Computer problems

I have not been able to blog in the last few weeks because random letters on my netbook keyboard stopped working.  (Argh!!!!)  And our iPad, for some reason, will not support Blogger.  My entries show up as miss-mashed symbols.  Jee happened to have his work laptop home this weekend (having worked ALL weekend long on his final report on his current e-waste job), so that is how I am typing now.  New laptop is on its way.  Can't wait.

Sight words

We had a fun morning at CBS...

We usually don't do school when we go to CBS

but the kids are always still learning...

We started a "backyard birds" unit..

 And they draw the birds they saw on their nature walk.

We saw a robin and blue jay...

 So we drew those...

And Eliz added in a Cardinal..

 Em loves drawing.

We'll keep going through more species

and soon we'll have a bird book.

 We're also focusing more on sight words.

This is a sight word game on craft sticks.

Em is having a lot of fun with them..

she grabs the sticks out throughout the day

and practices saying them.

 More sight word printables

from the blog kindergarten kindergarten.

 This is a princess drawn with pastels.

Emilie is all about the princesses these days!

 On another note,

here is an annoyingly common sight around here.

Towel thrown on the floor after washing hands.

They are tall enough to grab it off the rack

but not tall enough to hang it back up.

 So here is my answer.

Saw this at another friend's house.

A command hook and a special towel right at the sink.

Goodbye towel on the floor!!

 And I'll end with this pic.

Spontaneous craft sessions at night.

Love that they know how to keep busy!

Night night!

Jolly Phonics, Nature Walks, and Review

I found a new phonics program that I LOVE.

Jolly phonics is based out of the UK, 

and used internationally to teach ESL.

Why it isn't used more commonly in the US is beyond me!

Much like the Montessori method of teaching reading,

Jolly Phonics teaches the 42 phonetic sounds

in the English language up front, including digraphs like EE -

and not just the phonetic alphabet.  

It is brilliant, easy to use, and fun.

I got it for Elizabeth mostly, but it's great review for Emilie

and an easier way for her to learn her digraphs.

 There's a motion that accompanies each of the 42 sounds.

 And the real board books (mine is a copy)

has a cut-out to trace the letter (a, below) presented.

 The girls loved dancing around doing the motions!

So we'll be using this for now.

Emilie practicing writing.

She forgets lower case letters and occasionally

writes numbers backwards

so we are working on that.

 Math concept of the day:

Greater than/less than.

Found this balance for $3 at a curric sale yesterday.

 I also found this Robert Louis Stevenson treasure for,

um, 50 cents.

Are you kidding me?!?

 We read a bunch of poems..

they loved it!

{but not more than I did!}

 Absolutely love this particular illustrator.

We do picture studies with them because

they are so worthwhile.

 Eliz working on her S.

 And we went on a nature walk 

on our way to the playground.

We're surrounded by such beauty!

 We saw a lone goose emerging from a pond,

and Emilie said, "I wish I was a baby gosling."

Baby gosling???

I'm constantly amazed how much information

she absorbs!  I certainly did not know a baby goose

was called a gosling when I was 4.

 We saw a picture of a fish on a storm drain

and for the first time in my life I read the inscription.

"Don't throw waste...drains to waterways."

Wow.  Never noticed that.  

We talked about taking care of our environment

and disposing of trash properly!

 And we enjoyed an easter egg hunt yesterday

with the local mom's group.

The girls had fun!

 It's been a good few days.

Here is one last picture of Emilie with Sweetie Pie,

right before the chick pooped on her Easter dress (ugh).

We dropped the chicks off at the farm yesterday.

 I am not sure who is more happy they are gone -- me or Jee!

They were keeping Jee awake at night.

Haha.  It was a fun thing to do, but I think we 

are done with housing animals for awhile.  :-)

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend finds us at church, with friends, and outside.

It was crisp and sunny, the best way Easter weekends can be.

 If you look closely, you can see a little birdie momma

sitting on her eggs in a nest.  

This nest faces our front door when you open it from the inside...

she made her nest on the backside of the climbing rosebush!

Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Jee loves it that birds make nests near our front door.

He says they must feel peace in the house.

 We've been pretty wiped out from the daily 5am morning service

during lent.  Well, Jee has been, that is.

I'm wiped out from the girls not sleeping well since November.

:/

 We had Wendy and Kil over today to play with the chicks,

and I caught Eliz chilling out alone with her milk.

She's my little introvert and crowds overwhelm her.

Love her chillaxing!!

 And lastly...

I've been seeing a lot of THIS lately...

He found a music writing app for the ipad.

And hours can go by with him beebopping on this thing!

Glad to see his renewed passion for creating music...

it's been a long time since his band days and I'm sure he misses it.

Good Friday

MFW: G is for Goat!

I was excited we talked about this today, on Good Friday...

G is for Goat: Jesus died for my sins.

In Old Testament days, goats and sheep were sacrified

for sins.  Now we no longer need goats for this purpose,

since Jesus died in our place.

 We talked about the cross

and the tomb where Jesus was buried

and the heavy stone which the angels rolled away

on the third day.

 And then we did some spelling...

 And Emilie spontaneously pulled out some

constructive triangles, which we haven't done in awhile.

 Learning that smaller (equilateral) triangles 

can make larger triangles and other shapes.

 And Miss Amy and Brendan came over to play with chicks!

 The kids went nuts, as usual, holding them.

 The girls usually like to draw at the end of the day...

 And this was the card she made for me.

Love her.  :-)

Happy Good Friday!

Chick update

The chicks have been growing so fast!!

These pics are from like 4 days ago...

And already they have grown wings (not in this pic)

and are much bigger!

 

 Brownie, Sweetie, Moonie, Sweetie pie, and Sunny.

They are adorable!

 They play with them all.day.long.

 And Stella came over today to play with them too!

They will be so sad to go give them back to the farm next week.

(But not me!!!)  :-)