April - what are they doing now? - Page 3

[ellemenope]

Originally Posted by hablame_today

Thank you. I'm going to go now. Tomorrow's my birthday and dh has a day off. Gotta get my chores done and get my shopping list ready.

Aw, you're a tax day baby. So is my nephew. He will be 4. Happy Birthday!

[Encinalien]

Yeah thanks lmnop. I used to think everybody hated the day I was born on, but it's really just my country. I think I'll be 31 again. Thirty-two. Why does that sound so much worse than 31?

[minkin03]

Originally Posted by eepster

There was a camera mounted on one of the landers legs that took pictures of Niel Armstrong stepping off, but they aren't as good as the ones Niel took of Buzz using the still camera.

BTW One Small Step is DS's favorite book. If she's really into the Apollo program she might be interested.

this is the photo she was referring to:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/...040c2fa9_o.jpg

[moominmamma]

Originally Posted by hablame_today

Yeah thanks lmnop. I used to think everybody hated the day I was born on, but it's really just my country. I think I'll be 31 again. Thirty-two. Why does that sound so much worse than 31?

Hey, BTDT. I'm 46. What's "worse" about being older? I'm kinda liking it so far.

Miranda

[eepster]

Originally Posted by minkin03

this is the photo she was referring to:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/...040c2fa9_o.jpg

Yeah, that one is of Buzz. The one of Neil is much fuzzier and at an odd angle, since it was a TV camera and mounted to the lander's leg.

[SkySunSea]

I love reading about all your kids - the younger ones who are doing all those things I can barely remember now..to those who just blow me away with their talents, interests and abilities. Thanks for sharing

My dd, age 10 (Just turned last month-I have been a mom for a decade now - Wow!) has been accepted into the John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth program for language/humanties and writing. I am very excited as we plan to homeschool again next year and this will be part of her curriculum. We may also apply to Davidson Young Scholars, but that will require additional testing since we don't have the test results that meet their requirements. But since we likely don't have an accurate measure of her IQ from her first WISC-IV test, she might qualify. We'll see, it looks like the program is very helpful in providing guidance for educating gifted kidlets, which we so need.

She's really into mythology and history lately. My dad (who is crazy smart) got it for her as a gift as it was what he was interested in at that age. It's hardcover - like an art/history/literature textbook for a college course (but it isn't) and she is pouring over it. She was showing me a photo of the ruins of one of Hera's temples and commenting that she thought the stone it was made out of was sandstone and that we needed to look into that. I love her varied interests, which include all the sciences (particularly biology, and even more specifically reptiles), Japanese anime, Littlest Pet Shop, mythology (all kinds), historical fiction (she has loved the Royal Diaries and Dear America series for the past year or more), and science fiction books. A current favorite SciFi book is Larklight, a "steampunk" series that I learned about when posting for book recommendations on this forum some time ago.

Thanks for letting me share. She's just a really interesting kid and I love it. A complicated, exhausting, exasperating, confusing, maddening, child...but one I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe SOME other ways, but if I had to sacrifice just one of her little sparks for an "easier" child...never!

--Sky

[eepster]

Originally Posted by minkin03

this is the photo she was referring to:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/...040c2fa9_o.jpg

DS was just looking through his book and I decided to try to find the one of Niel stepping on to the moon online. Here is the photo of Niel. As you can see it's much poorer quality, which would be why the photo of Buzz is the one that is usually used (and often incorrectly captioned.)

[minkin03]

Originally Posted by eepster

DS was just looking through his book and I decided to try to find the one of Niel stepping on to the moon online. Here is the photo of Niel. As you can see it's much poorer quality, which would be why the photo of Buzz is the one that is usually used (and often incorrectly captioned.)

i was just impressed by her ability to analyze that photo of buzz steppng off the ladder and come to the conclusion in her mind that it couldn't be the first person on the moon. it's something i never considered or questioned. lol

[mamadebug]

Originally Posted by hablame_today

Nevermind, I just made a thread. Yeah it was to teach him how to put on paper what's on his mind. How many people say " my hand won't do what my mind wants it to.". Or like spongebob says "my pencil's broke, it won't write words.". Anyway this was his first person picture. I thought he made great proportions and placements just off my description and obviously his own observations. Like why did the mouth have two bumps? I expected a straight or curvy line. I gave him a flat brush.

I came to this thread from your other thread. I want to say this as gently as possible. I have a CA teaching credential (and taught K and 1st grade), have Montessori certification and have spent a lot of time researching other educational philosophies (Waldorf, Reggio, unschooling, etc) I think you are really well intentioned. My concern is that there is more emphasis on the end product (painting a person that looks like a person) rather than the process. Walking him through things step by step actually does not promote learning in some instances (complex algebra problems - it helps, a toddler painting - it doesn't). Part of learning is figuring out how to problem solve and do it yourself. IF it is really important to HIM to create a painting of a person, part of he learning process is his struggle to figure out how to do that. Whatever he puts on paper does look like what was in his mind TO HIM.

