violamama
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Posts posted by violamama
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Thanks! Believe it or not I have not made it over to her site before now. It looks very helpful, especially the videos.
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We've got skip counting down pat. I feel my 8 yo in particular could just start memorizing them. The singing of songs is driving me a little batty anyway. For reference he's in Singapore Math book 3b and does well with the math and concepts, but likes to dawdle a bit and sometimes gets turned around in the skip counting songs though he eventually figures it out. I think knowing the facts straight up would give him more confidence.
Should I do flash cards? Chanting? Randomly grill him?
Please no more songs. Unless that's just what's done... (whimper)
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So sorry. Prayers.
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Sorry to hear about the diagnosis, Jean. Hopefully it means they know how to help and that you'll continue to feel better!
Thanks again for the tackle-the-day-threads. I forget less with a semi-public forum.
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School the boysChinese family tutor(soclean off the coffeetable first thing)Take 6 yo Christmas shoppingbecause he is So! Excited!!Most expensive
Grocery store/costco runin our history as a familyGet a ham for Thanksgiving so I don't forget like last year
Plan fun Saturday day trip(coast?mountains? gorge?) -
I have no help for you but my 6 and 8 year olds just saw Midsummer this weekend and about died laughing at Thisbe & crew and all the ass/bottom jokes. I actually taught mine that the word means both donkey and is a "not-nice-word for tush".
My kids are pretty into loyalty and might be convinced of the dad feeling embarrassed/betrayed... but honestly even in the full play I think it's a weird transition to such rage.FWIW, my 6 year old's favorite performance of mine in the last few years (and he's seen bunches of famous people including his hero John Williams) was a 3-actor adaptation of Romeo and Juliet with Prokofiev's score. I was shocked at that! We have since read the Lego Shakespeare version and large chunks of the real deal without stopping to explain much. He has not changed his mind.
Your productions sound awesome. What a lucky group of kids! -
So extremely glad it's Friday!!!!
School the boys
Chinese family tutor (so clean off the coffee table first thing)Take 6 yo Christmas shopping because he is So! Excited!!
Grocery store/costco run
Get a ham for Thanksgiving so I don't forget like last year
Plan fun Saturday day trip (coast? mountains? gorge?)
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We have controlled chaos. It's how my husband lives- you should see that man's side of our bedroom. Or rather, he is why I keep that door closed 24/7.
It sounds like you have a bookshelf or drawers. You could teach her to keep an open shelf as your special display tidy shelf for special tidy things. (The rocks are in a pile or a line or something like that.) The other shelf has a curtain (or it's a drawer), so it can revert to chaos. Stuff cannot be spilling out of it, and in our house we have a day every other week or so when I give them 30 minutes on the timer and then come check that they are organized and haven't expanded beyond the capacity of the shelf.
Full truth: my 6 year old rocks (punny!) at being organized. He enjoys taking everything out and putting it all back in a new tidy way (he is me). My 8 year old hates organizing and would live in a hoard if left to his own devices simply because he doesn't think it will ever be perfect and because he forms weird attachments to random crap (he is my husband, with his awesome-in-1980 stereo components we've moved 3 times but never used... sigh). These boys share a bedroom.
Please don't give up- teach her to organize so her creative side will know how to make the most of whatever she has! She sounds awesome. I bet my boys would love to spend a day at the coast collecting detritus with her.
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Gah! I am that weirdo who keeps calling at 3:30 on days you close at 3 and 5:45 on days... well you get the picture. Fingers crossed the sale continues until I get my West-coast act together. :laugh:
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Holy cow, that's awful about the shooter. Sorry for your friend's traumatic experience, Amy.
My list is almost the same today as we were derailed yesterday by a punky-feeling kid.
SchoolMake
holiday planfor school work including ipod playlists:music, math & history. Add irregular verbs song.Done (Waiting for call back if they are taking new patients)
Call surgeonre: pediatriciansPiano lessonfor 8 yoGet house tidyfor weekend. WE HAVE NO WORK THIS WEEKEND! Sorry for shouting, but it's just too awesome to be normal about it.Find a cute photo pose for our family revolving around our new daughter for Christmas cards. Do NOT get lost in Pinterest whilst doing so.
Man am I glad tomorrow is Friday. Now that we have a third grader, these weeks have ramped up and gotten real. Phew!
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I'm not reading all the responses, but saw enough to say I think your decisions about limits on anything in your home are for you to make. To address the lying and knowing how to react there, I would highly recommend a book called Nurtureshock by Po Bronson because there is a chapter on some research about adolescent lying. When my kids reach that age I plan to reread it. There is probably a bunch more research available now that may also be helpful. I bet if you found that book on amazon and looked at related books you could find more about the science of child development and how parents can help kids navigate their tween/teen years.
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I grew up in Fairbanks and that right there is why I became a musician. Heh. Also, I thought for a while I would be a figure skater (4 am lessons, take that, dad!).
It was not easy, and I wasn't even a homeschooler, but with UAF and the athletic club and youth symphony/arctic chamber orchestra we made it work. What did I know, though, as a goofy kid without other options? :gnorsi:
If you know Dawn Wohlgemuth Lindsay, you might pick her brain about options in Anchorage. She's got some awesome active boys. I believe they ski.
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Happy birthday!
Can I join in? I remember liking these threads when i was on the boards about a year ago.
