Week in Review 2015: #45

Life

It has been so nice to get back to a regular schedule! I came down with whatever the kids had last week but was feeling much better by Tuesday. My husband thinks it was mainly due to exhaustion. I am glad it did not last long.

This week was a busy one with our extracurricular activities. It was Parent's Week for both gymnastics and dance. I get to watch the kids at gymnastics every week anyway, but this time Daddy was able to see them as well. Bridget does not make a big deal of it but George sure loved showing off for us.

I was able to post about Bridget's class and George's class earlier in the week with more pictures and details.

Bridget also takes ballet and tap/jazz. We were able to attend both of those classes as well.

Bridget absolutely loves ballet and this her third year. The is the first year that Bridget has taken tap/jazz. We didn't know what to expect for Parent's Week, but it looks like they have a lot of fun in both dance classes. She has some really great teachers.

In other news, our dishwasher started leaking on Thursday. I ran a load which ended with water pooled on the floor. After a little research by Mr. Fix-It aka my husband, he determined that the seal was worn out and that's why it was leaking and that a new seal would cost about $50. A new dishwasher costs about $250-$300. We opted for the brand new dishwasher as our old one is about 10 years old and was probably on its way out soon anyway.

First thing on Saturday morning, my husband took the older two kids to Lowes to purchase a new dishwasher and brought it home with him, took out the old dishwasher, and installed the new one, all by about noon on Saturday. We ran the first load and wished we had bought a new dishwasher years ago. The new one is so quiet! Now we get to wait around and wait for the next appliance to die on us.

Homeschool 

 

Writing

We are all caught up with writing! What a relief! Bridget has been a real trooper, doing 2-3 pages of worksheets per day just to get back on track. I took a look at her handwriting from this week compared to the beginning of the school year and I am very pleased with her progress.

 

Math

This week, we learned algebra. No, really. The lesson was titled "solving for an unknown". This was by far the hardest concept for Bridget to grasp. Once she got it, she got it, but it took awhile. She still doesn't want to take the test. She does well with the worksheets until she stops paying attention and adds the two numbers together regardless of their placement. Something as easy as ___ + 3 = 5, she'll answer as 8, simply because she's not paying attention. Then she'll surprise me and do an entire worksheet of problems correctly. I want her to go ahead and take the test so that we can put algebra behind us, for now.

 

Family Movie Night

Things got so busy this week that we forgot to pick a movie. Luckily, my husband had bought another box of Lincoln Logs that he found at Staples of all places. This kept Bridget and George busy all of Friday night and Saturday afternoon. They were actually playing well together.

Linking up to:

 

 

 

Gymnastics 2015 - Little Flippers

George is in his second year of Little Flippers. He loves being able to let loose and run around. His teachers do provide some structure to the classes but they still make it a lot of fun for the little ones. He his favorite parts are tumbling and jumping on the trampoline.

 

The first station George was at was the obstacle course routine where they go around and around, practicing their jumps, cartwheels, tumbling, log rolls, donkey kicks, head stands, etc.

George after his tumble

"Donkey Kicks"

"Head Stand"

Next was a course involving the balance beams, tunnels, and the slide.

On the balance beam

Through the tunnel

Gymnastics is one of the highlights of George's week. It is currently his only extracurricular activity so he looks forward to it very much. He loves showing off for us, and was especially excited that daddy was also there watching him and came over for a hug a couple of times. Even though he is getting so big, he is still our fun little boy. It's always a treat to see him having so much fun.

Gymnastics 2015 - Girls' Skills Development

We had the privilege of attending "Parent's Week" at our local gym, where Bridget and George participate in gymnastics each week. As a homeschooler, this is their "physical education" class.

This year, Bridget is in the Girls' Skills Development class. It's a little less of the "fun" stuff and more of the skills development, as the class title suggests.

So far this year, she has been working on the bars, the trampoline, and the balance beams. They are also working on basic skills like pointing their toes, head stands, arabesques, and various other positions.

Bridget on the balance beam

A couple of weeks ago, Bridget fell off of the balance beam. I did not see it happen, though she told me about it later. She said she cried a little because it scared her. Since then, we had our little pep talk and she is back on the balance beam. She's still very careful up there.

 

These two pictures were the only decent ones I got of her. She's very serious and also very shy and will not look at me during her routines, much less smile for the camera. She really enjoys going to her gymnastics class every week and likes both of her teachers.

Little Flippers

The kids had their very last gymnastics class together this week. Bridget has been in the Little Flippers class for two years and George just started in March. It's fun to be able to sit in the gym and watch the kids do their routines. Bridget's confidence has grown so much in the past two years. She started off being very scared of the equipment. Now, she knows what she's doing but still approaches with caution.

 

 

 

 

 

This was George's first time performing a routine. I could tell that he was nervous. Normally, he does the routines with a big smile and shows off his silly side. This time, with all of the parents watching, we got to see his shy side.

 

He was so proud of himself after each routine. I could tell he wanted to let out a big grin and laugh. He held it in well. It was precious to watch.

 

He wasn't as graceful as his big sister, but he did great with following the routines without being prompted too much. It's not easy for any three year old to follow instructions, but George did great. I wish there was a way to get him to do this at home!

We have been fortunate to have two awesome coaches. They've been with Bridget for two years and she trusts them both completely. They have made the class so much fun for the kids.

We'll have one week off from gymnastics and will be starting back up in June. Bridget will be moving up to a new level and will have new coaches, and because Bridget's new class will be meeting in the afternoon, I moved George to a class on the same day and time as well. Bridget is unsure and doesn't know what to expect from her new class. George. I think, will be a little confused when Bridget goes off to her own class and he has to stay in his. He's gotten used to following her lead. It won't be too long before I'll have another one in gymnastics. I wish they didn't grow up so fast.

Extracurricular Activities, Fall 2014

The middle of November, both ballet and gymnastics had their "Parents' Week", and we got to watch Bridget show off what she has learned so far this year. She is in Pre-Ballet II and seems to be doing quite well. I think she is probably the oldest in her class, as she just missed the cut off for public school Kindergarten. The other girls are mostly 4 years old.

 

Her dance studio does not allow parents to watch every class, as it can be quite distracting for the students. Because of this policy, Parents' Week is crowded with parents and grandparents. Her teacher, Ms. Denise, is so good with the kids and they have the cutest songs to help them learn the different positions.

 

We also got to watch Bridget in gymnastics. I usually watch her during every lesson, but this time the parents were able to sit in the gym. Bridget has gotten much more brave and listens to the instructions well. She loves her teachers Mr. John & Miss Rachel. She is so close to doing a handstand without the support of the wall.

Bridget used to be afraid of jumping on the trampoline during her first year. This year, she's much more confident. She is able to control her jumps well rather than bouncing all over the place.