We are plugging away at daily routines:
*Homeschooling with extra work for Lamb 1 to prepare him for high school and Lamb 2 and 3 concentrating on learning to read and spell.
*Our whole family is attending a weekly Bible study on Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the book of Mark, and the Small Catechism. We do the readings together to prepare for weekly quizzes.
*Lamb 2 and 3 are working on memorizing the meanings for the 6 chief parts of the catechism with the goal of confirmation in May.
*All 3 Lambs are practicing for a piano contest in March.
Update on my dad:
He became so weak at the beginning of February that he fell a few times. The paramedics recommended he go to the hospital and get checked out. The hospital was overcrowded and he waited several hours to get a room. He did have the flu and was much better after a few days in the hospital. We thought maybe he would go to a place for rehab, but not counting the hours he was in the hospital hallway that he wasn't officially a patient, he wasn't in the hospital long enough for insurance to pay for rehab. He went directly home and has been doing great since he has been home. We even took him to a high school basketball game last Friday. It is not easy as your parents get older and prayers are appreciated.
Vision Therapy Again:
Lamb 2 competed a long evaluation with a doctor here. We don't regret doing vision therapy in Idaho because it was helpful for several areas for him, but it wasn't enough. He is beginning vision therapy here at the end of the month. This doctor does things differently than our ID doctor and we are hoping these different ways of doing things are going to be helpful for Lamb 2. This doctor does 1 time a week therapy with 20 minutes of daily homework. Lamb 2 will get bifocals. He has 20/20 vision and can see fine in the distance. He doesn't truly need glasses for close up work, but the hope is that this will ease the stress on his eyes as they try to focus to see near work. We are expecting at least a year of therapy here. One nice thing is you pay one price and it covers everything (therapy, doctor exams, computer software for homework, etc.) no matter how long therapy takes. This is different than Idaho and is much better to know exactly how much it costs. Lamb 2 was very excited to go pick out his glasses and is impatiently waiting for them to come in.
After Lamb 2 begins, then we would like this doctor to also evaluate Lamb 3. For a long time he had no motivation to learn to read. Now he does and reading is very difficult for him. I am curious if he also has a vision difficulty and would also benefit from Vision Therapy.
Library volunteer:
A classical school started at our church this year. Our boys are too old as they began with lower grades and are working their way up, but Lamb 2 and 3 take art class there. I volunteered to help with the school library. It has been so much fun to get the books ready for the school children. Most are donated or library discards. The headmaster and his wife are choosing quality literature for the school. It is so fun to see what she finds on the 20 cent library discard shelves.
Lilla Rose:
I just signed up to be a Lilla Rose consultant. I'll blog more about this as I learn more, but if you don't currently have a consultant, contact me for more info if you are interested. I have been wearing Lilla Rose hair clips for about 10 years and I figured it was about time that I had a business card to hand to people when I get a compliment!
Dentist:
Our whole family went at once for dental cleanings and checkups. We all did well except one Lamb needs a tiny filling. Lamb 2 needs an orthodontist consultation because his teeth are so close together plus there is a problem with his canines. After dental checkups we are all extra good about brushing AND flossing AND using mouthwash for awhile...
Cooking:
While Ram is in school I have had to do more cooking than while he was a pastor. I was getting tired of the same old recipes and often 1 or 2 Lambs don't like what I make. I did a little research in my cookbooks and on the Internet to get some new recipes to try. Last night I made beef stew and it went fast even though only one Lamb had more than one helping. Today I made beef vegetable soup and we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I have some more recipes to try this week. The Lambs were shocked that I cooked something new two days in a row!
Showing posts with label VT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VT. Show all posts
Monday, February 12, 2018
Sunday, January 28, 2018
End of January Family Update
On Monday I helped our church school library organize their new books some more. When Ram was done with class he came to pick up the boys to take them home. Except they were having so much fun with the other kids of volunteers that only Lamb 1 went home with him. I love "working" in the library and helping this school get started.
On Tuesday the Lambs had piano and art. I did a little grocery shopping before a mammogram. I already got the results and everything looks good. Our whole family attended the first Christian Wisdom class at our church. This weekly Bible study runs through Lent and we will study the book of Mark, The Small Catechism, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Our pastor titled it Luther, Lewis, and Mark. I think it will be good for everyone in our family.
On Wednesday Lamb 2 and 3 had a play date in the afternoon with some friends from church. Lamb 1 did a little shopping with me while they were there. Goodbye Christopher Robin movie was in at the library for me. I watched it and I'll blog about it soon.
On Thursday our family went to a library book sale. Ram and I didn't find much, but the Lambs did. Thursday night the furnace went out. Thankfully it was a little warmer here. We called our landlord first thing on Friday morning and the repair man came right away. I didn't take a shower until later on Friday, but other than that it wasn't too bad because it got fixed so quickly.
On Friday Lamb 2 had his second vision therapy exam. It is looking like this doctor and a second round of vision therapy will be very helpful for him. We set up a parent consultation to find out more details. We are also considering having Lamb 3 do the testing here. After he was done at the doctor we took peanut butter and jelly donated by our church members to the Seminary food bank. I was glad I had a strong Lamb to help me carry that. In the evening my parents babysat while Ram and I went to an adult only dinner at church. It was potluck this year (so much food!) and a very fun evening.
On Saturday we had to get up for confirmation class after being out too late. Our family went to the March for Life in Fort Wayne. It was rainy but not too cold. The speakers before the March were good. The March with friends from church was fun. Then we went to my parents church for cookies and hot cocoa. I think this was the first year they did that and it was a great idea to go fellowship out of the rain. We stopped at the last branch library book sale in January. Ewe and the Lambs found something, but Ram didn't. It probably would have been better to go in the morning, but we couldn't. After all that we came home and both Ram and Ewe took a nap!
