Anya's Complaint

Anya came to me in the office this afternoon, complaining.

"Mommy, Macey's pretending to disunderstand me!"

It is so hard when you are disunderstood, isn't it? :)

Duck, Duck, Goose!

Friday evening, Mary taught my kids how to play Duck, Duck, Goose. She started by asking them to sit in a circle. They tried, but it was more like a semi-circle.

They were not off to a good start.

They listened attentively as Mary explained how the game works, and were eager to begin. They promptly declared the person doing the tagging the "Ducker".

The first girl Mary tagged as Goose (Macey) lunged to her feet, gauged the distance between herself and Mary and ran the shortest distance around the circle...towards Mary instead of chasing her. Isaak jumped to his feet too, and ran around in a few random circles in the yard before sitting back down in the circle.

Mary patiently explained the rules again, while I joined the circle to play too.

The second time around, the chosen Goose (Anya) started chasing the "Ducker" in the right direction, but turned around and ran the other way again so she could beat the "Ducker" back to the empty place in the circle. She didn't want to lose her spot! Isaak jumped up when she did, and ran around the circle too, diving into her lap as soon as she sat down again.

When I could breathe between bouts of laughter, I helped Mary explain the rules again.

A few rounds later, Macey was tagged again. She cut right to the chase...right through the middle of the circle to tag the person who had tagged her. Isaak was close behind her, and dove into my lap.

I fell over, I was laughing so hard, and while Isaak helped me sit back up, Mary explained the rules. Again.

They finally got it.

Mostly.

Anya circled around two or three times on her turns as the "Ducker", and included Emmie (Mark and Mary's beagle) in the circle, too. Isaak still charged around the circle full tilt every time anyone else did, and dove into whatever lap he wanted, but three or four rounds passed smoothly enough.

Until the second to the last round.

Anya went around the circle three times before she tagged Macey as the Goose, then ran as fast as she could around the circle to get back to Macey's spot. Macey caught up with her before she did, however...and brought her down with a flying tackle that would have made Troy Palomalu proud.

The game ended shortly thereafter, called on account of ... ice cream for dessert. :)

Homeschooling Hazards: Part 3

Another hazard of homeschooling: You may hear this...

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America,

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under God.

Under God!

Under God!

...from your two-year-old!

No Enrich-ed Flour Here!

Remember when I caught Anya reading the ingredients list on the bag of pita chips? Well, take a look at what I caught her reading today!

(Yes, she is reading a dictionary!)

Faith Like A Child

"Mommy!" Jaela announced from the back seat of the van, "I think I'm beginning to understand part of the Bible!"

"Oh good!" I smiled. "What part exactly are you beginning to understand?"

I could see in the rearview mirror that she was looking out the window, deep in thought. "Well," she said, "you know that part that says 'if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.' I think that means that when you sin it is better to ask God to forgive you than to go to hell!"

(That's Matthew 5:20, just in case you're wondering where she's been reading!)

Mulberry Bushes and Smoky Mountains

The cd player is playing the tune:

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning!

And the kids are asking:

What's a mulberry bush?

Why are they going around and around it? Picking berries?

Why so early in the morning? Before it gets hot outside?

The cd player is playing the tune:

On top of old Smoky, all covered with snow, I lost my true lover, for courting too slow. For courting's a pleasure, and parting's a grief, and a false-hearted lover is worse than a thief. A thief he will rob you, and take all you have, but a false-hearted lover will send you to the grave.

And the kids are asking:

What's THIS song about?

Is this really a kids song?

Where is old Smoky?

What's courting?

What's false-hearted mean?

But what does the song MEAN?

Homeschooling Hazards: Part 2

While I was typing out this post, Isaak climbed up into my lap.

Isaak: Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!

Me: What, Isaak?

Isaak: (leaning forward, pointing at the computer screen) Dat's a M!

Me: Yes, there is an M. (Thinking, there is no way he really knows which one is the M...)

Me: (pointing at an S) Is that the M?

Isaak: NO! Dat da M! (pointing insistently towards the general direction of at least one M and multiple other letters)

Me: (pointing at the M in Macey's name) Is that an M?

Isaak: (settling back in my lap again, satisfied) Mmhm! Yes! DAT da M!

I think my last year of teaching 2nd grade will be here before I'm ready for it!