Today I caught Courtney deliberately disobeying me. Usually I would think this is funny, but today it made me kind of mad. :)
It was about 2:30 and for the 50th time, Courtney was asking me for a snack. She does this often and I think it's for attention because I am usually working with Megan at the kitchen table. Snack time is at 3:00 pm everyday, not before. I had to set down this rule with Megan because she would ask me all the time too.
Today I kind of snapped at her and said, "Courtney, if you ask me one more time, you are not going to have a snack until 3:05!"
Next thing I know, I saw her run the opposite way out of the kitchen. I thought I had made her mad and she was going upstairs to pout, so I let her be.
I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right, so I went upstairs to find her. Well, I looked in my bedroom and I saw the bathroom door shut. This is never shut, so I opened it. I looked in my bathroom and saw that the door to the "toilet room" was shut. This is never shut either, so I opened that too. Here stands Courtney, in this room, with a bunch of snacks in her hand!!! She had snuck them out of the kitchen and was going to eat them upstairs.
I said, "Courtney Grace, you get to the steps right now! You deliberately disobeyed me!" (The steps are "time out") She spent 5 minutes there and she apologized, so we were fine again.
Now,I know she is sneaky like this. She sneaks candy or snacks upstairs or sneaks things downstairs to dad (I have caught her before), but I was mad because right before this, I had told her no snacks until 3 pm.
Sneaky Courtney!!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Sewing
Awhile ago, Megan had bought some fabric at Wal-mart, she said wanted to learn to sew.
I have no idea how to sew, so I was hoping a grandma or somebody would teach her the basics.
Well, never fear, Megan taught herself! She decided this week that she was going to sew, so I gave her my little sewing kit and her and Courtney spent at least two hours the first day sewing. They probably had 8-10 little square of fabric and they just sewed lines across them. Megan figured out how to thread the needle and tie knots where they needed them. I didn't help her at all! (Not like I would know anyway. :) They thought it was great! (Plus it gave them something to do while I read to her for school).
Today they have moved on to pillows. We went back to Wal-mart yesterday and they each bought some more fabric and some more thread. Today they are making little pillows ( about 1" by 3") and stuffing them with kleenexes. When they get enough money, they can buy themselves some cotton. :) I am definitely putting a limit on kleenexes!
Just now Courtney came up to me and said, "Mom, come sew a pillow." Really Courtney, do you have to ask? I really don't want to, but I will because she wants me to. Earlier Megan said, "Mom, do you know how many things we can make now that we know how to sew?" Yes, I do Megan.
We'll see how far they take this little project. Now only if I can get them to clean up their mess while they are at it!
I have no idea how to sew, so I was hoping a grandma or somebody would teach her the basics.
Well, never fear, Megan taught herself! She decided this week that she was going to sew, so I gave her my little sewing kit and her and Courtney spent at least two hours the first day sewing. They probably had 8-10 little square of fabric and they just sewed lines across them. Megan figured out how to thread the needle and tie knots where they needed them. I didn't help her at all! (Not like I would know anyway. :) They thought it was great! (Plus it gave them something to do while I read to her for school).
Today they have moved on to pillows. We went back to Wal-mart yesterday and they each bought some more fabric and some more thread. Today they are making little pillows ( about 1" by 3") and stuffing them with kleenexes. When they get enough money, they can buy themselves some cotton. :) I am definitely putting a limit on kleenexes!
Just now Courtney came up to me and said, "Mom, come sew a pillow." Really Courtney, do you have to ask? I really don't want to, but I will because she wants me to. Earlier Megan said, "Mom, do you know how many things we can make now that we know how to sew?" Yes, I do Megan.
We'll see how far they take this little project. Now only if I can get them to clean up their mess while they are at it!
We are done for the week!
I think this is the first time in many weeks that I have been completely done with school for Megan by 2 pm on a Friday. Usually we have something that is still to be done over the weekend or some reading to do, but not today. We worked hard this week and got it all done!
What a relief!
I even got a reading lesson in for Courtney this afternoon. Slowly but surely, she is getting it! I told her yesterday that if she can read by next fall, then I would get her 1st grade readers, her eyes lit up! Hopefully that will motivate her a little bit. If not, then we do kindergarten level, which is learning to read (I really don't want to go backwards). She knows all her letters by sight (lowercase and uppercase) and she knows all the sounds. We have even learned short and long vowel sounds. Since she can also write all her letters, she has been asking me to spell words out lately or she has been copying words out of books. It's so much fun to watch her take the initiative. Right now, her and Megan are laying on the floor working out out of educational books. Way to go! Keep on learning!
What a relief!
