Day Six – Routines
While it’s only really our third day of our new routine (weekends don’t count) we seem to have settled into it pretty well. We’ve been up and at ’em at a very respectable time with Em’s treatments done by 8:30. Last summer there were days when I didn’t get her into her vest until 11:00!
We’ve followed Em’s “PT” with Summer School every day this week. This is pretty much Iz’s invention. All her neighborhood friends are going to summer school for “enrichment” classes but she’s not old enough yet. So, in the mornings while they’re gone, she thought it might be fun to do some “summer school” at home.
All three of us sit at the table with books, crayons, markers…the works. I picked up a bunch of Dollar Store workbooks for each of the girls. They’re the fun kind with Disney characters, and both girls LOVE them. Isabelle has been working very diligently at her printing, which is her weak point. She knows WAY more about math than I realized, and she’s loving every minute that we spend in Summer school.
Emily does surprisingly well (so far) too! She has a Winnie the Pooh workbook about colors and shapes and today, after I helped her with one page, she did another ALL BY HERSELF! She was able to draw lines to connect objects of the same color. It blew me away, I had no idea she could control a marker well enough to draw a straight line. SOOO cool.
We are also doing a little research project. Iz chose to learn about insects. So, we got every insect book our little library had to offer, we thought of some things we want to learn, and we’ve been writing down facts as we learn about them. Next week we’re going on a bug hunt, and we’re going to make a butterfly lifecycle with things we find around the house.
I also have planned some type of activity for each day. Either we leave the house and go do something, or we do a craft, or we play a game all three of us can do. Today we baked cupcakes to share with the neighbors.
The structure of the day really cuts down on the whining and the fighting between the girls. And, it helps me to stay focused on the things I want to get done, too.
Speaking of things I want to get done…My list system is going strong (after 3 days!…) I have completed my daily cleaning jobs each day, I’ve blogged each day, I’ve crossed a few things off the “Summer Jobs” list…AND (a drumroll might be appropriate here…) I”ve been to the gym TWICE!
I’m feeling pretty good about the way the summer is shaping up. Too bad there are only 56 days to go!
Sixty-two Days 