school...

School is going very well. Sonlight works well for our family. I love how much CO enjoys being read to and learning from literature. We started late this year as we didn't jump in fully until we got back from our camping trip mid September (we did the basics while camping...most days) and my plan to school over the summer went out the window when our two newest family members joined our family in the Spring.
SK was a crazy school year for CO. The fall was spent dealing with the idea of losing J and all the stress and turmoil that went with that, and then the winter was spent with trying to deal with the grief and sorrow of no longer having J in our home and knowing we would never see him again. Then the Spring was dealing with the transition of adding two new children to the home. So with all of that...CO's first few weeks back to school this fall was in finishing up his SK curriculum and starting into his gr.1 curriculum.
We just finished reading Homer Price and just started Mr. Popper's Penguins. We are also in the midst of Missionary Stories with the Millers, Archaeologists Dig for Clues, and some Usborne on Animals as well as People & Houses.
Today we are going to attempt to school at Tim Hortons as the van is due at the shop to get the CD player fixed.
As much as I am happy that school is going well, not all days are sunshine and roses. CO is a child with a controlling personality. Some days he just digs his heals in and I end up losing my cool. But overall, things run well. CO would like more PD days overall, but on the most part is doing very well. One of the great things about homeschooling is that he can learn at his own pace. Right now he can build three digit numbers with manipulatives, he can add and subtract three digit numbers but he can't read numbers out loud higher than 10. It is odd. And so we are spending a lot of time these days reviewing and going over names of numbers, playing math games, doing dot-to-dots, etc. I am hoping we master this by the new year, but if not, we will continue to practice and practice in different ways :)
His reading...going well. I was nervous. He loved the reading program we are following last year. This fall, he was fighting it a lot so we jumped to the reading program that comes with Sonlight and then he became confident in his reading again and was ready to jump back into the first program. He just started into the 3rd reader and is loving being able to document and see the progress he is making. I am happy too because as much as I love Sonlight, their readers aren't just on the same level of interest and creativity as the other program.
T and I are also doing school together on the days that he is home. Our relationship is rocky at best. I think he deflects his anger on losing his first family my way, and I struggle with his clingy, whiny ways :) Don't get me wrong, he is a great kid that is eager to please on the most part. He just yells and is rude to me a lot. He doesn't take correction from me well and often just blows up yelling at me telling me I am wrong when I point out things (like his shoes are on the wrong feet...which they are 75% of the time)
T was not ready for the reading program this past Spring when I tried it with him. He wanted to be ready, but he just got too frustrated with himself right away and he isn't one that plugs away at something to master it, he is quick to throw in the towel. Last month I pulled it out with him again. He was ready this time. It has been good for us. I am able to encourage him and he is able to see that I am right about the fact that he is able to do things as long as he has the right attitude about it.
One of my biggest concerns with T is his lack of auditory comprehension (me reading out instruction and he following them step by step). I am not sure if it is him only listening to the first bit of what I say and then jumping the gun or if he is actually just missing the whole set of instructions. I am having to slow down, and work on how I approach correction so he doesn't right away either yell at me or get mad at himself for doing it wrong and shutting down.
T and my relationship really is a big need of prayer. CO is a difficult kid to raise but on the most part I understand where he is coming from and why. I am also usually able to predict how a situation will turn out when it comes to CO.
T...not so much. He is such a cup half empty kinda kid. He has huge holes where he is needy and clingy and at the same time he pushes me away and deflects a lot of anger my way. Me, I am not the greatest at keeping my cool when being yelled at or having faces made at me. I am also not the greatest at having him 'hover'. I can't go into a room without him following me. He doesn't necessarily stay in the same room the whole time but he is always keeping tabs on where I am and what I am doing. I am not used to someone constantly watching me and questioning my actions.
B isn't officially doing school. I do give her learning activities to do while the boys are doing school (if she chooses to do them rather than just play). She knows where a lot of her activities are kept and will often just get out an activity and set it up on the kitchen floor to do (even not during school time). Often if I am cooking she will get one out and do it. B is a smart cookie. Many people have commented to me that they are surprised that she is only 2 years 3 months as she has really good fine motor skills and observation skills.
Her language is coming along. Grandma claims to still not ever understand her. The funny thing is she doesn't talk in single words but in paragraphs :) She rattles away in gibberish and throws in a clear word or phrase here and there. She loves puzzles, reading stories and looking after her baby doll. She is not an angel...she is stubborn, bossy and throws a huge hissy fit when she doesn't get her own way (which is many times in a day) but overall she is cheerful and charming.