I even got a reading lesson in for Courtney this afternoon. Slowly but surely, she is getting it! I told her yesterday that if she can read by next fall, then I would get her 1st grade readers, her eyes lit up! Hopefully that will motivate her a little bit. If not, then we do kindergarten level, which is learning to read (I really don't want to go backwards). She knows all her letters by sight (lowercase and uppercase) and she knows all the sounds. We have even learned short and long vowel sounds. Since she can also write all her letters, she has been asking me to spell words out lately or she has been copying words out of books. It's so much fun to watch her take the initiative. Right now, her and Megan are laying on the floor working out out of educational books. Way to go! Keep on learning!
Japanese Spider Crab
Who is excited that they are bringing a Japanese Spider Crab to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo?
I am, of course! Along with Megan and Courtney.
Have you ever googled the Japanese Spider Crab? It's the biggest crab in the world and can grow legs up to 12 feet long. EWWWWWWWWWW!
I'm sure the one they bring to Omaha will not be that big, but still!
Did you happen to see on the news that someone caught a 26 pound lobster? What a huge animal!
Anyway, this is the stuff we learn for the science class that Megan is taking at the Homeschool Learning Center. It's from a science textbook called "Apologia: Exploring Creation with Zoology: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day." It's a very interesting book and we are learning a lot! And when we see things in the news, we know what they are talking about!
I am, of course! Along with Megan and Courtney.
Have you ever googled the Japanese Spider Crab? It's the biggest crab in the world and can grow legs up to 12 feet long. EWWWWWWWWWW!
I'm sure the one they bring to Omaha will not be that big, but still!
Did you happen to see on the news that someone caught a 26 pound lobster? What a huge animal!
Anyway, this is the stuff we learn for the science class that Megan is taking at the Homeschool Learning Center. It's from a science textbook called "Apologia: Exploring Creation with Zoology: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day." It's a very interesting book and we are learning a lot! And when we see things in the news, we know what they are talking about!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Our dog, the escapee
We had a little trouble with Dell today.
To start off, we don't have a fence in our backyard and our underground invisible fence doesn't work right now.
Dell goes outside about four times a day and we haven't had much problem with her going outside the yard. We've caught her in the front or in the neighbor's yard a couple of times, but she has never wondered far from home.
Until today.
I let her out at 9 am and about 9:30, I began to wonder where she was. She's usually back at the door within 5-10 minutes to come in, but today, she was nowhere in sight. I put my shoes on to go outside to look for her. I thought maybe she was in the neighbor's yard or in the front yard, but she wasn't. I came back inside and checked in all her usual spots in the house. Still nothing.
I went back outside and walked one way down the sidewalk, looking between the houses and in the bushes. Still, no Dell. Where in the world could she be?? I looked through the house again and then decided to call Matt.
He answered and I told him that Dell had disappeared. I told him that she was nowhere in the yard and nowhere in the house. We were both stumped, so as I was talking to him, I decided to go outside again and walk the other way down the sidewalk.
As I turned the corner, I saw her. She was down about a block and across the street. Courtney was with me and we both yelled "Dell, get over here!!" She ran across the street and all the way home. I took her right into the house and yelled "Bad dog, bad dog!!" She just put her head down.
I have no idea what possessed her to get so far away from home. I was almost afraid where I was going to find her (hit by a car in the middle of the street). I'm glad she hadn't wondered too far from home, I wasn't looking forward to packing up three kids and wondering around the neighborhood looking for our dog. I'm really glad it all worked out today!
To start off, we don't have a fence in our backyard and our underground invisible fence doesn't work right now.
Dell goes outside about four times a day and we haven't had much problem with her going outside the yard. We've caught her in the front or in the neighbor's yard a couple of times, but she has never wondered far from home.
Until today.
I let her out at 9 am and about 9:30, I began to wonder where she was. She's usually back at the door within 5-10 minutes to come in, but today, she was nowhere in sight. I put my shoes on to go outside to look for her. I thought maybe she was in the neighbor's yard or in the front yard, but she wasn't. I came back inside and checked in all her usual spots in the house. Still nothing.
I went back outside and walked one way down the sidewalk, looking between the houses and in the bushes. Still, no Dell. Where in the world could she be?? I looked through the house again and then decided to call Matt.
He answered and I told him that Dell had disappeared. I told him that she was nowhere in the yard and nowhere in the house. We were both stumped, so as I was talking to him, I decided to go outside again and walk the other way down the sidewalk.
As I turned the corner, I saw her. She was down about a block and across the street. Courtney was with me and we both yelled "Dell, get over here!!" She ran across the street and all the way home. I took her right into the house and yelled "Bad dog, bad dog!!" She just put her head down.
