Proud Parent

I had a proud parent moment today. Jason was learning his beginning letter sounds and rhyming. He played a little game that involved a happy hippo on a kids' website. After he finished the game, I heard him apply his understanding of the H sound and rhyming when he said his own sentence aloud to himself, "The happy hippo has hairy nipples." Alliteration and rhyming all in one sentence! Yes, a very proud moment, even though technically it doesn't rhyme, but close enough.

We often get asked why we homeschool. The main reason is so that we can give our children an education that is tailored to their learning style and talents, and spend more time together as a family. However, in Jason's case it's to save me from the embarrassment of him asking his kindergarten teacher, "How do you spell 'nipple'?"

Jason is also a very curious child and very much enjoys taking things apart. If he finds a screwdriver he will go to town with it. I currently have:

Seven of these battery covers that I need to replace.

 George's toy that he took apart. My kids call this the Baby iPod.

When Jason opened this one up, he was very interested in the new type of little round disc battery that he's never encountered before. He told me I need to buy more of them.

The other day I was teaching Jason the notes on the piano. He was halfway interested in what I was teaching him, but he kept feeling underneath the keyboard. He said to me, "Mommy, I feel something metal under here. What is it? It feels like a screw." I could see the wheels turning in his head, and they were not music related.

I am now collecting toys and gadgets that are old, boring, or broken for him to take apart. The other day I allowed him to unscrew the motor and music box portion of an old crib mobile. That was fun. It was fun for Bradley too.

This is my screwdriver holder on the back of the kitchen cupboard underneath the sink. It's empty because Jason raided it. Now I hide any screwdriver that I find, and this will remain empty for several more years.

Jason is one of my favorite kids. He is so much fun to teach at this young age. Every time I teach him something new he excitedly exclaims with wide eyes and a high-pitched voice, "Ohhhh! I didn't know that!!" 

He is very happy to be a kindergartner. I was a little worried about beginning to officially homeschool him. If he were in public school, he wouldn't be in kindergarten until next year because he has an October birthday, but I felt he was ready. I was only worried because he is my most stubborn child, however, I haven't experienced much stubbornness while teaching him. He's eager to learn and progress in his reading and writing. Today he was even interested in learning how to use a dictionary. He's mostly stubborn when it comes time to clean up. But who isn't? As I write this I still have dirty dishes in the kitchen that probably won't be washed until tomorrow morning. I know one day it will click with him that it's a good idea to help out, and I will remain patient until that happens.  (Hopefully one day it will click with me that it's a good idea to wash the dinner dishes before going to bed because it always makes me grumpy in the morning when I have a sink full of dirty dishes.) He does small things to help, like putting the pillows on the couch. Every little bit counts.

His green hair.

He loves cutting watermelon and he's good at it. He could also probably eat an entire half of a watermelon. The effects of watermelon are fascinating to him too. The first time he ate it this summer he shouted to me from the bathroom, "Mommy, it's red!!"

He falls asleep in random spots and positions.

On this night it was with a purse and a duck in a toy ice cream cone. I love these fun little Kodak moments before I go to bed. It ends my day with a smile.

"But Mommy, I just wanted to see what was inside."

Look! I just wrote a whole post without one picture or blurb about George! Imagine that!