As I mentioned in Caden’s post for January, we’ve spent a lot of consistent time at home this month. It’s been such a treat to stay put and really get into a routine. One thing’s for certain, we ALL thrive on routines in this house. It makes everyone happy. =) We’ve spent a lot of time doing puzzles, reading books, and playing outside.
Kamy still loves to play MarioKart with Daddy. She’s getting much better, so we have stepped up to normal difficulty. She’ll routinely come in 7th or 8th place, but she can give you a run for your money on tracks that she knows. She’s even beat Daddy TWICE! It was a big day for her when that happened. Kamy was so proud, but as no one has demonstrated how to “rub it in,” she just smiled and laughed crazily at Daddy. Silly girl! She has also been playing a new game on the Wii, called Captain Toad. It’s a basic platform game, but without jumping. She has to maneuver the character through puzzles and mazes to reach the stars and diamonds in each level. She’s getting better, though she does not like the dragon in the next level. Kamy’s been avoiding the level and doesn’t want to try to beat it.
Speaking of games, we have started playing Ticket to Ride with Miss Kamy. We’ve adjusted the rules a little to simplify the strategy, but she totally understands how to play. She loves to play “adult” board games and feels so special when she gets to play with Momma and Daddy.
Kamy has shown a lot of interest in language lately. She’s continued to use the few Dutch words she knows to answer my questions. “Ja” has been heard a lot, though we are discouraging it because it can come across as a lazy “yeah,” and we prefer she answer with “yes” as a sign of respect. “Heyma” was well used by Kamy too … much to my chagrin. One of her most frequent words in conversation is “apparently.” She uses it correctly and in context, but I can’t say it adds a lot to her message when it is used so frequently. =)
Kamy has made up a phonics game! She’s been latching onto more and more words lately and wants to know how to spell them. She also “reads” the meal plan on the board and guesses what we are having for lunch each day. We’ve been talking about phonics for a while, but she is really becoming more interested. She’ll voluntarily say which letter she thinks a word begins with and is often right. She can usually do it under her breath or in her head too, so it is coming more naturally to her. Kamy’s game is to take turns coming up with words that begin with a certain letter. There’s no prize or anything, but it has been a good exercise for her to think through phonics and come up with words that begin with the correct sound … plus taking turns with me means she is exposed to even more words that begin with the letter. “Let’s say all the words that start with the letter L!” Kamy usually gets 6 or 8 words in before she starts drawing a blank and we change letters. Miss Kamy’s a smart one!
Kamy is such a girly-girl. She loves her dresses and her dressy shoes and jewelry. She wears a dress every day, and both her Christmas dress and the flower girl dress from Payton and Corinne’s wedding have come into the regular rotation. Speaking of weddings, Kamy and Caden are perpetually “getting married.” Kamy knows it’s pretend, but every couple of days she’ll tell me that they have a rehearsal, shower, and wedding coming up soon! Apparently the joy is all in the buildup though, because I have failed to attend a single event. Lol! With Daddy’s encouragement, she even wrote an invitation with a guest list and “Wedding” and “Saturday 8:30.”
Lastly, Kamy is doing great at dance class. I always hear her teacher compliment her on “being ready” or in position. Kamy has been trying really hard too and has moved past the “faster is better” mentality when it comes to tapping. She follows her teacher’s lead and is much more on-tempo than she was before. They have been working on more complicated taps — shuffle step, hop, toe or stringing several movements together. They’re also introducing arm positions in ballet now that they know the feet positions. She’s doing a fabulous job and I am so proud of how hard she is working and trying each and every class!
