We got to have our New York New Year's Eve game night at church again this year! We had planned on making it an annual thing but Covid spoiled that so starting now it will be annual. Haha. When we were setting up tables Lou went and found this hat and thought it was the greatest.
It was quite hard to hold her with the hat brim hitting me in the face. She insisted on wearing the hat but didn't want me to put her down. :P
We had a great group...I counted around 70 people! We had lots of games, lots of food, and lots of fun.
Mouse Trap was a big hit.
The girls had a blast playing with their friends for four hours!
And Lou was old enough this year that I was able to play in the Pinochle tournament!
Some games were more physically demanding than others. Haha.
And the teenagers mostly hid in the prayer room. :P
But it was an all around wonderful time!
Watching the ball drop at 9pm...Happy New York New Year!
It was coooold when we got in the car to leave. I don't think it was this cold...the car was kind of freaking out. The temperature kept dropping and dropping and then it went back up. I think it finally leveled out around -10.
New Year's Day was very productive. Daddy worked around the house crossing things off the to do list...with a pause for an important doctor's appointment.
I did 7 loads of laundry and made 12 freezer meals! Boo helped me.
Noni keeps plugging along with piano lessons and it is so much fun to watch the girls skills' improving! Even Lou is learning lots!
And in case you were wondering what the other girls do when it's not their turn...Noni has her piano room decked out with lots of fun toys to keep them occupied.
Or they can always just "hang" out. Haha.
Thanks for putting in so much time to grow our girls' musical talents Noni!!!
I can't believe this is her last year as a "tween". Next year we will have two teenagers in the house! Now that Boo is twelve she will be allowed to start going to youth group. She is VERY excited! She has gone to a couple of the "big events" the last few months and is very happy that now she can start going every week!
Boo has had a great year at 11! In our online school Middle School really steps up the pace! Or maybe a more accurate description was it goes from walking to a marathon! I'm not sure why but the work load explodes between 5th and 6th, and instead of having 2 or 3 class connects a week she has 8! She gets up by 8am every morning and gets busy on her work. She takes a short break for lunch and then hits the books again until 2-3 in the afternoon. I feel bad for her that the work load is so large, but she is learning a a lot and continues to remain independent. The only thing I help her with is Health class and that is not because she needs it, but because with our crazy state government's agenda I want to keep a close eye on what they are teaching her. :P She just finished first semester and had straight A's...if she has anything less than a hundred on a quiz or test she will retake it to get a higher score. She also does any extra credit offered so I'm pretty sure she has higher than 100% in at least one of her classes! We are proud of her hard work ethic!
One big change for her this year is we are back in dance! We found a new dance studio and although it's a bit of a drive it has been fun to see the girls dancing again! She and Bug are in a class together and it's actually a competition class so they will be going to several competitions this Spring! I can't wait to see them perform!
She wasn't able to do basketball this year because she has aged out of the younger league and now all that is available is Middle School sports at the local school. They asked if she would play for them, but their games are only on Awana and dance nights so we had to decline. She continues to practice and will be ready to go out for the team when she starts going to Bug's school in a couple of years!
Awana is another one of our main activities and of course she continues to excel there. She studies her verses and never misses one. This is her last year of T&T so next year she will become a helper.
I've been trying to find a babysitting class for her to attend, but so far no such luck. She comes with me almost every week to worship team and watches Peaches and Lou as well as the three young kids of our guitarist. They LOVE her and she is so good with them! She looked up a list of fun games for kids and keeps them entertained so we can practice.
Piano is another big area where we love to watch her grow! She is playing so beautifully and Noni has done an amazing job with her (and all the girls!). They have such a good understanding of the technical side, as well as good timing and rhythm. I love listening to her play!
The other day she asked if I could decorate her room for her birthday and was asking why we hadn't the last couple of years...I told her you haven't been in your room for a birthday! It's so funny...now that we've been in the addition for a couple seasons it feels like we've always had it! Boo keeps her room meticulously clean and does not like anything to be out of place. I appreciate that!
It's kind of bittersweet to watch her moving out of the toy phase. She doesn't really play with Barbies or Calico Critters anymore unless she's watching the little ones. Nowadays she is into board games or card games, and of course they all still love Legos. She also loves any type of fidget toy or slime.
