A Time to Celebrate!

First reason to celebrate today was Esther finishing her Dick and Jane book...it contained three of the original Dick and Jane books and was almost 200 pages long. Well done, Esther! After she finished the book we went to the laptop and I typed out a list of all the sight words that were in the book and then printed them on card stock and then made two strips of those words. I had been keeping up with each new word introduced that couldn't be sounded out. Definitely Dick and Jane books teach reading by repetition of words! She has had fun reading the stories and I have enjoyed the memories of me reading the same stories so very long ago starting in first grade. She has already chosen the next Dick and Jane that she wants to read to me...much shorter this time. If she reads three stories each day with this one she will be finished in two days. She will read some more of the books that we have here and at her house and then we will check out the ones that our church library has. Fun with Dick and Jane! Joy finished the cross stitch on her latest project. We will put it into finished form next week. She has plans for it to be a Christmas gift. Elijah was the first to have school this morning. He is getting quite good at tracing the sounds/letters in the salt. He gets so excited when he can do one all by himself without me either helping him or showing him first. While Joy was cross stitching I got my sewing machine going...making Christmas ornaments. After she left, I had a phone call and left the room while it was sewing along...well, a big mistake...looks like it is in need of the sewing machine doctor. Guess I will have to add that trip to my list for tomorrow's "to-dos" as I need to get it looked at and back home as I was hoping to get more sewing done this coming week...oh, well...best laid plans of mice and men! I have worked around the house just doing a little here and a little there. Mostly I worked upstairs today...not that anyone usually comes upstairs...but on principle...the upstairs usually gets neglected...so decided to start up first. Woody went for a walk after lunch and walked four miles. We have ended our day with our first Christmas festivity. We have just returned from the annual Deacon/Widow Christmas banquet. Good food and good fellowship (though my thoughts kept drifting back to all that needed to be done at home!). Tomorrow I will need to hit the floor running...only two days left to prepare for the party! 'Tis the season!