Saturday, March 9, 2013

Most snow I've ever seen in Loa

Can you believe we have a good 10 inches of snow here this morning and it is still snowing.  I took pictures but,  sigh, I still need help posting them.  It is really pretty--like a Christmas card.




Hey---Aubree did the picture transfer from Camera to Post.

Pretty good, huh?

Saturday, January 5, 2013

 Absolutely amazing party on new years eve.

Enjoying the steak and shrimp.
We set off fire works and a Chinese lantern.
We had a pool party, Caib won!!
And now I'm learning to use my new camera to put pictures on the blog.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Random

Couldn't sleep well last night--had hay fever.  So I got up at 6:30, Cleaned ashes out of the stove, Took all of the curtains down and put them in the washer, and vacuumed really good.  I still have to dust with a wet rag every where but the hay fever is better all ready.

We got an inch of snow last night so everything is white.  I guess winter is here.  Susan face booked that she had been chopping wood so I commented that I split a log round.  So yesterday Mike showed up and brought me a load of firewood.  That was nice because I was about out of cut and split wood.  Then less than a half hour later Cathy and Caib showed up with another load.  Cathy had read the post and comments and thought, " we can't have Mom splitting wood!" so they got me some, too.  We all laughed and Cathy said, " Well, it's Mike's turn next time because I brought it last."  (Too bad I can't do pictures--There's a double row nearly to the porch light.)

My fourth graders have been told that they only need to spell ten words off the spelling list because they can't really do all thirty words.  Yesterday I told them that if they got all 30 words right I'd buy them a big candy bar.  Two of them did it.  Now they've shown me that they really can spell on grade level when they spell from the sounds so they aren't going to get away with "Oh poor me" any more.
The other two came close.

We are still having fun diagramming sentences.  Cathy came to learn how the other day when I was teaching the 5th grade.

I picked up two more student to work with on spelling--a second grader and a fifth grader--If they can spell from the sounds their reading really improves.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Are Amber and Sara and Mike Millward wanting to come?  I'm thinking Mike and Amber might go to Boise if their folks aren't coming.  Keep us down here posted.

Well off to wash down dust and rehang curtains.  :)

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Results

Results:  My first grader won the essay contest--Five dollars--I don't think she even knew what money is for.  The teacher was so happy with her work.  So was I.
   And we added 4 words and my 4th graders still got 100%s!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Tutoring 2

This has been a great day of tutoring.  It was pajama day at school so I wore my Robe over my clothes and my moose slippers.  (thank you David and Erin)  I could have taken my stuffed Moose but I didn't want to drag him all over the school.
     I worked with my fourth graders on their spelling and they did well.  They were due for a pretest right after recess.  Then I worked with my fifth graders and they did well reading the story and telling where from a real knowledge of the solar system and constellations the ideas in the story might have come from.  They were attentive and interested--not always the case--and it was a good session. Next was recess and then the third graders. They did so well on their spelling and timed tests that I will need to replenish my skittles supply.
     Then lunch time.  During lunch Mrs. Ekkers came in and asked me if the kids had found me.  I said no and she said that the 3 girls had 100 %s  and the boy missed one.  At recess they were so excited they nearly knocked me down with hugs--These are the kids that have never gotten more than 2 or 3 right in their lives.  Now they believe me that they can.  True we only studied 10 of the 30 words, but they had all ten right.  And they were 4th grade level words.
     Then I went into the other 5th grade and the kids were taking a math test.  The teacher brought me the essay that the little girl I tutor after school had written for the bully free zone contest and she had used perfect penmanship.  Teacher was really happy--said you couldn't even read her writing last year and the essay even made sense.
     When I went to pick up my first grader, the teacher handed me the paper she was to write an essay on for the bullying contest.  We wrote it and she drew a school--rectangle with the doors in front center the windows on either side and a large smiley mouth underneath the "Bully Free Zone."  It was really nice-for a first grader.
     These kids are making real progress and I'm having so much fun.   Of course there was yesterday------- :(     But the good times are outweighing the bad.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Tutoring

As some of you know, Laura has been staying with me since the 3rd of July when they came down to put Trevor in the MTC.  We had the pool party, a shower for Amber, made a couple of quilts and worked seriously on Laura's reading.  She is making great progress and can now really read "Hop on Pop."

Sunday morning she returned home.  Amy took her kids up to Laura's house where a Dermatologist that Tony works with is trying to help Tanner.  See Amy's Facebook for their progress.  Anyway, Laura took all the papers we had been working on for her reading and Kaitlyn is continuing the tutoring.

Today I got a call from Laura and Kaitlyn had a couple questions.  "Grandma, what does the 3 by the ch mean?"  
"There are 3 sounds for ch--chin, school, and chef.  ch, k, and sh" I said.
"Oh, I get it.  and what is the other sound for wh? If I thought about it I could probably figure it out."

"That's "wh" as in whistle and when and "h" as in who and whole."
" And there are the 2 sounds for th--That and thin.  Do we put a 2 in front of it?"
"Yes. I forgot that one didn't I?"
"OK" she says.  "I've got to go now, I'm right in the middle of helping Aunt Laura with her reading."

I say"goodbye, dear," as I hear Laura giggling in the background.
Kaitlyn really is helping Laura do her reading.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

swimming pool

The swimming pool is now patched and a beautiful blue.  Will be filled in time for the 4th of July party and should last for another 2 or 3 years anyway.   Thanks to Nathan, Johnny and Tracey and Amy  and assorted grand kids.

Perhaps someone would like to add a picture.