Reading

Did I mention my 5 year old daughter is reading?  She tells me she can't read but she can.  Her brother did the same thing during the spring of his pre-k year also.  Coincidentally, they were both 5 years and 2 months old, when they could read a story independently.  (But since her birthday is in december and his is in february she read earlier in the Pre-K year.)

I didn't really teach my son how to read, but we read a lot of children's books.  He did only one year of preschool, and played a lot of starfall.com. We also watched the new Electric Company every afternoon. Our local library also had a HUGE AMAZING selection of beginning reader and pre-reader books.

My daughter doesn't play starfall no matter how much I encourage it.  So I knew that would not be an effective method. Our current library has a PATHIC selection of pre-reader and beginning reading books. And since she has spent so long in preschool, I really haven't done too many preschool activities with her.  She is drained from school related stuff, so we just play and have screen time. (I won't lie, she has WAY too much screen time.) Last year it was nice because she finished off the school year knowing all her letters. Really?, I never taught her that. I also never taught her how to spell her name.  Although we read LOTS in this house, I rarely read to her by that point.  She didn't like me reading to her, so why was I going to force her.  We've never really done bedtime stories with her. We are sort of pathetic parents with her when it comes to that. She never had an interest in it, so why force it. I've heard books in the house are more effective at determining a child who grows up to be a reader, and reading to a child. What I mean is a child who isn't raised around books, but is read to every day because the pediatrician says to, or because its the good thing for a child to do, or because books are donated to underprivileged kids, or because that is what the daycare worker/head-start teacher/preschool teacher does is less like to grow up and be a reader than I child who isn't read to daily but has books surrounding them in their house. I can't remember where I read that so maybe its not actually true, and maybe I just tell myself that to help me sleep at night.  But she didn't like be read to, but often played with books, and looked at pictures in books, saw everyone else in her family read, so I didn't push daily reading time with my daughter. Honestly it made my life easier. Then in October I went in to a parent teacher conference for her, and her teacher was showing me her "grades". She knew all of her sounds! Say what? where did she learn all those? apparently from four day a week preschool and speech therapy? I also started to notice at home she had all her pre-reading skills down. She could go on a picture walk in the book (look at all the pictures in the right order) and tell me the entire plot of the book.  She started to have an interest in us reading her library books, not to mention she started picking out library books. So in December or January after her fifth birthday, I started The Reading Lesson with her.

I know a lot of people have a lot of different opinions on reading methods, but I am dyslexic and had to go to tutoring in the fifth grad because I had no phonic skills.  So this book was good for us.  I could understand it (a lot of  learning to read books, I can't even understand), it taught us the phonic rules because I still barely know them. Four years ago, I found Electric Company tv show to be very insightful and helpful, to learning reading rules.  Learning reading rules for ME. So every school day for a few months we diligently did two pages in the Reading Lesson book. I wouldn't give her screen time without doing the lesson.  It worked well, we got through chapter 5.  Then she quit on me, I think it started to become overwhelming to her, too many letters on a page.
So we switched methods, we are now reading the I see Sam books.

We have the first two collections/sets on loan.  And they are working for her, she seems to see the accomplishment easier where it is a thin book.  But our skills together were too low for us to have started with I see Sam book, we needed someone to explain phonetics to us.
After we finish if there is still time before school starts, we'll move on the Bob books at the library, but from what I've seen with her and heard from others, they aren't good to start with, because the words and pages are too small.
My all time favorite books are flip a word books.

But at $10 a pop, I can't justify buying too many, even if I have two more kids to teach to read. I didn't use a specific method with my oldest, and I say it was starfall, but honestly we read every single one of these flip a word books, until he had them memorized, because they were all at the public library.  They are AWESOME at teaching word families.
By the way, I always intended to teach my daughter to read before kindergarten.  I think public schools do a lot of things right, but I don't think a ratio of 1:25 or even 2:25 can teach reading.  I think kindergarten will be great to build her reading self esteem, get her exposed to lot of books, really teach the rules, but for learning to read 1:1 is the best, and so I always planned on her reading before kindergarten started.
I just find it so odd both of my children were exactly the same age.

Sneak Preview

I would like to write my latest birth story, I've been thinking about it, but all I have time for is thinking not writing. I pretty sure I spend the whole day holding either my big baby or my little baby. Occasionally when they are both asleep I either shower, sweep or eat ice cream. Anyway, back to my birth story, I wish I world have known 8 years ago that there is no failing or succeeding when it comes to giving birth. So many have such strong opinions when it comes to women giving birth, but it's all so ridiculous. Each woman is different and each birth is different, just like each baby and child is different. There is no right or wrong way to give birth, all that is important is the mother and child are healthy. And sometimes no matter what everyone has tried something does go wrong, and no amount of statistics could have fixed it. Still the woman did nothing wrong, life just had unexpected tragedy. When it comes to giving birth there is a lot of finger pointing and blaming and I for one wish it would all stop. Eight years ago I bought into the idea that the medical industry treats births like problems like a disease to be medicated and fixed, but if we embrace nature everything will all work out, as long as we have planned ahead. Guess what that works most of the time, but it didn't work all of the time. If it worked all of the time infant mortality rates 200 years ago wouldn't have been 140 out of a 1,000. And it worked all of the time there wouldn't still be rates that high in some third world countries in the world. Anyway, with all that prefaced, I accepted by body for its limitations, and been very pleased with the medical care I've received, over the years even if I absolutely hate staying in the hospital more than 20 hours. Especially since two out of my four babies were born blue and needed infant resuscitation. It makes my heart bleed to know some women still give birth in areas that don't have access to medical knowledge to solve such issues.
Turns out this has ended up much longer than expected, but I wish more of society was about helping everyone to find the best for them, instead of selling people to their cause, by demeaning the opposite side.

