Clearly this blog has not been a priority...but here's a look at what the kids have been up to over the past few months!
Peanut:
Just finished up our second year of preschool -- this is so bittersweet. We are remarkably proud of the great work she's done, but it's so sad to say goodbye to a few hours of preschool each week and prepare for full day kindergarten in the fall. My baby! She is reading pretty well now, and can conquer the Biscuit, Silly Milly, Pete the Cat books by herself with ease. She reads Amelia Bedelia and Princess Posey type books with us watching to help with a difficult word here and there. I just started reading Magic Treehouse books to her and she can't seem to get enough. She keeps asking for another chapter! Her writing has really improved, and she is a pro at writing her first and last name now. She can count to 100 by 1's, 2's, and 10's. We are still working on the 5's. She can do basic addition and subtraction problems as long as she has a manipulative to hold and count out to help her. She loves word problems so we tend to do those in the car as we drive places. She has learned the months of the year (September still trips her up every once in a while) and has known the days of the week for quite a while. She still loves science, and is pretty into space/the solar system. She knows what street we live on, what city, and what state, and most of the time can recite the number of our house. She is pretty excited for kindergarten, but she knows I'm having a tough time thinking about it!
Peanut just had gymnastics tryouts for next year. She did the very best job she could have and I was so proud. The tryout process takes around four hours so it was a long day for our little lady. She sat patiently for the tryout to start, while a lot of the other kids were messing around and getting in trouble. Although she isn't the most flexible kid out there by any means, she tried her hardest. She rocked the push up station and looked amazing with her form and how many she could do. She managed to get 2.5 pull ups on the bars and 5 leg lifts, which was pretty impressive. On the rope, she did three full pulls without her legs helping her, and then scurried her way to the top of the rope easily using her feet after that. She was one of the top performers in the handstand bridge kick over station and had a nice cartwheel and round off. She attempted a forward handspring even though she had never tried one before and actually did a decent try - although she didn't land on her feet. She did her best job to run fast at the first vault station and got full points for her handstand fall flat at the second vault station. She tried her best for her handstand and cartwheel on beam - her handstand didn't get real straight, but she started and finished on the beam. Her cartwheel didn't finish on the beam but she gave her best effort. She tried hard for the pullover on bars, but didn't quite make it. At the end, all of the gymnasts did as many sit ups as they could in 90 seconds - Peanut managed to get 46! Way to go, kiddo - we are so proud of you!!
Buggy:
He is such a smartie. He knows his colors and shapes for the most part, and can count to over 10. The biggest success is that he has learned most of the capital letters by recognition!! He's getting better at singing the ABC's - he still gets a little confused sometimes by the L-M-N-O-P section and occasionally waits at one of the other letters for me to help him out. He is not interested in starting preschool at all (which he will be in the fall) and keeps telling me he is little. Love that boy.
He has the sweetest heart ever. He constantly wants to help out and get you things and take care of stuff for you. He is very independent and wants to do it all by himself. His favorite thing ever is playing outside. He has only been on his bike a few times but is starting to get the hang of it a little bit. He loves to play in the water
Buggy is taking the summer off of gymnastics, but starting in the fall he will officially be out of the mommy and me class and on his own in the beginner 3-4 year old class.
Next week begins tennis lessons for both kiddos and then the week after we start swim lessons too! Busy but fun summer, coming up :) Can't wait for the sunshine and laughter!
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
We've been busy
I just randomly thought of this blog today, it's been a while since the idea of posting has crossed my mind. So much has happened in the months since my last post! There's a lot to document and catch up on....
Where to start? By the end of summer 2015, Peanut had been moved up to level 4 in swim lessons (the youngest one her teacher had ever had!) and was doing fairly well but is still working on improving her endurance/stamina and not stopping to chat with the teacher every few strokes. She is still in level 4 but really is kind of in between a level 4 and a level 5. She passes everything but the breaststroke fairly easily for level 4 (and she could pass the breaststroke if she would just swim 25 yards without chatting in the middle - she's a talker). Honestly I don't really care what level they put her in, and I told her teacher that, as long as they keep working to improve her strokes. She would be in level 5 for a while anyway, so I'm not in a hurry to get her there. In level 5 she needs to do 50 yards of each stroke except butterfly - I think that's just 25 yards in level 5. Her dive has gotten remarkably better, except that she often forgets to put her arms up in the streamline position. When reminded, though, it looks great.
At the beginning of the fall, Peanut started her second year of preschool. She really is a smart cookie. She knows all of her letters and letter sounds, although needs reminders about a few of the letter sounds occasionally. She is pretty good at single digit addition and subtraction problems, can write fairly well and has made it through reading all of the beginner BOB books. We just moved into the advancing beginner BOB series and she has made it through two stories, but I really need to order the next few sets because we will be there in no time. We usually tackle one new book a night. She is very interested in science - we built a "volcano" over Christmas break and talked about volcanoes before making it erupt. She also is fascinated by space, so we've been discussing the planets and the sun/moon. On the geography front, we've been trying to learn about the United States a little bit and distinguish the difference between road, city, state, etc. Thanks to a song from her school, she's learned the days of the week. I'd like to tackle the months and start teaching her about currency soon, too.
