School Days - November Progress Report

There are times I worry that we are not doing enough "school", then I realize they are still speeding through our curriculum and we are about a quarter of the way through (I was planning on stretching it out over a year and a half to two years). All three girls are also learning so much right now, that I do not doubt they are getting a great education.

So, just to recap what we have been learning:
We have been reading about Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. In our Thursday Bible Study, their lessons have conveniently followed similarly and today their story was of Joshua and Jericho. They have also learned 8-10 Bible verses so far.

In science we have watched plants grow from seeds, talked about flowers, discovered what happens if a leaf doesn't get sunlight and/or water, and talked some about photosynthesis.

Jael is adding and subtracting single digits in math. She has also figured out adding 3 numbers on her own and can figure out the missing number in a number sentence.
Tekla is counting items in a set, counting out items from a group and working on number recognition in math. She has also been matching like items.
Saoirse is learning to hold up fingers when Mommy starts our countdowns and is learning to put things away (kinda).

Jael is doing great at reading and likes to read to her sisters. She is a good speller and does very well when quizzed at the end of the week. Her handwriting is also very nice and she loves to write letters to people, and make lists for Mommy.
Tekla is starting to sound out 3 letter words and is now able to write her name very legibly (that darn k has been the hardest letter to learn though). She also likes to play Sight Word Bingo with Jael and match the word drawn to the word on her card.
Saoirse is enjoying emptying the bookshelves and pointing to various picture in the books. Her favorite book right now is a book about animals as she is learning many animal signs/noises. She is also learning that pages tear if you pull them just right.

Jael is loving ballet lessons on Tuesdays, and often practices her jumps and pointing all around the house.
Tekla is practicing jumping with 2 feet and running.
Saoirse I trying to learn to jump and loves to get on the trampoline and pump her arms up and down. Saoirse has also started dancing with her sisters, swaying, spinning and kicking her legs in the air.

We are currently reading Mary Poppins as a read aloud. Other books we have recently read include: Johnny Appleseed, The Hundred Dresses, The Last of the Great Wangdoodles, Elmer and his Dragon, Autumn with the Moodys, and a few others I can't remember right now.

Jael and Tekla are also learning to be great helpers. Since Mommy is starting to slow down more and more due to the coming addition, they have done more to help with laundry and cooking and enjoy being such "big kids". (Saoirse is still trying to figure out what is going on).

I'm sure I'm missing several things that they have learned recently, but I don't think I could list it all if I tried!

Next step in reading

The other night I had to tell the girls I was just too tiered to read. Jael asked if she could give it a try so I said sure. She read the first two pargraphs fairly well, before stoping. I told Daddy about it later and he decided to get her some chapter books of her own. He got her the first 8 Magic Tree house books and she dove right in. She was so excited that through the first chapter she kept running up to me to give reports about what is going on in the book. It is so great to see her excited about the books.

Creative writing - September

How to make a peanutbutter sandwich - By Jael
Take two peices of bread and take some peanutbutter with a knife. Spread the peanutbutter on one peice of bread. Put the other peice of bread on top. Eat it with your hands.


The day I was two inches tall - Tekla
I would eat tiny cereal. It is called Cheerios. I would eat with my hands.

*She informed me that if you are two inches tall you do not have allergies.

Diamond Mud

While we were at the diamond mind, there was an aspiring photographer who asked permission to take pictures of Jael and Tekla (Saoirse and I had already left). He just sent us the copies and I just had to share some!

Make a joyful noise?

Tekla started singing while upstairs in the bathroom. Then she continued as she came down. Then it continued. Daddy got the camera and it continued. Daddy stopped filming and it continued. It only stopped when Mommy started watching what Daddy had filmed.
If you look behind her you will also see the trampoline that we got the girls to help them burn extra energy when Mommy can't take them out. We have been amazed that this little one who had gross motor delays so early on can jump longer than her sisters(maybe not as hight but longer).

Crator of Diamonds State Park

(Text will come when I get the notebook out of the car:)

Ballarina Girl

Jael has been soooo excited to start ballet classes. She has a nice size class of 4 girls. After her first class, all she had to say is, "When do I get to go on stage?" Later she decided she wanted to wait till spring to make her stage debut instead of participating in the Nutcracker this winter.