Thursday, March 31, 2011
Adorable babies...
We had a photo playdate and I got to shoot these little cuties, aren't they so adorable?
The Osborne's
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Mormon Channel
Are you listening to this? If not you seriously need to check it out.
You can listen online or download the free app to your iphone. I listen to these all day long as I'm cleaning or running around and they are absolutely amazing.
These are awesome programs to help inspire, motivate and strengthen. If you think your trials are too hard to bear- listen to Enduring it Well. If you need some encouragement and motivation, listen to Conversations. What a great way to learn from members and leaders of our church and invite the spirit into our homes.
The Osborne's
Saturday, March 26, 2011
On our bookshelf...
Our family loves books. We don't buy a lot of toys for our kids, but we do buy a lot of books. We have books in every room of the house (although most of them are still in storage). Here are just a few of the books in the boys' room that they enjoy reading...
A few other must have books are A Treasury of Children's Literature and Fifty Famous Stories Retold (Yesterday's Classics). A great resource for classical books to add to your library are listed by age/grade at http://www.amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml#years Even if you have no plans to homeschool your children you can supplement their education by exposing them to these great classical works which will immensly shape the people they become. I also have this recommended book list compiled from a Thomas Jefferson Education for children and adults.
A few great ones are available for free on kindle like A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, Beautiful Stories from Shakespear by Edith E Nesbit, and The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin.
The Osborne's
Ethan's favorites areWhere the Wild Things are, Biscuit series, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, How Do I love You, The Lorax and On the Farm. Joshua's favorites are Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Winnie the Pooh, Freight Train, and a book about Tractors. We also LOVE the Usborne books (you can find many of them on amazon) the board books are amazing- my boys love the Trucks book and That's Not my Train. Another one of our favorites is Franklin Edward's Amazing Book of Mormon Adventures (if you haven't read this book- it is such a cute book). And the Who's your Hero Book of Mormon stories are also great.
We also love these Science Vocabulary Readers that you purchase through the Scholastic book club orders. They are very inexpensive and full of fun facts for the kids. 
A few other must have books are A Treasury of Children's Literature and Fifty Famous Stories Retold (Yesterday's Classics). A great resource for classical books to add to your library are listed by age/grade at http://www.amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml#years Even if you have no plans to homeschool your children you can supplement their education by exposing them to these great classical works which will immensly shape the people they become. I also have this recommended book list compiled from a Thomas Jefferson Education for children and adults.
A few great ones are available for free on kindle like A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, Beautiful Stories from Shakespear by Edith E Nesbit, and The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin.
These are just a few of the books on my night stand. Another I'm reading on kindle (available for free) is In His Steps by Charles Monroe Sheldon. It is an amazing book about a group of people who committed to living every day for a year doing as Jesus would. Very inspirational and motivational. You don't even want to see the pile of books in my "to read" stack. Anywhere from Doctrines of Salvation to Plato's collected works. Fortunately many of the less interesting ones (like Machiavelli's The Prince and Dante's Divine Comedy) are available as audio books from the library so I can "read" them the easy way...
I'm not very far in Maxwell's book Things as They Really Are, but he is an amazing writer and each sentence of his books are packed with incredible power. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for spiritual growth (or especially if you're not).
Just a few quotes I have read already and love are:
"Jesus' brief stumbling while carrying the cross is a reminder as to how close to the very edge of our strength God stretches us at times"
"Satan is very apt at using any momentum he has in order to make it look as though he has already prevailed...Though he postures as a nonconformist, my, how the adversary likes his lemmings to line up and march- toward self-destruction- to the most conforming cadance caller of them all!"
And, on another note... if you live in Kentucky you should go check out the Easter Pageant at Southeast Christian Church in Lousiville. My husband took me there for a surprise date Thursday night and it was amazing. Live camels, horses, donkeys, etc. not to mention the angels descending from the ceiling. The show is spectacular.
