Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

This has been a topsy-turvy week. Not a bad week, just every day is some different, random, sort of thing that makes me wonder What The Heck Is Going On?!?!  We have ALL had colds - all 8 of us, in some form or other. But we're on the upswing now, and all is well.

Pretty -

Isn't she pretty?

Hannah will turn 14 next month, and I just can't figure out how that happened so quickly.

Happy - I just ordered Dianne Craft's Reading Program.  I'm so happy and relieved to have an actual lesson plan-style program.  I desperately hope it works.

Funny - We got Josiah a coaster bike - no pedals.  But he stands up and just walks it around.  I'm telling myself that he'll eventually figure it out.  Right?

Real - Nathan has been having trouble reading for a loooooong time.  I put him through a pretty intensive phonics based program last year, and we saw much improvement, but the problem is still there.  I finally got every book on Dyslexia that my library system had, and have completely overwhelmed myself.  I'm convinced Nathan has dyslexia.  But how to teach to this learning ability? How to learn enough myself, and learn the right things, to be able to teach? Without wasting time on stuff that doesn't work?   Back to the Happy line - this Reading Program includes Brain Therapy Integration, and I just pray 'Lord Jesus, please let it work'. 

I've been learning a lot on left-brain learning, right-brain learning, phonemic awareness, the importance of crossing-the-midline, etc.  It's a bit like trying to drink out of a fire hose.  This is going to take awhile to absorb.