The daily adventures Kai, her Mommy Kat and Daddy Charlie (HB). They spend their days exploring the city they live in, experimenting with arts and crafts, and tackling raising an independent 4 year old.
Kat is also an artist both on paper and skin. Charlie spends his days figuring out what everyone is crying about and wondering where in the hell all this glitter came from.
So HB and I went to Kai's 4k Parent's orientation this evening. She will be attending a local Montessori preschool. We very impressed but a little surprised at that same time. At the beginning of the meeting they handed all the parents a manilla folder with a butt-load of paperwork in it. Amongst all the stuff was the Student/Parent handbook. We were early so we decided to flip through the book just to get an idea of things. Inside there was a sheet just labeled... 4 Year-old Learner Expectation. The way its worded we thought it was what they wanted the kids to already know. There are things on the list under different headings such as... Under Health and Physical Development
Dress myself
Cut shapes (Kai can't do this because I never trusted her with scissors lol)
Move safely
Social Emotional Development...
Follow directions
Be a good friend and help others
make good choices (like what they're 4?)
Language Development & communication
Have conversation with others
Ask and answer questions (what 4 year old doesn't?)
Use pictures to tell a story (we've never tried this so not sure if Kai can)
Enjoy books
Approaches to learning
Try new activities
Pretend (don't all kids do this?)
Be flexible
Cognition and General Knowledge
Count ten objects
count out loud to twenty
put together a 15 piece puzzle (Kai loves puzzles though she doesn't always put them back together right)
Explore my world
We were like "Oh wow well Kai can do most of these hopefully that's not a problem" Turns out that's what they plan to learn this year! We're suddenly like "Oh no! What if they don't want Kai because she is too advanced?" Thankfully we've learned that the Montessori method means individualizing the teaching method for each child so hopefully Kai won't get bored with things.
Has anyone else encountered this? What's everyone's thought on Montessori teaching?
(I know all kids are different but looking at things from Kai's development we were surprised. I'm not ripping on kids that aren't as advanced or that are more so then she is.)
At 4:30 this morning my Grandfather was finally reunited with my Grandma after a long battle with brain cancer. In all honesty I am relieved that he is no longer suffering and isn't trapped in his body anymore. When we saw him Labor day week he wasn't my Grandpa anymore. It was his body but he wasn't really there. He had gone completely blind in one eye and was losing it in the other eye as well. He had lost most of the ability to talk plus he was mostly deaf. He also had to start using a walker which I know irked him to no end. He didn't seem to recongize me, Kai or HB. Later I heard from cousin that he didn't recongize him the day before either. He couldn't enjoy the most basic things in life at that point. He couldn't watch tv (he loved the Packers), he couldn't read (history books) or even speak to his girl friend on the phone.
My Grandfather was always a hard worker and fiercly independent. He was one of the few living WWII vets in WI. He enjoyed bowling, Golfing, throwing horseshoes and doing work with the VFW. He would actually walk the golf course all 18 holes while his clubs rode in the cart with his friends! He was a rough yet sweet man that loved to watch cartoons with me and always shared his Werther Originals with me :)
I am honored to say that I am his granddaughter and that I couldn't be prouder of the man he was.
Cancer is such a terrible thing. It seems if the actual diseases doesn't claim you difficulties from the procedures to treat it will.
This cancer seems to have touched more lives then I can remember. Next spring I am going to start participating in some of the local runs to help fund research. If our generation doesn't do something things will not change for our children either.
Sweet baby Jeebus!! Why is wedding planning so such a freaking pain and so damn difficult?! I'm not asking that much. All we want is to get married. To join our families. To celebrate our Love. AND not go bankrupt trying to do it! I guess that is asking too much because holy hell is everything associated with getting married is ridiculously expensive! I read a while back that mentioning the word "Wedding" was saying a dirty word. They weren't kidding! I swear before I figured it out I would say either "getting married" or "Wedding" and dollar signs would appear in their eyes!
The biggest problem I've encountered is trying to find an officiant that is willing to work with us. The comments we've encountered are so archaic I never thought I'd hear them. I don't belong to a church. HB kinda belongs to his parents church (he was confirmed there) however they cannot keep a pastor for more than 6 months it seems. They (pastors) either get arrested, are forced to leave, voluntarily leave because of adultery or they die. All of the non-denominational churches around here have crazy hoops they want you to jump through for them to even consider marrying you. Here is what one church told me... 1. We would have to live apart. (they didn't care that we have a child that wouldn't understand what was happening) 2. We would have to attend classes (fine, no problem) 3. Since we have a child together we would need extra classes on the evils of premarital sex (WTH?) 4. Would have to attend church there for six months or more before they would consider us 5. We would have to join the mens and womens groups AND be active in them for 6 months. Plus they're groups have a 6 week waiting list to even be approved to join them. (I'm sorry wtf?) I asked the church rep how we were suppose to find time for that while raising a 3 year old, going to school and working. Her response was "Figure it out. Not my problem" Gee thanks. They pretty much have things set up to deter any non members from wanting to get married there which I think is pretty sad when their credo on the door is that "Everyone is Welcome in the House of the Lord" Which pretty much translates to "You're Welcomed but Fuck Off if your not a member"
I contacted some independent Officiants here in town and one wanted $500 to marry us and that was for the very basic service where we couldn't even write our own vows! The other person I contacted quoted $300 but that was basic service and to add anything even music was $50 here $30 there to where even the minimum of what we wanted was an extra almost $300.
