Creation to Christ
Riley is in the last third of CTC, and it sure is a happy place to be.
The growth from the start of this guide to now has been tremendous. The last third of a guide, I must say, is my favorite place to be. I just feel such a sense of accomplishment, and I can tell the dc do too. They can tell how much they've grown from the start. It gives such a feeling of contentment.
Riley has decided to get up early to do some of his independent boxes. While he attempted this at the end last year in the beginning of CTC, I must say that it is just this year that his getting up has been truly successful. He is so cheerful about it, and it is something he has taken ownership of. I never wake him nor tell him he has to do it. I can hear him tell his older brother to make sure he gets up the next morning, but even that is unnecessary now, as Riley is in a good routine with it on his own. He feels so grown up! Working across the hall from big brother with his light on early in the morning in his bedroom - I can hear him whistling. He is happy to greet his day this way. What a change!
I think before he thought he 'should' get up, but never truly 'wanted' to - and sense I never forced him to - well, it just didn't always happen. This year - he's very much in charge of it himself. Success!
Riley still loves to color. He's always been a fan of bright colors, which is fun to see splashed across the page of his CTC notebook. He is also a neat writer - both in print and in cursive. I know this is a blessing. He did not, however, show the same natural affinity with the use of punctuation. So, while Riley's notebook pages have always been lovely to look at, it is the punctuation I now see that makes this mom's day.
Progress - hooray!
For many, many science experiments, Riley would sporadically skip steps. The results, of course, were not great. This was a learning process! Just now, I feel he is able to follow steps of directions in order, completely, from start to finish for his CTC science experiments. I only help a little now, to clarify now and then, but on the whole - he is able to do it himself...
This is a favorite of mine. Riley dressed his buddy as a Roman soldier for his CTC history project. He then dressed him explaining to the rest of us what each piece of clothing was for. Everyone enjoyed it!
Tiger is ready for war.
Another favorite memory of mine from this week was Riley's DITHOR project. He chose a puppet show. Wyatt, Riley, and Emmett all planned it together without me, and it was such fun to attend! They assigned me a small narrator part to read at the beginning, but otherwise, they did it all. I love the fact that my high school student and my first grader joined in - such a special memory! I'm so glad for these times together. Here is a picture of them performing "Gold in That Thar' Soup" from Dust River Gulch...
I'm going to attempt to link the video we took of the puppet play here...
In Christ,
Julie
). The notebooking pages HOD has produced are beautiful, and as usual, both Wyatt and I feel a sense of accomplishment as their pages are completed. Here Wyatt is with his notebook...