I can tell you are really interested in supporting your child's learning process. Could you pursue this further and take some classes on early childhood ed?

[Encinalien]

are you telling me to get with the program and chose one rather than just winging it.

So many mainstream mothers do it, I'm told. Is armchair preschooling on the way to send him to mainstream public school really dangerous? In a different place if we could afford it I would seriously consider Montessori or Waldorf. As it is, this is our life.

My sister has a four year degree in early childhood education and my nephew is one month older than ds. I don't see where it's given her a huge parenting advantage any more than my independantant reading and discussions, except for her shiny new home-based daycare allowing her to stay home with dN and still make a living.

I don't want to run a daycare. My kids will be out of their early childhood before I could finish four years of college if I started now. Not to mention the cost. I might take classes. I'm thinking after I pay off the midwife I might take those Clayton online naturopathy courses. I know it's not as good as finishing medical school and then specializing in naturopathy in that school in Oregon. But that education could serve my family's medical care longer than early education would serve their educational needs. I also plan to finish studying the stock market so I can afford to take my family traveling and adventuring.

These plans take $ though. I keep having financial events happening in my life delaying these plans. I'm a new homeowner, well a trailer and a square of land. And the new baby. It's taking my trading money this year to pay a midwife, but it's worth it for the waterbirth we think.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by minkin03

i was just impressed by her ability to analyze that photo of buzz steppng off the ladder and come to the conclusion in her mind that it couldn't be the first person on the moon. it's something i never considered or questioned. lol

This is the problem with giving kids faulty data as evidence of facts. If the data used is faulty they will question the fact.

I remember, when we were learning about gas not having a fixed volume in school, the teacher blew up a balloon then let the air out saying "the air in the balloon now fills the whole room" and claimed that as evidence the gases do not have a fixed volume. I could clearly understand that the air from the balloon had not expanded to fill the room but had merely mixed together with the air already in the room. Believing this to be the only evidence that existed for the non-fixed volume of gases I was unimpressed, and questioned this belief for quite some time till I found reasonable evidence.

I think poorly set up demonstratons of scientific phenomenon, poorly written history and so forth is quite common in education in the US. That is probably a whole'nother kettle of fish though.

[no5no5]

eepster, that's awful. What I want to know is, if it's so important that people know these things, why do they hire teachers who don't understand them?

[mamadebug]

Originally Posted by hablame_today

are you telling me to get with the program and chose one rather than just winging it.

So many mainstream mothers do it, I'm told. Is armchair preschooling on the way to send him to mainstream public school really dangerous? In a different place if we could afford it I would seriously consider Montessori or Waldorf. As it is, this is our life.

My sister has a four year degree in early childhood education and my nephew is one month older than ds. I don't see where it's given her a huge parenting advantage any more than my independantant reading and discussions, except for her shiny new home-based daycare allowing her to stay home with dN and still make a living.

I don't want to run a daycare. My kids will be out of their early childhood before I could finish four years of college if I started now. Not to mention the cost. I might take classes. I'm thinking after I pay off the midwife I might take those Clayton online naturopathy courses. I know it's not as good as finishing medical school and then specializing in naturopathy in that school in Oregon. But that education could serve my family's medical care longer than early education would serve their educational needs. I also plan to finish studying the stock market so I can afford to take my family traveling and adventuring.

These plans take $ though. I keep having financial events happening in my life delaying these plans. I'm a new homeowner, well a trailer and a square of land. And the new baby. It's taking my trading money this year to pay a midwife, but it's worth it for the waterbirth we think.

I was suggesting that taking some classes might give you more insight into child development, how brain development works, effective teaching practices, etc. You can take many of these classes online through a community college at very low cost if money/time are an issue for you.

[physmom]

DD has been more and more interested in reading lately. She knows a number of her letters and can sign some of her numbers too (I think she's also trying to finger spell but it looks pretty jumbled at this point). She also has a few sight words and will sign or do the action for the word when she sees it (sometimes she'll say the word, though). I have to admit it's totally freaking me out! But what can I do but sit back and enjoy the ride, right? She's also obsessed with writing/drawing and wants to spend the entire day with our dry erase board. I have to admit I'm getting pretty bored with it and keep trying to distract her (unfortunately, i can't give her complete free range by herself because otherwise our floor/walls would have many wonderfully beautiful o's and l's on them!), I wish the weather was a bit better so going to the playground would be an option!

