Teaching reading

Home education here is going well. We have our moments, of course. The grass thing and the color green and all that. But I’m in this for the long haul (read: I’m not a quitter).

Anyway, now I’m teaching Edmund to read. He’s four years and a bit. I taught Susan when she turned six with the same book that Peter is now using. Peter will be seven next month, it’s taken him longer to read that Susan did, but she was a different child. Susan was spelling her name and simple words at three. Peter was never interested, I never pushed, so it’s taking him longer.

This time I’ve decided to do it differently with Edmund. He’s my little experiment, so to speak. He’s now willing to sit for the lessons, he asks to do it, he’s having fun and he’s retaining what he learned, so I’m taking advantage.

Soon enough it will be Lucy sitting with me for phonics lessons. Already she is looking like a promising student. She has excellent pencil holding skills – it’s illegible toddler scribble, but she’s got the grip down perfectly. Like I said before, no more baby.

Counting

A big comfy couch, frivolous TV and no distractions. It’s all mine in 30 minutes.

Doc is at the church men’s ministry meeting, the kids are flopped in front of Fairly Odd Parents. Naturally I’m with the Dell. No dinner cooking for me tonight. For the tribe, it was peanut butter and crackers followed by a big bowl of ice cream for the big kids; Oreo cookies for the toddler. No, I don’t normally feed them this for dinner, only on the days the sofa calls for me. It’s been a long, full day

That’s the benefit of men’s ministry. They get Doc well-fed at the meeting and I can get by with quicky food for the hobbits. I used to like cooking, but all the complaining about food they couldn’t recognize, I just decided to give up on fancy recipes unti they are older.

Once that magic hour of bedtime is here, I’m popping a Stoffer’s French bread pizza in the oven. Stacy and Clinton are my companions at 9 pm. Ah. I love having the TV to myself.

Can you believe Doc doesn’t like What Not to Wear?

As of this afternoon, we are on our second week-long break from home schooling. The first six weeks have gone well; I like my new plan of three weeks on followed by one week off.

Tonight is also the Christian homeschooler’s support group meeting. As of Monday, I was going with all the kids in tow. Then I figured out no babysitting was offered tonight because it’s Family Spelling Bee night. Since I only have one solid speller – and I’m not too keen on public embarrassment – I decided to skip.

So it’s just me and the frozen pizza.

I wonder if anyone has ever live-blogged WNTW before?