Toddler in toe

I took an online class this morning about keeping your toddler entertained while homeschooling the other children and boy did I need that! Lately I have felt like I have been neglecting Ella and not giving her her share of me. There were so many fabulous ideas on how to keep them happily occupied, and that sparked some of my own ideas of things that Ella would love to do. She was still sleeping when I took the class and I was so excited to try some things, I could hardly wait for her to get up. Here is a list of some of the great ideas...

A box of special toys used only for school time

blocks

paint (we have an easel on the back porch so this is an easy one for us)

special "school" books (reading, coloring, and drawing) again just for school time

dominoes, cards

online learning sites (we do abcmouse.com love it!)

a game where they get to cut up junk mail as long as they sit in a laundry basket

play with letter magnets and puzzles

string beads or macaroni

bubbles

chores

and her favorite...

a bath!

I have been going at this school stuff all wrong, trying to get us all ready in the morning and house clean before starting school. This morning I had Samantha quickly get ready and start school but had Ella wait for her bath until Samantha and I were working on phonics. Ella will be 4 in just over a month and our bathroom is centrally
located on the main level, so I could hear her without staying right in the bathroom with her. She is always begging to take long baths but we are always rushing to get ready so this was quite a treat for her and we were able to finish phonics! Everyone was happy :-)

She also did her school books and computer preschool program. This is the first day we were able to have school done by lunchtime!

Little Prayers

Last night at bedtime we were all knelt beside Samantha's bed so the girls could say their prayers (that's where Ella likes to say hers too). It was Ella's turn to go first and recently she has become quite the little pro at saying her prayers by herself, of coarse you never know what she might pray for...

Last night she got a good start, praying for mommy and daddy, her and sissy, and Andy- "help him he won't pick his nose," at which point Dale laughed aloud, which caused me to start laughing.

She puked a few weeks ago, so now she prays all the time that she will never puke again and has now started praying that sissy will never puke again either. Samantha has thrown up maybe twice in the past 2 years and the last time was well over a year ago. She prayed that God would help us on our trip for weeks after we got back home. Her prayers sound very sincere. She gets a little tiny voice and even has a catch in her voice ever so often like she is crying. If you try to help her at all she says in a stern whisper,"I CAN DO IT!"

Though her prayers sound silly at times, I am glad that she doesn't just say what I tell her, but is trying to develop her own relationship with the Lord!

Word Power

We have started doing school and the girls are loving it. Ella is doing it right along with Samantha, and even though she is two grades behind, she has amazed me. We are learning about the 5 senses and I was quizzing Samantha the other day. She could only remember seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting, when from half way across the room Ella nonchalantly says, "hearing," and continues with her coloring. It was pretty funny.

We are learning to use all 5 senses to observe and describe things, but I am aware that each individual has a different view than another. I remember when Andy was still homeschooling and we were using Understanding Writing (love it btw!!), they showed 2 descriptions of the same motel. One described a cozy, rustic getaway, and the other a run down, old dump.

When I was in Home Depot lately scoping out the different paint colors I came across one called vintage antique. It reminded me of understanding writing and I had to giggle, but I did bring the paint sample home and I think I might have to use it. I love the color (a dark turquoise), but the name just seals the deal!