The Girlies of Mt. Hope

sweet moments to remember

2011-12-02T22:14:00.001-08:00

Courtney is such a sweet and tender hearted little girl. When I tuck her in at night she is usually on the verge of tears. She tries to hide her face in the pillow but I can tell she's crying. She tells me that she misses me when she sleeps. How precious is that? She melts my heart.

november highlights

2011-11-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

November started out with strep for Caroline. We figured it would make its rounds through the house but she was the only one that tested positive even though a few of us felt horrible as well.

She missed a few days of school because of but she did get a lot of reading and math facts done.

Claire with some friends at our Classical Conversations group. We are enjoying this community so much and are so grateful that we were able to participate.

Caroline has taken over with the breadsticks. It's one of her favorite recipes so I've passed it along to her. I love working in the kitchen with this little sweetheart.

Claire doing math in her jammies. She and Courtney were working with nickels and pennies today. They caught on so quickly and wanted to do more than one lesson.

Calista loves her sentence diagramming! I don't remember learning much of this when I was young so I'm learning right along with her.

We had a fun field trip to a roller rink. The girls have all skated before but none had been to a roller rink. They had a blast and begged to return soon!

Someone lost her first tooth! Claire had been telling every friend and stranger on the street about her wiggly tooth. It finally came out in ballet class. today She said she felt it sitting in her cheek while she was dancing. Such excitement! Now she shows everyone her cute smile with a missing tooth.

2011-10-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

The girls have begged us every year to dress up with them. We finally did it!
The background doesn't look much like Walnut Grove but here we are as the Ingalls Family.

where did october go?

2011-10-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

October Highlights...

Enjoying the October sunshine :)

My sweet little kindergarteners sharing their schoolwork.

Cousin Karleigh's gymnastics birthday party!

Soccer and P.E. games with friends

Crazy hat night at Awana

Gymnastics class

The highlight of the month was a day we spent at FairyTale Town. Walking the 'Crooked Mile' was their favorite.

september

2011-09-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

We started school right after Labor Day. We joined Classical Conversations and have been enjoying it tremendously. Our schedule feels really hectic (still) with all of the activities we have this year but the girls are having fun and learning so much.

Our group met over the summer and tie-dyed these shirts with our logo. It wasn't exactly what the girls wanted to wear on their first day but they got over it quickly. They loved having new backpacks and lunch boxes.

Calista has a much heavier load in school this year... in math, writing and grammar. She is definitely rising to the occasion and I'm so proud of her. She has oral presentations each week and works hard at preparing for them. Actually, all of the girls do and it's been a treat to watch their confidence and skill blossom.

My little babies are kindergarteners. How did that happen?! I'm doing My Father's World Kinder with them (as I did with Caroline). I was going to take them through FIAR but decided since I already had MFW K ready to go, I didn't need to do something different. Simplify, right? I loved it when I went through it with Caroline and there were so many special memories made with that curriculum.

The girls have been singing in the children's choir at church recently and this was taken during their first Sunday of singing. I loved this photo of the twins singing their 'shared' solo and Caroline's expression. So sweet!

Knowing that September held the last of the swim days above 90 degrees, we took advantage of every free afternoon. We worked non-stop in the mornings and then met our friends at the pool whenever we could. September went by in a flash as we grew into our new weekly routine.

catching up: summer fun

2011-09-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had an incredibly relaxing and enjoyable summer! In fact, it was so relaxed that it was more difficult than ever to transition into fall. Summer is, by far, my favorite season! Here are some highlights:

Most of our days were spent in the water.

Courtney and Claire turned 5!

Vacation Bible School

Visiting with cousins

and more cousins

Calista turned 10 this summer! Here she is in her summer acting workshop.

Capitola...the highlight of every summer!

We stayed one extra day in Capitola this year because there were so many tears when it was time to go home.

At the start of the summer Courtney and Claire surprised us when they took off their life jackets and just started swimming! We were amazed :)

The club pool was our main hangout this summer. We spent most of our days there with our good friends from next door. Summer ended but we knew we'd have pool days through most of October. It was a wonderful summer!

Project Life Tuesday

2011-06-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 6th: We made a double batch of chewy granola bars this week. I'm really working at having healthy snacks available.

Tuesday, June 7th: It's always a fun day when a trip to Target is in the plan. The girls had a gift card from Target and they chose the Barbie Bride and Ariel. Caroline is saving her gift card for another doll that she really wants.

Wednesday, July 8th: It's our last day of pet-sitting. Our friends are returning home and coming for their sweet dog. It's been a wonderful experience for all of us and we look forward to having our own someday.

Thursday, June 9th: Caroline wants to be a ballet teacher one day. She has been telling us this for a few years now. She wants to have her own studio and hire Courtney and Claire to teach as well. Lessons have been going well :)

Friday, June 10th: Calista has been at the theater all week, all day long, rehearsing for her upcoming play. The performances started on Saturday and run for a little over one week. She is such a trooper with the long hours. She loves it and I'm sure that's what makes the difference. The cast is amazing and so is her director. We are so proud of you Calista.

Another big even today was the Ironman contest at church. Ken was one of the contestants even though I'm not sure he knew what he was getting himself into. The men had to wear the clothing that their sponsors provided while they competed in ironing, vacuuming and washing windows. This was a fundraiser for the missions trip to Shonto.

Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12th: lip rolls? Part of the cast's warm up exercises. Today (Saturday) was the first day of performances. Calista was a little nervous but more excited. She was walking around the dressing room doing her lip roll exercises.

'From Orphan to Queen,,,the Story of Esther'

They had 2 performances on Saturday and one on Sunday. What an amazing experience this has been for her (and for us).

Project Life Tuesday

2011-06-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 30: This week is really all about a sweet, sweet dog. It was difficult to find anything to photograph this week that didn't include this good boy. We were so grateful when our friends asked us to pet-sit. It really gave us a chance to see what life with a dog would be like. The girls were wonderful with him and barely ever let him rest.

Tuesday, May 31: It was especially wonderful to see Caroline take to him because she is so uncomfortable (petrified really) around dogs. Definitely a blessing!

