The kids had another great session with Miss Gin. They're becoming great swimmers!
Showing posts with label Summertime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summertime. Show all posts
21 August 2012
Swim Lessons
The kids had another great session with Miss Gin. They're becoming great swimmers!
11 July 2012
Summer Fun
Just some random pictures of the summer fun the kids have been enjoying.
Jumping on the trampoline at Madie's house. They enjoyed goggles - a luxury their mama doesn't provide!
Ice cream cones from McDonald's.
Awesome tricked out slip-n-sliding at the Hunts' and a fun trampoline game with Kennedy's older brothers.
We've also gone to the Aquatic Center (way fun) and filled up our kiddie pool (is it just me or are those things getting dang expensive??? $16.97 this year!!!!) several times. The kids are beating the heat!
We've also gone to the Aquatic Center (way fun) and filled up our kiddie pool (is it just me or are those things getting dang expensive??? $16.97 this year!!!!) several times. The kids are beating the heat!
04 July 2012
Summer School
Before school let out, I made a plan for our summer school.
Monday: Math
Tuesday: Learn new skills (crafts, cooking, etc.)
Wednesday: Words (writing, spelling, etc.)
Thursday: Service
Friday: Fun and Fitness
Well, as you'll see in future blog posts, our June became something much different than what we expected it to be. As a result, I really haven't been diligent in doing school every single day. But wow, having a calendar to refer to on the days when we can actually get to school? It's been fantastic!
Some of the things we have done are work on times tables for Chloe, two digit addition for Lily, compound word recognition for Brigham, and writing for Cannon. The girls have also learned about personification and descriptive writing and have worked on a story here and there. We have made bread to take to a neighbor and gone to the Aquatic Center to swim. And we even had an art appreciation lesson (I stuck it under Math for some reason??) on Pablo Picasso. We read a little Wikipedia biography of his life and artistic periods, looked at some of his famous art and guessed in which period he created it and then made abstract collages inspired by his style.
These were what they came up with. I thought they were great! Chloe titled hers "The Boxer." Lil left hers unnamed. They certainly got a concept of the weirdness of Picasso's work. They did enjoy a few of his paintings, but many of them really bothered them.
I showed them one work:
We discussed whether it was a man or woman, if she was happy or sad, etc. I then told them that someone had purchased that picture for nearly 10 million dollars. They were shocked. I asked them why they thought someone would spend that much money on this picture (you know, to discuss how art means different things to different people and that someone must have really loved this painting). Chloe said, "Um, because their head was crazy??" Hahahahaha!!! Well, yes, there is definitely that explanation!
It's been fun to do school with the kids. They look forward to it every summer and it's fun to explore new things with them. I am really hoping our July and August are a little more conducive to every day lessons!
Monday: Math
Tuesday: Learn new skills (crafts, cooking, etc.)
Wednesday: Words (writing, spelling, etc.)
Thursday: Service
Friday: Fun and Fitness
Well, as you'll see in future blog posts, our June became something much different than what we expected it to be. As a result, I really haven't been diligent in doing school every single day. But wow, having a calendar to refer to on the days when we can actually get to school? It's been fantastic!
Some of the things we have done are work on times tables for Chloe, two digit addition for Lily, compound word recognition for Brigham, and writing for Cannon. The girls have also learned about personification and descriptive writing and have worked on a story here and there. We have made bread to take to a neighbor and gone to the Aquatic Center to swim. And we even had an art appreciation lesson (I stuck it under Math for some reason??) on Pablo Picasso. We read a little Wikipedia biography of his life and artistic periods, looked at some of his famous art and guessed in which period he created it and then made abstract collages inspired by his style.
I showed them one work:
It's been fun to do school with the kids. They look forward to it every summer and it's fun to explore new things with them. I am really hoping our July and August are a little more conducive to every day lessons!
Summer Nights Now Mean One Thing.....
Baseball! Well, two things: Baseball! and Tee ball!
Wow has it been insane to juggle coach pitch baseball for the girls (thank the heavens that they're on the same team!!!) and tee ball for Brigham. In June we were doing two practices per week each plus two games per week each. Thankfully, July has slowed down a little. Fewer practices, no games in this holiday week, etc.
