Crash and BURN

This week has been full of kids getting hurt. Mason has tackled Paxton and given bites. Andrew fell off of his bike and scraped up his knee and elbow (I know... that's what pads are for... but they were in the closet inside...).

Today was an especially fun injury day. JJ went to the transfer station to get rid of some of our yard waste so I was home with the boys. While I was folding laundry, Mason and Andrew were playing the "let's push each other down" game. Regardless of my constant warning that someone was going to get hurt, and regardless of the fact that I kept telling them to stop, they continued until Mason hit his eye on the shelf by the kitchen. Resulting in... what else? A cornea abrasion. Awesome. SO, we called the doctor and were told to take him in right away. Mason hated having the sun in his eyes, but I couldn't find a pair of their sunglasses (surprise, surprise. The one time I need them, they aren't all over the place!) So, we got him in to the doctor and the doctor put a little dye in his eye to help find the scratch. He turned off the light and turned on the blacklight and, sure enough, there was the scratch right across the center of his eye! A few paralytic drops and some antibiotic ointment later, Mason was patched up like a pirate and sent home. :) Enjoy the pictures!

Played for the fool...

Mason gets chocolate chips just for SITTING on the potty. Today he figured out that if he tells me he has to go pee (which he still hasn't done in the potty), then he'll get a chocolate chip. We've been in the potty 4 times in the last 15 minutes. Do you suppose he is playing me!? This kid is SMART! :) And he knows I'm going to take him every time because I'm not going to discourage him from telling me he has to go! I can only imagine what he is going to do when he figures out how to go a little bit, then hold it until later, so he can get an even BETTER treat! Help me! I'm in for a REAL time this go-around!

Potty Training

Mason is potty training. He's been potty training for 3 days (that's 3 full mornings of being in underwear) and he has yet to go in the potty! ugh! This promises to be a LONG road!

Andrew finished reading lesson #3. Yes, I know I'm not on schedule. In fact, I believe I'm 3 days behind. But, he's starting to put two letters together to read them. Things like "am" and "sa" and "as" and things of that nature. He's doing well, but is easily distracted, so I have to take him into the other room. He doesn't really care for writing the letters as he is being instructed in the book, but I figure I'm not going to push that at this point in time. He has plenty of time to learn how to write the letters before he's even in school. We'll just concentrate on the fun games the book has us play! :) He seems to be enjoying the reading. I hope that he continues to have motivation and excitement toward it! I am actually VERY impressed by this teaching method. I LOVE that I can be totally braindead and still be able to accomplish something! Thank goodness for a word-by-word manual! :)

Here's another cake picture!

Ben and Cindy's birthday cake

(March 2010)

Reading 101

Well, Andrew and I have made it through the first 2 lessons in our new book! He's working hard and is catching on as quickly, and possibly more quickly, than I had expected! The first two lessons really just focus on the letters M and S. Of course, the book doesn't refer to them as "letters" or as the letter name, but instead refers to each as a "sound." It's great because it helps kids stay focused and reduces confusion of each letter. It seems to be working so far, and Andrew has really picked up on the pattern that the book teaches in. He jumps the gun a little and I have to make sure he waits until I tell him to say the things he knows I'm going to make him say! He's so smart! :)

Paxton and I are still working on A, E, and W. He just can't seem to focus enough to add another letter yet, so we'll just keep working with these three (while he often forgets these as it is) until he seems more confident. Mason and Andrew point to letters all the time, so maybe he'll catch on soon. I am seriously considering going down to the Academic Toolbox store here in town and see if they have posters that show the letters of the alphabet. :) I think it may help if he has it in front of him, even if it's in the background.

Aside from schooling-ish, I thought I would toss a couple of recent photos up, starting with new pics of the kiddos and then just a couple of my latest cakes! I hope you enjoy them! Thanks for checking in!

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Mason's backhoe cake for his 2nd birthday

(Jan 2010)

My Father-in-Law's leafblower birthday cake

(March 2010)

My brother's wedding cake

(Nov 2009)

Starting Anew

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our blog, previously thefamilycross.blogspot.com! I decided to start again, hopefully without skipping months at a time! In fact, I'm going to try to get on here on a daily basis for a while. I have just discovered the book "How To Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons" and will be posting progress on here after each lesson Andrew and I do together! I've heard nothing but raves about this book and program and am DYING to try it out for myself! I'll also be working with teaching Paxton his letters. He is having a heck of a time catching on and I have to teach him only 2 letters per day, and have to review what we've learned so much that I sometimes can't find it in me to teach him more! It's amazing how much it takes out of me!

On a more lighthearted note, I'll be posting pictures of the cakes I bake and decorate, just as a brag book for myself more than anything! So, With updates, reading adventures, letter adventures, and dessert, I hope you won't get too bored with us! Thanks for reading!

Cindy and the Cross Family