Wednesday, June 1: This was our last week of school. It was so much more motivating to get our work done with a sweet doggy sleeping under the school table.

Thursday, June 2: Our streets were being sealed this week so we had to park a few blocks away. When we needed to get to our car these little golf carts were available to give us a ride. The girls wanted to ride around all day with Ms. Heather. They even begged to take the dog in the cart.

Calista made this cute shirt in her sewing class today. We spent the rest of the day outside rollerskating and waiting to see daddy drive up in a golf cart.

Friday, June 2nd: True Love!!!

Saturday, June 3rd: The little girls are loving the Knuffle Bunny books again lately. They laugh so hard at the story and the illustrations.

Sunday, June 4th: It was a rainy Sunday and a perfect time for a movie. Calista and Ken were spending the day at the theater setting up for Calista's upcoming play. The girls decided to watch "Tangled',,,,, again,

Project Life Tuesday

2011-05-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 23rd: We're nearing the end of the school year and our curriculum. We 'flew' to Australia today and the girls worked on their sticker books and notebook pages.

Tuesday, May 24th: Last day of art class and a few photos of the girls in their classes.

Wednesday, May 25th: We had our last day of gymnastics today. They really don't want to stop but it will make it that much more exciting to start again in the fall. It was pouring rain as we ran out to the car so we decided to head home for a movie and popcorn. Here they are sitting on the counter waiting for their popcorn.

Thursday, May 26th: I asked the girls to find their own spot for quiet time, away from anyone else (vs assigning them a spot) and Courtney went outside. She set herself up quite nicely with some books and a small blanket. I couldn't find her at first but then smiled when I saw her out the back window. She said she wanted some fresh air. :)

Friday, May 27th: My cousin from Massachusetts came to visit this weekend. It was so fun to see her and spend some time with her. It's always like no time has passed when I'm with her. The girls adore her too.

Saturday, May 28th: We had another visitor, Collins, arrive yesterday as well. The girls have been so excited for this opportunity to pet sit our friends' dog. He is the sweetest ever and Caroline is not even afraid of him. She's usually petrified of dogs. It's a good chance to see what having a dog would be like in our home right now. He's such a good boy that it just doesn't seem difficult at all. Someday :)

It also poured rain, again today. It's such crazy weather. I need to remember not to pack all of the winter clothes away so soon. We had planned on BBQ-ing today and we obviously had our heart set on it.

Sunday, May 29th: The girls were all excited to wear their prairie dresses today since it was a bit cool outside. The sun was in their faces so it was a horrible picture but I just loved Calista's expression.

Project Life Tuesday

2011-05-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 16: Our dear friend, Anne, stopped by for a visit. It was so wonderful to see her and it absolutely made my day. She lives far from us now but we hope to visit her over the summer.

Tuesday, May 17: We're finally having regular date nights, thanks to some friends. Tonight was our turn to watch their girls while they went on a date. The girls had dinner, played a fun game of Zingo and then settled in for a movie.

Wednesday, May 18: Calista had her first official babysitting job. I was home with her and the other girls but it was her job to watch her sweet little friend while her mommy went to the dentist. She told me after that it was actually a little more work than she had expected.

Thursday, May 19: Claire and her sweet drawings. I have quite a dress on in her drawing! Love my tiny waist though :)

Friday, May 20: Such an exciting day! Caroline decided she was ready to read the American Girls Molly book. She really wants the Molly doll and Calista told her she had to read the books in order to earn the doll. That's what we decided with her a few years ago and she didn't forget. Great motivation for Caroline as she spent hours reading today.

Saturday, May 21: The girls wanted to make some brownies for daddy's welcome home treat. He has been gone all week long and they are eager for him to return.

Sunday, May 22: This afternoon we went to a graduation BBQ for the youth group at church. They had recently built a sand volleyball court which everyone was enjoying. The girls spent the whole time playing in the sand with friends.

If you want to see more Project Life photos click on the badge below and visit Jessica Turner's blog, The Mom Creative. Each week readers link up to their Project Life photos and journaling.

The Ministry of Motherhood Book Club

2011-05-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be participating in The Ministry of Motherhood Summer Book Club at Good Morning Girls. There is a reading plan for the book by Sally Clarkson and a schedule for the scripture reading as well. The documents are available for download here. Last I read there were about 140 Good Morning Girls groups formed. There is still time to jump in as we haven't started the book yet. This week we've focused on five different passages using the S.O.A.P method.

S.O.A.P stands for the following:

"S" - reading/writing the scripture.
"O" - writing down observations about the scripture that was read. What might He be telling you with this scripture?
"A" - how does this passage apply to you right now.
"P" - write down a prayer and ask God to help apply this to your life. Tell Him what is on your heart.

I've had the book for a few years now and have been hoping to read it. This book club will help me finally do just that. I'm looking forward to the next 12 weeks of study with the focus on scripture geared to strengthen and grow as a mother.

preschool and trays

2011-05-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Courtney and Claire love playing dress-up and dolls so much lately that they aren't as eager to do school as they used to be. I don't push it very much since play is so important but I still keep their trays filled with interesting activities. Art projects, math and anything with water seem to be their favorites. I'm going to switch them to workboxes next year for kindergarten. The trays have been wonderful but I think they're ready for the workboxes now.

piano recital

2011-05-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Calista and Caroline had their piano recital this week. They were so excited to perform and did beautifully.

They have been so dedicated in their lessons and practice this year and I credit their teacher with a lot of it. They adore her and really enjoy learning from her. She has such a loving and gentle teaching style.

The girls will continue with piano throughout the summer. We'll just go every other week instead to lighten it up a bit. The twins love going to piano lessons because it's their time to work on their favorite "waiting" sticker books.

spring dresses and sunshine

2011-05-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

We're so happy to have the spring dresses come out of the tubs. Claire immediately asked for her pink skirt and shirt combo. Luckily it still fits! Courtney and Caroline found their new favorites for the season. I may as well leave all of the shorts in the tub because they'll barely touch them all summer. I'm so grateful for hand-me-downs!

courtney's drawing books

2011-05-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

We set up another little table in the school room. I was really trying to get it out of my room and had no where else to put it. This great coffee table has become a wonderful project table. It started off with puzzles and now it's just for drawing. We keep some drawing books there and Courtney has really taken to them. She has been following the steps to create her own masterpieces.

