Learning

In one of my other posts this month I discussed my thoughts about preschool.  I still have not decided what to do.  I know that going to preschool is what kids Kassi's age should be doing.  I know that she wants to go to school, but I still have hesitations.  For starters which one will be right for her?  Will they be offended if I ask them will they be able to work with her on things over and above what the other kids are doing?  Maybe I'm trying to make more out of this than what is really there and I should just let her go and accept that she may get bored and continue to work with her at home.  I guess it is a good thing we still have some time to decide what is right for her.

In the meantime I think we will continue to work on the things we have been.  Such as writing and reading.

This is the book Kassi has started reading.

She has gotten really good at it and can almost read the entire book.

She still has a little trouble writing in an exact spot, but she still does good!

The start of Spring!

What a wonderful weekend. 

Yes the wind reminded us that we could still have winter like weather, but what beautiful days we have had here lately.  Kassi is very ready for this warmer weather and an excuse to get out of the house.  She started some of her plants the other day and they are now taking over the kitchen table so it is time to bring up a card table so we can regain the kitchen table.  Granted this takes extra room in the living room, but I am a stickler for eating as a family on the nights that we can.

Kassi has really enjoyed going out and getting to ride on her four wheeler with Wes.  Last year when she first started riding with us she did not like her motorcycle helmet, but now she seems to be accustomed to it and wears it without any fuss. 

Earlier this month we bought a kit for raised garden beds.  Yesterday was nice enough we decided to go ahead and set them up.  I think they will work well, and Kassi loves the idea that she gets to play in the dirt.  She has decided that we need more vegetables than what she is growing in her starter greenhouse so she was going through the Gurneys catalog showing me what she wants to grow.  When she came to the parsnips I said I hadn't ever had them so I didn't know and she informed me that we needed them so we could try them as you should always try something new.

Given all of the new vegetables she wants to grow it looks like we will be making another trip to Costco to see if we can get another raised garden bed kit. 

Growing Up Too Fast

Kassi and I watched some home videos the other day from a year ago.  It is amazing how much she has grown up in one year.  The things she has learned and how well she understands certain things.  Honestly there are some things I could probably learn from her.

She is a very outgoing and friendly little girl.  When she is at dance class she always talks to all of the girls and their moms.  She enjoys "performing" for everyone her recital is in May and I think she is really excited.  I don't know if she will continue dance next year or not as she has some other things she also wants to do and I am not sure how many activities we will let her do at one time.  You see so far she has asked if she can do tennis, soccer, music lessons and dance.  Plus she should start preschool next year.

Now preschool is a whole other subject!  I never went to preschool and did just fine in school.  My dad is certain she does not need to be going to preschool.  According to the schools she should have two years of preschool before starting kindergarten. I am on the fence on this subject for a couple of reasons.  She will not be able to start kindergarten until she is six and part of me wants to have her home schooled the first year and then see if she can start in first grade at six instead of kindergarten.  Then again I hear several people who say they think the extra year was good for their child.  Anyway back to preschool.  I listen to the things that friends say their child is learning in preschool and a lot of them are things Kassi already knows and has excelled in.  I am afraid she is going to get bored in preschool!  See she already knows how to spell several words, she can read some things, she can almost count to 100, she can count in tens, she can do simple addition and subtraction, and she is starting to get writing her name down.  So I wonder will her mind get bored doing things she has been doing for sometime?  Then again I think the interaction with others would be good for her.  As I said she is very outgoing and social and doesn't get much of a chance to be around other children her age.

Kassi has been stuck on the idea that we need a baby.  She really thinks she needs a baby brother or sister.  The other day we talked about this for our entire grocery shopping trip. It doesn't matter what kind of response I give she is able to think it over and come up with a way around it.  Lately her argument has been that there are lots of babies at hospitals that need families who would love them and take care of them so why don't we just tell the hospital that we could be their family and bring them home.  While she knows about her birth mother she still does not really understand the whole adoption process.  So she thinks we just went to the hospital and they let us bring her home because they knew we would love her and give her a wonderful family.

Another sign she is growing up...she has a real four wheeler now.  When we brought it home it wouldn't start and had engine problems.  Well after a couple of hours this weekend Wes got it fixed and it starts and runs like a charm.  Kassi already knows how to start it which is really scary, what the throttle is and all the levers do.  Wes takes her out and rides it with her for now.  Him and I are agreeing that she needs to be a few years older before she gets to ride it on her own.  At least she is really good about wearing her helmet and it has an adjustable throttle.