Language is a weird thing. I am constantly reminded of that every day with Brielle.
Since Brielle uses sign language, I am hyper aware of the language she uses. I spend a lot of my time
listening to her (well, watching her hands) and reminding her to use full sentences. Yep. She's lazy. It shouldn't surprise me, but it still does when she doesn't know a sign for something or doesn't know what a word means (we had a funny one the other day).
Yesterday, she used a brand new type of phrase and it nearly knocked me off my feet!
She was eating the same breakfast she does most days -- chocolate milk and
Showing posts with label Homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homeschooling. Show all posts
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thursday's Teaching Highlights - Parks
The best highlights of our teaching week:
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote thank you letters for gifts she received on her birthday. Yes, she knows her manners!
- Social Studies/History: We learned about Rosa Parks, the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
We even found my scrapbook page about our visit in 2007 to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, MI where the bus is on display. Although Brielle says she remembers being there, I'm sure (at the time) she didn't know what that bus was all about. The whole museum is VERY interesting and well-worth the time and cost! (just in case you ever get the chance to go there!)
While working on our lesson, I realized Brielle had no idea what "black" meant let alone why there was segregation. How precious is that innocence not to see the difference?
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| Thank you letters! |
- Social Studies/History: We learned about Rosa Parks, the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
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| Scrapbook page for our trip to the Henry Ford Museum in 2007 |
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| Ashley at the Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford Museum |
We even found my scrapbook page about our visit in 2007 to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, MI where the bus is on display. Although Brielle says she remembers being there, I'm sure (at the time) she didn't know what that bus was all about. The whole museum is VERY interesting and well-worth the time and cost! (just in case you ever get the chance to go there!)
While working on our lesson, I realized Brielle had no idea what "black" meant let alone why there was segregation. How precious is that innocence not to see the difference?
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tuesday's Tiny Triumphs - Scrub-a-Dub-Dub!
Laundry day is always Monday. It has been for at least the last 15 years. No real reason other than I am a creature of habit and need routine to stay sane.
Since I started homeschooling Brielle three years ago, I've tried to get her more involved in household chores as part of our "Life Skills" training. Laundry was one of the first things she learned. She's now a pro and a real help, too!
Although she can't manage everything, she can do a lot and is so proud to be able to help!
Since I started homeschooling Brielle three years ago, I've tried to get her more involved in household chores as part of our "Life Skills" training. Laundry was one of the first things she learned. She's now a pro and a real help, too!
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| She collects our baskets, dumps them out, and puts the baskets back where they belong! |
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| She knows how to sort the dirty laundry into piles, start the washing machine, transfer clean/wet clothes to the dryer, and then empty the dryer as well! |
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| She folds all of the washcloths and small towels.... |
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| ...And then puts the washcloths and towels away as well as her clean laundry! |
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Thursday's Teaching HIghlights - Roll the Dice!
We had an excellent week with homeschooling! Brielle shocked me with her abilities several times.
- Faith: We learned that God doesn't give people talents that He doesn't want them to use. "We all have different gifts" - Romans 12:6
- Reading: The little cute poodle, Sweetie, is making the family's dog jealous. Great opportunity for Brielle and I to talk about what jealousy means.
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote a lot this week in her notebook, just for fun. I find it amazing what she writes when she's just doing it for herself.
- Language Arts: I found a new game at Walmart last weekend called "Story Cubes". Brielle has trouble creating complete sentences, especially if it's not something SHE wants to talk about. This was a fun way to encourage her to formulate complete sentences with proper grammar. We rolled the dice on to a firm paper plate (so they wouldn't fly off the table). And then one by one, she came up with a sentence using the thing on the dice face. I was shocked at how well she did! Next week I'm going to have her start typing up the sentences instead of just signing them to me. What a great find for under $6!
