We've returned from a quick but relaxing (and much needed) trip to the beach.  The girls were 4 years younger on the last beach trip, which means K had just turned 1.  It's amazing to see how much they've grown and changed in that time.  We've taken a small break from the brain activities I've been so diligently providing this summer, although J had several beach questions that we're going to figure out, such as, "Why are some waves bigger than others?" and "What makes the tide go in and out?"  I also hope to have her do some more cooking later this week.  The beach did remind me of something, too.  In this society that preaches having the newest and latest gadget, I would much rather spend money on experiences instead of things.  The memories are much more worthwhile to me, and to the girls, I hope.  While I know that J is begging for her own cell phone this year, it's nice to just focus on the basics, like riding the waves, building sandcasters, seeing dolphins, and being together as a family. 

To return to the fun of learning in the summer--one of the math puzzles we're trying is called a KenKen puzzle.  I found these at http://www.education.com/worksheets/middle-school/.  There are several puzzles that are in .pdf form, so you can save them to your computer.  There is a range of difficulty in puzzles, and you can download the answers as well.  KenKen means "wisdom squared" in Japanese.  They are a combination of math and sudoku puzzles.  You need to figure out the computation and only use each number in each row and column once.  I think the first one I chose for J to do may have been too difficult, so we may have to back up to a really basic one.  I've also noticed that often she wants my support and guidance for math more, even though I know she knows how to do the problems (sometimes better than I do, depending on the computation!)  I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to do a lot more review for 5th grade math than I expected, and I'm sure 6th grade this year will not be an improvement for me!  Yikes.  I'll report back on our success later in the week.  I also think her need for support goes back to that logic thing I mentioned in earlier posts--she has difficulty following the reasoning of these kinds of things, so it's good practice for her.

K is working on tying shoelaces, which is a hit or miss skill for her right now.  Just to clear the air, we use the "two bunny ears" method.  Go ahead and laugh (my husband does), but that's how I learned.  I truly cannot do it the other way.  We're also making sure she knows our address well, although she has our phone number including the area code down pat.  Last week, she got the final round of immunizations needed to go to kindergarten, and I think she is actually starting to feel ready to go. 

Finally, a reader recommendation for more math practice:  www.ixl.com (see comments on my entry "A Taste of the Orient").  This mom used this site for her 6 and 9 year old children.  You can select your state and it will ask you problems that relate to your state's standards for testing.  You can do a limited amount of practice problems for free, and it does show you the correct answer when your answer is wrong.  The reader who suggested it says she pays $12/month for both children to use the site as registered members, which allows you more access to the features they provide.  I liked that they made the problems like a fast paced quiz show, which kept it interesting and challenging, but still fun. 

I'm already starting to see back to school signs in stores (for crying out loud, I even saw Halloween stuff at one place that will remain nameless!!)  Time is truly flying by for us this summer.  Have fun and keep learning.  Thanks for reading!