And, on another note... if you live in Kentucky you should go check out the Easter Pageant at Southeast Christian Church in Lousiville. My husband took me there for a surprise date Thursday night and it was amazing. Live camels, horses, donkeys, etc. not to mention the angels descending from the ceiling. The show is spectacular.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Early reading
I've had several people ask me how Ethan learned to read so well at such a young age. I've already shared a few things that we have done, but thought I'd share some more details for those who are interested...
First of all, reading is very important to me and my husband so we read to Ethan from the time he was an infant. I would read to him at least three times a day, usually once in the morning, after lunch and before bedtime. Second, I had the expectation of early reading because I started reading at age three and knew it was possible.
When he was about two he was obsessed with the computer and I started letting him sit on my lap and play on starfall.com, one of THE best reading tools available, and it's completely FREE. Now you can get it for around $3 on your iphone, which is easier for young kids who can't work the mouse- Joshua loves playing on it. So starfall helped teach Ethan the letters of the alphabet and he would start to recognize them in the books we read (for smaller kids Fisher Price has an Alphabet Zoo site that is kind of fun too). I also have a printable abc book on my homeschooling link.
Once I realized that he was recognizing these letters in the book, I started pointing to each word as we read. I also started to help him learn to sound out small words like pig, dog, cat, etc. and read the starfall books online that sound out letters. Pointing to the words as you read will also help them to recognize sight words like the, and, an, etc.
I also got fridge phonics for him to play with and help reinforce the letter sounds. As he began to sound out words I printed off the starfall books and had him go through them until he was able to read them by himself. Then I bought early reader books like the Biscuit books, Thomas the Train, and other books that were easy to read. I even bought "Your baby can read" DVD's, but by this point he was already reading. I think multiple reinforcement is the key. Exposing them through books, movies and even occasionally cartoons like SuperWHY and WordWorld can help them to connect the dots between letter sound and forming words.
At times it seemed like he was not making progress but even if they are running around the room they are still listening and will eventually absorb what you are saying. And yes it gets a bit annoying to read the same book 10 times in a day but that repetition is what helps them learn. The more times they are exposed to books the faster they will learn to read. The beginning stages reading is memorizing words, but as you sound out the words to them they will learn to do the same and sounding out words enables them to read on a much higher level.
As they learn to read small words, start exposing them to sight words. You can find a list of sight words and even print flashcards at http://www.msrossbec.com/sightwords.shtml. It's not about drilling words into them, it's about exposing them to the words and reviewing ever so often.
Also, reading the scriptures with them helps their vocabulary increase a hundred fold. Start by having them simply repeat each word after you. Then as they get older point to each word and have them repeat it. Eventually they will be able to read words that many eight year olds can't even read. It also prepares them to understand classical literature when they are exposed to that type of language at an early age.
So there you have it. Persistence is the key...I will share some of our favorite books tomorrow...
Now...if you're feeling hungry, check out these yummy chocolate chip cookies!
First of all, reading is very important to me and my husband so we read to Ethan from the time he was an infant. I would read to him at least three times a day, usually once in the morning, after lunch and before bedtime. Second, I had the expectation of early reading because I started reading at age three and knew it was possible.
When he was about two he was obsessed with the computer and I started letting him sit on my lap and play on starfall.com, one of THE best reading tools available, and it's completely FREE. Now you can get it for around $3 on your iphone, which is easier for young kids who can't work the mouse- Joshua loves playing on it. So starfall helped teach Ethan the letters of the alphabet and he would start to recognize them in the books we read (for smaller kids Fisher Price has an Alphabet Zoo site that is kind of fun too). I also have a printable abc book on my homeschooling link.
Once I realized that he was recognizing these letters in the book, I started pointing to each word as we read. I also started to help him learn to sound out small words like pig, dog, cat, etc. and read the starfall books online that sound out letters. Pointing to the words as you read will also help them to recognize sight words like the, and, an, etc.
