Monday Again!

Well, it's Monday again here! Last week seems like it was an entire month! But this week is going to be different. Aidan starts back his swimming this week at school. So Aidan will be gone every morning from about 9:30 - 12:00. All of our 'camps' - cleaning camp, piano camp, and English camp - ease up a little this week. I have an English lesson today (at some point) and one on Wednesday too. We can't do one on Friday because of previous engagements concerning my student.

For the past two lessons I have cut out a big square and folded it into a triangle. Then I give them both the A-Bekah reader (we happen to have two copies) and have them read the words to me. Each time they read a word, I tell them what size triangle they may draw on their big triangle. The object of the game is to have drawn as many triangles on your paper as possible. When they're done, I cut along the lines of their triangles while they are copying a short story. If they do that well, I let them unfold the piece of paper and see that they've made a 'snowflake'. It works a lot better than I had at first imagined! I had them do that for two lessons partially so that they could see that no two snowflakes are alike. (Partially because I couldn't think of anything else for them to do.) :) Today I have cut small squares of paper, and each time they read a word, they get to draw a fish on whatever color I tell them. Then while they are writing their stories, I will cut out their fish and let the children glue them to the 'fish tank' I've made for each of them. I hope it works as well...

I woke up this morning rather late, because I couldn't go to sleep last night until really late. :( So I was really tired this morning... I also realized this morning as I was eating my peanut-butter and banana for breakfast that there are things I miss about the States more than I thought. For instance, (and I can't believe I'm saying this) I miss Wal-Mart! I don't know anyone who really likes Wal-Mart, but think about it... Everyone has to go out of town or out of state at some point. You probably don't realize how much it comforts you to find a Wal-Mart in every town! They all carry normal things you're accustomed to, and know what it is, and you can find anything you need in a hurry! I even miss unloading wal-mart bags from the car. Living on the 28th floor of a building gives 'bringing in the groceries' a whole new meaning! It is so easy to just go from the trunk straight to the kitchen!

I also miss singing in the car to my favorite CDs. I miss long car rides. I miss dancing to the Cupid Shuffle. I miss having friends at church that speak English! :)

These are just random things I was thinking about this morning... Besides all of this, :) , you already know how much I miss my family and friends! ...And animals, and grass, and pastures, and hot cattle feed bins, and getting accidentally soaked by water hoses, and stuck in mud, etc! :)

Well, I should go for now... I will post pictures from today's English lesson later...

All my love,

Hannah