If I can't find someone in the next 6 months I am going to make my cousin get ordained online to marry us!
Has anyone else had problems like this while trying to get married?
Now don't get me wrong I love watching educational shows with Kai but Sweet Hell some of that stuff is maddening! The shows that really get me is Elmo's world on Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Dragon Tales. I <3 Sesame Street in general. I grew up with it but some of the new changes are total WTF moments. Like seriously Mr.Noodle... Seriously how many times can you not follow basic directions like Wash your damn hands or Put the shoes on your feet or the best one Put the hat on your fucking head! I want to reach through the screen and throttle the piss out of that man! The one actor (Michael Jeter) that played Mr.Noodle I actually enjoyed his movies but the other dude Bill Irwin not a fan at all and whats worse is that he's a former clown! I HATE clowns! I think Kai finds my irritation funnier than what Mr.Noodle is actually doing!
I really love the fact that Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood was created to carry on part of Mr.Roger's Neighborhood legacy but Jesus on a Cracker he's soooo annoying. I wish that they would just play reruns of Mr.Roger's Neighborhood. They do it with Zaboomafoo even though the Kratt brothers have moved onto a different show. The show teaches great messages about friendship and expressing your feelings but Daniel is such a whiner! I keep waiting for his Mom to be like "Oh for Fuck's sake Daniel What the Hell is your problem now?" (No I don't talk to Kai like that though at times I have to bite my tongue but I'm sure all moms have moments like that!)
Last one is an oldy but a goody that we found on Netflix. I was excited to find it at first because I remember it being fun when I was little. Boy was I wrong! Between Ord being a humongous cry baby and Zach a selfish hypochondriac I spend half the time she's watching it wanting to reach in there with duct tape and the other half telling Kai that its not ok to act like them.
So I decided to go a little old school and play some God of War :) Figured I should give my Borderlands obsession a break lol I'm starting with the first one that they released for the PS2. I'm a little OCD that I don't like to start playing a game on the middle game if its part of a series. (I'm the same way with books.) I plan on playing through all the games through out the winter. Here in WI that gives me a pretty large window! I'm sure my gaming will have to take a little break if HB gets the new Diablo 3 game though he wants to get a new XBox 360 first since all of his friends are playing on Live. We have a arcade 360 that I think is on its last legs. I wish his friends would switch to the PS3. I don't quite understand what is so great about the 360.
Its ridiculous how well hidden somethings are hidden! And Holy Boobies EVERYWHERE! Kai just happened to come up behind me in the beginning where he's with the 2 women in bed for the button challenge to get more Red Orbs and she goes "LOOK Mommy! Boobies!!" HB snorted Mountain Dew laughing at her. Thankfully HB has played all but the latest GOW game so if I get stuck he can help me :DHe had to help me with the Main Hydra head and some of those damn Wraiths. Those things suck! So far though I really like these games and find the story line very interesting. I think they just gained a new fan!
I am all about saving money though I LOVE trying new things. I recent took a couponing class with my bestie that pretty cool. Actually learned a ton but not sure I'll ever become one of those extreme couponers (not enough storage lmao) My biggest score so far was 7 pizzas lol for 2.98 each plus buy one get one :) I thought HB was going to swallow his tongue lmao Right now I am just using it to stock up on laundry soap and cleaning products since we have a very small kitchen.
I made some friends at that class and they got me started on these 2 cool sites. They're a little slow starting you have to take surveys etc but in the past month I've scored 2 awesome sample boxes from BzzAgent and I just started with Influenster.
What even more awesome is that you get coupons with your freebies so you can share!
So I freaking LOVEthrift shopping either in actual Thrift shops or thrift saleing. I am frugal by nature can't help it but having a small fast growing child has amplified it by 100.
Seems like she is outgrowing her clothes and shoes every-time I turn around. She has thankfully slowed down a little. When she was new she went right into 0-3 months and was in something new every 2 months! Not everything we get her comes from thrift sales and shop but it helps fill out her wardrobe especially play clothes. Don't want her outside destroying nice school clothes when we can cheaply get her some decent play clothes. Kids grow so fast at this age that most of the clothes that are donated have minimal wear to them. When kids get older they slow down a little and the stuff gets more worn then we'll strictly be buying play clothes.
I also love thrift clothes for myself. I am a Stay at Home Mom. I don't need brand new clothes to sit around the house in. Dress clothes (funeral clothes lately) Those we bought new but otherwise its not necessary especially when we have one income. I get giddy when I find something cute for cheap with the original tags still on them :D
I used to work in the sorting department at a local thrift shop and the stuff people donate falls into 2 categories for kids stuff
1. Great all around 2. Fucking atrocious should have been thrown out
I think its terrible what some people donate. They treat donations like garbage drop off just because they want the tax right off. Some people can't afford to shop at the mall but they also don't deserve others garbage when they might be using the clothes to better their lives. Its not going to happen when the clothes they can afford are shit with stains, tears or ripped up. No one wants that. If you're decent enough to consider donating make sure you donate something decent.
