It is such a joy being with my children. Of course there's moments of frustration when James continuously demands things of me in the loudest inside voice you've ever heard, but overall? Enjoyment. I'm enjoying Ella. She's precious and amazing. At the very beginning of the summer she started having me make her a list of things to do during the day. I don't know how long she will enjoy this, but for now, it is the best tool for keeping me on track in making sure we spend our time doing the things I really want to do with her. Without discipline the time can slip by so easily.
With our list to guide us we're making time for school work. I bought a first grade workbook at Wal-Mart for us to use this summer. So far it's helped her stay fresh with skills she learned in Kindergarten, and I got to teach her what a noun was. The thrilling journey into the world of grammar begins. I love teaching my kids things they never knew before. (One day I'll tell her she shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition as I just did.)
I've been paying close attention to what she does in gymnastics class and helping her practice at home, doing the crab walk and hanging on the pull-up bar to increase her upper arm strength. She's been reading and helping clean-up around the house. And most of the time, she exercises a lot of patience with her little brother, who wants to do EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING she does.
And this kid...he very nearly single-handedly taught himself how to navigate the Preschool Disney website. He had no real instruction but pulls up games and videos like he's been using the internet since 1998. When Ella was first given the privilege of playing computer games, she always asked. This child claims his turn at the computer whenever he sees the desk chair empty, no permission asked. We'll work on that.
He doesn't have a list of things to do, but he's been learning necessary life-skills through various outings, such as staying in one general area, coming when called, whispering in the library, holding hands in parking lots. He also made the transition from the crib to a toddler bed two weeks ago, and it was like nothing even happened. I couldn't believe it. I thought he'd be up and out of there like nobody's business, but he doesn't even get up when he wakes up from naps. I hear him and open the door to his room before he'll get out of his bed. I feel like this is a miracle.
And yesterday? Yesterday I decided to let him spend the day in underwear and work on potty-training, and he did it. He did it. From 10:15-8 p.m. when we got him ready for bed he kept those underwear dry and actually told us ahead of time when he needed to go to the bathroom. It was another miracle.
Happy summer, indeed.
Sounds wonderful! Kind of makes me miss when mine were that age, but mostly just because I'd love to scoop 'em up and snuggle them in my lap.
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