We took some family pictures and maternity shots this past week. My talented friend Marie took them. I have a total of about 5 pictures of me pregnant from all three pregnancies so far so these will be really nice to have! 7 weeks to go and the little one will be here! So much to do before then!
Check out the pictures here or click on Marie Fry Photography on my sidebar.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
The little things I don't want to forget
I should probably be correcting my kids' speech errors by now, but I just can't seem to do it! They are just so darn cute. Here are the latest three that I love:)
Max thinks his forehead is called his brain. When he gets a bump/scratch/etc. on his forehead he tells me he got it on his brain:)
Mya was riding our friend's John Deere Gator the other day. She slipped up and called it a Gatorade and I just let it go and smiled:)
(sidenote: She is absolutely a horrible driver. I told Chris one day that I really, sincerely hope her driving skills at age 3 are no indication of what her driving skills will be like at age 16)
We drive by the sweet corn stand everyday on our way to school and Mya asks if we can stop to get popcorn:) Max usually corrects her, but I love it when he doesn't. She follows it up with...Mom, I love popcorn! I can do it all by mine-helf! (meaning...she can shuck the corn and then proceeds to eat 2 or 3 cobs all by herself:)
Here's a picture I took the other day after Max ran inside yelling at me to get the camera and take a picture of him and Chloe:) Apparently he thought it was good lighting?? My friend Marie must be rubbing off on him...:)
Max thinks his forehead is called his brain. When he gets a bump/scratch/etc. on his forehead he tells me he got it on his brain:)
Mya was riding our friend's John Deere Gator the other day. She slipped up and called it a Gatorade and I just let it go and smiled:)
(sidenote: She is absolutely a horrible driver. I told Chris one day that I really, sincerely hope her driving skills at age 3 are no indication of what her driving skills will be like at age 16)
We drive by the sweet corn stand everyday on our way to school and Mya asks if we can stop to get popcorn:) Max usually corrects her, but I love it when he doesn't. She follows it up with...Mom, I love popcorn! I can do it all by mine-helf! (meaning...she can shuck the corn and then proceeds to eat 2 or 3 cobs all by herself:)
Here's a picture I took the other day after Max ran inside yelling at me to get the camera and take a picture of him and Chloe:) Apparently he thought it was good lighting?? My friend Marie must be rubbing off on him...:)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
What Should a 4 Year Old Know?
My friend Tracy posted this article on facebook recently. I admit..when I read the title, I couldn't wait to dive in. I wanted to see how Max stacked up against the average 4 year old and was secretly hoping that he was above where he should be. I try really hard not to compare him to other kids his age, but it's difficult not to want your kid to be the best. I was surprised by what this article said and thought I'd re-post it on my blog so that some of you could read it too and get a different perspective.
Max is usually very reasonable and likes to make me happy, but he definitely wants to do things when he is ready. There was a time last year when I was so frustrated with him that he didn't know all of his letters. We would sit down and practice them, but he would put his hands over his ears when he didn't want to listen anymore. Then, one day he came home from preschool and knew all of his letters as well as the sound each one made. I couldn't believe it. I also really want him to learn to ride his bike without training wheels, (mostly because I'm afraid Mya will learn before him) but he has proven that he will do it when he is ready. He will eventually be able to do it and I'll look back and wonder why I wasted one second of his precious childhood worrying about it.
Max recently turned 4 1/2 and is so anxious to grow up. He can't wait to be 5 and go to kindergarten (mostly so he can ride the bus:) When I think about it I get a giant pit in my stomach. I'm so thankful that I have gotten to spend as much time with my kids as I have, but I know that I don't appreciate it enough. This article has definitely helped me to focus a little more on what is really important.
What Should a 4 Year Old Know? (magicalchildhood.wordpress.com)
It’s back to school time and children all over are starting preschool. Many parents are frantically searching the internet to find out if their little ones are “on track” and know everything they should.
I wrote this article about what a four-year-old should know many years ago but it continues to be the most popular page on the Magical Childhood site. I don’t think a week has passed in the past eight or so years when I have not received a letter from a parent, grandparent or teacher about it. Parents and principals especially have said they wish more parents realized these things.
So in honor of the new school year, I’m posting it here…
What should a 4 year old know?
I was on a parenting bulletin board recently and read a post by a mother who was worried that her 4 1/2 year old did not know enough. “What should a 4 year old know?” she asked.
Most of the answers left me not only saddened but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name, and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only 3. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.
It bothered me greatly to see these mothers responding to a worried mom by adding to her concern, with lists of all the things their children could do that hers couldn’t. We are such a competitive culture that even our preschoolers have become trophies and bragging rights. Childhood shouldn’t be a race.