Mail newsletter for music academy (got it printed... )
Go to Costco (nope)
Make holiday plan for school work including ipod playlists: music, math & history. Add irregular verbs song. (did plan, forgot playlists)
Call surgeon re: pediatricians (nope)
A day of many distractions and unexpectedly sick kiddo meant not much got done.
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:grouphug: Sorry I don't have more to add.
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This is awesome, thanks so much all!
He is spending the night at Grandma's to work on a Christmas gift for me (!). He showed his first project (kind of looks like a tiny Totoro) at his homeschool group presentation today, too.
After all the posts of kids working with a machine without any horrific scenes of gore (chain saws, ha!), I am thinking we might get him one of these for Christmas after all:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITYM1BU/ref=twister_B00HYRDIXS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1The book and project ideas will expand a lot with one of those, though I hope to still encourage hand sewing since we can bring it along anywhere.
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I'd give him and his parents information about the local model airplane club where he could learn more about safely flying aircraft in public areas, go to club meets and events (like indoor flying in the winter), learn more about the legal issues involved, and be mentored by retired folks who share his passion.
I second this. We would have invited him to one of the ones my husband belongs to and told him about the "fly-ins" where a bunch of crazy people park our campers in a huge field for a weekend of flying.
If people don't like it, they should just politely ask the kid to fly further away. No harm in letting him know it bothered you.
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My 6 year old has recently learned to hand-sew. I do a little bit of finishing (and frankly I stink at sewing so these are VERY simple projects), but he's able to do just about everything else. He makes little stuffed animals and has one planned for each family member for Christmas. He has asked me to assign sewing time in his school day. (He is a mini me with taking everything seriously that way.)
I would LOVE a step by step book or blog or something. We've checked out tons of books at the library but haven't found anything that inspiring.
I do have a sewing machine... but he's six and we're musicians. I worry about him breaking a finger with that thing, plus it's huge and loud and in my husband's office, and so far he is totally content with hand sewing. I even looked at some kiddie sewing machines on Amazon for Christmas but they were all pink and flowery...
Have any of you taught a young bow to sew?
Do you have recommendations for books, projects, etc?Do any of you know of good resources for us?
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At out cello lesson today I thought of a few things:
Play simon says and play a silent version where the cues are only visual
Try doing puzzles together- great training for school-type concentration but still fun
Any art/sensory activity can be helpful
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I recently posted a similar question and got good advice.
In terms of schooling, you might like to listen to swb's lecture on independence (the other side of the attentiveness coin).
We have found that checklists, sticker charts, and reminding ourselves that this is normal (which I know you mentioned) have all been helpful. We also picked a few enrichment activities (swimming and music lessons) where success comes only with paying attention, and paying attention is fun.
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I listened to swb's independence lecture on the way to work tonight and it was very helpful.
I was totally expecting middle grades independence in work from my 8 year old. Frankly, I think that's what I remember being required in school classrooms as far back as my memories go. It's nice to hear a reasonable trajectory for independence and a way to encourage ownership outlined. Thanks for recommending that and all the other comments/ideas.
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Is the conservatory teacher experienced with children her age who are moving at her pace? If so, I'd probably go there, because of what you've said about your desire for her not to be the best at such a young age and to hear more advanced pieces. If that teacher will let her observe his (hopefully weekly?) studio classes and any visiting master classes, that could be a huge bonus.
FWIW, I think it can be valuable to teach her that while she may be the most advanced around her immediate area there is always somebody better somewhere. Youtube is full of them. Summer festivals are even more packed with them. (ETA: If you can help her gain inspiration from them, rather than feeling intimidated, that can be invaluable her whole life.)
It doesn't sound so much like a Suzuki/not Suzuki question as it does fit for what you've decided you want. You have musical experience- go with your instincts, your knowledge of your girl and what works for your family's goals.
I love Suzuki for several reasons (our music academy's violin teachers all have training) but after book 5 it's anybody's game IMHO. A great teacher isn't defined by their curriculum or even philosophy.
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I've seen the previews and it looks fun! Could an almost 4 year old watch it, and not be too scared, you think? :p
Neither of mine would have liked it at ALL at 4. It was loud. I wear earplugs every time I go to a movie, and they just use their hands to cover their ears for the loud bits. I am that lady who asks them to turn it down.
It's not scary in a frighten-you way, but it is definitely an action flick. The main bad guy looks pretty intimidating at times and there are long chase scenes.
Even my 6 year old felt a little betrayed by the early plot twists. I think he didn't trust the movie to be "safe" after that... but I don't want to spoil anything. I don't think I would have taken him on his own, but he is mature for his age and is fine with big brother there. He would have been sad to miss out.
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We loved it but my sensitive 6 yo sat on my lap the whole time after the intense beginning. But yes! It was awesome.
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That's so tricky when the family cultures don't align. It's really hard for the boundaries of "my responsibility/not my responsibility" to remain unblurred.
I would tell the doctor and the home staff on my own in writing all my concerns including the driving. Doctors can sometimes help, and you can then know you have done what you could do. For example, you can't control the other adults in the situation. BTW, it might take the BIL a while to figure out the car if different things "go wrong" on it in the meantime. But then that could create other issues, so mostly I'm just sending you hugs. In some situations there are absolutely no great options.
Who's going to tackle Sunday with me?
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