What makes my kids, great kids?

I decided that I wanted to post an email that I sent to our teacher.

We home school, and we are on a really great curriculum. It is called K12. K12 is a private curriculum that is being used by many public schools around the world in an online setting. They provide 100% of our materials at no cost to us. We are currently enrolled in the Alpine School District in their Online Academy. Because of our enrollment we have a teacher assigned to us. She is strictly there to keep us informed of any field trips, testing dates, etc... and she keeps track of our progress and attendance. However she is also there to help me if I need it. If I find that one of the kids are struggling she can give me ideas and help. I really love this curriculum, and I have the accountability that I need.

Any way our teacher sent out a weekly contact email and in it she gave us an assignment. I had to answer 3 questions about the kids so she could get to know us better.

Here is my email response:

So here are the questions you asked with the answers...I am combining #1 and #3

1.What are your kids favorite activities outside of school? 3. What makes them great kids?

Ashton is a techie and he loves anything electronic, ie... video games, ipods, computers, he likes to make movies of our home videos. He is currently checking into some software that will allow him to make movies the way he wants to. He regularly checks out the nintendo power magazine from the library and he keeps us informed of all the latest gadgets etc... It is so funny when an adult starts talking to us about the newest thing or technology for the Wii system and he knows exactly what they are talking about, he ends up being the one in the conversation not us. lol He loves all things games, whether they are video games or board games, or imaginary games. He is a regular participant in the spy games with the other kids he hangs out with at church. They just pretend to be spies but they really get into it. His favorite tv shows are The Office and Chuck. Ashton has a great sense of humor. He is extremely lovable and so self motivated. He has a collection of house plants in his room he named them Vern, Zeke, Willow, Snype. I just love my little plant people.

Elyssa is a music lover and an artist she is constantly drawing something and she has a portfolio of art that is bursting at the seams.She is learning to play the guitar, and she is picking it up really fast. Her dad is teaching her and I have to say I am very surprised at the discipline she has. I will find her in the livingroom on a regular basis practicing. All on her own with out any prompting. I have never had to tell her to practice she just does it. She is an animal lover, and she is constantly with some kind of plastic or stuffed animal. She lays them on their side and traces their outline and then she makes fantastical monsters out of them. She loves dinosaurs, she hates dolls and barbies but she loves to dress up and put on her make up. She is the toughest girly girl I know. And all the boys know it too!She loves to cook with me. She loves to snuggle her daddy and she gives the worlds best back massage. Her favorite tv shows are Sponge Bob, Unwrapped and Ace of Cakes (on food network), She also likes Animal Cops HOUSTON. Elyssa is our comedian she is constantly making us laugh, her sense of humor is very well developed. such a lovey dovey she is. She is a little nurturer, if any one is in need she always is the first to help out. Elyssa has a feew plants of her own as well. Palmyra, pearl, crimson, Marvy. she has 2 frogs she has taken care of for over a year (Franklin and Dolly), a fish (Sobe), and a dog that clearly is hers, by the dogs choice (skye).

2. What do they struggle with the most?

Ashton seems to have a hard time slowing down but it is not really detrimental. He just gets his work done as fast as he can so he can be done for the day. If I had to say he had a struggle it would be with his handwriting, and maybe the fact that he really dislikes writing papers etc. But he does it with out complaint.

Elyssa seems to struggle with her reading. She can read and she does quite well when she has a good attitude about it. I always tell her "it is in the attitude." She has a hard time staying motivated. I am constantly telling her to focus and stay busy. Distractions abound in our household. The dog walks by and suddenly she must be let out or she really needs a treat.... there is a noise out side that just must be checked out.... She has a teeny tiny hunger pang that must be attended to. We live in a relatively quiet home with a lot of calm. It is just that she lets her mind wander.