Sunday, July 29, 2012

Quest for Learning

Our school year is out for the summer. Michael has been working on 1st grade level material more or less.  Jordan and Tessa have chimed in with whatever was interesting at the time.  Some of the perks of homeschooling include making our own schedule and curriculum.
Like parenting in general, school at home is still an experience I am trying to figure out.  Although I really like the path we have chosen, I still feel pretty new to it and continue to refine our style.  At this point, I don't want to make a list of our progress or successes.  However, in summary of the year I can say that we definitely enjoyed learning together.
Here is the boys' school cooperative called Quest Club.  We got together with several other families each week for some great topics and learning activities.

 

These great kids and moms got together pretty faithfully for playtime and Spanish.  Their dedication was pretty impressive and we gleaned from the lessons and friendship throughout the year.  
The boys also participated in some book clubs with other boys at the library.  They were motivated to read piles of books.

A+ grades all around!

What we've been up to


Here's a catch-up post for this spring.  Two months of summer has already flown by, but these are a few fun photos from earlier in the year.  
After a library trip, the kids waited while I had a phone call.  These three can be like peas in a pod or as different as the game "One thing is not like the other." 


On a side note, I need to journal about Jordan's dark front tooth.  If you look closely in this picture you can see it.  Early spring he bumped his teeth on the kitchen counter.  It was really painful for him and quite loose, so I worried it would cause some lasting damage.  I guess the tooth is considered dead and will eventually fall out to be replaced by an adult tooth.  whew!  Tessa had her stint with a supportive boot on her foot at the end of winter.  After worrying mom by limping around on the side of her foot, we had an x-ray taken.  She wore the boot for 7-10 days and eventually stopped the awkward stride.
Tessa with cousins Beth and Ruth.  We live very close to two of my sisters and often do "kid swaps."
More cousin time!  Beckah is introducing her willing subject to the fine art of makeup. 

Tessa loves being a girl and also she also loves keeping up with the boys.  She looks forward to wearing her "princess dresses" on Sunday and she'll choose a skirt any day of the week.  But she can also race on bikes or build a great "airplane" out of legos with her brothers. Tessa is usually a good little momma's helper and looks forward to meeting the baby in my tummy. 


Michael and Jordan are very social just like their sister.  They love family outings with mom and dad or Grandpas and Grandmas.  And they LOVE time with cousins and friends. 
They like to share their interests with others.  They remember all the details of things they learn.  Michael is one of those boys who knows all the ins and outs of the Star Wars ships and characters.  The boys plan rescue missions and spy missions together.  More often than not, Michael is the lead.  At the library, Michael will chose an adventure book and Jordan finds the non-fiction books about animals.  Jordan loved reading Riki-Tiki-Tavi and Dr. Doolittle together with the family recently.  He also loves expressing his ideas and will corner anyone who will listen.

My pregnancy continued to progress well through the second trimester, and I worked to keep up with the business of family life.  I enjoyed playing the piano for church meetings and picking up a new book as often as possible.  One topic I decided to learn about is using essential oils as natural medicine.  After being introduced to natural remedies by several friends, I decided to try them in our home for everyday concerns like sore throats and upset stomachs.  Knowledge is power and I'm grateful to learn about options for taking care of needs in our family.       

Jared's biggest news this spring was a job change to a law group in Draper.  He learned to excel quickly helping people with problems paying their mortgages.  He makes efforts to grow professionally and contribute in his fields of interests.

Activities with Grandpa

Salt Lake Bees Game with Grandpa!  My dad often has great ideas to turn a free moment into something fun.  On one of his afternoons off of work, he invited all his local grand-kids over for storytelling, music, art and cookies.       

In late May we watched the solar ellipse with Grandpa.  We didn't make the trek to Southern Utah for peak viewing, but our vantage point in Salt Lake was pretty impressive with most of the sun covered by the moon. 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

New Arrivals and Almost

Baby Nessa (Vanessa) arrived a month ago.  We visited with her again yesterday!  Here she is with mom and Grandma.
** Announcement **  Here is OUR baby girl, yet unnamed.  She is on her way to enter our family around September 7!! 
We also said goodbye to our trusty old Suzuki and welcomed a family van.  :)

Easter and Spring Fling


To put it mildly, we relished Spring this year.  I have probably alluded to this before, but the warmth and out-of-doors was very welcome after our first winter back in Utah. 

We managed to get kites up with friends at the park.




Michael has been reading Calvin and Hobbes.  The hill at this park was his adventure inspired by the comic....
Lots of fun with the wagon and bikes now....
Before Conference we made a field trip downtown to the Conference Center and the Beehive House.
Grandpa Clark got some baby chicks! 


Tessa is big enough this year to LOVE Easter egg hunts!  

Tessa loved to sing about the beautiful trees where we live, "Popcorn Popping."
I made it into the impromptu photo shoot before Easter dinner too!  What a wonderful season of rebirth and renewal.

March Birthdays

We got to celebrate lots of birthdays in March and April!  Here are just a few photos.  Jared is one year older and wiser too.   
Princess Tea Parties are a must for cousin Ella!  :)


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Winter Field Trips


Winter(and Spring) are about over and we are emerging into warmer days.  Some photos and posts seem to have stockpiled from the last several months.
Here are a few notes from a few of the times we broke free of winter hibernation and explored some fun areas.

We enjoyed free days at the zoo, aviary and aquarium....
  
 
The story with this photo is that the boys go to a coop once a week called Quest, and they are in the Otter group!


We loved this little hands-on community museum in South Jordan! 
Jordan hung up the laundry to dry.

Natural History Museum free day...yes there is a blessed theme here with free

Here is my attempt to get a self portrait (reflection).  Michael and I tried an afternoon of skiing.  Even though he fell every few yards down the mountain, I was sore the next day and he didn't feel a thing.  It was great fun though and so beautiful!  


Michael and I enjoyed a presentation for school-age kids by the Utah Symphony.