My precocious daughter is having food tolerance lessons she's learned at home reinforced at preschool....
First she asks the teacher if she's sure the apple she's giving Helena is the organic one. (We send Helena with her own food as she eats very differently than other children.) Then Helena proceeds to inform the other children that they shouldn't be eating their apples because they are not organic like hers.
Her wonderful teacher Miss Lorraine explains that different people choose different ways in which to be healthy and that while Helena is right and organic is the best option, it's still ok for the kids to eat their apples - they are after all healthy fruit.
Next comes lunch at which time Helena decides she is offended that the kids are eating meat. She doesn't want to have to see their turkey sandwiches! Lorraine explains that we have to respect other people's food choices and they like turkey. However, Helena is welcome to sit at the kitchen counter instead if it bothers her to see the meat. She chooses to remain with the other kids, little social butterfly that she is.
Lorraine told me later she was wondering if perhaps she had explained away organics too well. Helena and Lorraine's daughter were whispering and Lorraine came by to see what was going on. Helena wanted to know if the peanut butter cookies were organic. She decided she'd have one so long as the other girl didn't tell anyone, espec "my mommy or daddy". Lorraine was quick to explain that we don't EVER keep secrets from our mommies or daddies as that isn't safe.
OYE! I wasn't sure if I should laugh or be terribly embarrassed, so it was a combination of the two!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
When She Grows Up...
Helena wants to be 3 things when she grows up, a writer, a bonnet maker, and a jewelry maker. She insists that I will have to wear her bonnets. I compromised and promised her I'd wear it to the old fashioned farmer's museum not too far from us haha.
So a few wks ago, Helena comes to me with the utmost of seriousness... "Mommy, I have to ask you something very important."
"Ok, what's that?"
"Do you think that when I'm all grown up, you guys could watch my kids for me? Because I might want to still be working, and I'll need someone to watch them."
"Sure, I bet we could probably do that for you."
"Oh good ((big sigh of relief)) because I want to still work, and if I"m upstairs in my attic writing, then they might fall down the stairs, or get into mischief or be naughty or something - and that wouldn't be good!"
Now I just want to know where in the world she came up with the whole attic writing studio concept... we have never even lived anywhere with a walk-up attic....
So a few wks ago, Helena comes to me with the utmost of seriousness... "Mommy, I have to ask you something very important."
"Ok, what's that?"
"Do you think that when I'm all grown up, you guys could watch my kids for me? Because I might want to still be working, and I'll need someone to watch them."
"Sure, I bet we could probably do that for you."
"Oh good ((big sigh of relief)) because I want to still work, and if I"m upstairs in my attic writing, then they might fall down the stairs, or get into mischief or be naughty or something - and that wouldn't be good!"
Now I just want to know where in the world she came up with the whole attic writing studio concept... we have never even lived anywhere with a walk-up attic....
Learning to Read
I'm fascinated by Helena's self initiated learning to read process. I had been thinking to start working more consistently with her on things, but I'm way too fascinated by her own natural progression to dare interfere with it.
At present she knows pretty much all of the capital and small letters and the sounds they make. Only thing I can take credit for is occasionally reading alphabet books (*very* occasionally) and providing her with an alphabet puzzle. She just learns SO fast that this has been enough. Now that she's in school, she is of course "learning" letters, but it's mostly just total review. She already knew them.
She has also begun rhyming non stop. All day long sometimes I hear things like "Leaf and beef... THOSE RHYME!"
Additionally, she is identifying the first and last sounds of words on a regular basis. "Dddd - D is for door" ... a pause... "and Rrrrr is the end sound - R". She still has a much harder time coming up with middle sounds, especially on one syllable words. I think the vowel just blends in with the consonant in her mind still. However on 2 syllable words such as butter, she can easily pick out the middle consonant sound.
She is very eager to read - actually thinks in the last few days that she *can* read because she has memorized this easy reader from school as well as mostly memorized a few longer stories we have.
Soon I think.... sometime in the next handful of months, just as rhyming and beginning/end sounds have clicked fully all of a sudden, the concept of blending those individual letter sounds into words will click as well. And then she'll be reading up a storm!!
