Spring 2014 Kids Report

Silas

• Silas is our little Picasso these days.  He has an amazing art teacher at school who has inspired him to create art.  They don't do cookie cutter art projects, instead, they have access to many different art materials, a little inspiration and guidance, and then they get to create.  He comes home nearly everyday from school asking me for some help with an art project that he wants to create.
• He continues to improve in his reading and is often able to do his 20 minutes of reading without help.  We used to have me read 1/2 a page in Magic Tree House books, then he would read the other 1/2.  He has recently discovered that he can now read the whole page by himself, with confidence.  He finished 2 chapters in his 20 minutes.
• He has started taking piano lessons from a neighbor boy and is excited to keep learning.  His favorite part of the first lesson was learning about how the keys of the piano make sound.
• In first grade he has started doing spelling words.  He gets a little frustrated when he gets them wrong during practice, but he ends up doing well on his tests on Fridays.  I can't believe he's old enough to having spelling words!
• Playing with friends is a constant happening in his life.  There always seems to be someone wanting to play with him.  Some days he even has to say no because he'd rather stay home and do art.

Logan

• Logan just loves his little sister Oaklee and needs to touch her, or hold her hand, or punch her, everytime he walk passed.  He loves to get her out of her crib in the mornings and bring her to me.  He also gets frustrated because she likes to take his toys he's playing with, wreck his creations, or just hit him on the head.
• Daddy being in school so much is taking its toll on him and he's having a little detachment problem.  He has a hard time going anywhere without either Tyrel or I.  He won't go play at friends' house and anymore, and doesn't love it when we go out on a date.  He'll get over it soon though, only 4 more weeks of school left!  Yaya!
• His outside playing skills are ever increasing.  He can now do the monkey bars without help, and ride Silas' razor scooter.
• He is still emerging as a reader and Silas even likes to teach vowel patterns to him through power points that he makes.  It's fun to see Logan be such a natural reader and to start to write notes to me as well.

Oaklee

• Growing SO much this little lady is!  She is a little climber, which is a new experience for us.  She loves to climb up and stand on the kitchen table, or tries to climb to the top of the piano.  Another favorite of hers is sneaking into the bathroom when the door is left open.  She grabs the toilet brush to paint with it.  Then she sticks both hands into the bowl and splashes around with pure joy.
• She can perform on cue when we ask:  Where's you nose, eyes, hands, hair, teeth, and feet.
• Outside is a new world to her and she is in LOVE!  She can't get enough exploring in wide open spaces.  She loves to swing, play in the sandbox, eat sand, and go see the dogs that live next door and behind us.  She's really quite obsessed with any animals, likes to imitate their sounds, and gets all shaky everytime she sees them.
• She is a true little girl who likes the pretty things.  If she sees her shoes or jackets lying around, she will bring them to us to put on her.  Sometimes she ends up wearing 3 jackets, shoes, a hat, and a necklace.  It's pretty cute!