I find her there so often now, quietly drawing. I later find the drawings taped to my bedroom wall. Her pictures make me smile. :)

full weekends

2011-05-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was full and fun for the girls. In the morning I took the twins and Caroline to a tea party for their friends' (sisters) birthday. It was so sweetly set up with adorable tea sets all over. The girls had their plates filled with jelly beans and drank gallons of tea.

Towards the end of that party we were off to the Ladies Tea at church. It was Calista's first Ladies Tea and she was super excited. She did so well and it was such a joy to have her there with me. Ken's mom was in town visiting so she joined us.

We ended the weekend with Awana Awards Night. It was a fun evening recognizing the kids and the leaders that make Awana happen. It's such a great program and we're so grateful for the opportunity to have our girls involved. It was a little sad for us to have our last little Cubbies graduate. Courtney and Claire will be Sparks next year with Caroline. Pretty amazing really.

After Awana the girls love playing with their friends on the grass. It's the same thing they do after church on Sunday. I always laugh with Ken about how many hours I've spent over the years watching the kids play on this grass. I loved this picture of the girls taking a break from their game of chase.

big girls, not babies

2011-04-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

These little girls are growing at lightning speed! How is it that they want to rollerskate already? Big sister influence is a real thing. It's cute that Caroline still calls them babies when she's addressing both of them. Only lately have they corrected her. "We're big girls, not babies!" They are still so loving and cuddly that I can't help but call them babies as well.

spring break and Easter Sunday

2011-04-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

This was our spring break week also but we kept on schooling a little bit. We had fallen behind during our sick weeks so it helped to have this time. By the end of the week we decided to take Thursday and Friday off for some fun.

Calista made some mini-birthday cakes to celebrate her dolls' birthdays. They all have birthdays in May and early June so she combined it into one big party. :)

Inspired by a friend, we made this cute topiary craft.

After attending the Good Friday service at church.

Making resurrection rolls.

Easter Sunday at church.

sutter's fort

2011-04-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

We went to a living history day at Sutter's Fort. It was such a wonderful experience for all of us. We saw many friends there and learned so much by taking part in the activities.

The docents were dressed and speaking as historical characters from 1846, the year California became a U.S. territory.

Calista purchasing land

Caroline attended school

The girls made corn husk dolls

Calista grinding acorns

more april happenings

2011-04-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

We're learning how to crochet. Caroline was really wanting to learn so we all decided to do it. It's been so much fun and I'm so glad she encouraged us.

We've had some very sweet and special conversations lately. She is such a tender-hearted little girl. I especially loved this photo of her.

We've been playing outside a lot more now since the weather is nice. Our neighbors have little girls too so it's been really fun. When Ken gets home they all beg him to play chase. They love it!

We decided to go for a drive to find a hiking trail we'd read about. After about an hour of driving we arrived at the dirt road that took us to the trail. Unfortunately it was covered in snow and we couldn't get there. We were definitely not dressed for a hike in the snow.

awana grand prix weekend

2011-04-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

It was finally the day for the Awana Grand Prix! The girls had their cars ready and for the first time, Courtney and Claire were in the race. Ken was able to convince them to put a few racing stickers on their cars but for the most part they were painted in sweet colors with flowers and polkadots.

Their cars all did very well and it was so exciting to watch. Courtney's car placed 2nd in the Cubbies race and boy was she surprised! She was a little overwhelmed with the award ceremony and scared to go onstage. Daddy helped.

But as soon as she was off the stage, and for the next few days, all she spoke of was her 2nd place trophy. She came home and rearranged her nightstand so it would have a prominent place. She is so adorable!

caroline's birthday

2011-04-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

Caroline celebrated her 7th birthday at her gymnastics studio with about 13 other little girls. She was so excited about her party and counted down the days on her calendar. She was all smiles and laughter the entire time.

Her birthday gift from us was something she had wanted for a long time. It was a heart locket with a cross on the front. We were so glad to find one even though it arrived a few days later. Lucky for her it just made her birthday last longer. Happy Birthday to my sweet Caroline.

where have we been?

2011-04-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

The past few months have flown by! While I haven't been posting my Project Life on our blog, I continue to do it here at home in the album. Still loving it :)

We've had 2 months filled with illnesses, changes, new classes and new routines. The girls adore their classes and I'm so thankful for those opportunities. We spend so much more time in the car now but we've found a way to make it work. Here are a few photos from the past several weeks.

We had a little snow.

and many illnesses for many weeks.

We learned how to build a town with Legos (well, Ken did most of it).

We ran to the mailbox each time a new "Little House on the Prairie" arrived. We're in season 5 now.

We made some time for crafts most days.

Caroline certainly never missed art class! She says she wants to be in this class forever :)

We also got a lot of extra learning done to make up for our sick weeks.

It did seem as if we'd never get back on track but I'm definitely seeing the light.

busy, busy january

2011-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

I remember people telling me that as the girls got older I'd spend more and more time in the car. It's happening. As soon as we turned the corner into 2011 our weekly routine changed completely. We've added gymnastics, ballet, preschool story time at the library and a sewing class for Calista. Soon, the children's play at church will start as well as an acting class. Luckily, most are in the afternoon so we can get our schooling done in the morning. It's been so much fun to see Courtney and Claire in their own activities now too. Seriously, how is time moving so quickly?

Preschool Story and Craft Time at the library for Courtney and Claire. We do this weekly.

The dentist! All four girls had their check up as I skipped back and forth trying to get the dental scoop on each one with the dentists.

They were each lying on their own chair, with headphones, watching a movie. I don't remember my dentist having movies on the ceiling when I was a kid. Such fun :) The not-so-fun part was when they informed me that all 4 would need braces eventually. Ouch!

Another fun thing we did this month was make cinnamon rolls. Boy were they good! I never realized how much sugar and butter they took. Definitely an occasional treat. I wish I would have photographed them out of the oven. Oh so yummy!

