September Summary

Let me see if I can think back that far...

Oh yes, there was balmy weather! The big news for us in September was that school officially started! We decided to homeschool Mattea for JK/SK and then will decide what to do after that, so this year was her official start of JK!

 She is doing Abeka Grade 1 for Science, Letters and Sounds, Language, Arithmetic, Spelling. She is a strong reader, so she is doing the Grade 2 reading curriculum. We also do a daily calendar, weather etc, as well as a daily Bible study. So far she is breezing through everything and loving it!

She typically has a great attitude about school and she is the one who keeps ME on task! She doesn't want to miss a day and if we do, she is the one to independently catch up!

She also started piano lessons (practical and theory) and has loved it since day 1! I can probably count on one hand the times she has complained about practice. She quite happily practices twice a day and will even catch up if she happens to miss a day!

So far it looks like her favourite subject is Science! A girl after her mother's heart which is possibly the result of my own personal biases;-) I might just hype up the science just a wee bit;-) I'm not a big craft/art person so we try to do our art/experiments etc based off our science lessons. So perhaps she really has a love for art and I am just masking it with my own love for science:-)

 September also meant that the rest of the troops had to be whipped into shape and fast! Myself included! I began babysitting full time for a little guy in September, so my own days got quite a bit busier adjusting to school and a 4th kid. We managed quite well, and its amazing how much you can fit into a day and how easily another kid just falls into the mix:-) Hmmm tempting....or not!!! By the weekend, let's just say I'm glad I just have my 3:-) Lol!!! 

 Best buds! They typically want to dress alike, do their hair the same way, and in general they actually play quite peaceably together.

 Little Miss Kayla's focus for September was just that. FOCUS. The child has NONE. Whatsoever. If you have ever heard the expression of a kid with ants in their pants, well I think Kayla has an entire colony or something in there. She is the kid that's sitting on the chair one second, then falling off, then back on and then back off...all while carrying on a conversation and never missing a beat. So my main goal for her was to get her at least focusing for a bit!

In doing that, we discovered an odd passion for a kid that otherwise you would think has ADHD. PUZZLES. She not only loves them, she is darn good at them. She can easily do a 48 piece puzzle all on her own! And she has the determination and drive to sit there (STILL) and figure it out. This is something Mattea never had the patience for! Such different learners - if Mattea doesn't get something...she is not the type of kid to "try try again". Kayla is quite the opposite, she will not move on until she has mastered it, and will take as long as necessary to do it!

Now...here comes the real trouble!  Cayman (as Kayla calls him) reminds us quite a bit of Mattea in terms of personality, but in boy form. Which basically means a whole lot more aggression! Lol...typically channeled towards Kayla - the one person in the family that he realized he can over power. He pretty much targets her for everything and finds great joy in running up to her toys, grabbing something (anything) and running away with it. 

 Over the next few months you will also see a progression for Canaan and that is the hair...let's just say it goes from crazy, to CRAZY (hang in there for November, and you'll see what I mean!)

 In September, I'm trying to remember, I think he was babbling nonstop but not a huge amount of intelligible conversation - certainly not in comparison to how the girls were. But motor skills wise he's far ahead of where they were. Definitely a little mischief maker....I think this was the month I caught him in the China cabinet, holding a royal doulton vase. All he had to say was.."uh oh"!...uh oh was right!!!