Today was church and Sunday School. Then we ran a couple of errands as a family so I could come home and put my comfy clothes on and not go anywhere the rest of the day.
The calendar looks pretty light this week. It will be nice to stay home and continue to focus on homeschool and home keeping.
On Tuesday the Lambs had piano and art. I did a little grocery shopping before a mammogram. I already got the results and everything looks good. Our whole family attended the first Christian Wisdom class at our church. This weekly Bible study runs through Lent and we will study the book of Mark, The Small Catechism, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Our pastor titled it Luther, Lewis, and Mark. I think it will be good for everyone in our family.
On Wednesday Lamb 2 and 3 had a play date in the afternoon with some friends from church. Lamb 1 did a little shopping with me while they were there. Goodbye Christopher Robin movie was in at the library for me. I watched it and I'll blog about it soon.
On Thursday our family went to a library book sale. Ram and I didn't find much, but the Lambs did. Thursday night the furnace went out. Thankfully it was a little warmer here. We called our landlord first thing on Friday morning and the repair man came right away. I didn't take a shower until later on Friday, but other than that it wasn't too bad because it got fixed so quickly.
On Friday Lamb 2 had his second vision therapy exam. It is looking like this doctor and a second round of vision therapy will be very helpful for him. We set up a parent consultation to find out more details. We are also considering having Lamb 3 do the testing here. After he was done at the doctor we took peanut butter and jelly donated by our church members to the Seminary food bank. I was glad I had a strong Lamb to help me carry that. In the evening my parents babysat while Ram and I went to an adult only dinner at church. It was potluck this year (so much food!) and a very fun evening.
On Saturday we had to get up for confirmation class after being out too late. Our family went to the March for Life in Fort Wayne. It was rainy but not too cold. The speakers before the March were good. The March with friends from church was fun. Then we went to my parents church for cookies and hot cocoa. I think this was the first year they did that and it was a great idea to go fellowship out of the rain. We stopped at the last branch library book sale in January. Ewe and the Lambs found something, but Ram didn't. It probably would have been better to go in the morning, but we couldn't. After all that we came home and both Ram and Ewe took a nap!
Today was church and Sunday School. Then we ran a couple of errands as a family so I could come home and put my comfy clothes on and not go anywhere the rest of the day.
The calendar looks pretty light this week. It will be nice to stay home and continue to focus on homeschool and home keeping.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
January Family Update
Lamb 1 was sick on Sunday so I took Lamb 2 and 3 to church by myself while Ram stayed home with Lamb 1 and watched our church service online. It is so different that Ram now stays home from church with sick Lambs after many years of me staying home with sick Lambs while he was the pastor.
Sunday afternoon we took our Christmas tree down and put it in storage. Monday the weather wasn't too good and my mom and our family all had chiropractor appointments so we gave her a ride, had our adjustments, and took her home.
Ram, Lamb 1, and Lamb 3 were sick at the beginning of the week. It wasn't too bad, it was mostly a frog in their throat, but not sore throats or fevers. We took lots of vitamins and ran humidifiers in the Lambs rooms. We're not completely over it, but much better. I spent more time with the Lambs going through stuff in their room and getting more stuff ready for give away. We got back to our routine of practicing piano, the Lambs did their piano theory, and we got back to a little homeschool. I did some school planning, especially planning what I want Lamb 1 to do with me this last semester before high school.
On Thursday Ram and I finally had our anniversary date. Fort Wayne has a local restaurant deal so for one price we got appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert. It was really good food. We had been given some money for Christmas for us to go out on a date and with this deal we didn't even spend all that money. The Lambs were glad to go over to my parents while we went out, it had been a while since my mom was healthy enough to watch them. I was so glad everyone was healthy and Ram and I made it out on a date before his school vacation ended.
On Friday there was ice and a couple of inches of snow so most schools in the area canceled. Lamb 2 had a vision therapy evaluation so we braved the roads in the early afternoon and by then it wasn't too bad. This was the first exam so he has an appointment for a longer exam in a few weeks. It is looking like he will need to do more VT. I'm excited for him to have a chance to work with a different doctor/therapists when he is a couple of years older. I don't regret him doing VT in ID in 2014, it just wasn't enough. His eyes are still having a lot of trouble focusing on the page to read. In ID, VT was very close to our house, here VT will be a little drive. But if he can benefit from this then we are willing to drive.
Today I will go to church and Ladies Aid while the Lambs stay home one last Saturday to hopefully get a little more healthy, but also because we will be back to full routine next week.
Next week Ram returns to class, piano lessons begin again, there is a conference at the Seminary so many friends will be in town, and we will try to get back to our full homeschool schedule. For Ram to have a month off of school for Christmas was wonderful, but it went all too quickly.
My plan is to finish the year in review posts and then attempt to blog 2-3 times a week with at least one of those being a weekly family update.
Sunday afternoon we took our Christmas tree down and put it in storage. Monday the weather wasn't too good and my mom and our family all had chiropractor appointments so we gave her a ride, had our adjustments, and took her home.
Ram, Lamb 1, and Lamb 3 were sick at the beginning of the week. It wasn't too bad, it was mostly a frog in their throat, but not sore throats or fevers. We took lots of vitamins and ran humidifiers in the Lambs rooms. We're not completely over it, but much better. I spent more time with the Lambs going through stuff in their room and getting more stuff ready for give away. We got back to our routine of practicing piano, the Lambs did their piano theory, and we got back to a little homeschool. I did some school planning, especially planning what I want Lamb 1 to do with me this last semester before high school.
On Thursday Ram and I finally had our anniversary date. Fort Wayne has a local restaurant deal so for one price we got appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert. It was really good food. We had been given some money for Christmas for us to go out on a date and with this deal we didn't even spend all that money. The Lambs were glad to go over to my parents while we went out, it had been a while since my mom was healthy enough to watch them. I was so glad everyone was healthy and Ram and I made it out on a date before his school vacation ended.