Other skills she's learning - she is constantly doing math on her fingers, mostly addition. And she's finally interested in writing. For a long time she wanted to know the letters, but had no interest in writing them. Lately she takes construction paper, makes lines across it and then fills in the lines with letters. Various little pictures adorn the sides of the page. It's her first book, she tells me, and she's torn between giving it away for free to the little girl in Guatemala that we help support, or selling it.
At present she knows pretty much all of the capital and small letters and the sounds they make. Only thing I can take credit for is occasionally reading alphabet books (*very* occasionally) and providing her with an alphabet puzzle. She just learns SO fast that this has been enough. Now that she's in school, she is of course "learning" letters, but it's mostly just total review. She already knew them.
She has also begun rhyming non stop. All day long sometimes I hear things like "Leaf and beef... THOSE RHYME!"
Additionally, she is identifying the first and last sounds of words on a regular basis. "Dddd - D is for door" ... a pause... "and Rrrrr is the end sound - R". She still has a much harder time coming up with middle sounds, especially on one syllable words. I think the vowel just blends in with the consonant in her mind still. However on 2 syllable words such as butter, she can easily pick out the middle consonant sound.
She is very eager to read - actually thinks in the last few days that she *can* read because she has memorized this easy reader from school as well as mostly memorized a few longer stories we have.
Soon I think.... sometime in the next handful of months, just as rhyming and beginning/end sounds have clicked fully all of a sudden, the concept of blending those individual letter sounds into words will click as well. And then she'll be reading up a storm!!
Other skills she's learning - she is constantly doing math on her fingers, mostly addition. And she's finally interested in writing. For a long time she wanted to know the letters, but had no interest in writing them. Lately she takes construction paper, makes lines across it and then fills in the lines with letters. Various little pictures adorn the sides of the page. It's her first book, she tells me, and she's torn between giving it away for free to the little girl in Guatemala that we help support, or selling it.
Conversation About Our Doctor
Mommy isn't Dr ____ amazing because he can help people who are almost dead! How does he do that?"
"I don't know. You have to go to medical school to learn about that."
"Yeah, and he can even fix broken bones when they are sticking out of someone's skin. How does he do that?"
"I don't know. I didn't go to medical school. You can go to medical school someday if you want to learn all about that stuff." (wondering where in the world the idea of a broken bone sticking out of someone's skin came from....)
"No, I don't think that would be very fun...."
"I don't know. You have to go to medical school to learn about that."
"Yeah, and he can even fix broken bones when they are sticking out of someone's skin. How does he do that?"
"I don't know. I didn't go to medical school. You can go to medical school someday if you want to learn all about that stuff." (wondering where in the world the idea of a broken bone sticking out of someone's skin came from....)
"No, I don't think that would be very fun...."
She's WAY Too Smart!
Ok, so my 4 yr old is psychoanalyzing herself and using metaphors (or actually it was a simile if we must be technical...)
She's still getting used to the transition from being with all the kids in school to being with just Mommy again. "I'm still trying to figure out which I like best - being with all the kids, or being with Mommy."
I explained that she could like both best at different times or like them both the same.
She pipes up from the back seat, face intense and hands going a mile per minute
"It's just confusing.... I feel like I'm over here, out my window and over there out your window all at the same time because it's so confusing. I'm still trying to sort it all out!"
LOVE her!!!
She's still getting used to the transition from being with all the kids in school to being with just Mommy again. "I'm still trying to figure out which I like best - being with all the kids, or being with Mommy."
I explained that she could like both best at different times or like them both the same.
She pipes up from the back seat, face intense and hands going a mile per minute
"It's just confusing.... I feel like I'm over here, out my window and over there out your window all at the same time because it's so confusing. I'm still trying to sort it all out!"
LOVE her!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
My Little Poet
This morning on the way to school, I pointed out to Helena how pretty all of the trees looked with their colorful autumn leaves.
"They are making poetry and rhymes Mommy. Do you hear them?" she asked.
"I do. What are they saying?"
"They are saying "Once there was a goose/That ate couscous."
LOVE IT - she cracks me up!!
"They are making poetry and rhymes Mommy. Do you hear them?" she asked.
"I do. What are they saying?"
"They are saying "Once there was a goose/That ate couscous."
