July/August 2011 What are they doing now? - Page 2

[ellemenope]

Originally Posted by no5no5 

It's been a while since I've been around, and it does look like we've had some changes in who our regular posters are.  I hope the old crowd is doing well.  And welcome, of course, to our new members.  :)

DD1 (5 yo) has been super busy all summer with dance, swimming, and soccer.  Yikes!  But the big news is DD2, who showed up last week and has been running our lives ever since.  We are also very excited to start homeschooling officially this fall.  DD1 is enamored of the idea of having class schedules and being taught things, so it'll be a change from unschooling (what we've done so far).  We'll see how long that lasts.  ;)

What wonderful news!  Congratulations!  I had been thinking about you.

I don't have much to report this month.  We are extremely busy.  It has been awhile since DD (turned three last month) has done anything to make our jaw drop like when she memorized all 44 presidents in order. She still loves learning more and more about them, though. She did make up a song today which consisted of reciting the months of the year, the days of the week, and then counting up to 100.  Also, the other day at Hanna Anderrson she counted the marbles on the wall all the way up to 45, as in she actually counted them.  Um, she loves her new balance bike.  (Kind of related: the first time we put the helmet on her, she quipped, "Oh, great, now I am a Pachycephalsaurus." I had to think a bit before I got it, but it does make a lot of sense.)   She also continues to be able to read so many words, like way over 100, that we spell out aurally either by memory or sounding it out.  I really don't know what to think about this skill.  And, she is reciting really long books (think: Shrek by William Steig, very very funny to hear just randomly coming out of a three year old during play.)   

[pranava]

After almost zero interest in coloring, drawing, or writing, DS(28 months) is all the sudden so excited to write letters - and he's pretty good at it too.  He's getting better and better at sounding out words and is counting objects into the 20's.  What's most fun though is his new found imagination.  He did simple imaginary play before, but now the scenarios are getting more complex and interesting :)  Oh, and he's also become an expert arguer.  Distraction and redirection are utterly futile!  His reasoning ability is pretty good though, so we are able to cut deals and compromise and explain how things could be to his benefit. 

[Rlin]

DS (3y) started Kindergarten last week! In Germany they have 3 years of Kindergarten, and the last year is called Vorschule (=pre school).

The first week went really well, minimum amount of crying, he loves his (male) teacher and he really likes one of the girls in his group. This week went less smooth, crying at drop-off (which ruins my day basically), but his teacher told me he really is doing fine when they're playing, he just struggles a bit when he has to go with the program. Eating, brushing teeth, etc. To be honest, that is the same at home. But still I hate to see my little guy crying. I'll start working again next weekend, so we just have to get through this. Him and me...

He is by far one of the youngest in his group, after two playdates at Kindergarten over summer and talking with a few teachers, they decided to put him in a group with kids almost turning 4y, so almost a year ahead of him. This week DS decided that he wants to try to learn to read again, and when he really concentrates he manages to string letters together and read words.. But he still prefers me to read to him of course and he will ask constantly "where are you now, what words are your reading now". His Kindergartenteacher commented that DS is very intelligent and that he asks information non-stop. Uhm..yes, we knew that. DS has already memorised all the kids names (and a lot of the teachers as well), and has been analysing the social structure of the group in detail over the weekend.

And now I'm killing some time before I can pick him up. Next week I'll probably be too busy to miss him this much. I guess I'm struggling with letting go just as much as DS is.

[Tigerle]

Originally Posted by no5no5 

DD1 (5 yo) has been super busy all summer with dance, swimming, and soccer.  Yikes!  But the big news is DD2, who showed up last week and has been running our lives ever since.  We are also very excited to start homeschooling officially this fall.  DD1 is enamored of the idea of having class schedules and being taught things, so it'll be a change from unschooling (what we've done so far).  We'll see how long that lasts.  ;)

Congratulations! I am very happy for you.

[Tigerle]

Major meltdown tonight. DS decided that we were not to make any more babies because our house isn't big enough for another - sadly, he's actually right but I pointed out we were planning to move into a bigger house in a few years anyway, so he insisted we should wait until the move. When I explained I might be too old for another baby at that time he suggested we could just as well be grandparents right away and he could make a baby with DD. Meltdown occurred when I explained he wasn't allowed, no not even when they were grownups, no not even if there were no other woman ever he wanted to make a baby with. This took a while, however compared to the death fears meltdowns for the last couple of years this one was a piece of cake -  thanks to loracx I know now how to free him from worrying about things he isn't old enough to worry about, by telling him sternly he wasn't to even think about making babies for at least another ten years, after he'd been to school and to university and had a paid job.

I do not know what the connection of those wild worries to giftedness is, only that whenever I tell these stories IRL to other parents I usually draw a blank.

Apart from still being much more tantrumy and whiny than I would expect an almost 5yo who looks six and sounds seven to be (and still mouthing everything in sight), he is actually back to his little conversational and interesting self that he used to be before our ASD scare this winter. No more aggressive explosions. No more hair-pulling or tics. He will, from time to time, follow directions! We get asked to playdates again. He is being a kind and thoughtful brother to DD, hardly ever yelling at her or hitting her, showing her stuff, teaching her how to bang on the piano or the drums...it is really heartwarming to see how they are really beginning to enjoy each other. I am so looking forward to our vacation when we will be spending so much time together as a family seeing and learning new things.