In gymnastics, Peanut has really come a long way. At the beginning of the fall term her teacher switched, and we are now back with Miss Lina. We love Miss Lina. She knows how to challenge the kids and push them while making things fun. Peanut is working on her back handspring (with help) on the trampoline, her beginner vault, climbing the rope (She made it 1/3 of the way up! And earned a prize - a new lego set), handstands, cartwheels, etc. She just learned how to do a bridge with one leg extended in the air - it is beautiful! She has been working very hard and the hard work is paying off - she is getting a lot stronger.
For dance class, Peanut is having a blast. They do creative movement and it really has helped her gain confidence and encourages her imagination. She has so much fun in class and always asks if it is time to return to dance.
Buggy is doing some awesome things too! In swimming, he is working on jumping in by himself and floating. He really does a good job with his scoops and his kicks, and he thinks he is swimming as he does them while moving across the bottom of the pool at the very shallow end of the zero entry (it is really cute!).
In gymnastics, Bug is doing a great job with listening and following directions - he is very independent and wants to do everything 'by myself'. He loves bars and the trampoline and pit.
For school prep, Bug has been working hard on his colors, shapes, counting, and we are now working on the alphabet and letter recognition. He still has zero interest in potty training and needs to work on his speech, so we will see if he ends up going to two years of preschool or just one.
At the end of October, we took a family trip to Disney with my parents and brother and soon to be sister-in-law and had a wonderful time. The kids had so much fun and we left completely exhausted. I will write a full post on that later, hopefully. I just need to remember!
Where to start? By the end of summer 2015, Peanut had been moved up to level 4 in swim lessons (the youngest one her teacher had ever had!) and was doing fairly well but is still working on improving her endurance/stamina and not stopping to chat with the teacher every few strokes. She is still in level 4 but really is kind of in between a level 4 and a level 5. She passes everything but the breaststroke fairly easily for level 4 (and she could pass the breaststroke if she would just swim 25 yards without chatting in the middle - she's a talker). Honestly I don't really care what level they put her in, and I told her teacher that, as long as they keep working to improve her strokes. She would be in level 5 for a while anyway, so I'm not in a hurry to get her there. In level 5 she needs to do 50 yards of each stroke except butterfly - I think that's just 25 yards in level 5. Her dive has gotten remarkably better, except that she often forgets to put her arms up in the streamline position. When reminded, though, it looks great.
At the beginning of the fall, Peanut started her second year of preschool. She really is a smart cookie. She knows all of her letters and letter sounds, although needs reminders about a few of the letter sounds occasionally. She is pretty good at single digit addition and subtraction problems, can write fairly well and has made it through reading all of the beginner BOB books. We just moved into the advancing beginner BOB series and she has made it through two stories, but I really need to order the next few sets because we will be there in no time. We usually tackle one new book a night. She is very interested in science - we built a "volcano" over Christmas break and talked about volcanoes before making it erupt. She also is fascinated by space, so we've been discussing the planets and the sun/moon. On the geography front, we've been trying to learn about the United States a little bit and distinguish the difference between road, city, state, etc. Thanks to a song from her school, she's learned the days of the week. I'd like to tackle the months and start teaching her about currency soon, too.
In gymnastics, Peanut has really come a long way. At the beginning of the fall term her teacher switched, and we are now back with Miss Lina. We love Miss Lina. She knows how to challenge the kids and push them while making things fun. Peanut is working on her back handspring (with help) on the trampoline, her beginner vault, climbing the rope (She made it 1/3 of the way up! And earned a prize - a new lego set), handstands, cartwheels, etc. She just learned how to do a bridge with one leg extended in the air - it is beautiful! She has been working very hard and the hard work is paying off - she is getting a lot stronger.
For dance class, Peanut is having a blast. They do creative movement and it really has helped her gain confidence and encourages her imagination. She has so much fun in class and always asks if it is time to return to dance.
Buggy is doing some awesome things too! In swimming, he is working on jumping in by himself and floating. He really does a good job with his scoops and his kicks, and he thinks he is swimming as he does them while moving across the bottom of the pool at the very shallow end of the zero entry (it is really cute!).
In gymnastics, Bug is doing a great job with listening and following directions - he is very independent and wants to do everything 'by myself'. He loves bars and the trampoline and pit.
For school prep, Bug has been working hard on his colors, shapes, counting, and we are now working on the alphabet and letter recognition. He still has zero interest in potty training and needs to work on his speech, so we will see if he ends up going to two years of preschool or just one.
At the end of October, we took a family trip to Disney with my parents and brother and soon to be sister-in-law and had a wonderful time. The kids had so much fun and we left completely exhausted. I will write a full post on that later, hopefully. I just need to remember!
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