Professional Pictures 8 months 2 weeks

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"You're too positive Mama!"

Yesterday and today I have heard several interesting things from the kids

"You're too positive Mama!"

while crying "Why aren't you disappointed in my behavior!?"

"Will you please get upset!?"

"Please stop telling me I'm doing a good job."

Schooling our very head strong daughters has been a challenge to say the least. That's not to say that it's not fun and rewarding and COMPLETELY worth it but it's a challenge. I am quick to react and quick to raise my voice...generally. Well I spoke to my mom and she gave me some sage advice on schooling a stubborn child (Julia). She said (1) eliminate independent work...only allow for snails pace 1-on-1 work and (2) be overly positive and do not react to negative behavior.

So here's how Science went yesterday...

Me: "Julia please cut out the left hand of the skeleton"

Julia: "Yes Mama! This is so much fun!"

Me: "Julia do not cut anything unless I tell you to. Please lay down the scissors and sit for a second to gain control and get yourself ready to listen" "Great job sitting"

Julia: "Thank you Mama"

Me: "Julia please pick up the scissors and cut out the right femur"

Julia: "Yes Ma'am"

Me: "Great job cutting Julia. Please cut out the skull"

Julia: "Yes Ma'am. I'm going to cut out the arm next"

Me: "You did a great job with the skull Julia, however we are not going at your pace with this activity we are going at mine. Please now cut out the left femur."

Julia: begrudgingly "Okay"

Me: "Great job following directions Julia"

Julia: "Please stop telling me I'm doing a good job"

Me: "That was great manners Julia. You requested that in a very good way. I just want to make sure that you know you are doing a great job. Please cut out the left foot now."

Julia: silence...as she cuts

Me: "Please now cut out the rib cage"

Julia: silence

Me: "Great job cutting that difficult piece out. Can you please cut out the right foot now"

Julia: silence

Charlotte: looking at me grading her work

Me: "Charlotte I know that you are very interested in the results but please stay focused"

Charlotte: "Yes Ma'am I'm sorry Thank you for reminding me to stay focused...I did get a little distracted."

Today I heard

Julia: MAMA PLEASE GET ANGRY WITH ME I"M BEING MEAN TO YOU AND CHARLOTTE

Me: "I'm not angry with you. We all make sad choices sometimes. I sure hope that you can make a better choice in the future though. Are you going to continue to yell because if you are I"ll give you some space and go outside so I don't interrupt."

Julia: URGH!

And she's off

So Delaney has log rolled across the living room, she's lunged and sat and lunged and sat, she's used a baby stroller to walk across the living room, but we figured she'd NEVER officially crawl. She just seemed (and still does) more interested in standing, cruising, and walking. Well two days ago she surprised me by crawling to me in the living room. And then later that day she climbed off our bed (our bed is on the floor right now) and started crawling to come get me in the bathroom. Then Friday she crawled to me several times in the living room. Finally today she decided to actually use it to get her places. She crawled to toys, to me, to her adoring sisters, and to Ger.ber puffs! LOL! Today we got it on tape because her Papa Mike wanted to see her new skill. So now all the grandparents near and far can see AND all our online friends can see too. :) We even got her pulling up and then crawling. What's funny is crawling will be 8 months and my bet is she'll walk within her 9th month. Crazy baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3FtvrwydkY Go to this link to see the video!

New pictures

Charlotte in the schooling area reading her Biology

Julia in her current learning area reading Five Peppers and How They Grew

Delaney in her learning area figuring out how to feed herself Gerber Sweet Corn Puffs and Yogurt Melts

Delaney's new playmat

More of the playmat

Attacked by a rabid baby

So Delaney is still not sounding better so we started Oripred. WOW is all I can say! I do not have much of a reaction to steriods. Jess however acts like a crazy possessed moody person. Last night you would have thought Delaney was woven of the same fabric as Jess!!!! She was sound asleep between us in bed and the suddenly at 2:30A.M. she literally shot out of bed and started attacking me and climbing on me and blowing raspberries on my back and squealing! She did this for a solid TWO hours. I swear I remember my possessed baby walking from me to Jess and back again last night with almost no support. Then as quickly and suddenly as she woke up she passes out again and slept. (and by slept I mean closed her eyes but as before her sudden outburst she was super restless...we all probably got a combined total of 3 hours of sleep last night).

CRAZY night!!!

Schooling...Fall...Etc

I've been a bad blogger since school started. Between schooling and a baby I seem to have very little computer time.

School is going well. The kids are learning a lot and we are learning how best to teach them.

Delaney is growing so tall these days. She is tall enough to wear 6-9 month and 12 month onesies but the sleeves have to be rolled up. She hasn't gained much weight though. Only a few ounces I think. She has tried lots of new foods; fish, corn, Beech Nut veggies crisps, Gerber puffs, Gerber yogurt melts, Kidney beans, spaghetti sauce, and chick peas. She hasn't found a food yet that she won't eat! And she eats a TON!

Gramme is here visiting. She's retired now but still such a teacher. She was helping Julia with Math and teaching her the distributive and communitive properties (yep that's right she's only 7 but my mom thought it was a teachable moment).

Charlotte is becoming quite the little athlete...at least during PE obstacle course and relay races. Julia is extremely flexible during yoga and stretching time. Charlotte will be the student assistant for Children's Choir at church which she is super excited about. Julia is starting soccer soon and is pumped about that. I will try to get some pictures of them next week to post. :)

Updates

Delaney is a pulling up fanatic. She prefers to be standing ALL the time. In her crib, on the couch, near a chair of any kind, in her exesaucer, in the backpack, on the floor, at the backdoor...you see where i'm going...ALL the time.

School is going well. I think we are finding our groove and accomplishing a ton. Charlotte is learning so much and seems so interested in Genetics and Biology as well as ASL. Julia is super interested in history, math, and ASL. Speaking of ASL Delaney can sign (when she wants to and not for an audience) more, eat, milk, and mom. She doesn't perform on cue which is kind of frustrating but so her personality. Charlotte is such a self motivated student. She gets her list of assignments and flies through them. Only stopping to ask questions or play with Buggy for a minute or two. Julia is a little less focused but is working well under her newly designed Julia Schedule.

We are gearing up for Dylan's wedding reception this weekend as well as my mom's visit. The entire family is very excited for these two events.

We are starting to temp and chart and talk and plan for baby number 2 (well baby #4 for Jess). We'll see what my cycles do and what the future brings.

Jess just had surgery to explore her endometriosis. It's in her muscles so surgery to clean everything up won't help. It has not moved to her bowel which made us breathe a sigh of relief. We will see what the doctor says as a plan of action at her 2 week post op appointment. (and Traci F. yes it was oozing and pooling! You have no idea!!!)