Escuela

There is so much to update here, but if I don't begin somewhere, I'll never get caught up. So, highlights from 1st semester:

This year, JMC is in Kinder! He's doing great learning to read and write, though his favorite subject is math. He has all of the letter sounds and syllables, and knows between 25-30 sight words. He really wants to learn to read because he sees how much JA & JT enjoy reading. (They read for a couple hours every day!)

JT is in 3rd, and JA is in 5th(!). We are studying creation through the ancient Greeks for history, and thoroughly enjoying it. We all love history. This year's science is our favorite so far, as each lesson begins with an experiment (that is actually manageable & with items I have on hand.) :)

We are in a homeschool group with 50 families. The older 3 kids also attend a pe & swimming class at the YMCA. JT & JA participate in children's choir at church, and JA is also in an additional choir for homeschooled students. We tend to stay fairly busy. :)

Papi #1

The June fun continues with Father's Day! The kids & I enjoyed preparing things several days (and at least 1 gift nearly a month) in advance. Papi had to be at church early to run the sound system (7:15!) so we set everything up after he left and before we headed over to meet him at church for 2nd service. What fun it was to surprise him when we came home for lunch! :)

From JT

From JA

From JMC

From Mami - biography of H. A. & Margaret Rey, the authors of Curious George

A cute poster stating many of the reasons we love Papi, signed by all of us.

JA, JT, & JMC saw ideas for their cards on my Pinterest board, and the older two made their cards on their own. I helped JMC a little, but he did most of it himself, including the message on the inside. :)

Best celebration of the week!

Today we went to a nearby lake, and had the best celebration of the summer. Some of our best friends met us there and we had a picnic. It was just perfect. The kids played at the edge of the lake, while the moms chatted and the dads played catch while they kept an eye on the grill.

JL really wanted to join the game of catch.

Mrs. S & Mrs. K putting together the rope toss game.

A couple of the boys joined the dads' game of catch.

All of the kids, except JL, played in the mud at the edge of the lake.

Such a cute 2 year old!

the grill master :)

After lunch, we packed up and headed to the beach (just on the other side of the fence.) Then, this happened:

JT has been waiting to be baptized for well over a year. We wanted to be sure he understood the decision he was making, and that he was able to articulate his thoughts about it. So very proud of Papi & JT for choosing to live for Christ, and for making public their decision through baptism.

After the baptisms, most everyone jumped in the lake and played for about another 45 minutes or so. The water was fairly cold, so some chose to play in the sand, and some enjoyed playing in the waist-deep (for some) water. :)

Once we got home, JL, JMC, & I took naps, and Papi, JA, & JT went fishing. They stayed out until 6:30, but came home with dinner! We were all excited to eat the delicious fresh fish they caught, and no one complained at all about a late dinner, it was just so delicious!