On Friday there was ice and a couple of inches of snow so most schools in the area canceled. Lamb 2 had a vision therapy evaluation so we braved the roads in the early afternoon and by then it wasn't too bad. This was the first exam so he has an appointment for a longer exam in a few weeks. It is looking like he will need to do more VT. I'm excited for him to have a chance to work with a different doctor/therapists when he is a couple of years older. I don't regret him doing VT in ID in 2014, it just wasn't enough. His eyes are still having a lot of trouble focusing on the page to read. In ID, VT was very close to our house, here VT will be a little drive. But if he can benefit from this then we are willing to drive.
Today I will go to church and Ladies Aid while the Lambs stay home one last Saturday to hopefully get a little more healthy, but also because we will be back to full routine next week.
Next week Ram returns to class, piano lessons begin again, there is a conference at the Seminary so many friends will be in town, and we will try to get back to our full homeschool schedule. For Ram to have a month off of school for Christmas was wonderful, but it went all too quickly.
My plan is to finish the year in review posts and then attempt to blog 2-3 times a week with at least one of those being a weekly family update.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Woohoo!
Lamb 2 had a vision therapy evaluation this morning. He will be 9 in 2 weeks so the doctor compared him to both 8 and 9 year olds. Here's the results of his reading numbers tests:
Reading vertical rows: 15 percentile for both 8 and 9 y old
Reading horizontal rows: 10 percentile 8 y old/5 percentile 9 y old
The ratio of reading numbers vertically and horizontally is 10 percentile.
My comment after the testing was Lamb 2 is on the chart! Even for a 9 y old he's on the chart! He has come so far from the initial testing in November 2013.
The doctor's comment was that Lamb 2's smooth eye movements are still below average. The doctor sees that Lamb 2's eyes work fine, but the testing means he has to say what he sees. The doctor thinks Lamb 2's slow speed is his brain saying the numbers. The doctor said that if we can get him to a level of reading silently to himself, he will read much faster than reading aloud. He did have significant improvement since February even though he has not done VT since November.
The doctor said after the testing today that as far as he is concerned as a doctor, Lamb 2 never has to return to him for testing or vision therapy. He saw enough improvement since February that he is not concerned. Of course we are always welcome to bring him back in 6 months or a year if as parents we want assurance that he is still improving.
It was very strange to pay the receptionist but not make another appointment. The testing showed me this morning that Lamb 2 CAN read and it is no longer a vision problem, he is just slower than average. I believe that with continual practice reading he will speed up. Even if he is never above average in reading speed, after VT he is now capable of reading. The testing also showed that he was accurate with reading his numbers. That was not true before VT-not only would he say incorrect numbers, but he would skip numbers.
The doctor enjoyed hearing that Lamb 2 now reads his math lesson/story problems to himself without help. He also enjoyed hearing that when it is time to read aloud if we take too long to get ready, then Lamb 2 begins reading the chapter of Little Town on the Prairie or The Hobbit to himself. He was especially impressed with Lamb 2's confidence to tell him he read his math lesson himself. If they have confidence they will try reading even if it is above their level.
The doctor reminded Lamb 2 again today that as a doctor he has high standards. He wants his patients to graduate from VT and be capable of reading the material to get the PhD when they grow up. Lamb 2 said he just wants to be able to read, not PhD. material! But that got me to thinking that Lamb 2 seems the most likely out of our 3 Lambs to want to pursue a PhD and he would be capable of that after VT.
We praise God for the diagnosis that Lamb 2 needed VT, that this doctor's office was close to our home, and that this doctor and his therapists were able to help Lamb 2.
Reading vertical rows: 15 percentile for both 8 and 9 y old
Reading horizontal rows: 10 percentile 8 y old/5 percentile 9 y old
The ratio of reading numbers vertically and horizontally is 10 percentile.
My comment after the testing was Lamb 2 is on the chart! Even for a 9 y old he's on the chart! He has come so far from the initial testing in November 2013.
The doctor's comment was that Lamb 2's smooth eye movements are still below average. The doctor sees that Lamb 2's eyes work fine, but the testing means he has to say what he sees. The doctor thinks Lamb 2's slow speed is his brain saying the numbers. The doctor said that if we can get him to a level of reading silently to himself, he will read much faster than reading aloud. He did have significant improvement since February even though he has not done VT since November.
The doctor said after the testing today that as far as he is concerned as a doctor, Lamb 2 never has to return to him for testing or vision therapy. He saw enough improvement since February that he is not concerned. Of course we are always welcome to bring him back in 6 months or a year if as parents we want assurance that he is still improving.
It was very strange to pay the receptionist but not make another appointment. The testing showed me this morning that Lamb 2 CAN read and it is no longer a vision problem, he is just slower than average. I believe that with continual practice reading he will speed up. Even if he is never above average in reading speed, after VT he is now capable of reading. The testing also showed that he was accurate with reading his numbers. That was not true before VT-not only would he say incorrect numbers, but he would skip numbers.
The doctor enjoyed hearing that Lamb 2 now reads his math lesson/story problems to himself without help. He also enjoyed hearing that when it is time to read aloud if we take too long to get ready, then Lamb 2 begins reading the chapter of Little Town on the Prairie or The Hobbit to himself. He was especially impressed with Lamb 2's confidence to tell him he read his math lesson himself. If they have confidence they will try reading even if it is above their level.
The doctor reminded Lamb 2 again today that as a doctor he has high standards. He wants his patients to graduate from VT and be capable of reading the material to get the PhD when they grow up. Lamb 2 said he just wants to be able to read, not PhD. material! But that got me to thinking that Lamb 2 seems the most likely out of our 3 Lambs to want to pursue a PhD and he would be capable of that after VT.