So here, I offer my list of what a 4 year old should know.
1.She should know that she is loved wholly and unconditionally, all of the time.
2.He should know that he is safe and he should know how to keep himself safe in public, with others, and in varied situations. He should know that he can trust his instincts about people and that he never has to do something that doesn’t feel right, no matter who is asking. He should know his personal rights and that his family will back them up.
3.She should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy and use her imagination. She should know that it is always okay to paint the sky orange and give cats 6 legs.
4.He should know his own interests and be encouraged to follow them. If he could care less about learning his numbers, his parents should realize he’ll learn them accidentally soon enough and let him immerse himself instead in rocket ships, drawing, dinosaurs or playing in the mud.
5.She should know that the world is magical and that so is she. She should know that she’s wonderful, brilliant, creative, compassionate and marvelous. She should know that it’s just as worthy to spend the day outside making daisy chains, mud pies and fairy houses as it is to practice phonics. Scratch that– way more worthy.
But more important, here’s what parents need to know.
1.That every child learns to walk, talk, read and do algebra at his own pace and that it will have no bearing on how well he walks, talks, reads or does algebra.
2.That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement and high ACT scores is reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but mom or dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.
3.That being the smartest or most accomplished kid in class has never had any bearing on being the happiest. We are so caught up in trying to give our children “advantages” that we’re giving them lives as multi-tasked and stressful as ours. One of the biggest advantages we can give our children is a simple, carefree childhood.
4.That our children deserve to be surrounded by books, nature, art supplies and the freedom to explore them. Most of us could get rid of 90% of our children’s toys and they wouldn’t be missed, but some things are important– building toys like legos and blocks, creative toys like all types of art materials (good stuff), musical instruments (real ones and multicultural ones), dress up clothes and books, books, books. (Incidentally, much of this can be picked up quite cheaply at thrift shops.) They need to have the freedom to explore with these things too– to play with scoops of dried beans in the high chair (supervised, of course), to knead bread and make messes, to use paint and play dough and glitter at the kitchen table while we make supper even though it gets everywhere, to have a spot in the yard where it’s absolutely fine to dig up all the grass and make a mud pit.
5.That our children need more of us. We have become so good at saying that we need to take care of ourselves that some of us have used it as an excuse to have the rest of the world take care of our kids. Yes, we all need undisturbed baths, time with friends, sanity breaks and an occasional life outside of parenthood. But we live in a time when parenting magazines recommend trying to commit to 10 minutes a day with each child and scheduling one Saturday a month as family day. That’s not okay! Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 MPH pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them.
And now back to those 4 year old skills lists…..
I know it’s human nature to want to know how our children compare to others and to want to make sure we’re doing all we can for them. Here is a list of what children are typically taught or should know by the end of each year of school, starting with preschool.
Since we homeschool, I occasionally print out the lists and check to see if there’s anything glaringly absent in what my kids know. So far there hasn’t been, but I get ideas sometimes for subjects to think up games about or books to check out from the library. Whether you homeschool or not, the lists can be useful to see what kids typically learn each year and can be reassuring that they really are doing fine.
If there are areas where it seems your child is lacking, realize that it’s not an indication of failure for either you or your child. You just haven’t happened to cover that. Kids will learn whatever they’re exposed to, and the idea that they all need to know these 15 things at this precise age is rather silly. Still, if you want him to have those subjects covered then just work it into life and play with the subject and he’ll naturally pick it up. Count to 60 when you’re mixing a cake and he’ll pick up his numbers. Get fun books from the library about space or the alphabet. Experiment with everything from backyard snow to celery stalks in food coloring. It’ll all happen naturally, with much more fun and much less pressure.
My favorite advice about preschoolers is on this site though.
What does a 4 year old need?
Much less than we realize, and much more.
Max is usually very reasonable and likes to make me happy, but he definitely wants to do things when he is ready. There was a time last year when I was so frustrated with him that he didn't know all of his letters. We would sit down and practice them, but he would put his hands over his ears when he didn't want to listen anymore. Then, one day he came home from preschool and knew all of his letters as well as the sound each one made. I couldn't believe it. I also really want him to learn to ride his bike without training wheels, (mostly because I'm afraid Mya will learn before him) but he has proven that he will do it when he is ready. He will eventually be able to do it and I'll look back and wonder why I wasted one second of his precious childhood worrying about it.