Besides that she's communicating so much more and is talking/signing up a storm (although her signing is still light-years ahead of her talking). She's starting to tell us more when she's upset/needs something and today she was sad because I wouldn't turn the TV on so she did the sign for crying instead of crying.

Oh, and I made the mistake of showing her some finger/toe plays like Itsy Bitsy spider/head shoulders knees and toes, etc. yesterday and she become so crazy about them that I ended up having to sing them the whole day! She's one obsessive little girl.

We had a pediatrician visit recently too and she said she's never seen anyone like DD and that we should really start thinking about child-led learning for her because a traditional school probably wouldn't be a good fit. We were already thinking of going the free school/unschooling route but it's nice to hear some confirmation of that, you know?

[ellemenope]

Originally Posted by physmom

She's starting to tell us more when she's upset/needs something and today she was sad because I wouldn't turn the TV on so she did the sign for crying instead of crying.

This reminds me of my DD. She used to say, "baby cry," when she got upset. She'd make an authentic pucker face and keep saying that as if it was a threat! Then she'd let loose the waterworks.

I miss that. Thanks for reminding me of this. Your DD sounds amazing. What fun!

[physmom]

Originally Posted by ellemenope

This reminds me of my DD. She used to say, "baby cry," when she got upset. She'd make an authentic pucker face and keep saying that as if it was a threat! Then she'd let loose the waterworks.

I miss that. Thanks for reminding me of this. Your DD sounds amazing. What fun!

Thanks! And that's adorable!! I love the little sad faces they make!

That reminds me of something else DD has picked up. We have one of those cloth activity books for her called "My Quiet Book" and it has different facial expressions in it. Whenever she'd hand me one I used to make a face and say the name of the expression. Anyways, now she does the same. If you say "make your angry/surprise/happy face" she'll make that face and it's so cute. I wish I could bottle up some of these moments...

[Violet2]

Well poo. I was looking for this thread and didn't see it so I started my own.

Sorry about that!

DD is starting to read. She amazes me.

I have a feeling I'll be over here more. She's starting to show some perfectionist tendencies. She gets frustrated that she can't draw as well as momma. So I try to show her how I put shapes together to create animals or whatnot, but her motor skill aren't there. So then I emphasize that this is art and her art is hers and mine is mine and they are both beautiful

Sometimes she will accept that. Other times she tantrums. But when she draws she is making pictures of things (that don't look like anything but they represent something to her).


V

[MJB]

Violet, I love that stage! They learn so fast it's just amazing.

Luka is reading Charlotte's Web. He read me a chapter this morning and didn't miss a word. At this pace he'll be reading everything by the time he starts K in August. Yikes. Right now he's on the couch devouring a Magic Tree House book.
He wanted to try a math workbook yesterday (we homeschooled my oldest for K so we have a shelf of workbooks.... most that were never used ). The math was easy for him (4+2, etc) but he got extremely frustrated trying to write neat numbers. I'm definitely seeing perfectionist tendencies lately which I thought he'd overcome. He also seems to be more emotional in general which is understandable considering that in the next 4 mos. he is graduating from preschool (he's been with the same teacher and classmates for the 3s and 4s classes), we're moving out of state, having a new baby, and he's starting kindergarten.

[daytripper75]

Originally Posted by eepster

DS has been interested in math lately. It's one of the ways I can get him to work on his pencil grip. He is also currently obsessed with mazes.

http://www.mindwareonline.com/MWESTORE/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={0828d1b5-eab3-4610-82fa-daec653a3591}

These look nice!

[Tanikit]

My DD (2.75yrs) started school four mornings a week this month and it has caused some strain in our family - she picks up on everything there and its not all positive. She's well into the terrible twos and has been very bossy. We are also hearing things like: "I am feeling queasy Mummy, I might vomit, I need to get out of bed." - Anything not to go to bed at the right time. She has also developed quite a temper lately and because she has the vocabulary can put her mother down quite nicely (make sme laugh occassionally and then I get "don't talk or laugh about me." (Sorry babes)

But despite all these changes, she is advancing nonetheless and is doing 48 piece puzzles with very little help, trying to write and now wants to do maths. Her counting has improved a lot and she can go past twenty now (not sure how far since she gets bored after about 24) Her reading has come on nicely and she seems to be getting the blending lately so can work out some easy words by herself now. She tells stories all the time and the stories are far more advanced now - with beginning, middle and end and they seem to have more of a point now. Physically she has also advanced and wants to do things that scare me "all by myself" or "on my own" - like climbing up slides that are taller than a one storey building all by herself dragging her toy elephant behind her.

We are going to start a literature based homeschooling curriculum with her soon mainly because her school seems devoid of books and she is keen on hearing stories.