Our Kids

Piper did exclaim at dinner how much she loved knitting and then she gave us an in depth description of what they did:)

So here I am posting. The girls are playing outside on the shark and I would rather be reading but here I am posting, you are welcome:) The reason I would rather be reading is that I am deep in to the 3rd book of the King of Thrones and I am not sure if I want to know what happens or I just want to be finished with it. It is the kind of book that you can’t put down but don’t really have time for, lol! But I know you are not here to listen to me whine about my reading or lack there of so I will move on to more interesting topics.

Piper
Piper is doing awesome, in school and otherwise. She has lost her two top teeth and is working on another bottom tooth. One of her top teeth is coming in and the other isn’t. Her favorite thing about school is math so far but I think she likes all the story telling as well. She was telling me today about recess and I don’t think it is her favorite. She says she mostly walks around and watches everyone and sometimes one of her friends will run up and ask her to play and she will. I gather that grades 1-3 (maybe 4) are on the playground at the same time so I am not sure if she is comfortable being out there with all those ages and she is HOT. Piper is also still whining. OMG please make it stop. Half the time I have become so accustomed to her whining I forget to ask her to try again so we never seem to get passed it. I am making a conscious effort to tell her to try again when she whines. So far she is my only whiner. She likes to get her way and likes to make up the games. She doesn’t like it when her sisters “tell” on her and both Landis and Lela like to keep me “informed” which usually works out for the better. As far as eating goes she is still and on again off again eater. Sometimes her lunch comes back totally eaten and other days she may eat only one thing (and they have snack AND lunch). She has started drinking a green smoothie every morning for breakfast and I just let her go on her eating plan figuring it is what works best for her system.

Lela
Lela is doing great in school as well. She had a few rough days and I think it was a combination of not knowing the routine of it all and also feeling a little bit under the weather. She is LOVING knitting. Apparently they started actual knitting with the needles they made and she tells me knitting is AWESOME (Piper hasn’t mentioned knitting once). She also says it is easy. I talked with her about how it is easy for her but maybe not for everyone since I suspect she will not think the upcoming Math block is very easy. She did tell me that the teacher had them all stand up and then she went around the room and asked them each a math question. The questions are in the form of a riddle or fairy tale (the prince had 4 pumpkins and he gave the princess two, how many did he have left). You get to answer until you get it right, you can also ask a friend for help. Lela did not get the question right, I asked her if she asked a friend and she said no she wanted to do it herself and she got the second one right. They are not allowed to use their fingers as it is called mental math and they are training their brains. She has serious stick to it ness which will serve her well in those things she doesn’t LOVE as much as knitting. As far as eating goes Lela is a ravenous eater, devouring her entire lunch and snack each and every day. She is a super eater and will eat just about any vegetable or fruit you put in her lunch.

Landis
I think Landis is really glad that the girls are back in school. It really gives her time to be alone and also to play with Phoebe. She was having some screaming fits similar to what Lela did back in the day surrounding Sesame Street (her one show) so I talked to her about it and told her we were not going to watch it anymore because she got so upset when I turned it off. We decided Friday two weeks ago would be the last day she got to watch it and she hasn’t asked to watch it since. It really has helped her moods. She still gets frustrated because she is moving from physical expression to verbalization. She often screams when Phoebe takes her toys instead of asking for them back or offering a trade. She is working on it and I am working on not getting frustrated with her when she uses her screaming voice versus asking nicely. She is pretty demanding in her requests so we are working with her to add something nice to the end like please and/or thank you. Landis has been napping lately too and still going to be before 8PM, so like I said I think she is liking being home. We do plan to do playgroup this year at the school but it hasn’t started yet due to some construction still going on at the high school and losing the class space.

Phoebe
Phoebe is adorable. She babbles constantly like she is having a full on conversation with you complete with facial expressions. She is saying more and more words but still prefers to talk in her own language. Today she showed me where my eyes, ears, nose and mouth were and even used the right words for them. It is cute, aside from the fact that her pokes in the eye are hardly gentle. She is napping once a day and going down pretty easy, she still doesn’t sleep through the night but only wakes for a tiny bit and is easy to soothe back to sleep. She wants to do and be with the girls at all times. I think we might potty train soon or at least give it a good go, I am not in any hurry but I think she might be. She is a super happy baby. She is still nursing and my attempts at weaning her have not been successful, but I am weak when she cries at me. Landis just sort of gave it up once I put some rules on her but Phoebe isn’t going for it. She is a good eater, she doesn’t eat much but eats all sorts of fruits and veggies.

