Handwriting without tears

Handwriting without tears is a great program…I have been working with it with Avery for a couple years now..but really A LOT in the last year. I bought the kindergarten teachers book and the student workbook and that is what I have been using and of course I make copies of the worksheets in the workbook so I can do them over and over and over again..but they also have other great tools but they can be a tan expensive..well not when you can make them yourself!! 

So I did a  DIY of the letter curves to make them free!! I had some scrap thin particle board in our garage from a kids kitchen that my husband took apart (I was getting after him for keeping that thing too..kept telling him what in the world are you going to do with that stuff…well low and behold it worked out in my favor so then I borrowed Avery’s OT therapist actual ones and copied them..naughty I know.  so then I had Jared cut them out with his jig saw. he was thrilled..he told me to I had to try but then didn’t like my job so he quickly took over..ha! and she had made up the sheets of paper to go with them and she let me copy them too..but they would be easy to make up once you got the pieces cut

 

 

What is this good for you ask????? Pre-writing instruction and practice made easy (size, shape, and position words and concepts). Use with Capital Letter Cards and Mat to teach letter building. It all helps with prewriting skills too. Heres the link to the website for the wood pieces…and the capital letter papers..Ideal for children who are just starting to learn to build capital letters. Front teaches stroke, sequence, and placement for letters using Wood Pieces Set. Opposite side of each letter card includes letter recognition matching activity..here’s the link to the website for the letter cards.

Few other things we have did ourselves that go back to Handwriting with out tears…buy a little chalk board at the dollar store and put the smiley face up in the corner with a permanent marker…and when you use chalk break it into pieces it’s a good OT fine motor skill too work on. and for the sponges..we just cut them up into little squares too..and do the wet.dry.try. on the chalk board with our letters.

A couple videos

So I have an IEP post in the brew too bc we had Avery’s IEP last week but I just wanted to post these videos on here..One thing they said in her IEP was that she only knew ONE sound out of all the letters..and I could not believe my ears..bc that girls knows most of her letter sounds…so I came home and made a video…two actually…so you listen and tell me if she only knows ONE letter sound bc it sounds a lot more then ONE to me 

In the second video I had it so she could see herself just so you are warned bc there are a few spots that she gets distracted by herself….LOL!!!

They also said that they thought she knew her sight words when you flash them to her on flash cards but when you actually put the words in books and on paper she isnt able to read them…soooo  I went home and gave her a book to read…after you look at the video let me know if you think she is reading her sight words on paper and in books or not..Kind of looks like it to me but once again I could be wrong:/ So  I am going to take the videos in and show her teachers bc maybe she isnt showing them everything she can do…Im not really sure but if she isnt then we need to figure out how to get them to get her to show them.

FYI- Groupon has a really really good deal on Preschool Prep videos right now!!!!  Avery LOVES these videos..they have a set of numbers, letters, colors, shapes for 15.99 and free shipping too!!! They also have the sight word video set..and the phonic set..I just ordered the phonic set for Avery..we have the sight word ones..and as a matter of fact the book she is reading in the video is a book from Preschool Prep..its Meet the sight words easy reader books level 1. Love them all so far!!!! They make it really fun and engage them. I swear the numbers, letters, colors ones are the ones that taught Avery them. and they also have apps too that are worth every.single.penny.I think we have them all!

Easter

For Easter this year I didn’t get a chance to make there dresses long story short but my sewing machine went to pot..and Sears kept messing up on fixing it..and after sending it off 3 times and still not getting it fixed they gave me a new one but then I didn’t have enough time to get fabric and make the girls dresses so I had to buy them…and let me tell you ..buying them is WAY more stressful…bc yes once a year I try to match my whole family..crazy..yes I know..and Jared rolls his eyes at me every  year when I want to get a picture but I get him to do it every year too!! 

Avery-6..one shoe on and one shoe off..that’s how she rolls I guess..lol!

Jayla-3

Jianna-3 (are you sure I just didn’t post the same pictures????  ) j/k they are different..

Brielle-9

Destiny-11

Brielle insisted that I had to have my picture taken too since I was taking all of there's…silly girl..not sure why we don’t like pictures take of ourselves..

a few of the girls all together.

A few family pictures

I just love this picture of Avery!!!!

Lining up for the egg hunt…every year the line just keeps getting bigger and bigger…all the cousins down here that can walk anyways..

Avery’s 6th Birthday

Avery wasn’t able to go to school on her birthday bc she was sick..she was really sick..she had been battling the stomach bug..(back in march..im trying to play catch up while im stuck on the couch..theres a post coming for an update too) So out of all the birthdays we are 4 for 5 for something bad happening on them this year So my plan was to have a big tea party with Avery had some of her friends over Spring break but guess what…we got hit with another bug and so I kind of just brushed it under the rug and said forget about it…bc it had been just one sickness after another then my procedure.

We started off the day going to the dr. I wasn’t sure if she had an appendicitis or if it was a stomach bug. we were on day 4 and she wasn’t improving at all and she would grab her stomach and start crying owie..when she cant communicate to me it becomes rather difficult to figure out exactly what is going on. Its always a guessing game. So I was tired of guessing and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t her appendix. anytime she gets sick or gets a little tummy ache..she will say.. doctor..and I ask her you want me to take you to the doctor..and she says. yes.

dr figured it was just a virus..bc he numbers were right were they should be. that is one thing I like about her doctor..he will instantly check her WBC to see what her numbers are and then we go from there..and then she was ready to go home and take a nap…

But we still celebrated her birthday. Her life is worth celebrating..and as time goes on and years go by I don’t feel like I need to reflect so much on her birth anymore. Instead I want to reflect on the bright positive girl she is becoming. But a part of me will always have her birth day in my head and it will always be brought to the surface on her birthday. But I sure am glad that God blessed us her!

If you ask Avery how old she is she still will say FIVE…and I will have to remind her no…you had a birthday remember and now you are SIX!!!!!  You are getting to be a big girl..she just giggles..

 

The neighbor girl whose a 6th grader and who is also  Destiny’s friend  brought Avery a birthday present for her birthday… a bag full of goodies which included bubbles..Avery’s favorite…Avery loves her too..everyday when I drop her off at school she says…Cassidy bc she thinks Cassidy is going to be there to get her out of the car bc she has been there in the past..

and she took another nap.

Avery’s supper of choice was chicken..and so I asked her what she wanted with her chicken..and she says…hmmmmm potatoes..so chicken and potatoes is what we had..shes pretty easy to please She also wanted white cupcakes..hmm I don’t really want to look at you mom I need to keep an eye on this fire..

Nope sorry mom I just cant do it I don’t feel that great..and she didn’t really eat her supper either..

But she seemed to find a little bit of energy to open her presents 

 

Brielle reading her card that she made to Avery while she opens Brielle's gift..some stickers…and a noisy music toy..that she repurposed..I think it was Brielle's and it was a tan color and I know she painted it red for her

Brielle asked Avery what she wanted for her birthday before and she said bubbles. a balloon.(which brielle made sure to get for her). a bear. and a doll like Brielle she said..so in other words she wanted a American Girl doll..which worked out really good in my favor bc before Christmas American Girl had ran a special on 2 dolls for $50 each. That is unheard of..American Girl hardly ever runs specials and so I jumped all over them before they were gone which they went pretty fast..I actually have a couple more up in my closet for when the twins get to be a couple more years older but I kept on to Avery’s until her birthday so I was happy to hear that is what she wanted too.. 

Destiny being silly and putting Marie Grace (think that is her name)hat on Avery...and I would say she LOVES her doll!!!!!

A couple days later when she went back to school then she celebrated her birthday at school.