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Summer 2012 coming to a close

We have been keeping busy this summer!  We go to the pool a lot, the library, and every Friday morning we are volunteering at Pioneer Farms (A living history Park).  Our role there is to feed the animals.  It's a pretty big job but we enjoy it so much! Especially Peanut Butter the cat, the chickens, and just being out there in"the country" (in the middle of Austin).
We are officially in week 6 of school and so far its going well.  I am following a Mother of Divine Grace syllabus written by someone with more experience than me so that gives me confidence.  I have read a book by her and liked her ideas about classical curriculum and it is a Catholic curriculum.  Meaning we read books about saints during our "literature" time (sometimes) and do a craft or two.  Alexandra is progressing well, and I find it is a good motivator for her to focus on our lesson that we won't be going out or playing till we are done.
We are still enjoying our reading time together even though the summer reading program is over :). 

Also we had a shower at the end of July for my brother and his fiance. 
Our good friends have moved to California, so we had a nice visit with them before they left and got to spend some time with Kinsley.

This fall should be quite busy so I'm glad we went ahead and began school.  Sept 10 I will begin teaching Kindermusik Wednesday mornings and both the girls will take Kindermusik on Tuesdays.  Alexandra will be taking Young Child 1 - where she will learn to play the glockenspiel and begin reading music!!!
Also I am hoping to put her in soccer and maybe American Heritage Girls too... that might be too much... so we'll see.
So soon we will have many updates to make. I hope I remember my camera!

Portraits Summer 2012

Boy I am good at creative titles, eh?

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.