This week in our home.

It has been a crazy few weeks in our house.  Our schedules have changed dramatically, we had a fun filled fourth of July, Sassy's therapy's have all started up, Peanut began Therapeutic Listening (see below), and we started our new Homeschool Program.  Next week we will finally start to settle in to our new schedule and I honestly can't wait!  I'm having so much fun spending the days with both my children.  I can't wait for the day when we are exclusively homeschooling both children and I can spend every moment with them.  I have to say they truly are amazing human beings! 

This week we learned a memory verse from Genesis 1:3 ("And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.")

Our memory verses. (The kids cut them out and taped them together- good fine motor activity)

The kids loved cutting out their memory verses and are very proud to have them taped on the wall.  We are using parts/ideas from the curriculum we purchased (Horizons ) and combined it with some of my own ideas and things I have discovered online.  I decided that we would use our "letter of the week" as the first letter to our weekly theme.  This week we learned the letter "C" and our theme was Community Helpers.  This was a bit more challenging than I expected.  Apparently our children don't recognize police or firefighters in uniform.  After discovering this I narrowed our concentration to Police and Firefighters and spent a lot of time talking about how they can helps us in our community.

What we learned this week: Red, Green, Blue, the letter "C", the number 3, and Circle.

I took the cards provided by the curriculum and put them in sheet protectors and taped them to the wall for the kids to see and talk about throughout the day.  We have worksheets, activities and crafts that go with all of our concepts that I keep in a work folder and we get to what we can, and what the kids are up for at the time.  One thing I was able to do was create lap book for the kids this week.  I made them a Policeman lap book.  I got all of the printouts from Homeschool Creations.  This is one of my favorite sites to get lap book ideas and printouts for.  I was limited on time and used her lap book printouts instead of creating my own.

The activities include making patterns, colors, alphabet matching, counting and shapes.

Another wonderful blessing that has graced our family is the addition of a touch screen computer.  We began using it this week and Peanut LOVES it.  It is a great way to help develop hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor movement and control.  Here is Peanut (with Sassy watching) playing a Curious George game from PBS kids.org.  

Finally this week, the day came when we began our therapeutic listening (Vital Links) program through Easter Seals.  We filled out questionnaires and Peanut's Sensory therapist did an evaluation to determine which CD was needed for our first 2 weeks of the program.  He has to listen to the CD on random for 30 minutes twice a day.  We started Thursday afternoon so he has listened 3 times.  To be honest, I think he likes it!  I tried listening to the CD and it made my head feel funny.

Here is Peanut listening to his CD while playing in our Sensory room.

So all in all its been a great few weeks.  We got back the IgG Elisa tests and found out what may be effecting the kids GI tracts.  One of the most disappointing things we found was they were both very sensitive to Coconut so we had to eliminate it from their diets. We have now been working on finding ways to work around the various food sensitivities.  Peanut's belly was doing much better but after the 4th of July, he began to have loose stools again and we feel like we are back at square one.  We are thinking we may have to try the SCD.  We have a lab results on Peanut we are waiting for and should get them next Friday.  I'm hoping the results give us a little more insight as well.  Next week Peanut starts going to school 3 days a week to play with friends.  Sassy began her behavioral therapy, which she gets 5 days a week.  I'm very happy with the therapist who is working with her.  I'm looking forward to another great week with my children!  Have a great wekend everyone!