Jason
What can I say about Jason, ha! I love him more every day. The girls are so lucky to have such a good role model for a father and for a husband. I know they will chose wisely when/if the day comes for them to find a forever mate because of the great example they have seen at home. He is my lobster.

We have been so fortunate with our school and the girls first grade teacher. Here is an email that we received from her about what the 1st grade class is up to:)

Dear Families,

I hope all is well with you. The children are settling in quite well as first grade students. We have some children still not feeling well in our class. There have been some with the stomach bug, some have fever and sinus issues. I hope all the children are getting plenty of rest each night and eating healthy.

This is just a little update to give you a glimpse into our classroom. Enjoy!

Main Lesson:
We are hard at work in the first grade learning to be neat with our work and practicing our forms. The children worked on spirals today with two colors. The students learned the story of a puppy who created an inward spirall and outward spiral around a tree.The inward spiral was done in yellow and the outward in blue. The children were being ever so careful to be sure the spirals did not touch one another. They are learning to work carefully and slowly and not rush to be finished. We will hear about a little insect named Jupiter this week who fancied the king’s crown collection and bug who visits Mrs. Khalsa’s room who loves to walk her stitch patterns. They will walk these forms and practice with their hands before putting then put them to paper.

Math:
We are reviewing left and right and counting to 100 in our circle work. We have been working on number recognition, mental math, and story problems using manipulatives. This will prepare them for our math and number block this fall.

Language Arts:
The children are leaning many new verses in our first grade. We are listening to stories that are told and read each day. Our room is filled with rich language and quality literature daily. We are also looking at rhyming words and stories and verse with rhyme.

Form Drawing:
We are moving into more intricate first grade forms. These forms are practiced through movement and in written/drawn form. We walk the forms, draw them in the air, gently on our friends backs, on our chalk boards, etc. These forms should be practiced over and over again. It exercises the will!

Eurythmy:
We are hearing stories, skipping, singing, leaning the gestures for consonants and vowels, and learning to listen and speak with our hands with Mr. McElroen. We have enjoyed the lovely piano accompaniment with Mr. Russo too.

Handwork:
The students are working on finishing knitting needles in our class. They also hear song and story with Mrs. Khalsa each class. It is a lovely class and they are doing well.

Movement:
Mrs. Richardson-Heath is playing lovely cooperative games with the first grade. The weather has kept them indoors but that seems to hold the children very well.

Music:
We are working on some first grade songs. Some is teaching si and speaking in Spanish. She has lovely puppets for story and the children love to gather in the back of the room close to her to listen and watch.

Spanish:
The children are listening to stories and singing in Spanish with Senora Damany. They also gather in our story area close to Senora Damany to listen and watch as she weaves her tales in Spanish with puppets and chalkboard drawings.

Our days pass quickly and I am cherishing each moment with them. Thank you for sharing your lovely children with me. I am truly grateful.

Respectfully,
Ms. F

I read this today and laughed out loud:

“The trouble with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are unemployed.”

HA HA! So true.

We are doing better but this cold is such a stinker. It is now attacking Phoebe but in typical Haslup girl fashion she is not too phased by it. Chasing her around to wipe her nose has been my recent past time. I am hoping that we are all 100 percent by Sunday. This is our 3rd week of having some kind of crud or several different types of crud more like. All Done I say All Done!

Piper lost her other front tooth. Now she has that gappy tooth grin that you see on so many kids. Oh and the lisp too. So cute.

In other news the girls are already memorizing some new rhymes from school and taught one to Jason. If you head over to flickr you can catch him doing it with Piper.

The girls are almost finished making their knitting needles at school. Lela is loving the process but Piper thinks it is “BORING.” HA HA! They were given wood and then they had to sand down the tips to points and then Lela said they rubbed them with beeswax today.

I don’t get too many updates from the girls but the teacher has been sending emails so that is nice. I won’t lie I will be glad when this transition phase is over. I have had more meltdowns today than I had all summer it seems. Lots of emoting going on around here and I am doing my best to keep my emoting to a minimum:) I sense a box of chocolates in my future:)

The girls have all been sort of puny this week with some sort of back to school germ/cold/virus thing. It has meant sleepless nights for me, restless nights for the big girls and daytime naps for the little girls. This morning Lela was overcome with a wave of sadness. When her dad got ready to take her to school she broke down and cried. I decided I would take her to school to give her a little more time to transition away from home.

