So much to be thankful for this year and every year.  Thank you Lord for my wonderful children and husband!  You have blessed us many times over this year and I can not thank you enough! 

Life Skills

A few years ago when our son Kristofer was in group therapy for Autistic children we were told and taught to teach out children the necessary life skills for each stage of development. He was 6 then and in 1st grade but they pushed for us to work with him to do things on his own such as clean up his own dinner plate, get dress and put his own shoes on, brush his own teeth, wash himself during bath time and even make himself his own snacks or breakfast such as waffles, pop tarts, cereal and toast. 
   The idea of teaching him how to use a toaster or a microwave did worry me.  But he caught on quickly and loved being more independent.  We have proceeded in this adventure and know children his age with out his difficulties that do not have the slightest knowledge of how to use a microwave to heat up something or even how to use a toaster, he is now 10 I might add.

   He loves to help make dinner, bake cookies and cook.  He has told us since he was little that the wants to be a chief or a cook as he says.  Lately he has wanted to learn to cook more things such as eggs.  I have shown him a few times how to do so.  So today when he says, "I'm going to make breakfast," I honestly was thinking he would be making a waffle in the toaster until I heard the banging of pots.  I went in and found him preparing to make himself a couple of scrambled eggs.  I am so proud of him!  Naturally I ran to get the camera and capture it.  After he was done he decided he wanted to teach Eli (Eli wanted to learn too).  So I supervised and they did great as a team.  So proud of my boys, growing and learning together!

Shelters

With thanksgiving coming we decided to take the month of November and do some research on famous American Indians and the type of shelters they would of lived in.  The kids had a great time learning about the shelters last week and today they build their assigned shelters, gave a speech and answered questions that their siblings, dad and I had for them.  The rest of this week we will be reading a variety of stories, both fiction and fact about different Indians and then next week they will be doing reports on their chosen famous Indian from history.

Eli's longhouse.

Kris' wickiup.

Jaron's pueblo.

Sara's plank house and totem poles.

What I find fun about these projects is listening to the kids talk about the types of Indian tribes that would have lived in these types of shelters.  We will also be creating a teepee next week to add to the shelters.  Kris, who is autistic, has the ability to remember every thing he reads and sees.  Specially if it is a topic that he loves.  I really wasn't sure how he would do with this but when he gave his speech it was as if he was reading the book back to us.  Now if he could just master multiplication and division the same way!