Thursday, Nov. 07, 2002 | 9:06 pm

Thank you to all who signed my guest book today. I've never had that happen. It was Fun. Now..on to my story...

We were trying very hard to have a good day with math. The little munchkins had to skip subtraction about 6 weeks ago because they just weren�t ready for that process. I took them through what is known as number sense and numeration, and now we have returned to subtraction. If you don�t know, subtraction is just counting backwards. In order to do that, you must thoroughly understand counting forward. In order to get the concept of what each number really is, we COUNT. We count beads: shiny beads, colored beads, shaped beads, clear beads, metallic beads, and on, and on. We count toothpicks and make designs with those toothpicks. We make the numbers with clay and with sand and with glitter. We count old keys, and pop can tabs. We count this and that and everything else until we understand that five or eight or nine of any number of different things is still just five or eight or nine. Today we counted with beans, and more beans. Today we counted and did subtraction with our beans. We counted the number eight and the number nine. We reviewed and wrote number sentences in which to place our eight and nine beans respectively. Now you might be saying to yourself, �What the heck is a number sentence?� Mystery solved..._____ +_____ =_____ or _____ -_____ =_____ So it stands to reason that if you are working with eight, your number sentences are going to look something like this: 0 + 8 = 8, 1 + 7 = 8, 2 + 6 = 8 or 8 - 0 = 8, 8 -1 = 7, 8 � 2 = 6 and so on. I know it sounds so simple, but for the six year old mind it is a tremendous undertaking of mathematical bravery to master these concepts. But, we did it better today.

I have four little guys who are on behavior contracts. They have to get one of three stamps every day, take the contract home and parent signs, then they return it. On their contract, the stamp for the best day is a �long neck.� (brachiosaurus) Christopher was not having a long neck day today. He was argumentative and sulky about everything. After lunch he had the hiccups, and I�d like to think he needed to go to the hospital he was so annoying about them. Finally, right before PM recess, he threw a fit, and so he had to lose part of his recess. I settled him down, and soon he was back to his big teddy bear type personality. Then, from out of his back pack he produces a little turquoise, beaded bracelet, and presents it to me. I asked, �Is that for me?� He nods, and informs me he made it for me last night. It was really sweet. I�m so glad I was able to calm him down and bring him back to normal. When I told him that he could have a long neck on his contract because he had calmed down, he was jolly for the rest of the day.

Marie, the mommy of my grandkids called just now. Good news from the Dr. Her amniotic fluid is back to normal and thins are looking good. She still feels that the little guy is coming early. *sigh* She is so tired of pregnancy. The last four weeks are so hard. You are big and uncomfortable and just want delivery to come! When I was �with child�� I always got this menacing feeling that because God was MALE, he inflicted pregnancy, labor, and delivery on FEMALES, for some vengeful purpose. I know in my head and heart that is not true, but there is nothing quite like the mind of a woman at eight- and -a-half months!

A try at getting a picture in:)

catsnapples~ in first grade and at life

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