Easter memories

Two or three weeks ago we roasting marshmallows on our new fire pit when a wild rabbit ran through our yard. I pointed it out to our kids as quick as possible since those things run as fast as possible. Nattie saw a glimpse of it, and then got a sparkle in her eye when she said, ohh, I know why it's here. I knew exactly what she was thinking so I asked why? She exclaimed EASTER! Then we discussed it as a family, we decided it was a scout to see which houses had kids and to see if those kids listened to their parents. It didn't have to stay long in our yard because it knew our kids had cleaned the basement that day or they wouldn't be roasting marshmallows. It was a fun time.
Now you're thinking, I'm brain washing my kids, but they came up with 90% of that story. I've always thought the easter bunny tradition was a little odd, and so when my oldest was three or four, I thought, we are skipping the easter bunny in this house. I never once mentioned it, but come Sunday morning after he got candy, he told us all about how the easter bunny blah blah blah, I couldn't dash his dreams. So the easter bunny comes to our house.

Dear easter bunny

Dear easter bunny,
      We thought you did an excellent job only getting enough stuff to fit in the baskets this year. But next year we would also appreciate less candy. One chocolate bunny, a few peeps and jelly beans inside the eggs is plenty. Thanks! Remember this is easter, not Halloween or Christmas. We appreciate your effort, and understand how difficult it is not to over spend, society is set up for consumerism, we don't blame you.
                         Sincerely,
                                 Me and my husband

Updates

Turns out my husband didn't need another round of eye surgery.  Hooray.  The specialist we saw seemed to have never seen a repair like his, so I think that is why the original doctor sent him to the specialist.  The specialists said it was a gutsy repair.  I had arranged babysitting for my daughter until her school started at 1, so we had the whole day to relax after we left with no surgery on the horizon.  It was lovely, we put the babies to bed, and hung out.  It was a date night during the day, in our house.  Since we are home bodies, our favorite dates are at home when the kids are gone.
Life has still not slowed down.
The oldest got the flu last week.  He got better just in time for the neighborhood easter egg hunt. Then during dinner on Easter my daughter just crashed, and she has been home sick ever since. I'm praying the babies and I don't get sick.

Vision Miracles

On April 1st, I wrote a post, that I couldn't get to upload from my phone. It said, Six years ago today, I blogged about my husband's retina detachment, and the the surgery he had to seal it back up. No one believed us, because it coincided April fool's day. But pretty much every day I'm grateful my husband isn't blind. The doctor told us luckily he was young so his retinal fluid was still gelatinous or he would have already been blind. It was also a miracle he even went in for an eye exam, since he has 20/15 vision.

Yesterday April 8th, Brent went in for an eye exam.  His eye surgeon said he should have his eyes checked every year, but since moving to Colorado he hasn't been that worried.  Finally after 3 or 4 years, he agreed for me to schedule an appointment.  Good thing, his laserized stitches are holding well, but his retina has detached in two more places. So this morning, he got a call from the surgeon's office, they are seeing him tomorrow.  Round two of eye surgery.  This morning I told him, I'm going to push you get your eyes examined every year now.  He agree to that. Two of his uncles are blind in one eye from retinal detachment. (He might have told me his grandpa also was blind in one eye.)  I can't tell you how grateful I am that my husband isn't blind in one eye.  Although at this rate one day he might not have any peripheral vision left in his eye, but better than no vision. Stitching the eye retina back in place causes a blind spot in his peripheral vision.  At this point it hasn't created a problem, because his eyes compensate, but the more surgeries he has will obviously cause more blind spots, especially if it keeps detaching.

Well child

For about the last week, I've been thinking my baby is the biggest any of my babies have been at 2 months. He seemed to out grow all of the hand me downs from his brother faster. Who was bigger than my oldest. So today when I took my baby in for his well child, I thought those numbers seem big. I just looked it up. He is big, well at least bigger. I also watched the nurse carefully to make sure she was measuring correctly.

Ike's stats at 9 weeks.
Weight- 12.2 lbs 41%
Height - 23.3 in 59%
Head circ - 15.8 in 72%
(Birth weight 8 lbs 9 oz)

Baby A's stats at 10 weeks
Weight - 12.2 lbs 34%
Height - 24 in 78%
Head circ - 15.8 in 65%
(Birth weight 9 lbs 2 oz)

Nan's stats at 10 weeks
Weight - 11.5 lbs
Height- 23.75 in
(Birth weight 7 lbs 8 oz)

J's baby stats at 9 weeks
Weight - 11 lbs 8 oz
Height - 23 inch
Head circ - 15.7 in
(Birth weight 7 lbs 8 oz)

So not a big difference considering their birth weights, were so different. But I find it interesting that baby #4, is bigger a week earlier than baby #3 when baby 3 was born bigger. I'm not surprised baby 3's head was smaller. Baby 1 and 4 have round heads while 2 and 3 have ovals. So ovals measure a little smaller.
My daughter/baby #2, was long and skinny. I couldn't really dress her in sleepers, she was too skinny to keep her legs in the leg holes, so when she kicked her feet would get stuck in the tummy part of the sleeper, it infuriated her, so I tried not to use them.