Karate Kids

Jack and Sam have been taking karate for several months now and really enjoy it.  The only rule- no practicing on your sisters!

Jack started a little before Sam so he earned his orange belt last week.  He actually agreed to being on the blog!

Sam earned his yellow belt.

They really are happy to be posing- just trying to look imposing, I think.

Having some fun for the camera.

I am really proud of them.  They seem to take it seriously.  And, it's nice that they do it together.

El Deafo

The most recent Mother-Daughter book club selection was El Deafo by Cece Bell.  Kayla's first reaction was, "Mom, I don't really like graphic novels."  But.  She started it the night we brought it home and finished it the next day. Loved it.  Then Jack read it.  Then Kayla read it again.  Back and forth.  I enjoyed it very much myself.

Cece is telling her own story in this novel.  She became sick with meningitis at age four and lost her hearing.  I love how she uses pictures and speech bubbles to convey how the world seemed to her.  Kids seem to relate to her, down to the humor she includes (which I didn't always love but it was realistic to the age).

Cece Bell was delightful.  She talked a lot about her childhood, both asking and answering questions.  She even brought her original phonic ear and explained more about how the name "El Deafo" came about.

A local bakery decorated sugar cookies to go along with the book.  Cece portrayed herself and all the characters as rabbits in the book.  There are also a couple of cookies with her phonic ear.

Oh and by the way, her book just won the Newberry Honor!

Week in Review

We've had a pretty good week so I thought a "week in review" post was in order.  (Want to remember these good weeks, right??)
Aside from the stomach bug and some colds, we have been pretty healthy.  So far.  Kids are working on valentines as I type- they are so excited.
Last night Kayla and I went to our book club, which was great, but it deserves its own post so that will be forthcoming.  Another one coming up is the boys in their karate uniforms.  Jack (obviously) doesn't like to be in pictures lately but he was ok with karate pics.

 

Kayla did Sam's hair when we were watching a little video about the Industrial Revolution. 

He didn't even seem to notice.

Of course everyone needs a walkie-talkie when they are working on math.

And coffee.  The mom usually needs coffee.

Kayla actually said, "Quid et Quo is so much fun!"

Have to record that.  Q/Q is just a process of breaking down every word in a sentence by its attributes.  It is fun, in my opinion.  (For example, "boy."  It's common, singular, and concrete.)  By the way, this one also said she was retiring from school this week.   She did come out of retirement so that's good. 

A minor distraction during grammar.

This morning we were talking about the Battle of San Juan Hill along with Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.  (Couldn't have told you a thing about any of that before I homeschooled my kids!) Sam wanted to color pictures of Mr. Roosevelt.  My favorite part is how he wrote his name in cursive at the bottom.  That's new this week!

After breakfast Sam, Lucy, and I started this Paddington book.  They loved it.  Sam picked it up again after lunch.  That's a genuine smile- it looks a little posed though, doesn't it?

Where did she get that???

I don't know how she comes up with this stuff.  

Today in the van:  "Mother, I want to faint from someone kissing me on the lips."  What??

(And Mother is her new name for me.)

Then out of the van and into the house with "HELLO vegetarians!"  

We are not vegetarians by any stretch.

She said she "could use a marmalade sandwich under her hat" after seeing a recent movie- do you know which movie?

Last- she likes to dance and has a certain type of music she likes.  Unfortunately it's hard to find appropriate lyrics so I tried "Eye of the Tiger" for her.  Her response?  "That's just weird."

Never, ever a dull moment.

Read This to Your Kids!

I really wanted to get this one up for Read Aloud Thursday...and here it is Saturday.  I'm going to do it anyway because this book is a gem!

A book Brian was reading referenced it.  He asked if I had heard of it and no, I hadn't, so I put it on hold and am so glad I did.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch begins with a lonely, friendless man who receives a Valentine package with a note that says "Somebody love you."  He doesn't know who sent it but it changes him.  He begins to smile and whistle and become a friend to many.  I won't spoil the end for you- it's so worth the read- but I will say this sweet story is more than just a Valentine's read.  It's a picture of what can happen to a person when they know they are loved.  Maybe it's even a taste of the freedom we have as believers to love when we know God loves us.

I think I'm buying my own copy of this one!

 Linking (late!) to Read Aloud Thursday!  Check out some of the other read alouds there!

Showing Some Love

A stomach bug has hit the house.  For over a week now.  It seems to have a long incubation.  That means there have been three big laundry days and three less than ideal-sleeping nights.  Four people down, two to go.  How much longer???  I really do hate stomach bugs.

But.

If there's an upside to a virus like this, I have seen it twice.  Only took a picture once.

Jack was the first victim and the other kids made him a box with crackers, Sierra Mist, apple sauce, and cards.

Kayla is the latest to go down, and Jack made her this little tray this morning.

I love that.

Because let's be honest- these guys aren't always full of kindness towards each other.  They squabble and annoy sometimes.  That's why it's so very nice to see that they in fact do care for each other and can show some love.

I'd be fine if it didn't take a stomach bug to prove it, though!

The Latest

It is 60 degrees in January!
We have been light on school work and heavier on outside time today.  There's been a stomach bug making its way around the family over the past week but today everyone feels good.  It's nice to see Sam smiling and doing rolls and flips around the house (his current method of transporting himself)  instead of laying in bed looking pitiful.

I never did much of a "looking back" post for 2014 but when I have thought about it, new activity seems to be a theme.  Jack and Kayla joined a summer swim team.  Sam learned to swim and loved jumping into the deep end by the end of the summer.  Lucy felt like a big girl in her life jacket swimming all around the pool.  I took up running with a friend, took a break, then got back into it because I feel better all around when I run or do some kind of exercise.  Brian signed up for a fitness swim class in November and has been at it ever since.
And now we've got basketball for Kayla and Sam.

I know it's blurry but a good action shot is hard to get!

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that sometimes jumping into a new activity has been hard for Sam.  He's done great with his basketball team!  He was nervous the first practice but here's what he said:  "You know how at first you feel like crying, then you just feel nervous, then you're ok?  That's how it was."