Stanton and I have avoided extracurricular activities for our children thus far. Chloe did gymnastics for a time, but it was too much for a little 6 year old to have 6 hours a week of that, so we pulled her out. We've never done rec sports or anything like them. Well, a few rounds of dance here and there, but even that felt like too much!
We decided it was time to pull up our big girl pants and dedicate some time to helping our kids improve in sports and have a team experience. Baseball felt like the perfect fit for our first go around. I love that there isn't any school to worry about right now, so the nights can be more fluid. And the kids have LOVED this experience so much. They are learning a ton, improving, and having FUN. Their coaches couldn't be better and it's been an all around positive experience. I don't regret not doing it sooner, but I'm sure glad we did it now!
Maybe every parent feels this way about their child, but little Brigham seems to have a knack for baseball! He is very intent on the game, watching what's going on, wanting to get to the ball and make plays. He doesn't goof around in the outfield and (maybe a bit annoyingly to the other players!!) always has advice for his teammates. Of course, he hasn't mastered the fine art of catching the ball yet, but he's got his head in the game and has a pretty decent arm on him!
He lives for practice and games and thinks his coaches are pretty much the smartest people ever.
It's funny to be writing about this now that the season is almost over, because he's improved so much since then. But that first game was SOOO funny! Brig was so excited to be out there playing that he couldn't keep things quite straight. When he went up to bat, he hit a good little grounder and then, instead of running to first, he ran after his ball. We got him headed in the right direction and then did it with the next batter's ball instead of running to second! Everyone was yelling and laughing, etc., and he got really embarrassed when the second baseman got him out. We called him over with tears in his eyes and Stanton helped him figure out that when you have your glove on, you go for the ball, but when you have that batter's helmet on, your job is to RUN! He made the connection and didn't have a problem afterward. And really, I thought the fact that he was so intent on getting that ball showed that he has his head in the game and knows the basic goal - he was just a little confused!
That first night, his coach's mom came over to him, got down on her knees, and looked him in the eye. She said, "I have been a baseball coach for a lot of years and I know my stuff. You have hustle, you have heart, and you have ball smarts. YOU are a baseball player." Brigham's eyes were on fire with pride. She got up and said to me, "I mean that. He gets it and he's going to be a great ball player." I have to admit that my eyes might have sparkled a bit, too!
Baseball is one of those sports that Brigham can play even into the varsity level (as long as he wears a chest pad). It's awesome to see him actually maybe have a knack for it. I want him to be able to have a sport that he loves and can play long term. We'll keep presenting tennis and skiing and track along the way, of course, because those are life long sports...but having a team sport like this that is an option is just awesome. There aren't very many of them. Now, I have to clarify that at this point, he can play any and every sport without his heart being in danger. But any kind of contact sport (football, basketball, soccer, etc) will be a danger as it gets to the varsity level. Any big hits to the chest could hurt the electrical system defect that just isn't possible to fix. Because he can't play the other sports long term, we've shied away from encouraging him to explore them now. I don't want to have to pull the rug out from under him a few years down the road after he's fallen in love with something.
I honestly don't think about his heart very often anymore, but seeing him play tee ball and enjoy it so much has caused me to go back and reflect on that time and how precious Brigham's life is. And I love that there is something here that he can enjoy and love and be great in.
NOW, on to the girls!
This adorable picture was taken when she was playing pitcher and threw the ball to first....only to bonk the runner on the head with the ball! She got a kick out of that one. :)
They're old enough for coach pitch baseball, which is super fun. They're the only girls on their team and are on a team of boys that, many of them at least, have played for quite a few years and are pretty darn good. You'd think that might not be a positive thing, but let me tell you - it's been awesome. Their coaches are so kind and are only concerned that the kids learn skills and have fun. These dads who are the coaches are the dads of the boys that are really good. And even though that's the case, they are equally interested in every team member playing good field positions and having their turn at bat.
I'm making it sound like Chloe and Lily are terrible! That has been the funnest surprise of all -- they AREN'T!! They're actually pretty darn good! But I know that's due in part to coaches who have the absolute perfect idea of what rec sports should accomplish.