We praise God for the diagnosis that Lamb 2 needed VT, that this doctor's office was close to our home, and that this doctor and his therapists were able to help Lamb 2.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Lamb 2's Vision Therapy Evaluation
I did not realize when I made this appointment several months ago that today was President's Day. I couldn't get a parking spot because VT had extra patients with no school today. But we did get into the Dr. on time.
Lamb 2 had his best times ever at today's evaluation! His reading test started at 137 seconds before he had VT. Today was 77 seconds. In December he read like a 6 year old. The score today was 60th percentile for a 7 year old! An 8 year old score would be 55 seconds. A 9 year old score would be 48 seconds. We could tell we still have work to do, but huge progress has been made. I was so pleased that he reads like a 7 year old today, improving a whole year of reading in just two and a half months.
On the pattern block activity the doctor was satisfied with his December scores as he was about 50th percentile. Today he did even better and scored 58%. This test is scored in the 8-11 year old range. I am very happy with his score today.
The one area that was not improved was Lamb 2's smooth eye movements. The Dr. would like us to do activities with him to work on this. When we got home we added table hockey and tennis games to the iPad to help him with this.
The Dr. also recommended in homeschool doing activities for speed to prepare him to do testing at VT. The Dr. really thinks his nose surgery helped his scores today-he didn't need to stop and take breaths during the test as often as before which sped up his reading. I am going to need to think about activities for speed for him. Perhaps I'll make up worksheets with words that I know he knows and have him read those worksheets as fast as possible. Since he can't read yet that is the best I can think of right now.
The Dr. also reminded me that our goal with VT was to get him over the hurdles that were stopping him from reading like an average child. After VT they do not expect him to be a perfect reader, but they expect those hurdles to be gone so that he can take off in his reading. Today's evaluation was to make sure that he was taking off and not stuck at one level or even going backwards.
The doctor wants to see Lamb 2 again in May just to make sure that he is still improving. We took little treats and thank you cards to his therapists today and they really appreciated it. We will continue to work on reading in homeschool and add in a few extra activities in play time like games on the iPad and playing with pattern blocks.
Lamb 2 had his best times ever at today's evaluation! His reading test started at 137 seconds before he had VT. Today was 77 seconds. In December he read like a 6 year old. The score today was 60th percentile for a 7 year old! An 8 year old score would be 55 seconds. A 9 year old score would be 48 seconds. We could tell we still have work to do, but huge progress has been made. I was so pleased that he reads like a 7 year old today, improving a whole year of reading in just two and a half months.
On the pattern block activity the doctor was satisfied with his December scores as he was about 50th percentile. Today he did even better and scored 58%. This test is scored in the 8-11 year old range. I am very happy with his score today.
The one area that was not improved was Lamb 2's smooth eye movements. The Dr. would like us to do activities with him to work on this. When we got home we added table hockey and tennis games to the iPad to help him with this.
The Dr. also recommended in homeschool doing activities for speed to prepare him to do testing at VT. The Dr. really thinks his nose surgery helped his scores today-he didn't need to stop and take breaths during the test as often as before which sped up his reading. I am going to need to think about activities for speed for him. Perhaps I'll make up worksheets with words that I know he knows and have him read those worksheets as fast as possible. Since he can't read yet that is the best I can think of right now.
The Dr. also reminded me that our goal with VT was to get him over the hurdles that were stopping him from reading like an average child. After VT they do not expect him to be a perfect reader, but they expect those hurdles to be gone so that he can take off in his reading. Today's evaluation was to make sure that he was taking off and not stuck at one level or even going backwards.
The doctor wants to see Lamb 2 again in May just to make sure that he is still improving. We took little treats and thank you cards to his therapists today and they really appreciated it. We will continue to work on reading in homeschool and add in a few extra activities in play time like games on the iPad and playing with pattern blocks.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Our daily routine
Last year we focused on Lamb 2. The best comparison I have is it was like a part time job for me. I was very busy taking him to therapy 4 hours a week. We also had exercises to do at home with him. I wrote reports to communicate between all his different doctors and therapists. I paid medical bills and called insurance and doctor's offices when those bills were incorrect. I kept track of medical miles and medical bills paid for taxes. This was all in addition to homeschooling 3 Lambs; taking the Lambs to piano lessons, track/cross country; and helping Lamb 2 practice piano/review music flashcards. Last year made a huge difference for Lamb 2 and I would do it all again if we had to.
We were all really looking forward to Lamb 2 graduating from all his therapy. He has a checkup scheduled with vision therapy on Monday. If that goes well he will be done with VT completely. In January he had a checkup after his nose surgery and everything was well with that.
The first few weeks of 2015 I took a chance to rest after being so busy last year. Then I began getting caught up in several areas of my life. Last year I did not participate in our health insurance rewards program at all. This year I've already had my physical and I have made plans to get all reward dollars offered. I hadn't done very much school planning since last September, this year I am planning out each week. In homeschool all 3 Lambs are accomplishing a lot this year. I have begun decluttering-I cleaned out my pantry, freezer, refrigerator, and a few kitchen cupboards. Some of that was never done since we moved here 3 years ago!
I have begun some decluttering projects that I have never done before. I organized my recipes that I printed out, especially the Paleo ones. That was just a put them in a binder job, eventually I want to weed through and try recipes and throw them out if we don't like them. I am going through every single cookbook and deciding which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of. This is a huge job as I inherited a lot of cookbooks from both our moms. The cookbooks that I decide to keep, I'm writing our favorite recipes in the back of them. I now have a collection of several Paleo cookbooks and I needed better organization to find recipes in them.
In addition to the decluttering I am hoping to start doing some spring cleaning here soon. We have lived here 3 years and that is long enough to need deep cleaning in some areas of my house, especially after it didn't get much cleaning last year.
