Germs Germs go away and stay away!

We have all had variations of a nasty cold and norovirus since the last week of March. Xander ended in hospital needing antibiotics for 48hrs, which threw the house into chaos. It's been a while since we've had a mad dash to the hospital. He broke a four month streak which was his current best. 

We came home in a different month, Kira's birthday month. 

Sophia immediately ran to get a pile of books the minute I got home and was unpacking in the kitchen. She read to me whilst I was whizzing things away, and spent a lot of time with Xander, and they were reading to each other. It was very sweet that Xander was waiting for Sophia to 'tell' him what the words were, despite the fact he can read it on his own. She was congratulating him for paying attention. 

We have foregone a set learning timetable this past year due to the unpredictability of our days, weeks and months with Xander's health and it's been free and fluid, depending on their interest and mental health.

They have all made massive progress this year as a result both academically and in life skills. By stepping back and giving them the independance and personal responsibility they have wanted to learn even more.

Sophia stated categorically she was not learning one day, she was full of cold, coughing everywhere. She had a chilled day with no expectations but then rallied in the evening and completed an intense two hour lesson stretch just before bedtime, totally initiated by her on music theory and English Grammar. She was 100% focused, a perfect student. We've had fun and she's learnt a lot. During the last week she has nailed 'Twinkle twinkle little star' on the piano, and has been working really hard with her finger placement. 

Kira has been working hard at the piano too and will always do some work on her educational ipad apps on a daily basis. She has been spending time on Minecraft as well which has been keeping her amused while we have all been ill. One morning she was practicing her multiples while helping me dish up breakfast, she only stumbled on the sixes, as its been a while since we practiced. She's been writing on her drawings. 

She has spent a lot of time being a chef with her role play toys and training chef Xander. She'd oversee him create dishes, shout and smack him round the head with the offending object, when he forgot to use the frying pan, instead putting his peppers straight on the grill... Gordon Ramsey much! Once she had created a dish she'd grab her toy camera and spend time photographing it from all angles. 

Kira also dressed up as a spider one day and predictably gave a presentation on spiders, telling me all she knew. Once she had finished I asked her new questions and if she didn't know the answer I told her the information, gently extending her knowledge. 

Xander likes to bring down a basket of toys when I'm busy in the kitchen so he can play alongside me, which is an absolute hazard scenario for me as I'm usually walking through an obstacle course of bricks going from job to job. One day he was playing with duplo and he started to randomly count to himself. He counted the blocks in front of him, and then started from 100 and counted to 111, then counted in 10s to 100. He then said 20+10 is 30, 10+1 is 11. I responded, 'Wow that's fantastic Xander, and I asked him what was 10+10?' 

His response was 'Noo mummy I'm playing blocks not counting!' 

... Actually little man that was impressive counting skills. 

Xander likes initiating drawing with me, so one day he came to me armed with a pencil paper and ruler and proceeded to teach himself how to draw straight lines with a ruler. He didn't want me involved, he just wanted to show me he could do it. Another skill off the tick list! 

He also has been very creative with a couple of drawings, wanting to draw a supermarket, where he drew apples, milk, bread, cheese, cake, fish and a tomato. He also came with rainbow colours wanting to design one. He proudly wrote the words on his pieces, following my verbal instructions. 

Xander hasn't been eating very well with this cold, however this morning I managed to entice him with some freshly cooked salmon. He ate two fillets, whilst chatting to me about how it's going to make him big and strong, and he will always eat it as it's tasty and healthy.

He had his nose pressed against the French window one morning and it's always interesting to see what observation he will come out with. He didn't disappoint, 'I see a cloud mummy! Clouds make rain'. 

This is a perfect example of a learning moment. He initiated the topic, he was engaged and interested, so I told him that  the wind carries the puddles up to the sky to the clouds, when they get heavy it rains and makes puddles again. He was soaking up the knowledge. He learns strongly through repetition, so when you say a sentence to him, pause and he'll repeat it back to you the best he can. He was so interested. That was the lesson, as simple as that. It took five minutes. 

He then moved on and his attention was drawn to Sophia's herb garden which he has started to take an interest in. He said 'Plants growing, they need water to grow'. I answered that they also need to keep warm with the sun and have some air in order to be able to live.That's the first seed sown for the topic  photosynthesis. Going on his progression, within a year he'll know that term.