I'm noticing some new little developments. They're not significant in the grand scheme of life, but - they are significant to childhood play.
~ Being able to pump a swing with your own legs is significant. I causes one to be autonomous on the swing-set, and not just the swing-set here at home, but the swing-set at the school yard or the park.
Janney has reached that stage. And funny, I didn't teach her this year. Nope, last week when we went out for our walk in the pasture, we first stopped at the swings. I put her on, gave her two-three pushes and noticed her legs were pumping, so I left her to keep pumping. She hadn't been on the swings all winter, and yet, somehow she remembered what we were coaching her to do last fall - legs out, legs back, legs out, legs back.
This goes back to another thought I had about education. Just because what you're teaching today isn't being absorbed, assimilated and used today, doesn't mean it's of no value. Life is full of accumulated life experiences, some we get to use immediately, some needs to cogitate a while, mix in with other knowledge and then one day, when you need that tidbit of information, out it comes from the recesses of your mind - like Legs out, Legs back, Legs out, Legs back. Clearly she doesn't need this information for anything else in life but the pleasure of playing on a swing. Perhaps later in life she'll learn the physics behind her leg swinging, and it will have greater meaning, but for the time being.. all she needs is a swing and the wind in her hair which brings the joy to her heart.
She's four today - She's four today.. And you know what, in the last two - three days, she's looked... not three anymore!
She slept in this morning, but we made sure to get her up in time to watch SuperWhy (show description) . Trent decorated the diningroom table with a hanging butterfly and some pink streamers, I made her a hot dog and iced tea (good breakfast eh!).
No presents yet, we're going to see how long she lasts.. hopefully until Daddy gets home.
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Afternoon
Gramma called, they had a nice chat, but Janney had not asked for her presents yet. Then Janney and Asher played SuperWhy online.
Janney finally asked for a present, so I let her open the one from Gramma - the cutest jean purse with "real diamonds" on the handle (the handle is made with clear and pink beads..lol) Also in the package was a bottle of bubble bath, candy, stickers, a book and pencil and an Anne Geddes picture. She filled up her purse and walked around with it for a while. Then we called Gramma back to say thank you. Janney babbled on for a good 15 minutes, about nothing.. at least not in chronological order. She walked around the house and just talked about stuff she saw in the house, but it wasn't making sense to either Gramma or me.. so I had to decipher for Gramma.. lol
Dinner is being prepared, chicken pot pie with biscuit crust, and chocolate cake with chocolate icing... I've got to find those candles, she'll want that.
~
Gifts
Saddle - from me and daddy
Red Cowboy Boots - from Trent
Red felt cowboy hat - from Myles
Groceries for her play kitchen - from Rourke
Doodlepro - from Asher
Belle and Sleeping Beauty Barbie dolls, with magic changing skirts - from Great Gramma
Purse, bubble bath, book - from Gramma
Janney and I took a nice spring walk in the pasture. The big puddles were an attraction to her, but not like the boys, who would have been swimming in them before the walk was over. Janney stepped in, but no big splashing, and no swimming.
I'm looking forward to the spring peepers. I told her that soon the little frogs would be singing. Maybe a brother can actually find one for her.
We looked in the slough to see if there were ducks there yet, but we didn't scare any away, so they've not arrived yet. I did see a Bald Eagle on the way home from church yesterday. It's just passing through, might not even be there next week, but I see either Bald or Golden Eagles every year down there. The Canada Geese are back. I can't wait for the Sandhill Cranes, they make a great racket flying over the house, as do the Snow Geese.
We had a chance to sit on the swings on our way out, and on our way in. Janney can pump her legs now, and had fun climbing on the tire swing. It's her birthday on Wednesday, and her party on Friday, I'll have to remind the friends to bring billy boots and coats and we'll have to have a time of swinging and visiting the horses.
I walked into the bathroom and found this on the corner of my bathtub.
