So things have been going pretty good. Report Day this past Wednesday was wonderful. Like I said in my last post, we had our local weatherman come and talk to the kids and it was very interesting. He was great with them and made it rather interesting (even to the parents!). He talked with all the kids for about 20 minutes and then the little ones went outside to play while he went into more detail with the older kids. At one point he asked the kids how far away the sun was from the Earth and everyone was shouting out all these numbers. All of a sudden I hear my little Brenna's voice, "One hundred million miles!!!" He looked at Brenna with a huge smile and said, "You are very close!" (the sun is actually 93 million miles away). She just beamed and I was so proud of her (ok, so maybe it was a total fluke that she got it pretty much right BUT we have read this book about space quite a few times so maybe she remembered?? who knows.....) Anyway, Brenna and the kids from her co-op class also got up and did a little song, "Ten Little Indians", with their headdresses and necklaces that they made. It was adorable. Brendon came and was able to see her do it and met some of the families. He said he was pretty impressed by the number of people there. I guess he pictured it as somewhat small. I think we have about 80 people (kids and Moms) in our homeschool group. I have made friends with quite a few of them but have really 'clicked' with one. We sit together at all the get togethers and today we met at the park with the kids (she has 3 kids - 8, 6 and 1). Brenna and her kids get along so good! I finally took my camera to Report Day so I have few pictures....
This Wedneday we are taking a field trip with the homeschool group to the firestation. When I worked at St. Alban's I went with the 4 year old class and had a GREAT time so I am looking forward to it. I think Brenna will have a good time. I'll post some pictures of it next time I get on here.
So as most of you know, I am my Grandpa's caretaker and work for a home health care agency. Brenna and I go to my Grandparent's house Monday through Friday for a few hours a day. About once a month a nurse from the agency comes to the house and updates Grandpa's records and makes sure that he is doing okay. The nurse that comes, Dan, is so nice and just wonderful with Brenna. Every time he comes Brenna gets her doctor stuff that my Grandma bought her and 'helps' Dan with Grandpa. So Dan came to the house today and Brenna was ready with all of her things. She pulls her little wooden chair right next to his and is so serious and listens to everything he says (I swear that she is going to grow up to become a doctor!). I really wish that I would have had my camera today. She helped Dan listen to Grandpa's chest, gave him a pretend shot and took his temperature. Dan even let Brenna check his blood sugar! He pricked his finger and she put the test strip up to the blood and held it there until it read it. She stood there so serious looking waiting until the results came up and told Dan what his blood sugar was. Whenever he talks to us about Grandpa she just sits there and really listens and pays attention to everything. I told Grandma today that THIS is the stuff that I love about homeschooling - the real life things. If she would be going to school everyday then she wouldn't be there for things like that. I just think it is awesome for my daughter to learn that way and to be so involved in things like that. I have read so much about how great it is for children to go to nursing homes and to spend time with people who need to be 'taken care of'. It teaches them empathy and caring. I really try to involve Brenna in things when I go over there. I fix my Grandpa's lunch everyday and she is in charge is taking Papa his insulin shot and his drink. It is minor things but it teaches her responsibilty and for helping and caring for somebody else. I really am so grateful that she gets to spend so much time with her Great Grandparents. And my Grandma spoils that heck out of her so she loves it too! LOL :)
Anyway, Brenna and I have been having a lot of fun with school too. Right now we are working on telling time. She is doing so great with it. We are just concentrating on the hours and half hours. She has pretty much mastered that so soon we will be starting on the quarters (4:15, 5:45, ect...). We have also been learning about putting things in alphabetical order. Today we went around the house and she made a list of things and then we sat at the table and put our list in alphabetical order. We talked about when you would use that (like doctors filing charts, the phone book, dictionary, ect...) and how important it is. She got a 'real life' lesson today (I LOVE those!!!) when Dan (Grandpa's nurse) was looking up a medication in his book. I asked her how she thought he would find it quickly and she said because they were all in alphabetical order. What a proud Mom I was! :)
I was talking to my friend, Michelle, today at the park (the Mom from my homeschool group) and she told me that the most thing that she loved about homeschooling was being the one to teach her kids things and seeing them retain that information and actually USE it. It really is the most rewarding thing in the whole world.
1 comment:
Brenna -
Did you know that YOU are "part" Indian?? Grandpa Kim has some of that "Kimbosawbe" blood in him - enjoy the holiday! Hugs to you!
Grandma Dawnie -
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