What surprised me though was it is the every day little things as part of my routine that has made the most difference this year. Most of the time I am caught up on all the dishes and laundry now. This is huge for me to go to bed with the counters clean even when we aren't expecting company! I am blogging more frequently. I am caught up on paperwork so I'm not dreading getting things ready for our tax lady. I have read more books in the first two months of this year than I have in the last two years. Ram and I have read aloud several books to the Lambs in the last month. I am getting enough sleep for the first time since Lamb 1 was born.
The Lambs have also really loved this change of routine. After they finish their school work and practice piano they have all afternoon to play. Some days they go to the neighbor's backyard that they also homeschool and they have three boys close in age to our Lambs. Some days they play board games together. They have pulled out some games and toys that I didn't see them play with for a really long time. Some days they tinker around in the garage with their tools and scrap wood. They are ready to play with their neighborhood friends when they get home from school. I have allowed them to stay up later when they are playing together nicely. Most of the time their room is picked up and organized so they can find things now.
Some people thrive with a busy schedule, but I am not one of those people. Sometimes our schedule is not under our control. I couldn't help being busy when I had 3 Lambs ages 4 and under. I couldn't help being busy when we needed to help Lamb 2 last year. I can't help being busy when I volunteer at church for a week of VBS. But I am much less stressed and a better wife and a better mother when our schedule is not packed. Remembering what our life was like last year helps me say no to the Lambs getting involved in one more activity and I can say no to one more volunteer job. The entire family is happier when that happens.
We were all really looking forward to Lamb 2 graduating from all his therapy. He has a checkup scheduled with vision therapy on Monday. If that goes well he will be done with VT completely. In January he had a checkup after his nose surgery and everything was well with that.
The first few weeks of 2015 I took a chance to rest after being so busy last year. Then I began getting caught up in several areas of my life. Last year I did not participate in our health insurance rewards program at all. This year I've already had my physical and I have made plans to get all reward dollars offered. I hadn't done very much school planning since last September, this year I am planning out each week. In homeschool all 3 Lambs are accomplishing a lot this year. I have begun decluttering-I cleaned out my pantry, freezer, refrigerator, and a few kitchen cupboards. Some of that was never done since we moved here 3 years ago!
I have begun some decluttering projects that I have never done before. I organized my recipes that I printed out, especially the Paleo ones. That was just a put them in a binder job, eventually I want to weed through and try recipes and throw them out if we don't like them. I am going through every single cookbook and deciding which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of. This is a huge job as I inherited a lot of cookbooks from both our moms. The cookbooks that I decide to keep, I'm writing our favorite recipes in the back of them. I now have a collection of several Paleo cookbooks and I needed better organization to find recipes in them.
In addition to the decluttering I am hoping to start doing some spring cleaning here soon. We have lived here 3 years and that is long enough to need deep cleaning in some areas of my house, especially after it didn't get much cleaning last year.
What surprised me though was it is the every day little things as part of my routine that has made the most difference this year. Most of the time I am caught up on all the dishes and laundry now. This is huge for me to go to bed with the counters clean even when we aren't expecting company! I am blogging more frequently. I am caught up on paperwork so I'm not dreading getting things ready for our tax lady. I have read more books in the first two months of this year than I have in the last two years. Ram and I have read aloud several books to the Lambs in the last month. I am getting enough sleep for the first time since Lamb 1 was born.
The Lambs have also really loved this change of routine. After they finish their school work and practice piano they have all afternoon to play. Some days they go to the neighbor's backyard that they also homeschool and they have three boys close in age to our Lambs. Some days they play board games together. They have pulled out some games and toys that I didn't see them play with for a really long time. Some days they tinker around in the garage with their tools and scrap wood. They are ready to play with their neighborhood friends when they get home from school. I have allowed them to stay up later when they are playing together nicely. Most of the time their room is picked up and organized so they can find things now.
Some people thrive with a busy schedule, but I am not one of those people. Sometimes our schedule is not under our control. I couldn't help being busy when I had 3 Lambs ages 4 and under. I couldn't help being busy when we needed to help Lamb 2 last year. I can't help being busy when I volunteer at church for a week of VBS. But I am much less stressed and a better wife and a better mother when our schedule is not packed. Remembering what our life was like last year helps me say no to the Lambs getting involved in one more activity and I can say no to one more volunteer job. The entire family is happier when that happens.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Lamb 2 Update
Lamb 2 had his one month after surgery check up last week. I expected him to need to go for several checkups over the next few months. I was really surprised that it only took that one checkup. We had been very faithful about nose spray three times a day and the Dr. could tell. She recommended one more week of nose spray. So on Monday he did nose spray for the last time. He did not like nose spray but we knew it was important to do. We praise God that he is healed after surgery.
There was more happy news about this checkup. His surgery was free to us because we had met our deductible in 2014. This checkup was considered follow up to his surgery so it was also free. That is good because we have not even started to meet our deductible in 2015.
We have been trying to do small tasks like OT recommended. The Lambs have played a lot of board games recently. I have also spent lots of homeschool time with Lamb 2 working on learning to read. I am trying some new approaches that I never did with him before. I am teaching him some sight words along with phonics. I figure he has such a good memory that perhaps it would be good for him to have some words memorized so he doesn't have to sound out every single word. We also keep plugging away at The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. I realize his February checkup at Vision therapy is going to come very quickly. We hope that he has maintained or improved his reading speed during his break from VT.
There was more happy news about this checkup. His surgery was free to us because we had met our deductible in 2014. This checkup was considered follow up to his surgery so it was also free. That is good because we have not even started to meet our deductible in 2015.
We have been trying to do small tasks like OT recommended. The Lambs have played a lot of board games recently. I have also spent lots of homeschool time with Lamb 2 working on learning to read. I am trying some new approaches that I never did with him before. I am teaching him some sight words along with phonics. I figure he has such a good memory that perhaps it would be good for him to have some words memorized so he doesn't have to sound out every single word. We also keep plugging away at The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. I realize his February checkup at Vision therapy is going to come very quickly. We hope that he has maintained or improved his reading speed during his break from VT.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Day Off
Lamb 2 began vision therapy about this time last year. He went to a few sessions in December of 2013, had a Christmas break, and then began twice a week VT in January 2014.
