Family Picture

Family Picture

Thursday, June 26, 2014

June, Summer is here

We survived having exterior painters at our home. For quite some time.  Seems like every time they came to paint, it would rain.  Just long enough to delay things again. When they were here, I had to be on special duty Amy watch.  Boy, did she really want to help them paint. And ask them questions, plus make small talk and such.  It all started on the first day they came.  I noticed they started from the top of the house and would work their way down.  Made a mental note to myself to have a talk with Amy about staying out of their way, not to touch where they were painting, and not to wander outside to talk to them. We are working on "not talking to strangers" as I have to constantly reign Amy back. Amy and Anna had been up in the school room for awhile when Amy came down and asked me point blank if she could talk with the painters.  I told her no, that we don't know them, and that I would handle all the talking to them, that they were very busy. About that time Anna comes down to tell me Amy had already climbed up into the closed dormer window and talked with the painter. She had pressed her face to the glass and had a conversation.  Amy told me the following: " I can't remember his name Momma because he is Spanish.  I said Hola to him and he said Hola back.  I said hello to him and he said hello back.  I asked him if he has a momma and he said yes.  I asked him if he had a daughter and he said no.  And he doesn't know why he only has one ear ring. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to talk to them!"
So I had my talk with Amy but when we had to leave doors open on the back or front porches,  the temptation was just too great.
She made friends with Juan, who has three daughters and who painted his nose to make her laugh.
Showed some painters her freshly "painted" fingernails.
Left one of her books open and wedged in the window in case they wanted to take a break and read.
Another day sent her and Anna downstairs to jump on the trampoline so she would move away from the porches/doors to stop watching them and talking to them.  Unbeknownst to me,  they were also down below on the basement patio painting doors.  Anna told me Amy's conversation with yet another painter:  "Hi Mr. Painter.  You are doing a really good job.  One day when I grow up I am going to be a painter just like you!"  Anna said he laughed and said thank you. She's a mess!

Glad they are now finished and our house looks really great.
The window Amy talked through, with her new found painter friend that only has one earring.


Now we are staying busy doing homeschool and getting ahead for the year. We love our Story of the World, History CD series and Amy is right in on it.  I always copy her a map and coloring page that goes with the lesson so she can stay busy while she listens.  Much of it is too complicated at this point but she does get something out of it. I help her with the map and she copies Anna because she is so proud to be doing whatever Anna is doing!! Amy is reading three letter words, sounding out and has a  small stack of beginner readers that she can read to me.  Anna, Amy and myself continue to read books together in the afternoons as well.  I read fiction and non fiction trying to capture whatever Amy's interest is at the time.  For example, when we had the snake incident, we read a snake book. We have read books about bats, and birds, foxes and frogs and the seasons of the year.  The girls are catching fireflies in the evenings so we checked out some firefly books.  We have read books about the weather as thunderstorms pop up in the afternoon and books that tie into the history lessons. We recently learned about the Dutch in history so we read a true story about Katje the Windmill Cat.  Last week we read about a young giraffe that kept wandering away from his tall, tall momma.  Mamma giraffe kept telling him to "stay close", "stay safe"  but he kept pushing the limits and was in danger from predators.  He was not a bad giraffe...he was only  curious.This one was good for Amy as we continue to work on her staying close to me at stores and public places.  She sees something that interests her and off she goes...just like little giraffe in the story. And she never meets a stranger, will chit chat with anybody.  She said, "Momma you are not a tall, tall momma, you are just a little momma so you can't see me."
"That is right Amy, you need to stay close so you can stay safe".
 Because we read this book many times, we looked up more information on giraffes and have learned some interesting facts about them.  Often the girls have questions, we look them up on the internet and sometimes watch short videos on subjects. Reading so many books, I was blown away when we made a list for the library reading program, seeing it on paper as I don't keep up with it other wise.  We just love our reading time, so we go to the library sometimes twice a week to get more books. Anna listens with us but also has her own bag of books that are way past her grade level as she is an excellent reader.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to educate little people and especially to teach one who has missed so very much.  So exciting to see her and Anna, and myself, for that matter, learn together and enjoy good stories together.
Unless it is a really cloudy day,  it is too hot to play outside so we are making the most of indoor activities.  We often go outside in the evenings, after we cover with insect repellant, that is.  The mosquitoes have arrived in full force for the summer.  The girls ride scooters or gallop around like they are horses while I take a walk.
We will be headed to the beach in July so we will be swimming every day there to stay cool. It will be a nice change of scenery and help us survive the summer.

The week Anna had sewing class we had to get up early.  When Amy told me they were going to take a nap in the guest room upstairs, I did not believe her. I thought, sure you are.   Checked on them later as it got so quiet and indeed they were napping.
I think this may have been a first for Amy, she never ever naps.

I got a new camera so Will tried to capture a shot of The "Honey Moon" that only happens every 15 years.  

Amy's "go to " outfit if I let her choose her clothes. Giraffe print capris and flower print shirt. There is a striped shirt she sometimes pairs with these capris also. She loves all the bright colors.
This is Amy! Wild and silly, bouncy and bright, live life to the fullest with your colors going every which way.
  This is our stay at home wear.
Will, in his dry manner says, "I see she picked out her clothes today".
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Painting with watercolors.  We have been watching the deer in our yard.  Amy wants to catch one and tell them we won't hurt them, so they don't have to run away.  

She painted every pair "red" her favorite color. We each had to pick our favorite pair.  She would not let me pick the flats.  "No, mom.  You have to pick high heels".  

Playing in the rain

Anna's sewing projects

Arabian Princesses riding unicorns

Walked the church campus for exercise on the day we had dancewear fitting.  Was nice and cool inside.  

Amy in the lead.  Pretending to be a wild pony.

Checking out  some shirts at Kohls

And surprise, surprise, who is in the accessory department?
"Momma, can you see me over here?  I really lika these!"



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