Summer 2013

As it turns out I am probably close to the worlds worst blogger.  But I guess it doesn't matter because it doesn't seem that anyone missed the posts while I was "out."

There are a few things to post about from over the summer - (funny that I have to look back over the pictures I have taken to see what sorts of things I need to post)

The big deal this summer was our three week vacation to Michigan.  All of our family is from Michigan.  We use to go up to MI during the summer and at Christmas (and before Nathan started school we would go up 3-5 times per year) - now with Ryan's big job we can't make it up for Christmas anymore.  It is going to be an adjustment for all of us.  But if I have to choose between a long trip in the summer when we can be outside and do lots of fun things with the family and a crammed, cold, short trip around Christmas - SUMMER IT IS!

I'll let the pictures tell the story.  I will caption above the photos:

Fun with cousins - Alaina and Zachary

(Didn't notice until now just how much Alaina and Elysse look alike - hair parted on different sides but these girls look a lot alike!)  Audrey - hmmm not sure what that face is all about.

Boat and fishing with Grandma Karen and Grandpa Jim

Park in Lake Odessa

Fishing at Great Grandma Brace's house

Hike on an old Indian Trail

Trip to the Detroit Zoo

Green Field Village

Audrey's try at modeling... No future...

Road Apples

More modeling??

Watering a garden with Uncle Chad

More fun at cousins

Grandkid Picture

Elysse on Lake Michigan

 Building Sand Castles and Flying a Kite

The Badger - takes people from WI to MI everyday

Riding with Grandpa Beadle on the tractor

We had an action packed three weeks and I didn't get pictures of everything but we had a good time.  While visiting family we made sure to get in some fun activities - Nathan and Audrey went camping, we stayed at a condo in Ludington on Lake Michigan, went to Michigan's Adventure amusement park, went fishing and to parks, Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

Having so much fun in Michigan makes the kids miss it all year long...

Beadle Academy

Summer is here!  It is rainy and drippy but I don't care.  We all feel less pressure now that school is out.  But that doesn't mean we stop learning!  A good friend of mine from Asheville would have "home summer school" during summer breaks.  I loved the idea and the kids did too.  We did it for two years in Asheville and then skipped last year as we moved back to Florida.  The kids were not happy about my decision to skip Beadle Academy last summer so we are back on.

Nathan:  The focus this summer is on reading, writing, math, piano and spelling.

Audrey:  The focus this summer is on site words, reading, handwriting, coloring and cutting.

Elysse:  The focus this summer is on learning the alphabet by sight and sound, counting and coloring.

Today was the first day of summer and we jumped right to it.  We have a large quantity of workbooks thanks to a friend of ours and a couple that we have purchased along the way.  Though we use much more than just workbooks. They do however, provide the outline of what we do on a daily basis.

My very favorite workbook is Summer Bridge Activities.  It is a workbook that bridges the completed grade to the next grade your child will enter.  The book is split into three sections for the typical three month summer.  Each section has 2 workbook pages for 20 days.  It includes reading, writing, math, science, social studies and fitness.  It is very well designed and it is fun for the kids.  Apparently there is also a free online companion - but I haven't had a chance to check that out yet.

Audrey wants to know when Beadle Academy begins and ends each day, what time we do each activity during the day.  I have explained to her that this IS summer and we might not need that much structure - but she said if we are doing school we need to do it right.  I then introduced her to the thought behind montessori schooling - after all it is just me with three children all of different ages skill level - kudos to the homeschooling mommas because I could't hack it, but summer is fun.


The best part about Beadle Academy is quiet time - this is one "activity" that I have scheduled.  It is built in around Elysse's nap time it begins between 2:00 and 2:30, for the bigger kids quiet time is one hour, for Elysse it is however long her nap takes...

Cute Girls

 Elysse let me do her hair!

Audrey thought she should get a picture too.  

She always lets me round brush her hair.  

Elysse's 3rd Birthday

In our typical style, Elysse has been partying for a week.  Happy 3rd Birthday Elysse!

Homemade Birthday Hat

Brand new fish from Grandma Karen

Tricycle from Grandma Beadle

Second Birthday Cake

Friend Colby that came to play on the day before her birthday.

After cooking the koala they decided to put their heads in.

Elysse trying out her new grill from Aunt Sandy.

First Sleepover

Here it is, the long awaited first sleepover.  Nathan (and Audrey) had two friends Austin and Logan Hamisch spend the night.  The boys slept in our king bed and Ryan and I slept in Nathan's queen bed.  I ended up going to bed around 11.  Ryan put the boys in bed a little after midnight - I woke up around 1:00 a.m. and Ryan was not there so I went to check for him and he was sitting in the dark house waiting for the boys to go to sleep (they were still whispering in bed).  Eventually he gave up and let them keep whispering.

