Fall

The days are getting shorter which means winter is on its way (and according to Lydia, she is getting closer to 6 1/2:)  For now, we are enjoying this lovely fall weather . It has been awhile since I last wrote. Summer was busy with the typical activities...beach, cottage, parks, and splash pads. Lydia has started first grade. Her Kindergarten teacher moved up to teach first grade (and at the time, there was going to be only one K). All summer long we anticipated having Mrs. Lutke for a teacher again. Then, the numbers changed and ACS made the decision to split the class into two and Lydia was put in the new section. Also, another K section was added. She has 15 students (including herself) in the class. I LOVE the small class size and am thrilled to see ACS grow! Of course, we were very nervous about the "new" teacher.  We knew she was very young. I just kept thinking that I was that young teacher once too:) New fresh blood can always be good. Lydia adores her teacher, and we do too. She brings a lot of experience with the new math program (I will talk about that later) as well as reader's CAFE. Also, I like the fact that both first grade teachers seem to plan together and do pretty much the same thing. Based on experience, this is a bonus!

As I mentioned earlier, ACS has begun a new math program called Math Expressions. This is the program Hudsonville was starting when I left (this is where Lydia's teacher came from:) I have heard nothing but good from my friends that teach it. It really focuses on UNDERSTANDING concepts that build on each other and covers all the Common Core State Standards (things they need to know by end of year at each grade level).

Lydia enjoys school. She has said to me that she would much rather be at school than at home. It just challenges her more than I can do at home with two younger kids needing my attention:)  I am so glad for her enthusiasm to learn.

Ava is attending preschool at ACS. She attends with one of our neighbor girls and we carpool. I am grateful she has a friend in the class. She is much more timid, and I think this helps with transitioning from being at home all the time to going to school a couple days a week. She, too, LOVES going to school and adores her teacher. It's nice having them both at one school, and ACS is so much closer than Maple Tree. I do miss Maple Tree, though, because I think they have such a great preschool program!  On the days that Ava is home, it can be hard. She and Isaac enjoy doing some of the same things...playing with cars and trucks:) Thus this can lead to some constant fighting making mom crazy!  BUT at the end of the day, Ava and Lydia need to give him a kiss goodnight before going to bed and enjoy being his second and third little mommy (this, too, can make mom go c r a z y sometimes!!:)

Isaac is slowly growing out of his mischievousness. For a while, I felt like I was "running" behind him constantly to make sure he wasn't doing something that he wasn't supposed to. One day, I had lotion spilled out onto the storage room floor, pepper poured out of the shaker onto the kitchen floor, and milk poured all over the counter. I can finally breath a sigh of relief. He still gets into things, but listens SO much better and understands directions so much more. However, I still can't take him to the store. He has decided that he doesn't want to sit in the seat part and will climb out of the cart, demanding to ride (stand) on the back. He has to be just like his sisters! This makes grocery shopping or running errands take twice as long because he wants to get off the cart every second to help me put items into the cart and do everything else independently right down to buckling his seat belt in the car. Some day this independence will benefit me:)  However, at his age...I don't think he is supposed to get up in the morning, head to the freezer, pull out the waffles, get the toaster out, plug it in, and pop down a waffle for his breakfast!! He amazes me! Isaac talks all the time, and it's just too cute:) He is looking older, especially with his recent hair cut from Mimi Titan.

Well, I better get going. Ava and I are going to play before Isaac gets up from his nap:)