Summer Schedule

Summer is here.  Well, summer vacation...the weather, not so much.

Haley has adapted to her summer schedule swimmingly.  It took her several days, but she is now "sleeping in" which for her is 6:00 am rather that 5:00 am.  In fact she did wake up at 5:00 am this morning, but she wanted to be covered back up again.

She then proceeds to get herself dressed.  She has come up with some really cute outfits so far.  She doesn't change her pull-up, which would be nice, but getting dressed is a good first step.

She doesn't seem very hungry in the morning.  I have to practically force her to eat breakfast, but she is ready for "lunch" by 10:30 am.  I actually think she ate lunch early at school.

She has been keeping herself busy.  She is on her laptop.  She watches movies.  She has been playing with her horses and her dolls.  She even got her Polly Pockets out the other day, she hasn't played with them in a long time.  The thing that keeps her most occupied is her Magic Notebook.  She wants me to write in it all the time.  She traces the words I write.

Every page is full of the same words:

Grandpa  Grandma  Haley  camping  tent  fire  chairs  sleeping bag  tree farm  trees

I started writing sentences for her.

I want to walk in the trees.   Sit with me, Grandpa.  Hi, how are you?  I am good.  I love you.

She has been planning this trip to the tree farm for a long time, but she still has a long time to wait.  And something fun is happening before then.  We are going to Disneyland.  I was reluctant to tell her, like I always am, but if she can plan this long to go camping at the tree farm maybe she can handle knowing about this trip.

So today I asked her if I could write some words in her book.  She said "Yeah." and handed it to me.  I wrote the names of everyone that is going on our trip and then I wrote Disneyland.  I read it to her.  She repeated it.  No big deal.

A little while later her Dad walked in the room and she showed him the notebook.  He seemed surprised when he read the words.  He asked her about it.  Then she got excited.  He told her that she might see some of her favorite characters at Disneyland.

He started naming some of them.

She said "Aladdin?"

We said "Yes."  I told her she might see some princesses.  She said "Belle?"

We said "Yes."   

"Beast?"  "Yes."

Dad said "Lightning McQueen." 

She said "Mater."

We said "Yes."

She said "Tarzan?" 

We said "Yes."

I think she gets it.

She brought me the notebook a little while later and we added more characters.  So now there really is some Magic in that Magic Notebook.

Got Words

If you have been reading this blog for a while you know the mystery that is the Magic White Board.  You probably also know about the wonderful notebook that Haley received from our neighbor for Christmas. 

The notebook has become the traveling Magic Notebook.

Haley loves her notebook.  It goes everywhere with her.  Except school.  Otherwise, everywhere.

Haley loves to write in her notebook and draw in her notebook. 

She has started drawing faces in her notebook, which I particularly love.

She really likes me to write in her notebook.

She brings it to me and dictates.  I write what she tells me.  She usually dictates one word at a time, thinking about each word.  At the beginning of this process I spelled the words out loud as I wrote them.  I thought that maybe she could learn to spell that way.  She seemed to like it a first, but then she got impatient with me and just wanted me to write the words.  Sometimes the words become little sentences.  I have started to encourage that.
 
Sometimes when she gets quiet and I go to check on her I find her tracing her words.

She also likes to circle them.

She brings the notebook to church and writes in it during Confirmation class.  Sometimes I cheat and add words that she didn't dictate.   Words like Jesus and Baptism and Sacrament.  Pastor always give the kids paper and pencils and encourages them to doodle or take notes during class.  Haley does that too, but she also uses her notebook.  I think it helps her to focus and listen.  I hope.

Sometimes she brings the book to me, but she doesn't want me to write anything.  She just wants to talk about the words on the page.  I usually make her read the words to me.

I am sure you have noticed a theme.  A few words that are repeated.  Words like tree farm, Grandpa, Grandma, tractor ride, tent, trees, fire.  Haley still wants to go camping at the tree farm.  She brings me the notebook on a fairly regular basis and starts a new page.  The words vary little. 

It is her way of telling me what she wants.