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| The girls in their "wolf den". |
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| Just like Normandy, only in reverse. |
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| Off to ride the tubes all by herself! |
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| Aunt Lexie had a great time too! |
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Great Wolf Lodge--March 2011
For Lucy and my birthdays, my sister and her daughter bought the 4 of us a night at Great Wolf Lodge. It was a lot of fun! We had a nice room with a nice view, and the water park was just amazing! It was fun to play in the water and swim in March when the weather here was terrible. Lucy and I rode on all of the water slides including the biggest one--The Howlin' Tornado! I took a few pictures of our adventure. Here they are!
Thanks, Lexie and Aiyanna, for an awesomely fun birthday gift!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Animal Love
Recently, Lucy told me she would like to be a veterinarian. I think she would be excellent at it. (I think she would be excellent at anything she wanted to do.) She's been asking me for her own pet quite a lot, and I've told her that there are 3 cats and a dog here that need lots of love and care. So lately, I've noticed that she has bonded more with Milo, the oldest cat, and Bear, the dog.
BEAR
Lucy has been reading to Bear. She'll sit down next to him and read him a book. One afternoon, she read a book that had a dog in it, and she got to that page and said, "Bear, this is your part. Say, 'bark! bark!'" He growled a little and she said, "Close enough." When she finished the book, he had his eyes closed and she was so proud that she read him to sleep! She also VOLUNTEERS to take on the task of picking up the poo when we take Bear for a walk. It doesn't gross her out! What an awesome kid!
MILO
Milo sleeps on Lucy's bed at night, and Lucy really loves this. Milo doesn't mind when Lucy plays with him, picks him up, or lays next to him. I think it's sweet. At school, they've had someone from US Bank come in and talk to the kids about families, money, and needs and wants. She brought home a worksheet from yesterday that instructed the kids to "Color the needs red. Color the wants blue." The pictures were: a plate of food, a video game system, a house, a cat, a shirt, and rollerblades. Lucy colored the video game system and the rollerblades blue, and the food, house, shirt, and cat red. Near the cat, she drew an arrow pointing to it with the words, "To feel happy when sad." It's pretty astute of her to understand that not only do we need to have our basic needs met (food, shelter, and clothing), but that happiness and love are also needs.
BEAR
Lucy has been reading to Bear. She'll sit down next to him and read him a book. One afternoon, she read a book that had a dog in it, and she got to that page and said, "Bear, this is your part. Say, 'bark! bark!'" He growled a little and she said, "Close enough." When she finished the book, he had his eyes closed and she was so proud that she read him to sleep! She also VOLUNTEERS to take on the task of picking up the poo when we take Bear for a walk. It doesn't gross her out! What an awesome kid!
MILO
Milo sleeps on Lucy's bed at night, and Lucy really loves this. Milo doesn't mind when Lucy plays with him, picks him up, or lays next to him. I think it's sweet. At school, they've had someone from US Bank come in and talk to the kids about families, money, and needs and wants. She brought home a worksheet from yesterday that instructed the kids to "Color the needs red. Color the wants blue." The pictures were: a plate of food, a video game system, a house, a cat, a shirt, and rollerblades. Lucy colored the video game system and the rollerblades blue, and the food, house, shirt, and cat red. Near the cat, she drew an arrow pointing to it with the words, "To feel happy when sad." It's pretty astute of her to understand that not only do we need to have our basic needs met (food, shelter, and clothing), but that happiness and love are also needs.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Teeth
On Monday, I took the girls to the dentist to get their teeth cleaned. Not to brag or anything, but we came out of there without a single cavity. We did get the "You really need to floss at least once a day." speech, but I never let that put a damper on my day.
What I love about the dental office we go to is that all 3 girls are in and out in about an hour because they have a large staff and a lot of exam rooms. They're located about 15-20 minutes away, but it's worth the drive for me to be finished so quickly. If there's one thing I don't love about parenting, it's waiting for 1 while I have the other 2.
The exciting news for Amy though is that she has lost one tooth, and the next one is already loose! I've fielded several questions about The Tooth Fairy, and she is still a little nervous about losing teeth.
