Avery's 11 Birthday

I love how excited all my kids get for a family member's birthday! For example, Audrey spent most of the week trying to make a treasure box out of cardboard as a birthday gift for Avery.  While Amelia is always super loud and overly animated during birthday festivities, showering the celebrated guest with extra attention, Avery's recent birthday being no exception.  I enjoy these pictures because they seem to capture the subtle excitement my kiddos share for their sibling's special occasion.  

We all love this special boy.  Happy 11th birthday!

Dart Warz - Avery's 11 Birthday

Avery really wanted to have his birthday party at Dart Warz, an indoor foam-dart battlefield.  This place can best be described as paint ball without the pain and completely suitable for the whole family.  In fact, both Shane and I played with the kids and had a great time taking down members from the other team, our own children  included.  Avery played for almost 2 hours straight and honestly could have played for another 2 hours. He loves this place.  The best part about this birthday party was seeing the huge smile on the birthday boy's face! Thus confirming every parents wish,a truly happy birthday.          

Not fries and hamburgers.  Really cupcakes, brownies, frosting, and sugar cookies. 

Back to School 2016-2017

This school year Shane and I have decided to enroll the kids in a blended school called The Collegium Study Center.  Really it's the best of homeschooling and a classical education.  

Avery & Amelia attend school 3 days and week and homeschool 2 days a week.  Audrey attends 2 days a week and homeschools 3 days a week.  This type of schedule essentially follows a university model school.   

While at school the kids are receiving a christian, "Classical Education."  They are taking history, writing, grammar, literature, latin, and art.  At home we continue with math, science, and geography.  

Basically, I am in partnership with the school and it is my responsibility to ensure school subjects are getting done, understood, and studied.  For the most part Avery and Amelia are pretty self sufficient with their school subjects, needing minimal guidance here and there, but Audrey's school demands are much more time consuming, as she is still mastering the basics. 

Overall the kids are enjoying their schooling experience, especially the girls.  The teachers are super awesome, and the students down to earth, well behaved, and nice.  With that being said, the homework load is rather demanding, particularly for Avery, who is in a combined 5th and 6th grade class.  This whole experience is really asking the kids to be well prepared, to avoid procrastination, and to take responsibility for assignment completion over an extended period of time.  We are still trying to find our stride, but know each week we get closer to our goal of a comfortable routine.

Avery - 5th grade

Amelia - 4th grade

Audrey - 1st grade but attending 2nd grade

  

Back To School Feast 2016

 This past august, while the Barkoudahs were visiting, we held our family Back To School Feast.  The family theme for this year - "The Words of the Tongue Should have 3 Gatekeepers:  Is it True?  Is it Kind?  Is it Necessary?"

We made crowns, some displaying our interests and some showcasing creativeness. The girls and Micah loved it! However, Avery was itching to get outside with friends and made his half-hearted, indicating a reprioritization of interests, yet again reinforcing the fact that he is getting older...sniff,sniff.

Homemade pizza was on the menu and all kiddos made their own pizza with toppings of their choice.  Surprisingly artichoke and peppers were a big hit. 

After discussing the family theme and what it means, because we all need work on keeping our mouths shut, and that essentially is the focus of the theme, we opened a few purposeful "back to school" presents and then played late into the evening.

For the most part it's a fun little party to mark the beginning of school, because a new grade for a new school year is always a big deal!!!