LOVE IT - she cracks me up!!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
July 15'th 2009
Our sweet little Helena's 4th birthday! We'd had a party at Grammies the prior weekend, but Daddy took the actual day off and we all headed up to one of Helena's favorite places for lunch, fun in the park and a carousol ride. Helena got a new dress out of the deal by spilling smoothie all over the one she started off in haha.
Farmer's Museum
Helena loves all things old fashioned and farm related, so she had a blast here! She took the picture of me in the one room schoolhouse, and then I took a picture of her "lecturing" the class haha. She thought that was so much fun! She also loved the beautiful old carousal, but her favorite, much to my surprise was the apothecary's shop. She thought grinding mint with the mortar and pestle, while occasionally making yucky faces at the leaches, was just the best!
Helena's 4th Birthday Party
Grammie hosted Helena's birthday party this year and we were so happy to have all the cousins able to attend too! The kids were all adorable and had such a lovely time playing together. Grammie had wonderful little party favors for them - bubbles and punch balls. Helena had her favorite: pineapple carrot cake with cream cheese frosting - made with whole wheat pastry flour and sweetened with maple syrup. Very yummy! Oh, and of course spaghetti for the meal...
NJ for 4th of July
We spent the 4th of July in NJ with Joe's family.
Helena was convinced that she was Cinderella in her little blue dress and treated us to little princess poses all day long.
The family picture is 4 generations, and the lady in yellow is Helena's 93 yr old great grandmother. I hope I look that good at 93 yrs old!
NYC
We went to NYC in June to celebrate Mommy's birthday. We met up with Helena's 2nd cousin Allie whom she loves. Her Aunt Katie and Uncle Josh came with us and Josh's brother and cousin met us there too! Lots of fun!!
Helena was wide eyed on the train on the way in - "That's the Hudson River, and that's the Hudson River and all that water you see there is the Hudson River!!" She had fun looking at art and was happy that we finally saw a painting by an artist that she recognized. "That's Matisse Mommy!" After the Met Museum of Art we brought her to browse through FAO Swartz. She loved the fountain there! I love the picture of her and Joe on the return train trip! She was so excited she refused to sit back and close her eyes. She sat there with the blinking trying to hold herself upright til finally she slumped over sound asleep.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Helena's First Poem
Helena has been very into rhyming lately, constantly saying things like "bop and pop" or "Mommy, light and bright - they RHYME!" Yesterday I told her how people make poems where the end of each sentence rhymes. Tonight she came up with this *completely* by herself.
There's a merry-go-round, a merry-go-round
With a mommy lying down
And horses around her
And a carousel around
Not a bad poem for having just turned 4 a month ago!!! :)
There's a merry-go-round, a merry-go-round
With a mommy lying down
And horses around her
And a carousel around
Not a bad poem for having just turned 4 a month ago!!! :)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Homeschooling
On the way down the hill from blackberry picking this afternoon, I found a milkweed covered in newly hatched monarch caterpillars. Helena was thrilled when I put some leaves in a jar and knocked 6 bitty critters into it. We covered it with cheesecloth so they won't escape and are looking forward to watching them grow, shed their skins, form a crysallis and hatch as monarchs. A wonderful science lesson.
And a language and art lesson as it turned out... First Helena brought me a drawing showing me the caterpillars legs and face and all. Then she wanted to know how to spell "caterpillar". So I helped her to sound it out "C-Caterpillar" and she said "c" then cA-A-terpillar and she said "a" and so on. Next she asked me to write it for her in her little notebook so she could see it. She pointed to each of the letters and spelled out the word. Then she wrote down her name to show the caterpillars, convinced that they'd be thrilled by it. So cute!
I love the intermix of living and learning. While I will never be a total unschooler, I'm completely amazed at Helena's ability to learn things for herself. For example, I recently picked up a workbook in Borders and quizzed her on the letters. When I got to the end, surprised that she knew almost all of them, I went back and asked her the sounds they made. Again, she knew almost all of them. I was really surprised! We have some alphabet books in our HUGE book collection. We don't read them on any regular basis but they do get read. Plus she has an alphabet puzzle. We've done a few "letter of the week" activities but stopped for summer and never did more than A thru D. I am completely amazed that she knows all of this.
Lately I've found her studying books or her alphabet puzzle with a look of intense concentration. "I am learning my letters so I can read mommy". Part of me wants to encourage daily workbook pages and work on phonetic word blends and see how soon she can be reading. But part of me wants to honor this beautiful process of self learning and see how and when she figures it all out herself. After all, what's the rush, she's only just turned 4!