Sadie would hardly open her mouth for the dentist, but he was able to look inside and tell me that she was cavity-free! Hopefully one of these days she won't find going to the dentist to be so traumatic. Not likely, since she thinks laying down to take a nap is traumatic.
Lucy also did not have any cavities. The dentist did notice, though, that she has a cross-bite, so she's been referred to an orthodontist. Because it's not an emergency, we probably won't have an appointment until June or July. Fine by me. She just seems so young to be going to an orthodontist.
This sounds silly, but I am very grateful that we have access to regular, good-quality dental care, and that my girls have healthy teeth. It's such a small thing, but I sure appreciate it!
What I love about the dental office we go to is that all 3 girls are in and out in about an hour because they have a large staff and a lot of exam rooms. They're located about 15-20 minutes away, but it's worth the drive for me to be finished so quickly. If there's one thing I don't love about parenting, it's waiting for 1 while I have the other 2.
The exciting news for Amy though is that she has lost one tooth, and the next one is already loose! I've fielded several questions about The Tooth Fairy, and she is still a little nervous about losing teeth.
Sadie would hardly open her mouth for the dentist, but he was able to look inside and tell me that she was cavity-free! Hopefully one of these days she won't find going to the dentist to be so traumatic. Not likely, since she thinks laying down to take a nap is traumatic.
Lucy also did not have any cavities. The dentist did notice, though, that she has a cross-bite, so she's been referred to an orthodontist. Because it's not an emergency, we probably won't have an appointment until June or July. Fine by me. She just seems so young to be going to an orthodontist.
This sounds silly, but I am very grateful that we have access to regular, good-quality dental care, and that my girls have healthy teeth. It's such a small thing, but I sure appreciate it!
Sadie Smarty Pants
Sadie is such a smart girl. I know every parent is supposed to say that about their children, even if the most intelligent thing those children do is drool and stare at the ceiling fan. But Sadie is truly gifted. (As are my other girls--I mean, really, where do you think Sadie got her smarts from? Besides me and David.)
Anyway, she's been on this "I want to do it myself!" kick. Lucy and Amy hit this phase too, and so far, it's one of my least favorite periods of a child's development. If you want to wear your clothes backwards and your shoes on the wrong feet, be my guest. But when I'm in a hurry, and you want to put on your own seatbelt, that's when it gets a little frustrating for me. It's not cute.
But if I'm really honest, then I have to tell you that this girl amazes me! Her thing lately is to "unlock" things with keys. She asked if she could unlock the car yesterday morning, so I handed her the key. She put it in the lock, and wiggled it a little, and then I opened the door and said, "You did it!" When I went to put her in her carseat though, she yelled, "NO!" and strained against the belts. She said, "Gimme keys, please." Because I was not in a hurry, I handed her the keys. She picked out the right one for the car, climbed into the driver's seat, stuck the key in the ignition, and tried to turn it.
HOLY COW! Scary smart.
Anyway, she's been on this "I want to do it myself!" kick. Lucy and Amy hit this phase too, and so far, it's one of my least favorite periods of a child's development. If you want to wear your clothes backwards and your shoes on the wrong feet, be my guest. But when I'm in a hurry, and you want to put on your own seatbelt, that's when it gets a little frustrating for me. It's not cute.
But if I'm really honest, then I have to tell you that this girl amazes me! Her thing lately is to "unlock" things with keys. She asked if she could unlock the car yesterday morning, so I handed her the key. She put it in the lock, and wiggled it a little, and then I opened the door and said, "You did it!" When I went to put her in her carseat though, she yelled, "NO!" and strained against the belts. She said, "Gimme keys, please." Because I was not in a hurry, I handed her the keys. She picked out the right one for the car, climbed into the driver's seat, stuck the key in the ignition, and tried to turn it.
HOLY COW! Scary smart.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Spring Conferences
This past week I met with Amy's and Lucy's teachers to hear about their progress in school up to this point in the year. I always like to go and meet with the teachers because I know I'll get to hear all kinds of good things about my girls--there's never anything negative. (At least not so far.)
Amy's conference was the first one I went to. Her teachers tell me that she recognizes 23 out of 26 letters, she can count up to 20 objects, and she is an excellent friend. They are happy to have her back again next year. And I am happy to send her back next year because she loves school, loves her teachers, and the program is a great fit for her.
