Silly Kids
It's so much fun to watch the kids grow - and some days it's rather funny, too! Here are just a few examples...
On Tuesday the kids and I had our annual dr's visits. As the doctor was asking the typical questions about the kids' development, Steven started sharing with her every detail of his breakfast that morning. She commented that she was supposed to ask about his speech development, but considering he's supposed to be able to put two words together to form a coherent thought (technically a two-word sentence), she figured he was just fine developmentally. What? My son who practically speaks in full paragraphs is fine? :-) I didn't tell her that he knows the words to every Christmas song we've been singing around the house, and, althoug he doesn't comprehend meanings yet, he can perfectly repeat all of the Polish words he hears on our Polish vocabulary cd. He's definitely quite the articulate little bugger. Monday night he was talking up a storm after supper. Doug said, "Are you going to preach for me on Sunday?" Steven answered, very matter of factly, "No, I'm going to Sunday school!"
Then there's Angie. She continues to amaze us all with her new-found reading skills. I believe she's competent at a second grade level. She also tries to spell her sister's spelling words - often very successfully. I think spelling will come to her a little easier than it does to Olivia. Olivia is very competent, but she has to focus. Angie seems to grasp it a little more naturally. But, there is a funny story about Angela that I must share that is in no way related to her reading or spelling skills. We have all heard various Christmas songs be "altered" by children in their lack of understanding. I will readily admit to singing "oh mighty vine" and "round young virgin" as a child. But, Angela's version of "Silent Night" had Doug and me rolling the other night. We were singing before bedtime, and we heard Angie sing "round John virgin!" And, it wasn't an issue of slurring "round" and "yon" - it was a very clearly articulated "round John!" Needless to say, I had a very hard time finishing the song! :-)
Which brings us to Olivia. Recently she started lapsing back into math issues. When this happens, I know she needs the right kind of motivation. She knows her math facts very well, and is very competent in math. But, she gets into a pattern of decline and has a hard time kicking herself back into gear. Sidetrack with me for a moment, if you will. We have cable TV for the first time in our married life. We could have paid more to get cable internet without it, so we decided the cheaper bill with cable TV was the better route. We still don't have the TV on all the time, and are cautious about what is played in the house. But, we are thoroughly enjoying a new favorite - the food network. And, we have a favorite show - Good Eats. Doug and I have learned a lot, and the girls are fascinated as well by the tidbits they glean from the show. All in all, we have a great time watching it as a family. So, back to math - we discovered the other day just what Olivia needed to kick her back in gear with her math. She was with me in the kitchen while I was cooking something, and I verbally calculated how to split the timer for something. This led to a conversation about how greatly math factors into cooking. A light went on in Olivia's head, and from that day on she has done her math beautifully! A day or two later she informed me that she had to focus well on her math if she was going to follow her new dream career. Be prepared to step aside, Alton Brown, to make room for the new future hostess of Good Eats - Kathryn Olivia Hibbard! :-)
On Tuesday the kids and I had our annual dr's visits. As the doctor was asking the typical questions about the kids' development, Steven started sharing with her every detail of his breakfast that morning. She commented that she was supposed to ask about his speech development, but considering he's supposed to be able to put two words together to form a coherent thought (technically a two-word sentence), she figured he was just fine developmentally. What? My son who practically speaks in full paragraphs is fine? :-) I didn't tell her that he knows the words to every Christmas song we've been singing around the house, and, althoug he doesn't comprehend meanings yet, he can perfectly repeat all of the Polish words he hears on our Polish vocabulary cd. He's definitely quite the articulate little bugger. Monday night he was talking up a storm after supper. Doug said, "Are you going to preach for me on Sunday?" Steven answered, very matter of factly, "No, I'm going to Sunday school!"
Then there's Angie. She continues to amaze us all with her new-found reading skills. I believe she's competent at a second grade level. She also tries to spell her sister's spelling words - often very successfully. I think spelling will come to her a little easier than it does to Olivia. Olivia is very competent, but she has to focus. Angie seems to grasp it a little more naturally. But, there is a funny story about Angela that I must share that is in no way related to her reading or spelling skills. We have all heard various Christmas songs be "altered" by children in their lack of understanding. I will readily admit to singing "oh mighty vine" and "round young virgin" as a child. But, Angela's version of "Silent Night" had Doug and me rolling the other night. We were singing before bedtime, and we heard Angie sing "round John virgin!" And, it wasn't an issue of slurring "round" and "yon" - it was a very clearly articulated "round John!" Needless to say, I had a very hard time finishing the song! :-)
Which brings us to Olivia. Recently she started lapsing back into math issues. When this happens, I know she needs the right kind of motivation. She knows her math facts very well, and is very competent in math. But, she gets into a pattern of decline and has a hard time kicking herself back into gear. Sidetrack with me for a moment, if you will. We have cable TV for the first time in our married life. We could have paid more to get cable internet without it, so we decided the cheaper bill with cable TV was the better route. We still don't have the TV on all the time, and are cautious about what is played in the house. But, we are thoroughly enjoying a new favorite - the food network. And, we have a favorite show - Good Eats. Doug and I have learned a lot, and the girls are fascinated as well by the tidbits they glean from the show. All in all, we have a great time watching it as a family. So, back to math - we discovered the other day just what Olivia needed to kick her back in gear with her math. She was with me in the kitchen while I was cooking something, and I verbally calculated how to split the timer for something. This led to a conversation about how greatly math factors into cooking. A light went on in Olivia's head, and from that day on she has done her math beautifully! A day or two later she informed me that she had to focus well on her math if she was going to follow her new dream career. Be prepared to step aside, Alton Brown, to make room for the new future hostess of Good Eats - Kathryn Olivia Hibbard! :-)
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