I'm also proud to report that she can count almost to 50 now.
This fall she'll likely attend preschool 1-2 mornings per week., but for the socialization not so much the academics. A lady in town has a small preschool in her home which I'm comfortable with. Helena is VERY excited.
She's at a funny stage of wanting more time to play with other children and feel independent but then wanting to still be with mommy too. She hasn't quite figured out how to reconcile these feelings and so she wavers from one extreme to the other. One minute, when other kids are around, she is asking me to leave, saying she wants to live at her friends house, saying if other kids were there to play with all day she wouldn't need to be with me. Next she's panicking that I've walked into the next room without her or that I'm going to go for a walk and leave her home with daddy. I'm not offended at her adamant "Mommy, go away". She wants to sit all by herself in the front on the cushions with other kids at the library theater program and asks me to sit in the back lol. But then she wandered back to join me nonchalantly last week haha. I find it all sort of amusing since I know we have a very very close bond. (I should add that it's a *very* small library so it's not like she's sitting where I can't see her in some large theater.)
Later this week we are visiting a private school that has a homeschool initiative in which homeschooled students can spend between 1-3 days per wk at school. I am AMAZED that such an option exists! Just a wk or so ago, I found myself wishing out loud that I could just send her to school part time. That way she'd be socialized, not away from me all the time and I'd not be having to look for someone to watch her 2 days per wk while I go to grad school. But of course such a thing didn't exist - or so I thought. I can't say how amazed and excited we are over this option. We have spent oodles of time lately re-examining school options in light of her extrovered personality.
The school is heavily environmentally based so children spend much of the day outside. They begin each day with just under a mile walk. It's child centered with much freedom of choice and expression in assignments and activities, no testing or homework. It sounds really wonderful and we can't wait to check it out further!
And a language and art lesson as it turned out... First Helena brought me a drawing showing me the caterpillars legs and face and all. Then she wanted to know how to spell "caterpillar". So I helped her to sound it out "C-Caterpillar" and she said "c" then cA-A-terpillar and she said "a" and so on. Next she asked me to write it for her in her little notebook so she could see it. She pointed to each of the letters and spelled out the word. Then she wrote down her name to show the caterpillars, convinced that they'd be thrilled by it. So cute!
I love the intermix of living and learning. While I will never be a total unschooler, I'm completely amazed at Helena's ability to learn things for herself. For example, I recently picked up a workbook in Borders and quizzed her on the letters. When I got to the end, surprised that she knew almost all of them, I went back and asked her the sounds they made. Again, she knew almost all of them. I was really surprised! We have some alphabet books in our HUGE book collection. We don't read them on any regular basis but they do get read. Plus she has an alphabet puzzle. We've done a few "letter of the week" activities but stopped for summer and never did more than A thru D. I am completely amazed that she knows all of this.
Lately I've found her studying books or her alphabet puzzle with a look of intense concentration. "I am learning my letters so I can read mommy". Part of me wants to encourage daily workbook pages and work on phonetic word blends and see how soon she can be reading. But part of me wants to honor this beautiful process of self learning and see how and when she figures it all out herself. After all, what's the rush, she's only just turned 4!
I'm also proud to report that she can count almost to 50 now.
This fall she'll likely attend preschool 1-2 mornings per week., but for the socialization not so much the academics. A lady in town has a small preschool in her home which I'm comfortable with. Helena is VERY excited.
She's at a funny stage of wanting more time to play with other children and feel independent but then wanting to still be with mommy too. She hasn't quite figured out how to reconcile these feelings and so she wavers from one extreme to the other. One minute, when other kids are around, she is asking me to leave, saying she wants to live at her friends house, saying if other kids were there to play with all day she wouldn't need to be with me. Next she's panicking that I've walked into the next room without her or that I'm going to go for a walk and leave her home with daddy. I'm not offended at her adamant "Mommy, go away". She wants to sit all by herself in the front on the cushions with other kids at the library theater program and asks me to sit in the back lol. But then she wandered back to join me nonchalantly last week haha. I find it all sort of amusing since I know we have a very very close bond. (I should add that it's a *very* small library so it's not like she's sitting where I can't see her in some large theater.)
