Fun with the Letter "A"

*Drum Roll Please..........*

We have decided to homeschool Isabel!

Starting in Kindergarten.

But after attending a homeschool meeting on Monday night, and delving deep into some really cool homeschool blogs online, I've decided to *pretend* that I'm already homeschooling! ;) 

So today we started working with the letter "A". 

 

Above you see:  Tracing "Big A" and "Little A" with pasta, Tracing "A" on her own (using the blue paint-filled sandwich bag), and creating an "A" out of Bendaroos.

Next she colored this simple coloring sheet with "Big A", "Little A" and an apple.  You can tell from how scribbled it was that she was not into this page.

As she was coloring the first page, I was finding more and more on the internet to print off!  I thought this one would be Alluring since she could practice tracing the dotted letters.  And I thought she did Amazingly well on the tracing part!

So I pressed on and gave her Another tracing sheet, and was Astonished when she returned it to me completely filled out!!!  Now, this is one of the things that excites me about homeschooling:  I will know what my child can and can't do.  I didn't know she could trace her letters.  I thought she only knew how to write the letter "I"....the only reason I don't know these things, is because I am not in school with her and her teacher can't possibly communicate every single Accomplishment.  

Ready to be Astounded???

The Above is her first Attempt at writing her first name!  Hey, I have to say that I was quite impressed, but I guess all moms are when their child Accomplishes a "first".

So to finish up, I put glue in the shape of "Big A" and "Little A" and let her decorate them with craft scraps: buttons, ribbons and seashells.  

She loves anything she can glue.

I give her an "A" for effort!!  And me too!!  

I feel like I really Aced my first *pretend* day of homeschooling!

Marshmallow building(s)!

("Before" shot)

 

  

 

("After" shot)

Marshmallow building:  Occupies the mind and the mouth!......at least for a few minutes.

Grandma's birthday!

We celebrated Grandma Holmes' birthday this past Wednesday with a meal and cake at our house!  Isabel was so excited to have everyone (Grandma and Grandpa Holmes and Aunt Kate!) come over...it was all she could talk about for two days! 

 

Isabel helped open Cousins Connor and Andrew's gift to Grandma, an under the counter cd player! 

 

And had fun smiling for a pic with the birthday girl!

Padre Pio.

While listening to Fr. Corapi on tv while we were coloring tonight, Fr. Corapi started talking about Padre Pio, a Catholic saint who had the stigmata.  The following was our conversation:

Isabel exclaims:  Paw-der-a-uh Pio!

Me:  Yes, he's talking about Paw-dray, Paw-dray Pio.

Isabel:  Paw-dray Pio.  *pause*  Oh just like we met Padre Pio.  

Me:  Oh, ummm.....what???   (for those of you who don't know, Saint Pio died in 1968, so we've never met him).

Isabel:  (repeats) Just like Padre Pio we met.

Me (now with some interest):  Oh, so when did you meet Padre Pio?

Isabel (very matter of fact):  At Grammy's church....at Grammy's church with me and Grammy and you were there too.

Me:  (Looks at her completely confused).

Isabel:  (Looks at me like, 'remember?')  At Grammy's church; the small church. 

Me:  (Really confused, as Grammy's church does indeed have a big church and a small chapel where we sometimes go for daily Mass).  Ummm....are you sure it was Padre Pio?  Wasn't it Father Nick or Brother Michael you met there?

Isabel:  Nope, it was Padre Pio.

Me: (starting to wonder if she's had a vision of Padre Pio that I missed out on... I later continue questioning)  So what did he say when he met you?

Isabel:  Ummm....I don't remember.

And that was the end of our conversation! 

New undies.

In the bathtub the other night, Isabel asked me:  "Momma, are my Minnie Mouse underwear ready to wear?"

(They were newly purchased and had finally made it to the laundry to be washed, and Isabel was really excited about wearing them, even though they are a size too big!)

I answered, "Yes, sweetie, they are ready!"

She replied, "Oh, I think I want to take them to show them!"

I stumbled, "Oh,..ummm...what do you mean, sweetie?  Show them where?"

Isabel, matter of factly: "At show and tell!"

Mommy:  "Hmmm....*choking back a laugh*....well, I don't think that would be very appropriate because underwear are private things....so we can't take them in to your class for show and tell."  (At this point, I turn away from her and crack up, silently of course!)

Isabel:  "Oh....what's private mean?"

And into the discussion of underwear and the parts they cover being "private", we went.