We had so much cold and fog this month that if there was ever a sunny day, we were outside. We didn't last too long because there was a definite chill but I so longed for sunshine.

I'm still keeping up with Project Life, although not here on the blog so much. I've made a purposeful cut in the amount of time I spend both writing and reading blogs. Even though I did it mostly in the evening when the kids were asleep I still felt like I needed to cut back. Plus, I missed reading books and my stack was growing. I have more time to read now and that's exactly what I've been doing.

our january days so far

2011-01-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

We've had some cold January days so far. The girls keep thinking it's about to snow and I barely want to go outside. I love snuggling by the fire with the girls, a good book and some tea but I'm basically ready for summer.

We've had a few changes already this year, some good and some sad. The good news is that Ken started his new job. He no longer leaves the house at 4:30 in the morning which is great for him. So we've just been adjusting to new routines and learning to be quiet when he is working from home. That's been interesting!

The sad change is that a dear friend of ours will be moving. She has been such a constant in our lives and all of us will miss her terribly. I learned so much from her and truly appreciated our friendship. I'm really sad.

As for Project Life.....

I'm changing my approach. I will not be posting the 'picture of the day' anymore. I'm going to post some favorites and see how it goes. I have my Project Life album and am working directly on that. Doing al the journaling on the blog and the album was taking too much time and I kept falling behind. I love the album and how I can include so much in it. Becky Higgins has some great links and ideas on her site. There are so many creative ways to approach this project and her blog is very inspiring.

Here are some highlights from our January days so far.

Preschool with Courtney and Claire --- pretending to be Katy No Pocket (the kangaroo).

This is how Ken reacts when he wins at Zingo.

Daddy reading 'Cinderella' to his princesses.

Calista and I went to the Sewing Bee at the library. We learned how to make pillow case dresses to distribute to children around the world. This was through the Dress a Girl Around the World. Calista buddied up with the ladies who really knew how to sew and got to work.

The usual baking photo......chewy granola bars.

As a special Christmas gift from relatives, the girls are all in gymnastics for the rest of the winter and some of the spring months. It's a great activity for them and we're all very excited about it.

A fun play-date with our friends :)

Project Life 2011

2011-01-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

My Project Life kit arrived and I love, love, love it! This will be my 3rd year and I'm just as excited as ever to document our days. I will be doing it somewhat differently this year in hopes of not falling behind on the journaling. That definitely happened more this past year and now I'm spending a lot of time copying my 2010 blog entries onto the album's journaling cards. I could go digital but I really like the actual album to keep ticket stubs, sweet notes, receipts etc. I also want to add extra pages when I have more to include.

Becky Higgins and her Project Life have helped me simplify so much in scrapbooking. I still love making the special pages but when that just isn't happening, I know I'm still capturing the memories.

Day 365

2010-12-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

Pizza, cake, horns and some fun music. We counted down at 8 o'clock and then put our tired girls to bed.

Happy New Year :)

Day 344 - gingerbread houses

2010-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

We made gingerbread houses with our homeschool group today. This year we made the houses out of gingerbread instead of graham crackers. I loved doing it this way and it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. I loved watching Courtney with her red-green pattern of gum drops. I had to search out for more because she needed to complete it. Claire wasn't as particular. She and Caroline ate more than they decorated.

Calista was much more into decorating (vs eating) this year. She told her sisters that it happens as you get older. Last Christmas she was 8 years old so she ate more candy.

One of the moms told the story of Jesus' birth and we had a birthday party for Jesus. I love this sweet shot of Caroline and the twins at story time. It was a fun, fun day for the girls.

Day 341 - anne and calista

2010-12-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Calista's time with Anne lately has been all about Christmas gifts. With Anne's help, she has been sewing special things for each one of us and I can't wait to see what she's made.

Day 340 - courtney

2010-12-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Courtney and some of her favorites Christmas decorations.

Day 339 - twins' party

2010-12-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Our twins' group had a Christmas party today at a local bounce house. The girls had an absolute blast once the twins got over their fear.

Day 338 - bringing down the boxes

2010-12-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

I think this is one of Ken's least favorite daddy jobs. It's no easy task to bring the Christmas boxes down from the attic. The girls dance and squeal with each box they see and the decorating fun begins.

Day 336 - tea time

2010-12-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

Tea time is becoming a regular part of our schedule. We're learning more about tea etiquette and sampling some different types of tea. They always add an ice cube and a little almond milk just to cool it down. I'm so glad that we unpacked my box of tea cups and found a home in the kitchen for most of them. I think they enjoy this time as much as I do.

Day 328 - handprint craft

2010-11-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

The annual handprint turkey craft :)

Day 324 - calista and karleigh

2010-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

Karleigh came over for a visit today and Calista spent most of her time working with her on the trays. She really loves spending time with her little cousin.

Day 323 - thanksgiving feast at church

2010-11-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

It was a special evening of fellowship, praise and testimonies during our churches Thanksgiving Feast. I loved that the children were included. I love hearing their sweet conversation with their friends. The twins look like such big girls. Ken did a wonderful job speaking (he's reviewing his notes in the back) and I'll never forget Caroline standing on a chair singing and swaying to the worship music. It was a memorable evening and I'm so grateful for our church family.

Day 322 - rain expected tomorrow

2010-11-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

We were expecting rain for the next several days so we took soaked up some extra sunshine today.

Day 319 - dollhouse with daddy

2010-11-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

Day 316 - thanksgiving feast

2010-11-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Our homeschool co-op had a Thanksgiving Feast today. We did our best to dress as pilgrim girls and enjoyed trying the authentic Thanksgiving dishes like Indian Pudding, Venison and English Cheese Pie. After our meal we heard the Thanksgiving Story and had a sweet time of fellowship.

Day 315 - strep throat

2010-11-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

And I thought Courtney would get the stomach flu.....

Day 314 - stomach flu

2010-11-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Little Claire was hit with the stomach flu. The girls took good care of her and set up a little bed in the schoolroom so she wouldn't be alone. They read her books between lessons and did a great job cheering her up.

Day 312 - california history co-op

2010-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

History co-op day is always a favorite - especially for Calista. The little ones participated today as well and made some tortillas.