Later this week we are visiting a private school that has a homeschool initiative in which homeschooled students can spend between 1-3 days per wk at school. I am AMAZED that such an option exists! Just a wk or so ago, I found myself wishing out loud that I could just send her to school part time. That way she'd be socialized, not away from me all the time and I'd not be having to look for someone to watch her 2 days per wk while I go to grad school. But of course such a thing didn't exist - or so I thought. I can't say how amazed and excited we are over this option. We have spent oodles of time lately re-examining school options in light of her extrovered personality.
The school is heavily environmentally based so children spend much of the day outside. They begin each day with just under a mile walk. It's child centered with much freedom of choice and expression in assignments and activities, no testing or homework. It sounds really wonderful and we can't wait to check it out further!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Swimming Lessons and Things she Says
Mommy, how do the clouds come down to the ground as fog?
Mommy, how do blueberries turn blue?
Ooh! Yuck! (disgusted that now that she's 4 I'm making her wipe her own butt)
I could teach the class! (said to her swimming lesson teacher)
I don't like doing this. Can we just do whatever we want to now? (again said to her swimming lesson teacher and because she's the only girl in the class (or something) he told everyone they could do whatever they wanted for the next 2 minutes because Helena had asked. He gets a kick out of Helena.)
Speaking of swimming lessons, Helena finished her first session last week and begins session two this evening. She's come a long way!! Joey and I laughed so hard we cried watching her the first time. The kids were told to use big arm strokes walking across the pool and occasionally blowing bubbles. Helena walked like a squatting duck, doggie paddled, and occasionally scooped some water up into her hands and blew on it. Yes, on it - not in it. It was SOOOO funny!! As i said, she's come a long way and will now put her face in the water to blow bubbles. She always complains about the chlorine tho. She thinks it is very yucky!
Mommy, how do blueberries turn blue?
Ooh! Yuck! (disgusted that now that she's 4 I'm making her wipe her own butt)
I could teach the class! (said to her swimming lesson teacher)
I don't like doing this. Can we just do whatever we want to now? (again said to her swimming lesson teacher and because she's the only girl in the class (or something) he told everyone they could do whatever they wanted for the next 2 minutes because Helena had asked. He gets a kick out of Helena.)
Speaking of swimming lessons, Helena finished her first session last week and begins session two this evening. She's come a long way!! Joey and I laughed so hard we cried watching her the first time. The kids were told to use big arm strokes walking across the pool and occasionally blowing bubbles. Helena walked like a squatting duck, doggie paddled, and occasionally scooped some water up into her hands and blew on it. Yes, on it - not in it. It was SOOOO funny!! As i said, she's come a long way and will now put her face in the water to blow bubbles. She always complains about the chlorine tho. She thinks it is very yucky!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Snapshots From My Aunt Katie's Wedding Weekend
My Aunt Katie got married to my Uncle Josh. I didn't think I should have to call him Uncle Josh since he wasn't really married to Aunt Katie yet, but mommy and daddy and Grammy said I had to. When they got married I said "Now he's REALLY my Uncle Josh."I loved getting all dressed up and wore my hair in ringlets. I posed pretty for the camera with my flowers all during the ceremony. I loved that they were taking so many pictures all of ME (hahaha mommy says).
I thought my Aunt Katie looked soooooo beautiful!!! I loved all the sparkles on her dress.
Dancing at the reception was great fun! And I got to eat so many buttered roles which is what I'm chowing on Aunt Susan's lap.
There was a little boy named Judah at the wedding who is about a year younger than me. He was really bothering me during the rehearsal dinner and I tried to elbow him away. Mommy said that wasn't nice and I needed to use my words. After I finished eating, I went over to Judah's table and said "Judah, I need to apologize for earlier. I was being rather rude. I should have used my words. It's just that I really needed my space then!" For some reason everyone at the table thought that was very funny!!
Even though I didn't like all the posed group pictures, I loved being the center of attention. I told mommy that I want her to find me a modeling job so I can be in catalogs. Then I will make money. I want to use my money like Almonzo in Little House did - so I can buy a pot bellied pig and raise it so I can make more money. That sounds good to me. (insert from mommy- she has no idea what pigs are raised for and would be horrified if she knew).
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