I just couldn't wait until tomorrow to share
How can it be? How can my tiny baby already be nine months old? (I'm sure I'll be saying that same thing with even more emphasis when he is nine years old too.)
Felix, recently nicknamed "Dragonfire" by Relia, was in no mood for a photo shoot yesterday. Most of the pictures looked like this:
[[stepping up onto my soap box, waving a complex story problem in the air]]
I have read so much research, and seen so much great practice. I have seen kids actually problem solving instead of blindly following rules.
I want to shout it from the rooftops. "You are not helping by teaching your second grader to borrow and carry!"
I cold explain why, but nobody wants to hear it. "The way I learned was just fine." But I never hear that from actual mathematicians. When you really go into it, when you do math thinking -If you have to add, subtract, multiply or divide large numbers in your head- not many people actually use the standard US algorithm. Give it a try:
do seven hundred eighty-four plus six hundred fifty nine in your head -No fair writing it down.
Think about the steps you take:
Did you add 600 + 700 first? Now you have an estimate. You know your answer will be around 1,300
Did you add 4 + 9 first? When you got 13, did you put the 3 to the side and add 1 to 5 and 8? or did you add 13 to 80 and 50?
Kids need to develop strong number sense and be familiar with the patterns of numbers before they learn the short cuts of our standard methods.
I worked with two fourth graders who were finding the area of a rectangle. One quickly got the answer while the other set up a multiplication expression on paper:
Now that I think about it, there is something to be said for inner conflict.
It is the only way growth can happen.
Sunday, I decided to force a little sharing on the kids. I want Felix to have some play room space too, so I cleaned out a little bit and put up the gate. So far he has been pretty happy with it, and I like that there aren't so many toys to throw all over the floor.
In the process, the play kitchen got moved to the living room (temporarily) I don't think it has gotten this much use since we first got it.
Felix loves to open & close doors, but most of ours in the real kitchen stick too much to be any fun.
Last night at dinner, we discovered Felix is working on tooth number 3. That would explain the 5 times he woke up last night, huh?
Go to the Children's Museum, of course
Felix is old enough to enjoy a little bit of Habitot time:
Dressing up as a cardinal
Playing in the "snow" & "ice"
We explored an art exhibit
and made some BIG bubbles!
We managed to beat the crowds and had a very nice morning (and some great afternoon naps). I love that we have such a great experience located just over the river and through a bunch of tall buildings.
Just to keep track for myself:
I've been pondering the day when we can flip Relia's bed over:
Also thinking about the history of our house. I stumbled across Placeography the other day while searching for some neighborhood historical photos. A few of my neighbors houses are on here. I've always wondered if there was a way to try to find out more about our house. What was the area like when it was built? Who lived here first? Placeography seems to have helpful info and resources. This will probably have to be a summer project.
First a movie, now bowling.
Aunt Carrie & Uncle Ry invited us to go bowling this afternoon to celebrate his birthday.
Relia enjoyed it, and by the end, was insisting she didn't need the ramp. (whoever invented the bumpers that go up an down automatically is a genius)
Lately, when my son suddenly stops crying in the middle of the night, or I haven't heard from him in a while, my mind leaps to the picture of him suddenly learning to pull himself up, and, in the process, toppling over the edge of his crib and dying. Yes, that is it, he must be dead.
Unlikely, I know. But since there is a simple step I can take to prevent this from actually happening, and therefore my worrying needlessly, it seemed like a good thing to do.
So this afternoon, Relia and I lowered Felix's mattress. He looks pretty good in it now.
Now what else can I worry needlessly about?
Relia and I went to see her first movie theater movie this morning. -Tangled.
I couldn't have asked for a better starter movie. Quite enjoyable for both of us. She had a great time and was looking over at me and smiling every once in a while. When she first saw Rapunzel, she said "She has a lot of hair." We sat in the front of the upper section and when she got a little squirmy, she would climb down and sit on the ledge in front of us. she was fascinated by the projector behind us and asked if we could go sit at the top. During the credits, we tried sitting at the top, bottom, top of the bottom and in the middle of the theater.
We had lunch in the food court at Eden Prairie mall and over McD's and pizza, I asked what her favorite part was, and she replied, "The bad guys."
Oh dear.
On our way home, we dropped by Grandma D's for a visit and to meet her kitty.
Just when I think I have all my ducks lined up, I find that one or two have wandered away.
It feels like everything is coming to a head at work and I am having a lot of trouble keeping on top of everything.
Relia, with the book Chrysanthemum open on a kitchen chair, "reading" to me while I make dinner.
I woke up feeling rotten on Saturday, and my loving hubby let me sleep in until 10! I spent much of the day on the couch, until Relia and I went over to mom & dad's to help them take down their Christmas tree and eat a little supper.
Sunday I felt lots better and, with help from the kids, went on a huge cleaning jag, sweeping & mopping the floors, and organizing the pantry.
Relia and I assembled a cherry pie and I made yummy parmesan crusted chicken for supper.
Felix continued working his way around the living room.
Felix has discovered the army crawl! I can't believe how fast he's gotten so quickly. It's fun putting something just out of his reach and watching him go for it. He's starting to enjoy peek-a-boo, and "Where's Felix" too.
