Update and Alexandra's 5th Birthday Party

This is the girls Kindergym recital on Mother's Day.  They were so sweet.

Wow time flies when you are having fun!  If you follow me on Facebook you will see many pics and updates but i haven't made it over here to update.

May was the end of Preschool at St. Margaret Mary's and graduation :)

David and I also attended a Catholic Homeschool Conference in San Antonio which proved to be very encouraging and enlightening while the girls got to spend a couple of days with Grandmommy and Grandad.We spent the first week of June at the pool and reading to get prizes at the library Summer reading program.  

Then the second week at VBS.  Then we were blessed to have Daddy stay home with us for a few days.  Then we went to South Padre the last week in June.

Then on July 4th David's parents came for Alexandra's 5th birthday event!!!

Wednesday was the big 4th of July celebration in our neighborhood where we went swimming, got treats, a tattoo, and played in the bouncy house.  Thursday we met Daddy for lunch downtown and went to the pool.  Friday we went to Pioneer Farms to feed the animals (now a weekly commitment)  went to the movies to see Brave and then to County Line for Alexandra's favorite- ribs of the bone (beef ribs).  She and Hannah also enjoy the turtles .

Saturday was the big birthday party.  It was at my parent's pool so everyone swam for a while then we went in for pizza and cake (as well as crudites and Caesar salad).  

What a turn out!  We had 5 aunts and uncles, 1 girlfriend, 1 fiance, a great aunt and and great uncle, 1 cousin, 2 second cousins, 4 grandparents, 10 friends, 1 sister and 2 parents.  It was great!  

And Alexandra had a wonderful time.

Since she is now 5 we decided to go ahead and start our homeschooling curriculum.  We are using the Mother of Divine Grace Kindergarten Curriculum this year.  She will be learning poetry, reading, writing, counting adding, art, and of course... music!  And lot's of reading- her to me and me to her.  So far she is loving it, 3 days :).  She wakes me up first thing in the morning, "Get up, Mom, it's time for school!"

I am hoping to either finish the first 8 weeks of school then take 4 weeks off, or do 16 weeks then take off all of November and December.  We'll see how we feel in September :)  It may be too nice to stay in, or we may be on a roll and want to just keep going.  

After our first day of school, Alexandra told Daddy we had snack time and there were two Bibles.  Well, that was true but she left out a lot!

Also just so you know, she is reading (up to book 8 of Bob books :)) and writing well (more cofortable with uppercase than lower) and knows all her numbers to 20 and can do some basic adding.  She enjoys working on work books!  I don't know how long it will last but we have been doing workbooks since January and she still likes it! :)  You should see her with scissors!  She likes to color My Little Ponies and cut them out :)  Ok, enough bragging :)  I am proud of my little five year old kindergardener.

Alexandra's Art Gallery

Many afternoons during Hannah's nap time I will let Alexandra do some freestyle art.  I just give her the paper and pastels or paint (or colors and pages) and she does her thing.  Here are some things she has done and her explanations.

This one was for her friend Samantha. It's a flower. This was created with pastels.

 This one is pastels too.  A flower mountain she says.

For her friend Anastasia, she would think it looks funny.  There is a happy crown and a happy bear.  There is a red and yellow sun.  And many moons. There is also a brown butterfly.  This one was painted.

Pastels.  A birthday pie cake.

Pastels the rainbow.

 Pastels flowers.

Coloring :)

THis is a picture of our family with our ages and a big sun. ( Mine says 92 instead of 29).

 Painting of a dolphin that eats fish and penguins.

 I can't figure out how to turn this.  This is a beach.  The happy faces are Jesus Samantha and God.

Alexandra made at school.  She says this is the state flower.

Hannah's coloring.

Hannah's coloring.

 This is a different kind of moon. It's a beach.

Painted hearts says I love Jaclyn.

Alexandra catching a butterfly.

This one she made at school.

Field of Flowers Day 2012

This has been a really nice tradition for our family.  We have gone 3 times.  Once in 2010 when Samantha had just passed away.  Then again in 2011 when Hannah was 1 and now 2012 at two years.  It is really special for us to get some family photos where I feel like we are really all together in a special way.
This photographer was generous enough to offer to take pictures for free!

Alexandra's First Recital Star Steppers Spring Show

Alexandra got to perform with the Star Steppers at their Spring Show. It was so much fun to see her on stage and as you can see I think she had a wonderful time.
I have been updating much more to facebook than to the blog lately, so I will try to figure out how to connect them so those pics will go here too.
Enjoy the video! Just in case you can't tell, Alexandra is the one to the far left in the turquoise shirt.

Easter 2012

First the Easter Egg Hunt at Alexandra's school.  Here are the girls with Ms. Karen.  They both love her!  I think it helps that she gives Hannah candy ever Thursday afternoon :)

 

Thursday evening we traveled with my parents to Plano to see my sister.  You may recognize this picture from the video on FB.  Friday we had a nice lunch with my good friend and her kids.  Then My mom and sister and I got to have a lovely time at church while dad watched the girls. Dad let the girls play in some containers full of water and later that evening Kinsley jumped in with her clothes on!

Friday David joined us and Saturday we got to go to a nice Easter festival and egg hunt at the church where Kinsley goes to school.  It was lovely!

Then we had a nice picnic at the park and snapped some family photos.  Then the girls enjoyed posing.

Then it was time to swim in the new pool Grandmommy got the grandkids.

Easter Sunday was a beautiful mass at All Saints Church with an orchestra and full choir!  I got lucky and Hannah actually fell asleep :)  Then it was going to rain so we got some quick blubonnet pictures and headed home for egg hunting (3rd for Xandra and 4th for Hannah) they were pros!

Happy Easter to all!

Star Steppers Dance Clinic

Our babysitter Autumn is a dance at Vista Ridge and invited us to this wonderful dance clinic.  Alexandra had a wonderful time and I was a little teary eyed seeing my baby's first dance performance!  She started Kindergym a few weeks ago and she will hopefully get to perform in a recital with them in May.  Hannah is in her class too and seems to enjoy it very much.  I will try to post the video of her dance but there are some technical difficulties.