- Social Studies/History: We learned that the U.S. government bought Ellis Island in 1808. It was a fort and used to store ammunition until it became a receiving center for immigrants in 1892. Some days as many 5,000 people were processed. It closed in 1954 and fell into disrepair. It was restored with private contributions and opened as a museum in 1990.
----> What percentage of immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island??? 75%
- Science: We learned about rainbows (perfect for the rainy week we've had!). Sunlight seems white but white light is really made up of colors. When sunlight passes through sunlight, the light splits and the colors are reflected from the raindrops. Red light bends the least while violet light bends the most.
----> What is one mnemonic device to remember the colors of the rainbow??? Roy G. Biv = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
- Math: We reviewed money, particularly coin values, this week. It's been months since we've talked about coins, so I was shocked when she did so well identifying coins and their values as well as adding up coins.
--> How many immigration processing stations were there in the U.S.? Check out my Facebook page to find out! You might be surprised!!
- Faith: We learned that God doesn't give people talents that He doesn't want them to use. "We all have different gifts" - Romans 12:6
- Reading: The little cute poodle, Sweetie, is making the family's dog jealous. Great opportunity for Brielle and I to talk about what jealousy means.
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote a lot this week in her notebook, just for fun. I find it amazing what she writes when she's just doing it for herself.
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| My $6 find! |
- Social Studies/History: We learned that the U.S. government bought Ellis Island in 1808. It was a fort and used to store ammunition until it became a receiving center for immigrants in 1892. Some days as many 5,000 people were processed. It closed in 1954 and fell into disrepair. It was restored with private contributions and opened as a museum in 1990.
----> What percentage of immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island??? 75%
- Science: We learned about rainbows (perfect for the rainy week we've had!). Sunlight seems white but white light is really made up of colors. When sunlight passes through sunlight, the light splits and the colors are reflected from the raindrops. Red light bends the least while violet light bends the most.
----> What is one mnemonic device to remember the colors of the rainbow??? Roy G. Biv = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
- Math: We reviewed money, particularly coin values, this week. It's been months since we've talked about coins, so I was shocked when she did so well identifying coins and their values as well as adding up coins.
--> How many immigration processing stations were there in the U.S.? Check out my Facebook page to find out! You might be surprised!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday's Tiny Triumphs - Shopping Anyone?
Brielle has always liked shopping. What girl doesn't? However, since we started homeschooling almost three years ago, she has had to tag along with me on every shopping trip - fun places or not.
Lately, I've been trying to bump up her involvement in the grocery shopping process. As much as I include her, she's willing to do!
It's truly too difficult for her to unload the car between carrying the bags and managing the steps from the garage into the house. However, Brielle is becoming more and more involved with unloading the bags. She's also getting pretty good at folding up the reusable bags.
Of course, shopping at the mall or even a discount store is a whole lot more fun than the boring grocery store. But, as long as she's included and gets a job, Brielle is usually pretty excited about going anywhere to shop!
Nice shopping, Brielle! :)
Lately, I've been trying to bump up her involvement in the grocery shopping process. As much as I include her, she's willing to do!
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| The process starts at home! Clipping coupons Reading ads Comparing prices to my master list (YES! I keep a master list of ALL the things we regularly buy and what the current price is at the two major grocery stores in our area including the best sale price historically at each place!) Then, we make our list! (and we RARELY stray from it at all!) |
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| And we're off to do our rounds at both grocery stores plus any other errands we might have. Brielle is in charge of grabbing our reusable grocery bags! |
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| Gotta wipe down the cart to be free from any nasty germs! (including CMV!) |
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| And we're off to shop! Brielle pushes the cart until it gets to heavy to manage. |
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| Brielle helps find many of the items and puts them in the cart. |
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| She NEVER forgets to get chocolate milk! Her favorite! |
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| Although some of the bags are heavy, she unloads as many as she can into the car. |
It's truly too difficult for her to unload the car between carrying the bags and managing the steps from the garage into the house. However, Brielle is becoming more and more involved with unloading the bags. She's also getting pretty good at folding up the reusable bags.
