Friday, February 7, 2014

Yet another "catch up" post!!!

It appears I keep forgetting that I have a blog!!! Getting out of the routine of blogging, not enough sleep, day-to-day busyness, ease of Facebook.....yeah, blogging gets left by the wayside! But I want to keep my blog, so I'm going to try (yet again!) and get back into it!!!

So....Bella still had not learned her multiplication tables (she's in 4th grade), so a couple of weeks ago I took advantage of a four day weekend to really work hard with Bella and hammer these into her brain. We spent all four days doing this, and she learned them COLD!!!

Looks good, right?? 


But watch this! 

So yeah, apparently the animals on the cards helped her learn the facts, but got in the way of knowing them without the pictures!!! NO CLUE how this works in her brain, but basically it means we have to start all over again. *sobs* And let me tell you, it's much, much slower going with "plain" flashcards. The pictures have two animals on each card, but nothing on the animals themselves to "help" with the answer. I took these videos to show Bella's teacher that she HAD learned them, and that she WAS working hard, but that we had run into an unexpected problem.

Her response? Bella must have ADHD. Seriously??? Different children learn in different ways! Bella is obviously a very visual person, and having the pictures helped her learn them. It's just that it's now become a sort of crutch as she doesn't know them without the pictures. We just can't seem to catch a break in getting any good teachers overseas!!!! It's just so much easier to just smack her with a "label" than to work with her to teach her. So I guess it falls to me, as usual.

I'm seriously considering home schooling Bella next year. As it is I'm already teaching her every day in the afternoons now, plus she has about an hour's worth of homework every day and that makes for some longggg days for her. So it's back to the drawing board on the old math facts. Hopefully I'll be posting a video SOON where she knows them all cold...without the pictures!!! Prayers gratefully accepted!

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The weekend of Jan 25-26, we finally got our first real snow! Bella was over the moon!!!!! She and Thomas built a snowman on Saturday, and then we got more snow overnight.

The snow is covering up his buttons, lol!



Look! Blue skies!!! It's a miracle!

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Bella looked particularly cute before school on the 28th, so I snapped a couple of photos! This amazing mustache scarf was a present from Cat (thanks, love!!). She sent one to me too and we love 'em!

Goofball!

Love this kid!!!

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In crafting news...
I had forgotten to post this going away card I made.
Sort of simple, but I like how it turned out.
(She was moving to Texas, lol!)

This is a card I made for Deanna.
Lots and lots of new toys used for this!! :D

This was for a YouTube friend.

I've decided to do the local Spring Craft Fair (and hoping it turns out better for me!!!), so I'll be posting items I'll be selling as I make them! The show is on April 5th, but I'm NOT going to procrastinate this time. I want to have lots of different things to offer, as you just never know what will be "hot" or "not", lol!
Ladybug candy holder! Perhaps used in Easter baskets???

Mini paper birdhouses! I've done two so far.
Lots of detail on these, and they take forever to make!!!
I'll make more in different colors, but not too many in case they don't sell!

Card in a box!!
Front view

Left side

Right side

Card folds FLAT to go into an envelope!!
I'm hoping to make up a bunch of these! This one was Copic colored which takes a while, so will try different things on the next ones I make.

This morning's sunrise...




I think it's going to be the usual cloudy, cold, gloomy day over here...but at least it started out gorgeous, lol! So, that's all the stuff I've got on my hard drive. I guess time will tell if I manage to stay on top of things, huh?? Somehow I have to keep all the usual housework going while I craft for the fair, AND teach Bella her math facts, And, And, And.....

And I need a vacation, lol!

9 comments:

Donna Nuce said...

I went through a similar problem with my daughter. I would guess it is more like a form of dyslexia not ADHD. Dyslexia is an eye brain disconnect. There are exercises to help with this and specialists too. Not sure you can find the help in Germany. I would suggest making her write them out 10 x each day because she sees them visually and you get the added tactile learning. By the way my daughter is now a software engineer. Bella will do good in life with a great mom like you helping her.

Gail said...

I don't have any advice.
I kinda like what Donna said.
Maybe writing them out will help her associate 'something' with them.
Great pictures!

Amy said...

How frustrating and disheartening for poor Bella! Hope together you can find a way that works for her. Can she draw a picture with the answer incorporating the animal AND the math fact? I don't even know if that makes sense. It did in my head. :-) if she can "see" the equation in her head, maybe she can pull up that picture and read the math fact from it. It's how I do spelling.

Love your box cards! I'm going to try them soon!

ChicagoLady said...

Wow, I had read your story about Bella's multiplication problems on FB, but actually seeing it on video blows me away. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I do hope you find a way to help Bella learn this stuff. (Sad to say, I had a hard time remembering a couple of those larger problems, lol)

Beautiful sunrise! The past month or so, we've had either no clouds or total clouds, nothing to get great pictures like you did.

Is it spring yet??????????

Rita said...

I was going to say, too--have Bella write them out several times every day so that "plain" can become her visual.

Snow! And a snowman! Nice. :)

Love the things you are making. Good luck with the fair this year. Your sky pics are amazing!!!

Mary said...

What a beautiful sunset!
Hang in there with Bella!!!

AliceKay said...

Hoping Bella figures out her multiplication soon. Her teacher doesn't sound like much help. So sorry to hear that.

Love the photos of your sunrise. Beautiful colors.

Intense Guy said...

Well, it might be little comfort, but I am a computer scientist and mechanical engineer - and I STILL have trouble with multiplication tables. The mid-range ones, like 8x9 always make me stumble.

I love the photos!! :) Some of them are so pretty (like those of the Bella!)

Unknown said...

I love the cards you made so colorful and pretty. I really loved the Texas one..but I am biased being a real life texican and all. lol

Sorry about Bella having such a hard time.I hate knowing they struggle now as it only gets harder. Mine is struggling with an English course right now because she hates reading and in high school its all reading.
love your face and keep smiling.

I am loving your craft fair stuff. Good Luck!

PS if you stop blogging I quit too!