It's School Time

Last week we started school at the Lende home. Most of you know prior to having kids I was in college to become a teacher, so it is probably not a surprise that I (well we) are homeschooling the kids. This is the first year we have really had a curriculum and an actual school-time each day. Aidan and Coda are thriving. We are using the alphabet as a basis to our school time. Each week we study another letter and intergrate all subjects. Coda actually sits, listens and participates, his favorite part is that he has his OWN school supply box, equipped with a box of crayons, scissors, glue and a pencil! Aidan is working on not only our letter of the week studies, but also tracing letters and matching letter sounds to objects.

This week we are on the letter "A" with the short vowel sound. We have learned "The Ants Go Marching" song, adding with Animal Crackers (Aidan can add all the way up to 9+1), Adam and Eve, Antelopes, Johnny Appleseed, we are going to make Animal puppets tomorrow and on Friday we are making homemade applesauce. We have learned that apple, astronaut, ambulance, alphabet and alligator all start with the letter A and the short a sound. Aidan also realized with the help of Grandma Diane, that Aidan starts with the letter A. He got off the phone and told me, "Mom I already knew that, my name is Aidan, A-I-D-A-N" Wow he can spell his name!

I would post pictures but my loaner digital camera (I had it for almost 2 years) has been reclaimed, so we are on a hunt for a new one. Maybe Christmas, wink, wink.

Notice any changes?

Look up. Figure it out? We are adding another to the family. Baby Lende #4 is due to arrive in March 2007. A boy, a girl, any guesses? I have to tell you, it is ok if you are in shock, we were too! Then it sunk in, another blessing from God, another baby to hold, another brother or sister for the kids and now we are excited, insanly excited that is for sure. You can call us crazy, we don't care, LOL!

On another note, I cannot believe it has been almost 3 weeks since the last blog, I apologize for depriving you.

YAY NICK!

Today this article was in our local newspaper "The Daily Triplicate". I am SO proud of Nick and all of the hard work he is putting into this new position. He is such an amazing dad/husband/employee. This morning he fed Téa a bottle, got up, got himself ready, fed the boys breakfast and still got to his office by 7am. (Ok so it sounds like I don't so anything :), I promise I do!) It helps that we have early rising kids around this house. And if tonight is like last night, he will try his hardest to be home by 5pm, but his work is not over, after kids goto bed and usually me too, he stays awake doing estimates and researching security products. Last night he showed me a camera that is in a "screw", literally a pin-hole camera in a screw, or a air purifier that doubles as a camera, or a smoke alarm, the sky is the limit. Nick is almost as in love with security products as he is with music gear, LOL!