first grader no more!

Madeline finished up first grade today! Let the 5 week summer break begin! We got to meet her second grade teacher last week and it is the same teacher that she spent her afternoons with this year for her advanced reading. M is thrilled!

Left: 1st grade first day, Right: 1st grade last day

our life right now: talkin' turtles

small, medium and large hand crafted turtles

Horses used to be her thing, but now M is keenly focused on obtaining a pet turtle.  A few weeks ago, her assignment was to create a "how-to" craft to present to her 1st grade class.  She asked me to help her make a 3-D turtle model.  Sure, I said.
I love me some craft.

  Then she came home with this drawing last week, showing us the different ways to draw a turtle:  top view, side view, and Minecraft. 

We talk about these reptilians from sun up to sun down.  She has even requested a turtle-themed birthday party in May.

Josh gave her a research assignment thinking it would test her commitment to turtle mania.  He wrote a series of questions on pages in a composition book (yes, it is difficult to distinguish his handwriting from a 1st grader's).  They checked out turtle books from the library and she was tasked with explaining her answers to the questions.  Exhibit 1 is but one example of her research (click on the picture below to enlarge it).  The Venn diagram warms my nerdist heart.

Exhibit 1: Why a turtle over other animals?

 Maybe this is her ploy to finally get those horseback riding lessons she's been asking for...

i'm melting!

The girls are really into hands-on science experiments and when one of the preschool teachers told me about making "melting" snowmen, I was sure it would be a winner.

The snowmen are made from a baking soda and dish soap mixture (the soap creates a longer lasting foam than baking soda alone).  The girls each got a pile of "snow" and smushed and squeezed and rolled until they were satisfied.  I tried to be patient while they made their creations, but it was SO HARD because I knew the fun that was just around the corner.  Then Madeline asked if she could decorate her snowman... hmm, hadn't thought of that, but sure, why not?  I pulled out the food coloring markers and the girls added a few details (Julia required supervision here). After they were done beautifying, the I gave the girls squeeze bottles filled with a vinegar-peppermint oil mix. The "melting" process did not disappoint! We briefly talked about chemical reactions and then played in the colorful foam that resulted. The foam was as much fun to play with as the snowmen! A bonus experiment occurred when the food coloring that dissipated into the foam started mixing together and combining into new colors. Yay for science!

witchin' good time

Our gym hosted a Halloween party this year.  Their costumes weren't yet complete, so the family costumer (me) supplied them with holiday-themed shirts instead.  The gym went all out and had a ton of activites for the kids.  M started at the beautifying stations where she had her nails painted orange, sat still for butterfly face paint, and had her hair streaked with orange paint.

J made a beeline for the bounce house instead and later took a break to spookify her nails.

Pumpkins were painted, crafts were created, games were played, and holiday treats were consumed. It was spooktacular!

NC State Fair 2013

So...yeah...it's been quite a while since I posted.  Kids keep on growing, we keep on adventuring, and photos keep getting taken... just haven't made the leap to cyberspace to document the fun.  I'll try to do better!

Way back in October, we took our third annual trip to the State Fair in Raleigh.  M had been talking about it for weeks and had filled J's head with all kinds of wondrous things that we would see and do there.  I think J expected it to live up to our DisneyWorld trip from this summer.  Not quite the same, but fun was still had by all.  We looked at the livestock and produce entries, watched 4-H kids show off their sheep and goats, picked up freebies from lots of educational booths, rode rides, and ate carny food.  Too bad the fair only comes once a year!

Requisite carousel ride 

The thrill-seekers on the caterpillar rollercoaster

"We can do this one by ourselves!"

umm...

So then life happened.  But now we're back.  Maybe.  Stay tuned.

easter

We hosted a little Easter celebration at our house today, complete with an indoor egg hunt! Zack, Jennifer, and Jordan and Jonathan, Chelsea and Evelyn were our obliging guests.

Chelsea and Evelyn in their Easter dresses

The festivities began with a little bucket decorating so that everyone had appropriate egg collection gear.

Zack, Jordan and Madeline get their craft on

Jonathan and Evelyn worked as a team

After the buckets were sufficiently decorated, the hunt began. The older girls looked for eggs in the playroom downstairs while Evelyn got to search the living room floor for her treasures.

Can you spy the blue egg?

Evelyn and her easter bucket

Some of the eggs had jelly beans, but others held a much more exciting surprise for Madeline. The Easter Bunny had left her a word puzzle to solve in order to find the basket of goodies he had left for all the girls. Inside the "puzzle" eggs were letters that each had a number written on the back. Madeline put the letters in their corresponding numbered spots on the puzzle sheet and it said...


Off to the kitchen she ran and found the Easter Bunny's goodies to share with all the girls.

I wonder what the Easter Bunny will devise for next year...

baby gymnastics

Julia has discovered her feet! Her favorite activity now is to demonstrate her incredible flexibility and put her toes in her mouth.

can't let go

Julia fell asleep while playing in her bouncy seat... she managed to keep holding on to the toys despite being unconscious!

julia at four months

Julia's four month milestone occurred while we were in KS so her check-up was delayed until we returned home. While we were waiting for the pediatrician, a group pic was requested by M, so I happily obliged. The mirror above the exam table was perfect for just this occasion!


At four months, Julia:

• is 25.5 in long/tall (75th percentile) and weighs 15lbs 1oz (90th percentile)
• rolls from back to tummy
• is quite the active sleeper and is starting to escape her swaddle
• only sleeps for about 5 hours at a stretch at night
• is quite a happy, smiley baby
• wears 3 mo-sized onesies, but newborn pants because she's skinny
• is starting to suck on her first two fingers instead of a pacifier for soothing herself
• has a faux hawk, just like Madeline did at this age