Where are we now?

I realize it's been a while since I posted about the kids and school. We're still homeschooling and loving it. Every week I find another reason why it's working for us. I'll start posting them.

Madeleine is almost a third of the way through first grade. (Remember, this is the child the "expert" said needed two years of kindergarten.) Her science book is written at a second grade reading level (you're supposed to use it for two years), and she can read it. Anyone: where can I find a test to determine her reading level? I'd guess it's somewhere in second grade, given the science text, but wouldn't mind something more specific.
We've slowed down from what we were doing as far as official school but the way she pulls out the nonfiction books I don't think she's slowed down in her learning.

Dale did five pages of kindergarten math yesterday. Not because I made him, but because he chose to. At the conference Saturday, we ordered Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I chose it because, while he really seems to want to read, at age four he doesn't quite have the fine-motor skills to do as much writing as MCP Phonics demands. I asked another more experienced homeschooling mom about it and she said that would be right up his alley.
We're looking at the reading/phonics for his speech. He's coming along leaps and bounds, but there's still lots of room for improvement. My thought is, if he gets the idea that sounds go with the letters, and he sees all of the letters, he'll start to say all of the sounds.

Rachel is... not ready for school yet. We did go without training pants last night making it a nonissue (thanks, SFO Mom). She was fine and since we didn't discuss it or make a big show of it I don't know if Madeleine even noticed.

The Player to be Named Later is still giving me a ravenous appetite. We heard the heartbeat at my last appointment; my doc said, "A heartbeat at ten weeks? Wow! Then again, you're a skinny Minnie." I'm starting to not fit into regular clothes but haven't officially gained any weight. I never have in the first trimester.

I'm still mulling that 4x4 meme. I can come up with four things I'd like to try, but four new things in the past four years? All I can really come up with is homeschooling. I'll keep noodling it and have something tomorrow.