First day of Gymnastics

Oiy, I am weeks behind on blogging!

School is going well for the girls - one month in already.

More pics to come later on that.

Well, we had our first day of gymnastics for both girls this week.

They LOVED it.

 Eliz is fearless on the equipment.

 Parachute fun!

They spent a lot of time hanging up side down with legs in a straddle position 

(which is not the most photo-friendly), so I won't include those.  :)

It was a fun week!

In full swing

We finished up our second week of Kindergarten and Preschool - and it feels great!  The girls are enjoying school time and we are moving right along in their curriculum.  Because I am not using a boxed program like many others, where it's all planned out for you, it has taken many hours to pull together thematic units and pieces from several curricula to tailor a fun, hands-on and creative program for the kids.  It is definitely not the easy road to homeschooling, and so I end up spending more hours than most putting it all together.  But it works and they love it, and it is worth it all in the end.

Five in A Row and Before Five in A Row - our main literature source and basis for extra activities including science, drama, art, social studies, etc.
Explode the Code Book 1 for phonics practice, along with Jolly Phonics and Don Potter's Word Mastery.
Handwriting without Tears for Elizabeth.  
Learn-at-Home Kindergarten for Emilie - handwriting, science, math, social studies supplement
Montessori Math Manipulatives and RightStart Math A for Emilie; Rod & Staff Counting with Numbers
Confessions of a Homeschooler's K printables for thematic units, as well as other websites
Leading Little Ones to God, The Big Picture Storybook Bible, Arch Book Bible stories
Memoria Press Kindergarten Recitation/Memory Work and music selections for Emilie 
Keyboard Capers (Music theory for children) - we'll see how this works.
Rod&Staff Preschool Series for Elizabeth

We'll also be doing our homeschooling co-op on Mondays, Community Bible Study on Thursdays, Gymnastics on Wednesdays, and Soccer on Tuesdays.  And possibly Korean School in the fall on Saturday mornings for Emilie.  It will be a full semester and will zip by.  I'm excited.

Hyperemesis

After going to the ER last night for uncontrolled vomiting, dehydration and gastritis, I am so worried this is going to escalate into something far worse and I'll wind up admitted in the hospital.  This baby is kicking my butt.  But today, I came across this verse, twice.  

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?

² 

My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ 

He will not let your foot slip—

    he who watches over you will not slumber;

⁴ 

indeed, he who watches over Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

Yes, because I feel like I am in a pit, on the valley floor, 

helpless and hopeless.

But He reminds me that I am not alone.

Twice in one day.

My Help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

There is nothing He cannot do.

Amen!

Butterfly Exhibit: Wings of Fancy

We made it to the Brookside Gardens Butterfly Exhibit this morning.

Wow!  We were in for a real treat!  Hundreds of exotic, huge, gorgeous butterflies

flying all around you in a greenhouse of flowers.  It was a sight to behold.

We entered through the Caterpillar House

to see the butterfly in various stages

(as eggs on a leaf, as a caterpillar, as a chrysalid).

 Then we walked into the butterfly greenhouse and were surrounded by

the most beautiful, brightest blue butterflies I had ever seen.

They were constantly flying so unfortunately, I couldn't get them on film.  :(
I believe those blue morphos live in the rain forests of
South America.

 But there were so many kinds of butterflies feeding on different flowers -

and even on bananas and grapes which had been laid out for them.

 These butterflies were imported from Costa Rica,

Europe, Asia, and South America.

 And we saw some familiar ones too.

 The girls were ooohing and ahhhing the entire time.

I am always amazed at the variety of designs God came up with!

Then again, I really shouldn't be surprised when I consider the billions of unique 

people on this earth - no two alike - with billions of unique fingerprints, etc etc.

There is no limit to God's creativity.

He is infinite in every way -- infinite love, infinite wisdom, infinite power, and 

infinitely and beautifully creative Himself.

 The girls and kids got to hold some dead butterflies (sad)

as well.

 Love the blue spot on this one.

 This beautiful butterfly is called the OWL Butterfly,

and is from Costa Rica (that eye does look like the eye

of an owl, doesn't it?).

 We snacked in the gorgeous flower gardens

and rested in the shade of the gazebo.

It was hot outside, and the girls are tired out here.

But what an unforgettable morning it was!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband and the best father ever!

He took the kids today after church to the local pool...

gave me a chance to relax and have a break....

He's been so amazing since I've been unable to do what I usually do around here...

taking care of the kids, helping with dishes, laundry, vacuuming...

super dad!

I appreciate and love you so much.

Happy Father's Day babys!

She's reading!

Emilie has been reading a few short stories the last few days!  Granted they are Bob-type stories (The fat cat Nat sat on a mat.) but reading is reading!  Something just clicked and she has been excitedly pouring through her reader every night.  I don't even tell her to practice, she just brings it to me.  :)  It was super affirming for both of us, that after 5 or 6 months of doing light phonics work with her, she learned to read.  I guess I must be doing something right, HAHA!  :P  And to have this happen during a month when I've been bed-ridden and we've done very little formal school work, has been extra rewarding....

eliz

eliz.  my little eccentric, adorable, sweet little girl!  

love her so much.