Tomatoes: A Lesson In Math

See this bowl of cherry tomatoes? They were all picked yesterday from our garden. We have two cherry tomato plants, and they can produce! Jonathan came out to help me pick tomatoes. I told him it looked like we had a hundred of them! We came inside and it was time for school to start. We got to math. We have have been working on counting groups of 10 and the left over ones to come up with a number from 20 to 29. We have been doing this for several days! I mean, forever it felt like! Today, I asked him to do it without writing the numbers....I realized that he had no connection before two groups of ten and 4 left over being 24. No connection! I kept at it, trying to explain it different ways. I finally got one way to work (don't remember which one though)! I saw a light bulb come on in his head! It was brilliant! I love watching the light come on! I have seen it a lot since i taught for six years. But, there is nothing like a light bulb coming on in your own child's head! He had it! To test it, we counted the tomatoes. 74 of them. He did it! And, he made 74 cents! SO proud!

We've Been Busy

After recovering from the worst June ever (since having mono right after I graduated from high school....caught from my ex boyfriend....I know!), we went on a little vacation (only 30 minutes from out house) to house and dog sit for my in-laws. It was wonderful, but I don't have many pictures!

We spent some time in the boat, fishing, at the beach, and eating yummy food. The highlight was the 4th of July festival in Southport. We invited some dear friends of ours to come to the parade with us and the kids had a blast! We ate some lunch, checked out the arts and crafts and then went back to the house to rest and cook some supper. We went back into town for the fireworks and they were great! The kids handled them really well...Jonathan really does not like loud noises, but he just covered his ears and did fine. Our friends stayed with us that night and then we all headed back to Wilmington for church. We had a pool party and Jonathan took a jump into the pool from a deck that was about 8 to 10 feet above the pool! He wanted to do it and did great! I have two almost swimmers...they are in lessons again, since we had to bail on the first session because on illness.

We are wrapping up school too. Jacob can write his name all by himself and that is too cool! Jonathan is reading up a storm. He reads everything put in front of him. I pray that he never loses his love of reading. Getting my curriculum order ready. We start the new school year in September and will have 3 weeks of school and a week off for the year. We will have a couple 2 week breaks in there also, around Christmas and Easter and once in the summer. I am getting excited about this year, but I am still trying to figure out a daily schedule so that I can still make it to the gym. Being able to exercise is really important to me. I am setting an example for the kids, taking a break from them, doing something good and healthy for me plus they get time with other kids. And, we are paying for it. School will be Monday to Thursday with Friday being a catch up/ field trip/ play date/ library day.

So there is the last few weeks in a nutshell. I am hoping to get back to regular postings now. I want the boys to have something to look back on one day and be able to see what life was like for us.

Oh, best of all, I am having a niece!