You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile!

This is the song Bug will be doing at her dance recital. She is beyond excited to say the least. Annie is one o her all time favorite movies and I love that she loves it because it brings back tons of memories for me. We would always watch that movie at my Grandma Krouts house when we were kids and it is impossible for me to see the movie and not think of her.  Anyway Bug was a little disappointed she wasn't going to do ballet because she like ballet better than tap (I think that is because she is better at it LOL) but she loves the song and gets to wear a hat so all is good. I threw her off by being in the room I wish I had recorded her when she didn't know I was watching because she did all the steps then but whatcha gonna do right? It's only the very beginning of the dance since they have only been working on the dance for 4 lessons now.

Enjoy the cuteness!

Out My Kitchen Window

The kids have been greatly enjoying the outside as of late. It's like they have discovered this new world and they must be out there in it at all times. I have to admit part of it is me. Joe and I were really cautious about letting them be outside without us so there playtime outdoors was limited to only when Mommy or Daddy felt like it. I grew up in this yard but Joe didn't so we decided to wait for them to explore the outdoors solo till they were older (well as old as 5 and 4 is). Joe still isn't super comfy with it but it has been awesome I have to say. I open the kitchen window and tell the kids to go have a good time but stay where I can hear and see them. I can do the dishes, make dinner, and fold laundry all while watching my amazing kiddos have the time of their lives out my kitchen window.

That is the whole reason I wanted that window there. Sure it kinda needed to be there because of the way the house is made but when we were talking about building I was insistent on having a kitchen window where I could see the backyard. It is so much fun!!

Yesterday I went out to hangout with them after getting the kitchen all clean and was texting my sister in Texas while she was having to do that whole 3 hour glucose test (she is fine by the way test came back good) and I was telling her Caden was hanging from the top of the swing set just like I used to do and then Bug climbed up on the slide and started singing into the pipe that is the top of the swing set (we do not have a fancy swing set we have the old fashioned kind) just like Heidi used too! It was so funny I just was dying. It was just like being sent back to when we were that age and we were the ones running around the same backyard having the time of our lives.

It made me really thankful for the great childhood I had. My parents were amazing we didn't have lots of money but they made sure we had moments just like these memories and we were beyond loved.  I am so glad that my kids are getting to enjoy some of the same joys. I pray they know they are as loved. God has blessed us beyond belief. Who would have thought so much joy could come from looking out the kitchen window.

Pumpkin time!!!!

It's Fall!!!!! I was so excited to have a little cool weather the other week that I spent the weekend doing yard work and hanging outside the whole week. Of course now that is over because it is so stinking hot right now but I am looking forward to it being cool again sometime in the future.

Today we are missing Letter Club for the first time since we started it : ( Caden has a cold and I didn't think that sharing those "I"cky germs with the other kids were be a good show and tell experience. The kids are bummed but Caden is feeling okay so we are going to take them to the pumpkin patch to pick out there pumpkins and we will be painting them tonight at family night. Caden is beyond excited it has pretty much been his favorite thing since he was 1. He already know what he is going to paint it too. It will be a fire breathing dragon to eat his sisters princess pumpkin that she is planning on painting. Gotta love that boy.

The Last 3 Weeks or So

Well the last 3 weeks have been pretty busy!

Caden started with the Classical Conversations every Monday. We are there from 9-12 and he gets to have a great time learning new stuff and I have a great time learning some great ideas for how to teach him things I would have never thought to teach a 5 yr old. Caden LOVES it and it helps that one of his friends is in his class. I really thought he would have a tough time with the show and tell part because he is so shy but he always can't wait to get up there. We are working on him not being so shy about joining in on doing the hand motions to the memory work songs. He loves to sing them but the hand motions help the kids remember and he is afraid of having people look at him while he does them. His favorite thing right now from it is History and Latin. We have learned about Christopher Columbus, the Mayflower, and this week is the Boston Tea Party. I read Caden and Bug a book about what it was like to live in Colonial times and they LOVED it I was going to take all week to read it but they wanted me to keep reading so we finished it in just 3 days. With Latin he is learning some words and definitions. I am not very good at it but he seems to really enjoy it. His all time favorite subject right now though is Math. I am really proud of him. He is trying his best (most days anyway) and we are able to get through all the things we need to and have a great time doing it.

