Teaching Reading

We started teaching the Bugs to read last week. It is quite an adventure. We are using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It is the SRA/DISTAR method. She's eating up this school thing. Begs to do school from the time she wakes up until we put her to bed at night. We do her lesson for reading (we are up to lesson 8) and then we do some pages from a tracing workbook, a Precious Moments counting workbook and a few other skills books. She loves the workbook pages and is excited to be learning to read.

So far, I think the reading lessons are going well. The book is laid out clearly and is designed so anyone can teach it. So, if you have been thinking of trying to teach your child, I suggest trying this. Another good book for teaching reading is Barbara Curtis' Mommy Teach Me to Read. I borrowed that one from our public library and if the 100 Easy Lessons ends up not working, that is what I am going to go to. My MIL bought me a copy of it and I figure it was free, and everyone I know who has tried it, has had it work for their children.

Bugs isn't wanting to nap today. She's crawled into her sister's bed and I think stood on it twice now as I have heard two thunks that resulted in crying and having to be investigated. She is currently sitting next to me in the recliner. I pray she isn't trying to give up naps yet. I'm not ready for it. Bugs gave them up before she was this age.

I've got a child begging for more school and a cranky toddler on my hands, one who keeps trying to open the cd rom drive on the laptop. Have to get going. Hope you are having a good week.

Book Review for Book Sneeze 3.09.2010

Lies the Government Told You
by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

I was curious about this book title when I first saw it. I have always been leery about trusting everything the government does and tells us is for our own good. Judge Napolitano takes a literal view of the Constitution of the United States and shows how during numerous times in the past, it has been trampled on by the government and even by the Supreme Court. He sites numerous court cases dealing with many topics from eminent domain, the right to bear arms (and how hard that is to do anymore) to even the ban on trans fats. He claims that the government has gotten too large and is trying to do way more than what it was established to do by the constitution.

While reading this book, I felt like Judge Napolitano was rather disrespectful towards the majority of United States Presidents. He was extremely harsh on them, mostly towards President George H. Bush. He went so far as to call President Lincoln a murderer and was extremely harsh towards many others. I was raised to believe and still do, that no matter what the politics of the President, he is still deserving of respect because he is the President. He was elected to that office by the people, and no matter what the policies he endorses or what he does he still demands respect. If a country can not show respect to it's leader, than how in the world would we expect other countries to give him and even us respect? I did not appreciate the tone of disrespect used towards the office of the president and because of that, I do not plan on reading any more of Judge Napolitano's books.

This book is an all right read. I am sure there are better books out there about the erosion of our Constitutional Rights. I do can not personally reccomend it for an introduction to our Constitutional rights. Or on the basis of disrespect towards the current and previous Presidents.

I was given the book Lies the Government Told You by Thomas Nelson as part of their Book Sneeze program. I was not compensated in any form other than a free copy of the book. All views in this review are mine and mine alone.

I Want a Banana

Yesterday morning, Bugs climbed into bed with us to wake us up. She was in a horrible mood. Just grouchy and whiny and frankly, it wasn't even close to time to get up yet. It was such a mood that if she were an adult, you would have found the fastest way to be shed of her company. Yes, it was that bad.

I get her to cuddle up next to me and we start to talk. We talk about getting up, that we are going to get to go to church in a few hours. We discuss why we go to church and what a privilege it is to be able to do so. It was a great talk, and she started to adjust her attitude. When winding down this teachable moment, I ask her if she can finish finding her "happy and cheerful spirit" to take to church with her. She turns, looks at me and says "I want a banana." I literally slap my forhead. Hubbs was lying next to me and just busts up laughing and says "and yet another teachable moment lost by the ADD of a three-year-old." I have no idea if she got anything out of it. We were having a fairly good give and take of conversation until that point.

I love being able to have these moments with the girls. I'm so thankful that I do. And I'm reminded how often God tries to teach us something, and we come back with "I want a banana?" How many lessons have we missed that God was trying to teach, all because we are so focused on ourselves? Probably more than we care to admit. More than I want to admit. Too many times we (I) fall into the trap of thinking of myself and not focusing on God and what He wants me to do and learn. Let's all work more on watching for those moments when God wants us to learn something this week. Be open and willing to listen. Sometimes the lessons are hard, and we don't want to learn them, but believe me, it makes it easier for you if you do. So, this week, let's be more teachable, shall we?