Reading is Fun!

I created a sticker sheet for Ethan a few weeks ago to track his reading progress. We titled it 'Race into Reading' and we plan on attending the races in September to really have fun with this theme. So far he is really enjoying it and I am amazed at how fast his skills are advancing.

Today, we practiced reading short sentences with a little comprehension checking. He did amazing! He is finally putting it all together and starting to sound like he is reading!!

These are a few of the activities we completed today. He really liked reading the sentences and deciding what sentence described the picture.



I plan on making more of the sentence activities so he can continue to practice. He is very excited that he is learning to read! Tonight he plans on reading one of his BOB Books to Everett before bed! I'm sure Everett will find it very interesting!!

Strawberry Shortcake

Today, while Everett was taking his nap, Ethan and I decided to make strawberry shortcake. Hy-Vee had a great deal on a huge 4lb. box of strawberries and who can resist making shortcake?




Ethan has been very helpful lately and has been preparing his own snacks. The plastic flatware I purchased from IKEA has been great with learning to cut. The knives are not sharp, but rigid enough for him to cut soft items.

I cleaned the fruit and removed the tops and cut them on my cutting board while he cut his on his small cutting board. He was so excited to be helping and couldn't wait for the shortcake to finish cooking so we could enjoy a slice! It was very yummy! (Sorry I didn't get a picture of the finished product, we ended up having Derrick's family over for dinner and it was gone before I could grab the camera!)

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients
• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups whipped heavy cream or already prepared whipped cream

Directions
1. Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter and flour one 8-inch round cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined. (it will be lumpy and thick)
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with a small amount of sugar. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.
5. Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer covering with whipped cream then top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

Hey Chickey-doo

A friend of mine is out of town for a few days and she asked us if we would be willing to check on her chickens while she was gone. Ethan couldn't wait to see them laying eggs!

Today, after Ethan woke up, we went to check on the "Chickey-doo's" (as my friend Andrea has named them) and see if there were any eggs. Ethan was very impressed when we saw some eggs and asked me a million questions about where the eggs came from and how they laid their eggs. It was a very interesting conversation I'm sure you can imagine, especially at 6:30AM.

After we collected our eggs, we went home to make breakfast. "Mommy, to open the eggs you need to twist them and pull." he said as I cracked the eggs into the pan. "We have to burn the eggs up before we eat them, right?" he commented as I cooked them (and no, I didn't burn the eggs). I enjoy hearing his comments from what he has observed.

Before eating we said grace, thanking the chickens for their eggs, and Ethan gobbled up all the scrambled eggs on his plate.

"When all our eggs are all gone we will need to go to Court's house to get some more. Those were very good eggs!" Ethan commented as he put his dishes in the sink.

Thanks Andrea for the learning opportunity and experience!

Four Weeks Old

Yesterday Everett turned 4 weeks old. I took him into the doctor to get weighed, I was surprised how much he had grown! He weighs 8 lbs 3 oz!

Back in the swing of things

I have been trying to stay on track and keep to Ethan's normal routine since Everett was born. We have been doing school every now and then, but today we sat and did a lot of school 'work' and I could tell that it was just what Ethan was missing.


Reading and matching words to pictures.


We read about 10 books, drew a few pictures about what we read, talked about money and sorted coins, worked on a new CVC (constanant vowel constanant) activity, practiced handwriting on the sidewalk, counted to 100 with pennies, then practiced counting by tens. He even made his own snack while I nursed Everett of hummus and crackers, and played independently in the playroom while I finished up my morning chores.


Counting to 100 with pennies.


Everett even did some 'work' while Ethan and I played, and he sat and listened nicely while I read some of Ethan's favorite books.

It was a great day of learning and I am looking forward to the school year ahead!

Say Cheese!!

Everett is smiling! He has had some gas smiles before this, but the one he flashed us today is definately a social smile! I got him to do it again for Derrick when he got home, and he tried to get him to smile at him... no such luck. These early smiles are only for Mommy!

Enjoying Lunch with my Little Man

Today Ethan and I sat outside for lunch. We had a great lunch and finished up the yummy peaches Ethan requested last time he was at the grocery store with Derrick. It was a great day and Everett was napping so we got to spend a little one-on-one time outside talking and watching the golfers.

After we finished eating, I gathered our dishes and we headed inside. Ethan noticed I had my hands full and as I was reaching for my water bottle he asked, "Mommy, would you like me to carry your waterbottle inside for you?". He had such a sweet look on his face when he asked and seemed so grown up. Such a sweet little guy! I cannot say how much I love moments like these!