Day 310 - debuting my new bike

2010-11-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

It was actually new at the beginning of this year but I never got around to posting a picture of it. Ken decided to take it for a ride up and down the street just to make the girls laugh. I should suggest this as his new facebook photo.

They were laughing at first but once he let go of the handlebars they really went crazy.

"Hold on Daddy!"
"That's not safe! "
"Put Mommy's helmet on!"

They ran up and down the street after him and he loved it. Why does he love to rile them so?

Day 309 - veterans pick up day

2010-11-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Day 307 - science

2010-11-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been doing the same science curriculum with both girls since it was recommended and I thought it made sense to simplify like that. I've definitely been modifying it to Caroline's first grade level and she has done really well with it so far. I do think that after we complete this particular ecosystem that I am going to move her over to the first grade science curriculum. I think she'd have more fun and it would be more interesting for her. I also think the twins will also enjoy the experiments and books that go along with it.

Day 306 - proverbs and her new bible

2010-11-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Caroline recently got a new Bible. She has been going through it and highlighting all of the Proverbs that we've studied so far. It made me smile because it's not something I would have expected her to do. I think that between our curriculum, Bible Drill at church and Awana that she is getting comfortable with finding the books in the Bible. That's been very exciting for her. I love seeing her grow!

Day 305 - claire's roly poly

2010-11-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Courtney was upset because Claire wouldn't share her roly-poly. I know it's so serious to them but their expressions made me laugh (inside).

Day 304 - awana and costumes

2010-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

Awana fell on the 31st of October this year. The girls had fun dressing up for Cubbies and then collecting some candy from friends in the neighborhood.

Day 303 - half birthday

2010-10-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Caroline is 6 1/2 years old this month. Celebrating half birthdays is such a fun tradition and a great excuse to bake a cake. This is one of her favorite non-dairy chocolate cakes.

Day 302 - a birthday tea party

2010-10-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Caroline looked forward to her friend's birthday tea party all week long! I remember last year as we were leaving this same friend's party. Caroline was in tears because she didn't get to spend enough time with her special friend. This year the party was much smaller and much more comfortable for my sweet girl.

Day 299 - portuguese lessons

2010-10-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

I started teaching the girls Portuguese this year. Even though I grew up speaking only Portuguese at home I had never spent much time passing the language on to my girls. I don't think I've made it through many conversations with my dad without the usual, "You really should be teaching them to speak Portuguese." He was right but I often tried to get off the phone before the lecture started.

Well, with the help of my dad (of course) I now have this great Portuguese curriculum which the girls love. They get such a kick out of pronouncing some of the words and listening to the CDs. It's helping me brush up a little too since the lesson plans are all written in Portuguese. I'm so thankful for this gift and wish I would have listened a little sooner. Thanks Papi :)

Day 297 - piggie and elephant

2010-10-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this photo of Courtney and Claire for some time now. Piggie and Elephant books have been their absolute favorites for many, many months. They have a few of them at home and what they don't have they get from the library. We found these adorable Piggie and Elephant stuffed animals and decided to get them for their birthdays. Ever since it's been so much fun to watch them act out the Piggie and Elephant characters as they read. They have the books memorized and have special Piggie and Elephant voices. They don't do it every time they read so I have to remember to keep the video camera handy for moments like these.

Day 296 - dolls with tray time

2010-10-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

It all started with an activity tray Claire was doing for school. (It's the birthday cake on the purple tray) How silly of me to think anyone could have a birthday cake without a party.

Day 295 - keeping bedtime routines

2010-10-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

I used to be much better at keeping our bedtime reading routine. As they've gotten older and read on their own I've noticed how I've been letting that time slip away. The day is so busy that by the time I get them to bed I'm eager to get everything else done so I can go to bed too. Big mistake! I'll never get that time back and I'll always have more to do. I'm being purposeful about our reading time together and don't want to let this time slip away again.

Day 294 - caroline and math

2010-10-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to say that she loves it! She enjoys the lessons, the games and the new learning She is catching on so quickly and I am really proud of her. This was one of her previous lessons but she enjoyed sorting the cards again today.

Day 293 - room time with rody

2010-10-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

I may have already mentioned that I separate the girls throughout the house for 'room time'. The twins take turns in my room and today it was Courtney. I walked in to let her know it was over and this is what I saw...

The girls love this little red donkey (dog, horse ??) not sure really. His name is Rody and Grandma gave him to Caroline one year as a gift. He reappeared the other day (after a few years in a box) and he is ever so popular. The twins each have their day with Rody now because I got tired of setting the timer all day long. It works.

Day 292 - a california history field trip

2010-10-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

We met our homeschool group at the Carmet Mission for a docent led tour. This was planned for our California History Co-op and it fit right in with our trip to Monterey.

Day 291 - aquarium field trip

2010-10-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

It was Homeschool Days at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had this trip planned with our homeschool group and it worked out so well for us. We stayed with family close by and had a fabulous time. The aquarium did a great job for Homeschool Days with special projects and exhibits. It was a long trip but very worthwhile.

It was fun to have Ken on this field trip. It's so much easier with 2 adults! He helped the girls make a little paper shark. He kept trying to have me take over but I casually walked away and he did a great job!

The employees were wonderful with the kids! I loved listening to the girls interact with them. They had good questions and commented on most everything. They weren't afraid to touch the marine life either.

We spent most of the day there and I believe there was even more to see and do. We look forward to making this trip again next year. Thanks to Grammy and Grandpa for taking good care of us :)

Day 289 - my vavo

2010-10-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

I say this often but it's just so true. My grandmother is such a strong and amazing woman. I'd like to look this good and be this sharp at 97 years of age. The girls are so sweet and loving to her and I know that made her feel good. She's always afraid they'll forget her but it just wont happen. They pray for her so often and it warms my heart.

papi's vineyard, cousins and more fun

2010-10-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

After visiting with Lacey and Tim we headed to my parents' house for the night. Ken was with his dad so it was just the girls for this overnight stay. My nieces and nephew came over with my sister in law as well as dear cousins from back east. The kids helped Papi pick grapes from his vineyard, which for my girls, was a first. They had so much fun with their cousins and I loved watching my dad sharing this with them. The grapes for the wine had already been picked so this was just for fun and eating.