The boys played a lot, went outside, had dinner, snacks, movies, computer time, more snacks...  I only took pictures of the movie time.  

Second Gradeitis??

Well, I didn't know this particular epidemic existed - but I am here to tell you it is real.  You may have heard of senioritis, you may have even experienced it; but, second gradeitis is just as intense.  It starts about three weeks before the end of the school year.  The talk centers around summer, our hopes, our dreams, our plans, etc.  By the next week the talk intensifies and mom even begins to show signs of second gradeitis.  Mom starts wondering why the teacher is sending home homework and still demanding the planner be signed - after all, there is only two weeks left of school!  Then other parents start to fall in the trap and before you know it sleepovers are granted - what, before school is even out?  The harsh rule of taking a minimum of three showers per week is relaxed and some nights swimming replaces a shower.  I'll tell you, we have it bad - not sure who is worse, mom or Nathan....

Rule Breaker

Elysse was watching a video in the living room yesterday.  I was clipping coupons and sending emails for Primary.  She asked for a snack.  I told her I would get it in a minute.  To that she responded, can you go take a shower?  It only took me a second to figure out what she was trying to do...if I were to go take a shower she would take her snacks to the couch and eat them in the living room - something she isn't allowed to do under my watchful eye!  What a stinker!

Gifts

This week Elysse was sitting on my bathroom counter while I brushed her wet hair.  She told me that she wanted to get Daddy new shoes for a present.  I confirmed with her that it was shoes that she wanted to get for him because she wasn't completely clear.  She said, "Yes, I want to get Daddy new shoes and I you get one stinky shoe to smell on your nose."


As we prepared to go to the neighborhood pool I reminded Elysse that we do not poop in the pool.  She agreed that pooping in the pool is not a good choice.  When we arrived home from our swim Elysse proudly stated that she did not poop in the pool.  Then she went on to say, "I went pee on the steps and then jumped in."

Thank you my sweet Elysse for those gifts.

Creative Writing (From a 2nd grade boy)

This essay came home today.  Sometimes I wonder if Nathan's teacher is amused by his stories in the same way I am.

Have you ever had a day when you thought rattle snakes were attacking your throat?  Well I have.  One morning I woke up with a weird feeling.  "Hello," I said testing my voice.  My voice was low and scratchy.

I walked out of the office at my grandparents to look for my mom.  "Can you take my temperature?" I whispered   I had to whisper to get anything clear.  After mom took my temperature she said, "Go to bed."  I said, "Can you please turn on the recording of Finding Bigfoot?" I watched it for three hours.

After I watched Finding Bigfoot mom walked into the office to give me chicken noodle soup.  After I slerped it all down, I fell asleep.  I had a dream that I was on the Big Foot hunters crew and I killed a deer as bait and I caught Big Foot.  I also caught the rest of his family and gave them to a zoo.

Finally, I woke up two days later and I felt better and could go to school to be educated.  I love reading, writing and all the other subjects.  I got to see my friends like Patrick, Conal and more!  I hope I don't have strep throat again.

I love how he said he "slerped" chicken noodle soup, the spelling is the best and he has never had soup in his life!  I also enjoy that he used this assignment to write about a time when he was sick to instead write about Big Foot.  After all, isn't that what creative writing is all about, writing what you really want, coded as something completely different?  I think he has a future as a journalist!  And just to make sure his teacher is happy he throws in there that he goes to school "to be educated."  So many different levels to love here!

May the force be with you...

Sometimes I am a really cool mom (but my kids are always cooler) - like today...

I took the girls grocery shopping before we went to get Nathan from school today.  At Publix children are often given balloons.  Audrey always makes sure to get one for Nathan even when he isn't there.  While in the car one of the balloons detached from the string.  I promised to fix it once we arrived home.  Audrey ran in and immediately let them float to the ceiling.  I was able to easily get the balloons that still had strings attached.  The lone floating balloon proved to be a challenge.  I asked Audrey to bring me a bat to see if I could hit it down from the ceiling.  It wasn't working so I asked for another bat so I could pinch it and bring it down from the ceiling.  While she was off getting the second bat, I managed to get it down.  When she came back she wanted to know how I was able to get it down.  "I used the force," I said with a straight face.  She nodded her head, smiled and let it go.

While we were in the car today Audrey stated, "My tattoos come in handy" (Due to radiation she has three small blue dots in various places on her body, including one on her wrist).  I responded, "oh, how do they come in handy?"  Then Audrey began her explanation  "You see, when I am playing Star Wars I use this one (the one on her wrist) as a telecom and I can talk to anyone in the galaxy."