The Making of Athletes

The girls have really been enjoying our active lifestyle this summer.  Nicole has taken up running and recently joined a local youth running team.  She trains with them 2-3 times per week.  I like it because they are teaching her great stretches, helpful drills, good form, and lots of encouragement.  She likes it because she gets to run, meet new friends, and...run :)

Hannah and Nicole both did the local Jr. Triathlon this month as well.  What a wonderful event!  One of my goals is to particpate in a triathlon.  I'm really hoping to do it next spring.  These girls inspire me!

It's short, but a great start.  .4 mile run, approx 2 mile bike ride, and 400 yrd swim (in the Lazy River).  They get a shirt and a medal..

This time they participated with some sweet friends as well.

Jeremy and Nicole ran one final 5K for the summer as well.  

She asked me not to race so I could film her finish ;)  Her goal was to run it in under 30 minutes.

In case you forgot, a 5K is 3.1 miles.  

Under 30 minutes means faster than a 10 minute mile.

She did it!  She finished in 29:20!!!

Amazing...I was so proud!  She received a medal for placing first in her age category, 10 and under.

First week of Fourth, Second, and Kindergarten

It's that time of year again....the beginning of the school year.  Three weeks ago I was literally hyperventilating over, and nearly in tears because school was starting and I felt completely unready for it.  After having a pretty good week under our belt, I'm feeling much better and less stress.

The girls were so excited to find a matching skirt.  They wanted us to match at church....awe....

We started with our annual "When I grow up..." pictures

Nathan got two pictures this year because his first answer was so crazy.

Let's face it...the second answer was crazy too!

Even I got a picture this year.  Yep- I'm that old!

I don't really have a lot of  pictures from our week.  Everyone started back in Cycle 1 of Classical Conversations.  Nicole is starting the Essentials program for the first time.

 She has been very excited about.  I'm not sure if it lived up to her expectations or not...but she did great.The girls made "bottomless shoes" this week too.

We now have a book basket and I am working hard to implement "Tea Time" a few times throughout the week.  The kids love it...but I've always had a "it's another thing to clean" attitude.  However, I want to focus on spending time WITH them and this is something they all three really enjoy.  So, we will have our snack, or um...tea time like this.
I was praying for the Lord to help me find a really cute, inexpensive tea set.  After going to several thrift stores, I found this one...and it's perfect.

We read poems, silly books, chapter books, science...whatever during our tea time.  It's a special time.

This is what Nicole looks like after an hour of Essentials and math ;)

Oh...and....as a bonus to our first week, Grammy and Gramps came down.  We got to spend a bit of time with them in the evenings.  The kids were thrilled!  We even had an impromptu "belated birthday party" for Gramps.

Everglades City Airboat Rides

Our friends John Michael and his sweet wife Amanda came to visit on their tour around Florida.  We decided to take them on an Everglades Airboat ride as they had never been before.

When we met our captain, I immediately knew we were in for fun, he certainly appeared to be long time resident of Everglades City.

He was part of the "glory days" of drug smuggling and money that poured into the small fishing town in the 70s and 80s, and was even in the documentary "Square Grouper".

Once our captain found out we had a mutual friend, I think he decided to take us on a fun ride with some extras thrown in ;)

 Photo bombed by Captain Shane

 Beautiful Florida Mangrove forests.

 I love this picture.  I am so thankful for friends who are more like an uncle to our children.  It means the world to me that we have friends who love our children, will sit with them, and make memories with them.

 Nate Dawg got to sit int he captain chair.  He did an awesome job!

 This picture is Awesome!

 After the airboat ride, we walked through the boardwalk to go hold an alligator...but had fun with the decor as well.

Super fun day with super fun friends!

Chick Fil A Cow Appreciation Day

There are moments that I hope my children look back on and remember...and these Chic Fil A Cow Appreciation Days are one of those moments.  I hope they remember getting dressed like a cow for free food all day.  It's good, clean, free fun!

Hannah had to make a new shirt this year.  She made a cow bell...it says "Jingle" on her...in Hannah-speak

 She also wrote "Hapee frog day, wups, I mean happee Kow Day.  Jingle Jingle."

I think she was trying to write phonetically like the cows.

 On our way for FREE breakfast!

 We were the only cows in the store...and maybe even the first of the day.  We got a lot of strange stares.

 Nathan and Nicole made cow ears.  Nate was proud of his, they had a front and a back.

 Mooo-ing for the camera

 2nd round...for a late lunch.  Facepaint is off....food was still free!

I love my little cows!

Painting with Pastels

Two years ago at a homeschool convention, I purchased a DVD lesson on painting with Pastels.  I had no idea what that meant...but I thought it looked interesting.  Fast forward 26 months, and I finally opened the DVD case and put the disc in the player.

Today, the kids and I invited Yaya over to try our hands at painting a "Peaceful Lake" with pastels.

First, we made cardboard easels this weekend.  Apparently, they worked really well.

We followed the DVD, step by step.

 Hannah is signing adding the finishing touches to her picture.

 I love that we all had access to the same pastels and we all followed the same instructions, yet our projects looks very different.

Yaya with her girls and their painting.