Is It Naptime Yet

So most of you know that we’re planning on homeschooling our girls. I’m needing to do some research, but I’ve been teaching her since birth, as Jon would say, and am going to start a couple of new things with Lilah.

First I’ve gotten some Zoo Phonics cards from a friend (so let me know if you want hooked up), in hopes that Lilah will have better memorization of the letter sounds, though she probably knows all of them except the vowels easily, so she can hopefully feel more comfortable sounding out words. (She hates sounding out words, ’cause she hates to make mistakes depending on her mood.)
She only likes to read when we read scriptures at night. If it’s one of their books she doesn’t want to help read, but be read to.

At night when we read scriptures it use to be I taught her a word and as I read I would continue to point to the words but pause at the ones she knew so she could read them. Now she’s having me read each word, she repeats it and on words she knows I still don’t say anything. She recognizes a lot of words like: and, is on, be, the, that, etc. and the other night she read the word people! I just wasn’t fast enough and she read it before I did!

She saw the zoo-phonics cards and I think she’s excited about them, so I’m hoping this gives a boost to her motivation to read and to sound things out especially. (I just need to get more self laminating stuff, which was expensive so if I’m planning on making my own stuff I need to find a cheaper way to make it last.)

The other thing, which I just started yesterday, is writing in a composition book.
To get a real feel for dates, months, and the days of the week, which she already knows, I’m planning on writing with her each day. I basically ask what she wants me to put down and I do, then we read it together. (I’m planning on reading about seven days worth each time we go to write once we get at least seven pages down.) I’m also having her read the words she already knows and she likes to repeat the larger ones. She pretends to phonetically read sometimes. She’ll ask what the word is and then slowly read it like she’s sounding it out, though she does also try to point to the letters. It’s cute. I think it does help her remember the words though.

With the notebook I’ve made this our Mommy and Lilah time. I think she’s been feeling a little left out in not getting a specific time with me anymore. Right before each of the girl’s naps is Mommy and (insert name here) time, but since Lilah doesn’t take naps anymore she doesn’t always get a specific time where my attention is on her, since by the time I’m done putting Eden down it’s time for Super Why and her shows, or she’s playing the computer, or I’m tired and need a nap well, you get the picture.
She’s been wanting to encroach on Eden’s time with me, so I think this will help her know and look forward to our time together and know that she will get time with me.

This was our first day’s work, in which I think my girls are bound to have terrible handwriting, due to their mother teaching them, though it’s kinda hard to write so large, and excuse my misspelling of gymnastics, I almost forgot the y at first.
She did the drawing and that top part is her writing her name without my dotted lines and help.

So these are two things I’m doing to encourage reading and writing with her thus far.

I need to find a way to help her correctly write letters. I remember my friend Danielle talking about a video they had for it and having the kindergartners trace the letters with their fingers for practice. I just need large letters that are more in the handwritten manner or a video, since I think tracing with her fingers, on paper, with mommy will probably wear off fast with Lilah.

Also our next science project: to order some caterpillars and watch them become butterflies.

The girls have had runny noses and weren’t fit to interact with kids so we decided to go to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Vegas today. I promised Jon we could go later this month, but today seemed as good as any, plus they won’t miss two Sunday’s this month. We kept them with us the full service, even though they read a children’s story to the kids and congregation before the children were dismissed for their class, but mostly because they were sick and to let them get use to the idea of this new place. (Lilah was very negative at first, but she decided she liked it as we got settled. I think she liked having a name tag.)

Jon says he’s still deciding whether the UUCLV will fulfill the needs he’s looking for, so I guess we’ll kinda be deciding as a family as we continue to go once a month.

I’ve agreed to going once a month thus far even  though he would like to attend 50/50 for each church. They start at 10 and our church is from 9-12, and I’m wanting Lilah to be able to participate  as fully in Primary as possible. Next Year when we go to the 11 o’clock schedule I’m willing to let them go twice a month, and miss sacrament twice a month but still go to Primary each Sunday, I figure 4 hours of church would be too much but I’m wanting to allow Jon a little more time with them if he chooses this to be the community he wants to be a part of.

I’m not ready for 50/50 and I admit I am pulling the ‘you decided this and I didn’t and I want my children to go to my church more’ card in a way. I’m trying to be open minded, but the thought of only attending twice a month to my church, and three times when there is a fifth Sunday, is too much for me to handle. He wants them to have an alternative community so they’re not just choosing to be Mormon because that’s what they’re more fully involved in and know. I want them to be exposed but still mostly apart of my faith, the faith I’ve always planned on teaching them.