I do wish that we had maybe had the girls play tee ball for a couple of years, just so they'd be better at catching, but they're good little ball players! Chloe can out throw most everyone on the team (still working on accuracy and not lobbing it as hard as you can when the person is closer to you!) and they both really have their head in the game while they're out there. And it's so nice to not be embarrassed when they're up at bat. They're certainly not perfect, but they do connect with the ball most every time they're up. They've been really fun to watch and they're really having a great time playing this summer. I think they'll be bummed when the season ends! With games pretty much every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, you'd think I'd be ecstatic for the season to end, but somehow I won't be. This has been a really great experience for our family. And we've seen how great it is for the kids to be there cheering each other on. It's been really positive and I will actually miss it quite a lot!
Wow has it been insane to juggle coach pitch baseball for the girls (thank the heavens that they're on the same team!!!) and tee ball for Brigham. In June we were doing two practices per week each plus two games per week each. Thankfully, July has slowed down a little. Fewer practices, no games in this holiday week, etc.
Stanton and I have avoided extracurricular activities for our children thus far. Chloe did gymnastics for a time, but it was too much for a little 6 year old to have 6 hours a week of that, so we pulled her out. We've never done rec sports or anything like them. Well, a few rounds of dance here and there, but even that felt like too much!
We decided it was time to pull up our big girl pants and dedicate some time to helping our kids improve in sports and have a team experience. Baseball felt like the perfect fit for our first go around. I love that there isn't any school to worry about right now, so the nights can be more fluid. And the kids have LOVED this experience so much. They are learning a ton, improving, and having FUN. Their coaches couldn't be better and it's been an all around positive experience. I don't regret not doing it sooner, but I'm sure glad we did it now!
He lives for practice and games and thinks his coaches are pretty much the smartest people ever.
It's funny to be writing about this now that the season is almost over, because he's improved so much since then. But that first game was SOOO funny! Brig was so excited to be out there playing that he couldn't keep things quite straight. When he went up to bat, he hit a good little grounder and then, instead of running to first, he ran after his ball. We got him headed in the right direction and then did it with the next batter's ball instead of running to second! Everyone was yelling and laughing, etc., and he got really embarrassed when the second baseman got him out. We called him over with tears in his eyes and Stanton helped him figure out that when you have your glove on, you go for the ball, but when you have that batter's helmet on, your job is to RUN! He made the connection and didn't have a problem afterward. And really, I thought the fact that he was so intent on getting that ball showed that he has his head in the game and knows the basic goal - he was just a little confused!
That first night, his coach's mom came over to him, got down on her knees, and looked him in the eye. She said, "I have been a baseball coach for a lot of years and I know my stuff. You have hustle, you have heart, and you have ball smarts. YOU are a baseball player." Brigham's eyes were on fire with pride. She got up and said to me, "I mean that. He gets it and he's going to be a great ball player." I have to admit that my eyes might have sparkled a bit, too!
Baseball is one of those sports that Brigham can play even into the varsity level (as long as he wears a chest pad). It's awesome to see him actually maybe have a knack for it. I want him to be able to have a sport that he loves and can play long term. We'll keep presenting tennis and skiing and track along the way, of course, because those are life long sports...but having a team sport like this that is an option is just awesome. There aren't very many of them. Now, I have to clarify that at this point, he can play any and every sport without his heart being in danger. But any kind of contact sport (football, basketball, soccer, etc) will be a danger as it gets to the varsity level. Any big hits to the chest could hurt the electrical system defect that just isn't possible to fix. Because he can't play the other sports long term, we've shied away from encouraging him to explore them now. I don't want to have to pull the rug out from under him a few years down the road after he's fallen in love with something.
I honestly don't think about his heart very often anymore, but seeing him play tee ball and enjoy it so much has caused me to go back and reflect on that time and how precious Brigham's life is. And I love that there is something here that he can enjoy and love and be great in.
