how quickly they learn

The kids are zooming through school like pros.

I haven't actually taught Yonah how to read for quite a while. Our reading "lessons" now are simply practicing and testing his reading comprehension.

He's been doing so well, in fact, that today we went to buy some more school books. We were focusing primarily on reading as far as "real" school goes. Now that he can learn more independently and is better at following instructions, we're switching our focus to math and science.

Arabelle is also doing well. She has spent the time so far practicing drawing and identifying shapes and letters, and specifically writing her name. This last month has seen an incredible amount of improvement.

We've tested the waters with reading lessons a few times, but she wasn't ready for it yet. Recently she's begun doing the first pages of Yonah's math book and has really excelled at it. We'll be trying reading lessons again soon.

Lila is also really into the school thing, though hers can't really be called "school" yet.

All in all, it's been a whole lot of fun for all of us.

yonah and the horses

Today Yonah came with me to help out at Blazing Hope.

He was a big helper! He swept out the barn, fed horses, and helped to groom a few.

A few lessons were also learned (more than once). Normal boy stuff like, no climbing on the horse's pen like a crazy child, no throwing hay at the horse, no using a handful of hay as a lightsaber, no running at horses tied and waiting to be groomed.

I didn't get to help as much as I would have liked, but it was still a great time. I enjoyed watching and helping him. And, anyway, it's all for the kids. I'm just there to help where ever needed - and today, that meant keeping an eye on a very excited, and slightly absent-minded boy as he eagerly worked so hard.

And then . . .

After a long, long wait, while horses were warmed up in the big round pen . . .

He finally got to ride.

This was something he was very excited about.

Until he realized just how big horses are when you're standing right next to them. And just how far away the ground is when you're sitting on their back.

But he gave it a try anyway, and absolutely loved it.

I am so proud of him.

aquarium

Today the kids and I made a spontaneous trip to the aquarium.

I was honestly expecting to be bored. After all, my first trip to an aquarium (that I remember, anyway) was in New Orleans. Certainly they would have a lot more stuff in the bigger city, right?

Certainly our aquarium is much smaller, but . . .

I don't remember an octopus in New Orleans. I don't remember nearly as many open tanks purposed for touching the fish, hermit crabs, clams, etc. There definitely weren't chameleons or an iguana. And while I remember seeing lots of sharks, I don't remember having the opportunity to feed and pet them. (We didn't actually do so today, though. The kids were too scared to touch any fish, and Lila too unhappy to let me try.)

Ours is also geared more for kids, so I didn't have to hoist the kids up so they could see nearly as often as I would need to in New Orleans. (That by itself wins first place in this young mom's book.)

Due to the trip's spontaneity, I didn't have my camera. But I was able to snap some shots with my phone - when Lila gave her permission, of course. Here's a taste of our day:

Less than 1/4 of the total fish in the tank. It was FULL.

Seahorse

The smaller octopus

Chameleons

This one, of course, is Pascal. For obviously Tangled reasons.

Since the other chameleon already had a name, Yonah named this one Hosky. We actually got to see him change color!

playing along

I spent the afternoon playing a video game that Yonah is crazy about right now. When I've casually observed his playing, I've always found it to be lame and unnecessary. (As if Halo isn't the only necessary video game . . . ) But he loves it.

So, today I picked up the controller and tried it out.

It isn't that bad. I rather enjoyed it, actually. Easy enough to not be overwhelming, but challenging enough to maintain my interest, and a whole lot of fun. (Even if the humor for the most part falls flat.)

The downside is that I lost my excuse to not help when Yonah gets stuck on a difficult part (like one of the bosses), since he now knows I can play it better than Kim can. Oops.

another day slips by

So, yesterday, I had this post all ready; the only thing it was missing was the typing it up part. I was constantly rolling it around in my head, picking out the words I would use, considering applicable pictures (long blocks of text are so boring). It was only this morning that I realized I hadn't actually typed it up, hadn't actually posted it. I'm one of those people who, when enough mental effort goes into doing something, I start feeling like and thinking that I already did it. When I am tired this tendency increases.

I had wanted to write about the little bit of heaven on earth for kids that we discovered yesterday morning.  It is a wonderful place - a place for children to play and parents to relax.  Normally the thought of places like this really freaks me out.  I can't just sit and let the kids play because I'm too worried about something happening.  I wasn't sure about this one.  But my friend had his first ever book signing there, and I was not going to miss it.  And then, once I stepped in the doors . . . It was instantly a place I trusted.

So I sat.  And they played.  And they were so sad they were in tears when, two hours later than I'd intended, we had to leave for lunch and nap.  I don't blame them, that place had everything.  We will be making regular trips there from now on, at least until we have more room for them to romp (a backyard would be wonderful) and downstairs neighbors who won't be calling the landlord because they're being the kids that they are.  (How I long for the end of our apartment living days . . . )

It was incredible to see them having so much fun.  Watching Yonah spend a few minutes playing Lego's, then a few minutes playing trains, then on to reading books, then riding these incredible life-like horses I would have died for as a little girl, then shopping, then sliding, then swinging from sturdy ropes in the playground area, then moving on to the next thing.  Spending only a few minutes on each activity because there was so much to do, so many kids playing, so much fun occurring, and he wanted a part in it all.  Watching Arabelle play confidently, assured in my continued presence on the couch.  She wasn't as enthusiastic about things as Yonah were.  She was quite intimidated for the first hour, actually.  But soon, she was off on her own; shopping, mostly.  Boy, did she love those little grocery carts.

And while I sat there, only casually keeping tabs on where they were and what they were doing, the thought occurred to me that that; the chaotic happenings with learning lurking in every creative activity; the automatic instinct to share and get along with all the kids present; the delight and wonder to be had in every little nook and cranny; the complete removal of all the junk that goes on in the day to day life, all those pesky little distractions; the ability to completely immerse yourself into and enjoy every single moment as it happened; even just the soothing atmosphere as you sat and observed - it was all a glimpse of what heaven is.

I can't wait.

Edit:  If you're in the area and wish to experience that delight and wonder, check out Just Kid'n Around.

new eyes

Last night's adventure into Halloween reminded me of many things I'd forgotten over the years.  I'm excited that Yonah is old enough now to enjoy it like I once did.  It's more fun for me now that I get to live it through his eyes, somehow.  At the same time, I'm more aware of the irony of the holiday than ever before . . . The festive "Happy Halloween" signs next to skeletons, skulls, and other distinctly un-happy decorations.

Maybe I'll follow my sister-in-law's lead in renaming October 31st "Dress Like Batman Day" - even though we didn't dress like Batman at all.  Instead we were a fearsome dragon with claws like Wolverine to fight bad guys, a growling duckling, and a weekend warrior.  (Yes, I dressed up as my husband, and Yonah had a blast calling me Dad all night and complained about missing Mommy.)

As for next year, I'm already planning ahead.  We'll need a calm dog, a pig costume for the dog, a manner to fasten a small child to said dog, a monkey costume, and the latest addition to our family.  All because of this cursed song . . .



I'm just kidding about the dog.  Mostly.