Of course, shopping at the mall or even a discount store is a whole lot more fun than the boring grocery store. But, as long as she's included and gets a job, Brielle is usually pretty excited about going anywhere to shop!
Nice shopping, Brielle! :)
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Thursday's Teaching HIghlights - Sam and Love Notes
Our teaching week was cut short last week since I went on a long weekend with friends. So, we didn't have school last Thursday and Friday. No subs available at our school! :)
Here's our (shortened) week in review:
- Faith: We learned that we shouldn't expect anything in return for doing a good deed. "The Lord bless you. You have shown kindness." - 2 Samuel 2:5
- Reading: The little apricot miniature poodle, Sweetie, we've been reading about is living up to her name. But, so far, no new forever home for her.
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote a sweet note to her big sister, Ashley, who is away at college. We try to send her a letter once a week and include a note from Brielle, any mail that's come here fo rher, maybe a fun gift card, and coupons she might be able to use.
- Language Arts: We're still working on putting the basics to work by correcting punctuation and grammar in sentences. She does great, but adding the correct punctuation for dialog (adding quotation marks and commas properly) is still a struggle.
- Social Studies/History: We learned about Uncle Sam! Although no one is quite sure of his origins, it is believed that it is based on a butcher named Sam Wilson who provided meat to soldiers in the War of 1812. The soldiers referred to the "U.S." stamped on the outside of the boxes as a mark of the meat being provided by "Uncle Sam". Cool bit of trivia!
- Science: We learned about how sound travels through gases, liquids and solids. We "experimented" by putting our ears to the top of the table and tapping on it. It was so loud!
- Life Skills: Brielle has been very interested in cooking. I tried to get her involved in as many parts of the process as she is able to. Food always tastes better when you help cook it!
Here's our (shortened) week in review:
- Faith: We learned that we shouldn't expect anything in return for doing a good deed. "The Lord bless you. You have shown kindness." - 2 Samuel 2:5
- Reading: The little apricot miniature poodle, Sweetie, we've been reading about is living up to her name. But, so far, no new forever home for her.
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| Brielle's letter to her big sis |
- Language Arts: We're still working on putting the basics to work by correcting punctuation and grammar in sentences. She does great, but adding the correct punctuation for dialog (adding quotation marks and commas properly) is still a struggle.
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| Uncle Sam |
- Science: We learned about how sound travels through gases, liquids and solids. We "experimented" by putting our ears to the top of the table and tapping on it. It was so loud!
- Life Skills: Brielle has been very interested in cooking. I tried to get her involved in as many parts of the process as she is able to. Food always tastes better when you help cook it!
"I think careful cooking is love, don't you?
The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you
is about as nice a valentine as you can give." - Julia Child
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday's Teaching Highlights - Crazy Horse and Crack Candy
It was a good week, but we were busy trying to get in our last few days of teaching in for the month. We finished up Day #114 yesterday (out of 180 we need to complete) -- no school today since I'm leaving for a weekend trip with some friends. :)
Here's some of the highlights of what we learned this week during our regular routine:
- Faith: We need to show kindness to everyone. "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink." - Proverbs 25:21
- Reading: We started a new book called Sweetie from our favorite series about a family that fosters dogs and finds them new homes. Sweetie is a cute miniature poodle with a lot of charisma!
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote two letters this week - one to her Grandma for her birthday and one to her big sister for Valentine's Day!
- Language Arts: Brielle worked on parts of speech and other concepts. She put them all to good use writing her dad and sister emails each day and "chatting" with herself!
- Math: Brielle continues to do great with double digit addition and subtraction facts, but we also reviewed concepts of time. Although she can tell time without any issues, being able to tell how long it is before something is scheduled is still a concept we're working on. (For example: If we need to leave for the grocery store at 1:30pm and it is now 11:30am, how long before we need to go?)
