Miscellaneous Monday Memories

Six years ago these smiling faces were all still snug in their mommy's bellies. It's amazing to think how much they've changed, and grown over the years. Baby Big Girl is the oldest of the group, even though she's the smallest. Next to her we have Mowgli, who was born in November. After that is the Pretty Princess who has a December birthday. These little angels are the babies of their family, and they each know it! :)

Miscellaneous Monday Memories

cell phone pictures taken by sisters

Daddy photobombs

crazy faces

sister hugs

squishy snuggles

laughing together

Miscellaneous Monday Memories

She wakes up with crazy hair like this everyday!

No one snuggles as good as a sister

Sisters make the most perfect heaters

Sister snuggles

brother snuggles

Gambit loves to lay on Daddy's back

Miscellaneous Monday Memories

Fourth of July Block Party 2011

Pool Party Birthday Bash

I often times forget to mention the girls birthdays.....well let's be honest I don't forget to write the post, I forget to post the post. Yes, I have two years worth of birthday posts just hanging out in my draft folder waiting for their day to shine. I know, I know it's awful. Well not this time! Nope, I'm going to post and upload all at once that way I can't miss one again. :)

Now Nanner's birthday was waaaay back in March. Beanie's was in May. I understand that the party didn't actually occur until August, that's life around here. We had a fantastic roller skating party planned for Nanners....for the second year in a row she fell and broke something right beforehand. Spunky was the beneficiary of that skating party this year, hey a non refundable party must go on!

So once again a week before the party we're rushing her off to the ER for a X-rays only to show that yes, in fact, she does have a break. This year it was a distal radial wrist fracture. She got a rockin', heavy as all get out ER specialty cast and we were on our way.

Party postponed. People called. Facebook announcement made. Nanner's in tears because she never gets to have her party around her actual birthday. Mommy feeling like crap because the dramatics aside, the kid was right.

Beanie was supposed to have a combined party with a cousin, who ended up backing out last minute. Crap! Okay, on to plan B. We have many people in our lives who we know we can always count on, and lucky for us we have a whole 'nother family that loves us and as a bonus the have a POOL! Yay! Problem solved. Back to pool party.

Nanners and Beanie agree to have a combined party - Thank GOODNESS! We set a date, we shop for decorations, we buy food. Special cake ordered (that's a story in itself, if you've never seen a 15 year old cry over cake, tell her there's no way you're buying the special made, hand crafted fondant version of the band One Direction).

The party was fun, everyone had a blast playing in the pool. We ate nachos. We had an amazing cake. We took lots of pictures. We laughed. We spent a ton on their gifts because they totally earned them. These girls are amazing when it comes to self sacrifice and they deserved something special this year for sure.

Here are a few of the favorite pictures from the party.

 Lots of people playing in the pool!

 Nanners sporting her major accessory for the day - the Dry Pro. Seriously, if you ever break something you should get one of these! They are amazing!

Uncle Justin meeting Billy the Boyfriend for the first time......awkward....

Emi playing

The final result of the cake. This was a struggle folks, but they finally agreed on something, and the taste was awesome!

Nanners is 10! Beanie is 15! WOW!!!

Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl

Present time!

Showing each other their wares

Wait for it....

wait for it...

OMG!!! SQUEAL!! It's a Nintendo 3DS!!

Beanie had 2 boxes for her big gift....she got to chose only one

dun dun dun dunnnnnn.......FAIL!! After 12 minutes she decided to take the white box and it was EMPTY!! She let me push her in the pool to open the other one.....it had her laptop. :) 

Beautiful girls. Healthy girls. Smiling faces. What more could I ask for??

What We're Using 2013-2014

Every year we evaluate the girls curriculum, we want to make sure that it's still working well for them. It would be easiest on me if we picked one and stuck with it of course, but I do remind myself frequently that the reason I choose to homeschool is so I can taylor my child's education to my child. Does this mean that we end up swapping, switching and moving things around sometimes - Absolutely! Totally worth it! 

Nanners - 10 years old

Math - Horizon's Math 5, Teaching Textbooks 5

Writing - Institute for Excellence in Writing

Spelling - All About Spelling Level 3

History - Hougthon Mifflin History 5

Science - Harcourt Science 5

Grammar - Growing With Grammar 4

Reading - One Minute Readers, Classic Lit Books

Geography - Mommy Made :)

Spunky - 7 years old

Writing - Institute for Excellence in Writing

Spelling - All About Spelling

History - Houghton Mifflin Social Studies 2, Internet Resources

Science - Harcourt Science 2, Internet Resources

Grammar - Growing with Grammar 2

Reading - One Minute Readers, Chapter Books of her choice

Geography - Mommy Made  :)
Math - Horizons Math 3

Baby Big Girl - 5 years old

Writing - Primary Arts of Language

Spelling - All About Spelling

History - Made Made :)

Science - Mommy Made :)

Grammar - Growing With Grammar 1

Reading - Reading Eggs

Geography - Mommy Made :)
Math - Horizons Math 1

So far this is working great, but I'm sure that we'll encounter a few bumps along the road. Every year we get better, and every year I learn new things about the girls and myself. Nanners will be doing Horizons math during the day, and following up with Teaching Textbooks in the afternoon as "homework". We decided to do this because while I like both programs, and so does she, we want some extra practice for her this year. We're hoping that it will help get her math level, and understanding of the areas that she continues to struggle with closer to her "grade level". Who knows, we may end up abandoning that before the holidays. We'll play it by ear.

Mommy Made It Muddy

About 6 months ago I signed up for a mud run. You know the ones, obstacles to traverse over or under, crazy slides, and lots and lots of muddy mess. I begged encouraged my BFF, Beth, to join me. A few months later and BAM the mud run is here!

Would we do it again - HECK YAHHH! We loved it! So much fun! Next year we want to get a huge group together and do it. Can't wait!!!