Book Learnin'

A picture of the cake! A few days late due to illness but fun nevertheless. (There were 4 candles, one is hiding.)

But enough birthday talk - let's talk school!  At Zoe's first evaluation in early December the teacher told me that Zoe is pretty much right in the middle of the pack academically.  However, she is the most polite little girl, a friend to everyone in class (including the special needs children that are mainstreamed for part of the day with her class) and a little diplomat that helps other children work out their scuffles.  That made my heart soar!

But I still want to improve those "grades."  Well, there are no grades until third grade.  Each skill is marked with a B(eginning to develop), D(eveloping at this time) or P(roficient level at this time).

Here we are working on tens and ones with the help of Hannah's duplos!

I think Zoe is a little frustrated that her friends are reading chapter books (like Junie B. Jones and Captain Underpants) and they are above her level.  Luckily our local librarian helped me find some "junior" chapter books that have the look and feel of chapter books but are at her level.  Our other problem is fatigue.  She is just so tired after school and her reading suffers.  (She reads better for me on the weekends.)  The internet told me that using a glass marble to highlight the words can be fun and keep a child's attention.  It does!

Hannah is really making strides in preschool!  She couldn't even hold a pencil in September and now she can write her name and numbers.  (And yes that is *my* diet Dr. Pepper that I put down to take the picture!)

My favorite is when this happens:

On this day Hannah and I were working together.  "Ww.  Ww.  Scarecrow?  Moon?  Mommy, there is no Ww sound."  I think its a witch Hannah.  "No, its a scarecrow.  See the hair and the nose..."  She's got a point.

Arts and crafts - more internet inspiration.  We made little heart stencils and used pencil erasers for stamps. 

Finished product (and proof that no one believes in candy anymore - these kids have tons of Halloween, Christmas and Valentines pencils.  But now I don't have to sharpen them because we have re-purposed them as stamps!)

After Christmas I bought the girls this awesome doll house!  We set it up where the Christmas tree was in the living room with the rule that all of their dolls have to be tucked in the bin behind the house at the end of the day.  So far so good!  In fact Zoe has been waking up in the mornings and just playing happily by herself.

Hannah likes the house but also likes to set up her corral in the front yard.

Mommy, who is bigger?!?  It's close...

 (Our vet says that though Davey could stand to lose 1-2 lbs, he really is just a big cat.)