Week in Review: Walking, Talking, and Drawing a Dog

Busy week, but rewarding.  I'm seeing so much progress with each kid.  It's great, but it also makes me realize how fast they're growing up.

My husband was out of town for the first twelve days of the month for an exercise out on the West Coast.  My sister and her boys came down for the first six days for a visit, so we had plenty to keep us all busy.  Once they left last week, it was back to work.  With just me and the three, it was a few days before we got everything back under control again.  Then Matt came home on the 12th and it's taken a few more days to get everybody back on schedule (and on East Coast time) and content again. 

Suffice to say, we're all a little tired.  Still, we persevere.

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Henry

Henry did great this week with his assignments.  We are focusing more and more on Explode the Code and less on Hooked on Phonics.  The HoP is just not keeping his attention enough.  He prefers the EtC activities and workbook.  Even there, I think he may be getting ahead of the material.  Other than practicing his penmanship, he knows all of his upper and lower case letters already.  He knows the sounds they make, what they look like... he's started some sight reading also (just a few words like stop and milk, also his, Oliver's, and Jane's names).  I'm going to continue with our current schedule, but I think Henry will be ready to go straight into the kindergarten level language arts program when we're done with his current materials.

Saxon Math continues to engage him.  He loves the manipulatives, loves the graphing, the Meeting Book, everything.  Math is what he wants to do first every day.  Which means we do it last.  It certainly keeps him on point through his other lessons.

Art this week was drawing a dog.  Love it.

Oliver

Oliver began speech therapy this week, attending two half-sessions.  His speech therapist is already building a good rapport with him and he reacts well to her.  At the second session, she opened the door to the waiting room and he ran right past her and straight to her office.  So, he seems to be enjoying it!

Each week, she'll give us some things to work on at home with him to reinforce what she does during therapy.  This week, they were encouraging eye contact, sharing, and taking turns.  He's doing very well.  I'm taking advantage of Jane's naps to have a good amount of one-on-one time with him, as well as emphasizing our "homework" throughout the day.

He is still loving the Hooked on Phonics videos and games, as well as the expanded Starfall.com.  He seems to very much the visual learner, something I'll have to keep in mind down the road.

Jane

Oh, Jane.  Jane has developed quite a temper.  She is a feisty little thing.  I had images in my head of a sweet, quiet little girl à la Ingalls, but I think it is not to be.  I don't know if it comes from having two older brothers or what, but she is something else. 

She started taking a few steps this week!  I wish I could get it on film, but the little stinker instantly drops to the floor whenever she sees the camera.  She also started saying something that sounds pretty close to "hello."  At first, it seemed random.  Now, she's waving as she says it, so I think this one will go in the baby book as her official first word.