This Cutie started Cubbies. She was so excited and ran around telling everyone her verse. How on Earth did she get so BIG?
Nathan and Samuel have been enjoying the weather and working on more chalk art.
We usually end up having a movie night once a week. I love this picture of Matt and Katherine.
For Labor Day weekend, we headed West to spend the weekend with friends and family. We met up with the Evetts and Millers at Red Rock Canyon and spent the morning rappelling.
All three of our big kids ended up rappelling that morning. I was so proud of their courage! They shocked me with their bravery and all did great. I couldn't get any pictures because I was holding onto the rope, but I'm just still so proud of them! I know how scary it is up at the top of that cliff.
We swam at Red Rock that afternoon and then spent the evening and Sunday afternoon playing at the Evetts' house. The friendships among all the kids are so sweet.
On Monday we spent the morning with Grandma and Grandpa before heading home. Nathan asked to go to the Air and Space Museum, and everyone enjoyed that.
When we got back home, Samuel and Elisabeth built a fort to sleep in the night before the first day of school.
Elisabeth asked to have a tea party one afternoon, so we made it happen. The flexibility and additional free time that has come along with homeschooling has been nice.
Elisabeth comes with me to Katherine's dance classes and works on her school.
Another thing I'm liking about homeschooling is the creativity I'm seeing in the kids. Nathan asked to look through our science activity book, found an activity, and made it. They ended up making straw wind instruments.
For our date schedule in September, we had girls dates and boys dates. The girls and I chose to shop and eat out. We did some shoe shopping at Target, ate lunch at Bill and Ruths, visited Claires at the mall, did some consignment shopping for Fall clothes and ended our girls' day with a cookie treat.
I treasure the sweet, girly time I get with them. They are a joy!
Meanwhile, the boys went to Urban Air and climbed walls and jumped off cliffs and crazy stuff like that.
Elisabeth likes to get comfy while she does her school work.
The kids asked to study about Outer Space, so we've spent the last few weeks learning about the moon, sun, stars and planets. The Oreo phase of the moon activity has been a favorite among everyone- especially Katherine. They've also designed Lunar Landers and made a solar oven.
They learned about Neil Armstrong too.
Another dance day- another handwriting worksheet.
Katherine is loving dance! She asks everyday if it's her dance day, and twirls all over the house
Nathan is playing Flag Football this Fall, and this little cheerleader was ready to cheer him on during his first game.
She ended up spending the game playing with friends and eating snacks.
Nathan has really enjoyed playing football this year. He always comes off the field smiling.
The Shondelmyers joined us to watch OSU's opening game. The girls asked to play with my dishes and when they finished I put them to work washing them.
I guess that made the guys feel lazy, because they went outside and cleaned the vans, ha!
We ended up heading over to their house that evening to watch Mulan and give the kids more time to play. Nathan got to stay and have a sleepover with Wyatt too. Free Saturdays and good friends are some of my favorite things!
More homeschool fun- well workbooks are part of the not as fun parts of homeschool.
Samuel wiggled and wiggled his front tooth until it finally came out!
Samuel and Elisabeth started a new gymnastics class. Nathan brought his schoolwork to do while they were at their class.
Elisabeth had chosen dance as her activity for the year. But then I noticed that on all her back to school papers/questionnaires, she would say that her favorite activity was gymnastics and when she grows up she wants to be a gymnastics coach. Soooo, I started looking for a class for her. In a normal year, I wouldn't allow her to do two year long activities, but because we're homeschooling, we have more flexibility and time in our schedule, so we found a gym for her, and Samuel ended up enrolling with her.
They both love it! Samuel even said, "I like that we're doing homeschool because I get to come to this gymnastics class"
Katherine Grace, You are THREE years old! You'll always, always be my baby, but you are transforming into a little girl rapidly. Your mannerisms, attitudes, and vocabulary are so grown up (probably because you have three older siblings). You're precious, tenderhearted and sweet. You're friendly, outgoing, smart, and talkative. You adore your family and are always up for an adventure. You're independent and opinionated and always have a song in your heart. Goodness, we all love you so much!
At three years old your favorite things are playing with Sissy, gymnastics, dance, books, Paw Patrol, corn dogs, Calico Critters, princesses, fancy dresses and dance costumes, swinging, playing with friends, horsey rides from Nathan, playing games with Samuel, Daniel Tiger, Peppa Pig snuggling in bed with Mommy until you fall asleep, suckers, riding your bike to the pond, any sweet treat, singing and dancing, and hugs and kisses.
You're a talkative little girl, and I love the emphasis and mannerisms in your speech. You can be dramatic at times, and the phrases and words you use make you sound much older than you are. You have a perfect exasperated tone that you use often to add emotion to whatever you're saying. You also have a way of making it so none of us in your family can tell you no by your sweet talking. It's like magic- all we can do is smile/laugh and give you what you want.
You're very social and outgoing. You remind us of your sister, because at any park or playground, you always, always find a new friend to play with. No matter their age or gender, if there's another child at a playground, you find them and ask them to play. I love that about you! You're rarely shy and will talk to other adults like you've known them forever.
Some of your favorite toys right now are Paw Patrol, Calico Critters, Duplos, the play kitchen, princesses, dress up and dance costumes. You play well independently especially when you're playing dolls or Paw Patrol, but often you want to play school or dance class and need a family member to play with you. You're imaginative and playful in everything you do always naming animals and making up pretend stories and making up and singing songs. There's never a dull moment with you.
You're taking gymnastics and dance this year, and you seem to love both of them equally. You keep asking when you get to dance on the big stage :). You like to perform and are always checking to make sure I'm watching you when you're at gymnastics.
You're favorite foods are corn dogs, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, strawberries, grapes, yogurt smoothies, popcorn, and any sort of sweet treat. You have a definite sweet tooth. You can definitely be picky at dinner time telling us often that you don't like what we're serving at dinner. You always ask to pray at our meals and are always excited about dessert.
Your favorite books are Pinkalicious, Bizzy Bear, and Peppa Pig and Daniel Tiger books. You ask your dad, me and all your siblings to read you books every night, and remember how I said you have a magical power where none of us can tell you no 😉
You are 37inches (50%) tall and weigh 30lbs (46%). You wear a size 9 shoe and size 3T-4T clothes. You pick out your own clothes and get dressed on your own everyday (and change clothes multiple times throughout the day). That's a battle I've learned to give up and let you choose your own clothes. I am grateful that you're independent and take charge of getting ready in the morning.
You're a tenderhearted little girl, apologizing whenever you do something wrong or accidentally hurt someone. It's hard to discipline you because you're so apologetic and sweet (that magical power coming back into play). When we do discipline you, you cry for whatever parent didn't do the disciplining, ha! You also seem emotionally mature for your age, understanding why you're upset and able to calm yourself down quickly.
You've been fully potty trained (except for at night) since you were about 2 1/2. We also said goodbye to your pacifiers and your crib in the last year- definitely a transition out of babyhood. You sleep pretty well at night but like to come and sleep on the floor in our room in the middle of the night. You regularly ask your siblings to sleep with you, but they rarely last long in your room because you won't stop talking, ha!
You have to give everyone a hug and kiss when you leave and in order to stall at bedtime, you give us multiple hugs and kisses. You're an affectionate girl.
I call you the Cherry on Top of our family because you're the sweetest and perfect ending to our little family. We love you so much, Sweet Girl!