That's Janney's signature, twice, on my bathtub - written in those crayons that are designed for bathtime fun. A few days ago, Janney and Asher had scribbled in the tub during a bath, so I picked up the lose crayon and wrote Janney's name. She saw it in the morning, but then someone washed up the scribbles. Tonight, she has copied me - by writing her own name on the same spot I had.
I can't tell you how exciting this is. I recognize that she's got the J backwards, and she's got an o instead of an e - she does know it's an e that goes there, she's just not yet capable of making that shape - but all this is so exciting. This week I have written Janney's name on a few papers - drawing she's made etc, and she's used another coloured pencil to draw her name on top of the name I drew. This however, is completely without a guide. This is completely her own efforts. I don't want to wash it off. Fortunately I've got this blog to record this major achievement and keep it for her for when she's a grown woman.
Earlier today, Janney came to me with a white "cloth" on her arm.. She said she had a bruise on her arm, so she needed to cover it. Hmm? What was this cloth? Upon taking a closer look, it was one of those thin panty shields with sticky glue all over the back. She was using it as a bandage.
So.. I chuckled and let her have it.
But why do I have to find it on the floor an hour later?
Fortunately she won't have to know what real pre-menstrual pain is for another 10 years or so! lol
Janney has been steadily learning more and more about reading. Now she's at the sounding it out stage. She'll go through each letter and sound it out, even if she doesn't know how they blend, or make long or short vowels.
One thing that has spurred this new skill on is a show called "Super WHY" on CBC, and she also plays a game on the CBCforKids website.
Last night I was trying to get her dressed for bed after her bath, but she just wanted me to help her read out of one of those first word books... the kind where there's a big bright picture with the name of the thing boldly typed below it. It's the same book that she used to first identify letters a year or so ago.
THIS is the most exciting time in the career of a homeschooling mum.. this big skill.. it opens up the whole world to a child.
Janney and I have been reading some Can't Catch Me I'm the Gingerbread Man type books so when Janney asked to make a craft, I decided to give her foam gingerbread man shapes to dress.
Unfortunately, 2 days later, these cute little people are now completely disrobed, outfits scattered around the house.
And so it starts at age 3 1/2, a mother has to be diligent about teaching the daughter modesty.
I'm off to a good start, the other day, a brother took off his pants to throw into the dryer to get the wrinkles out. When she saw him standing there in his underwear, she told him to "Get Dressed, your privacy is showing" Problem is, she recognizes other people's need for modesty, just not her own!
As you know, for Chanukkah we bought her dress up clothing. One item is a red cape, with a dalmatian faux fur trim collar. She wants to wear this cape tied around her waist so the faux fur part is her "bustier" and she does this without a shirt on underneath. We've had to tell her, "No, it's not beautiful and your privacy is showing, go get dressed properly with a shirt on!"
Sigh
This isn't a one day job. This will be on-going for the next 10-12 years I imagine.
She's been on this princess/beauty kick for a while now. I don't have a problem with telling her she's beautiful, or calling her a princess, but maybe SHE is having a problem with it and I need to curb it. Today I told her she's beautiful not because of her clothing, but because she's an obedient girl, that people who obey God are beautiful. She wasn't much interested in that. I'll have to keep that message going though until she starts to internalize it.
I want her to grow up knowing she's loved and accepted and prized. I want her to think very well of herself. I also want her to be a humble and lovely woman, a woman who cherishes others above herself - a hard balance to achieve.
Header Banner photo - My ornamental crab apple tree in fresh bloom, in the middle of my circular driveway.~~~~
I am Sombra, and these are the stories from our house. We're a Messianic family where academics often take a back seat to the work and adventure of life.
That's Janney's signature, twice, on my bathtub - written in those crayons that are designed for bathtime fun. A few days ago, Janney and Asher had scribbled in the tub during a bath, so I picked up the lose crayon and wrote Janney's name. She saw it in the morning, but then someone washed up the scribbles. Tonight, she has copied me - by writing her own name on the same spot I had.
