March Update

For being a stay-at-home mom the bloggage has been lacking.  BUT!  I haven't just been sitting around moping that I'm in Idaho (ahem).  I'd probably say that I've been reading books like they are oxygen and I've been deprived for two years.  I have actually read 30 books so far this year (as you can see in my little book montage on the right side of my blog).  It's been fun :-) In addition to reading I've added some volunteering:  twice a week I volunteer as a speaking partner for a girl in Mexico on the BYU-Idaho Pathways Program, I go into Ellie's class once a week and run a reading group, and also stop by the library and volunteer a few hours a week helping label all the AR books with available tests, reading level, and points.  Besides that I clean, do laundry, figure out how I can buy more vegetables, and then read books. 

So a quick update of March:

• One of my 30 books I read was a Parenting Handbook that was a good reminder of Love/Logic and got me to refocus - and one day Ellie came home and I told her "Ellie, mommy has been helping you too much lately, so that you think if things get hard you get help instead of figuring out how to  do it yourself.  From now on mommy's not going to help you.  You're going to do your homework and your chores by yourself.  AND the cool thing is that mommy's going to start teaching you how to do hard things I usually don't let you do."  I've been on the phone with my SIL Kim a lot with questions and support.  Love my SIL!!!!!

• On a related note, Ellie has kind of turned a corner at home.  We had some issues after starting the chore chart when she accused us of using it to make her do things she didn't want to do.  We told her that she had to do the chores whether she got the rewards or not.  If she didn't want the rewards she still had to do all the chores.  Once that sunk in things have really picked up.  We've had almost 24 perfect days in the last month.  Not a bad track record.  

• Ever since we got here and found out how behind we were on 2nd grade math facts I've tried everything I can throw at the problem to help and get her motivated:  daily flash card helping with mom, promise of a trip to the art store for an easel if she passed all her facts test at the end of the year . . . nothing.  It's like she knew how bad I wanted her to do it so she would purposefully answer wrong.  So I just let it go.  It was something she had to decide for herself to do.    Somehow decided she wants to pass her math facts and become a 'math master'. She has asked her teacher to even send her home EXTRA MATH HOMEWORK!!??  Her teacher thinks that she's just been watching all the other kids in class trying and passing it off is rubbing off on her.  Positive Peer Pressure, I suppose.  I'll take it.
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• We recently watched the movie, "Harriet the Spy" and reverted back into our old spy mode.  One saturday morning I woke up to this:  Ellie had gotten lemons out of the fridge, cut off the peels, chopped them in the food processor, and was making invisible ink for her spy notes.  So I joined in and even created a code for just us.  Later we got out the candles and decoded some of her cute notes.  I love my girl.

• Every girl needs a best friend, right?  Well we've found a few for little Ellie and we couldn't be happier.  We had to literally separate these two to get them home from the cub scout activity.  They are the silliest little girls together and I just love them.  The other picture is Ellie's crazy hair day during Dr. Seuss week.

• Other than that Darik is now a Webelos leader in Cub Scouts (i'm helping for a few months) and I'm one of Ellie's new Primary School Teachers at church.  I thought it wasn't going to work, but so far it has. 
• I started working scoring standardized tests at home again.  This year I'm working on scoring some Virginia SOL essays for April and in May I'll be doing Arizona essays.  Looking forward to some extra money.  I want to buy a {{vitamix}}!!  After My scoring jobs are done I'll be figuring out how and what to do with the blog. 
• Darik started training for a marathon
• Ellie remembered how to ride a bike.  And she's getting better!