School has officially started for us. 3rd grade, here we are! Our books arrived last Thursday around 4pm and Olivia was ready to start right then. Thankfully I was able to put her off until Monday.We had a family conference Saturday morning regarding our attitudes and how everyone has a part to play in the function of our family and for everything to work smoothly (or as smoothly as possible) that we all need to try our hardest and best at all times. I think it has helped, though I don't kid myself in thinking that it will be the only one we'll have to have this school year.
Our days are going well. There is a comfort and peacefulness in knowing how your day will progress. And as we are still with only one air conditioned car (as Mike likes to drive to work in relative coolness in our heat index of 115F) we enjoy quiet afternoons at home reading, folding laundry, and listening to books on CD.
Sadie-Rose spends a lot of time playing blocks or in her kitchen with a baby and fixing up copious amounts of pretend tea with milk. She also has her own "school book" and loves to sit on my lap sorting the pencils and having me help her write numbers over and over.
My favorite day was definitely Monday. All the excitement of starting something new, the new books, new pencils, all make for good spirits. The funniest moment was by far during our math lesson. We were working on learning some new subtraction sums. Here's how the conversation went, being worked out with manipulatives :
Me: "These squares are cookies. If I had 5 cookies and then I eat those 5 cookies, how many do I have left?"
Olivia: "I want some cookies! Give me some cookies!"
Me: "That's not the point, remember. They're just plastic squares. Now if I had 5 cookies and then I eat those 5 cookies, how many do I have left?"
Olivia: "0"
Me: "Right! Now if I had 9 cookies and I ate 9 cookies, how many do I have left?"
Olivia: "0"
Me: "Good! Ok, now if I had 7 cookies and I ate just 1 cookie, how many would I have left?"
Olivia: "6. I still want some cookies."
Me: "Not right now dear. So, if I had 5 cookies and I ate 0 of them, what would I have?
Olivia: "A bellyache! Because you ate all those other cookies! ha ha ha ha ha!"
Much hilarity ensued but we did finally finish our lesson and Olivia finally got her cookie. :)
I hope your first days of school go as well and are filled with as much merriment. I can't wait to hear all about them!
13 comments:
It is so sweet that she couldn't wait to get started! You know you're a good teacher when that happens!
Yay - sounds like it's going really well.
And that girl has you down pat with the cookies ;)
I can't believe it's time for school already!! Where has this summer gone? (Though I do have an excuse: it's been so cold and rainy here all summer; I think there has been less than a week's worth of days when it was warm enough for shorts!)
Staying tuned for more classroom merriment...
Wow! How can Olivia possibly be old enough to be in the third grade?! I love the cookie conversation. Please dish on your curriculum and your plans for the year. We are homeschooling Elijah this year for Pre-school and I love getting ideas for now and the future. Hope you are well...hugs!
I have stumbled across your blog and I loved visiting! Your Olivia sounds so sweet and silly! Hope the rest of the school year is as fun and imaginative!!!
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