It's been too long and I know I have no pictures at the ready for anyone, but life moves on. School is picking up speed for the boys. Both Smarty and Sergeant have started bring home reading assignments. Sergeant's is poems and readings that they've done in class all week that he's beginning to learn some of the words on sight. He's printing, too. "Mom, I can spell the word BLUE. See, I can write it too!" And he guesses what words are based on some of the sounds. "This says Soy Sauce." Me: "How do you know it says soy sauce?" Him: "See? S and S. Ssssoy Ssssauce"
Smarty is reading a grade or two ahead of his age. And his teacher is impressed with his comprehension. We need to work a bit on his reading aloud, but that seems like more of a function of his speech issues he had as a younger child. Remembering to slow down and speak the words individually, things like that.
On Wednesday we went to the library. Not an unusual outing for us, but the boys didn't want to go. I wanted to at least return the books we had, so we went, with the clear understanding that the boys wanted to drop them off and go home again. An hour later we were leaving the library, with two dozen books between the three older children and myself. Well, only three for myself. I can't take too many or the kids would be ignored and we'd live in an even messier house!
But Smarty grabbed a half dozen or so Bones books. They are graphic novels about a dog, I guess, and he solves problems with his friends. Smarty found them at school and has been reading them non stop! The other two are looking at them as well. We have an Octonauts one, some about volcanoes and earthquakes, racing cars, Pokemon, almost too many to keep track of right now!
Girly is absolutely LOVING preschool. There was no doubt that she would. She's starting to talk a bit more about who is in her class, what she is doing. They did a leaf craft the day after we did one here, so I thought that was cute. Her attitude seems to be fluctuating too. Volatile is the word that comes to mind, but they are all dealing with life pretty well. It's really only in the last two weeks that the crankiness and yelling has gotten worse than normal.
But Monkey seems to slowly be warming up to being left. She is still yelling when I drop her off at casual care on Fridays so I can go the the coffee group that meets at Shearwater. The last two times when I've come to pick her up she's been happy and interactive! And apparently she cries a little bit less each time I leave. That's some progress, at least.
Three weeks until Hubby returns. Just under. Yay! Tomorrow is a Deployment Cafe that the Halifax site puts on once a month for families with a member away. We enjoyed the one last month, so we will be returning tomorrow. Care, supper, and games for the children, adult conversation with others whose spouses/partners are away for the grownups. Overall, a good time. I've been able to get out for a couple of runs in the last little bit. Marie (I mentioned her in the last post) has been coming over after I drop Girly off at preschool to watch Monkey so I can get out. It's good having her come over because it takes away my excuses. I don't need help putting things off. I do that just fine on my own! But the running feels good. During I keep asking why I torture myself, but I feel good for doing it. And not because I feel guilty if I don't. I feel more sluggish and ick if I haven't had some quiet alone, me time. Plus the endorphins that gradually kick in are nice.
I'll try harder to put new pictures up, and to update before too long. No guarantees, though.
