Today was a fairly great day.  We are settling in  and the Christmas tree is decorated.  Have confirmed family visitors coming for Christmas and have gotten the house fairly ready for them.  Still don't have our Christmas cookies decorated but they are made.  (Fig cookies with frosting and sprinkles). 

Today we did the following:

Andre' read from Exodus the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea with the Isrealite army.  He announced yesterday that he was reading out of the ICB version at school before (third grade level).  I was rather surprised since she gave him an average grade in reading.  Perhaps it was his resistance to doing worksheets.  Oh well, he does have a mind of his own and I try to let him do as many things as he chooses within reason.  Only once today did we get into a 'power struggle'.  Later, I realized i really didn't have a good reason for saying "no" to his choice. 

Then we practiced his song for the upcoming school play.  He is singing Away in A Manger solo.  I played it in C for him and we discussed whether he should sing it an octave lower (I'm so glad that I convinced him to sing it in middle C).  Whew!  He worked on what I call 'fact families' for as long as he was interested. I used the white board and flannel figures for him to practice telling number stories.  He stayed focused for a long time till he got upset at me saying he needed to practice neatness.  Not sure why I decided to say that.  I stayed quiet about it after that.  He must have been nagged a lot about neatness.  What is strange is he was very neat before he went to formal school (writing that is).  Now he writes with a very heavy hand.  Maybe all I should do now is remind him to relax his muscles.  No focus on neatness for a good while till he relaxes again. 

PE was playing outside with his brother.  He also cleared the table after breakfast and rinsed the dishes.  I will pay him fifty cents for this and will use it to teach budgeting (he has the Money Matters bank that we are just beginning to discuss again---after not using if for some time).   After lunch he read a Henry and Mudge book.  Have forgotten the title but we have the series.  I searched online while he was reading to himself, for some comprehension evaluation tools I could use.  This is what I found and I'm so excited about this calibur of website!  http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=263

Later, we played a phonics file folder game I had used previously with my students when I taught grades 1-3.  It wasn't really an area he needs work in but I'm just trying to figure out where he is in phonics.  He liked the game (vowel-consonant-vowel) but I think it was simply review.  That's ok.  Today was a great routine and I hope to repeat the flow tomorrow and the next day.  He really needs that after so much change. 

Gotta run and get ready for my night out.  (volunteering). 

Later