Fuss is moving into a student inspired theme on the Animal Kingdom. She’s obsessed with horses and Adamu is obsessed with birds and dogs. The shelves and sensory tub will reflect that. Here is a pic of the sensory tub so far. I’m working on a doll for Kwanzaa for each girl, so after this Wednesday there will be a pause in blogging until the beginning of the year. When the children nap, I usually blog, so that time will become my doll making time.

Fuss is working on the letters, “l, i, and g,” in the classroom now, so “n,p, and c” have rotated to her backpack as road activities. She still revisits the previous letters from time to time as well. It is interesting to watch her make connections in the world around her — spotting triangles in “Yield” signs and various letters on billboards. I’m impressed.

Mooch is preparing for her school’s annual handmade holiday gift exchange. She selected a secret girl from a hat, and our family will create something special for her. We are also gearing up for our annual holiday community service acts — gifts for the children at the Police Activity League, food for the homeless, and a visit to a battered women’s shelter, where I used to teach. Mooch loves this season as do most kids. It promises a time with family and friends. Oh, and lots of food. 🙂

My energy is wearing thin. I have several projects and I think the fact that I have a new baby is finally hitting me. I’m pretty sure that there are bags under my eyes to match the diaper bag, dance bag and grocery bags I carry.

Fuss is advancing rapidly. Much of my daytime energy lately has been devoted to keeping her from electrocuting us both. She closes my laptop while I’m typing my blog, pulls out the plug on my last 30 seconds of charge and bangs a one consonant paragraph into the middle of my designs. I took about a week of this before I realized she’s trying to tell me to get off the computer.

I’ve decided that I won’t work during the daytime anymore. It’s simply not possible. I have to reschedule my time so that I work for the two hours after the kids go to bed plus six hours on the weekends. This way I don’t miss the precious first years of her life.

A laptop bag is one bag I will no longer be carrying during the week.

Mooch starts the cooking portion of her rites of passage this week. She’s going to the Farmer’s Market with my friend to learn about food groups, spices, and seasonal fruits and veggies. I’m really excited about the curriculum that my friend planned out.

Rehearsals for the recital has stalled capoeira for a couple of weeks, but we go back this Saturday. Speaking of the recital it’s in two weeks. Yay! I’m very excited about it, because this is Lula’s 30th Anniversary, so tons of alumni will be in the house. Lots of throw back pieces will be performed, and Mooch is dancing in a tribute that I created for Lula.

Last week in home school, we worked on tens — adding tens, subtracting tens, etc. She has mastered that, so today she learned about using that knowledge to help her solve other problems. For example, if asked what 28+7 equals, she would first do 28 plus 10 in her head and then subtract 3. She got her spelling words for the week, which were all words with silent letters in them. For art, she did an artistic interpretation of the number 12, which she asked me to scan in for you to see. It’s below. Also, we started a poetry unit in writing, where she studied and explicated several Shel Silverstein poems. Then she wrote her own in her journal.

Mooch has grown up and gone off to college since I last wrote. Just kidding. She has, however, gotten accepted into three top private schools. Finally! If you follow me online, you know how difficult that has been. We selected one for this fall. We’re ecstatic about it. I can’t tell you which one, because you might try to kidnap her.

Rites of passage is going well. So far, she’s been doing the Capoeira, gardening, and etiquette. The cooking and other stuff will begin in a couple of months. She’s struggling with executing some of the movements in Capoeira, but it wouldn’t be rites of passage if there were no struggle. 🙂 Every time we eat spaghetti, I pray that she covers that in etiquette soon. That child puts eighteen noodles on the fork at one time and shoves them into her mouth. We won’t discuss cereal.

Home school is going well. Her new little sister interrupts occasionally, but we manage to get things accomplished. Right now we’re studying the characteristics of various classes within the animal kingdom. I’m also teaching her Speed Math. It’s all about the number 10, dog!

Anyway, other than preparations for two recitals and a summer full of fun, there’s nothing else new about Mooch.

I guess next week I can brag about what an awesome helper she is with her sister.