His schedule was Mondays and Tuesdays during the school year, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer. There were a few Mondays where they were closed for holidays. He was sick for one week in the spring so he missed two sessions. But other than that he attended every single scheduled VT day. We even planned our vacation to WA around his VT-we left after VT on a Wednesday and were back before his therapy the next Tuesday. He had a sub a couple of times but therapy was never canceled other than the few holidays they were closed.
We have also alternated piano lessons between Mondays and Tuesdays based on what worked best for the piano teacher and with our schedule. Lessons are currently on Tuesdays. Lamb 2 had less piano lessons in the summer, but he still took lessons. So many of the days that he had VT, he also had piano lessons. This was really rough for him in the beginning of VT but it got better.
During the summer Lamb 1 and 3 usually slept in while I took Lamb 2 to his early morning VT one day of his therapy. During the school year they usually went to VT and did their school work in the break room during Lamb 2's VT. There were a few exceptions where Ram watched them while I took Lamb 2 to VT without them, but they went along to VT for the majority of Lamb 2's sessions. There were a few times where Ram had to coordinate his work schedule to take Lamb 1 to the orthodontist while Lamb 2 had VT and appointments like that.
So all 5 of us were thrilled to be done with VT last Monday! We only live a short distance from the doctor. I can't imagine the people that live far away from VT and have to add in traveling time. We all feel like we have a "day off" of therapy every Monday and Tuesday now!
I am looking forward to January and really settling into a school routine that we haven't had for the last year and a half with all this therapy. Lamb 3 especially is ready for more academic work and needs more time with the teacher than he has been given. Lamb 2 needs to continue with the progress he has made in reading. Lamb 1 needs to do some more challenging work as he is in 5th grade. It simply wasn't possible to do all this with all the time we were at therapy last year. I look back at the year and I am extremely proud of what we did accomplish while we also got Lamb 2 the help that he needed too.
His schedule was Mondays and Tuesdays during the school year, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer. There were a few Mondays where they were closed for holidays. He was sick for one week in the spring so he missed two sessions. But other than that he attended every single scheduled VT day. We even planned our vacation to WA around his VT-we left after VT on a Wednesday and were back before his therapy the next Tuesday. He had a sub a couple of times but therapy was never canceled other than the few holidays they were closed.
We have also alternated piano lessons between Mondays and Tuesdays based on what worked best for the piano teacher and with our schedule. Lessons are currently on Tuesdays. Lamb 2 had less piano lessons in the summer, but he still took lessons. So many of the days that he had VT, he also had piano lessons. This was really rough for him in the beginning of VT but it got better.
During the summer Lamb 1 and 3 usually slept in while I took Lamb 2 to his early morning VT one day of his therapy. During the school year they usually went to VT and did their school work in the break room during Lamb 2's VT. There were a few exceptions where Ram watched them while I took Lamb 2 to VT without them, but they went along to VT for the majority of Lamb 2's sessions. There were a few times where Ram had to coordinate his work schedule to take Lamb 1 to the orthodontist while Lamb 2 had VT and appointments like that.
So all 5 of us were thrilled to be done with VT last Monday! We only live a short distance from the doctor. I can't imagine the people that live far away from VT and have to add in traveling time. We all feel like we have a "day off" of therapy every Monday and Tuesday now!
I am looking forward to January and really settling into a school routine that we haven't had for the last year and a half with all this therapy. Lamb 3 especially is ready for more academic work and needs more time with the teacher than he has been given. Lamb 2 needs to continue with the progress he has made in reading. Lamb 1 needs to do some more challenging work as he is in 5th grade. It simply wasn't possible to do all this with all the time we were at therapy last year. I look back at the year and I am extremely proud of what we did accomplish while we also got Lamb 2 the help that he needed too.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Last post on Lamb 2 Exercises
I blogged the past few days about exercises and tasks that are recommended for Lamb 2 now that he has completed OT. Several times during the past year of Lamb 2's therapy I was struck with thoughts of not believing simple tasks like carefully tearing paper were so important for academics. It was true that Lamb 2 couldn't go on to more difficult tasks until he could complete the simple tasks. That was the main reason for my posting about this the past few days. My hope is that other preschool parents would start thinking about doing some of these simple tasks with their children before they begin school.
I have learned so much from Lamb 2's therapy that would be very helpful if I ever return to teaching in the classroom. I did share some of this with our preschool teachers at our church.
We are preparing for hosting Thanksgiving at our house. Then we will begin to get ready for Lamb 2's nose surgery and then recovery. My plan is to add in these simple tasks and exercises to our homeschool curriculum-focusing on one or two a week beginning in January. I think it will be good for both Lamb 2 and Lamb 3.
We also recently cleaned out our game and puzzle closet. The Lambs were ready to part with Candyland and other games they had outgrown. They actually gave away a lot more than I expected. I also hope to add in game and puzzle time to our homeschool curriculum in January. We do have many educational games and many would be good for Lamb 2's OT exercises. They often play the same games over and over, but it would be good to make an effort to focus on one or two extra games each week. I want to make sure that all 3 Lambs understand the rules and how to play all the games that we own. I hope that perhaps some of the games that we focus on get added to the rotation of their favorite games too.
I have learned so much from Lamb 2's therapy that would be very helpful if I ever return to teaching in the classroom. I did share some of this with our preschool teachers at our church.
We are preparing for hosting Thanksgiving at our house. Then we will begin to get ready for Lamb 2's nose surgery and then recovery. My plan is to add in these simple tasks and exercises to our homeschool curriculum-focusing on one or two a week beginning in January. I think it will be good for both Lamb 2 and Lamb 3.