- Social Studies/History: We learned about the Native American leader, Crazy Horse, and his battle in 1876 with General George Custer. (Brielle thought his name was funny!) Surprisingly, she remembered the movie "Spirit" (one of my favorites!) and how it was about a Native American boy (and a horse, named Spirit) around the same time as Crazy Horse Lived. So, we watched it just for fun!
- Science: We studied more about magnets. We had great fun going around the house and finding things that use magnets. She was surprised that there are magnets along the refrigerator door to keep it closed. Now if I could only teach her not to slam the fridge door every time she goes in it!
- Physical Activity: Brielle competed in the Georgia State Special Olympics Winter Indoor games on Saturday and had so much fun.
- Life Skills: Brielle continues to want to do more and more on her own. It's all of the little things that are really adding up! Yesterday, she helped me make "crack candy" to bring to share with my friends this weekend. Yummy recipe if you want to try it!
--> To learn more about our typical routine, check out my previous post about that!
http://brielleandme.blogspot.com/2012/05/teacher-appreciation-day.html
"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt" -- Special Olympics Motto
Here's some of the highlights of what we learned this week during our regular routine:
- Faith: We need to show kindness to everyone. "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink." - Proverbs 25:21
- Reading: We started a new book called Sweetie from our favorite series about a family that fosters dogs and finds them new homes. Sweetie is a cute miniature poodle with a lot of charisma!
- Handwriting: Brielle wrote two letters this week - one to her Grandma for her birthday and one to her big sister for Valentine's Day!
- Language Arts: Brielle worked on parts of speech and other concepts. She put them all to good use writing her dad and sister emails each day and "chatting" with herself!
- Math: Brielle continues to do great with double digit addition and subtraction facts, but we also reviewed concepts of time. Although she can tell time without any issues, being able to tell how long it is before something is scheduled is still a concept we're working on. (For example: If we need to leave for the grocery store at 1:30pm and it is now 11:30am, how long before we need to go?)
- Social Studies/History: We learned about the Native American leader, Crazy Horse, and his battle in 1876 with General George Custer. (Brielle thought his name was funny!) Surprisingly, she remembered the movie "Spirit" (one of my favorites!) and how it was about a Native American boy (and a horse, named Spirit) around the same time as Crazy Horse Lived. So, we watched it just for fun!
- Science: We studied more about magnets. We had great fun going around the house and finding things that use magnets. She was surprised that there are magnets along the refrigerator door to keep it closed. Now if I could only teach her not to slam the fridge door every time she goes in it!
- Physical Activity: Brielle competed in the Georgia State Special Olympics Winter Indoor games on Saturday and had so much fun.
- Life Skills: Brielle continues to want to do more and more on her own. It's all of the little things that are really adding up! Yesterday, she helped me make "crack candy" to bring to share with my friends this weekend. Yummy recipe if you want to try it!
--> To learn more about our typical routine, check out my previous post about that!
http://brielleandme.blogspot.com/2012/05/teacher-appreciation-day.html
"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt" -- Special Olympics Motto
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wednesday's Wacky Words - Chatting (With Herself!)
Brielle wants a cell phone SO much. She even knows which kind (an iPhone) and which color case she wnts (a pink one!). Unfortunately, we have little confidence that she won't become a pest and text people too much. One reason we worry is because she has these little "chat sessions" on her iPod. She creates these long chats with people she knows.......
.....and even with a people she doesn't really know!
Although this is great writing practice, it's just more evidence that she might not know "proper etiquette" for texting friends and family. So, for now, no cell phone for a few more years. :(
But, isn't that wacky the way she does it??? :)
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| "Chatting" with her big sister |
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| "Chatting" with her babysitter |
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| "Chatting" with her grandma |
.....and even with a people she doesn't really know!