Boo has gotten into (at home) gymnastics this year! She spent months stretching every day so that she could do the splits. It did not come easy but she accomplished her goal! She was very determined! These days she spends quite a bit of time upside down. :P I am constantly coming around a corner to find her doing a handstand against the wall or in back bend. Her most recent goal was to learn to do a back kick over and after a LOT of practice she finally achieved it! Now she does them easily and often. I wonder what her next move will be? :)
Here is her birthday interview:
1. Favorite color: yellow
2. Favorite toy: slime
3. Favorite fruit: lemons
4. Favorite TV show: The Mysterious Benedict Society
5. Favorite lunch: I don't know
6. Favorite outfit:I don't really have one
7. Favorite game: Catan
8. Favorite snack: I don't have one
9. Favorite animal: Owls
10. Favorite song: I don't have one
11. Favorite book: Percy Jackson
12. Your best friend: Rebecca and Ella and Caleb and Katelyn
13. Favorite Cereal: I don't know
14. Favorite thing to do outside: Dig in the dirt
15. Favorite drink: Lemonade
16. Favorite holiday: Christmas
17. Favorite breakfast: Blueberry scones
18. What do you like to take to bed: Ruff Ruff
19. What do you want to be when you grow up: I don't know
20. What do you want for your birthday dinner? I don't know
Apparently 12 is the age of indecision. :P
Dear Boo,
Happy birthday sweet girl! I can't believe you are twelve today! It is hard for this mama to watch you leaving behind the things of your childhood, but it is amazing watching you blossom into the beautiful young woman you are turning into!
I am so thankful for you. Your sweet and thoughtful spirit is a blessing to all of those around you. I don't know what I would do without you! I know this house would be a lot messier and less organized for sure. Haha.
Our family is so blessed to have you in it. Your sisters love you so much and love it when you play with them. Daddy and I appreciate all your help and hard work. You are a worker bee! I know I can always count on you when I need something done.
You are so much like me...I see some of my faults in you. Perfectionism is something we both struggle with and I pray that as you grow you will learn to balance that with reliance on God because no one can be perfect. One of my very favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.I pray that your heart will learn that our weakness is what allows God to work through us. It's a lifelong journey.
I hope that twelve is your best year yet! I love you so much and can't wait to see how you use this year for God's glory! Happy birthday Boo Bear!
Peaches has grown so much this year! She no longer looks like a preschooler...now she is a big kid. She has gotten a lot taller in the last few months. It's funny to think about the fact that today she is the same age that Boo was when she was born.
One thing that hasn't changed is that Peaches is a BUSY girl! She always seems to be going and doing something. She is a morning person and our earliest (natural) riser. She wakes up earlier than the rest of us and is on the move. She loves to dance and run and twirl and just be moving!
Contrary to that statement, she is obsessed with technology and would love to sit on a screen all day if I would let her! I have to keep a tight rein on her computer use. I did purchase a Math and ELA computer program for her to use for Kindergarten and she loves to go through it each morning. Other than that I try to only allow her 1 hour in the late afternoon for computer time, but I often have to chase her off the computer at non regulated times. Haha.
Other than her computer program we just do a little bit of reading and book work each day. Her reading has really taken off and she is good at basic math too. I am a firm believer in more of a play-based learning system at this age. We plan to enroll her in online school this fall for 1st grade.
She and Lou are the best of friends and do EVERYTHING together. They run around all day playing one thing or another. Every now and then I can tell they have had a little too much together time and I separate them, but it's not long before they are back together and playing happily.
Peaches moved up to Sparkies this year in Awana and is doing great! She fits right in with the other kids and has a great time in her Kindergarten class. She seems to have no problem memorizing her verses and sometimes comes out to me (as secretary) with even more verses said that she practiced at home. She has lots of friends at church and is quick to include anyone new.
Peaches started ballet this year! A month or so into it she said she didn't want to do it anymore and I finally nailed down that the problem was she hated wearing the tights. Haha. Now that we have rectified that she is happy to go every week! She has several friends that she already knew in the class too so that helps!
Peaches piano continues to improve and I am so impressed with how well she is doing! It is fun to watch her play and she has done several offertorys at church with no problems!
She has really matured over the past year. She has learned to temper her emotions and she no longer seems to swing from such high highs to such deep lows. She is learning how to regulate herself and communicate her feelings. She has completely given up naps, although once in a blue moon she will fall asleep if we've had a busy couple of days. Thankfully she is very good about going right to bed when we turn off the lights at 8:30 so even though she gets up a little early she gets a full night's sleep.
Peaches has really gotten into Barbies lately. We moved the Barbie area and I can often find her in there. Calico Critters are still fun, but not quite as frequently played with as they use to be. That could be because the playroom gets really cold in the winter so it's not very comfortable in there. Legos are always a favorite.
Peaches has really gotten into games in the past couple of months and is actually able to play them now without help. She especially loves to play Monopoly, Rumikub, Catan, and Trouble. She is an amazing puzzle worker and puts them together with ease! We have a big floor puzzle of the 50 states and she can put it together completely on her own! Speaking of which...Noni taught her all the states and she can play Stack the States on my phone with amazing accuracy!
One thing we need to work on is listening. She seems to have very selective hearing and "misses" quite a bit of instruction. Haha. One big event she is anxiously awaiting is her first lost tooth! So far there are no candidates, but she can't wait for that special day!