I also got fridge phonics for him to play with and help reinforce the letter sounds. As he began to sound out words I printed off the starfall books and had him go through them until he was able to read them by himself. Then I bought early reader books like the Biscuit books, Thomas the Train, and other books that were easy to read. I even bought "Your baby can read" DVD's, but by this point he was already reading. I think multiple reinforcement is the key. Exposing them through books, movies and even occasionally cartoons like SuperWHY and WordWorld can help them to connect the dots between letter sound and forming words.
At times it seemed like he was not making progress but even if they are running around the room they are still listening and will eventually absorb what you are saying. And yes it gets a bit annoying to read the same book 10 times in a day but that repetition is what helps them learn. The more times they are exposed to books the faster they will learn to read. The beginning stages reading is memorizing words, but as you sound out the words to them they will learn to do the same and sounding out words enables them to read on a much higher level.
As they learn to read small words, start exposing them to sight words. You can find a list of sight words and even print flashcards at http://www.msrossbec.com/sightwords.shtml. It's not about drilling words into them, it's about exposing them to the words and reviewing ever so often.
Also, reading the scriptures with them helps their vocabulary increase a hundred fold. Start by having them simply repeat each word after you. Then as they get older point to each word and have them repeat it. Eventually they will be able to read words that many eight year olds can't even read. It also prepares them to understand classical literature when they are exposed to that type of language at an early age.
So there you have it. Persistence is the key...I will share some of our favorite books tomorrow...
Now...if you're feeling hungry, check out these yummy chocolate chip cookies!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Stay home week
Although Grant's pink eye has cleared up we figured we'd have a stay home week just to make sure he's not contagious. It has been really nice not to have any obligations and just to relax and play with the boys. We also had some surprises come in the mail this week- the Dot, recommended by my friend Joann which is a great story, and our alphabet wikki stix which the boys played with for a good hour or more.
This morning Ethan was doing his math work and he kept making his eight's into cute little snowmen...
We read the dot again and the boys had lots of fun painting their own masterpieces.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
This week so far...
I made this yummy Lemon Chicken Picatta for dinner. It was delicious.
Joshua the builder hard at work...
Poor little baby got pink eye...one dose of the eye drops though and he's good as new
And Ethan with his favorite books- the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. Why Ethan love them: Jack and Annie go on adventures through the magic tree house to different times and places. Why mommy loves them: they mix fact with fiction so he remembers people and places he might not normally pay attention to- like Leonardo DaVinci, Shah Jahan, and Basho the Japanese poet. He even wrote his own haiku after reading the Dragon of the Red Dawn, based on our Saturday adventure:
Wild turkeys walking
Riding bikes along the trail
Seeing the green pond
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Born to run
Yesterday evening we went to the riverfront park in Brandenburg to ride bikes. The water levels were really high and the parking lots all flooded out. It was interesting to see the amphitheater and bridge submerged. Anyway...we rode on the trail which is about 2 1/2 miles long and beautiful (we always see animals like deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, etc...) As we started to head back Ethan said he wanted to run and started running. I was walking my bike so not to leave him behind and instead he left me in the dust. He ran an entire mile without stopping! Then he stopped for a minute and started running again. He ran the entire 2 1/2 miles back. It was pretty impressive for a 4 year old.
At one of our little rest stops he said to Anthony "you need to raise me for lots of stuff" we first thought he said "race me" but he clarified by saying "you need to raise me for running and mountain climbing and adventuring!" Then added "and to be an artist". We asked if there was anything else and he said he would make us a list when he got older... Four is definitely my favorite age so far!
This afternoon it was beautiful and sunny so I walked while the boys rode their bikes to the little nature preserve by our house and had a picnic. The boys love reading all the signs and running around on the trails. Ethan kept asking questions about what different animals looked like and it was so nice to have my iPhone to look everything up and show him pictures. I think it is my favorite homeschool tool yet! And this is where I said "no more vegetables until you eat your sandwich!" I guess I should be more grateful that they love veggies so much...
At one of our little rest stops he said to Anthony "you need to raise me for lots of stuff" we first thought he said "race me" but he clarified by saying "you need to raise me for running and mountain climbing and adventuring!" Then added "and to be an artist". We asked if there was anything else and he said he would make us a list when he got older... Four is definitely my favorite age so far!
