First Grade update

It's been awhile since I've written about anything school-related, but we've still been hard at first grade. Grady is doing more and more with us on Monday and Friday mornings, practicing his handwriting, a little math, doing calendar activities and listening to our Bible stories.

Elle has just about read the entire Magic Tree House series, as well as all the Amelia Bedelia books and Cam Jansen. Mom gave her a Boxcar children book for Christmas, so I think she'll be reading through that series next. We have covered quite a few books in our daily read aloud time too:

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Pollyanna

Charlotte's Web

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on the Prairie

On the Banks of Plum Creek

By the Shores of Silver Lake

And our current selection, The Long Winter. We have 3 more books in the Little House series!

She's learning the books of the Bible and a Proverb a week. It really is amazing how much Scripture she has memorized. We're working through the Old Testament, as she reads in a Bible Reader, summarizes the story and draws an illustration to go with it in her Bible notebook. She also has a Bible time line that covers an entire wall in her room:).

We're finishing up with phonics, improving her handwriting by copying poems and verses, with some music, art appreciation and drawing practice thrown in here and there.

We've cycled through our math topics once, and are looking forward to going back through and challenging her a bit more with each topic: Patterns, Classifying, Addition/Subtraction, Comparing, Geometry, Measurement, Place Value, Fractions, Time, Money, and Graphing.

We haven't done as much science as we did last year, but we have a few huge remnants around the house to show our projects and experiments:



A paper model of the solar system, drawn to scale, hung below the time line. Is anyone else a little disappointed that Pluto is missing? I mean, what is "my very excellent mother" going to serve us now?

A salt dough Bible lands map

It's been a fun year so far and we have enjoyed being able to be home together and to learn together. It's hard to believe it's already that time of year to begin thinking and praying about next school year and what it will look like for our family. And just to keep it honest here, don't think for a second that every day is wonderful and she's a model student. There are days when we butt heads and she's frustrated and so am I. But for the most part, she works hard and does a great job with her assignments and she's learning... and I stay patient:). Homeschooling works for our family and we enjoy it. At least for now.

"Maw Maw"

Steven's grandmother (his dad's mother) passed away yesterday. She lived a full life and certainly helped multiply the Salter family with 10 children, 23 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren! We'll be in Greenville tomorrow to remember her life with his family. One of Steven's cousins wrote this about their grandmother:

SARAH NELL SALTER, 92, went home to be with her Savior on January 5th, 2012. Funeral Services will be held 1/7/2012 a Mt. Pleasant with Reverend Mark Lovett officiating. The family will receive friends an hour before the service. Sarah Nell is preceded in death by her parents Montie Evans Martin Sr and Mary Alice Owen Martin, her husband James Edward Salter, a brother, Dalton Martin, one son, Phillip Salter and one daughter Hilda Salter Kent. She is survived by 8 children. Joe Ed and Diane Salter, Buddy and Glenda (Salter) Burke, Diane and Paul Salter, David and Sherry Salter, Edwin and Genese (Salter) Mitchell, Perry Salter, Bill and Debbie (Salter) Coker, and Pete and Suzy (Salter) Reeder, 23 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren.

Sarah Nell, or Maw Maw as most knew her, leaves a vast legacy. A legacy that revolves around her passion for Christ. Maw Maw was always a great witness for her family and longed for each member to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Despite enduring some hard times during her life, Maw Maw never faltered nor complained. As one child said “She could take a little flour and meat and make us a feast.” She always gratefully accepted her circumstances and made the best of each moment.

She devoted her entire being to her family. From traveling across the country to doctor’s visits with her cancer stricken daughter in the 90’s to being the first at the hospital to celebrate the arrival of a new birth, even beating the expectant mother to the hospital at times. According to Maw Maw, each new grand baby was cuter than the last. As recently as a couple of years ago she would drop what she was doing to go take care of a sick child, even if sitting on the couch and offering a foot rub was all she could do.

Maw Maw loved to “go”. She enjoyed taking trips and most summers could be found vacationing with some of her children and grandchildren; video camera always by her side. She recorded hours of family videos and even made each of her children a video that details important family history.

From her attire to her personalized gifts, Maw Maw always displayed her colorful creativity. She always added her special touch to things and loved to paint as well as arrange flowers. Joy followed Maw Maw. No matter the circumstances, there was always a laugh, always a hug and always Joy. Maw Maw is now experiencing supreme Joy. She is with her Lord and as one uncle said “We just about have more at Home than we do here.” Maw Maw is at Home and one day soon we will join her, at Home.

Christmas gifts gone bad

The new year has come. The Christmas decorations are all boxed up, the tree is gone and some are having a hard time with that:



He asked me to help him write a note and this was his dictation.



We had a bit of A Christmas Story "you'll shoot your eye out!" New Year's Eve. Elle has been asking for a pocket knife for six months now, and we decided we'd try her out with a little Swiss Army knife as a Christmas gift. The rule for the knife was that she could not have it out unless Steven or I knew, and we put in safely in a drawer. I was inside cleaning and taking down decorations on Saturday and the kids were outside playing.

She and Grady were up in the tree and I heard her start screaming, "I'm bleeeeeeedddinnngg!" I run out there, see the arm of her shirt soaked in blood, and get her out of the tree. We get inside and I find out where the cut is and I notice it is not a cut that a tree limb would do. It's a perfect slice on the outer side of her wrist, close to the bottom of her palm. She's hysterical because of all the blood and I'm trying to calm her down. As I'm putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding, she passes out in a seizure sort of way. Legs stiff. Eyes still partly open. She wakes up in a few seconds and regains the hysteria. And I am almost crying because I'm so mad and disappointed in her {why did you get the knife without me knowing?} and scared at what could have happened {why did you have it up in a tree?} and thankful it is only a cut on her wrist {thank you Lord for taking care of her!}. She admits she had the knife and is now sobbing, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't want to DIIIIIIIE."

