Hey look a blog post!

Yep, crazy busy over here like usual.

Here is what we've been up to.

You guessed it, lots of school. We've finally found our groove I think. I will try to get my 180 days in this year and just realized we are behind if we want to be done with school before June. So hopefully we can kick it up a notch and not take off too much time.

Who doesn't love math with a popsicle? Here is Ethan matching numbers and blocks while Belle works on her test.

Popsicle help you concentrate.

Another perk about homeschool. Schoolwork at the park.

Belle reading to Ethan.

Nic started running and finished his first 5k with a friend. It was a mud run if you couldn't tell. He already signed up for his next one in April.

Ethan turned 4! We had an Angry Birds party. My little game worked better in theory, but it was cute. 

Free Cold Stone ice cream. His selection was chocolate cake batter and m&ms.

The kids saw the ocean for the first time in October. Unfortunately Nic lost two grandpas in Sept/Oct and one celebration of life ceremony brought us to Florida. The kids had so much fun in the ocean.

Everyone got one of Mr. B's ties at his celebration of life party. He had a lot of ties!

A 3 and 4 year old always make for interesting family photos.

Can you find me in this photo? I blend in well.

Videos of Ethan

Just a couple videos of Ethan from my phone. One is of Ethan singing a song from his preschool curriculum. The only one he's ever really like as a matter of fact. We learned it before summer and he's been singing it ever since. Once the B song and C song came about, he didn't care so much.

And the trampoline is from the Darke County Fair.

Another quick photo update.

Sorry, blogging just hasn't been happening lately. But I'll update you with pictures again.

First I'll start you off with some fourth of July pics I don't think I posted. We always watch the fireworks at the Franklin Masonic Home.

School started and I'll admit it's been pretty rough. 

 

We went to the races at El Dora Speedway to watch my brother-in-law race. The kids loved getting candy and having their bags signed by the racers.

Ah, grandparents. Always good for the fun light up mohawks.

 

That weekend we decided to bring home some cousins for a sleepover. They stay for 3 days. We went to the zoo, and played lots of Legos.

The kids started Gymnastics. Actually it was just going to be Belle since Ethan was going to do soccer. But while sitting at her first class Ethan in a really pathetic voice said "I wish I could do that". So of course I had to sign him up too. Luckily there is a preschool class at the same time. So I get an hour to sit and relax while they have fun.

 

Ethan started soccer like I said. It's been interesting. I remember when Belle started at 4yrs old that I thought that was too early. So why did I start Ethan at soccer at 3 yrs old? I have no idea. He had his first game this weekend and there were as many parents on the field as kids. And at any given time half of a team may be on the sidelines pouting. Ethan really didn't like that the other team kicked the ball away from him. He would stomp off the field pouting. Hopefully he comes around because he really is pretty good for his age. Those recessive athletic genes again.

Labor day we took a little road trip about 2 hours away to a cave. The kids had never been and they were excited.

 

 

At the caverns you have the option to purchase some dirt with stones in it and pan for "gold". Would we pay $10 for that? Nope. Nic led the kids on another excursion where they dug through the gravel looking for stones people had dropped. They found a ton. In fact another family saw what we were doing and did the same thing. 

After the cave we went to Louisville to see the replicas of the Nina and Pinta. I thought it would be appropriate since we've been learning about the settlers coming over to America.

Co-op started last week and this semester the classes are Art History and Drama. Guess who is teaching Art History? Me! This is from our first class where we studied Seurat and did our own pointillism landscapes. Notice how Belle attempted to do a gradient like I showed them in her sky. I was proud that she tried.

School Time Again!

Its that time of year when Back to School sales are in full swing and summer is winding down. When I cannot resist the purchase of $.25 crayons and glue sticks for no good reason (I think I still have 10 unused boxes).  But to be fair Nic has a thing for $.17 notebooks. Fall clothes are entering the store all too soon and everyone is pouring over their supply lists.

We started school this week. It may seem early but I want to end school within the first couple weeks of May as well as allow myself some days when school just will not get done. I didn't think Kindergarten ended well last year. Belle was over our curriculum and frankly I was too.  I knew what I wanted to use for our 2nd homeschooling year before the 1st one had ended. You can read about our curriculum here. I have pretty high hopes this year and I hope it lives up to expectations.

