Finally, I think Spring has arrived!!

I think spring is here and I feel relief. The trampoline is officially up and our yard can now be used as the place to get energy out instead of the furniture!!! Orion pushed a big jug of protein powder into the living room the other day and I found him jumping off of the top of it and then using it as his karate target, kicking and punching it. So thankful to be able to run outside, go for walks, go geocaching, ride bikes, play ball....spring!
The kids are registered for summer activities and we are making plans for a few roadtrips.
Looking forward to MACHE conference next weekend with Shawn. Time to be encouraged in our homeschooling endeavor, think about our plans for school next year and to evaluate how things are going this year.
More to come...

Beautiful Birth

I had the opportunity yesterday to witness the beautiful birth of a baby girl at St.Cloud Hospital. It was simply spectacular!!!

Valentines Suprises!!!!

The young boys created a valentines day love note for me with red marker on the couches and tv downstairs today while I was teaching school to the girls.
Thank goodness for stain remover!!!

Catch Up Time

It has been a while since I lasted posted. We have been busy schooling, playing, cooking and hanging out on these COLD days!
We are 20 weeks into our curriculum and it looks like we will finish up in May if all goes as planned. Schooling is a bit challenging with the little guys distracting us but we are adapting each day. We have been studying American History, learning about each state, Eli Whitney, Daniel Boone, the Explorers.... We have found that taping the weekly spelling words up around the house in various places leads to a new way of learning and better results on spelling tests for Aubrey! We have enjoyed having an art curriculum inter twined with our lessons and we have seen the benefits in the girls doodling and crafts.
The girls got their ears pierced for a Christmas present and they are looking forward to switching their earrings out for the first time this week.
Elijah has discovered The Last Avatar and really enjoys running around the house acting it out. He is really looking forward to spring and riding his bike he got last last year. He is a great big brother to the little boys and has enjoyed their maturing and joining him in his play. He has resumed sleeping in his bedroom on the top bunk after a long time of sleeping anywhere except his bedroom to avoid being woken up by the little guys.
Amittai continues to show us his love for music as he regularly strums his pretend guitar and sings. He loves to snuggle and always wakes up happy. He likes to pretend he is sleeping when I try to take him out of his care seat and does not crack a smile. His ability to speak and communicate expands rapidly daily and he amazes me as he puts together sentences like, "No Ry Ry Hit Me".
Orion continues to show us his physical talents as he climbs and falls. He is always "exploring" and quickly finds things to play with that he should not. He recently learned hydrogen peroxide does not taste well and does cause vomiting and you should not run with a toy screw driver in your mouth because it can cut the back of your throat. He has moved into sleeping in the bottom bunk bed and loves the space and comfort. He spends most of the day in a superman cape with a sword or gun in his hand or in the back of his shirt.
We are looking forward to warmer weather, planting a garden and finishing some landscaping work this spring and summer.
Pictures to come soon!

So Darn Cute

Birthday Season and the Start of School

Well it is birthday season around our home. We celebrated Anika's 8th birthday a few weeks ago. She enjoyed eating sushi with daddy when they went out the night before her birthday (a family tradition) and the staff amused her by making her stand on a chair and dance while they sang "Happy Birthday".
She spent a very fun overnight with Auntie Shana and Uncle Scottie and suprised us with "fake" glasses she picked out while they were shopping. They look adorable on her but we are hoping her eyes stay strong and she will never need "real" ones!
Elijah is preparing to celebrate his 4th birthday this weekend. He does not know it yet but he has a new bike coming his way! He is enjoying learning his letters and writing them during school time. We has demonstrated he likes to write with both hands spontaneously and appears to have equal ability writing with both. We are encouraging him to continue with both if he chooses. It will be intersting to see if he starts prefering one more for writing as his writing develops.
Aubrey has joined Anika this year as I group teach. She does her own math but everything else is the same. She loves the hands on activities and has really made the most of the great weather, playing outside any chance she gets.
The babies (I often wonder how long I will call them that) keep us very busy. They move from one activity (or one mess) to the next. They both love to pose for pictures lately which makes taking them easier and they turn out adorable!
Ty entertains us with his love for music, playing the guitar and dancing. His smile just melts my heart and he calls me "mom mom" which is about the cutest thing I have heard. His language is rapidly developing, today he said "smoothie" in his own cute way. He loves hitting a ball off of the tee and has a natural swing.
Orion climbs everything, loves to play with any ball and is really into turning anything he can into a gun with his "bew bew" shrill. The number of bruises he displays at the end of each day has gotten fewer througout the summer. It definately is not due to lack of action, it must be better protection with each fall!
We enjoyed a family weekend in Red Wing in September and completed a 3 mile hike with the kids just before it began to rain. We started a landscaping project that is a lot of work but is turning out nicely. We will complete it in the spring. Shawn is gearing up for hunting season and continues to work hard in supporting our family. I have had the opportunity to do a few vaccine presentataions recently and assist a few new moms with postpartum issues. Shawn and I have been finding a little time to go on a date a few times a month and are looking forward to resuming our workout program next week.
Look for pictures in the next few days!