Can We Feed Them Omelets? Multiplication for Icecream and S-P-O-T spells SPOT!!!! .... Why I Love My Kids

I'm always fascinated by my kids ... sometimes good fascination, sometimes not so good (like the musical bed routine they all played on Saturday... everyone switched beds at least one time during the night!) But I digress -- I noticed something wonderful about all 3 of my kids during the past couple of weeks and I want them to remember this someday.

LAUREN -- CAN WE FEED THEM OMELETS? -- LOVE COUPONS -- A RACE AROUND THE CUL-DE-SAC
1. The next-door-neighbors were moving out last weekend. It was Sunday morning and I had just gotten home from a meeting. She was concerned that as they were packing up they had nothing to eat. "Well... go ask them if they want some omelets," I said half-joking. Before I turned around she was out the door and back and said "They'd love some!" So she helped me make two huge omelets, made a bunch of toast, poured grape juice into bottles and wrapped everything up on a plate covered with foil. To top it off she took plastic forks and taped them to the top, grabbed a bottle of ketchup out of the fridge and headed next door. I love that she thinks of other people and isn't embarassed about wanting to do something nice.

2. A few weeks ago as I went to get into bed I found a coupon on my bed "Good for 2 10-minute back rubs -- Love Lauren." She had done the same thing for everyone -- doing the silverware and garbage for Cam & Kenz and going to donuts with Dad. No reason, just random nice Lauren!!!!

3. We have new neighbors moving in next door -- with 5 boys!!! The kids are so excited. They were over cleaning the house the other night and Lauren, Kenzi and Cam got out a bunch of balls and things and started playing with them. The oldest boy who is 11 was just sitting back, not playing. I went over to meet the mom and she told me the oldest was a little sad about moving into a cul-de-sac with mostly girls. I assured him that my girls were pretty tomboy'ish -- as were the others in the cul-de-sac and he would probably be ok. The next thing I know I look over and Lauren and the boy were lined up for a race around the cul-de-sac. Lauren is a really fast runner... but this kid is pretty athletic. I laughed as they ran around neck and neck the first lap and then the 2nd lap he just didn't have the endurance and she beat him. Within moments they were playing one-on-one basketball (he beat her this time). I was so happy she was willing to go out of her comfort zone and get him to play!


KENZI -- CAN YOU DO MATH FAST ENOUGH TO EARN A BIG MILKSHAKE?
Kenzi does very well in school, but has been struggling a bit with multiplication and division. She took a division test a couple of weeks ago and got 50%. I talked to her teacher and we were both concerned. The end of the term was in two weeks and she needed to get all of her multiplication and division passed in under 10 minutes before the term ended -- and she wasn't close. She generally doesn't get down on herself but she was definitely feeling like she wasn't smart enough and getting discouraged.

Kenzi and I searched for some good ways to help her. (She doesn't think or learn like I do so it is sometimes hard for me to help her.) We checked out CDs, videos, games from her teacher and then finally found this great online game. It does little 60 second test with a digital egg timer and counter to show you how you are doing.

Every night we would sit down and begin testing. One night we were about the make chocolate malts for dessert. I told the kids that for every number Kenzi got within the 60 seconds, we would get 1 scoop of icecream. The test was on. Lauren and Cameron were cheering her on and Kenzi was screaming. The first night we got 3 scoops (and I let Lauren do two tests to add a couple more on.) Night after night we worked on this until.....

She came home one day and had made it to the 3-minute club Division and 2-minute club Multiplication. The mom that had tested her couldn't believe it -- she wasn't even close the last time they tested. We celebrated and cheered (I teased her and made her think she was in trouble cause I found the certificates -- she had forgotten to tell me.)

But it gets even better. On Friday I got an email from her teacher. They took the end of the term multiplication and division tests and Kenzi was the FASTEST IN THE CLASS on both!! Her teacher thought she was kidding was she shouted done so quickly and before anyone! I can't begin to tell you how excited I was for her. She had worked so hard... and then when it came it was so easy for her.

After some much deserved celebration, I reminded her of two lessons from this. #1 -- she can do hard things and can accomplish anything. Going from 50% 2 weeks ago to being the top in her class this week. #2 -- She can never say she isn't smart enough to accomplish something. Everyone learns at a different pace and in different ways and you just got to keep working until you know how you learn! LOVE YOU KENZ!!!

CAMERON -- SPOT .... SSS...PPP...OOO...TTT -- SPOT!!!
I remember the excitement my girls felt when they first learned to read. Putting those sounds together and discovering they made a word was awesome to them!

However, I think Cameron has been the funniest, most excited and most obsessive of the three. He is always wanting to do homework (with the girls) and loves doing things with letters and sounds. We had some fun letter videos and he had a great computer game with phonics he loved, but I didn't realize he could read words right now.

Several weeks ago we discovered this with a little book in church and he was so excited! The next day I wrote up a list of 3-letter words and he started sounding them out. If you've watched a child learn to read you know what I mean... but it was so funny. He would say "Hhhhaaaammmm -- Ham, Ham, HAM!!!" (It would take him 3 or 4 times of saying the words to realized HE WAS saying the words.)

Since then it has been non-stop spelling. In bed at night, on walks, in the car or wherever -- he wants me to give him 3 or 4 letters and have him say the word. If he recognizes a word on a sign on the street he goes nuts and is sooooooo excited. I'm amazed at brain development (I love watching babies learn to speak, take their first test, feed themselves for the first time, etc.), so happy at his excitement about learning and so entertained by the obsessiveness of this newly developed skill. Good job C-A-M ... Cam!!!!