Thursday, January 22, 2009

Week In Review

We accomplished a lot more this week!

Wednesday was Nathan's 11th birthday so we took it pretty easy that day....didn't get much accomplished, but didn't plan to anyway. We just made a fun day out of it!

Nathan is catching up nicely. I think he will be completely caught up by the end of next week. Today we went to the park, and while Daddy played with Kaleb and Gabriel, Nathan and I worked together on some of his lessons orally. Drake snoozed beside us. Nathan really enjoyed it so I think we'll try to do that more. We have been so blessed this week with Daddy being home so much! Makes everything so much easier! lol

Bible history has been a little difficult for him so we decided to put in away for a while. Sometimes he just needs a break and after a while, we'll jump back into it.

Math has also been a struggle...those darn fractions!! =) He finished up the chapter on fractions though this week and now he is on something much easier for him....units of measure! He is breezing through which is so good for his self esteem!

We are going to end January with a HUGE lapbook/notebook on the American colonies. We are just about ready to start the Revolutionary War so I thought a lapbook/notebook would kind of tie those early times together for Nathan.

He is still reading those Hardy boys books and loving them!! He is also finishing up a few history books on colonial times.

We decided last night that we will do a little more oral work so he isn't sitting at the table for so long. He does much better with oral than written work anyway.

After listening to him read aloud to me today, I am going to require he do more on a regular basis. He is a strong reader...as long as he is reading to himself. (I have the same problem.) We'll just spend a little more time each day to gain some strength in this area.

My four year old shocked me this week. He can easily do simple addition and subtraction!! We play little math games all the time but I have never said 1+1=2. A couple of days ago he said "guess what 2+3= Mom....5!!!" I was so excited that we sat down and went to 10 with addition and back down again with subtraction. I brought out some math materials I had waiting until he was ready, and he has been flying with them! I'm going to start a more formal math program with him way sooner than planned. I also just ordered a book on math games to keep it fun for him and Nathan.

Kaleb is still working on his phonics sounds...doing GREAT! He doesn't understand, though, that sounding out "mat" is actually reading the word. He thinks he is just making the sounds of each letter close together.

My little Gabriel man is doing well with his red cast. He hasn't complained once about it. He did ask Daddy to take it off "just for a minute" so he could take a bath. Once we explained the plastic bag trick, he was ok with leaving it on. Two more weeks!! He is such a little sponge! When I taught Kaleb to spell his name, Gabriel picked it up just as quickly as Kaleb did. The only problem is now he says "my name spells K-A-B-B-B." When I tell him how his name is really spelled, he tells me I'm wrong. =) I made up a little song for him so hopefully he'll agree soon. (to the tune of Mary Had A Little Lamb)
G-A-B-R-I-E-L, Gabriel, Gabriel
G-A-B-R-I-E-L, that spells Gabriel
I sing it to him every chance I get and he dances while I sing so he must like it! =) Tonight he told me "G says Ga!" Even picking up on Kaleb's phonics lessons!
Drake is learning how to WALK!!! My baby boy took three steps toward me yesterday and has since done it several times! He'll only go three though before plopping down to crawl.
That's our week!! Slowly but surely getting back in the swing of things! Happy weekend!!!

9 comments:

  1. Your boys are so cute!
    My oldest can sympathize with Nathan because her math is focusing a lot on fractions right now too.
    I taught each of my children to spell their names by making up songs-how cool that you have done that with Gabriel.
    You had a great week and a great first time weekly report!

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  2. Ick, I don't like fractions, either! It looks like a great week, though. Welcome to the Weekly Reporter "club."

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  3. Your boys are just adorable! Welcome to the Weekly Reporters!

    Have a nice weekend! :0)

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  4. You have a beautiful family and looks like you had a great week. Hope he can get the cast of soon. I know that so uncomfortable for him. Hopefully, two weeks will fly by quickly for him. It's so nice to e-meet you. :)

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  5. Great week! Your boys are so cute. I love how the younger ones just pick up so much from hearing the olders learning. My 4yo amazes me with what he knows just from being around.

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  6. Sounds like a great week. Welcome to weekly reporters. Good work.

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  7. Glad you had a great week. Your family is beautiful.

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  8. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
    I enjoyed reading about your week and I think I'll "steal" your name song to help my PKer Charlie with spelling his name.

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