Bug is not quite as interested in school yet. She says she enjoys being the baby but I tell her she still has to learn even if she is always going to be the baby LOL Her schooling of course is easier but she actually joins in on most of Caden's work. I wasn't going to mess with math with her till next year other than learning to write her numbers but she ended up coming back to the table every day and asking if she could do it too so she has been doing everything in the math area Caden is. Her favorite thing of course is going to the park for Letter Day with our friends every Friday. She is getting very good at writing her letters and numbers but doesn't really want to learn to read right now. She will do it with me but doesn't really want to so I don't push it.

Last week was Bugs 4th birthday! She is crazy about My Little Pony right now and so that was what she got everything My Little Pony. We even got her a shirt on clearance for her to wear celebrating. She very excited because she is out growing her little bed and Joe is going to make her a bed and we are using her Birthday money to get her My Little Pony bed stuff and she wants to paint her room pink but Joe isn't so sure about the painting thing. We went to Disney the day before her birthday (it's tradition!) we only got day passes because I am still trying to save for the passes for next year. The kids had a blast like the always do and it is the best time of year to go because there are hardly any lines at all. Bug was tall enough to go on Splash Mt for the first time and if you ask her she will say she cried "Happy tears" after the big drop...I am not sure how "Happy" she actually was from the look on her face but hey she says she liked it. Caden was tall enough to go on Space Mt for the first time and it is now one of his favorites. I was surprised because he usually is my timid one. (A bonus of homeschooling is we took Tuesday and Wednesday off from school but we just schooled on the weekend instead)

So that brings us up to this week. Bug got hit with the stomach flu at around 3a.m. Tuesday : ( She and I watched My Little Pony till Joe and Caden got up and we had our first time trying to school while one child was sick but the other needed to do work. Thankfully she felt better but the evening and Wednesday was only a little under the weather. Caden hasn't gotten it and I am so thankful!!! So please keep praying he remains healthy.

Tomorrow is Letter Club and my day to have a lesson and craft done and i haven't even looked at something yet so I should probably get on that.

Early Start on the Letter C

This week has been really amazing. We seem to have our routine pretty much down except for the curve ball that staying up late on Wednesday threw us. The kids have enjoyed schooling and the time we have spent outside. Mostly they really enjoy looking forward to the end of the week when we meet friends at the Part for Letter Club. Another friend joined us today so it was great fun the kids really enjoyed it and already are preparing for next week. We are bringing the snack so they have been giving me ideas about what of their favorite foods should be brought to the park.

Caden's favorite thing he learned this week was all about plants. How they grown, what they need to survive, and what each part of the plant does. When he really likes something he gets a little obsessed and I have read and reread many science plant books to him this week.

Bug's favorite subject was Beethoven. She thinks he is pretty cool but also gross because he cared more about his music than cleaning himself. She also enjoyed dancing to his music and requested it A LOT...I am glad she liked it but I have never really been a classical music person (something I will not be telling my kids till they have formed their own opinion) so I was a little over it and glad it is Friday so I can at least convince her to listen to some Chopin for the letter C.

They were great little students this week so they made all their 5 Happy Apples. This means they get to do something fun and special. This week it was meeting Grandma and Honey at the mall and going on the carousel. Grandma already had tickets from when Anna and Heidi were down so I didn't have to spend money on it which is one of the things I am aiming for in the special things they earn. I did get them each a sugar cookie from the cookie company because I just wanted to. Caden brought to my attention that carousel and cookie start with the letter "C" so I guess we are just getting an early start on that!

The Second Week Has Begun

For our 2nd week of school we of course are focusing on the Letter "B".