Every time we get together it's also like no time has passed. The girls are so eager to see their cousins and start hugging and playing immediately. It was so amazing even to listen to them talking at dinner. They were all such big kids, carrying on their conversations and having fun together.

It was a quick and very, very fun visit!

more on Day 288 - miss lacey

2010-10-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

Lacey came into our life just before the twins were born. She helped me so much that I don't know how I could have done it without her. There were so many other stressors in life at that time that the lack of sleep was harder to handle. She was one of the few people that I was able to really to confide in accept help from. She became a special friend to all of us. When we moved to our new home, 3 hours away, she came with us to help us get settled in. The girls really missed her after we moved and have always talked about her. This weekend while were were back in our old neighborhood we decided that we needed to see Miss Lacey. It had been too way too long! Plus, now she has a baby of her own and we couldn't wait to meet him. It was sweet to see the girls with her. Even Courtney and Claire seemed to completely remember her. It seemed as if no time had passed and that she was a regular part of our lives still. It was one of those happy-sad things that make you realize (once again) how quickly time passes.

Day 288 - old neighborhood

2010-10-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

We left our house early on Friday morning for a trip centered around a football game (for Ken) and a homeschool field trip. After we dropped Ken off with his dad we spent some time visiting my dear friend Sherri in our old home town. The girls begged to drive by our old house and to stop and play at their old park. It brought back some great memories of our time there and they loved seeing how much easier it was to reach the bars and swings now years later.

Firetruck Park 2006

Firetruck Park 2010

Our time in that house was a real time of growth for us. It was tough, really tough, at times but it's so clear now as we look back to see how God was working in our lives. He is so good and so faithful.

Day 287 - pinata

2010-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our pinata was finally done and just in the nick of time. We're leaving tomorrow for a few days and really needed our Mexico study to be complete. We also needed the lollipops that were in the pinata for the long drive ahead.

The twins were actually afraid at first and didn't want to hit the pinata. Ken hung it for us but it didn't last long on the thin pink strand of yarn. In the end he held it for them which worked out just fine. They didn't hit it too hard. Courtney was the one to finally burst it open!

ECC Weeks 5-6 (Mexico)

2010-10-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Our stay in Mexico exceeded the planned 2 weeks. It actually nearly doubled due to several fields trips, a family trip, a clothing sale and the disorganization that all of those things, and more, created in the house. I get a little uptight about following 'the plan' sometimes but with homeschooling comes more flexibility and I do want to take advantage of that without feeling behind. We started pretty early this year just so we could have some buffer weeks. I just keep forgetting about that when I go into panic mode. So back to Mexico.

Our routine is working out pretty well. I start with our Spell to Write and Read while the twins work on trays and then switch over. We're not using workboxes this year but I may use the strip and the tags with Caroline so she has a visual of her day. I find myself reminding her often to stay focused so I need to change that.

Our ecosystem was deserts this week. They did some notebooking pages and then the geography cards.

The Geography game was a hit. I didn't know quite as much as I thought I would. I needed this game as much as they did!

Oh! Our pinata! This took a few days of preparing but it was so much fun for them.

Courtney was the one to finally crush the pinata. She and Claire were actually afraid at first so it was great to see them come around. The candy most certainly seemed to help.

We ended our study of Mexico with dinner out at a Mexican restaurant with Grammy and Grandpa during our visit a few days later. Now we're on to Canada!

Day 286 - hours of doll play

2010-10-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

They spend an incredible amount of time playing with their dolls. They play out scenes from stories we've read, heard and things going on in our life. I love listening and even sometimes video their dramas so I can play it back for them one day. They are so animated and just plain adorable! They take over the entire family room most days and if I don't stop them, can play for hours....seriously! It must be a twin thing because it's unlike anything I've experienced with the older girls.

Day 285 - paint hands

2010-10-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'd love to have a sink and a good craft set up in the garage. I'm always a little nervous when they paint in the house. We've had a few major spills and messes but no major damage. We haven't been crafting as much so far this school year and I miss it. The fun we had today reminded me of that.

Day 284 -preschool trays

2010-10-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

I love watching Courtney while she's working with the trays. She completely absorbs herself in play and I just adore that about her!

Day 282 - miss heather

2010-10-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

A special young lady came over to watch the girls tonight. She offered to stay with the girls so Ken and I could go out on a date. When she came over she brought cookies for the girls to decorate. It was such a treat for all of us. Miss Heather is also a Cubbies leader so Courtney and Claire were especially excited to have her over. Ken and I met up with some friends for dinner and had a fun evening as well.

Day 281 - room time

2010-10-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

Since naps are officially a thing of the past we have had to change from "quiet time" to "room time". Quiet time implies napping and that just doesn't happen. With the girls sharing rooms we have to space them throughout the house for room time. Courtney and Claire alternate in their room and in ours while Calista and Caroline switch between their own and the family room. The twins fill this pram with their room time necessities whenever they come to our room. Just another cute thing they do that makes me smile :)

Day 280 - operation christmas child

2010-10-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

Our friends invited us over to help them fill their shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. They do this every year and we were so happy take part in their tradition. It wasn't a surprise that each girl chose to gift a girl her own age. After filling their boxes they made sweet cards for each of the children. It was a wonderful morning and the start of a new tradition for us as well.

Day 279 - play practice

2010-10-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

The girls have been practicing for our church's Christmas play for several weeks now. It's an exciting time because this is the first year that all 4 girls will be in the entire play. They have solos, special dances and fun costumes. It's hard to believe that Courtney and Claire are up on stage during play practice. They used to just sit with me and watch the big girls practice. I love watching them and can hardly keep the smile off my face.

Day 277 - pumpkin farm

2010-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

It was such a fun, fun day! I took an overload of photos and the girls had a BLAST! We went on a hayride to pick pumpkins, went on a train ride, had apple cider and pumpkin-apple muffins, played with friends, petted goats and more. We went with some of our friends in our homeschool group. Such fun!