Max recently turned 4 1/2 and is so anxious to grow up. He can't wait to be 5 and go to kindergarten (mostly so he can ride the bus:) When I think about it I get a giant pit in my stomach. I'm so thankful that I have gotten to spend as much time with my kids as I have, but I know that I don't appreciate it enough. This article has definitely helped me to focus a little more on what is really important.
What Should a 4 Year Old Know? (magicalchildhood.wordpress.com)
It’s back to school time and children all over are starting preschool. Many parents are frantically searching the internet to find out if their little ones are “on track” and know everything they should.
I wrote this article about what a four-year-old should know many years ago but it continues to be the most popular page on the Magical Childhood site. I don’t think a week has passed in the past eight or so years when I have not received a letter from a parent, grandparent or teacher about it. Parents and principals especially have said they wish more parents realized these things.
So in honor of the new school year, I’m posting it here…
What should a 4 year old know?
I was on a parenting bulletin board recently and read a post by a mother who was worried that her 4 1/2 year old did not know enough. “What should a 4 year old know?” she asked.
Most of the answers left me not only saddened but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name, and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only 3. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.
It bothered me greatly to see these mothers responding to a worried mom by adding to her concern, with lists of all the things their children could do that hers couldn’t. We are such a competitive culture that even our preschoolers have become trophies and bragging rights. Childhood shouldn’t be a race.
So here, I offer my list of what a 4 year old should know.
1.She should know that she is loved wholly and unconditionally, all of the time.
2.He should know that he is safe and he should know how to keep himself safe in public, with others, and in varied situations. He should know that he can trust his instincts about people and that he never has to do something that doesn’t feel right, no matter who is asking. He should know his personal rights and that his family will back them up.
3.She should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy and use her imagination. She should know that it is always okay to paint the sky orange and give cats 6 legs.
4.He should know his own interests and be encouraged to follow them. If he could care less about learning his numbers, his parents should realize he’ll learn them accidentally soon enough and let him immerse himself instead in rocket ships, drawing, dinosaurs or playing in the mud.
5.She should know that the world is magical and that so is she. She should know that she’s wonderful, brilliant, creative, compassionate and marvelous. She should know that it’s just as worthy to spend the day outside making daisy chains, mud pies and fairy houses as it is to practice phonics. Scratch that– way more worthy.
But more important, here’s what parents need to know.
1.That every child learns to walk, talk, read and do algebra at his own pace and that it will have no bearing on how well he walks, talks, reads or does algebra.
2.That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement and high ACT scores is reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but mom or dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.
3.That being the smartest or most accomplished kid in class has never had any bearing on being the happiest. We are so caught up in trying to give our children “advantages” that we’re giving them lives as multi-tasked and stressful as ours. One of the biggest advantages we can give our children is a simple, carefree childhood.
4.That our children deserve to be surrounded by books, nature, art supplies and the freedom to explore them. Most of us could get rid of 90% of our children’s toys and they wouldn’t be missed, but some things are important– building toys like legos and blocks, creative toys like all types of art materials (good stuff), musical instruments (real ones and multicultural ones), dress up clothes and books, books, books. (Incidentally, much of this can be picked up quite cheaply at thrift shops.) They need to have the freedom to explore with these things too– to play with scoops of dried beans in the high chair (supervised, of course), to knead bread and make messes, to use paint and play dough and glitter at the kitchen table while we make supper even though it gets everywhere, to have a spot in the yard where it’s absolutely fine to dig up all the grass and make a mud pit.
5.That our children need more of us. We have become so good at saying that we need to take care of ourselves that some of us have used it as an excuse to have the rest of the world take care of our kids. Yes, we all need undisturbed baths, time with friends, sanity breaks and an occasional life outside of parenthood. But we live in a time when parenting magazines recommend trying to commit to 10 minutes a day with each child and scheduling one Saturday a month as family day. That’s not okay! Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 MPH pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them.
And now back to those 4 year old skills lists…..
I know it’s human nature to want to know how our children compare to others and to want to make sure we’re doing all we can for them. Here is a list of what children are typically taught or should know by the end of each year of school, starting with preschool.
Since we homeschool, I occasionally print out the lists and check to see if there’s anything glaringly absent in what my kids know. So far there hasn’t been, but I get ideas sometimes for subjects to think up games about or books to check out from the library. Whether you homeschool or not, the lists can be useful to see what kids typically learn each year and can be reassuring that they really are doing fine.