Bug had a great time last week doing the letter "A" and then going to Letter Club on Friday. Letter Club is something my friend Sarah and I came up with as a way for our kids to play together and show off a little of what they learned during the week. There is a Story Time, Craft, Show and Tell, and a whole lotta playing. It is nice for the little ones (and their older siblings in my case) to get together and learn some games that they don't really get to play in a two kids household. Some games like duck duck goose...this is rather hard with only two kids and totally not as much fun. Last week Sarah did the leading and this week it is my turn and we have another friend joining us YAY!! If she brings all her kiddos that will bring our little group up to 7. Bug is already trying to figure out which book she wants me to read and what she is bringing for show and tell.

Caden just got his new math book and he can't wait to use it but he is going to have to wait till next Monday as I need Joe to make me some pattern blocks. I refuse to spend 76.00 on a kit I can mostly make up of things at the house. So this week I plan on continuing his learning number order and practice writing his numbers. He tends to be really sloppy and you can't tell some times what he is trying to write. His letters are much better than the numbers but we will be practicing those too.

We also are studying Beethoven for music, Bruegel for art, Buchanan for presidents, Blue Whale for animal science, Tower of Babel for Bible and Plant Life just for fun because they wanted to. Reading Lessons continue from How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for both kids. Caden has moved to copying pages from his favorite books to practice both reading and writing skills. Their favorite school game is Sequence Letters. I really want to get the States and Capitals version too. I have some math games I got off of Confessions of a Homeschooler Blog. I decided to hold of on Geography this week because I am going to download Road Trip USA but I need to wait for another week or so since that is when we get paid again. They really enjoyed learning about Alabama but when I was at the library this week I figured I had enough other stuff not to shove too much in their poor little heads if I want them to continue to enjoy school.

Tomorrow we are making Banana bread as part of school too. I have really been enjoying it but it is such a learning experience. It can be a little overwhelming especially if one of the kids isn't in the mood to learn. I have learned to let them take a short break by going and doing something like clean the bathroom (which I know sounds like punishment but they love it!) or having a snack break. They tend to get back on track with better attitudes and so do I.

please keep praying for us as we continue to press on with all the learning. We want to make sure our focus is on God and that Joe and I are being good witnesses to the kids with our lives. I am so grateful for my friends support and my family helping me figure things out. Everyone has been really helpful and truly has had some great ideas!

First Day of School

Today was the kids "first day of school" I had them get up and get dressed as if they were leaving the house and then we sat down for our family breakfast. While they were eating we did our Bible Lesson and Flash Cards. Then I had Casey practice her ABC's while Caden did a work sheet. Next we went over words that started with "A". This was mostly for Casey's benefit as she is doing the letter of the week preschool lessons but Caden can always use the refresher. We played a game where they each had to run through the house as fast as they could and find 3 things that started with "A". It was really fun to watch them running around! Caden found his really fast and then of course big brother that he is kept trying to help Casey who didn't want help at all. After that I let Casey take a break and Caden did some flash cards for his counting. He can count pretty good but has trouble recognizing the numbers. We then did some president flash cards and I answered questions they had about some of the men and why they looked so funny : ) Casey did really well on her worksheets today. They were for practicing writing the letter "A" and finding objects that are the same. Caden loved doing his worksheets which were identifying the first letter of some animals and objects as well as a follow direction one. We also learned about Tomaso Albinoni for our composer of the week. Caden finished up with a reading lesson and then we called it a day.

In all I learned some important things.

1. Caden loves to get a big A on his paper with a 100% if he gets really annoyed if he doesn't

2. Bug works really really well if you tell her she will get a "Sad Apple" on her door if she doesn't listen and follow directions.

3. I didn't plan enough! My kids were wanting more and I had done everything for the day.

4. Caden can color in the lines but he doesn't think he should have to.

5. Bug does NOT liking being told which colors to use in a picture. If the girl wants to use blue for an apple you are not going to convince her to color it red.

Tomorrow we are doing more in depth research on one of the Presidents (Adams obviously because of the letter A" )as well as Albinoni and do a geography lesson on Alabama. I still have to get my Math curriculum and of course Caden's Classical Conversations doesn't start till September but for now this is working.

Please pray for our continuing work with the kids schooling and that we can keep God the center of all of it.