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| "Chatting" with Matt (a character on "Victorious") |
Although this is great writing practice, it's just more evidence that she might not know "proper etiquette" for texting friends and family. So, for now, no cell phone for a few more years. :(
But, isn't that wacky the way she does it??? :)
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thursday's Teaching Highlights
With our rainy week, we were stuck inside a lot. That made it a productive school week indeed! Here's some of the things we learned:
- Faith: We know that God is always with us. "He is always watching, never sleeping." - Psalm 121:4
- Reading: Cocoa, the chocolate lab, finally found a new forever home! Yay!
- Handwriting: Dot-to-dot pages are a fun way to warm up and do better at handwriting!
- Language Arts: We had a Mad Libs page this week ABOUT Mad Libs!
- Creative Writing: Brielle loves anything about the computer. Every day after lunch, she writes her dad and sister, Ashley, emails about what she had for lunch. She always includes some funny thing about what she's thinking about, like how much she wants a new PINK computer for her upcoming birthday! I check her grammar, spelling and punctuation before she sends them. But, sometimes, her emails are just too cute just as she writes them.
- Social Studies/History: President Thomas Jefferson hired Lewis and Clark in 1804 to explore the new territory of the Louisiana Purchase. On their journey west, Lewis and Clark's expedition went right through the area when Grandma and Grandpa live in the Tri Cities of southeast Washington State. Maybe they even walked on the land where their house is!
- Science: George de Mestral invented Velcro after noticing burrs stuck to his dog's fur. The word "Velcro" comes from the French word "velour" (velvet) and "crochet" (hook). We looked around the house for things that use Velcro and found lots of items. For example, all of Brielle's leg and hand braces have Velcro on them!
- Math: Brielle is on a roll! She's mastered adding and subtracting double digits (as long as she doesn't have to carry or borrow - although she's starting to learn how to carry).
- Life Skills: It was another busy week learning to do more things for herself. Clean, snooze, mac, and doggie -- oh my!
- Physical Activity: A rainy week kept us inside. :( But, Brielle had fun bowling with Special Olympics last Saturday. She has this weekend off and then the big Georgia State Winter Games the next weekend!
- Music: Although not really a "teaching lesson", Brielle has been totally into listening to Taylor Swift music this week. She is so excited about going to her concert in April since the stranger gave us tickets!
- Faith: We know that God is always with us. "He is always watching, never sleeping." - Psalm 121:4
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| Connecting the dots! |
- Handwriting: Dot-to-dot pages are a fun way to warm up and do better at handwriting!
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| Mad Libs! |
- Creative Writing: Brielle loves anything about the computer. Every day after lunch, she writes her dad and sister, Ashley, emails about what she had for lunch. She always includes some funny thing about what she's thinking about, like how much she wants a new PINK computer for her upcoming birthday! I check her grammar, spelling and punctuation before she sends them. But, sometimes, her emails are just too cute just as she writes them.
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| Brielle and me (July 2012) Overlooking the Columbia River where Lewis and Clark traveled |
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| Some of Brielle's leg and hand braces from when she was younger |
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| Double digits! |
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| Brielle loves bowling with Special Olympics |
- Physical Activity: A rainy week kept us inside. :( But, Brielle had fun bowling with Special Olympics last Saturday. She has this weekend off and then the big Georgia State Winter Games the next weekend!
- Music: Although not really a "teaching lesson", Brielle has been totally into listening to Taylor Swift music this week. She is so excited about going to her concert in April since the stranger gave us tickets!
"Oh, what a shame. What a rainy ending given to the perfect day." - Taylor Swift
Friday, January 11, 2013
Friday's Photos
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| Hello Friday!!!! |
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| A "chance" meeting with a stranger and his generous gift |
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| Stir fry always tastes better when you help make it! |
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| Yes, school IS more fun in your PJs! |
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| Rain, rain, go away.... Little Cooper wants to play! |
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| Yes! I knocked some pins down! At Special Olympics Bowling |
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| Hugs from Aunt Tracy always make a difference |
If you missed any posts this week, you missed a lot!
