Get it?

C, which is what I will call my daughter, is 5. She would have started kindergarten this past August, but she didn't. Whenever anyone asks, depending on my confidence level, I either respond, "we don't go to school", and other times "we do home education." Anyways, today C did reading and math, which is the main focus currently when it comes to lessons because other topics expand off of these and then others are so intimately intertwined with daily life they have no particular label. Reading and math are a good foundation and they are helping me learn the flow of our newly chosen lifestyle as well. Today, she struggled at the beginning with the reading, rolling her eyes, whining, squirming (which squirming sometimes I've noticed,a symptom of heavy learning for her. Weird, I know). So we changed to math, which is currently her stronger subject. After a quick snack of cheerios, she breezed through the page and the manipulative section. I had tried yesterday to do this lesson outside with chalk on the driveway, but she was tired and cranky about half way through the "game," so we stopped and went inside to play.

We then moved onto the reading/phonics lesson. It is amazing seeing her soak in the sounds of letters and putting them together! Just when I am feeling frustrated, trying to not let it show she gives me that shining ray of hope that I need. This is where I have grown greatly in the past few weeks. Patience! Sometimes, I find myself getting caught up with her not "getting it." I begin to feel the anxiety that she will never "get it," which is a dreadful and dark place to be! I have learned to tell myself the Truth...it is not a big deal, nor a deal at all! It will happen, and with my guidance and patience and her ability to be this huge massive 5 year old curious sponge of a beautiful child the only problems that exist are the ones in my head, until I mindfully compassion them out of there!

On to the lesson we went. I'm not going to lie, there were times when I told her how it was. We were getting it done! With my loving encouragment and confidence rubbing off on her the lesson took about 20 minutes with smiles, a couple sighs of frustration from her, and the feeling completion...well partial completion. She still has the words "cap" and "bat" sitting on the white board for her to sound out and read to me, which will then follow with switching the beginning sounds out with an "s" for two new words, but she was done. So we went for a bike ride. BUT, just before leaving she came up to me and told me she wasn't going to tell me the word with the "ap" today! A mental smile fused through me. No problems here...

The rest of the day will be filled with an afternoon learning how to rollerskate with the local home ed group. Then quiet time and the movie UP I promised J (which is what I will call my 3 year-old son). After a rest, on to soccer practice for C, then bathtime, books, and bedtime.