Milestones

Sutton Grace has begun what will be a series of milestones. She has started on solids. She will eat peas. We had some pureed peas tonight, and she got them down pretty good. She is working on that tongue movement to get the food down her throat and not out her mouth. She is beginning to sit on her own. I still have her propped up with something or my hand. She isn't there yet, but soon. And today, she started shacking her head "No". It was so funny when she started doing it. We were at lunch and I looked over at her to talk to her and she shook her head. I laughed so she did it again. Later I looked at her and shook my head and she did the same. *sigh* She is growing up so fast. It makes me so sad that her Daddy is missing all this.
Ella is learning how to read! She can already sound out and read several words. It amazes me! To go from a little girl who couldn't recognize the letters of the alphabet to reading in a matter of a few months is awesome. She really loves to learn and I hope to foster that love of learning. I am doing my planning for next year. I have in mind most of my curriculum I want to use. I am still learning this homeschooling thing and at times I get so overwhelmed by it all. It helps me to read blogs of other women who homeschool also. I get so much information and so many ideas. Like one lady, to help her kids learn classical pieces of art (these are young children, the same age as mine), she hangs a poster size piece of art up in the home for a week. They ask questions, they can try to replicate it, or whatever. I think that is a really good idea to introduce the classics to young kids. One thing that has helped me stay on track to make sure Ella is learning all she needs to know was getting on the Anchorage school district website and printing off the kindergarten curriculum. I have checked off everything she knows well and circled what we haven't covered or things we still need to work on. To my surprise, we have learned a lot this year and I didn't even realize it. I have the 1st grade printed off too to help me select curriculum for next year. Ella expressed interest today in sign language, so I told her we could incorporate that in her schooling. So, we are going to start with the alphabet. If anyone (Becky) has any book suggestions for learning American Sign Language, they would be greatly appreciated. Over all, I am really excited about school next year. We have a lot of things planned. I am slowly getting my confidence up as a homeschooling mom...it has been a year full of doubts and going back and forth, but it has been one blessed year.
Olivia isn't left out of this school thing either. Where I "failed" in teaching Ella early one, I am starting with Olivia. She use to know her colors and shapes at a very young age and somewhere around the age of 3 didn't know them anymore. We have picked that back up. She is very good at both of those. School for her is more playtime than anything and that is the way it should be. But, since Ella has some workbooks, Olivia wanted some too. We have a time to do her workbooks. It is usually when Ella is on the computer playing a learning game. If she seems up to it and willing to work at it, I am going to start teaching Olivia to read when she turns 4. I tried doing it with her now, but she doesn't care. Which is fine...she is only 3!

---
In other news, we are getting ready for our trip back to the south. While I am excited to see family and friends, the thought of making this trip makes me physically ill. 3 kids by myself is not fun, coupled with the fear of flying...ok...I have to stop, my stomach is flipping. I don't do this over things ever, but this just doesn't sit well with me one bit. If it didn't take so long to drive, I would drive.