense boredom anytime I pull it out.  The only things they need work on are fluency and longer words with 4+ syllables.  I'm hoping the pyramids in the 2nd half of Reading Pathways will help.  My 6yo is just now starting to blend and read CVC words, so he ought to get some good work from the pyramids at the beginning of the book, too, even though PP is not his main reading curriculum. I use something else with him.  I'll report back! 

    How structured is your day?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    VERY. We don't have an actual schedule, like with times.  But we have a very predictable routine.  It works very well for us. Goes something like this: 

     

    6am: I get up and get ready

    7am: Kids get up (they may wake up before 7, but they aren't allowed out with me until 7)

    then...

    breakfast 

    3Rs with my oldest while twins brush teeth, do chores, and then entertain themselves

    (sometimes a walk outside or other break)

    3Rs with my twins while my oldest brushes teeth, does chores, and plays

    snack

    FIAR

    by then, it's usually late morning, so they either go off to play or we run an errand if we have one

    lunch

    read alouds

    rest time (no one naps, but we do the break in our own rooms daily)

    afternoon chores 

    afternoon activities (OT for my oldest on Mondays, music on Wednesdays, PE with our HS group on Thursdays) or playtime/screen time

    daddy gets home

    dinner

    playtime with daddy

    baths 

    bed 

     

     

    my brother is having twins...shower present question

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Things that were indispensable for me mothering young twins: 

     

    sling and moby wrap (I never wore both babies at the same time, but DH and I would each wear one)

    2 bouncy seats 

    double stroller

    miracle blankets 

    for feeding (we didn't manage to make nursing work): 2 boppy pillows, 2 bottle proppers, and a thousand burp cloths.  I never propped bottles and walked away (so don't flame me!!), but I'd sit on the floor or in the middle of the couch with a boppy on either side cradling their heads, prop bottles and chat with them while they ate.  With bottles propped, I could pick up one to burp, etc without having to stop feeding the other, which kept them from screaming at me in frustration. ;) It was way easier to feed them when I used my two extra "hands".  

    Crochet project not turning out well... when do I give up?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I'm so sorry!! I hate that. I'd probably start over with the other yarn, and only frog the original if you needed to claim back some of that yarn (in other words, don't throw it away).  Blech. 

     

    Actually, that's not true.  I'd likely declare personal hatred toward the project, frog, rewind the yarn, decide on something ELSE I could do with it that would be small and provide instant gratification, do THAT, and then decide that it was a better project for the yarn from the beginning. :lol:   But I tend to take misbehaving yarn projects personally. Send me a pic on FB!

    Once Upon a Time-what did you think???

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Finally got caught up last night (I watch with DH and he's been out of town). Agree with much of what's been said so far. Hook is fabulous. I'm anxious for Emma to step up and own her magic, etc. I have no interest in her and Neal getting back together. I'd much prefer an Emma/Hook thing. But mostly I'm so bored with Snow & Charming I can't see straight. I miss them from 1st season in the enchanted forest. They've been crazy dull since the curse was broken. But Snow had arrows in the last scene, so maybe....?

    Is there such a thing as a swiffer...

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I use a cut up tshirt on my swiffer vac. I have used prefolds or microfiber towels, but they don't work as well on the swiffer VAC since they're thick and lift the vac part too high off the floor for it to have good suction. Otherwise, adore my swiffer vac between steam moppings. I have all hard floors (mix of tile, laminate, and stained concrete).

    AAR Level 2: How long for your child to complete?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    That's one reason we're not using AAR.  It'd be too slow for my twins and too fast for my 6yo.  My twins went through the equivalent of AAR 1 and 2 in about 6 months at 4.5.  My 6yo is (I suspect) dyslexic and he is no where near ready for AAR.  It bums me out, since we did their pre-reading program and LOVED it.  I would have loved to use their stuff all the way up! 

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