Here is her birthday interview:
1. Favorite color: pink
2. Favorite toy: Do-do
3. Favorite fruit: apples
4. Favorite TV show: Tinkerbell (to my knowledge she has never seen a show called Tinkerbell, haha)
5. Favorite lunch: peanut butter and honey
6. Favorite outfit: Hmm. this! What I'm wearing.
7. Favorite game: Hmm. Monopoly
8. Favorite snack: goldfish
9. Favorite animal: Well I actually many other ones. I like zebras, horses. That's all I like. Zebras and Horses.
10. Favorite song: We Don't Talk About Bruno
11. Favorite book: Chicken Lily
12. Your best friend: Alissa, and Audrey and Gianna
13. Favorite Cereal: Peanut Butter Capn' Chrunch
14. Favorite thing to do outside: Play with my friends
15. Favorite drink: Cherry slush (from Sonic)
16. Favorite holiday: That's a hard one! Hmm. I think it's Christmas. Wait actually, my birthday!
17. Favorite breakfast: Donuts
18. What do you like to take to bed: Do-do,
19. What do you want to be when you grow up: Hmm. I want to be like a cupcake maker.
20. What do you want for your birthday dinner? Hmm. Birthday dinner? I just want...hmm...tacos!
Dear Peaches,
Happy birthday sweet girl! I love you!! You bring so much joy to our family! You light up any room you walk into and are always looking for fun. You are such a blessing.
I love to watch you and Lou playing. She looks up to you so much and thinks you hung the moon. She wants to be just like you and you are definitely her best friend in the world! You are so sweet to include her in all your play, and I'm thankful for the special friendship that you have.
It has been fun this year watching you turn into a big girl! You have grown and matured so much. I love watching you turn into the little lady God is preparing you to be. You learn more and more each day about His goodness and love and I know you will continue to do so. I can't wait to see what plans He has for you!
Thank you for being you. You give the best hugs and have so much love for your family. You have a sensitive spirit and are empathic to anyone hurting. You always look for ways to help when someone gets hurt or sad. One of the moms as church came up to me and told me how sweet you were to help her little son when he was nervous about going to children's church without her. You have such a sweet spirit.
I love you more than I could ever say little girl. It is such a blessing watching you grow. I know this year will be just as much fun as the last! Happy Birthday!
One of our Christmas break activities was ice skating! We had been talking about going with our homeschool group and when I looked into it I realized we could actually rent out an entire rink and pay a few dollars less per person than doing public skate! We ended up with 36 people I think. It was Peaches first year to go since 5 is my arbitrary rule and she did amazing!
The girls had a great time skating with their friends!
We found out that since it was a private skate the little ones could use the bars as long as they wore a helmet. Peaches picked it up right away and scooted around the rink on her own! Way to go E!
Time out in the penalty box!
Teenagers!
Although this girl looks more like an adult these days!
Such a fun group! We'll have to do it again next year!
We ended up staying home from church after Christmas because everyone was starting to get a little sniffly. We all ended up getting pretty sick and gave it to Noni and Mama too. :(
We built a fire and watched church online. Lou was being funny.
Grandma and Grandpa came over after church and brought us lunch and Grandpa helped us get the air hockey table set up!
After Lou woke up from her nap we pulled all the sister presents out from under the tree, and also Grandma and Grandpa's presents!
When we'd gone to the Chosen movie the big girls bought the littles Calico Critter sets from a store in the mall.
They were very excited! Grandma and Grandpa got Lou an adorable red buffalo plaid dress.
Peanut got an awesome art caddy from Grandma and Grandpa!
And Bug got the sweatshirt she really wanted!
Bug gave Lou this little cat. Lou gave Bug a new winter hat.
Peaches made us all this fancy tissue box at Sunday School!
Boo got lots of different fidget toys, as requested.
Peanut had so much fun with the game Trouble at Grandma and Grandpa's over Thanksgiving that Boo bought it for her.
Peaches picked a light up unicorn for Lou. She was so happy!
Peaches got Peanut a fox shaped Squishmallow.
Uncle J and Aunt H got the girls gift cards to Barnes and Noble...they were all super excited, especially Peaches!
Boo got one of these balls last year and was super sad when one of her sisters broke it so Peaches got her a new one. Grandma and Grandpa got Boo slime and a Pop It.
Boo and Peanut bought Daddy a new shovel since they'd broken his a few weeks earlier. :)
And Grandma and Grandpa got the girls a unicycle! We'll have to get the garage cleaned out so they can give it a try!
We spent the rest of the evening playing air hockey and ping pong!
The little ones aren't half bad!
Unfortunately Lou ended the night with a bad case of "pick-ups". Haha.
