I did not realize how long it has been since I updated on the family. WOWSERS. I've been busy! Here's a little glimpse at what everyone's been up to lately.
Ryann was in gymnastics last time I updated. We stopped that in May and gave her the opportunity to do soccer over the summer/fall months. That was... fun. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and her daddy got to be her coach, which made it extra special for her. Where she definitely lacked in soccer skills, she made up in social! She made some new friends and had a great time learning/watching her teammates kick the ball around while she cheered for them.
Ryann was also in preschool the last time I updated. She is now in kindergarten. Home school kindergarten, to be exact. She does school at home every day except Tuesdays, when she gets to go to her own class with her own friends and have a teacher different than her mother. She has excelled in the kindergarten curriculum we have used. She can read fluently and comprehends far beyond what I imagined she would be. I know that kids comprehend well while hearing stories read, but I assumed it would be difficult for her to concentrate both on figuring out what the words are to read them, and understanding what the story is about. I think part of why her reading skills have taken off so fast is because her comprehension is very much intact. She reads what makes sense, enabling her to figure out really tough words. Her number sense skills are also very, very good. (I'm debating starting multiplication with her before the school year is over.) About a month ago, I stopped printing stuff labeled for "kindergarten" and moved to the "1st and 2nd grade" material. I don't want her to get super far ahead, but the stuff for kindergarten just isn't where she is right now, and that's the beauty of homeschooling. Most days go really well, some days she struggles to do her work without being told approximately a million times, but that's how it is with every other part of parenting her also. She loves to sit and do her learning games with me, just like she has since she was two years old.
Before we joined the home school co-op, they actually contacted me about teaching for them. They didn't know at that point that I had a child I would be homeschooling, so that all fell right into place. I agreed to teach pre-algebra during the hours that Ryann's kindergarten class meets. When I filled out the paperwork for her class, I noticed a "kinderprep" option for 3-5 year olds who were not kindergarten ready. Rather than have Ethan in the nursery while I taught, I signed him up for that. So he has his very own preschool class now once a week too. Ethan has started to show interest in reading and numbers. He's been able to count well for his age for a long time, but can now count to 100 with almost no help. He's competitive and wants very badly to keep up with Ryann, so that's motivating. He can identify several letters of the alphabet and write his own name. He's started making his very own ABC book and he is very proud of it. He is my more meticulous child, an I dotter, a T crosser. More like his father than his mother in that realm. He is still my snuggler, and having the additional kids that I watch in the house each week is the hardest on him. He does not get the snuggle, held time that he once did. Mike is confident he is over coddled though so it might be good for him.
We got chicks about a month ago! We have seven (five died) very loved chickens living in a box in our basement. Ryann absolutely adores feeding them out of her hand and Ethan insists on holding them, despite how big they are getting. We absolutely cannot wait until the lay eggs. It's going to be a few months yet, but we still go to check every morning. You just never know. Some of the chicks might be early bloomers.
The house remodel is going... still. The kitchen is close to being complete and I'm holding out hope that it will be done by the 1st of the year. Mike has a few more shelves and doors to build, a beam to cover, some lights to hang and that will be that! We will probably tread slowly into the new year, waiting for tax season to reveal what we owe, and then tackle the bathrooms this summer. Mike starts a doctorate program in the Fall of 2018, so whatever we have done at that point will be where we stay for a while. We absolutely love this little house on this property. It has been the perfect spot for us and we could not be happier. The last year here has been a dream, for real.
Ryann was in gymnastics last time I updated. We stopped that in May and gave her the opportunity to do soccer over the summer/fall months. That was... fun. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and her daddy got to be her coach, which made it extra special for her. Where she definitely lacked in soccer skills, she made up in social! She made some new friends and had a great time learning/watching her teammates kick the ball around while she cheered for them.
Ryann was also in preschool the last time I updated. She is now in kindergarten. Home school kindergarten, to be exact. She does school at home every day except Tuesdays, when she gets to go to her own class with her own friends and have a teacher different than her mother. She has excelled in the kindergarten curriculum we have used. She can read fluently and comprehends far beyond what I imagined she would be. I know that kids comprehend well while hearing stories read, but I assumed it would be difficult for her to concentrate both on figuring out what the words are to read them, and understanding what the story is about. I think part of why her reading skills have taken off so fast is because her comprehension is very much intact. She reads what makes sense, enabling her to figure out really tough words. Her number sense skills are also very, very good. (I'm debating starting multiplication with her before the school year is over.) About a month ago, I stopped printing stuff labeled for "kindergarten" and moved to the "1st and 2nd grade" material. I don't want her to get super far ahead, but the stuff for kindergarten just isn't where she is right now, and that's the beauty of homeschooling. Most days go really well, some days she struggles to do her work without being told approximately a million times, but that's how it is with every other part of parenting her also. She loves to sit and do her learning games with me, just like she has since she was two years old.
Before we joined the home school co-op, they actually contacted me about teaching for them. They didn't know at that point that I had a child I would be homeschooling, so that all fell right into place. I agreed to teach pre-algebra during the hours that Ryann's kindergarten class meets. When I filled out the paperwork for her class, I noticed a "kinderprep" option for 3-5 year olds who were not kindergarten ready. Rather than have Ethan in the nursery while I taught, I signed him up for that. So he has his very own preschool class now once a week too. Ethan has started to show interest in reading and numbers. He's been able to count well for his age for a long time, but can now count to 100 with almost no help. He's competitive and wants very badly to keep up with Ryann, so that's motivating. He can identify several letters of the alphabet and write his own name. He's started making his very own ABC book and he is very proud of it. He is my more meticulous child, an I dotter, a T crosser. More like his father than his mother in that realm. He is still my snuggler, and having the additional kids that I watch in the house each week is the hardest on him. He does not get the snuggle, held time that he once did. Mike is confident he is over coddled though so it might be good for him.
We got chicks about a month ago! We have seven (five died) very loved chickens living in a box in our basement. Ryann absolutely adores feeding them out of her hand and Ethan insists on holding them, despite how big they are getting. We absolutely cannot wait until the lay eggs. It's going to be a few months yet, but we still go to check every morning. You just never know. Some of the chicks might be early bloomers.
The house remodel is going... still. The kitchen is close to being complete and I'm holding out hope that it will be done by the 1st of the year. Mike has a few more shelves and doors to build, a beam to cover, some lights to hang and that will be that! We will probably tread slowly into the new year, waiting for tax season to reveal what we owe, and then tackle the bathrooms this summer. Mike starts a doctorate program in the Fall of 2018, so whatever we have done at that point will be where we stay for a while. We absolutely love this little house on this property. It has been the perfect spot for us and we could not be happier. The last year here has been a dream, for real.