Be sure to keep in touch and be a follower!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Thursday's Teaching Highlights
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| Tools of the Trade - Our homeschooling cabinet |
I thought I would showcase some of the fun things we learn each week in "Thursday's Teaching Highlights" and maybe you'll learn something, too!
- Faith: "When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it." - Galatians 6:10 Boy, did we learn this lesson this week when the stranger gave us the gift!
- Reading: We learned that a big chocolate lab puppy has a lot of energy while reading Cocoa by Ellen Miles (our favorite reading series!).
- Handwriting: Brielle had extra practice this week writing thank you notes for Christmas gifts, a thank you note to the generous stranger, and a letter to her big sister, Ashley, who left for college on Sunday. :(
- Language Arts: Brielle's favorite activity is to do MadLibs. While she practices parts of speech, she creates funny stories and it can be quite the learning experience.
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| The Stull Family in Washington DC September 2010 |
- Social Studies/History: We talked about Washington, DC one day this week. We learned that eight cities served as the nation's capital between 1776 and 1790 when work finally began on Washington, DC. We had a wonderful family trip there a few years ago!
- Science: We compared some of the tools scientists use (like a scale, beaker, microscope and telescope) to some of the things we use around the house (like the bathroom scale, kitchen measuring cup, and binoculars). We can be scientists around the house!
- Math: Although math has been a slow struggle for Brielle, she continues to make small but significant strides. This week, she's been working on adding double digit figures!
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| Ashley and Dad watching Brielle bowl with Special Olympics January 2013 |
- Life Skills: With renewed focus, I am teaching Brielle to become more independent. Snapping string beans and bath time skills were just a few of our efforts. Continue to watch for "Tuesday's Tiny Triumph's" posts to learn more!
"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." - Albert Einstein
Monday, December 31, 2012
Reflecting on 2012
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| Family Love & Laughter!
November 2012
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It's natural (and, yes, a total cliche') to reflect on the previous year as we move on to the new one. Indeed, our family was truly blessed and endured natural changes.
The biggest change for our family was Ashley graduating from high school and starting college in Orlando, Florida this fall. We are so proud of her (straight A's her first semester!), but miss her terribly. Brielle really misses her big sister. It was a rough initial adjustment, but we've found a new routine.
We made several trips to Orlando to visit what eventually became Ashley's college campus. Brielle and I traveled to Washington state (twice to visit my parents). Brian, Brielle and I went to our hometown in Champaign, Illinois to go to my 25th high school reunion. Brian traveled to Shanghai, Germany, Brazil, Geneva and Poland (and Pennsylvania) for work. When he travels, Brielle loves sleepovers with Mom. Ashley went with friends to Panama City, Florida. But, mostly, we loved just being together at home!
Brielle now boasts that she is taller than me (only by an inch, at best) making Mom the shortest member of the family. Brielle got her braces off last May and now has a sparkling smile! Brielle was (thankfully) healthy all year. Her only "medical event" was Botox injections in her salivary glands. Two months later, it seems to have only a small lasting effect -- very disappointing.
Brielle made great strides academically. She finally learned her basic addition and subtraction facts and is working with double digits. This is a HUGE success! She's been struggling with this skill for years and years making little or no progress, but this year, it's just clicked. And she accomplished this without much complaining or cheating (most of the time). She continues to do well in Social Studies, Reading and Language Arts. I have had the privilege of homeschooling Brielle the last three years and it has bonded us together in new and special ways. We had our biggest homeschooling adventure this spring when we spent a day without any technology. But, every day is an adventure together!
One very important part of homeschooling for Brielle is working on "life skills", those simple things that young people should learn to become independent (cooking, cleaning, laundry, money skills, shopping, etc.). Although Brielle will never become independent (live on her own without some assistance), we still focus on those skills. She's made big strides in this area this year, the most exciting was learning how to make her own breakfast from start to finish!
