Back to School

Here we are! Another year of school! Alyssa started fifth grade, Nathan started third grade, and Savannah started 2nd grade. Arya and Alanna were fine with sending them off to school and having only each other to play with! The kids were all a little nervous about going to school on the first day. They know their teachers; they had them last year for Math. The nervousness comes from wondering what their teacher for math will be like this year! They all go to the next grade up for Math. For Alyssa in particular this is scary because she is going to 'Middle School Math!" She has to go 'upstairs' and that is scary, I guess. But they all did great, they love their teachers, and they are so excited to go back on Thursday.
A tradition we have that we started on Alyssa's first day of kindergarten, is that we always go over to Baskin Robbins on the first day of school. We sit and talk about their day and have ice cream. Each year we do this, the image that always comes into my mind is Alyssa's first day of kindergarten. She was wearing the cutest little overall outfit. I remember her getting chocolate all over her face. Such precious memories!




















Above: The two pictures on top are of Alyssa's first day of kindergarten. She was all smiles until we got her inside the school!
The next photo on the left is Nathan's first day of kindergarten. He is so cute, but it is Savannah that cracks me up in that photo. She was so mad she couldn't go with them to school. I LOVE that photo of her. The photo on the right is of Savannah's first day of kindergarten. She is just beaming! "Finally my turn!"

Summer is gone, but memories are good!

Well, the kids start school tomorrow and we say good bye to so many things. Gone are the careless days of summer with nothing to do; gone are the days sitting by the pool; gone are the days lounging at the beach 'bagging' the rays as my dad likes to say. What am I talking about???

We had such a full summer, there were never 'careless, lounging" days! True, we had a great summer. We spent a week at the beach with great friends, we baked yummy things in the heat of the summer, we went on long bike rides, we worked on our tans, Savannah and Nathan learned to surf, Alyssa learned to sew better, we bowled, went to free movies, played with friends at the pool, had sleepovers, made a visit to the ER for Savannah, read lots of books, planted a garden and ate the results, visited with family, watched outdoor movies, slept in occasionally, stayed up late a lot, Nathan went to cub camp and did TONS of scouting things, and we all had a great time.

I don't wish school would start. I wish we had another month of summer. Part of this is because when school starts, I start 'work.' As the primary educator of my children, I start working tomorrow. I would love another month of playing with my kids. That is the other part I wish we had more summer. I want more play time with my kids.

I got a lot done, but it is never enough. So many sewing projects I want to do, so many photo albums to update, so many chores to do, but this will never end.

My kids are growing up so fast, and the ages they are will end and that is not something I can put off. If I put off spending time with them, playing with them, then it will just be gone. My to do list will always be there, but my kids won't. I have to remind myself of this daily and remember that this is why I choose to homeschool my kids, so that I can work with them, play with them, teach them, develop a close relationship with them , instill good values in them and help them build their testimonies each day.

This is just a bunch of muddled thoughts, but it is something I have to remind myself of as I start teaching tomorrow. I choose to do this and I better choose to do it right so that I can develop a great relationship with my children, so they will come to me before anyone else, so they will hear my words in their minds when tough choices come and I am not around. So, here is to another school year! And it is going to be GREAT!!

Nathan

Nathan had me dig up this photo of him from back in March of 2006; Nathan was 5 years old. He was building a fort today and remembered the time he built this fort. He remembered it as the "hugest fort ever!" This is Nathan to a T. He loves to build forts, he loves his teddy bears and he loves his blankets. You can't really see him in the photo, but he is in there, under the blankets, behind the teddy bear, fast asleep.
This photo below you can actually see him in 'action,' cuddled up with his walrus, bear and yellow bear, sucking his thumb, asleep on the hard, cold tile floor. This little guy loved his naps! How quickly they grow!

Watch out Harry Potter

Watch out Harry Potter! Alanna from Hufflepuff will amaze you with her funky dance and glowing wand!

Beach Camping

Some friends invited us to go camping with them for a week at San Elijo Campground on the beach. It took some getting use to the coaster driving by and blasting its horn in the middle of the night, but we had a great time.

The kids all had someone to play with, Mary is a crack up and kept me laughing, and we had a great time relaxing. There are only 38 photos here of the hundreds that we took. Nathan taught himself to surf and was out there for four days straight. Thank you to the Younessian Family for inviting us on your family vacation!

July 4

On July 4 the kids decided they wanted to go to the beach again. SO I stayed home and got the house ready for our annual July 4th movie night while they went to the beach. I think it is so funny how my kids want to wear wetsuits in the summer!!

After the beach we invited some friends over for a movie night. Jared set up a 22 foot, yes a 22 FOOT screen in our front yard. We watched Nim's Island. It was pretty cool when the moon came out as we watched the movie.

Fireworks on July 3

On July 3 we go down to watch fireworks from Mission Bay. It is an amazing show and it is less crowded than the Fourth. So, here are some photos from it. We went down with one of my friends from the kid's school and Jared's sister Anna and her son came down too. It was a lot of fun. We went on a bike ride, played in the water, and watched an amazing, 25 minute long, firework show.