Some might wonder why I’m even willing to let my children participate in two faiths. One reason is the UUCLV isn’t really a specific faith dominated religion, but one that explores many faith’s and discusses good values.
Two, is if I expect my husband to support me I need to support him and I don’t want my children to feel that they’re choosing sides, or choosing parents when they decide to become or not become one of our faiths.

You might wonder why I stay in the situation and not just leave.

While talking with a friend about what makes a marriage worth it, we talked about being happy or having the same faith. Some people have the same faith and are not happy at all and then you have those with different beliefs but are happy.

I am happily married.

I admit I am having difficulty with the idea of letting my children have two faith communities, but in reality I don’t feel making them attend my faith will guarantee them to choose it. I know plenty of  faithful Mormon families whose children have chosen a different faith, including within my own. I also know families of parents with different faiths whose children have decided to be Mormon.

I do want my children to choose the LDS faith because they want to and not because it’s all they know.
All I can do is try to be an example and to show love to them throughout their turbulent time of deciding what is true for them.

I say true for them because what is truth for me is not truth to you, though we may have some commonalities.

Today went well and I’m sure Lilah liked it in part for the light food that was served afterwards.

I’m interested in being apart of the community for activities so they can get to know our family and we can get to know them.

I’ve been trying to think of what we’ve been up to. Not much outta the norm really.
We had Lilah’s preschool class on Thursday and both girls have runny noses today, though Eden’s been dealing with it since Tuesday off and on.

Wednesday we had a North and South marathon with the Jewitt’s. Beth’s not one to sit still, let alone sit still for 4 hours, but she did a good job and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. She wanted to watch it again later that night.

Today I went to Target by myself. I desperately want to get Lilah into a booster seat. I don’t have any good reasons but I do have a few mediocre ones.

First, the car seat we have is a pain to adjust straps, you have to unlatch it from the car and do it from the back, a total pain when they stop wearing coats and begin swimming in the extra space at Springtime.
Second, we got it from my parents so it’s had some good wear and tear on it and the straps are always weird.
Third, I’d like to have a seat for Jon’s car so I can always drive mine. (The one with both girls gets the Toyota in case of an emergency since the Subaru has only one car seat.)
Lastly, it’s easier to take a booster seat out to let friends or family take Lilah than to unlatch a car seat.

I didn’t buy one because Lilah’s in an awkward stage of growth and even though she’s large enough for a booster with a back I think laws want her to be 40 pounds and that she is not.

So instead of spending lots of money on a booster I spent money on clothes for the girls and sunglasses.

I love and hate buying clothes. I just love to buy them but I hate how much it costs to buy a new wardrobe each season.

Katy and Lilah are close enough in sizes that I can’t borrow clothes as easily so I’m stuck buying Lilah a new wardrobe as she gets bigger and then Adrienne and Eden are also close enough in size that I can’t borrow for her and I buy to supplement what Lilah had.

Lilah really wore out a lot of her 3T’s so I bought Eden one new outfit so she has something that’s new for her and not too worn. I bought Lilah pajama’s and one outfit then I bought the sunglasses for an Easter gift. We’re planning on being outdoors more this summer so I figure sunglasses would be fun. By we I mean Jon wants to buy a family pass to the Spring preserve and take the girls there often, and he wants to do some camping and hiking this summer at the Grand Canyon.

I of course hate the sun, getting sweaty, and anything that includes dirt. 🙂

I am enjoying the warm weather. I ventured to try on a pair of shorts and since I’ve gained a few pounds they are a little tight. (Thankfully they’re made from a stretchy material.) I’m thinking of losing weight but we still have half of a Costco sized box of Oreo’s and today I just bought 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. ( I admit I heard someone on another blog talk about Girl Scout cookies and I went to the store today specifically to buy some, plus cereal since we’re almost out, but that was just a good excuse to go so I could buy Girl Scout cookies. I bought Peanut Butter Patties, Caramel deLights, and Lemonades which are delicious if you like lemon flavored sweets. I think they’re my favorite cookie excluding ones that have chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel in them. )

So I’m thinking I need to exercise a little (I say a little because I don’t exercise at all.), eat less and drink more water. I bought a scale today and I’m not as heavy as I feel, but I do want to fit into my summer clothes and look nice as the weather warms.

First I think I’ll grab a Peanut Butter Pattie.