June Bug

It feels like it's been a while since we've had a June update. So here goes. 

While Lily naps, June loves to have Kindle time. It's set up with limited access to age-appropriate apps and TV shows, so she has freedom to choose what she wants to do without me worrying what she's doing. She loves to watch the PBS kids shows. I think she's starting to outgrow Daniel Tiger. She will still watch it, but she seems to prefer Wild Kratts and Plum Landing, both of which are focused on nature and animals. I am in awe of what she's absorbing. She will point out animals in books we read and give me their official name. In a winter story the other day, she pointed out an arctic hare--not a white bunny, but an arctic hare!

June's imagination is still running wild. She loves to dress up, play school, create elaborate rules and scenarios. Lately, there have been a lot of wolves in our house. Fortunately, Lil is on board with most of these ideas and they have a blast building forts and saving their babies from all of these menacing creatures. 

June's handwriting is getting better and better. She has a sign-in book at school where she logs her name and date every morning. A few weeks ago, she graduated to the pages with narrower lines, since she's capable of writing smaller letters now. Her teacher also told us that she's the only kid in the class who will spontaneously write. I'm surprised she's the only one, but not surprised by her skills. Every day, we bring home several drawings and cards that she creates during free-time. She loves creating art projects, drawing pictures, and writing cards for us. Her drawings are also very identifiable now. In the past week, she's drawn several snowmen and a cat riding on a broom, along with some trees and lots of flowers. Her capabilities are expanding. 

In addition to writing, June's math skills are also developing. She frequently asks us addition problems or what several numbers make when put together ("what's a 7 and a 4 and 6 and 3?"). She can solve simple addition problems easily--several sums she has memorized, and she has learned how to use her fingers to add higher numbers. It's been really cool to get to witness her learning these things. Especially when she does word problems. She does this frequently in the car, where she'll say something like "There's 2 kids in the car and 2 grown-ups. That's 4 people total. If one more kid  got in, then we'd have 5 people." I'm blown away every time she says stuff like this.