When we got to school she was still very teary eyed. Her teacher tried to talk to her but Lela gave her a look that could kill and she got the message. She offered to let Lela sit by Piper and other things but Lela wanted none of it. In the end I took her to her desk and sat her down. I had sat in her desk the previous night for our parent meeting and had left her a small present and a note so I got those things out for her. The final bell had rung and I did not want to interrupt the rhythm of the day that is so crucial to Waldorf and children in general. It tore my heart strings to leave her there like that.

I came home and did some laundry and the little girls and I took a nap. We arrived early for pick up like we promised Lela we would. She was happily talking to her friend Marina and Marina’s dad when I walked up. I talked to her teacher and she told me that Mr. Camacho (the aide) came in and took Lela for a walk in the garden. While in the garden they were able to choose and cut a flower for Ms. Falconburg. After that they went to the chicken coop to check for eggs and collected 3 eggs. By the time they made the rounds passed the goat, sheep, ducks and geese she was right as rain. My heart was full of happiness for Lela, for Ms. F, for Mr. C and for Desert Marigold.

All day I was mourning the loss of kindergarten where the world can stop for a crying child but it was replaced by the kindness of the teacher and her aide and helping Lela finish out her first week of 1st grade with a smile. I feel so very fortunate.

The girls are both loving first grade. Lela just wants to come home and see me for a bit and go right back! They both have independently told me that the “LOVE” first grade. They have already been exposed to form drawing, math (in the form of riddles), reading, movement and handwork. Yesterday they got to play with beeswax while Ms. F read to them in a circle. They are also getting lots of outdoor play time.

When they come home they want to get right to playing with Landis and Phoebe and are so happy to see them. Hard to believe it has been a week already (well tomorrow will be the end of the first week of school). They are really having a super time and I am glad. Tonight is the first parent evening with Ms. F so it will be interesting to see what she has to teach us.

I have taken on volunteer coordination of animal care this year so that is what is on my plate for the school right now. I am hoping to get more involved in the fairs and events this year since I no longer have a wee baby (sniff sniff). School is fun!

Well I sent Piper to first grade with aspirin and eye drops. She didn’t have a fever and I just couldn’t have her miss it, she would have been so sad. Things are different in the first grade and I am so anxious for them to come home, I know they are safe and loved and so I am not complaining but I miss them. Anyway, here is what is in store for them this year:

Main Lesson Block Rotation for 1st Grade
Form Drawing – 3 weeks, Introduction to the straight and curved lines, running forms, forms within a whole (circle)
Language Skills – 4 weeks, Intro to the consonants through picture painting, and the vowels through eurythmy (movement). Speech (verses, tongue twisters, retelling parts of story, writing (sentence, word, letter)
Arithmetic – 4 weeks, Qualities of numbers, Roman Numerals and Arabic numerals. rthymic counting in steps of one, two, three up to t five, ten. Bagging, grouping, writing numbers to 100, intro to the four operations (+, – etc)
Language Skills – 4 weeks Speech and language, speaking, writing and reading what was written, ordering of letters in alphabet, practice of writing, dictation of letters
Arithmetic – 4 weeks, Practice of the four operations and rhythmic counting, writing common denominators of multiples of 2, 4 and 6
Form Drawing – 2 weeks, Drawing of number patters and forms
Language Skills – 4 weeks, Speech and writing prctice, reading what was written, short vowels, categorizing
Arithmetic – 4 weeks, Practice of the four operations, rhythmic couting, days of the week
Language Skills – 4 weeks, continued writing practice, writing their own sentences, intro of teacher made first reader book
The final month of school is spent in review.

You can see that they are on a block rotation. So they will focus on each segment for the entire 4 weeks exploring it with all the senses before they move on to the next block. Then when they come back again they just keep building on the foundation of what they previously built.

In addition to their class work they will also be attending Handwork class. Here is what is in store for handwork this year:

Finger knitting a chain for their handwork bags
Introduction to wool
Stick spinning raw wool to make in to a bracelet
Make knitting needs
learning how to cast on
Learning to to knit
Knit a square (that will become a cat)
Learn to cast off
Knit a Flute case
Knit a pouch

Handwork in the first grade is for training their finger development and fine motor skills. It fosters communication from both sides of the brain. They sit in a circle and learn verses to sing while they work. Studies have shown that a first grader who knits will be stronger in both math and reading.

Needless to say we are super excited for the girls and first grade. We feel fortunate to have found a school that suits my goals for the girls as well as supports their individuality and love for experimental learning (hands on). I will post again about their first day this evening. Right now I think I might go and have a pity party:)