They're old enough for coach pitch baseball, which is super fun. They're the only girls on their team and are on a team of boys that, many of them at least, have played for quite a few years and are pretty darn good. You'd think that might not be a positive thing, but let me tell you - it's been awesome. Their coaches are so kind and are only concerned that the kids learn skills and have fun. These dads who are the coaches are the dads of the boys that are really good. And even though that's the case, they are equally interested in every team member playing good field positions and having their turn at bat.
I'm making it sound like Chloe and Lily are terrible! That has been the funnest surprise of all -- they AREN'T!! They're actually pretty darn good! But I know that's due in part to coaches who have the absolute perfect idea of what rec sports should accomplish.
I do wish that we had maybe had the girls play tee ball for a couple of years, just so they'd be better at catching, but they're good little ball players! Chloe can out throw most everyone on the team (still working on accuracy and not lobbing it as hard as you can when the person is closer to you!) and they both really have their head in the game while they're out there. And it's so nice to not be embarrassed when they're up at bat. They're certainly not perfect, but they do connect with the ball most every time they're up. They've been really fun to watch and they're really having a great time playing this summer. I think they'll be bummed when the season ends! With games pretty much every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, you'd think I'd be ecstatic for the season to end, but somehow I won't be. This has been a really great experience for our family. And we've seen how great it is for the kids to be there cheering each other on. It's been really positive and I will actually miss it quite a lot!
Last Day of School
I got a kick out of these pictures on the way home.
Lily was ecstatic and ran home as fast as she could.
She ended up having a good cry for a bit and then we moved on with life. She's now looking forward to 3rd grade, but still apprehensive about growing up. I am just fine with that. She has a lot of time to be little still and I want her to enjoy it to its fullest.
It's been a really busy and wonderful summer so far. June was insane. I have pictures and individual posts for some of it, but not everything, so here's a snapshot of our calendar for that month:
In addition to their camps, the girls did piano lessons, tennis, and baseball. Brigham had tee ball to go with his camp. It doesn't sound as crazy or look as crazy as it felt, but those mornings when we were racing from one thing to the next sure felt crazy! But they were fun, too, and made us all excited to have a little slower July and August.
I remember a few years ago when I really quite dreaded summer. I would hear my friends with kdis in school talk about how excited they were for the break and how fast it went by. Because I had so many little ones in such a short period of time, it turned out that I had one full calendar year from when Cannon was born to when Chloe started Kindergarten. So for 5 years, I felt like I was a hamster in a wheel. I know a lot of moms experience that. No day was ever different - the weather just changed. Summers dragged along as slowly as any other months and it was so hot that the kids didn't spend a ton of time outside anyway.
That was a depressing paragraph, but its point is that now here we are, just 3 years later, and I am one of those moms who just can't wait for summer vacation to start and those sweet kids to be all mine for a few months. The time is flying by and we are loving most every second of it. It's not all sunshine and roses, but I don't wish they were back in school yet. Time just has this way of marching forward and the trick, I think, is to just try and enjoy whatever moment in time you happen to be in. I made an effort at that when the kids were all so little - I really did - but I have to say, it doesn't take much effort to do it right now. This phase of life is so perfect. Everyone is small enough to have small problems. They love me still and want to be with me. They don't face many of the temptations that I know will come their way ever too shortly. But they can make their own sandwiches if I'm not available. They can help with chores. They play together pretty darn amazingly. We don't have to get to bed on time every single night - Cannon and Brigham still get up somewhat early even if they've been up late, but they're able to handle it better throughout the day. Life is just becoming more flexible and it's a truly perfect phase of life.
So, of course, we're going to throw a newborn into the mix so that everything can change again! Hahahahaha! Yes, I do think Heaven is having a good laugh over that one! But I am equally excited to see how little baby boy will meld into our new normal here and how we will have to change for him. I do hope, however, that we don't have to find out for another several weeks. I would love to have the rest of this summer to just play and enjoy our freedom!!
I won't ever tell a young mom with her hands as full as her heart that the time is going to fly by, because those earlier years didn't fly by for me. But I will say that I don't know how we ever got here so quickly. And that now that we're here, it is, magically, flying right past my eyes with nary a second to blink. Life is great. Marriage and children make it better!
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