Whoops!

Didn't realize how long it has been since I updated. Anyhow, here's a quick run down of all that has been going on...

the Elf:
Has been keeping up with his reading. He was laughing hysterically while reading Mouse Tales to himself, so I asked him to read it out loud to me, and WOW his reading is improving! He is doing a bit better with writing, but still hates doing it. At least now when he is doing copy work, he looks at each word rather than each letter, so it's taking about half the time, and he isn't getting so confused.

In math, I pulled out Saxon Math 2 again the other day (he's on lesson 111 of 132), and he got very excited! He said that MathSteps is okay, but he really likes Saxon.

Science and social studies are going well with him. We did a project on acids and bases the other day, using, of course, baking soda and vinegar. We tried different amounts to get different results. He spends a lot of time pouring thorugh our science encyclopedia as well. In social studies, we have moved on to Italy - and believe me, we eat a lot of Italian food, so this is already a hit with the kids.

I may also have found a once-a-week karate class for him! Part of the trouble in finding an activity for him is that we have a lot going on already, and going to martial arts 2-3 times a week is a difficult commitment to make. Once a week sounds good.

the Fairy:

She turns SIX next week! I am not sure how that is even possible :(
And she has decided, on her own, that she is now a vegetarian, laregly because she does not want to eat the "poor little animals". I was a vegetarian for years, so this is fine with me. M doesn't mind it either, but my BIL was giving her a hard time, listing all the things she can't eat. So, just to back up the Fairy, I said I would be vegetarian with her. Probably good for me anyhow!

I still haven't been teaching her to read, but she seems to be picking up a lot of words on her own - I keep meaning to look at The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading for that, but never seem to get around to it. She is also very good with her memory in regards to colors/amounts/etc., as we found out when we played Monolpoly with the kids last week. She didn't really seem to get the denominations of the money, but she could accurately tell everyone 10 minutes in which color combinations added up to certain amounts!

She is still really enjoying Oak Meadow, and is doing well with Saxon. She loved drawing tulips for our Netherlands study, and is more than willing to help me cook delicious Italian dinners. Her favorite hobby right now is helping in the kitchen, which is great because she's learning fractions and a lot more by doing it!

In other news, my classes are going well, though I have lots to do much of the time. I am also busy now planning a birthday get-together for family, and baking a lot of cupcakes is on the agenda (vegan because the Fairy has a vegan classmate, and we have a friend with dairy issues)!