Cute one

Brilliant, Borrowed Idea

I am on a homeschooling email group and a woman there suggested buying numeral stamps for children who cannot write their numbers well yet.

Cha-Ching!  Brilliant idea!

Both of our boys have handwriting glitches.  Isaac regularly writes his numbers backwards.  Joseph isn't writing numbers, or letters, at all.
The solution for Isaac's math has been that I sit and write down his answers for him. That is hard in that I have 6 other children to care for.

So I bought the numeral stamps plus some WASHABLE ink.

Isaac was, honestly, not thrilled.  He is putting the effort into writing his own numbers to avoid using the ink stamps.

But Joseph LOVES the ink stamps. 

  He is starting MathUSee Alpha and he can fill in his own workbook pages.  And he is justifiably proud of it.

And I'm happy that I don't have to hover over him and write down all his numbers for him.

As an aside, I believe it is common for children to proceed at different paces with reading, writing, and arithmetic.  A child who has a handwriting glitch can run into real problems in a traditional school setting, as he may be ready for advanced reading and math work, but can't get this thoughts and calculations down on paper.  I am thankful that I can work around our boys' handwriting issues and allow them to proceed as rapidly as they want in other areas.

Sometimes the Apple...

falls pretty far from the tree!

So Naomi, our daughter, started a blog this week at:
http://onegirlinabigfamily.blogspot.com/

  I have to laugh, because her infant blog is already MUCH fancier than mine!

That's what I mean about the apple falling far from the tree...I am very impatient about learning new programs and tend to do the bare minimum to get something to work.  My blog has always been pretty "no frills".

Naomi is awesome at learning how to use new programs.  I email her for help when I need to change my email signature.  I am astonished at the cute things she has added to her blog.

Actually, I think I'm looking under the wrong tree.  Kevin is also awesome at understanding programs and, indeed, computers.  Every time our computer does something bizarree, he managed to drag it back from near death to complete health.

Please do take a look at Naomi's blog.  She is doing a great job!

When All Else Fails, I have Strappy

We have toys throughout the house, but all of our babies have LOVED straps.  Sarah is no exception. Here she is gumming "Strappy" on her high chair. There are other Strappies out there...on her car seat, on her baby swing.  It is a wonderful world with so many Strappies.

I might have worried about hygiene with Naomi, but with #7 I'm quite laid back about such things.  At least they are her own germs since no one else is chewing on straps around here.

First Week of School

Yes, we are back in the saddle and starting up our homeschooling year!

It is early, I know.  We started August 1st.  Well, starting early gives us some wiggle room when we get sick or when we want to take trips.

I am a hyper organized person by inclination, but 7 children has changed that.  The last few years, I've started homeschooling with some feeling of disarray.

I would LIKE to be totally organized, with everything printed out well ahead of time, with a wonderful schedule set in stone.  Reality is, I know if I don't start when I'm disorganized, I'll never start.  I do feel stressed about the fluid parts of our schedule, but I'm forging ahead.  I'm working on not being a control freak. 

First week has gone quite well.  The next couple of days we are taking off as we have some friends coming over on Friday, and tomorrow we are cleaning.

More pictures and comments later about the Return of the Homeschooling!

Good year for swimming

It has been HOT HOT HOT!  For weeks!

Our pool is in the upper 80's and occasionally hits 90 degrees!  That is almost too warm but we still find it quite refreshing to jump in.

Most of the swimming has been pleasant for me as the Resident Lifeguard.  The older 4 swim very well.  The little girls (except for Sarah) were in floatie swimsuits that kept them above water.  Sarah has gone in occasionally, in our arms, but is usually content to sit in a seat under the beach umbrella.

A couple of weeks ago, Miriam decided she was ready for, as she put it, a "sinking swimsuit". :-).  So now we have to be more observant as she does not have a floatie swimsuit, and she does not swim. But she is making progress!  She is, of her own volition, going under water repeatedly to practice.

We are thankful for our pool.  It is fun!

FAQ page for the July 31st through August 6th week by Blogger Naomi

FAQ's

Q: Which of your cats is the most cuddly? Asked by Cheryl S.
A: I think it would be one of our kittens; Moonbeam. He is very sweet and he loves to be petted.

Q: Which of your chickens is the most cuddly? Asked by Cheryl S.
A: That would be Little Chickie. She's a very nice chicken and won't throw a fit when you pick her up.

Q: Do you think the the two major political parties will be able to put aside their differences to balance the budget? Asked by John S.
A: Honestly, I have no idea. I do hope they can, but I don't know if they will be able to pull it off.

Please feel free to ask your own questions.