My Five Year Old

Why is it when kids get to be so much fun--we send them off to school? Five is such a great age--they can actually carry on a real conversation with you, they have great memories, and they are just so much fun to hang out with! Then we send them to school--well this five year old is such a sponge--he soaks up all information quickly! He even knows how to remember big words. He just repeats them to himself over and over again until he remembers them. He loves math, outer-space, running, swimming, smiling and exploring in mud. What a great kid! He wants to be a gymnastic coach and a swimmer when he grows up. With his great mind, he'll probably do great because he will understand the physics behind every single swimming stroke and tumble.

Last night when his brother was annoying him. He goes, I'm nicer to Luke than he is to me, isn't that right Mama. At the precise moment that was true. He loves his brother so much.

As soon as we noticed that GG was not up to speed on her speech and interaction with others, I asked the boys to help me out, talk to her, play with her more. My five year old went right into action. One night after preschool he brings a photograph home. He goes into her room and says, "Miss GG here is a picture of me and Miss Kris." He has continually included her, played with her, talked to her. I am proud that he is such a great big brother. Wow--what a kid!

My Little Girl

Here are some nice shots of GG. She is doing great! We have her in speech therapy and she also works with a developmental delay therapist. We are still waiting for Occupational Therapy. Hopefully once that gets started it will help her with her sensory issues.

She is amazing during therapy: she is always trying really hard to use form her words correctly. Even at home, when I work with her, you can tell she is really concentrating. I think once her sensory issues work out we are going to notice what a silly, bright, funny girl she is. She is already teasing me with colors--trying to say that green is purple--what a tease.

This is her last week at her preschool. I think that preschool/daycare was absolutely amazing for her. It gave her something that I couldn't give her at home: a structured schedule and wonderful girls her own age. It has truly been a blessing in our lives that we found such a wonderful place for her! I am so sad to have it end for her, but I know with crazy summer comings and goings it wouldn't really work out to drive her to and from the facility.

It is hard to go to those meetings and have people say what is wrong with your child, but at the same time without their input, we wouldn't have seen her growth! We have two more meetings to go to with the public school to see if she is eligible for the preschool program. They have one program that really concentrates on language development--which would be wonderful for her.

She still kicks us out of her room when she needs alone time, saying bye over and over again. She continues to love to dance, sing, and watch Backyardigans. She also loves water, and she is quite the daredevil on our slip and slide (which we now need to replace.) What a fun child to have in our lives! We are truly blessed with this little girl!

To Blog or not to Blog, that is the question!

It seems as if most of my blogging friends have left the blogging world--along with me. So I'm wondering if I want to continue to blog or not to blog. Any thoughts--that is if anyone still blogs!

I met Seymour Simon

This might not be as exciting to you as it is to me, but it was wonderful. He was warm, gracious, and loved hearing how his books inspired children. We had just read three of his books in my second grade class--it was so much fun!

To learn more about him go and visit him!

I still am creative, even at the end

With Two Days to Go, I wrote this song--in hopes that my kids would actually learn how to make these words into plurals!

Really Hard Plurals

Sung to Oh Do You Know the Muffin Man

by Kaylynn Spencer

Oh do you know how to make plurals, how to make plurals, how to make plurals. Oh do you know how to make plurals with the really really hard words.

You change the f to ves, ves, ves. You change the f to ves except when it’s double f.

You add es to ch, sh, x, ch, sh, x, ch, sh x.

You add es to ch, sh, x, that will make it plural.

Oh, when do I change the y to i, the y to i, the y to i?

Oh, when do I change the y to i, it is hard to know.

Words that end in consonant y, consonant y, consonant y,

Words that end in consonant y, it changes to an ies.

Words that end in a vowel and a y, vowel and a y, vowel and a y,

Words that end in a vowel and a y, you just add an s.

Oh do you know how to make plurals, how to make plurals, how to make plurals. Oh do you know how to make plurals with the really really hard words.

Nearing the end!

Student teaching is almost over--it's hard to believe. I only have 8 days of teaching the kids--8 days. I will miss those kids ever so much! It has been a great experience--a very tiring experience, but a great experience.

The only frustrating part now is Illinois! Did you know that they aren't funding their schools. Almost every school in the state is in the red--why--Illinois can't pay their bills. So it will be a challenge to find a job. One thing I don't like doing--finding a job. The last two jobs just sort of fell into my lap--when I went for the interview they just handed me the textbooks and poof I was hired. I don't think it will be that easy.

I guess, I just need to be stretched again--going to school and being a full time mom was comfortable. I enjoyed the balance of being able to take care of my kids and keep my mind stimulated. I miss that balance--I need to find it again. I will, I do. Somethings that help me and will continue to help me:

1. Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
2. Reading my Scriptures
3. Prayer!
   
4. Being home for bedtime every night!
5. Mommy and me time with the boys!
6. Playing with my kids!
7. Talking with my husband!
   

My oldest son sometimes has a hard time with the amount of time I spend away from home--well they all do! On Sunday I reminded him of why I am doing this:

1. Our back up plan if Mike ever gets sick, hurt, or otherwise wouldn't be able to support our family. (didn't seem to persuade him)
2. Explaining to him that not all children are as lucky as he is. Not everyone has as nice a mommy as he does. Those kids need to have someone who is caring in the classroom. (He seemed to understand)
3. This is what Heavenly Father wants me to do. (He seemed to calm down and accept his difficult situation.)

One thing that is nice about the spirit--it won't confirm to a child something that isn't true. He knows this is what the Lord wants for me--this is helps!

What I will miss:

1. Seeing the face light up when you give him the love and support he doesn't get at home.
2. Watching a kid catch on fire to a lesson that has never caught on fire before!
3. Getting ideas to help kids to learn everything.
4. My 2nd grade kids--yes they are mine now!

What I won't miss:

1. Waking up in the middle of the night to get things done.
2. Being away from my kids.
   
3. Monday night seminar (I have four more of those--it doesn't seem right.)
4. The daily drop off and pick up to babysitters.
   

8 days to go--I hope to make every day better than the day before!

Rotation Song

Rotation sung to Frere Jacques

Rotation, Rotation
It's how the earth spins, it's how the earth spins.
It changes from night to day, it changes from night to day.
And day to night, and day to night.

On its Axis, on its Axis
It spins like a top, its spins like a top
It always moves to the left, it always moves to the left.
And it tilts, and it tilts.