Brielle stayed busy playing baseball, participating on a cheerleading and dance squad, and started a new dance class. Special Olympics Bowling also just started up again. Of course, listening to music (and usually dancing along) or watching some of her favorite TV shows and movies is what she loves the most!
Life is an adventure in learning and I truly learn new things every day parenting and teaching a special needs teenager. I had several interesting insights this year. As she gets older, Brielle has new insights as well.
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| Brielle and Me May 2012 |
My biggest accomplishment this year was finishing the rough draft of my book about our experiences with Brielle. I'm working on re-writes and hope to be done and looking for a publisher by early next summer.
One of my goals for 2012 was to start this blog dedicated to my experiences parenting Brielle. I hoped to keep up with regular posts. However, I've been slacking on in recent months. I plan to do much better with that and share information and insights that will, hopefully, help others. I am most proud of my post about the "R" Word and hope that it will be only one of many I can be proud of by this time next year.
It was a great 2012 for our family with very few disappointments or "bad times". I pray 2013 will be even more glorious!
Blessings to you and your family! I hope you'll follow my blog and comment if something strikes you. I love feedback!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Breakfast Anyone?
In our house, we celebrate even the smallest successes. Brielle has had a major accomplishment in the last week and we are definitely celebrating! She's able to make her own breakfast!
Ok. Well, she can do 95% of it on her own, but that's big! How did that happen? Her mama got out of her way! (Silly mama...)
With just a little instruction on motor planning for some of it, Brielle can do almost everything. (Those darn tight lids on her drink supplements are about the only thing I still have to do.)
She does it all! From pouring the drink...
Breaking up the donuts...
Carrying it all to the table...
Of course, eating it is the best part!
But, she also washes her own dishes....
Ok. Well, she can do 95% of it on her own, but that's big! How did that happen? Her mama got out of her way! (Silly mama...)
With just a little instruction on motor planning for some of it, Brielle can do almost everything. (Those darn tight lids on her drink supplements are about the only thing I still have to do.)
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| Carefully pouring... |
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| Yes, she eats THREE big donuts every morning! |
Breaking up the donuts...
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| Two hands carry the feast to the table! |
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| Yummo! Meals always taste better when you make it yourself! |
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| Washing, washing, washing... |
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| Into the dishwasher... |
And wipes down the table....
How about that! As proud as I am of her, I think Brielle is even more proud! :)
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| Clean, clean, clean! |
And wipes down the table....
How about that! As proud as I am of her, I think Brielle is even more proud! :)
Thursday, October 4, 2012
"Mad Libs" Revelation
From time to time, I discover something really interesting while homeschooling Brielle. Sure, I've learned things about history and science that I either:
a) ...never learned; OR
b) ...learned and had forgotten (which is highly likely)
Well, today, during our Language Arts lesson, I had quite the revelation. We usually do a "Mad Libs" page to warm up. "Mad Libs" are actually a great way to review parts of speech and whole lot more fun than boring worksheet.
Do you remember doing "Mad Libs"? Maybe you did them on a car ride or at a sleepover. You don't know what the story or sentence is about. You just fill in something for the missing part of speech and then read it aloud to hear how silly the sentences get. Brielle always laughs at how ridiculous the sentences are.
We're working on a "Mad Libs" book with a birthday theme and today's page was a birthday card. The last line on the page was "a person in the room - female". We had already used "Mom", so she signed, "Brielle" to me. (Yes, we've been known to use "Cooper" - our dog - once in a while, too.) then I realized how the last line reads:
"Your Aunt Brielle"
Whoa. Brielle could some day be an aunt. I had never thought of that. Duh. How could I not think of that?? Of course, Ashley could have children some day (although Ashley doesn't like kids much, she could marry someone and have kids). I have certainly thought of that, Ashley having kids. So, why had I never thought of Brielle being an aunt???
