I'm happy to report that we have settled into a great routine in the morning (without tears!) When Leevi is home (which isn't much this Fall....the extra money gets us through it!) :) he takes Hailey to school on his way to work, but when he's traveling we are all out the door around 8:15 to get Hailey to school by 8:25 and then Kai and I read books in the car for the half an hour until her school starts. It'd be silly to go back home for 10 or so minutes. Sometimes we run a quick errand (commissary, gas, ATM) but most mornings we read our bag of library books that stay in the car. We rode bikes for the first few weeks but it's too chilly in the mornings for Kailee and I to wait outside during that 30 minute gap. It usually has warmed up by noon when I get Kai (and 2:30 for Hailey) so I'll typically walk their bikes or scooters up to their schools. I don't have as much free time for myself as it seems I would but I'm making the most of it and am settling into a good routine myself (walk Leila WITHOUT CHILDREN!, housework, check up on emails/blog, walk/gym) On Tuesdays I'm going to a bible study during Kai's 3 hours and on Wednesdays I volunteer in Hailey's class during most of the time Kai is in school.
Kailee loves school now and her teacher is great. She's in a small class (8 kids and someone is usually absent). I ended up spending her first 4 days with her and helped out in the classroom. I just couldn't bare leaving her in hysterics when she really doesn't need to be in school yet anyway. By me seeing and learning the classroom routine (journal writing, craft, storytime/singing, snacktime, centers, play outside) we were able to talk with her about her day a little more indepth and it also gave her time to get to know her teacher without me dumping her with a total stranger. (I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to do that!!) Kai's teacher is also a great artist so she is coming home with some cute crafts. They are going week by week through the alphabet and she's also learning a bit of sign language that corresponds with the letter of the week. Below are a few of her A crafts....
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| Kai showing off her cutting skills! :) |
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| Autumn trees and leaf rubbings on the left |
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| Painting with an apple half and Lots of A's |
Hailey is still enjoying school also and I love that she's a jabber-jaw at the end of the day...she's enjoying all of her "Specials"...Spanish, Music, Art, and P.E. This quarter she has Spanish twice a week and that will rotate over the year. We love her teacher too!!!!!!!!!! We really lucked out with both girls considering our school options are so limited here.
And a bit of Hailey's work....this Math Journal is my favorite thing to look at on Fridays. I just love her drawings. You can see they started out simple and have already progressed to "number sentences"
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| Math Journal |
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| Progression of Math Journal |
Below is usually what I'll work on with the kids in their centers when I volunteer in Hailey's class. The craft goes along with whatever book they are studying that week.
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| Her Fit It Duck center crafts from the week |
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| Our home! I really liked this one... |
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| And a bit of craziness...this paper is actually from Awanas....the blank for "name" was written on the right corner of the paper and Hailey wrote her name backwards ???????? "YELIAH" |
The girls baked Halloween Sugar Cookies last weekend! They turned out pretty cute, but their sugar highs from the cookies (with frosting) was too much to handle! Thankfully they forgot about them by the second day and I tossed them! :) 