I have no idea what possessed her to get so far away from home. I was almost afraid where I was going to find her (hit by a car in the middle of the street). I'm glad she hadn't wondered too far from home, I wasn't looking forward to packing up three kids and wondering around the neighborhood looking for our dog. I'm really glad it all worked out today!
Do you hear it?
Do you hear the silence in my house at 8:30 in the morning?
It's golden!!! How long will they sleep????
It's golden!!! How long will they sleep????
Monday, February 20, 2012
My big helper, in more ways than one. :)
Christian has been helping me a lot lately around the house.
1. He put almost all the dishes away this morning out of the dishwasher. I even videotaped him, he put all the silverware, plastic containers, his sippy cups, the girls' straw cups, and bowls away. Tonight he puts some pots and pans away for me, I don't even tell him where they go, he just puts them where they belong and he is right 90% of the time!
I had to laugh because for a couple of weeks now, we have been using real bowls. We ran out of paper bowls and I haven't been able to get to Sam's to get some more. Christian pulled the real bowls out of the dishwasher today and headed to the hutch in the dining room. It took me a little bit to figure out why he was taking our glass bowls in there when they belong in the kitchen. Then I thought- this is where we store our real dishes now that paper dishes have taken over our cupboards. Poor Christian, this is where he thinks the real dishes go- in the hutch! I laughed out loud!
When we were all done unloading the dishwasher, he said, "bye,bye" and shut it all up for me! Thanks Little Man! What a good helper! (The bad thing is that if I have the dishwasher open and am filling it with dirty dishes, he starts taking those out too so he can put them away.)
2. He always helps me in the laundry room when I do laundry. I was folding towels tonight and he was very nice and was giving me towels out of the dryer.
3. Speaking of laundry rooom, the door has been closed a lot lately. The baskets have been moved and the door has been shut. I always leave it open. Well tonight, I caught the little person red-handed! I asked Christian to take some dirty kitchen towels to the laundry room, so he did and when I went to see what he was doing, he was in the process of moving a basket so he could get the door shut! Little Stinker!
He has a little OCD in him. Whenever I am doing dishes and have the garbage can out to throw things away, he will come along and shut it. He is always shutting doors and cupboards when I don't want him to.
He is a very good cleaner and will pick up his toys without any trouble! He needs things in place and in order. Last night, his box where we keep his blocks was on its side, he kept saying "uh-oh" over and over and over. He wouldn't even settle down to read books until I put this box right side up. He also needs to have his shoes taken off at the same time that you take his coat off, or he will follow you around saying, "shoes, shoes." He has a variety of little quirks like these, I just have to laugh at him! I think they're cute, except when they get in my way (the laundry room door!)
1. He put almost all the dishes away this morning out of the dishwasher. I even videotaped him, he put all the silverware, plastic containers, his sippy cups, the girls' straw cups, and bowls away. Tonight he puts some pots and pans away for me, I don't even tell him where they go, he just puts them where they belong and he is right 90% of the time!
I had to laugh because for a couple of weeks now, we have been using real bowls. We ran out of paper bowls and I haven't been able to get to Sam's to get some more. Christian pulled the real bowls out of the dishwasher today and headed to the hutch in the dining room. It took me a little bit to figure out why he was taking our glass bowls in there when they belong in the kitchen. Then I thought- this is where we store our real dishes now that paper dishes have taken over our cupboards. Poor Christian, this is where he thinks the real dishes go- in the hutch! I laughed out loud!
When we were all done unloading the dishwasher, he said, "bye,bye" and shut it all up for me! Thanks Little Man! What a good helper! (The bad thing is that if I have the dishwasher open and am filling it with dirty dishes, he starts taking those out too so he can put them away.)
2. He always helps me in the laundry room when I do laundry. I was folding towels tonight and he was very nice and was giving me towels out of the dryer.
3. Speaking of laundry rooom, the door has been closed a lot lately. The baskets have been moved and the door has been shut. I always leave it open. Well tonight, I caught the little person red-handed! I asked Christian to take some dirty kitchen towels to the laundry room, so he did and when I went to see what he was doing, he was in the process of moving a basket so he could get the door shut! Little Stinker!
He has a little OCD in him. Whenever I am doing dishes and have the garbage can out to throw things away, he will come along and shut it. He is always shutting doors and cupboards when I don't want him to.
He is a very good cleaner and will pick up his toys without any trouble! He needs things in place and in order. Last night, his box where we keep his blocks was on its side, he kept saying "uh-oh" over and over and over. He wouldn't even settle down to read books until I put this box right side up. He also needs to have his shoes taken off at the same time that you take his coat off, or he will follow you around saying, "shoes, shoes." He has a variety of little quirks like these, I just have to laugh at him! I think they're cute, except when they get in my way (the laundry room door!)
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