Day 276 - a fun and special friend

2010-10-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

Oh how the girls love Mr. G. He calls them all the wrong name (on purpose) and they do the same to him. He is such a good friend to Ken, to our family and the girls adore him. He's just another one of the very special people at our church. We're so grateful to God for leading us to Cornerstone.

Day 275 - Caroline's Daddy Date

2010-10-02T14:25:00.001-07:00

Caroline and Ken - Daddy Date

Day 274 - so much to clean

2010-10-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

The best thing about having people over is how clean the house gets. We worked hard to get some extra cleaning done today because our small group Bible study was meeting here tonight. Ken was out of town on an interview and I still had clothing for the upcoming sale all over the place. Plus, I decided to do the seasonal clothing shift this week as well. Still a little too early but I figured what's a few more boxes. Everyone helped and the house ended up looking good. I realized later that Caroline vacuumed. She had never done that before. She used to run and scream in fear if she even saw me walking toward the vacuum closet. She, of course, was extra sensitive to Courtney and Claire as they frantically ran from the vacuum.

Day 272 - current bible studies

2010-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've finished book one and two of the discipleship study I was involved in for the past year. We have book three to complete but are taking a break while for a few weeks (or months)....I'm not sure yet. For the first time since we've been at Cornerstone I've been able to attend the Women's Wednesday night Bible study. We're doing the Beth Moore study on Revelation. During this time Ken is in the Men's study and the girls are in a new children's program they have available. It goes a little later than the usual bedtime but it's the only way that both Ken and I can be involved. Also in my repurposed diaper basket (now my Bible study basket) is my other Beth Moore study. This one I've been doing for about 2 months now on my own. I felt really led to go through this study for some time now so I'm doing this one online in the morning before the girls get up. It's SO good and I'm always eager to get started once Ken leaves for work.

Day 271 - letting go

2010-09-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

It's not easy for me to let go of the clothing the girls outgrow; especially the pieces that all four girls have worn. Our local twins group has a sale twice a year and not once have I sold the girls' clothing and gear. I've loaned clothing to family but I haven't given up much for good. This year I decided to really push myself to go through the tubs and tag the clothing for the upcoming sale. The hope is that we'll make enough money to then enroll the girls in some lessons. I needed to do this for them so I was motivated.

I was fine until I opened the box with the 0-3 months baby clothing. Oh my goodness! The clothing still had the baby smell and each piece held such sweet memories. Yes, there were not so sweet memories of being up all night too but that's so easy to forget. It really was much harder than I had imagined. Ken, as sweet as he is, was so sensitive to the tears and even suggested that we cancel the whole plan if it was that upsetting. Awww :) Well, I kept sorting, kept tagging and even though I kept (way) more than I had originally planned, we still have quite a bit to sell. It may not pay for the entire year's worth of lessons but hopefully enough to make it to the spring sale.

Day 270 - fire station field trip

2010-09-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

Our homeschool group went on a field trip to the fire station today. It was a new experience for all of the girls so we were looking forward to it. Calista and Caroline got to spray water with the hose but the twins were hiding in fear. Calista is in the background trying to shield them :) After much deliberation Calista also slid down the fire pole. The other girls wanted nothing to do with that!

Day 269 - cubbies lesson

2010-09-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Courtney and Claire working on their Awana Cubbies lesson.

Day 268 - tea time with daddy

2010-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

The girls had a weekend with daddy while I attended a training for Spell to Write and Read. I have wanted to attend this training for the past year and I was finally able to go. Yippee! Ken took a day off of work so he could be with the girls all day Friday and Saturday. They kicked off the weekend with Daddy by having 'tea time' with him.

Day 267 - claire and hummus

2010-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

She LOVES hummus and celery. I can't keep her fingers out of it. She was so excited when Ken brought some home today. She's tried others and this is her favorite kind.

Day 266 - handshake game

2010-09-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Caroline loved playing the 'handshake game' in math today. Animals and dolls were assigned a number and she would choose two to shake hands if their numbers together equalled ten. This game was perfect for this little girl and her big imagination.

Day 265 - in the kitchen

2010-09-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

We had a big day in the kitchen. Courtney and Claire made snickerdoodles. We tried a recipe from a blog I enjoy called Graham Family Ministries. Caroline, in the meantime made some zucchini muffins while Calista prepared dinner in the slow cooker. I love having all of the girls in the kitchen working together. It's not as quick or clean as it would be had I done it all myself but I know I'll have plenty of time to bake mess-free again one day. I love these days!

Day 264 - library and oral presentations

2010-09-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

We spent some time in the library today while Calista was in her public speaking class. After her class we joined the group for oral presentations. All four girls recited some Awana verses. We wern't as prepare for oral presentations this time. The date came upon us pretty quickly. :) Courtney and Claire were a little shy this time since we hadn't done it all summer. Calista went up with both of them to present their verses in front of the group.

Day 263 - going to mexico

2010-09-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

We're going to Mexico today. The girls have their passports ready and have boarded our pretend airplane. One passenger wasn't happy about traveling and said she just wanted to stay home. Can you guess who? :) It was a fun way to start our study of Mexico.

Day 262 - kick ball

2010-09-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

The latest game to play outside.

ECC Weeks 3-4 (United States)

2010-09-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

We started weeks 3 of Exploring Countries and Cultures just after we returned from our vacation. I had planned that we would only need one day to re-acclimate but boy was I wrong. I ended up starting and stopping a few times our first week back instead of just taking a few days to get out of vacation mode. I need to remember this for next year! Either that or just wait to start school after Labor Day like we did the previous year.

So I'm going to attempt a recap of our first two weeks in North America - the United States. It's been a while so I won't be too detailed.

In ECC Bible: We learned a little about the lives of missionary kids in the Windows of the World book. We also started reading Hero Tales and copying the character qualities form the stories each day.

In Caroline's 1st grade Bible she is learning how the books of the Bible were first written on scrolls. She made her own scroll from her cursive pages as well as her own clay pot to contain her scroll.

Since we're using Cursive First we used the pages that came with MFW for cursive instead of the manuscript practice. These would eventually become her scroll.

