August school things

We started school in July, but we didn't get into a really regular rhythm until August. 

We started with "Math Camp" to refresh some basics:

I managed to get First Day of School pictures:

We were thrilled to start having school in our "new" school room! We keep the Murphy bed folded up until we have guests, which gives us a room to dedicate to school work. It's been massively helpful in keeping our messes corralled and helping all of us to keep our focus. Magic. That's what it is.

For Ukrainian Independence day (August 24), we took several days to learn about Ukraine together. Probably the girls' favorite part of this was having a Zoom call with my Ukrainian friend, Ira, who did a Ukrainian language lesson with them.

We had tea and cookies for snack (OBVIOUSLY)

Read a favorite folktale

Studied our many maps

Dressed up

Made flower crowns

And flags

Tried out traditional dancing

Listened to bandura music

Painted plates

And painted matryoshkas

We had the BEST time studying Ukraine! The girls loved the activities and books, and I loved sharing something I love so much (Ukraine) with someones I love so much (them).

We started our study of space this year, so, of course, we made marshmallow constellations.

And toilet paper roll "telescopes"

We're doing ancient world history this year, so we also tried our hand at the papyrus paper-making process. It was messy and time-consuming, and they loved it.

We got off to a great start in August! It's really fun to teach kids when they are excited to learn. Here's hoping I don't let that eagerness to learn get squashed...

Brynnie chats: August 2021 edition

B-I-meeny-mo! B-I-meeny-mo!
How she sings "Old McDonald"

AHA! Banana bread. I love banana bread.
As she came downstairs, identifying the scent

I want to sleep to get the sick out.

Sees a hole in Erin's shirt
You might want to fix that today.

I just love to be with you.

I don't like yellow ketchup. Just red.

I have to be on charge!
*In charge

LILY-ISMS: August 2021 edition

Erin: Would you round up the girls, please?
Lily: (sees girls) You're supposed to be rounded up!

Donna: Do you know who Bill is? He's my brother.
Lily: So is Grandpa.
Grandpa = Bill

I like this music. It makes my bottom dance.

I set a watch-keeper over the animals. You know, to make sure nobody breaks a bone.
Her stuffies, not real animals

Rabbit and Tigger are right: this is fraught with danger!

This is a Tokyo, Japan movie!
Toy Story 2, after we had done a school study unit on Japan. There's a flight to Japan in Toy Story 2.

Watching equestrian competitions during the Olympics. 
Erin Good jump, horsey!
Lily: Just horse. It's a racing horse, Mommy.

I play rocket with Goldfish because the bottom of Goldfish looks kinda like the bottom of a rocket.

But I'm playing Horses and Cats!

This box would make a good feasting table!

I keep on getting myself distracted.

Claire was graphing family birthdays for a math assignment.
There's one April-er! It's me!

Opens scissors
It looks like I'm pulling out two knives!

Golf table : table tennis

So when can we get an RV?

Referring to Erin's loss of smell during my breakthrough case
She might lose her hearing next!

Watching Abominable
He's a good leaper! Like Trumpkin.

The step-teacher : room parent in our homeschool co-op

Text to my mom about oral presentation at our homeschool co-op:
Lily's is about the safari park. And our new school room. In Jesus' name, amen

Trumpkin was jumping and I presently caught her.

Precisely, I gathered the dark colors.

I knew since you were very sad that I should give a hug.

When I tilt too far when I'm running, I just hold myself together! 
Regains balance

One time, a balloon popped near my ear, and I went completely blind in that ear!

Always my bottom is checking if it's too hot or perfectly my way. Oops. My bottom is detecting that it's too hot.
Shower temperature

Around here lately: August 2021 edition

This hand has the honor of having the callous. And being the left hand.

Brynn, asking something incessantly
Erin: I've literally answered this 7 times.
Claire: or seventeen...

If we ever have to run away from home, I'll take The Boxcar Children because it has good information!

To Lily
Growling doesn't help. Say what you want.

Oh, so Jesus and Trumpkin share a birthday! How nice. Do you think Jesus is happy to be partners with Trumpkin?

Watching Frozen II
Explaining a deep thought to me
Erin: You're understanding it well.
Claire: That's what happens when we get older.

Watching Frozen II
Elsa... New outfit. New pets. They're going to need more storage at the castle.

I've been wearing clothes this week that remind me of Nana. She's my third or fourth favorite person in the whole world!

During our Ukrainian study unit for school
Claire: Hm... Where is Gru from? Gru from the Despicable Me movies
Erin: Well, he's Russian.
Claire: Well, Russia took over Ukraine several times. Maybe we should watch Despicable Me since it relates to Ukraine?

A text I sent my mom, when a family friend was very sick
Claire prayed for Gannell tonight and she also prayed, "and thank you that Nana is so kindhearted to go visit her"

It's amazing that God took dust and made so many things in our bodies, like brains, hair, and ESOPHAGUSES!

You know, once, the movies were GRAY!

July 2021: a recap

We didn't realize during the end of Spring semester when we were thinking through our summer just how busy our July was going to become! Lots of travel and visiting. AND we started school in July, too. It got busy fast!

We are HEAVY in The Chronicles of Narnia over here. I'm absolutely LOVING introducing the girls to one of my very favorite series ever. They have fallen for the stories just as hard as I did when I was Claire's age. We let them watch the 2005 movie version, and I snapped a few pictures of their reactions:

This shot was not staged, and I LOVE it.

Aslan's sacrifice. It's just pretty magical to watch them fall in love with Narnia.

Snapped this great shot of the girls with Gran and Grandpa before church after we returned from the beach.

We went for Mexican after church with Gran and Grandpa. I realized it was Hallie's first restaurant experience INSIDE. She really enjoyed it!

But her cheeks got REAL heavy real fast.

Brad and I pulled the triggered this summer and bought a Murphy bed for our guest room, in order to convert it to a guest/school room. Because it came in many, many pieces and we needed to get it up the stairs and then assemble (Brad actually did the assembling), we also acquired this fancy dolly. If you give a mouse a cookie and whatnot. 

Lily takes her daily rest time in the guest room, and she thorough enjoyed having all of those enormous boxes in her resting space. She put them to all manner of uses.

I believe this was the "movie theater" iteration.

We did our best to keep up with family, near(ish) and (really) far:

Babies watching babies

I got the girls very pumped up for the Summer Olympics, and they really leaned into it, much to my delight:

Homemade red, white, and blue confetti

USA! USA!

A friend of ours snapped this sweet picture of the girls visiting with a church friend.

And since I wrapped up my monthly Hallie letters, here's a section of Hallie pictures:

And just a few extra snaps from July:

July...a good and very busy month!