I reassured her she was not going to die, called Steven to come home and got the bleeding stopped and her wrist bandaged. Long story short, we ended up going to the ER {which I might not ever do again!}, waited for 5 1/2 hours before they put some steri-strips and a big bandage on it. :)

Needless to say, she proved she was not quite responsible enough for a knife. Maybe we can give it to her again next Christmas....

On a positive note, one of her other gifts was an Easy Bake oven. She was thrilled! She made some sugar cookies last week. Hopefully, she won't burn her fingers off.

Happy New Year's Eve! We went down to the beach for the day yesterday. It was gorgeous and there were thousands of shells of all shapes, sizes and colors. We may have brought back several hundred:).

Today, I am taking down Christmas decorations and preparing for our traditional New Year's Eve Fondue dinner. We had a wonderful Christmas season, filled with family, food, lights {Callaway Gardens!}, songs, and much thankfulness for our Savior's birth. Wishing you all a joyous 2012!

Christmas Party Rash

I'm afraid Elle's not the only one who's allergic around here. The problem is, we don't know what caused it.

His teacher called from school to say he was breaking out in a rash so Steven went to pick him up early. It spread more once we got him home. They had a Christmas party, but no out-of-the-ordinary foods. They were playing on the playground when he started complaining. Thankfully, a bath, a little Benadryl, a few puffs of the inhaler, several latherings of hydrocortisone, and he's much better. The other side of his body looked like this too...

Elle had a minor episode with her eye swelling up Sunday night. This has happened a time or two before so I wasn't really surprised and as with Grady, we're not sure what caused it. All three kids were watching a movie at church. She was much better Monday morning, after some Benadryl, inhaler, allergy eye drops and a good night's sleep.

This is why we don't go far from home without an Epi-pen, Benadryl, inhaler, allergy eye drops, Zyrtec, and hydrocortisone cream. They are staples at our house:).

Encouraged by my 6 year old

We made a trip to Wal-Mart this morning after dropping Grady off at school for some necessary paper products {toilet paper!}, ingredients to make some spice tea, chicken and vegetables for dinner. We pulled out of the parking lot and got to the stop light at the bottom of the hill.

Elle said, "Mom, did you see that van in the parking lot? {I had not seen them.} There was a lady with a sign that said they needed gas. Should we call the gas company?"

Me: "No, Elle, they need money to buy gas for their car. ...Do you want to turn around and give them your $5?"

She had money with her that she had just gotten over the weekend as a Christmas present.

Elle: "Ummm... I don't know."

We turned left and headed away. I was conflicted at this point as to what to do too.

Elle: "Yes, Mom, I want to go back. The Bible says, 'He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.'"

I turned around and we drove back to the van in the parking lot. She added another dollar she had to the amount, got out of the car and gave the lady her $6. I told the lady that my daughter had seen them and wanted to help. I was completely overwhelmed at this point. At seeing the Lord work through Elle. At seeing her respond to His promptings with obedience. At seeing the fruit of her memorizing Scripture. **And I don't really care to analyze if they really needed the money or not. The point is that Elle gave because the Lord wanted her to and she was obedient and cheerful in giving. And God says he'll bless her for that. His blessing is not based on what they use the money for.**

We pulled away from the parking lot a second time and I told her how pleased Jesus was with her. That she just showed what the spirit of Christmas is supposed to be. Giving to those in need. Thinking of others. Not being selfish. May we all be reminded that Love came down and met our greatest need and may we respond to His promptings with obedience.

Thanks Elle. You encouraged me greatly today.

Happenings with Reese

I have made one Christmas present purchase so far. I bought this little boy a backpack of his very own. He and Grady rotate days with this backpack with Grady taking it to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Reese takes it to church on Sundays and CBS on Wednesdays. And most other times, Reese walks around the house with it on. I think he's going to be happy with his very own back pack with his name on it!

I hesitate to say it, but I think Reese is day-time potty trained! I asked Elle to make a chart for him since we were learning about graphs and charts for math this past week. We like to integrate learning in to all aspects of life here at the Salter Academy:). Monday, we didn't chart, but he was successful multiple times. He had two accidents which both involved pooping in his pants or directly on the rug. He went 17 times Tuesday with no accidents. Because he didn't poop. Wednesday was even better. I put a pull-up on him before going to bible study (because I don't expect his teachers to be able to get him to the bathroom when there's at least 10 other 2 year olds in the room!). But before we left, he went on his own, getting his pull-up down and everything. He also progressed from pooping on a random floor or in his pants to pooping on the bathroom floor in front of the potty. Twice. He's getting the idea just having trouble with the timing. Thirteen stickers for Wednesday. Twelve stickers Thursday. No accidents. Ten stickers Friday with poop on the bathroom floor. The other thing we are working on is waiting until he gets in the bathroom to pull his pants down. Right now, he pulls them down immediately and flashes everybody while he makes his way to the bathroom. But all in all, he's doing great and we are down to diapers just at naptime and overnight...

This was from the week before Thanksgiving but needs to be documented. At CBS, the kids made "thankful place mats". When I picked Reese up from his class, his teacher told me he was thankful for ice cream.

What she failed to mention, is that he is also thankful for girls in bikinis.