This afternoon it was beautiful and sunny so I walked while the boys rode their bikes to the little nature preserve by our house and had a picnic. The boys love reading all the signs and running around on the trails. Ethan kept asking questions about what different animals looked like and it was so nice to have my iPhone to look everything up and show him pictures. I think it is my favorite homeschool tool yet! And this is where I said "no more vegetables until you eat your sandwich!" I guess I should be more grateful that they love veggies so much...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Help for Japan
Want to help Japan? Donate to a charity. Here is a list of legitimate charities who are providing immediate relief for people in Japan http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-earthquake-donating-relief-funds/story?id=13122660 You can also donate through the LDS humanitarian relief from your tithing slip under humanitarian aid. Even if you can only donate ten dollars it will make a difference!!!
And a few pics to share (more phone pics- my camera is just too heavy to carry around all the time)...it actually felt like spring today! We ate breakfast on the back porch and for lunch had a picnic at the park and fed the ducks...Yay for spring!
And a few pics to share (more phone pics- my camera is just too heavy to carry around all the time)...it actually felt like spring today! We ate breakfast on the back porch and for lunch had a picnic at the park and fed the ducks...Yay for spring!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St Patty's Day
This evening we took the boys bowling and they had a ton of fun.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Related...
For our Relief Society birthday celebration last night we had to bring a baby picture of ourselves. I searched high and low and could not find my baby book. I figured it must have been ruined in the flood last year...but late last night Anthony found it in his stash of journals he keeps in the garage. So yay! They are not lost forever. It was funny to look through and see how much my boys look like me. Here are some pictures of me and Grant. We're definitely related...
Monday, March 14, 2011
Time out for Women
Friday and Saturday I attended Time out for Women in Nashville with some great friends. It was wonderful, like always. Got to do some shopping, eat yummy food at cheesecake factory and be spiritually uplifted (all without any little distractions!) I did bring my camera but was too lazy to actually carry it around so all you get is a phone picture of the capitol and War Memorial...and three of the super fun ladies who came with me!
He looks so sweet and innocent...
Don't be fooled...
(and yes, we were ready to catch him)
And my picture today- I got to photograph this sweet little baby- less than 6 pounds! All my hats were way too big though, guess I better make some premie sizes...
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Almost Friday!
I LOVE the weekend. This weekend in particular- I'll be going to Time out for Women in Nashville! So excited. So my strange and random pics for the last few days (sorry for the low quality lately- I've been using my phone- too heavy to carry my camera around all day...)
Tuesday: Joshua loves to feed Grant- he grabs his high chair, pulls it over to him, takes away his food and feeds him...such a big helper!
Wednesday, I made a big batch of this yummy black bean salad/cowboy caviar and Grant downed three bowlfulls! Guess he's a fan...
Thursday: Joshua loves to build- while I was helping Ethan with his math, Joshua was very intently building with the Math U See blocks. Notice anything wrong with the second picture? What a silly boy...
When Ethan was done with his math work he started writing something in the front of his math book-
I hope he is always this confident in his math abilities!
The Osborne's
Monday, March 7, 2011
Dentist
Ethan had his first cavity filled this morning. He was so brave and the whole thing was over in 15 minutes. He got to wear these cool shades just in case the dentist needed the laser, but he didn't. He didn't need any numbing at all, just a quick drill, patch and we were done. No tears or anxiety, hallelujah. The dentist is a much more pleasant visit than the doctor!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
March 4th & 5th
This sharing a picture thing is harder than I thought it would be! I do take pictures every day but actually downloading and sharing them requires a lot more time and effort. Friday we had a reading pajama party and I forgot to get a picture of it, but here's a silly picture of three little boys splashing in the tub. Saturday is "breakfast with daddy" day. Ethan's job is to make the juice and Joshua helps with the pancakes (chocolate chip today- YUM). Mommy gets to do whatever she wants until breakfast is served. I love Saturday!
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