As I pondered why I hadn't thought of this before, I took a picture of the page and texted the picture to Brian. He had the same reaction as I did. "Wow. guess that is right, never crossed my mind either." Oh good, I'm not wacky for not thinking of this sooner.
I texted the picture to Ashley telling her I had never considered that one day Brielle could be aunt to her future children. Ashley responded, "Never thought of that??? I have. That's probably because it would be my kids..lol"
Hmmm.... I guess this is something I should have thought of at some point. Well, now it's got me thinking. What kind of aunt would Brielle be?
First of all, Brielle would be SO excited. She just loves babies! And I think Brielle could be a good aunt. Just consider all she could teach a neice or nephew about life, fairness, and having a postive spirit? Those are important lessons.
I think I'll just keep thinking about that instead of thinking about what her neice or nephew might miss out on since Brielle is the way she is. Otherwise, it's just too depressing. Besides, Brielle won't be an aunt for VERY long time, if ever.
(While pondering all of this today, I also had the opposite thought. Ashley will never be an aunt. Another depressing thought...)
Who thought "Mad Libs" could bring on such a huge revelation???
a) ...never learned; OR
b) ...learned and had forgotten (which is highly likely)
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| Our "Mad Libs" page today |
Do you remember doing "Mad Libs"? Maybe you did them on a car ride or at a sleepover. You don't know what the story or sentence is about. You just fill in something for the missing part of speech and then read it aloud to hear how silly the sentences get. Brielle always laughs at how ridiculous the sentences are.
We're working on a "Mad Libs" book with a birthday theme and today's page was a birthday card. The last line on the page was "a person in the room - female". We had already used "Mom", so she signed, "Brielle" to me. (Yes, we've been known to use "Cooper" - our dog - once in a while, too.) then I realized how the last line reads:
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| "Hugs and pillows, Your Aunt Brielle" |
Whoa. Brielle could some day be an aunt. I had never thought of that. Duh. How could I not think of that?? Of course, Ashley could have children some day (although Ashley doesn't like kids much, she could marry someone and have kids). I have certainly thought of that, Ashley having kids. So, why had I never thought of Brielle being an aunt???
As I pondered why I hadn't thought of this before, I took a picture of the page and texted the picture to Brian. He had the same reaction as I did. "Wow. guess that is right, never crossed my mind either." Oh good, I'm not wacky for not thinking of this sooner.
I texted the picture to Ashley telling her I had never considered that one day Brielle could be aunt to her future children. Ashley responded, "Never thought of that??? I have. That's probably because it would be my kids..lol"
Hmmm.... I guess this is something I should have thought of at some point. Well, now it's got me thinking. What kind of aunt would Brielle be?
First of all, Brielle would be SO excited. She just loves babies! And I think Brielle could be a good aunt. Just consider all she could teach a neice or nephew about life, fairness, and having a postive spirit? Those are important lessons.
I think I'll just keep thinking about that instead of thinking about what her neice or nephew might miss out on since Brielle is the way she is. Otherwise, it's just too depressing. Besides, Brielle won't be an aunt for VERY long time, if ever.
(While pondering all of this today, I also had the opposite thought. Ashley will never be an aunt. Another depressing thought...)
Who thought "Mad Libs" could bring on such a huge revelation???
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Writing and Re-Writing... and Re-Writing!
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| The fruits of my labor! (or at least the three notebooks with my chapters and notes) |
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| Tools of the trade -- my little laptop, an old fashioned notepad, a critical red pen, and plenty of coffee! |
With the help of my writer's group, I wrote and wrote until I finally finished the first draft at the end of July and am now working on re-writes. I write about four afternoons a week and am in a real groove! I hope to complete the re-writes completed by mid-spring and be on my way to publishing!
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| My current writer's group -- Me, MH and S |
* For updates on my writing process, be sure to visit my special blog page!
* For more information about my writer's group, be sure to visit their Monday's Making a Difference page!
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