SQT {3}: Busy Kid Edition

Here are the highlights of what the kidlets have been up to this week

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Bea is officially out of the “easy baby” stage and into the “into everything” stage.  She’s also started making a noise we call the angry pig squeal when she doesn’t get her way.  She made David’s glasses an offer they couldn’t refuse.  She’s so happy when she’s destroying!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Moe has been busy chewing markers.  Our marker lids are all mangled.  While he draws he just chew, chew, chews.   Whatever.  If it keeps him quiet for a little bit, I’m fine with it.  Look at how his drawing is progressing!  It amazes me to watch the way kids naturally develop drawing skills over time.  His green face has some actual features.

 

 

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Elle has been especially occupied with play doh these days.  Here she is with what I think is a batch of “cheesecakes.”  Elle explained to me aaaaaaaall about them.  It’s the only one of her creations from the week that made it into a photograph, but it’s not her most interesting piece.  She’s always thinking.  Did you know that when mixed with a little water, play doh becomes paint like?  You didn’t know that?  Well now you and poor Bea both know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cee took every opportunity to disappear to read a book or ride her bike.

She got some paint on her legs while painting some garden boxes, and as I was helping her scrub it off, I felt that her joints were warmer than normal and a little squishy.  The beginning of May we brought her dosage of methotrexate down just a little.  Could that make a difference?  We wait to see if it will develop into anything…

 

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It’s not all play doh and markers, though.  After lunch we have “rest time” where I pop in a movie or the kids watch something on the laptop.  Some of our favorites are Mister Rogers Neighborhood   and Wild Kratts,  which are available online for free!  Do your kids know how to make crayons or graham crackers or sneakers?  Mister Rogers was doing virtual fieldtrips before it became cool.

I came across this article that makes me feel much better about the fact that my kids have screen time.  It isn’t about an arbitrary number of hours; that’s still left up to parents to discern.  The questions are all about balance, which seems like a healthy way to make decisions about screens.  We do get it out of balance sometimes, like when Moe starts Frankensteining around the house going, “Iwanna watcha MOOvee, Iwanna watcha MOOvee!”  See why I’m okay with the marker lid chewing?  It’s not a screen!

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The school train is chugging to a stop.  Cee still has some math and English to finish up.  We’re hoping to do some CHC Explore the Continents this summer, dabble in some math, and do a lot of reading aloud.  People ask if we school through the summer, and I’m never sure what to say.

To say yes is to appear like an over-achiever whose poor, poor children never get a break.  To say no is sort of a lie because other than giving some workbooks a little break, our life is pretty much the same year round.

Like if we read a book, do some flashcards, and watch Mister Rogers some random rainy day in July, is that a school day? Or is that just life?

The random person in the grocery store who asks if we school through the summer doesn’t understand how enjoyable or loosey-goosey our “school” is.  It’s always our goal to be done with pencil and paper stuff by lunch time, so really our regular school year is pretty free and open.

Since we live at our school, it’s sort of hard not to do school through the summer.  Do you school through the summer?

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And everyone’s new favorite activity is pestering our neighbor.  Remember the kindly lady who we’ve gotten to know lately?  My kids are always over in her lawn.  She insists that she’s happy to see them, but I’m afraid she’s going to get burnt out.  I’ve tried enforcing a “don’t ask her to come play, wait until she comes out on her own” policy, but Moe can’t help himself.  They love having this extra grandma around.  She has bird feeders and pepper plants and permanent markers.  That’s the schizzle when you’re 3.

Speaking of the schizzle, thanks for hosting, Kelly!

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