Belle was given the challenge to finish a summer bridge book before school started. It's basically a workbook that covers kindergarten skills over the summer. I was hoping it would help with brain drain. I told her that we'd go out for donuts the first day if she was able to accomplish this goal. She did with 3 days to spare.

 

We are only 3 days in to school this year and things are going great. We are doing things a little different this year. We no longer have a "classroom" and apparently Belle loves this. She didn't like sitting at her desk, she much prefers the dining room table. And a big shocker has been that she has asked to do spelling. This was always a struggle last year. And while some things change, somethings stay the same. Belle still hates handwriting. But so far she is able to get through it if she can listen to music. Something about having Pandora set to a kids music channel does the trick. I'm going with it, whatever works. I hope that this year will firm up Belle's reading skills. She's doing pretty good, but still very rough around the edges. And she's doing well in math. Just today on our walk she figured out that 10+10+10 = 30. 

One thing that I didn't do a whole lot of last year was Science. This year Belle begs for some sort of science experiment EVERY DAY. Ugh, not my forte. But I'm going to surprise her with an online science class next week. It will involve science experiments (if I can find all the supplies this weekend). And the best part, it's free and taught by a real scientist. I just need to get my hands on some sort of substance called "water glass" so that Belle can make a bouncy ball.

 Oh and then there is Ethan. He's my crazy kid. A bit like nailing Jello to the wall kind of kid.  I had high hopes for his preschool year. And of course the first day was pretty sobering. He wanted no part of sitting and listening to a book (although just today he sat and listened to Belle's Helen Keller book).  His favorite phrase is "I can't know". But he pleasantly surprised me in other ways. He has loved all the crafts we've done that has involve coloring or cutting. Last year he wanted no part of that sort of thing. And he's doing really good with his tracing. Each week we are focusing on a letter, so this week he is learning how to write his A's. While he has known his letter sounds for a year, we are trying to begin to recognize word's beginning sounds as well as rhyme.

And since Ethan is my crazy active kid, we've enrolled him in soccer and gymnastics. He's excited for his "soccer team". And while I was having Belle try out a gymnastics class Ethan sat beside me and said sadly "I wish I could try". How am I supposed to say no to that. So luckily there is a preschool class at the very same time. He's quite the natural. He swung on the bars and jumped on the trampoline like he was a pro.

I've been very pleased with how school has gone this week. Although it is only the 3rd day. =)

Picture update

Prepare yourself. I'm about to update you guys with pictures.

Lets see. Ethan got his tonsils and adenoids out. It was a really rough recovery, but Ethan was a trooper and seemed to be normal again after 8 days. He however spent several weeks trying to convince us that he had still had to eat cold things (ie. ice cream).

Much of his recovery was spent like this. One unexpected result of surgery was his EXTREMELY squeaky voice. I was a little afraid it was going to be his new normal. I even had a dream of him as an adult with one of those squeaky voices.

Belle turned the big 6. Mimi came to visit on her birthday and took her to Toys R Us to pick out a toy. Belle was ever so nice to share her money and let her brother pick something out as well. Cake #1 was a ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.

We made it to Ohio for a little party with the Richmond side. Belle was reunited with Molly. Molly had been sent to the doll hospital for a new head. Molly was my doll as a kid and didn't have the nice brushable hair they come with nowadays.

Belle had her last recital for awhile. We decided to do something different for next year and it is not going to be dance. Belle enjoyed her cheer class and she always loves getting up on stage.

Lets see, there was also a trip to the Children's Museum in there. They have a pretty cool Hot Wheels exhibit right now.

And I was amazed that Ethan sat for this Wilbur Wright presentation (or was it Orville).

On the way out we walked into a Pacers Reading event at the Library branch in the museum. The kids got their picture with Boomer. 

My June was spent preparing for our VBS. I was in charge of decorations and I think it came out pretty cool. Ethan was able to attend his first VBS as well.

At the end of the week we had a family fun night complete with Ella's Ice Cream and a real helicopter.

We lost our beloved cat Remy. But a few weeks later our neighbor asked us to take this little guy. Welcome Charlie. He's been fun and has a lot of the qualities Remy had that we loved.

And the rest, well we've just been hanging out.