Book Basket Time

In Math both girls are really happy with our Right Start Math Curriculum. I wish I had learned this way. They play games and use a variety of manipulates, the abacus being are main one.

In Geography the girls have been focusing on learning the states. We've been using some United States puzzles and they've gotten pretty quick at identifying the states. The geography cards are one of their favorite assignments for some reason. Courtney and Claire especially liked learning about the isthmus.

In Science we are learning about the forests. Sometimes the girls notebook after the lesson and other times we make a poster of our learning. We covered the temperate forest, deciduous and coniferous trees, the canopy, the forest floor, tree identification and the chaparral.

In Art we started Drawing With Children. It was mainly for Caroline but I did it with all four of the girls. This initial lesson was just establishing starting levels. I was pretty impressed with how well they did and how the twins hung in there. Oh how they want to do everything their sisters do. :) They did well too!

Calista

Caroline

Courtney and Claire

We also made Coup Sticks for our Native American art. Each circle represents a significant event or accomplishment from the past year. I loved seeing what they chose to draw.

Caroline drew the garden, riding her bike without training wheels and her ballet recital.

Calista drew her acting class/performance, the Capitola vacation, completing 3rd grade and her work in Awana last year.

For our Read Aloud time we are enjoying Kingdom Tales. I mainly read this to Calista because the first story frightened Caroline a bit. She has opted out which is okay with me since we have other read alouds as well.

It's not as easy to recap our weeks when I don't do it immediately. I think that once I catch up I'll post school photos more regularly and not wait for the unit to end. It feels a bit more daunting to write the big recap posts and I do want to make sure to document our homeschooling journey.

Day 260 - history field trip

2010-09-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Our California History Co-op went on a field trip today. We went to Indian Grinding Rock State Park and had a wonderful tour. It was so interesting! The park is named after the huge amount of marbleized limestone with 1,185 mortar holes. The Miwok Indians used the grinding rock for thousands of years to grind the acorns for food.

We were also able to spend some time sitting in their roundhouse, pictured below. The children were told of the special celebrations that were traditional to the Miwok Indians. We sat on pine needles (surprisingly soft) and it was nice and peaceful.

The tour was packed with information and our guide was so knowledgeable. The children did really well considering the 'talking' part was close to 2 hours long. I was very proud of the girls :)

Day 259 - school day

2010-09-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Not the clearest of photos but the only one I took on this day :) I'm working on getting caught up on my project 365 and I had a few days that I had skipped altogether. Keeping up with our blog has been a little tougher since school has started. I'm not sure what form my memory keeping will take next year but I do know they have been enjoying last year's 365 album.

Day 258 - they love our neighbors

2010-09-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

We've lived here for 3 years and we finally know some of our neighbors. The girls love seeing them and playing with their dog. The girls were waiting for them to bring their chairs and join us out front for some dessert. What a welcome!

Day 257 - courtney

2010-09-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Courtney likes to get things done. She really enjoys helping me in the kitchen or with any extra chore that we have. I don't usually have to ask her more than once to clean up her toys when it's time. The girls always say that Courtney is a good "cleaner-upper".

Day 255 - awana begins

2010-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

The girls have been anxiously awaiting the start of Awana. Courtney and Claire are on their second year of Cubbies. Caroline is in her 2nd year of Sparks and Calista will be starting her 2nd year of T&T. This year Ken is the games director (I'm not sure of the exact title). I will be using the time, as I did last year, to continue in the discipleship study with a few other ladies. We love Sundays :)

Note: Claire isn't looking too happy in the photo because her fingers just got slightly pinched in the door :(

Day 254 - apple hill

2010-09-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

Grammy and Grandpa (Ken's dad and step-mom) came to visit this weekend. We spent the day at Apple Hill and had loads of fun. Calista, Caroline and cousin Trevor went for a pony ride while Courtney, Claire and cousin Karleigh were more comfortable watching. Apple Hill is such a beautiful and fun place to visit. It's also a great place to play chase with Grandpa.

Day 253 - teddy bear picnic

2010-09-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

As a culmination to our time with the Jesse Bear book we decided to have a Teddy Bear Picnic. Now Caroline and Calista didn't learn about Teddy Bears this week but who could pass up a picnic with a gummy bear snack. The girls brought some of their favorite bears to join in on the fun.

Day 252 - homeschool books

2010-09-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with a huge load of books for our homeschool library. I have a very dear friend who passes her books down to our family. She has completed homeschooling the elementary years and knows how much we love and appreciate their books. Calista is just about as giddy as I am as we go through the bags and boxes. We sort, stack, read and jump up and down with excitement each time.

Day 251 - little house

2010-09-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

We've been going through the seasons of Little House on the Prairie from Netflix. We're near the end of Season 4 now. All of us....yes, even Ken, enjoy watching the Ingalls.

Day 250 -isthmus

2010-09-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

The older girls were making their geography vocabulary cards today. One of their words, isthmus, was very interesting to all of them. The twins joined and wanted to make an 'isthmus' vocabulary card too. I wasn't sure they'd last through it but they did! They learned the vocabulary word, made a card and hung it on their headboard. When I tucked them in at night they kept telling me all about an isthmus. They are such a kick!

*An isthmus is a narrow strip of land, with sea on either side, connecting two larger pieces of land.

Day 248 - daddy date for claire

2010-09-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Claire went on a "Daddy Date" today. It was her first and boy was she excited! When it was time to go I asked her to get ready (meaning potty and shoes). Well, she was taking a while so I went to her room to check on her. She was in there brushing her hair and putting on some of her little pieces of jewelry. It was SO adorable. It was very special for her to have this time with daddy and she wanted to look pretty for him. Oh, so precious.

Day 247 - favorite nightgowns

2010-09-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

We love hand-me-downs! My brother has 3 girls and they bless us each season with boxes of clothing. These nightgowns have been a favorite for a while now. Tonight, Caroline passed down the size 4s to Courtney and Claire. Now each of the girls has their own.

Day 246 - backyard play

2010-09-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Oh what a sandy, leafy water mess this made. But oh what fun they had as I sat and read to my heart's content.