Morning work

I've been trying to get the girls doing some "work" on their motor skills every morning.  The big kids have been so helpful - especially with S who is needing a little more attention lately.  Luckily he has two older brothers and a sister that still think he's the cutest little man ever (because he is!) and will do just about anything for him.  Heaven help me when that changes!

Neither of the girls has really figured out coloring yet.  We'll keep trying though and hopefully they'll catch on eventually and someday maybe even like it!

E does a little better at it than G does and will at least make a few scribbles once I show her how.  She'll usually only do it once or twice though and then she just wants to collect all the crayons and hold onto as many as she can.  

G did like pulling the sticky notes off of her paper.  Don't be fooled by those scribbles though.  Those were all mine.  :)

I actually caught a smile!!  This is a rare event, people, especially to catch with the camera!  She does smile, it's usually just at completely random times and never when you think she's going to.  She doesn't get the whole "smile for the camera" thing like the other kids do.  She mostly just studies the camera when I hold it up.  She's probably wondering why the heck I keep doing it!  (Like all those bandaids/bandages?  This was in the thick of our getting-stuff-to-heal time.)

G liked the sorting bears much more than coloring and spent quite a bit of time putting all the bears in one cup and then pouring them from cup to cup.  

E really liked this the first time I brought it out but she hasn't felt the same way since.  It's good for fine motor skills though. She got quite a few onto the tube before figuring out that putting them on her fingers was much easier.  

S likes it though and can do it so quickly now!  He's had lots more practice at it though.  I was surprised that E could do it at all!

We usually try to do some singing time, reading time (another concept neither girl has any idea about) in the morning too.  Along with snack time, puzzle time, schoolwork, practicing piano, watching a Baby Einstein video and all around CHAOS time!  I spend all morning running back and forth between kids.  It's exhausting but worth all the work when the littles go down for naps and the big kids and I have some free time to do whatever we want in the quiet.  I usually end up doing chores.  But hey, chores without three whining children underfoot/into everything is my idea of fun right now.  :)