David was actually able to come with me to meet with Lucy's teacher. (Thank you, Mrs. D., for meeting with us at 6:30 in the evening!) Lucy is, of course, doing very well. She is in the top reading group (which Lucy says is BORING), and the group is already reading 2nd grade material. Her DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) scores are very high. When she was assessed in January, her fluency (correct words per minute read aloud) and comprehension are at the 4th grade level. Her combined score is 134; the benchmark for 1st grade is 25. She also read 299 out of 300 words on the High Frequency Words list. I don't know which one she missed, but she's probably already learned it.
She's also a math whiz--she scored a 96% on a recent math test that covered the previous 3 units. She received a 96% because she left one problem blank. It was clearly an oversight, not a wrong answer. The last problem on the test reads: "Write a number greater than 10. Then draw 10-sticks (tens) and circles (ones) to show it." Mrs. D. said most of the kids chose numbers in the teens. Lucy's number? 241! She can also count to 120 forwards and backwards, by 2s, 5s and 10s. When I asked what we could do at home to challenge her, Mrs. D. said, "Teach her multiplication."
In science, Lucy clearly understands the concepts she's learning. She explained to us about cloud formations, air pressure, and weather. Her science journal is well written, and she was able to recall facts about each concept that she had not written down. Unrelatedly, she can count to 10 in Mandarin, and say "thank you" and "Happy New Year!" in Mandarin as well.
It makes me happy that my girls are doing well in school. I hope they always do well, and I hope they will keep their interest in learning for their entire lives.
Amy's conference was the first one I went to. Her teachers tell me that she recognizes 23 out of 26 letters, she can count up to 20 objects, and she is an excellent friend. They are happy to have her back again next year. And I am happy to send her back next year because she loves school, loves her teachers, and the program is a great fit for her.
David was actually able to come with me to meet with Lucy's teacher. (Thank you, Mrs. D., for meeting with us at 6:30 in the evening!) Lucy is, of course, doing very well. She is in the top reading group (which Lucy says is BORING), and the group is already reading 2nd grade material. Her DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) scores are very high. When she was assessed in January, her fluency (correct words per minute read aloud) and comprehension are at the 4th grade level. Her combined score is 134; the benchmark for 1st grade is 25. She also read 299 out of 300 words on the High Frequency Words list. I don't know which one she missed, but she's probably already learned it.
She's also a math whiz--she scored a 96% on a recent math test that covered the previous 3 units. She received a 96% because she left one problem blank. It was clearly an oversight, not a wrong answer. The last problem on the test reads: "Write a number greater than 10. Then draw 10-sticks (tens) and circles (ones) to show it." Mrs. D. said most of the kids chose numbers in the teens. Lucy's number? 241! She can also count to 120 forwards and backwards, by 2s, 5s and 10s. When I asked what we could do at home to challenge her, Mrs. D. said, "Teach her multiplication."
In science, Lucy clearly understands the concepts she's learning. She explained to us about cloud formations, air pressure, and weather. Her science journal is well written, and she was able to recall facts about each concept that she had not written down. Unrelatedly, she can count to 10 in Mandarin, and say "thank you" and "Happy New Year!" in Mandarin as well.
It makes me happy that my girls are doing well in school. I hope they always do well, and I hope they will keep their interest in learning for their entire lives.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Coming Soon!
I have not forgotten this blog, although I have neglected it. There's been a lot going on these last few weeks, but today, I'm too tired to talk about it! Just know that there will be a lot of posts coming very soon. I'll be blogging about such topics as:
-Amy's new glasses and first lost tooth
-Sadie's new words and phrases
-Lucy's and Amy's parent-teacher conference (done!)
-Uncle Erik and Aunt Sandy's visit to Tacoma
-The mini vay-cay to Great Wolf Lodge (done!)
So please, all three of my readers, don't go away. I promise I'll have something up soon, including pictures!
-Amy's new glasses and first lost tooth
-Sadie's new words and phrases
-Lucy's and Amy's parent-teacher conference (done!)
-Uncle Erik and Aunt Sandy's visit to Tacoma
-The mini vay-cay to Great Wolf Lodge (done!)
So please, all three of my readers, don't go away. I promise I'll have something up soon, including pictures!
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