These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

This is a random compilation of a few of my favorite things.

Green, Green, Green, Green, Green, Green, Green
I love green. I love all the emphasis on "being green" lately because it makes finding things the color green so much easier. I think I must be green deprived here in San Antonio. All the houses in my neighborhood are tan, the grass is dead brown, the trees all look dusty and pale... So I decorate the inside of my house green, green, green. I wake up on a green pillow case, step out of the shower onto a green bath mat, dry with a green towel, brush my hair with a green handled brush, go downstairs to my green living room and water my house plant that I'm trying to keep green with a green watering can as it sits in a green pot. Perhaps I'm in need of a trip to Washington to get a green fix. But I'll wait till the flood waters recede and it warms up a little.

Speaking of green... we now have recycling in our area. Hurray!! We love recycling. Today I heard the recycling man coming around at 7:30 am. I was up but not presentable. But how presentable do you have to be for the recycling/garbage man. So ran the recycling bin down the driveway, in my socks and pj's, just in time to hand it to the man riding on the back of the truck. The kids cheered for me from the garage in their pajamas. The recycling/garbage man just looked amused. My favorite thing about recycling is the kids and Aaron don't mind getting rid of old papers as much if it's going into the recycling. Finally I can clear out some old papers and get rid of the kids school work. Talmage was an especially bad scrap paper hoarder. But not anymore.

This book, First Language Lessons: For a Well Trained Mind, by Jessie Wise, is my Language curriculum for the kids. This is the book I have used to teach my kids to memorize poems, the definition of a noun, pronoun, verb, sentence . . . This book has short lessons that move quickly and don't require a lot of set up time. I have really enjoyed using it.

This is my new find! I have checked this out from the library a few times and will soon purchase it. It is called, Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling, by Dolores G. Hiskes (edition 9). After going through a few of these lessons and playing the printable games contained in this book my kids are already better readers! In fact Aaron and I have learned a few things. This book is meant to help students of all ages.

Another favorite is when Anya (3 yrs old) uses words like transparent and brim. Also when she is dancing around like she has to go potty, I'll ask her if she has to go potty and she says no. So I ask, "Then why are you dancing?" She nearly always responds "For joy". She cracks me up!

Aaron is my all time favorite though. He is amazing. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything he can't do well.