We also recently cleaned out our game and puzzle closet. The Lambs were ready to part with Candyland and other games they had outgrown. They actually gave away a lot more than I expected. I also hope to add in game and puzzle time to our homeschool curriculum in January. We do have many educational games and many would be good for Lamb 2's OT exercises. They often play the same games over and over, but it would be good to make an effort to focus on one or two extra games each week. I want to make sure that all 3 Lambs understand the rules and how to play all the games that we own. I hope that perhaps some of the games that we focus on get added to the rotation of their favorite games too.
Friday, November 21, 2014
More on Lamb 2 Exercises
I had asked Lamb 2's OT if she had suggestions of educational games or toys to help Lamb 2 considering Christmas is coming. Here are some of those suggestions:
*Push pegs in a board placed in an upright position. (I need to research if they still make Lite Brite like when we were kids.)
*Jump rope
*Hopscotch
*pattern blocks (which we have already been doing)
*bat a balloon in the air with a tennis racket
*kick ball with just one foot and then alternate feet
Arm and hand strengthening tasks:
*Lay on stomach and prop on arms to read a book, color, watch a movie, play a game, put together a puzzle, or do writing on a clipboard.
*open and close doors whenever we go someplace
*push the grocery cart
*color on chalkboard, easel, paper on the wall, etc. Use a squirt bottle and cloth rag to clean the chalkboard.
*help cook-stir, roll, knead, open containers
*thoroughly wipe off the table after dinner
*swing on a swing
*help made bread-stir and knead
*push along floor with arms on a scooter board
*playground play-monkey bars, swings, trapeze, climb the slide, climb walls and ladders
*animal walking-bunny hop, bear walking, crab walking, kangaroo, monkey, inchworm, etc.
*play in the bathtub-squeeze, pour, grasp bathtub toys, squeeze a sponge
Fine Motor Tasks:
*Use tongs to pick up small objects and put them in a container. Make a game of it. Use cereal, small toys, cotton balls, etc.
*play board games with small pieces
*art activities-cut, glue, color, lace
*crafts with tiny pieces like perler beads that you iron into shapes after creating on pegboards
*open and close food containers and packages that you twist, tear, pull open (jars, bags, applesauce cups, granola bar wrappers)
*manipulate small objects in the hands (Lite Brite pegs, sort coins, Connect 4, Don't Break the Ice)
*play doh and other crafty doughy textures. Roll into balls and snakes, make pancakes, pinch them, squeeze, roll, etc.
*color with crayons broken in half
*Legos
*peel small stickers off a sticker sheet and incorporate into art projects
*play dress up-have child do buckles on shoes, snaps, buttons, and zippers on clothes
*clothespins-pick up small objects using clothespins-qtips, cotton balls, tissues, clip clothespins around an index card are along the bottom hem of a shirt
*wind up toys
*string beads
*crafts with glue in a bottle, not glue sticks
To be continued tomorrow...
*Push pegs in a board placed in an upright position. (I need to research if they still make Lite Brite like when we were kids.)
*Jump rope
*Hopscotch
*pattern blocks (which we have already been doing)
*bat a balloon in the air with a tennis racket
*kick ball with just one foot and then alternate feet
Arm and hand strengthening tasks:
*Lay on stomach and prop on arms to read a book, color, watch a movie, play a game, put together a puzzle, or do writing on a clipboard.
*open and close doors whenever we go someplace
*push the grocery cart
*color on chalkboard, easel, paper on the wall, etc. Use a squirt bottle and cloth rag to clean the chalkboard.
*help cook-stir, roll, knead, open containers
*thoroughly wipe off the table after dinner
*swing on a swing
*help made bread-stir and knead
*push along floor with arms on a scooter board
*playground play-monkey bars, swings, trapeze, climb the slide, climb walls and ladders
*animal walking-bunny hop, bear walking, crab walking, kangaroo, monkey, inchworm, etc.
*play in the bathtub-squeeze, pour, grasp bathtub toys, squeeze a sponge
Fine Motor Tasks:
*Use tongs to pick up small objects and put them in a container. Make a game of it. Use cereal, small toys, cotton balls, etc.
*play board games with small pieces
*art activities-cut, glue, color, lace
*crafts with tiny pieces like perler beads that you iron into shapes after creating on pegboards
*open and close food containers and packages that you twist, tear, pull open (jars, bags, applesauce cups, granola bar wrappers)
*manipulate small objects in the hands (Lite Brite pegs, sort coins, Connect 4, Don't Break the Ice)
*play doh and other crafty doughy textures. Roll into balls and snakes, make pancakes, pinch them, squeeze, roll, etc.
*color with crayons broken in half
*Legos
*peel small stickers off a sticker sheet and incorporate into art projects
*play dress up-have child do buckles on shoes, snaps, buttons, and zippers on clothes
*clothespins-pick up small objects using clothespins-qtips, cotton balls, tissues, clip clothespins around an index card are along the bottom hem of a shirt
*wind up toys
*string beads
*crafts with glue in a bottle, not glue sticks
To be continued tomorrow...
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Lamb 2 exercises
Lamb 2's occupational therapist is on maternity leave. Lamb 2 was able to graduate from OT when she had her baby rather than working with a sub. Before she had her baby she gave some advice and exercises for him to do at home. I do not have an early childhood degree and I either did not do these types of activities with my Lambs or I took for granted that these were activities that preschoolers should do. I decided to make a list here so other parents either do these types of activities with their preschoolers or if they are already doing these they realize they are educational!
Specific exercises for Lamb 2's weaknesses
*jump in place with opposite arms and legs
*fold paper (I am doing an entire workbook with Lamb 2 and 3 with this)
*mazes, especially ones with narrow lines
*army crawl
*color in complex shapes
*copy shapes like star or overlapping circles
*find the same and different shapes
Activities to improve fine motor coordination
*shuffle and deal cards (I recently played a game with a second grade boy that could not handle picking up the right number of cards from the deck when it was his turn. I was amazed because all my Lambs knew how to do that at about age 4. Playing basic card games with your children is really important!)