He did some days of music day camp at the local Bach festival and loved it, though as expected, the stuff he was most interested in were the handcrafting of instruments, the guided tour of the historic organ (lots of organ mechanics drawing resulting) and the music-o-meter made from concentric paper rings thumbtacked together to show whether a musical pice was slow or fast, high or low, sad or happy....DH says that in our not-so-serious parenting contest trying to turn him into either a technician/engineer/visual artist or a musician/linguist/literature lover he is definitely winning out, but pointed out that I have another chance with DD, who really reacts amazingly to music, looks more coordinated bangning on the glockenspiel than DS looked at three and LOVES books - well the fiction/non-fiction divide isn't really there yet in th books for this age group...with DS I have all but given up on fiction. However, he is probably going to start violin lessons in fall and I am planning to send him to the village children's choir, too. Again and again, i find that I cannot teach him music or languages, but he learns very well whatever DH has to teach him in the science/engineering/drawing department. they had a blast launching the DIY rocket I gave DH for his birthday in the fields next to my parents' house!

He is slated to start the pullout K program at his preschool in fall, as recommended by the teachers. Another indication that for the moment, we do not need to worry about his behaviour. Also means that I have to get serious about getting my ducks in a row for elementary school choices, starting in first grade where I live. Might be a more pleasant chore now that I do not have to worry so much.

DD is so different to the way DS was at the age, it is really driving it home that he was somewhat delayed in his first year. Sitting, standing, talking, waving, pointing, playing with other kids...it's all there in a way it was a long time coming with DS at the time (oh, but how I wish she'd eat the way he did, instead of reversing to almost full-time nursing at the moment...). Well DS' talking at least took off fast after a year. I do hope she takes off soon, I can't wait to actually have a conversation with her.

[loraxc]

thanks to loracx I know now how to free him from worrying about things he isn't old enough to worry about, by telling him sternly he wasn't to even think about making babies for at least another ten years, after he'd been to school and to university and had a paid job.

Aw, I'm glad this has helped you. It has helped us a ton.

I am posting to brag--DH just forwarded me an email from a coworker who is the director of DD's current camp.

"I just want to tell you how awesome (DD) is. She is so perceptive, articulate and sweet! You and (myname) have done a tremendous job so far."



It's so lovely to get unsolicited nice feedback about her. I worry about her so.

[mum3xs]

account deleted by user

Edited by mum3xs - 1/30/12 at 7:49am

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by mum3xs 

Ha, yes, I am a lurker off and on, when I have the time to sit and read.  Summer is wrapping up, but here's a partial list of some of the neat things my 3 homeschoolers have been up to:

Glad that you de-lurked, it sounds like your dc are some very cool activities! Regarding Twilight, your DD may be like mine (now 15 y.o.) At that age, she also wanted to read the series, thanks to all of the hype. She loved it. The first 2 or 3 times, at least. By the last time she re-read it, her opinion had shifted considerably. Now she mocks them unmercifully. In the meantime, she's also become a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Hunger Games.  I'm glad that I just let her read Twilight without a lot of interference (although I couldn't help myself from a tiny, little bit of mocking, as well as some discussion about healthy romantic relationships), and that she reached a more critical view of them herself.  

Originally Posted by loraxc 


"I just want to tell you how awesome (DD) is. She is so perceptive, articulate and sweet! You and (myname) have done a tremendous job so far."

 

It's so lovely to get unsolicited nice feedback about her. I worry about her so.

How nice! That IS lovely. 

[Miss Information]

Early this summer all three girls went to science camp - a three week, 3 hour a day, 5 day a week program that K-4 kids could participate in. 

Oldest daughter (9) tried out for softball this year and did really well, considering she never played before.  Her team went on to win first place for the season and came in first for the end of the season tournament and second place (out of 14 teams) for a three town tournament.  It was sheer luck that she got on a good team, but the coaches were really focusing on the group effort and having fun, and had great attitudes.  The coaches were most impressed with dd's focus and ability to follow directions and how quickly she picked up skills and in one game she had the winning home run.  I do agree with pp who said it's nice to get unsolicited feedback on the children. For me, it was great that she got on a good team where the kids cared more about each other than about winning the games.   It was a bonus that they happened to win too.

She also made it to the All Star team and learned what it felt like to lose and played up against some really good teams.  It was the first time she hadn't excelled, which I think has good lessons in it.

Always the over-achiever, dd1 was supposed to read 2011 pages for the summer reading program.  She read over 3000 pages.

The girls volunteered for a few Humane Society fundraising functions - collecting money outside a grocery store, and a Paws in the Park event.   

We found out oldest dd got into the gifted program and she was so excited. 

We had a guest come and stay with us for about a week, who was very interesting - he played guitar for the girls, was very good at talking in silly voices (he'd been on the radio before), listened to them and talked to them about learning and he told them about his daughter who was good enough in softball to go to the Olympics, but for personal reasons, turned it down.  The girls had a blast with him, and had a blast knowing they had  another adult who was very interested in them and took them seriously.

We like learning by experiencing (going to historical reeanctments and unusual events and such).  We went to a "full moon fire jam" near Lake Michigan - fire poi performance art.  As an aside, oldest dd is obsessed with checking the weather reports on accuweather.  She is always interested when there are weather alerts and that day read that there was a 'riptide' warning.  When we got to the lake, it was really windy and the water was really choppy and so we talked about the riptide warning.  It's one thing to read about stuff...and something totally neat to see it in action.  We sat next to one of the drummers that accompanied the act, and he was great about letting them try his bongos and he also was very encouraging to them. 

This summer made me realize the importance of adult input/encouragement...and I'd like to introduce the girls to more people who have/had interesting careers/hobbies to talk to/learn from.