Our Trip to India

The last couple of days have been rather full, interesting but full *smiles*

Maddy finally got her red belt in karate .. we definitely need to work harder on stretching and endurance here at home. She loves her class but its a bit rougher then her other. Rougher in that the kids are mostly red/brown belts or brown belts... and their stances are stronger and deeper and more well defined. We need to work on running laps, and getting that split down.

Math has been a bit more relaxed this week.. but I think thats what she needed. I guess i was going at it with the attitude "lets get it done to have it done" and it was stressing her out. So this week I tried just slowing down a bit, re-explaining things we had done... if she balked at working on the multiplication facts we did them together. I want to find a fun game or games that will allow her to practice the facts so that she gets them... but for it to be fun at the same time. I will have to continue to look around.

We have been having a lot of fun in her history/english segments. She has been reading a ton of books on Pocahontas , pilgrims etc... and having a blast. Tomorrow we will go to the library and see what else they have.

Today was our first Adventure Girl outing... and I think it went well. Maddy was uncomfortable at first, and it took a while for her to warm up. She decided to sit with me at first and finally about half way through the presentation she joined the other girls on the floor. It wasnt the dance or the computer images that drew her... it was little models of items used in Indian homes that she was fascinated with and wanted to get closer to. The lovely woman who was discussing India with the girls chose Maddy as her model to wear the Indian Temple jewelry which pleased my daughter to no end. We left before we got to try any of the foods people had donated for the event... Maddy wanted to leave so we gave our thanks and snuck out the door. Then we discussed what we had seen and heard almost all the way home. It was a good time... and I hope she will want to take part in the next outing... but I am going to take my cues from her. The worst thing I could do is push then she will out and out refuse. I know that someday this stubborness and determination will be a good thing... but geesh... sometimes it makes things hard on Mom and Dad *smile*

The Cumberland county fair is this week... I have to make sure I get the girls there... It will be so much fun. Not sure when we can go though... Maddy has karate tomorrow at 4:45, and teengirl asked if we could go after she gets out at 12:30... but that wouldnt work, and Friday is going to be a long day as thats the day we get our new kitchen floor. The workers will be here between 9-10 and be here all day. Its exciting to finally get the floor replaced from when we had the fire.

Cant think of anything else...

so I am wishing you peace,
Regi

Our Week so far

Its been a pretty good week so far. We have made good progress in regards to our studies of Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo. She is just finishing up her second Columbus book as well as working on a book on Marco Polo. Today we made a compass, and tomorrow we will make a quadrant to measure things around our neighborhood. Tomorrow night we will see if we can find the North Star and figure out what our Latitude is using the quadrant we make.

Math is going... that is all I can say about that really. She seems to have forgotten all the multiplication facts she learned last year. I am discovering that taking the summer off was a very bad idea. I would love to help her find that joy she had at the end of last year when she was solving math problems successfully and so proud of herself. The difference from when we took her out of public school in Mid March to end of May/June was pretty amazing for her. She stopped being afraid of math and started enjoying it. Just gotta find a way to get the fun back in it.

Karate is going well. She was the only student in her class yesterday so she got the sole attention of both her Sempai's. They worked her hard but there were a lot of giggles coming for the mat room and they seemed quite pleased with her forms. She will have stripe testing tomorrow afternoon and if all goes well she will graduate to a red belt on Friday night. Woohoo Maddy... you go girl!

Teengirl is sending out her college applications this weekend. I am so nervous... she is my firstborn.. my baby, and yet she is a grown woman. Where in the heck did the time go? She has decided she definitely wants to attend the University of Maine, Orono... and wants to take advantage of the early admission plan. She has grown up into such a wonderful young woman... I am very proud of her. *sniff*

Jasper graduated from puppy class last night. Usually just Hubby and I go to the classes, but last night the girls went as well and they had a lot of fun. Jazzy got his little certificate for graduating puppy class, and we were sent home with lots of praise for him as well as for us for all the hard work we have put in. In class Jasper learned to sit, sit stay, down, down stay, come (when he feels like it or we bribe with yummy treats, otherwise he stands just out of reach the little scalliwag), as well as having time to spend with other puppies, and question and answer periods every class for puppy mom and dads to share their concerns and get advice. I would highly recommend a puppy class to anyone getting a puppy. Petco has a awesome program.. but any puppy class would work well I think.

I finally got all the squares done on Maddy's quilt, and connected them together. Its going to be very pretty when its all done. Next I have to add the borders and then Teengirl will show me what the next step is. I think she is really enjoying teaching her mom something like this. I have always wanted to learn to quilt... have had visions of snuggling up under a homemade quilt with our family on cold cold days... but never understood all the directions in the quilting magazines and books i have drooled over in the past. Teengirl took a class in school last year and now she is teaching mommy.

Maddy's quilt has pinks and oranges in it. I let her pick all the fabrics out with minimal help from me. Its definitely her, thats for sure. Now we need to paint her room to go with her new quilt... what joy! We have plenty of time though, *smiles* it has taken me all summer to get to the point I am at... and that was the easy part I am afraid.

Can't think of another thing to say so I Guess thats all from this front!

Wishing you...Peace and Joy,
Regi