*trace a design with a pen
*make a chain of paper clips
*pick up small beans and put them in a cup
*pick up hooks and eyes and put them in a medicine bottle
*pick up coins and place them in a coin purse
*put clothes pins on the side of a cup
*screw and unscrew nuts and bolts
*pick up toothpicks with a tweezers
*fold, crumple, and tear paper or a tissue (Lamb 2 spent a lot of time at the beginning of VT doing this. I couldn't believe I was paying $70/hour for this! We worked on this at home when I found out he was doing this at VT. :))
*string beads or macaroni on a string
*lace shoes and tie them (I need to work on this with my Lambs. It has not been a priority since we homeschool.)
*stack coins
*pick up marbles and hold as many as you can in your hand
*play a game with small pegs or playing pieces
*bounce a small ball and catch it
*practice buttoning
*string beads or buttons
*sew with a needle and thread
*cut out coupons
To be continued tomorrow...
Specific exercises for Lamb 2's weaknesses
*jump in place with opposite arms and legs
*fold paper (I am doing an entire workbook with Lamb 2 and 3 with this)
*mazes, especially ones with narrow lines
*army crawl
*color in complex shapes
*copy shapes like star or overlapping circles
*find the same and different shapes
Activities to improve fine motor coordination
*shuffle and deal cards (I recently played a game with a second grade boy that could not handle picking up the right number of cards from the deck when it was his turn. I was amazed because all my Lambs knew how to do that at about age 4. Playing basic card games with your children is really important!)
*trace a design with a pen
*make a chain of paper clips
*pick up small beans and put them in a cup
*pick up hooks and eyes and put them in a medicine bottle
*pick up coins and place them in a coin purse
*put clothes pins on the side of a cup
*screw and unscrew nuts and bolts
*pick up toothpicks with a tweezers
*fold, crumple, and tear paper or a tissue (Lamb 2 spent a lot of time at the beginning of VT doing this. I couldn't believe I was paying $70/hour for this! We worked on this at home when I found out he was doing this at VT. :))
*string beads or macaroni on a string
*lace shoes and tie them (I need to work on this with my Lambs. It has not been a priority since we homeschool.)
*stack coins
*pick up marbles and hold as many as you can in your hand
*play a game with small pegs or playing pieces
*bounce a small ball and catch it
*practice buttoning
*string beads or buttons
*sew with a needle and thread
*cut out coupons
To be continued tomorrow...
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Our Lamb differences in school work
Lamb 1 would prefer it to be quiet while he works. We even tried noise canceling headphones for him to do his school work. Even those did not block enough noise for him. So we now allow him to do his math downstairs with the door closed while his brothers are told to play upstairs quietly. Sometimes if lawn mowers are going or windows are open he just can not do his work, he needs to wait until another time. I am not as extreme as Lamb 1, but I never did my homework with the TV on.
Lamb 2 loves to hum and often when he gets in trouble it is for making noise at inappropriate times. This week during his computer time at VT, the therapist forgot to turn off the music she had been listening to before he came in. She said it was piano Gospel music. It turned out that he had the best session ever. She is now going to turn on the same music when he comes in for his session. She is kicking herself for not discovering this until his last month of therapy. Ram totally understands how Lamb 2 would work better with music because Ram usually listens to radio talk shows while he writes his sermons.
Lamb 3 isn't far enough in academic work in first grade to know what his preference for noise is yet. His is more of a motivation problem. He is very stubborn and if he gets in his mind he doesn't want to do a school subject on one day, he won't. I never had this problem with the first two Lambs. Then I have to become very creative in how to get him to finish his work that day. Bribes and threats don't work. It is usually treating him as much older than 6 years old that works-saying something like, "If you finish this today then you won't have as much to do tomorrow." What else is helpful is to let his brothers finish all their school work before asking him about his school work. I think at that point he wants the one on one time with hisfavorite teacher mom. I am so thankful that this is an occasional problem because I don't understand it at all. I was one of those children that came home and did my homework without my parents asking. I can only imagine what the teacher would say if he was in school and I have no idea how I would motivate him to cooperate then.
I am thankful that we homeschool so we can teach our Lambs in the way that they work best. Are we always able to have it the way that they prefer? No, but I think that is good for them because the real world is not always as we prefer. But if it can be the way they prefer most of the time, they will accomplish more than if it is not.
Lamb 2 loves to hum and often when he gets in trouble it is for making noise at inappropriate times. This week during his computer time at VT, the therapist forgot to turn off the music she had been listening to before he came in. She said it was piano Gospel music. It turned out that he had the best session ever. She is now going to turn on the same music when he comes in for his session. She is kicking herself for not discovering this until his last month of therapy. Ram totally understands how Lamb 2 would work better with music because Ram usually listens to radio talk shows while he writes his sermons.
Lamb 3 isn't far enough in academic work in first grade to know what his preference for noise is yet. His is more of a motivation problem. He is very stubborn and if he gets in his mind he doesn't want to do a school subject on one day, he won't. I never had this problem with the first two Lambs. Then I have to become very creative in how to get him to finish his work that day. Bribes and threats don't work. It is usually treating him as much older than 6 years old that works-saying something like, "If you finish this today then you won't have as much to do tomorrow." What else is helpful is to let his brothers finish all their school work before asking him about his school work. I think at that point he wants the one on one time with his
I am thankful that we homeschool so we can teach our Lambs in the way that they work best. Are we always able to have it the way that they prefer? No, but I think that is good for them because the real world is not always as we prefer. But if it can be the way they prefer most of the time, they will accomplish more than if it is not.
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