Short Cuts

I know a few days ago I blogged about X-man and his short cuts.

He had a perfect one today while reading with KTDID. He was lying on the big chair with her reading a Lego book. They were taking turns (which is our favorite way to read) where she read the page on the left and he read the page on the right.

I'm watching him absolutely NAIL words like "construction," "foundation," "truck" and "workers" and getting help on things like "smoothly" and "concrete." But then he gets to the word -- "ceiling." Instead of sounding it out. He stops, looks at it and asks, "Why couldn't they have just used the word 'roof'?"

KTDID and I both smiled. He knew what was going to happen. And he knew the word didn't begin with an "r". And he immediately wanted to substitute the word he did know for the word he didn't know. As far as reading comprehension goes, that's pretty sweet.

His teacher sent home a new spelling test sheet on Friday. I input the words into a "Build The Word" app on the iPad. He "learned" them and then did some practice. I put in some of those "advanced" bonus words that he refused to learn last week. On Saturday, he wrote five of the words. He got all the letters right but not the placement on some. He's also missing "L" sounds in words when I say them, even though I think I'm saying the word slowly and trying to enunciate each letter sound. I'm not sure between the 15 minutes we put into it on Saturday and the 20 minutes he put into it today on the app that he'll do awesome on his pre-test. But that's why it's a pre-test, right? I guess I'm still trying to figure out how he learns best, and how to incorporate lessons with fun and things he needs to improve on, so he doesn't end up spending lots of time doing things that we could "double dip" on.

Tomorrow, I'm going to use the scooter to pick the boys up from school. It'll be my first "long" scooter ride. I'm not used to just sitting around. I know I only have seven days left before I get to start standing on my foot. But it feels like a very, very long wait -- darn that light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it. I just can't get to it any faster...

X-man also started back at the Orpheum Science Museum Lego Club today. The kindergarten and first grade class meets just once a month for an hour and a half. He's loves to build cars and planes and other modes of transportation. So he took his new fighter plane to the show and tell part of the class today. He said that someone even asked him a question about his design and if he'd be upgrading it to incorporate something to shoot acid. X-man seemed pleased that he got a question and even though he thought the guns he built were enough, he would consider an acid sprayer upgrade because it sounded cool!

My mom is coming to help out this week. We're hoping it's the last week that I'm immobile. I know I won't be able to drive until at least after Nov. 7. But I might be able to walk a bit before then!