If there are areas where it seems your child is lacking, realize that it’s not an indication of failure for either you or your child. You just haven’t happened to cover that. Kids will learn whatever they’re exposed to, and the idea that they all need to know these 15 things at this precise age is rather silly. Still, if you want him to have those subjects covered then just work it into life and play with the subject and he’ll naturally pick it up. Count to 60 when you’re mixing a cake and he’ll pick up his numbers. Get fun books from the library about space or the alphabet. Experiment with everything from backyard snow to celery stalks in food coloring. It’ll all happen naturally, with much more fun and much less pressure.
My favorite advice about preschoolers is on this site though.
What does a 4 year old need?
Much less than we realize, and much more.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mya's first day!
Today was Mya's first day of preschool! She has been looking forward to it for weeks now and it has been especially tough for her to watch Max go everyday and not be able to join him! Chris brought her into bed with me this morning and the first thing she told me was how she was going to be a good girl at school and listen to Mrs. Julie and Mrs. Laura. She also said she would tell them if she needed to go potty! You can tell what we had been talking about for a few weeks now!
The drop off went really well. She hung her backpack on the correct hook and then went and sat down on her individual carpet. I had to go over and say good-bye to her and tell her I'd be back to get her in a little bit. As soon as I turned around, I got out of the room as fast as I could! I couldn't believe how well it went. When I picked her up, the teachers both said she did great. The only thing she said she did was play babies and learn to go potty and wash her hands! She also told Max and I on the car ride home that she didn't knock anyone down at school. Whew! I was worried about that one...:)
I've scheduled all of my appointments during my 5 free hours off each week, so today was the first one! I scheduled my C-section today. My favorite doctor is on call on the day that works best for us! Provided I don't go early, the baby will be born on Friday November 11th. (11-11-11!) Something tells me Chris won't forget this one's birthday:)
The drop off went really well. She hung her backpack on the correct hook and then went and sat down on her individual carpet. I had to go over and say good-bye to her and tell her I'd be back to get her in a little bit. As soon as I turned around, I got out of the room as fast as I could! I couldn't believe how well it went. When I picked her up, the teachers both said she did great. The only thing she said she did was play babies and learn to go potty and wash her hands! She also told Max and I on the car ride home that she didn't knock anyone down at school. Whew! I was worried about that one...:)
I've scheduled all of my appointments during my 5 free hours off each week, so today was the first one! I scheduled my C-section today. My favorite doctor is on call on the day that works best for us! Provided I don't go early, the baby will be born on Friday November 11th. (11-11-11!) Something tells me Chris won't forget this one's birthday:)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Max's 1st day
Max started school this last Monday. He is in the 4/5 year preschool program at the same place he went last year. The drop off went great on the first day and he hasn't looked back since! Mya is also going to that same preschool this year, but her program doesn't start until next Thursday. We had a couple of tough days when I had to tell her it wasn't her turn yet! I've been able to do some fun things with her this week so that has helped.
Max's class is comprised of a lot of kids from last year along with some new ones as well. Just as I expected...he had everyone's first and last names down by the 3rd day! His program is 4 mornings a week from 8:45-11:45. I can tell it's taking a toll on him because he has been extra cranky toward the end of the day this week. Of course he got a cold on the 2nd day of school too, but I guess you take the good with the bad:) Here are our 1st day of school pictures. Mya had to have her new backpack in the pictures as well!
I have been promising my kids we'd have a lemonade stand all summer, and it finally worked out yesterday! We had it set up just in time for all the kids to see it as the bus drove by so we got lots of business! Max made over $5 selling $.25 lemonade and $.25 chocolate chip cookies! We went through almost an entire batch of cookies! It was really fun for them while it lasted, but they only lasted for about an hour and then were ready to move on. You can tell by Max's face that he was more interested in riding his bike than sitting at the lemonade stand! Daddy was our last customer and then we closed up shop:)
Max's class is comprised of a lot of kids from last year along with some new ones as well. Just as I expected...he had everyone's first and last names down by the 3rd day! His program is 4 mornings a week from 8:45-11:45. I can tell it's taking a toll on him because he has been extra cranky toward the end of the day this week. Of course he got a cold on the 2nd day of school too, but I guess you take the good with the bad:) Here are our 1st day of school pictures. Mya had to have her new backpack in the pictures as well!
I have been promising my kids we'd have a lemonade stand all summer, and it finally worked out yesterday! We had it set up just in time for all the kids to see it as the bus drove by so we got lots of business! Max made over $5 selling $.25 lemonade and $.25 chocolate chip cookies! We went through almost an entire batch of cookies! It was really fun for them while it lasted, but they only lasted for about an hour and then were ready to move on. You can tell by Max's face that he was more interested in riding his bike than sitting at the lemonade stand! Daddy was our last customer and then we closed up shop:)
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